▲ Balloons and fire works shoot into the air celebrating the grand opening of NLCS Jeju. Photo by Darryl Coote

On Sept. 30, a week after the school’s semester officially began, the North London Collegiate School (NLCS) Jeju held a Grand Opening Ceremony in its recently built auditorium and theatre, under an air of expectation.

The ceremony began with an energetic performance by Nanta (a theatrical troupe that does a modern take on traditional Korean drumming), as hundreds of NLCS Jeju elementary, middle, and secondary students with their parents as well as invited guests looked on.

This was followed by congratulatory speeches by Minister of Education, Science and Technology Seol Dong-geun; Jeju Governor Woo Keun Min; Jeju Free International City Development Center CEO Byun Jong Il; NLCS UK Headmistress Bernice McCabe, NLCS Jeju Headmaster Peter Daly, and others.

The event concluded with music by the Singing Angels, a choir comprised of elementary school children, and of course, the tape cutting ceremony.

▲ NLCS UK Headmistress Bernice McCabe giving her congratulatory speech before a packed auditorium to commemorate the opening of the prestigious UK’s school Jeju branch. Photo by Darryl Coote

▲ The Singing Angels perform during the Grand Opening of the NLCS Jeju. Photo by Darryl Coote

After the ceremony students excitedly ran about the school either in groups or while showing off the new facilities to parents.

Camellia Choy, 15-year-old NLCS year 10 student said that for her as one of the school’s inaugural pupils, she felt both excitement and apprehension.

“It’s exciting,” she told The Weekly after the ceremony, and mentioned that she decided to go to NLCS Jeju because of how much she likes England. She continued that though she was happy, “I’m away from my family and that makes me nervous.”

Choi’s new-found friend and roommate of a week, Cindy Kim said she felt the same: “I really feel excited and I kind of feel scared because it is the first time from my family and it’s a new school.” But along with that came a sense of freedom she had yet to experience in her young life stating that there will be “no fighting with parents,” and since it is a new school the facilities are top-notch, as well as the teachers.

“The teachers are very passionate so we can learn a lot of things from them,” she said.

NLCS Jeju is the first school to open with the Jeju Global Education City which will be comprised of six to seven international schools when completed in 2014.

▲ A group of girls pose for photographs out front of the new NLCS Jeju school facilities in Daejung-eup, Seogwipo City after the tape cutting ceremony on Sept. 30. Photo by Darryl Coote