최서경
뉴잉글랜드 한국학교는 지난 1월 21일 계묘년 설날을 맞아 다양한 민속놀이는 물론 세배와 덕담을 체험하는 '전통과 예절배우기 행사’를 가졌다.
이날 행사에는 4개의 세배방과 함께 윷놀이, 비석치기, 제기차기, 투호, 딱지치기, 팔씨름겨루기, 연만들기, 활쏘기, 설노래 배우기, 떡 만들기 등, 교과서에서 배웠던 다양한 민속놀이방들이 만들어졌다.
학생들은 이 놀이방에서 설날에 하는 놀이들을 체험했다. 특히, 전통과 예절을 가르치기 위해 과정별로 설치된 네 곳의 세배방에서는 교사의 지도에 따라 남녀 세배법을 배운 후 할머니와 할아버지께 인사를 드린 후 덕담도 들으며 '어른을 공경하는 아름다운 예절'을 배우는 시간을 가졌다.
특히 기초과정은 코로나시기가 온 바람에 처음으로 한국학교의 설날 잔치를 경험 해보는 학생들이 대부분이였다. 기초1 해님 달님 반에서는 한복을 오리는 활동을 했고 기초2 토끼 거북이 반에서는 세배법 배우기와 윳놀이를 했다. 아직 가위질이 서툰 어린 학생들도 있었고 세배 순서를 했갈려 하는 학생들도 있었지만 한국의 아름다운 문화를 배울 수 있는 즐겁고 유익한 시간이었다.
초급과정 학급의 한 학부모는 “딸 아이가 선생님의 지도에 따라 손을 예쁘게 포개고 발을 내딛어 앉고 세배 후 일어서기와 손을 모으고 예쁘게 앉아 ‘새해 복 많이 받으세요!’라며 새해 인사를 받아 감동의 순간이었다.”고 기쁨을 감추지 못했다.
이날 학생들은 학부모회(회장 양원미)에서 제공한 피자를 간식으로 먹으며 각 학급별로 가을학기 종강식을 가졌다. 교사회는 학교 식당에서 2022학년도 종무식을 갖고 교사 및 학부모 대항 제기차기 및 공기놀이를 하며 하루를 마쳤다. 이번 해의 종무식에는 특별히 보조교사들도 참가를 하게되어서 더욱더 특별한 시간이 되었다. 특히 제기차기 대회에서 많은 활약을 했는데 일등 자리를 이재원 보조교사가 얻게 되었다. 그 외에도 약 15명의 학생들과 보조교사와 학부모들이 참가해 지켜보는 관객에게도 흔미로운 대화였다. 공기놀이 대회에는 여자 교사분들의 참기도가 매우 높았다. 학창 시절에 하던 공기놀이를 떠올리며 대회에 참가한것 같았다. 그정도로 공기를 들고있는 순간 만큼은 참가자들의 집중도가 높았고 주변에 있는 사람들도 숨을 참으며 구경했던 시간이였다.
추운 겨울이 아직 다 가지 않았지만 설날잔치에서 보인 많은 학생들의 미소와 따뜻한 마음은 한국학교의 모든 학생, 교사와 학부모에게 느껴졌다.
Lunar New Years Celebration
(English Translation: Lucas Lee)
New England Korean School held a "Learning Tradition and Etiquette" event on January 21st because of the Lunar New Year's Day on this year of the black rabbit. In addition to various traditional folk games, the event provided an opportunity for attendees to experience bowing and exchanging New Year's greetings in Korean customs.
At the event, there were four stations for bowing and exchanging New Year's greetings. There were also many games including yutnori (a Korean board game), bi-seok-chigi (a game where players throw sticks to knock down a pile of stones), jaegi-chagi (a game where players kick a jaegi with their feet), tuho (a game where players throw sticks into a bamboo cylinder), ttakji-chigi (a game where players flip over pieces of cardboard with their fingers), pal-ssireum (a traditional form of wrestling), yeon-making (making traditional Korean kites), archery, learning traditional New Year's songs, and making tteok (rice cakes), among others. These were all games that students may have learned from textbooks about Korean traditional culture
Students had the opportunity to experience the traditional games played during Lunar New Year's Day at these game stations. In particular, at the four bowing and greeting stations set up for teaching tradition and etiquette, students learned how to bow properly according to their gender with the guidance of their teachers. They then paid their respects to their grandparents and listened to their well-wishes, while also learning about "beautiful manners that show respect for elders."
Especially for the basic level classes, many of the students were experiencing New Year's festivities at the Korean School for the first time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the Sun and Moon class of Basic Level 1, students participated in activities such as creating traditional Korean clothing (hanbok) out of paper. In the Rabbit and Turtle class of Basic Level 2, they learned how to bow and exchange New Year's greetings, and also played yutnori. Some of the younger students were still learning how to use scissors, and some were confused about the order of the bowing and greeting, but overall it was a fun and informative time where they could learn about the beauty of Korean culture.
One parent of a student in the basic level classes said, "It was a touching moment to see my daughter following the teacher's guidance to elegantly fold her hands, bow, sit, stand, and then gather her hands again while saying 'Happy New Year!' to receive greetings.” She couldn't hide her happiness.
On this day, students had a fall semester closing ceremony with snacks provided by the parent-teacher association (led by President Yang Won-mi) and each class had their own pizza party. The teachers' association also held a year-end ceremony at the school cafeteria for the 2022 school year, where teachers and parents played jaegi-chagi and gongi-nori. This year's year-end ceremony was even more special as assistant teachers were invited to participate. In particular, during the jaegi-chagi competition, assistant teacher Lee Jae-won won first place. Besides that, approximately 15 students, assistant teachers, and parents participated, making it interesting for the audience watching. In gongi-nori, the participation rate of females was high. It seemed like they were probably reminded of the time they did gongi-nori when they were students at school. It was that much of a fun time as the participants held extreme concentration while the audience held their breath as the gongi lifted up in the air.
Although the cold winter has not yet passed, the many smiles and warm hearts of the students at the New Year celebration were felt by all students, teachers, and parents at the Korean school.