Gimcheon High School

Tjoy0314/sandbox
Hangul	김천고등학교
Hanja	金泉高等學校
Revised Romanization	Gimcheon Godeung Hakgyo

Gimcheon High School
김천고등학교
Gimcheon High School; 김천고등학교
Location
	North Gyeongsang Province Gimcheon Songseol-ro 90 (부곡동 777-1); South Korea
Information
Type	Private, Boarding
Motto	깨끗하게 부지런하게; (Cleanly and Diligently)
Established	9 May 1931
Founder	First Lady Choi Song Seol-dang
Principal	Yeongho Na
Faculty	57
Grades	1~3
Gender	Male
Age range	17~19
Enrollment	705
Language	Korean
Website	school.gyo6.net/gimcheon/main.do?sysId=gimcheon

Gimcheon High School (Korean: 김천고등학교; GCH), is a private boarding all-boys high school located in Gimcheon. It is one of the 10 independent private high schools (자율형 사립고) in South Korea that require an application of nationwide scale and admissions test to the applicant students.

Brief History

1931. 2. 5 Establishment of Songseoldang Education Foundation
1931. 3. 30. Inauguration of the first principal Ahn Il-yeong
1990. 9. 1. Completion of Dormitory Cheong-un-gwan
2004. 12. 23. Completion of Main Hall Se-shim-gwan
2010. 9. 28. Completion of Ye-ji-gwan
2011. 12. 30. Completion of Dormitory Baek-un-gwan
2017. 10. 16 Completion of Dormitory Song-lim-gwan

History of Choi Songseoldang, Founder of school

Choi Songseoldang, the founder of Gimcheon high school and an educator in Japanese colonial era of Korea, was born as the eldest of three daughters of her father Choi Changhwan, and her mother Jeong Okkyung in Gimcheon. Songseoldang’s family began to ruin because her great grandfather didn't fight against as a military officer when peasant revolt occured and her great-grandfather's mother's family, Gangneung Yoo (劉) participated in Hong Gyeong-rae's Rebellion.

When she was young, thanks to her dad, teacher of the Seodang, Songseoldang had great skills of Chinese and Hangul writing. Later, she accumulated many fortune by trying hard without hesitation in order to achieve her father’s hope that dissolves a family's grudge.

Realizing that merely saving money doesn't help her to achieve her dream, she went to Hanyang(Seoul) and became a nanny of Prince Yeong, the last crown prince of the Korean Empire. After earning power and money while working for the loyal family, she later returned to Gimcheon and invested all of her assets in educational projects to establish Gimcheon high school.

Schedule

Weekday

Schedule	Time
Wake-up Broadcast	06:30
Morning Check-In Time	07:40
1st Class	08:10~09:00
2nd Class	09:10~10:00
3rd Class	10:10~11:00
4th Class	11:10~12:00
Launch Time	12:00~13:00
5th Class	13:00~13:50
6th Class	14:00~14:50
7th Class	15:00~15:50
Homeroom & Cleaning	15:50~16:10
8th Class	16:10~17:00
9th Class	17:10~18:00
Dinner Time	18:00~19:10
1st Evening Self-study	19:10~20:30
2nd Evening Self-study	21:00~22:30

Saturday

Schedule	Time
Wake-up Broadcast	07:00
Morning Check-In Time	08:00
1st Morning Study	08:10~09:50
2nd Morning Study	10:20~12:00
3rd Class	10:10~11:00
4th Class	11:10~12:00
Launch Time & Free Time	12:00~19:10
1st Evening Self-study	19:10~20:30
2nd Evening Self-study	21:00~22:30

Sunday & Holiday

Schedule	Time
Wake-up Broadcast	08:00
Free Time	08:00~13:00
1st Afternoon Study	13:00~14:50
2nd Afternoon Study	15:10~17:00
Dinner Time & Free Time	17:00~19:10
1st Evening Self-study	19:10~20:30
2nd Evening Self-study	21:00~22:30

Educational Purpose

The educational purpose of Gimcheon High School comprehensively mentions the ideal humanity or behavioral characteristics that students should reach ultimately. In addition, it can be seen as emphasizing the orientation that reveals the direction in which school educational activities should proceed and the human image and behavioral characteristics that the school seeks to cultivate.

The information below is the content quoted from the main page of Gimcheon High School.[1]

Educational Purpose

永爲私學涵養民族精神

(Cultivate national spirit by continuously fostering private school)

一人定邦國一人鎭東洋

(One well-educated person can correct the country, and one well-educated person can bring peace to the East)

克遵此道勿負吾志

(Follow this path, and do not turn away from my will)

Education Indicator

"Nurture creative Songseol students that lead the future"

Desirable Students

Pioneering Creatives
Intellectuals with Action
Self-motivated Volunteers

School Motto

"Cleanly, Dilligently"

School Symbols

School Logo

(학교로고) The Creator of the mark is Lee Han Gi and Ko Deok Hwan, the member of the party of an assigned director of Education Foundation Songseoldang. When they make a mark that will symbolize the school of Songseol Academy, they reflected the integrity of Choi Songseoldang symbolized as a pine in the snow. They outlined the mark with a hexagon of snow crystal, and shaped pine leaves toward the point of each angle. At the center point, there is a shape of Chinese character 高 which forms the school name.

Azalea Flower

(꽃사진) For Koreans, the azalea flower is a flower that sheds light on the traditional Korean sentiment, a flower that has gone through sorrows and sorrows with its people, and a bright guide to our lives. First, azalea flowers grow earlier than others and prepare for spring. Through this, we can learn the pioneering temperament we need to pitch. Second, azalea flowers are not alone. They always come together to give us the beauty of harmony and modest humility that represents one beauty. One azalea gives us the light of spring, and the azalea flowers that gather everywhere like the students of Gimcheon High School become "spring" in themselves. Third, the lesson of Gimcheon High School is 'clean and diligent.' Azalea flowers shine cleaner than anyone else and greet spring more diligently than anyone else. Gimcheon High School students deeply feel the Korean people's emotions, independence, pioneering qualities to follow, and the strength, beau, and diligence that gather in one azalea flower. Like the subtle scent of azalea flowers, Gimcheon High School students are spring-colored students who will bring the salvation of the East and beyond.

Pine Tree

Pine trees are green all year round. In the pen name '松雪' by Choi Song-seol-dang, founder of Gimcheon High School, there are pine trees and snow. Why pine trees and snow? Gimcheon High School has been through hardships in Korea together based on its long history. During the Japanese colonial period, it was on the verge of closing schools and collapse during the Korean War. However, Gimcheon High School has endured. The alumni have stuck to each other like webs. And in every crisis, we had a pine tree by our side. Pine trees are green all year round. Even if a blizzard blows fiercely, they stand firmly in it, guarding the tide. I pass winter with pain, as if I can shake off the snow on the pine needles. Green pine trees breathe hot hearts into the cold lives of Gimcheon High School students. Pine trees are green all year round just like Gimcheon High School students. Gimcheon High School students all live with 松雪(Songseol)'s tenets.

Academics

SSF(Saturday/Songseol Science Festival)

The Saturday Science Festival(SSF), also known as Songsoel Science Festival, is a prominent and eagerly anticipated science festival that is annually held at Gimcheon High School. In June of every year, the school sets up dozens of booths on the upper part of the sports field. Each club meticulously plans unique activities and sets up various booths, dealing with a wide range of topics such as physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, coding, and mathematics. This event allows students to explore and showcase their interests that are aligned with their future career paths. Before the festival begins, students receive a booth template to guide their participation. After visiting and engaging with the booths, they get their participation verified and submit this verification to their homeroom teacher. Both booth operation and participation in booth activities are separately recorded in the student's activity logs, providing valuable opportunities for students to gain practical experiences and to be well prepared for future resume . The SSF is not only an educational experience but also a lively, community-building event. It fosters a spirit of collaboration and healthy competition among students. Parents and local community members, including high school students and broader audiences from outside are often invited to create an enthusiastic atmosphere. The festival originally began as a separate Mathematics Experience Exhibition, but it has now been integrated into the SSF. Mathematics-related booths are specifically incorporated within the festival, leading to a cohesive and comprehensive single event that highlights the importance of math in various scientific fields. The SSF has become a hallmark of Gimcheon High School, symbolizing the school's commitment to fostering scientific curiosity, practical skills, and a collaborative spirit among its students.

SAF(Songseol Academic Festival)

The Academic Festival at Gimcheon High School is an event where students present the research findings and activities they have conducted throughout the year. The event is divided into two main parts: a general presentation held in the morning session for all students and teachers and a classroom presentation in the afternoon specifically for enrolled students. New students get to indirectly experience various activities through the presentations of the seniors' elective courses, personal research projects, and various school events. This helps them plan their future activities and fill out their activity logs. Students who participate in the festival also have the chance to integrate their experiences into their activity logs. If a student prefers not to give a presentation, they can submit their works as a poster or display their results directly. In both cases, the information will be recorded in their activity logs. The Songsol Academic Festival includes a range of activities and is ended with a school festival. During this festival, performances are given by the school's dance club (Log-Out) and band club (Log-In), as well as by the dance and band clubs from a nearby girls' high school. At the 2023 festival, Korean rapper Rohann performed, and the event showcased fun activities such as quiz shows and prize games with teachers.

SMR(Saturday/Songseol Marathon Reading)

The event, affectionately known as "Tomadok" (Saturday Marathon Reading), is one of the most prominent reading programs at Gimcheon High School. This iconic reading event underscores immersive reading sessions that take place for over nine hours in the Sol Library at the school, utilizing both Saturday afternoon free time and self-study slots at night-time. It is the popular event that garners significant interest and encourages enthusiastic student participation. Typically, the event begins with a brief orientation and subject learning related to the specific theme of the session on the day, lasting for about an hour. After this orientation, students engage in immersive reading sessions, each lasting for one hour. Simple snacks such as bread and beverages are provided before dinner. When about 30 minutes are left before a wrap-up, all participants gather in the discussion room to present a brief introduction and their impressions of the books they have read that day. The event comes to an end at around 10:20 PM and students finish the event and return to their dormitories. Participants are required to complete a reading log for the books they have read during the Saturday Marathon Reading. These logs are kept for about two to three days, during which the homeroom teacher reviews and certifies the activity before returning them. These logs can also be recorded for the Songseol Marathon Reading for future certification. To ensure students focus more on immersive reading rather than just on uploading logs, supervising teachers guide students to write logs for a maximum of two books.

On June 15, 2024, the 151st Saturday Marathon Reading event was held, commemorating the 150th event with a special "Conversation with the Author" featuring one of the famous poets Ahn Do-hyun.

Selective Courses & Winter Semester

Gimcheon High provides a variety of classes to select from, and they also run a winter semester while the large majority of other schools in South Korea are in their winter vacations. Students participating in the winter semester get a chance to get an overview of certain subjects they will learn in university, such as organic chemistry and linear algebra. Students have the choice to return to their homes and concentrate on studying for their KSAT, but most of them choose to participate.

These are the subjects opened for the 1st grade students in the 2023 winter semester.

*Appreciation of Modern Literature
*Film Appreciation and Criticism
*Reading and Debate
*Understanding of Modern Korean Grammar
*Newspaper Utilization Education
*English Grammar
*Advanced Economics
*Life and Constitution
*Korean Modern and Contemporary History
*East Asian Modern and Contemporary History
*Social Philosophy
*Geography
*Understanding of Practical Ethics
*Chemistry Seminar
*Biology Seminar
*Humans and Environment
*Molecular Biology
*TRIZ Methodology
*AP Psychology
*AP US History
*SAT Physics
*SAT Chemistry
*SAT Biology
*C Programming

These are the subjects opened for the 2st grade students in the 2023 winter vacation.

*Korean Grammar
*Current Affairs Debate
*English Grammar
*Advanced Mathematics I
*Advanced Mathematics II
*Linear Algebra
*Statistics
*Neuropsychology
*Understanding of World History
*Physics
*Chemistry
*Biology
*Human Body Structure and Functions
*Chemical Engineering
*Organic Chemistry
*C Programming
*AP Physics
*AP Chemistry
*AP Calculus

Club Activities

There are a variety of clubs in Gimcheon High school, constituted of students aiming for similar fields. Many of the activities that take place in the school are run by clubs, with students in charge. The SIC(Songseol Industry Conference) run by ‘Bayaheuro’, the BMW(Burning Math Weekend) run by ‘RGO’ are examples of this. Club names and the number of people they recruit change slightly every year, but most of the clubs recruit around 12 to 14 first graders in March, which is the month the first semester starts in S. Korea. The SSF (Saturday Science Festival), which is explained below, is also mainly run by the various clubs. Students do have the change to take interviews and change their clubs in their last month of the first grade, but most do not feel the need to do so. Not only are there clubs based on academic activities, music clubs like the rock band LOG-IN and sports clubs like the soccer team Best Eleven are also open for students to join freely.

Dream Catch Time

Among the activities run by club is the Dream Catch Time, where students get the chance to meet professors of their relevant fields online or offline. Most of the students arrange a meeting with a professor online using Zoom, but some clubs choose to visit the university in person using their weekend or school vacation period. By getting hands-on knowledge about what they want to do in the future and what should they prepare most, students are motivated and better oriented toward their dreams.

School Uniform & Rules

(교복사진) he uniform of Gimcheon High School is divided into spring and autumn uniforms and summer uniforms. The Spring and Autumn uniform consists of a light brown jacket, a dark brown cardigan, a white shirt, a brown and white striped tie, and black pants, with the Songseol logo on the jacket's right chest pocket. The summer uniform consists of a thin sky blue shirt and thin black pants, and like the spring and autumn uniform, there is a Songseol logo on the right chest pocket.

It is a rule to wear a jacket when going to school, but you can take it off in school. If you want to wear a different outerwear because the weather is cold, it is a rule to wear a school jacket over your shirt and another one over it. Sneakers are supposed to be worn in principle, but is not a problem with clothes except for slippers.

Physical education clothes include general and summer sports clothes, and unlike uniforms, they are not restricted by the season. General sportswear consists of dark navy long-sleeve pants and long-sleeve hooded jumpers, while summer sportswear consists of gray short-sleeve tops and dark navy shorts. Wearing sportswear is prohibited during classes except during physical education. In addition to school uniforms, baseball jumpers and daily clothes exist, but they are provided only if students order with their own money. There is no problem if students wear a baseball jumper or daily clothes to school. It is a rule to wear sneakers and jackets when there is a school event. Baseball jumpers and daily clothes are also prohibited.

School Facilities

Main Building

(사진) The main building was established on August 31, 1932, and is said to have used high-quality Pyongyang bricks. It is also said that during the Korean War, the North Korean military used the site as its command.So when you see the exterior part of the building, there are several bricks of different colors in the outer wall of the main building which is a repair of the broken wall that was created during the Korean War. On May 4, 2020, it was designated as Korea's National Registered Cultural Property No. 778 as an important cultural asset that highlights its characteristics and value as a modern building.It is said that the cost of constructing this building in the 1930s amounted to about 10 billion won in terms of money now. Currently the principal's office and administrative office are used on the first floor, and the second floor is used as a science office.Because the building is designated as a cultural asset, the science room is quite small, similar to a regular classroom.If you go up to the second floor along the central staircase, there is a stuffed bear donated by alumnus and various fossil specimens such as bracken, dinosaur bones, and meteorites are displayed on the wall.

Se-shim-gwan (+ Underground gym)

(사진) Se-shim-gwan is a recently built building and consists of a taekwondo gym on the first basement floor and an auditorium on the first and second floors above the ground. Major school schedules such as celebrity lectures, entrance ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, and school festivals are held here. It is large enough to accommodate about two grades. When the Songseol Academic Festival is held every year, it boasts a large enough size to accommodate outsiders. If you go to the left of the Se-shim-gwan Hall, you can find the stairs to the Taekwondo hall on the 1st basement floor. The taekwondo hall is a place where taekwondo promotion screening is conducted once a year, and safety mats are installed to help students exercise with confidence. Poomsae, kicks, and competition classes are held at the Taekwondo hall, and simple health facilities and exercise equipment are prepared on one side.

Songseol Historical Museum

(사진) Inside, there is a list of graduates, a statue of the school's founder and a list of alumni. The school’s history and school-related artifacts are on display and the opening day is a weekday, so visitors can't go in on weekends.

Ye-ji-gwan

(사진) Ye-ji-gwan was established on 2009.It is connected to the Hak-lim-gwan, and has a music room, an information search room, classrooms for self-study and night lectures, and a conference room. The outer wall is a glass curtain wall style so it is much hotter in summer and colder in winter.If you take a picture from the window of the Hak-lim-gwan, you can get the feeling of a new generation school, so it is a building that is mainly used for school promotional photos. During the extensive remodeling process in 2022, the entire classroom was redesigned with a bright wooden-toned finish. Since then, various classrooms have been built, and the school clinic been moved to room 115.

Hak-lim-gwan

(사진) In a way, it can be said to be the main building of Gimcheon High School. It is a three-story building with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-grade classrooms and teacher rooms for each grade. Most students take classes here and study late at night.When it was first completed in 1979, there were only a total of 18 classrooms, namely X01 to X06. And when classrooms became scarce a few years later, four classrooms per floor (a total of 12) were added, resulting in a total of 30 classrooms. After that, with the support of the Gimcheon-si Office of Education, the toilets on both sides were expanded. In 2016, it was transformed into a pleasant building through remodeling. Iron doors and old window frames have been turned into wooden doors and plastic windows, fresh yellow, sky blue and light green paint has been applied to the walls, and white tiles have been placed on the floor as well. In addition, the latest Apple TV were installed and the ceiling was equipped with LED lights. Through this, students can also use HDMI to connect to their laptop and learn.

Schoolyard

(사진) There is an artificial soccer field in accordance with international standards, eight basketball goalposts, foot volleyball courts and volleyball courts are located on both sides. Currently, the latest basketball court designed to drain the water well is next to the futsal court. There are also four running tracks surrounding the soccer field.Various events are held on the playground, and sports events, alumni soccer events, and Songseol Cup are being held.

Dormitory

Baek-un-gwan

(사진) Baek-un-gwan was completed in 2011, originally only had three floors, but one floor was later expanded to become a four-story building. Currently, all first-year dormitory students and some second-year dormitory students use the Baek-un-gwan. Second graders use the first floor, and first graders use the second to fourth floors. It has one basement floor to four floors above the ground, and there are additional facilities such as a teacher's room, a study room, and a laundry room. There are toilets in each room, and the toilet, sink, and shower room are separated, maximizing the mobility of dormitory students in the morning when time is tight. During the exam period, you can go to the Chung-un-gwan and study for yourself. All the study rooms are shaped like reading room desks with partitions. However, some space is small, so if you stack books next to you, you may not be able to fully open them. It is very quiet inside the study room because it is structured that it is impossible to chat with other students.

Cheong-un-gwan

(사진) Cheong-un-gwan is the first dormitory of Gimcheon High School.It opened in 1935 under the name of Si-yeol-jae, was renamed Cheong-un-gwan, and was partially destroyed after the Korean War and demolished in 1957. It was then completed in 1990 and remodeled in 2010 due to the voluntary fundraising efforts of alumni and teachers. Before the remodeling, there were separate toilets, washrooms, and showers, but after the remodeling, there was one bathroom for one room. In the past, all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders lived in Cheong-un-gwan, but as Baek-un-gwan and Song-lim-gwan were created, only 3rd grade students use Cheong-un-gwan. The living room is divided into six buildings through the first and second floors, and the structure is complicated, so students who enter the room for the first time experience as if they were exploring a maze. The size of the room is very small, so you can just sleep because the room structure has narrowed tremendously since the remodeling that implements one-room one-bathroom. It's a room for four people, but it's hard to walk around if they each bring their own drawers. The bathroom is also inconvenient because the shower, sink, and toilet are attached. Even so, learning rooms for late-night self-study are well prepared compared to other dormitories. Because of this study room, 3rd graders are allowed to live in the worst Cheong-un-gwan.

Song-lim-gwan

(사진) Song-lim-gwan is the third dormitory completed in the fall of 2017. It can accommodate about 170-180 people. In reality, the exterior looks clean enough to know the extremely recently built building. The study room is located on all floors and the third floor is especially popular because it has armrest chairs. There is even a computer. During the test period, you can go to the Cheong-un-gwan to study for yourself if you personally ask the teacher, just like Baek-un-gwan.

Sol Library

(사진) It is a recently built building, and there is a library on the first floor and Hak-yeol-jae on the second floor. Hak-yeol-jae has nine small classrooms, where special lectures are held at night. Discussion classes are held in the classroom inside the library, and Tomadok is also held here. The discussion room is also a place where third-year students who applied for nonscheduled admission prepare for interviews and essays. And there is a delivery room on the first floor. Students can receive packages at the delivery room.Delivery period is from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays. Delivery is not possible except during breaks and lunch breaks. During the second semester of 2023, with the support of the alumni association, a total of eight TJ karaoke machines were installed inside Hak-yeol-jae Classroom 4 on the second floor of Sol Library. It is mainly used by students during lunch break or dinner break.