The Light 2012 Volume 23

True Knowledge | Faith in Christ | Godly Character

23rd Edition/2012

contents Editorial Team PUBLISHER Yayasan Pendidikan Pelita Harapan ADVISORS Brian Cox

23rd Edition/2012 3 Holistic Education By Brian Cox 4 Holistic Education through a Christ-centred IB Program By Gregg Faddegon 5 Christian Parenting By Grant Thorpe

MANAGING DIRECTOR Hana Herawati EDITORS Maureen Cox, Anita Purwanti, Budi Alto, Nancy Indriyati GRAPHIC DESIGNER Iwan Werlin PHOTOGRAPHERS Hariyanto, Simon, Clifford, Andreas, Dody, Melissa

6 A Reflection on Holistic Education By Pek Swan Layanto 7 Redemptive Restoration By Evannia C. Handoyo 8 Jack Hafer 9 Holistic Education at SPH International By Susan Nickel 13 Choir Tour to Italy By Geoffrey Marriott 14 Alice in Wonderland Jr. By Tom Going 17 Diploma Programme Visual Art Exhibition By Grasyntha Rooroh

Address 2500 Bulevar Palem Raya, Lippo Village Tangerang 15811, Banten Phone: (021) 546 0233-34, Fax: (021) 546 9663 www.sph.edu

18 Good Friday was Great at SPH International Sentul City By Jared L. Skeens 19 Speak Up By Devita Gunawan 21 Painting the Whole Picture By Brock Haylock 22 The Light of Christ for the Needy By Lea Setyaningrum Surjantoro

COVER

: Holistic Education

LOCATION

: SPH International

CSP With SD Binong (14 March 2012)

regular

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Mission Statement: "Proclaiming the preeminence of Christ and engaging in the redemptive restoration of all things in Him through holistic education"

Brian Cox

Head of School SPH International Lippo Village and Coordinator of Pelita Harapan International Schools

T

HE last part of our Mission Statement talks about Holistic Education. What does that mean? It’s another one of those concepts that is understood a little differently by different groups of people.

In fact there is a relatively new holistic education movement that believes that it has invented a whole new approach and understanding.

“Holistic education is based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace.

Holistic education aims to call forth from people an intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning.”1

Holistic Education that education opens students eyes to the integral nature of God’s Creation and equips them to be redemptive Disciples of Christ in every part of life.”

We must see that the foundation of all understanding is in knowing God who is the Creator of everything; thus He is the source of all knowledge, understanding and wisdom.

No person will ever know all things; but we can know the One who does.

Not a bad statement as far as it goes ... but it fails to answer the fundamental question Why? It’s amazing how many concepts and ideas in education are close to the truth, but not the truth.

"[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."2

I would want to take that statement and give it some clearer meaning and purposes: “Holistic education is based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through Christ. This enables a redemptive restoration with God, with other people and with the totality of God’s creation.

God calls us to “Shalom” which is a life of wholeness, harmony and integrity. This means

Because God has created all things; everything is connected. We need to see the universe, and everything in it, as unified ... now we have a context for holistic education. There are no separate spheres of life. Everything is important. So functionally Music, Drama and Art, Physical Education, Mission and Service, are all equally important aspects of education and life.

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"A Brief Introduction to Holistic Education" by Ron Miller Colossians 1:15–18

Additionally we are called to value everything as part of the grand theatre in which God has placed us and we are called to act with integrity (wholeness) everywhere at every time ....

This edition of Light reflects on the incredible variety of holistic education opportunities.

Enjoy reading ....

Blessings, Brian Cox

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examples

Holistic Education through a Christ-centred IB Program

By Gregg Faddegon

SPH International Lippo Village Junior School Academic Priincipal

Our Christ-centred delivery of a holistic education program aims for each individual child to flourish in reaching complex learning targets. Learning is through an inquiry hands-on and research approach, where students pour themselves into research and come out differently. That’s transformation when you change! Holistic education is transformational.

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OREOVER, God’s touch on our lives is transformational (Romans 12:2), so holistic education should change people to the glory of God. For example the Grade Four students, in a recent unit on Indonesian culture were challenged about the way they eat, their entertainment, body movements in dance, art, and their understandings of spiritual traditions.

environment through the 3 R’s, “Reverence, Relationship and Responsibility”. Jesus said the most important commands were to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). God’s mandate to be good stewards of His creation speaks of Reverence for all of God’s creation as well as emphasizing ‘Responsibility’.

God’s creation is taught holistically to show great harmony. That is why we teach concepts, skills, attitudes and facts all at the same time through our trans-disciplinary units which encourages higher level thinking.

Our newly adopted PSPE (Personal, Social and Physical Education) develops students’ responsibility, relationships and well-being and reflects our Biblical Christian world view. Each person needs to develop a proper self-concept because God created us as individuals; created perfectly for His plan for our lives. Our identity is in Christ.

We are not meant to be fully independent but rather have dependence on God, and

Our SPH International vision of True knowledge, Faith in Christ and Godly Character is supported in our holistic learning

interdependence with others. We all do have shortcomings. All of us fall short of God’s glory, (Romans 3:23) and we need Him in all kinds of ways. Scripture warns us that unfortunately we are all like sheep, and go astray (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:25). On the other hand, Jesus Christ is our hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). As we know God more intimately we are more confident in our strengths that they can be used to His glory and not in a direction of destruction.

As Jesus works in our lives we also become more confident in our weaknesses as well, knowing that in our weakness is His strength, (2 Corinthians 12:10) and we do not need to be anxious about anything (Philip 4:6). This education deals with the whole person.

Our mission statement works together with a PYP framework to provide rich opportunities for holistic education which incorporates whole brain learning, ranging from fine arts to mathematics, to physical and spiritual well being showing concern for the wholeness of a person.

Let us celebrate the opportunities that we have in SPH International to challenge and support the development of students with true knowledge, faith in Christ, and Godly character and to engage in the work of relating to and redeeming a world that needs such capable, transformed people.

examples

Christian Parenting A group of parents were privileged to hear from, and discuss the topic of, Things our children need from us.

The Speaker was Rev Grant Thorpe from Adelaide in South Australia, a Pastor of a Baptist church and member of New Creation Teaching Ministries. This is a summary of what he said.

Our children need us to be confident that God is our Father. Parenting is representing the Fatherhood of God to our children; nothing more and nothing less. We can only teach our children what we know, so we need to know the Father ourselves. Being a child of God is his gift to all who trust in his Son (John 1:10).

He is the one who knows about Fatherhood because he is the source of all families (Ephesians 3:14–15). We can ask him for wisdom when we don’t know what to do.

God has created a family that is based on what Jesus has done for us, rather than on our own success. Jesus tells Peter not to be troubled, even when he is told he will fail (John 13:37–14:3). Our confidence to be parents does not come from knowing the right techniques and succeeding in implementing them, but in knowing that God is our Father and trusting in his kindness.

Our children need us to love our spouse.

Their sense of security arises from seeing the secure relationship of their parents. Where this is not possible, it can be represented to them by the faithfulness of one partner honoring the other. A mother and a father are a circle of security in which the child lives. This reflects the relationship of the Father to the Son. We are loved with the love that the Father has for his Son (John 17:23).

Malachi tells us that God wants a father and mother to be faithful to each other because he desires ‘godly offspring’ (Malachi 2:15). It is more difficult to have this if one partner is unfaithful, but then, with God, all things are possible.

Our children need to know that they, also, are children of God. They are told to obey their parents ‘in the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:1), a phrase that is used for believers in Christ.

The only command given to children is to obey their parents. Parents instruct them in the way of the Lord and children know themselves to belong to the same Lord and to the same Father and to receive the same forgiveness through following what their parents show and teach them. Little children can know that God is their Father and that he forgives their sin.

Our children need to know what God expects of them. God has given us clear instructions that guide our way of life. Our way of life, and our instruction, should reflect God’s law, especially the law of love, and not simply be a reflection of our culture. This needs to be graduated according to the age of the children. When they are young they need instruction about everything. As they grow, they should gradually be entrusted with working out for themselves what is right and wrong (especially with issues that are not too risky). The object of parenting is to bring children to the point where they can hear and do the Father’s will without your intervention. This is adulthood.

Our children need to discover that they are sinners! Telling them what is good does not make them good. Rather it reveals their

Grant Thorpe

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By Grant Thorpe

wrongness! It does not mean we should not tell them what is good, and expect them to do what is good. It does not mean we should not discipline them if they do something wrong. Children should not be chastised for accidents or for things they did not know were wrong. It is disobedience that should be confronted. They need to feel pain of some kind when they act wrongly. If they don’t, they will learn that wrongdoing doesn’t matter, and when they are older, may experience greater pain because they have not learned to be responsible for what they do. So, it is worthwhile to continue to teach and expect what is good from our children, even though it doesn’t always seem to be working. But then, we need to trust something better than law to make our children wise and good.

Our children need to see God’s grace reflected in our relationship with them.

We have not received what we deserved!

Through faith in Christ we have been forgiven. God’s grace to us has proven to be far more powerful than our sin. Our children need to know that God will forgive their sin. Being guilty is shameful, polluting and painful. They need some relief, and so, we must tell them, from their earliest years, and again and again, about the kindness of God to them. It is God’s salvation, or his grace that will train our children to live godly and upright lives (Deuteronomy 11:2; Titus 2:11).

Our children need to know that we are enjoying being a family. It is wonderful being in God’s family and this should be reflected in our relationship with our children. Joy and confidence are closely related in the Bible (Nehemiah 8:10). If we are sure that God is our Father, and that our relationship with him has been secured by his salvation, it is easy to believe that God will also be kind to our children also, and to tell them about this. If we are relying on ourselves to make a good family, the children will feel this pressure, but if we are relying on the Father and his grace, we can always be expectant that he is doing something really good.

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pag

A Reflection on Holistic Education

Here I am on the cusp of opening up my hands and letting my little butterfly flap her newly minted wings to fly away ... so many thoughts are swirling around in my head, mixed with the tender, bitter sweet memories of many years of walking through the corridors of this school for Spelling Bees, Bulan Bahasa day, meetings, sports events, parent teacher conferences, student led conferences, awards ceremonies, and now, very soon, Graduation!

A

T the end of this phase of her life, the cocoon that has shielded her from the world will open, and she will step out—a beautiful butterfly. Will her wings be strong enough to withstand the weathering that the outside world will surely test them with?

A very wise IB teacher once told me that her most successful students coming out of SPH International were those that had a special personal relationship with Christ, and further, that a child continues to develop and change depending on their environment until they are about eighteen years old, by then you can pretty much see what their character will be in adulthood. Wise words, Mrs Maureen, and I really took them to heart.

I can say with my whole heart that the one determining factor which gives me strength and confidence in my daughter as she prepares to leave home to study abroad is the strong personal relationship she now has with Christ. Not just personal, but vibrant and rich. This, to me, is the true meaning of holistic education.

Schools function to provide our children an academic education. However, as parents we want more than just an academic education for our children. We want them to grow up to be men and women of honour, living lives that have a good purpose and a circle of influence over others. The highest purpose one could have is what God has called us to do. "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) The school which provides holistic education provides this understanding—that we are placed on earth for a purpose for which God has called us. And it is through a personal relationship with Christ that we can understand His will for us is, as we obey Him daily and work out our salvation as works in progress towards sanctification to be completed in the day of Christ Jesus.

The academic education every school provides merely equips our children with the knowledge and skills for life. However, what is more important is this: To what end will they apply these skills and knowledge?

It is through the spiritual growth and understanding of their place in God's kingdom that they build up their value system which will guide them in making decisions on how to use these skills and apply this knowledge to the right purpose as they live out their lives.

At SPH International, all students gain biblical knowledge and attend spiritual retreats from Grade 6 onwards. However, unless put into practice and experienced, this becomes just another subject to memorise and study in order to be promoted to the next grade. Whether the school succeeds in a holistic education is not just a measure of head knowledge of the Bible, but

evidence of a practical application of these teachings to life.

In her senior school experience, more than at any other period of time in her 10 years in SPH International, I have watched my daughter grow and mature in deep intellectual thought and self examination. Through this time, I have grown to appreciate the love and care that SPH International senior school teachers have given to their students. They understand that what the student needs is not just the teaching of more facts and figures, but life guidance. A safe place for our children to test and question their own beliefs, so that they may finally adopt for themselves God's standards in their own lives, and with it, accept the responsibility to take charge of their own personal relationship with God. These teachers have given of their time to be personally involved in the struggles of our children to help them make sense of their own faith. They have encouraged and counseled, corrected, rebuked and have even given consequences where necessary to bring the young people back on track. What is clear to me is that they have done all this with love, and done this beyond their call of duty as a teacher, such that they have become mentors and life coaches to many senior school students. That is holistic education in practice.

So as I watch my butterfly test out her wings, I am ready. I know that God has a plan for her, and more importantly that she is waiting on Him for His direction, and wanting to obey.

And I thank all the teachers and Principals at SPH International for their dedication and commitment that have contributed to this day.

Pek Swan Layanto Mother of Sofia (Grade 12), Stefan (Grade 10), Susannah (Grade 5) SPH International Lippo Village

special report

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By Evannia C. Handoyo, Graduating Year 12 student

At the beginning of this school year I didn’t understand what engaging in the redemptive restoration of the world meant. This concept—like the concepts learned in class—seemed to have no real life application. It seemed like a string of words I’d memorize, but never know how to put into practice.

I

Oswald Chambers said, “Jesus Christ labored in redemption to redeem the whole world and to place it perfectly whole and restored before the throne of God ... The fact that we can experience redemption illustrates the power of its reality, but that experience is a byproduct and not the goal of redemption.”

I only understood salvation and redemption as a rescue plan for myself, and for God’s children. But when Adam and Eve fell, they brought sin into the world. God created the world to be perfect in Him and in reconciliation with Himself, and when sin entered the world, everything fell apart. We know this. We know it today when we look around and see death, sadness, oppression and sin. The world was not created for this purpose. Towards the end of the book of Revelation, John describes the New Jerusalem descending out of Heaven onto a new earth—an earth that is redeemed

As disciples of Christ we get a taste of what being redeemed and restored feels like.

When Christ came for the first time, He built a bridge so that fallen creation can have a taste of God’s presence and glory. We are, however, still here in our sinful world. Thankfully Jesus is preparing a place for us in the new city of Jerusalem. In the meantime, engaging in the redemptive restoration of the world means going out and living with reckless abandon to God’s purpose and will—to be an ambassador of the Gospel, to tell others about Jesus Christ, and to make the world a better place.

Being in the Student Council this past year has been a great opportunity for me to be a part of His redemptive restoration in our community. We, as the Student Council, hope that through the fellowship we have, the events that we plan, and the work that we do, God will be glorified and His kingdom will be realized.

N the spirit of interdisciplinary learning, God reveals His wisdom and His Grace through so many different mediums. In Theory of Knowledge we learn that in order to make sense of the limitless information we receive through our senses and our experiences, we tend to categorize and package all this information into neat little boxes. In History, I put information into the History box then my History, Math and Biology boxes I place in a box labeled School. We do this with our understanding of Christianity and of God’s Grace as well.

Evannia C. Handoyo

and no longer separate from God. “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.'" (Revelation 21:5) Redemption is more than just the rescue of God’s children—it is the rescue of God’s world, and restoring things to the way they were meant to be, which is in total unity with God and His glory.

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special report

Jack Hafer

Jack Hafer Film Producer

Questions and Answers with Jack Hafer—US film producer—who visited UPH and SPH International in February and has just made a new film entitled Not That Funny due for release soon.

Question: Why are you promoting your recent film?

Answer: I want to alert the church that a film is coming out that they can use with their friends to begin discussion on The Great Conversation about Life. Hopefully this film is a soulawakening event that can be used to generate discussion. It asks all the important questions: What would I do differently if I had the chance to live my life over again? What is life for? How can I overcome the adversities in my life to accomplish what I really want? Must I just be a product of my environment? Do I know what I really want in life?

Question: What role do you think film plays?

Answer: I believe film has a worldwide vocabulary—everyone around the world sees the same films and can tell you about the stories—they contain many illustrations that can be used to talk about things that matter.

Question: Should Christians be involved in the arts?

Answer: We have an obligation as Christians to shape culture—and the arts and the entertainment arena is the greatest shaper of values in our culture today. We must evangelize.

But we must also shape culture apart from evangelism—in pre-evangelistic ways, if you will. We must be the great peacemakers of our day. We must take the leadership in standing for freedom of religion—standing for the right of people to be Buddhist or Muslims or whatever, according to the dictates of their own conscience. We must help save the ecological environment. We must protect mothers and children from undue pain, abuse of all kinds, and from poverty, etc. The purpose of the kind of films I make is to make "the good" look attractive—make others become aware of their deep needs and hunger and thirst for what the gospel offers.

Question: What advice would you give artistic young people?

Answer: I want to encourage youth who want to go into the arts to do so with a high calling, as kingdom-spreaders. The youth must see that this is important—a form of missionary service—and to be used by God wherever He calls them.

Question: Is there any advice for the wider Christian Community?

Answer: The church must use the arts more in their presentations, since in this postmodern world image has taken on at least as strong a role as word, if not stronger. We must creatively use image. We must encourage visual artists in our midst. But also, when using words, we must have a greater utilization of story rather than just logic when making our presentations. This is the age of story.

Question: How can the church utilize movies?

Answer: The church must be a community where the person who has just seen a movie can come and be accepted without having to take on a whole sub-culture. My goal has always been twofold: to make the movies, but also to have the church be a place that accepts people from mainstream culture. I reasoned that what did it matter if I made a movie so powerful that people couldn't get out of their seats afterwards because they were so moved—and said, "That's what I've been looking for my whole life"—if there was no place where they could go on earth and find that being lived out—in substantial reality as Schaeffer said—not perfectly, but substantially. So the church must become that place of seeking—community—accepting those who are seeking and making them feel at home.

And it must speak the language they speak— they must see that the gospel is an answer for the questions and issues of their world.

Question: Do you always hope for a reaction to your movies?

Answer: Yes I want people to be moved by the movie themselves, so that they can know what I'm talking about. Movies are powerful tools and the church must use them more effectively.

J

ACK HAFER is the president of Boulevard Pictures and producer of the award-winning feature film, To End All Wars, starring Kiefer Sutherland and Robert Carlyle. It won Best Picture at the Heartland Film Festival, was awarded the Commander in Chief Medal of Service, Honor and Pride by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and showcased the 2003 Cannes Film Festival Cinema for Peace. See website for more information: www.blvdpictures.com He previously served as Vice-President and General Manager of GMT Studios in Culver City, which is known for film projects such as Wag the Dog, LA Story, Predator, Minority Report, Tequila Sunrise, and Blade 1&2. He now serves on the GMT Studios Advisory Board. During his tenure there, Mr. Hafer formed the Culver City Film Studio Consortium, which included the heads of MGM Distribution, Culver City Studios, Columbia Pictures/Lorimar Studios, and the GMT Studios. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America.

He has completed two documentaries for PBS: Wall of Separation, a history of the issue of the separation of church and state, which aired on PBS in June–July, 2007, and Lines That Divide, that aired nationally in 2009–10, and is currently in the midst of two more PBS documentaries, one on the role of faith in business and one on the problems in higher education that are making it more difficult to get a good education.

He has just completed a new feature film, Not That Funny, a love story starring Tony Hale (Arrested Development, and the new HBO series beginning April, 2012, Veep), and Brigid Brannagh (Army Wives).

He is in development on a major feature film of the World War 2 story of Jimmy Doolittle’s Raiders and is also Chairman of the Cinema and Media Arts department at Biola University in Southern California.

special report

9

By Susan Nickel

Spiritual Development Coordinator SPH International Kemang Village

Dr. Gordon at SPH International Lippo Cikarang

Holistic Education at SPH International

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N early February, Dr. Gordon enjoyed the chance to visit three schools in the SPH International system as well as UPH. At each place he was happy to speak with students and/or staff about Islam and the Gospel.

Around the world these world views are in continual debate, and it was encouraging to witness Dr. Gordon spark dialogue among colleagues and students from the campuses.

Islamic Studies is Dr. Gordon's area of academic expertise, and he had just come from a month in India teaching Christian workers a Gospel approach toward the Qur’an, mentoring a Christian worker from Muslim background, and even attending a public debate in which Muslims and Christians presented their rival claims.

learn about how to reach their Muslim friends with the Gospel, demonstrating that holistic education includes practical application to our biblical foundation.

Dr. Gordon noted that teachers and staff at the SPH International schools certainly have an opportunity to teach and model a very attractive faith. He left Jakarta with a lot of appreciation and respect for SPH International principals, teachers, staff, and the good work they are doing for the Gospel.

He stated that he found his interaction with SPH International teachers and staff very interesting. "Working in a country with the world’s largest Muslim population certainly sharpens the issues! In these meetings there was a good exchange of both questions and comments." Dr. Gordon recognizes that it is always a challenge to discuss biblical truth in a way that is respectful to Muslims.

At UPH he met a number of students in a class especially for Christians who were eager to

Dr. Gordon and John Nickel

Phillip Nash

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special report

New Appointment as Head of SPH International Lippo Village

Introducing Phillip Nash

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HILLIP was born in the Solomon Islands to missionary parents; he is married to Raema and they have three children. His experience is extensive. He has been a teacher, Deputy Principal, Principal and executive officer of a Christian Schools foundation and lately the Executive Officer of New Zealand’s largest Christian Education Group.

Phillip is an elder in the Presbyterian Church and regularly preaches the Word of God. Phillip says: “Education is one of the ways we help the next generation to fulfill their purpose under God of glorifying and enjoying Him forever. Parents and the Church also have key roles to play. Through Christian education we challenge the next generation to obey the call to faithful obedience to God and avoid the worship of other untrue gods. We help young people to have a view of the world and of life that is grounded in a Biblical understanding.

The teacher takes students on a life journey as an experienced guide, revealing to them and teaching them how to cover unfamiliar terrain and pointing out to them new vistas, leading them on growth experiences that challenge and encourage them to grow to maturity in Christ. In all of this we assume the need for redemption for each one and the essentiality of a new life found only in Christ’s death and resurrection. All of this takes place best in a loving teaching and learning community, grounded in a Biblical understanding of who we are and what our responsibilities before God are and which places Christ at the centre of all we do.

Peter and Val

Peter Wells Appointment We are pleased to announce that Mr Peter Wells has agreed to become the next Head of School at SPH International Sentul.

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ETER is married to Val, who has qualifications in speech pathology; and they have three sons: Samuel (11); Asher (8) and Josiah (6).

Peter is presently the Deputy Principal (Teaching and Learning) at Chairo Christian School located east of Melbourne, Australia.

Chairo is a multi-campus school providing Kindergarten to Year 12 education for around 1,100 students.

Josiah (6), Samuel (11) and Ash

er (8)

Before having a family, Peter and Val lived in Surabaya for 12 months working with a mission group. He has teaching experience in

English, Geography, Psychology, Indonesian, Physical education and Biblical Studies.

Peter says: “I believe that all creation belongs to God, and the creation mandate for mankind is to develop society, culture and technology in a way that pleases Him. Christian education is a modern expression of this purpose for mankind. I believe parents have the Godgiven mandate for raising their children and that Christian schools partner with parents in meeting this responsibility. Christian Education is to equip young people with the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs for a life of service in God’s Kingdom.”

NOTE: Brian Cox will remain with SPH International schools as the coordinator until December 2012

Clint and Sharon Endacott have be

en valued teachers in SPH Internati

Clint's Address to Parents and Year 12 Stu

onal Lippo Village

May 26th, 2012

On January 18th my daught er was officially diagnosed wit h viral encephalitis. This is a tragic illness which destroys the brain. As a result of this virus, Keira’s frontal and temporal lobes have been utt erly destroyed. The doctors say that those par ts of her brain will shrivel and die once the inflammation has receded.

There were only two options for me. I could either blame God or begin to pity myself and my life, singing Woe is me ! The result of this decision wo uld have been anger, loss of relationship with my wife, my daughter and even my son because I would become so obsessed with myself and wo uld ask why I was being picked on by God.

The other option was to turn to God and recognize that His plan is bigger than my plan for Keira or for me. His love is greater than my love for Keira or my family. That as Creator God of the univer se he can physically restore the brain cells of Keira’s mind; that He can heal her body phy sically. But recognize that eve n if God does not answer my prayers that way I want Him to, He will still be glorified and I will continue to give him all my trust, confidence and all the glory.

Has God been faithful?

Absolutely. I cannot even beg in to tell you how much God has blessed my family despite going through this tragic situ ation. It has been through the prayers of the community; through the charity of parent s and the school; through the thoughtful words of encouragement and the opport unity for me to share my sto ry.

Pain and suffering will happen in this world. I am evidence of this. We live in a fallen world and all pain and sufferin g is a result of this fallenness.

But God is moving to redeem all things to Himself and for that I am grateful.

Clint Rober t Endacott

dents

Farewell to Nick Combes

I

N June Nick will be moving to a new assignment as a school leader in Jakarta.

We thank Nick for bringing a warm sense of community and great spiritual encouragement to the people of Sentul.

We are also immensely grateful for his contributions to the Foundation through our regular heads meetings. Nick continues to be a great servant of Jesus through Christian education internationally.

Farewell Farewell to Geoff Marriott and his family

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EOFF has served at SPH International Lippo Village for sixteen years. Much of that time has been as the Coordinator of Performing Arts. He and Donna have contributed magnificently to a culture of creative quality and innovation. The Marriott family returns to Brisbane Australia. We will miss them.

Welcome Welcome to Dr. Brenda Williamson

Dr. Brenda Williamson has been appointed as a new Academic Principal at Kemang Village next year. Dr. Brenda is an American citizen who has considerable leadership experience at an international level. She has been a principal in Louisiana, director of curriculum and staff development at the Charis National Academy in Malang, and most recently, worked as the Primary Department Chair at University Pelita Harapan in Karawaci. At the Teachers College of UPH, she lectured in Pedagogy, Special Education and Assessment.

She was also a student thesis advisor and care group leader. Brenda first visited Indonesia in July 2004 to overview several missions projects that were supported by two churches and a school in the US. In her words, “I am captured by the vision of quality education as a platform for the gospel”. Dr. Brenda has led professional development, various missions teams, and undertaken cultural studies in Papua New Guinea, India, Brazil, and Eastern Europe. In 2008, she completed her EdD at Bethel University (St. Paul, Minnesota). Most importantly, Dr. Brenda writes: “The center of my life is Jesus Christ. It is important to me to have purpose and meaning in my life, and this will only come from allowing God to be glorified above all other things in my life, including my career and my own worldly securities.”

Choir Tour to Italy

By Geoffrey Marriott

Head of Performing Arts SPH International Lippo Village

Over the Easter break thirty-nine SPH International Lippo Village Performing Arts students and seven teachers toured Italy. The tour was a great way to showcase our wonderful range of performing disciplines here at SPH International. We took a group of dancers, a small chamber ensemble and a concert choir and performed in Rome, Assisi, Florence and Venice.

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E commenced the tour in Rome at a beautiful little Basilica called San Nicola. We entertained the Indonesian Ambassador to Rome and the Holy See. At Assisi we performed in St. Catherine’s Chapel of the Basilica San Francisco as well as in Florence, especially in the Campo (city square). Perhaps the most memorable time was in Venice where we performed for the Easter Sunday Midday Mass at St. Marks.

Our concluding concert at Basilica San Pietro Venice on the same day was also very special and the whole program was performed flawlessly. On reflection, we really had a sense of the ‘preeminence’ of Christ. Performing in churches throughout Italy bought home to us the history of the church and lifechanging story of the Gospel. We were moved when sitting in St. Marks and wondering in awe at the Fresco’s of the Saints, apostles and the rich traditions of the Roman Catholic church.

We were also blessed in many ways and our songs and performances really reflected our love of the Savior. A highlight was an impromptu performance of ‘If You Ever Needed the Lord Before’ in an outdoor piazza in Assisi. We really wanted to praise the Lord and this was so evident in the joy of each performer and performance.

We trust that through seeing the rich history of the church and performing praises to our Lord and Savior, students will gain an embracing knowledge of how Christ is pre-eminent in our lives.

The tour was a success on every level, relationships between students and teachers were forged and strengthened, performances were excellent and we simply had a fantastic time in a wonderful country. The food was not too bad either!

It has been a fitting way to end my involvement in the SPH International touring program. I would also like to thank Ibu Therese for her super work on these tours over many years.

‘Superbo gli sforzi a tutti’ ‘Per essere Dio la Gloria’

“Oh, nothing makes sense around here!�

is a phrase that Alice used to describe the Wonderland into which she had fallen after entering the mysterious rabbit hole and finding out that everyone and everything was a bit confusing.

It is also a phrase many of the students and teachers SPH International Lippo Cikarang could have said about our big musical as they worked until the last minute to bring all aspects of the show together. Our preparations seemed so lacking in comparison to the expectations that many guests would bring as they filled the seats of the auditorium.

I think God smiles when he sees how small we are and our inadequacies, because that gives

It has been a blessing to work with these amazing students as they strengthened their Godgiven talents in acting, singing and dancing. I enjoyed watching them become a wonderful group of friends, encouragers and leaders.

Being a part of “Alice in Wonderland” has been a tremendous, life-changing experience for me. I made lots of friends, especially seniors. Practicing at school was what I enjoyed the most because I go to dance, sing and act.

I look forward to another production. [ Kezia Agista (Grade 7) – Tweedle Dum ]

[ Rebekah Schmidt – Director ] I’ve learned how to work with many different people.

This will remain as one of my most special memories.

I would like to thank the school and all the teachers who helped us. [ Lee Joo Hyon/Jessy (Grade 8) – Alice ]

a reason for us to call upon His strong Name.

When we try to live life on our own, God gets shoved out. In fact, the smaller we are the better because it leaves that much more for God to come in and fill as only He can!

Paul spoke about this weakness in the Bible, saying that the weaker he is the better, because Christ’s power works best in weakness.

Jesus said to me, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I (Paul) am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

2 Corintians 12:9 Before the lights went up for our production of Alice in Wonderland Jr., the whole cast prayed together asking God to fill all the holes, the voids, and countless gaps. After the final bows, we felt such fulfillment because we knew God had created something very whole and beautiful—What a wonderful day.

By Tom Going Assistant Director of Alice in Wonderland Senior School English Teacher SPH International Lippo Cikarang

Being a part of “Alice in Wonderland” has truly been a wonderful experience, not just because I love acting but also because of the memories I’ve shared practicing with friends. [ Cody McClendon (Grade10) – Caterpillar ]

The thing that I enjoyed the most was seeing the other students’ performance. I think that the other students were great. [ Celine Solomon (Grade 6) – Rock Lobster ] In this musical, I once again got the chance to apply the IB profile. I was able to be open-minded, reflective, and of course, balanced. Overall, I enjoyed and was blessed to be a part of this production. It was a ‘zip-adee-doo-dah’ experience. [ Gabriella Gloria (Grade 8) – Violet ]

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PHERE, was created to incorporate the school's acronym with the idea of exhibiting students' holistic work in the Arts, with the idea of a physical sphere in mind.

Visual Arts students displayed their talents and explained the personal, and sometimes spiritual, context for their artwork. Drama students displayed puppetry, and Drama 10 showed some monologue performances to demonstrate effective theater techniques. Music students performed at various intervals throughout the Exhibition, showcasing their vocal and instrumental talents.

Thank you to everyone who helped to prepare the 2012 Arts Exhibition.

Benny Kharismana

SPH International Sentul City Teacher

Brandsetters S

TUDENTS in high school often struggle with cliques; finding the right group of friends; wanting to be popular.

Brandsetters is a novel about friendship, trust, popularity and feeling the need for a sense of belonging in a community. It tells about the lives of four girls who make up a popular clique in a high school in New York City which proves challenging and how true friendship can overcome these challenges.

In other teen-lit books about cliques in high schools, popular girls can be verbally and physically cruel. I believe that values are more important than being popular—such as confidence, originality and believing in yourself. Therefore, I wanted to write a book

which involves fun topics, such as fashion and being in a popular clique, but one which conveys how important it is to be true to yourself and your friends, and not pretend to be someone you are not.

Natasha Alessandra SPH International Sentul City Student Grade 11

SPH International Lippo Cikarang

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Diploma Programme

Visual Art Exhibition

Before taking DP Visual Arts, I thought that art was simply about beauty. However, two years later, I now know it is more than the use of artistic techniques and media to create a stunning visual image. Artwork can be created to express views on social and cultural issues.

“This is not about the grade or a grand art exhibition. What is most important is that through the process of preparing an exhibition, students learn to do research, commit to deadlines (and sometimes work overtime), learn side-by-side with fellow students, help one another, and above all, depend on the Lord in everything they do.”

Natasha Kurniawan Grade 12 SPH International Lippo Cikarang

Grasyntha Rooroh SPH International Lippo Cikarang Diploma Programme Art Teacher

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IVE Grade 12 students were the main exhibitors in the 3rd Annual IB Visual Art Exhibition at SPH International Lippo Cikarang. The art exhibition is part of the examination process in the IB Diploma Programme. The works of art exhibited were the culmination of two years of work that also includes an investigation workbook where students record the process of developing artwork from the concept to the execution.

Students are challenged to not only develop new skills in art production but also develop their ability to express their thinking in a visual way.

Creating and presenting my artwork; from thoughtful concept to live exhibition, was something I never thought I could accomplish.

Yet, I did it! For this, I thank my family, my teacher and my friends—ALL of whom encouraged and supported me throughout the entire process. I’m also thankful to my heavenly Father for his guidance and grace.

DP Visual Art is a great course! It gave me a unique opportunity to work creatively with a variety of media and to develop interesting concepts that took shape as I explored the different styles of art and techniques introduced to me by my incredible teacher.

Felicia Yap Grade 12 SPH International Lippo Cikarang

Letizia Pranoto Grade 12 SPH International Lippo Cikarang

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Good Friday was Great at SPH International Sentul City

March 30th, 2012 started off with a father daughter/son breakfast put on by the PYP teachers. With freshly cooked food in the canteen followed by a craft of choice (I did egg decorating with my first grade daughter), it was a great opportunity for fathers to spend precious time with their children in school. From there, the parents and the entire school student body gathered in the gym for the annual Easter chapel program.

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ESTORATION was this year’s theme, emphasizing the wonderful truth of God sending His Son to do for us, what we cannot do for ourselves.

The power of this truth is demonstrated in Christ’s resurrection from the grave, proving to all that He truly is God the Son. It is around this privileged celebration of Resurrection Sunday that the chapel program was centered.

Along with the annual appearances of school music groups and a Year 9 drama, the program also featured a new PYP reader’s theater. The student’s practice and hard work were obvious in the well orchestrated performances led by their respective directors.

The assembly was also treated to a special guest appearance by Yayasan Elsafan, a talented group of young blind musicians. Wow, they were amazing!

The praise and worship band, the senior school choir, and the staff choir all brought uplifting songs of praise to our God. The drama took the audience back to the time of the resurrection, capturing the excitement of the disciples as they realized Christ had risen from the dead as He had promised. The reader’s theater, admirably performed by the PYP students, emphasized that the restoration of man’s relationship to God is found in His redemptive plan of salvation, through forgiveness of sins and belief in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. The whole package of music, drama, and theater coupled with the clear message of God’s gift of restoration through His Son blessed everyone who attended the service.

Jared L. Skeens

SPH International Sentul City Easter Program Chair Person

Speak Up E

VER since I was young, I had always wanted, not just dreamed, to study abroad. I knew then that I had to work hard on my English, a language that seemed “too foreign” to me at the time when I was still in fifth grade. I’m sure I was not the only one amongst my classmates—or perhaps most children in Indonesia, who wanted to step out, to be able to experience living in another country, another world. However, to make a long story short, what I wanted came true as I had the chance to live in the United States during my middle school years, even though I had to learn things the hard way, things such as transitioning from having to memorize the irregular past tense forms of certain English words to having to converse with people who knew nothing but English, or from sitting and listening quietly to teachers to having to participate actively in class. I was, in fact, suffering in that whole new world and felt I was very much unprepared, although it only lasted for a short time.

Speak Up

from different countries too. As a result, I was able to learn more about other cultures and traditions as well as my own as SPH International also emphasizes the importance of Indonesian cultures and traditions, which is an excellent way to build pride in the hearts of the, perhaps, already too globalized Indonesian generations.

As I left SPH International to start my college years in the United States this August, I felt more than just prepared. I was ready, although anxious, to start a new beginning. I am pleased, now that my first semester in college has come to an end, to say that SPH International indeed helped me in transitioning both academically and socially to a much bigger place. SPH International prepared me with not only classroom knowledge, but also with lifelong and priceless motivation to always give back, and skills to handle time, think critically and hence make more wise decisions in life.

As I moved back to Indonesia for high school, my parents knew it was only the right, or in my opinion—humane, thing to do to place me in an international school. SPH International came to their attention, and it was there where I spent my most memorable years. I thought moving back would mean going through another phase of suffering. But I was partly wrong because I did go through tough times, but not alone, as I met other students who felt the same way as me, somewhat foreign. Geographically speaking, I was already in another continent, my home country, but being at SPH International made it feel as if I was still studying abroad.

At SPH International, as an International Baccalaureate Diploma student, I was not constrained by just facts taught by my teachers and textbooks; everyone was encouraged to challenge rather than to just merely accept the given facts. I was expected to think critically and have a holistic understanding of different areas of studies. On top of that, I, along with other students, was required to be academically balanced, as I had to give back to the community by initiating and successfully completing an allocated amount of community and service hours every year. Going to SPH International gave me the chance to interact with people

Speak Up

Devita Gunawan

SPH International Lippo Village Alumni Class of 2011

Grade 7 Field Trip We, the Grade 7 team, were so excited about the outdoor education field trip to Situgunung with Rakata Adventure that we had the opportunity to take in March and we were able to see how it fits right into the third part of the SPH International Mission Statement—holistic education in the light of preeminence and redemptive action.

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TUDENTS worked together to participate in adventure activities which included: sleeping in a tent, raft building, high ropes, abseiling, trekking, team building games and a visit to a local village.

It was also an opportunity for students to develop their character through experiences in leadership, interdependence, social responsibility and independence.

This field trip provided the opportunity for a real-life application of skills taught in the classroom and a chance to reflect individually on how they responded to the experience.

Students were required to collect data (photos, interviews, sketches) on an Area of Interaction and present their observations and discoveries as a Field Study Report. They also analyzed how well they interacted with their peers and the environment.

Miss Amy Grade 7 Year Level Lead Teacher SPH International Lippo Village

The Grade 7 field trip is a platform for students to apply the various subjects they’ve learned in the school setting. It provides great exposure to different areas of interaction, where students: • discover their identity and roles in the community (know their strength/overcome their weaknesses) • learn and gain understanding from various human interactions (village visit, instructors, teachers, students) • grow in appreciation of the beauty and contribution of the natural environments (sound exploration, art and craft, outdoor games).

All of these things are valued as part of God’s grand design, that works for good to reveal His ultimate glory and purpose.

Ibu Yuyun Biblical Studies SPH International Lippo Village I love being part of the Grade 7 camping trip as there are so many unique challenges and opportunities for growth for both students and teachers. As we take our learning from the classroom to the great outdoors, we quickly appreciate the diversity of God’s wonderful creation and understand the challenges of living in a tent with several other people. The various activities we do, combined with the subject specific questions and tasks, help us to see the bigger picture of the world around us, while focusing on how interdisciplinary our learning can and should be.

Miss Becky Humanities SPH International Lippo Village

At times the white walls and fluorescent lights of my classroom seem too sterile an environment for my students—I love the way fresh air, towering trees, and interesting insects spark new life in my students and help to uncover their variety of God-given gifts.

Mr. Ben Science SPH International Lippo Village My favorite thing about field trip was the abseiling because it was challenging. This challenge helped my overcome my fear and it also helped me to be confident to try new challenges. I learned that in that situation we could depend on the rope like we depend on God and trust Him. Esther (Grade 7 Student) I did many things during the camping trip but the Village Visit was my favorite part of the trip because I got to try the special sugar, made traditional bracelets and played in the mud.

It was lots of fun! I usually spend my days in Jakarta surrounded by buildings so this was a great opportunity to interact and learn more about nature that God has created for us to interact with and take care of.

Shelly (Grade 7 Student)

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By Brock Haylock

SPH International Lippo Village Teacher

SPH International Lippo Village Grade 8 Field Trip

Painting the Whole Picture

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F you were to ask a handful of 8th Graders what they remember most about the March field trip to Central Java it is likely you would get an array of responses. Part of the reason for this is because not every student experienced the trip in the same way.

Some might remember digging for snails in the mud; removing fish from nets; sifting rice; making tempe at the home of one of the local Javanese women; taking the angkot to the local bazaar and bartering. All of us remember arriving at our partner school Sekolah Kristen Lentera where we shook hands with over 100 of their students! These experiences challenge us by requiring us to be active participants.

Conventional methods of instruction do not always do this effectively. The holistic approach, as a robust alternative, paints a more complete picture of students rather than

limiting learning to only one portion of the pedagogical canvas.

Holistic education values authentic experiences which often occur outside the classroom and school. Ours began with a train ride across the island but then we spent the majority of our time burrowing into the small towns of Bandungan and Ambarawa experiencing the daily lives of typical Indonesian communities SPH’s holistic perspective can also be seen in outreach projects such as the field trip partnership with Panti Asuhan Harapan in Ambarawa. The students can begin to have meaningful and transformative discoveries that can lead to deeper emotional connections with the community as well as

with themselves. Empowered students can embrace their God-given gifts that sometimes are not readily expressible in more traditional learning environments.

Many educational institutions have become overly focused on test scores and simple career selection at the expense of the person.

Many students are lost along the way. Many never achieve their true potential. Many are “counted out� simply because they did not perform to expected levels of achievement.

This is tragic! As people created in the image of God, all have potential and all have purpose.

Thankfully, with a holistic approach, we have a bigger canvas and more colors by which we can help educate and assess our students.

This is not only good education but it is also good Christian education.

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The Light of Christ for the Needy (A Special Report from Live-In Field Trip in Harapan Orphanage, Ambarawa – Central Java) We drove to Ambarawa from the airport. Traffic was heavy and on arrival the students were tired and hungry however it was amazing to see how they greeted the children in the orphanage and how welcoming the other children were when providing a late dinner.

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OD confirmed to me that it was the right decision to go to Ambarawa.

Dinner went a little longer than expected; because of all the good interactions. The first challenge for the SPH International students was to wash their own dishes. We ended the day with prayer and some good conversations.

The next day was intense. Waking up at 4:30am, having morning devotion at 5:00am, and cleaning up until 6:45am.

Few had never mopped before, so they tried hard to adjust. After breakfast, SPH International students were divided into different groups to do some learning, such as doing organic farming, processing garbage into fertilizers, bathing the babies and helping in the kitchen. Students were beginning to learn a lot about how some people live in very uncomfortable places and work hard for daily needs. A few said, “Bu, I could not stand being on piles of garbage,” some said, “Bu, I made coconut milk in a huge bucket,” and others did the farming diligently even though they were sweating profusely.

strengthened the bond between SPH International students and the orphanage kids. After dinner, students were involved in helping with English, Math, Science, or Computer Studies.

Seeing the kids performing on the art night wowed the SPH International team. They were so talented and well prepared. During reflection time, many students talked about how amazed they were to see the joy in the kids’ lives.

The farewell time had some heart-warming moments. Some were crying before they went to school and some of the kids ran back to the orphanage during break time to give letters to SPH International students.

Not only did our students get the data they needed for our study unit but they opened their hearts and minds and built relationships. I could see their beliefs, thoughts and understanding were transformed in so many ways.

We went to the traditional market twenty people squeezed into a small van. Each student was limited to 5000 rupiah to buy snacks and drinks—a challenge.

Sanitation sessions and sport activities which happened after lunch really

By Lea Setyaningrum Surjantoro Indonesian B MYP and Diploma Programme Teacher

The Light of Christ for the Needy

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Short Reflections from Students

I learned that there are issues which are larger than myself. I always complain about my lack of riches. But, what I really suffer from is poverty of caring and love.

[ Elliot Han Ng ]

I learnt to appreciate what I already have. Never expect more than what I need.

[ Kim Dong Gi ] I gained friends! I never would have expected such an outcome.

[ Ashley Rusli ]

I learnt that God bless us through simplicity.

The Ambarawa Trip was an amazing experience because actually living two nights there meant that we’re submerged in another way of living instead of just engaging for a few hours.

[ Alexander S. Hartanto ]

[ Christabelle Ashley Wong ]

From this trip, I learnt and realized that money cannot buy happiness or love. The kids at the orphanage are happy because they have friends and God.

[ Isabella Lau ]

Robert's Comment

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URING the mission trip to Harapan orphanage, I experienced many heart-touching moments. I saw that our SPH International students were full of commitment. In the orphanage there were a lot of poor people in various conditions and I could tell that they really needed some visitors willing to give them a warm smile, pay attention to them and have a moment to share a laugh or story with them. And our Grade 11 students did a great service there. I saw how they felt nurtured when our students taught and helped them with their homework. I enjoyed seeing the smiles of those children when our SPH International students were around. I feel that this opportunity really taught me how important a smile and whole-hearted service is to other people, especially toward those less-fortunate than us.

Robertus Novianto Wibowo Circulation Staff – Senior Library

book corner THE LIFEWORLD OF LEADERSHIP Creating culture, community, and personal meaning in our schools

By Thomas J. Sergiovanni (John Wiley and Sons, 2000) In this inspiring book, the author examines why the “lifeworld “ of schools is so vital to school success and shows how local leadership can make the difference in creating healthy, rigorous schools for our children. He proposes initiatives that invite all educational stakeholders to lead without compromising the legitimate interests of their school and communities.

In this book also, the author shows how local school communities can construct standards that support serious learning and effective caring for students. This is a must read for anyone involved in education policy or practice today.

This book gives life and meaning to the worlds “lifeworld” and “systemsworld”—bringing a new and insightful perspective to the discourse on school reform—and challenges school leaders to gain a more holistic view of students and interaction in the teaching-learning process.

FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION An Introduction in Evangelical Perspective

By Robert W. Pazmino (Baker Books, 2001) In this book we learn that Christian are called to be faithful in the theory and practice of Christian education to assure the passing on of a living faith to the rising generations.

Christian educators are called upon to reappraise their thought and practice in realtion to the foundational issues of Christian Education.

This book explores the disciplines used to form a holistic and integrated conception of Christian education from which guiding principles and guidelines for practice can be drawn.

Christian educators who are evangelical in theological orientation need to make a concerted effort to affirm those Biblical insights that provide the essential authority for theory and practice. In addition, Christian need to incorporate insights from other disciplines which is the subject to the continuing authority of God’s Word found in Scripture. IN this book we learn that a major challenge before Christian educators is to be faithful, obedient and creative in their thought and practice.

By drawing upon various resources, Christian educators are further challenged to develop an integrated understanding of Christian education that will guide the practice.

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