Let’s Have Fun with English! A Riveting Competition in School!

By Na-Hyeon Kim, Seohae Sahmyook Elementary SchoolAs May began, the Seohae Sahmyook Elementary School held “The English Competition”. This competition encourages the students to learn English.This year, the competition was held from May 12th (Tuesday) to May 15th (Friday). Each day, students in each grade competed in the competition. This included the 4th graders who competed on Tuesday, and 5th graders who competed on Wednesday.In the competition, every student competes. This helps every student feel more confident in English after the competition. When preparing for the competition, most students can approach the challenge more easily by practicing English pop songs and copying English movie dialogues. For example, one of the students’ favorite songs was “My favorite things” from the movie Sound of Music.The purpose of this competition is for students to perform their best in English. This helps students develop their language skills and express themselves in English. The school will continue encouraging students to participate in the event next year.

A Happy Sports Day with Passion and Teamwork

By Chae-Eun Sin, Seohae Sahmyook Elementary SchoolOn May 11th, 2026, Seohae Sahmyook Elementary School had a sports day at the school gym. This was the first sports day after COVID-19. Students from first grade to sixth grade all took part together. The sports day was very fun with students and teachers cheering loudly.The first game was Big Ball Relay. Students cheered for their teammates as they moved big balls together. The goal was to carry the balls by hand and see which team could move them higher than the other team. This game helped friends work together as a team.Next came the tug-of-war game. Everyone worked together. They pulled the rope with all their might. The Blue Team and the White Team cheered loudly and did their best. The teachers cheered for the students too. Even when one side had started to gain the upper hand.The last event of the sports day was the relay race. This is what is known as the best part of sports day. Students ran as fast as they could and passed a baton to their teammates. The students cheered loudly while watching the game.Ultimately, the Blue Team won the sports day. What mattered most was that everyone had fun laughing, running and working together. Through these team games, everyone at Seohae Sahmyook Elementary School became one.

Don’t Panic, Don’t Drown!

By Ji-Min Han, Yongnam Elementary SchoolYongnam Elementary School hosts survival swimming lessons for students’ safety.As the hot summer is coming, Yongnam Elementary School hosted a special program. The school started survival swimming lessons on May 12th. The purpose of these lessons is to help students stay calm in an accident and survive alone until help comes.The lesson started with simple water activities, followed by real situation solutions. First, the students splashed around in the water to help them calm down and become used to the water. After that, they learned what to do in emergencies like boat or airplane accidents. Instead of panicking and jumping in the water, students should carefully go into the water, feet first.Also, students learned how to stay above water for a long time until help arrives. It could still take a long time for help to come. So instead of swimming away, students should loosen their muscles and float on the water’s surface while saving their energy. Lastly, the students protected themselves from getting too cold by covering the parts of the body that touched the water.The students who participated in this lesson learned how to act in a real-time accident. By taking these lessons, everyone hopes for a safe summer without water accidents.

Enjoying Jeongwol Daeboreum Event In Gyeryong

By Seol Lee, Yongnam Elementary SchoolDo you know Jeongwol Daeboreum? Jeongwol Daeboreum is the first full moon of the year. A long time ago, people played traditional games during the day.The Jeongwol Daeboreum Event was held in Daesil District for Gyeryong citizens. Jeongwol Daeboreum has been celebrated since the Three Kingdoms period to wish for good fortune.Gyeryong’s Jeongwol Daeboreum Event was held for people’s good luck and peace. This event was divided into two parts: games and performances. During the games, you could enjoy 20 traditional games. Also, anyone who joined the Ttakji-chigi game had a chance to become a winner. During the performance, people could enjoy various activities such as Ganggangsullae, a special dance where people hold hands. Also, they could enjoy listening to traditional Korean music and dancing. In addition to the games, there were also many chances to try traditional Korean food. Through this event, people became interested in traditional things, so we can preserve traditional culture.The 2026 Jeongwol Daeboreum Event gave good luck to people and got rid of bad luck. Also, the event changed people’s negative views on traditional culture into positive ones. If you have a chance, you should join the event next year.

A Fun Day at the Sports Festival!

By Seung-Hyun Lim, YeonHaw Elementary SchoolYeonhaw Elementary School held a Sports festival. It started on May 6th(Wednesday). At the festival, many students had a lot of fun. Teachers and the principal at Yeonhaw Elementary School happily watched the students during the festival.Yeonhaw Elementary School Sports Festival had lots of games. For example, Rolling a Ball, Tightrope, Running Fast with a parachute, and a Relay Race. In the Sports Festival, the students were divided into three groups: 1st–2nd grade, 3rd–4th grade, and 5th–6th grade. Many students thought the festival would be fun.Teachers gave drinks called ‘POWER O2’ just before the Sport festival started. The White Team won most of the games. However, the winner was the Blue Team because the Blue Team cheered loudly and actively.During interviews with students, the Blue Team’s students said they had a lot of fun. The White Team felt good, but they felt ashamed. Teachers told the students that it was okay to lose the game if they did their best. The Yeonhaw Elementary School Principal said “If you lose, that's okay. You can try again next time”. After the speech, the Principal clapped for the students.

The Cafeteria at Cheonan Gaon Elementary School holds Vegetable King Bingo Event

By Yeong-In Kim, Cheonan Gaon Elementary SchoolThe Cafeteria at Cheonan Gaon Elementary School held the Vegetable King Bingo event from April 20th to 24th to help students practice healthy eating habits.Students do not want to eat vegetables during lunch. Even so, if they do eat them, they can collect stickers and play a bingo game. The bingo board has 8 lines. Because younger students may lose their boards, homeroom teachers look after the boards for them.If students complete one line, they get an eraser. If they complete 3 lines, they get a squishy toy. If they complete 8 lines, they get ice cream. Many students joined the event and felt happy and proud. They also had lots of fun. At the end, many students enjoyed the event and won prizes.Homeroom teachers gave ice cream to the students and taught them how to throw away trash properly. The event was fun and meaningful, so students hoped to join it again next time.

A Day When the Village Smiles Together, Songak Noljang

By Jihyo Kang, Songnam Elementary SchoolOn the 16th, the Songak Noljang, a village festival prepared and enjoyed together by the residents of Songak-myeon in Asan City, was held, creating a warm and lively atmosphere.The event featured a variety of programs, including food booths, busking performances, and flea markets. Among them, a booth run by Songnam Elementary School students and parents to raise funds for a school trip received much attention from the residents. The students decorated the booth themselves and prepared sales items and activities with enthusiasm. Programs such as DIY accessories and dalgona making, filled with the students’ own ideas, were especially popular. Many visitors came to the booth to support the students. The students actively guided visitors and sold products themselves, with confidence.Although many students said it was difficult to run the event in the hot weather, there were also countless comments saying “We are thankful and proud that so many people came to support us.” Residents said they were very impressed by the students preparing the booth on their own and thought it was a meaningful activity.On stage, busking performances such as ocarina performances, dance shows, and band performances continued throughout the festival. The performances made the festival even more exciting. Residents enjoyed the performances and gave applause. This Songak Noljang, where students and residents came together, will remain a warm memory for the village people.

Spring Photo Contest at Dangjin Gyesung Elementary School

By Chaewon Moon, Gyesung Elementary SchoolDangjin Gyesung Elementary School held a special spring event called the “Cherry Blossom Walking Photo Contest” from April 20th to May 1st, 2026.Streets turn pink with beautiful cherry blossoms that look like pink popcorn. On the cherry blossom streets, people are busy taking photos with their friends and families. Everyone enjoys making happy memories.The Spring Photo Contest encourages students to spend meaningful time with their families while enjoying the beauty of spring.Participants uploaded their photos to the school community app. Each class selected the best photo based on the number of “likes,” and the winners received prizes. The school also created a special “Rainbow Bridge Photo Zone” for events.The photo zone became a unique space filled with students’ smiles, memories, and joyful moments. Everyone shared the happy moments together.This event became a meaningful opportunity for students to appreciate nature, family, and the happiness of everyday life.We look forward to more meaningful and joyful events like this in the future.

Naepo Elementary School's School Bullying Campaign

By Kim Haeun, Naepo Elementary SchoolRecently, school bullying has become a big problem. Many students and parents are worried about it.In addition, as more students use SNS, cyberbullying is increasing. This has led the Chungnam Office of Education to conduct an online school bullying survey of 137, 119 students from fourth-grade elementary school students to third-year high school students. The survey showed that many students bullied others as a joke or for no special reason.Naepo Elementary is conducting many campaigns to stop school bullying. Recently, the school student president, school vice president, and class presidents visited every classroom and held a campaign, during which some students wore suits. Many students became interested in the campaign and were made to think again about school bullying.Also the student council gave fortune cookies to all students. Each cookie had a kind message inside. The messages gave students courage and comfort. The student council visited all the classrooms and explained school bullying.It is in this way that this Naepo Elementary School is continuing many campaigns and educational activities to prevent school bullying. It is hard for schools alone to stop school. Families also need to talk with their children and help prevent bullying at home.Schools and families must work together to stop school bullying.

Children’s Day Festival and Historic People Festival

By Seo-woo Lee, Naepo Elementary SchoolThe Children’s Day Festival and Historic People Festival were held at Hongjueupseong from May 2nd to 3rd, 2026, with fun performances and experience booths for children.In this event, special performances for children were prepared. The performances included the girls’ and boys’ choir and the cheer team Rabyeol. The choir, with more than 20 members, sang and danced together. Many in the audience were captivated by the children’s beautiful voices.Next, the cheer team Rabyeol gave a powerful performance. The audience cheered loudly. The performances made the festival exciting.Chungwoon University helped prepare many booths. There were many fun booths for children. They included a flight attendant experience with trainees, making historical figure keyrings, and soccer and baseball classes with university students. There was also an event that gave drinks to visitors. Many children looked happy during the festival.Overall, the festival allowed children to have a fun and meaningful time with their families.

Students, Parents, and Teachers Become One at the School Sports Day

By Haya Kim, Daegwan Elementary SchoolOn April 21st, Daegwan Elementary School in Boryeong, Chungcheongnam-do held its annual “One Heart Sports Day” where students, parents, and teachers enjoyed various games and showed the true spirit of sportsmanship.The One Heart Sports Day started with encouraging words from the principal under bright and sunny skies. There were five games: rolling a giant dice, knocking down a shoe tower, finding Dragon Balls, tug-of-war, and relay races.In the shoe tower game, the Blue Team and the Red Team tied. This tie meant that the principal and vice principal joined the game to decide the winner. It was hard going, but with loud cheers from parents and students, the vice principal won, and the Red Team became the final winner.Parents also joined the tug-of-war game. At first, the fathers from both teams made the game very exciting, and the game ended in a tie. In the final round, the mothers joined, and the Red Team won.The highlight of the sports day was the relay race. The runners from each grade competed closely. During the second relay race for the older students, one runner from the Red Team fell down, and the Blue Team got far ahead. However, the Red Team did not give up and kept running until the end. They made an amazing comeback and won the race.After the sports day, the losing team gave warm applause to the winning team.The winning team also encouraged and cheered for the losing team. In this way, the “One Heart Sports Day” ended happily. These days, we sometimes read news articles saying that some schools do not divide winners and losers because they do not want students to feel hurt. However, true sportsmanship means fair competition, accepting the results, and cheering for each other. In this way, Daegwan Elementary School’s “One Heart Sports Day” became a meaningful event that showed the true spirit of sportsmanship.

The Smiling Angel with a Yellow Flag

By Woojin Park, Dongmun Elementary SchoolEvery morning, yellow flags wave at the crosswalk in front of Seosan Dongmun Elementary School. Behind those bright yellow flags are parents who work hard every day to keep students safe.Every morning, when we go to school, people with yellow flags stand at the crosswalk to help students go to school safely. They are the “Smiling Angels of the school road” who give their all for our safety. They are... our moms and dads! Even when it snows or rains, they always welcome students with warm smiles. Their yellow flags help keep the school streets safe every morning.To begin their volunteer work, they wear bright safety vests and carry yellow flags. When they arrive at the school, the volunteers begin helping students cross the street safely. They stop cars and hold up the flags to help students cross the street safely. They block the cars so students can cross the crosswalk safely. On the crosswalk that students pass every morning without thinking, there is a quiet promise and a lot of hard work from their parents.Every morning, students at Seosan Dongmun Elementary School say "Thank you!" to the smiling angels. Their smiles become even brighter when students say “Thank you.” If you see the smiling angels tomorrow morning, say “Thank you” with a warm smile.Thanks to the smiling angels, Seosan Dongmun Elementary School is a safer and happier place every morning.

Let’s Find Out about the Student Council!

By Tae-yeon Kim, Seosan Yecheon Elementary SchoolThe Yecheon Student Council listens to students, plans fun events, and helps make school life better.The student council at Yecheon Elementary School helps students. The council helps create a better school by listening to students’ opinions.If the school has problems, the council discusses them together with the classpresidents. Students in the council inform students about school problems. One school problem was a broken railing. The student council talked about it, told the school office, and put up warning signs so friends would not climb on it.These days, the council has been preparing for Teacher’s Day. What does the council do on Teacher’s Day? The council filmed a video to thank the teachers. The council also wrote thank you messages for them.The Yecheon Elementary School student council is also preparing an event that encourages honest and responsible school life.The students are looking forward to the next event!

Enjoy Dangjin Tabdong Elementary School’s Children’s Day Event!

By An-Soi, Dangjin Tabdong Elementary SchoolDangjin Tabdong Elementary School held school a Children’s Day event from April 27th to 30th for children’s day.From April 27th to 30th, the Children's Day event was held in Dangjin Tabdong elementary school. Especially, this event was more meaningful because it was organized and operated by the student council, to keep the campaign promise of the student president.There were three booths. The first was ‘beat the student council’ Rock Paper Scissors booth. The second, ‘sport stacking’, a time-limited cup-stacking booth and the third was a ‘solve the Children’s Day subject quiz’ booth. After participants finished one activity, they could get a stamp. When they collected all three stamps, they could visit the Lucky draw booth and receive a snack as a prize.The 5th graders, who participated in the event, said that along many joyful booths, they could enjoy various activities and collecting stamps. They also enjoyed the Lucky Draw booths and the prizes. The teacher who was in charge of the student council said that the event was meaningful because the student council planned and operated the event. He also said that it was a good opportunity for all students to participate happily and increase the energy of school life.Thanks to this joyful 2026 event, Tabdong Elementary School’s students could get excited and energized.

"Learning Meets Fun: Hongseong’s Children’s Day Festival Highlights Local History"

By Jiho Lee, Sindang Elementory SchoolLearning and Fun Collide at the Hongseong Children’s Day FestivalA vibrant Children’s Day event was recently held in Hongseong-eup, Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. The festival featured a variety of performances and educational booths focused on the historical figures of Hongseong. Designed specifically for children, the activities were accessible and engaging, combining fun with meaningful missions.Students had the opportunity to study local historical figures and participate in quizzes to win prizes. Beyond the history-themed areas, students from Chung-woon University hosted diverse booths related to different careers and sports. Participants enjoyed playing soccer and baseball, and many were particularly drawn to an "Esports" booth featuring a laser gun game. Another highlight was the "Cabin Crew" booth, which offered a unique experience rarely found in everyday life.As the event drew to a close, a celebratory show took place. A talented child DJ led the festivities, and several students participated in a high-energy dance competition where they were awarded gifts.While the event successfully highlighted three local historical figures, there was one notable omission. The festival did not mention Mr. Bang Jeong-hwan, the visionary who founded Children's Day. Given his central role in the holiday’s history, I hope that future events will include a tribute to Mr. Bang to fully honor the spirit of the day.

Discover Charming Places in Cheonan on the Stamp Tour

By Seoha Lee, Cheonan Areum Elementary SchoolSince 2022, Cheonan city has run a program named ‘Cheonan Mobile Stamp Tour of Monthly Hidden Places’. Through this program, people could visit many interesting and various places in Cheonan with new themes every month. This year's program runs from March to November. The March theme was ‘Taste (Bap Road)’, which introduced popular local food places. April’s theme was ‘Spring Blossom Celebration’ for enjoying spring flowers, and May’s theme is ‘History: Seonbi Road’. I participated in the mobile stamp tour to find out what students could learn and enjoy through the program.To join the Cheonan Mobile Stamp Tour, people need to download the ‘Cheonan Tour Map’ app and visit three selected places. Every time visitors go to a place, they can collect a digital stamp. The app provides information about each place, helping visitors understand its history and meaning more easily. After collecting all three stamps and posting a photo on SNS, participants can win prizes. This makes the travel experience more fun.The three places for May’s history theme were Bongseonhongkyongsa Stele (Galgibi), the Government Office in Jiksan-hyeon, and Cheonan Hyanggyo. Bongseonhongkyongsa Galgibi is national treasure No. 7 in Korea and one of the eight scenic spots of Cheonan. The yellow canola flowers around it also made the place feel warm and beautiful. Jiksan-hyeon offices were used as government buildings during the Joseon era. Visitors can imagine local officials working their jobs in the past. Cheonan Hyanggyo was an old school where students studied in the Joseon times. Visitors can enjoy the traditional appearance of the hyanggyo in a quiet, calm, and peaceful mood.If students participate in the Mobile Stamp Tour, they can experience the attraction of Cheonan’s treasures in a fun way. They will be able to feel and enjoy the charm of their local area up close. The places are not too far from each other, so it is easy to move between them. Collecting stamps also feels like playing a rally game. The Cheonan Mobile Stamp Tour would be a great activity for a weekend family trip, and also could be a good choice for school field trips in Cheonan!

Cheonan Youth Community Center, Our Second School

By Chae-Won Lee, Areum Elementary SchoolCheonan Youth Community Center in Cheonan Buldangdong celebrates its first birthday. The Cheonan Youth Community Center is an open space for everyone so that youths can freely communicate, learn and get great experience. The center helps students explore various possibilities through culture, art, career, and leisure activities.On the 1st floor is a large concert hall hosting various events, a large gym where people can enjoy basketball and badminton, an imaginary arcade using AI, and a communication cafe where various board games are prepared. On the 2nd floor, there are cooking rooms, dancing rooms, and reading rooms for young people and sports rooms where people can play table tennis and billiards. On the 3rd floor, there is a club room, and a singing and band room, and on the 4th floor, there is an e-sports room, a singing practice room, a play therapy room and a counseling room.Based on this space, the center provides various programs and supports for teenagers. It supports students so they can lead activities by themselves and grow up well.The programs vary slightly by every quarter. The center offers various programs such as music programs like Orchestra, Korean traditional music, and cooking programs such as barista training, chocolatier crafting, baking, and sports program like dance, badminton, tennis, jump rope, and ballet. Students can sometimes watch national team plays and ride an autonomous bus. In these various ways, the center supports teenagers after-school education. At school, students have to learn the same set timetable. However, at the center, students can choose programs which they really like. If you have a class you are interested in, you can able to participate classes. At the Cheonan Youth Community Center, students can encounter new things and find their new talent.Here are some featured programs to look out for:Every month, the center hosts a plogging activity called ‘Picking up with our family’. The teenage students and their family can walk around the neighborhood and pick up trash. They can make their neighborhood and streets clean. It can give them great experience, and allows for making memories with their family. Also, they can get volunteering-time points as a bonus!On Saturdays at 3pm, there is an particularly special ‘Imagination Busking Event’ held for about 20 minutes on the first floor. The audience get to enjoy the performance, and the participants can acquire the confidence to show their talent.Cheongdaum Cafe, located in the center of the 1st floor, offers one free drink per day to young people aged 9 to 24 years old. If you are lucky, you can get special seasonal drinks or bread sponsored by Chungnam Confectionery Vocational School snack.During summer vacation, the center becomes more energetic. Additional morning programs will be opened, and even more students will be coming to the center to enjoy these classes. Many students who come to the center during summer vacation can take a break by reserving various activity places, enjoying drinks at the Cheong Daum Cafe, or freely reading books.If you follow @cayuth_hub on the Instagram, you can get to know the news faster than anyone else. Hub has the meaning of ‘connecting’. The center is ready to serve as a hub for local youths. So, they aim to have a lot of young people to visit. Please try visiting the Cheonan Youth Community Center. Don’t miss this amazing place!

The 17th Dream Tree Swimming Competition in Cheonan

By Jun-woo Park, Areum Elementary SchoolThe Dream Tree Swimming Competition sets out to discover talented students who enjoy swimming. The competition includes individual and team games spanning four types of swimming style, with winners receiving medals and certificates. Even without winning medals, participants can gain experience, improve their skills, and grow as young swimmers.In Cheonan, various swimming competitions are held every year. Of all these competitions, the Dream Tree Swimming Competition is the oldest competition to discover talented students who enjoy swimming, sponsored by Cheonan City and Swimming organizations. The 17th competition was held at Handeul Cultural Center on May 10th.All elementary and middle school students in Cheonan City who enjoy swimming can participate in this competition. However, registered athletes are not allowed to join.There are two types of games in the competition. The individual competition is held by grade and students can select up to two games from 50m or 100m in freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly. Only third graders or above can join in the 100m game.The team competition consists of four players, either elementary or middle school students. Each student swims 50m and a total of 200m in relay. There are two types of games in the team competition. In the medley relay game, four swimmers swim backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle in that order. In the freestyle relay game, all four players swim freestyle.Winners can receive medals and certificates from 1st to 3rd place in individual and team competitions, with gold medals awarded to 1st place winners, silver medals awarded to 2nd place winners, and bronze medals awarded to 3rd place winners.Elementary school students who participate in this swimming competition do not have much experience yet, so they may be very nervous and make mistakes that violate the rules. Still, these experiences help them become much better athletes.Even if they don't receive a medal, they can constantly challenge themselves to achieve their goals and shorten the record. It can be an opportunity to fulfill their dreams of becoming a swimmer.

Berry Fun Field Trip

By Hyun Kyung Lee, Seongnam Elementary SchoolSeongnam Elementary School students went on a field trip to a special strawberry farm!Spring is the season for picnics and strawberries! Our school’s second spring field trip was on April 22nd. That day, Instead of books and pencils, students have water bottles in their hands. They have to ride the school’s yellow bus, going to the strawberry farm.The farm looked like a huge see-through house. This is called a greenhouse or a smart farm. Many Korean farmers use this method to grow fruits, even during cold weather. Research said it makes the fruits sweeter too. This made the air smell like candy!Each student has one “berry” important mission. It is to pick the best strawberry they can find. They received containers so strawberries will not mush. Students were surprised to know that the bees in there do not have stingers. They look for flowers and help make strawberries have their perfect heart shape. After that, they took a group photo together with the teachers before going back to school. It was a berry fun field trip!Students also had a chance to make strawberry milk and a strawberry roll sandwich when they arrived at school. Here is a recipe for you: just flatten the slice of bread, spread some whipped cream and strawberries on top. Roll them like kimbap. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!