Naríthjábæk Junior College

**Colors** |          Green and black

**Naríthjábæk Junior College** (Velkanian: *Gímnasköli Naríthjábækrath*, **GNB**), abbreviated in English as **NJC**, is a public upper secondary gymnasium in Naríthjábæk, and the oldest school in the Velkanian Isles. First established in 1215 as a school for girls, the school became coeducational in 1855, and has been run by headmistress Helga Birna Skjöldursdætr since 2008.

Like all other gymnasiums, NJC offers all five academic programs of study, becoming the first school to offer all programs in 1915, and educates students in grades 11, 12, and 13. NJC has been ranked as the most prestigious upper secondary school in all of the Velkanian Isles; it boosts the lowest acceptance rate of all upper secondary schools (10.1% in 2018), and has educated a number of politicians, academics, entrepreneurs, and members of the Royal Family since its inception. NJC has the highest university matriculation rate of all the Velkanian high schools; in 2019, 99.5% of its graduating class went on to study at a university.

## Admissions

NJC has been ranked as the most exclusive gymnasium in the Velkanian Isles. In addition to primary school grades, the school's admissions department also requires applicants send in teacher recommendations and a personal essay. In 2018, the school's acceptance rate was 10.1%, making it the most exclusive gymnasium in the nation.

## Curriculum

Like all other public gymnasiums, NJC offers programs in social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, literature and modern languages, business and law, and general academics. All students must complete the nationwide academic requirements of three credits of Velkanian language studies, three credits of mathematics, three credits of history or a social science, three credits of a natural science, two credits of a foreign language, one credit of physical education, and one credit of health. These general education requirements are typically completed within the first three semesters. In addition to the subjects included in one's program and general academic courses, students at NJC must also study one credit of art or music, one credit of home economics, one credit of woodworking, and one credit of computer science, in order to graduate. Students need twelve credits in their chosen program in order to graduate; some of these credits can be double-counted as both a general requirement and a program requirement. This typically leaves students with room for several elective credits in their final two semesters; most students choose to fill this elective space with art, music, or a foreign language.

NJC follows the nationwide six-credit semester schedule; students enroll in six credits per semester, for a total of twelve credits per academic year. Each course is worth one credit; a one-credit course meets every-other-day on an alternating schedule. This leads to students having three-courses everyday; each class lasts an hour and a half-long, meaning school lasts four and a half hours everyday. Students cannot graduate without at least 30 credits, meaning most students have enough credits to graduate after finishing the first semester of their third year. However, students cannot graduate early, as the school requires at least six semesters of study.

### Timetables

A typical timetable over the course of a student's six semesters at NJC may look like this:

     – Required course

## Student life

Numerous clubs and extracurriculars are available for students to join at NJC. The school additionally participates in the annual *tímihratnáfötúlnaristath* celebrations.

NJC is the only public school in the Velkanian Isles to enforce a school uniform; uniforms have been in place since the school's inception. For girls, the uniform consists of a dress shirt, tie, skirt, long socks, and shoes, while for boys, it consists of a dress shirt, tie, slacks, and shoes. When the weather becomes colder in the late-fall, winter, and early-spring, girls may wear tights underneath the skirt or switch to pants, while all students must add a blazer to their uniform. The NJC uniform has seen widespread support from students, parents, and faculty members, which contributes to the reason why it is still worn. Because of the school's prestige, the NJC uniform has become something of a status symbol in the Velkanian Isles.

NJC is the only school in the Velkanian Isles to employ a strict system of student government. Each year, the school elects one Grade 13 boy and one Grade 13 girl to serve as the "student senators". The student senators act as student representatives to the school's senate, which makes important decisions for the school regarding budgeting, curriculum changes, and event hosting, amongst other things. These student senators can vote on proposals in the senate, make their own proposals, and bring forward proposals from other students. The student senators have a considerable amount of power in student life as well; they both make speeches at graduation, and are typically tasked with hosting important school-wide events, especially *tímihratnáfötúlnaristath* celebrations.

There are a numerous amount of athletic club teams at NJC. All of the teams compete against other upper secondary schools in Naríthjábæk, and there are no championships or tournaments.

The teams involved with the school include:

* Girls football (autumn)
* Boys track and field (autumn)
* Boys basketball (winter)
* Girls basketball (winter)
* Boys handball (winter)
* Girls handball (winter)
* Boys ice hockey (winter)

* Coeducational skiing and snowboarding (winter)
* Wrestling (winter)
* Boys swimming and diving (spring)
* Girls swimming and diving (spring)
* Coeducational rowing (spring)
* Girls track and field (spring)

NJC has a thriving arts community. In addition to having an art club and dance club, NJC also has a drama club. The drama club puts on three performances throughout the year: an autumn drama, a winter musical, and a spring comedy. The winter musical tends to be high-budget and lavish, attracting audiences from throughout Naríthjábæk without a connection to the school.