special report
23
Same Life, Same Dreams By Ratna Setyowati Putri, Junior School Curriculum Coordinator SPH International Lippo Cikarang
In the final year of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate Organization, students participate in a culminating project—the PYP exhibition. For this year’s PYP exhibition, the sixth grade students of SPH International Lippo Cikarang (SPHILC) collaborated with the students of Sanggar Anak Akar, an organization dedicated to educating street children of Jakarta who cannot afford a formal education. Sanggar Anak Akar uses the performing arts to educate the children and bring attention to their organization.
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TUDENTS from the two schools worked together to adapt Mark Twain’s classic story, The Prince and the Pauper, into a drama which they performed in Taman Ismail Marzuki on May 17th. Through this joint production the students of SPH International had the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in the PYP, raise money to help Sanggar Anak Akar, and make friends with people they would never otherwise meet. Students from both schools benefited from interacting with children who come from a different social background. Like the characters in the play, the students learned that they all have talents, knowledge, hopes and dreams to share with each other. Most importantly, from this experience students exhibited empathy, caring, and collaboration—not only in theory, but in practice. This is the real action of being Saved to Serve.
The idea of this collaboration is to prove that whatever situations kids have to endure, we share the same dream, and that kids are all the same. Kids from different situations explored their talents and expressed their thoughts and feelings about the things for which they have a passion. [ Kenny Go, SPHILC Grade 6 ]
I am so glad I can do drama with SPH students and can speak English. We practice together in SPH or Sanggar Akar. Even on Facebook or through e-mail we chat and share. When we come to SPH, sometimes I want them to teach me English more. [ Etta Daud Salech, Sanggar Anak Akar ]
Wow, I am so happy to be able to collaborate with SPH. Although in the beginning I am a little shy, but in the end I am fine. Well… at the same time I can learn English…. [ S. Agus, Sanggar Anak Akar ]
In my opinion, the story that we were reading is similar to our friendship with Sanggar Anak Akar. We get to experience each other’s lives and we learn that we are all the same; we are all God’s children. [ Yarra Arnes, SPHILC Grade 6 ]
I am so glad I can collaborate with SPH students. This is the first time for me to perform a drama in English, but though they speak a different language they also try to understand us. Hopefully this is a beginning of a friendship. In the rehearsals Sanggar and SPHILC students are serious. [ Lia, Sanggar Anak Akar ]
From this experience I really improved my ability to make friends with others. Someone told me that all humans are the same and God gives everyone talents; from this drama I am really able to see that. I thank God for this wonderful opportunity to see that everyone God has made is really amazing. [ Christoforus Regie Atmadja, SPHILC Grade 6 ]
I am glad I can be involved in this production because I can learn English at the same time. Hopefully this performance will be a success and the moral of this story can be useful for the audience. [ Kaminah, Sanggar Anak Akar ]