SIS students learn to take the wheel<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Singapore International School (SIS), located in the Bona Vista
\napartment complex in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, is a sprawling
\nstructure of unusual design.<\/p>\n
While it is not built sideways, as in Louis Sachar's Sideways
\nStories from Wayside School, it is a top-down facility: The
\nstudents descend from the entrance hall down a spiral staircase
\nto reach their classes, and the canteen and sports field is at
\nthe very bottom -- truly on the ground floor.<\/p>\n
Airy, white corridors wind through circular hallways lined
\nwith classrooms behind red or blue doors. Its interior --
\naccented with primary and secondary colors on window frames,
\npillars, air ducts and the like, and its walls covered with
\nposters, paintings and educational messages drawn by the
\nstudents' own hands -- exudes a spirit of positive activity, or
\nactive positivity.<\/p>\n
SIS first opened its doors in 1997 in Pantai Mutiara, North
\nJakarta. Expanding rapidly and continuously since then, the
\neducational foundation now has seven branches across the
\narchipelago, with a Semarang school set to open this year.<\/p>\n
Run by a board of governors, SIS follows the Singapore
\nnational curriculum while also offering the Cambridge university-
\naccredited IGCSC external examination system for secondary school
\nstudents. The primary school covers six years and the secondary,
\nthree at present, with a fourth year to be offered in 2006. It
\nalso has a preschool and two kindergarten levels, with an
\nemphasis on building confidence and personal development.<\/p>\n
Presently, the combined student body of SIS represents 35
\nnationalities -- of which 20 to 30 percent are Indonesian
\nstudents, as permitted by government regulation -- and boasts
\n1,700 students in total, with almost 400 students at Bona Vista
\nalone.<\/p>\n
As SIS Bona Vista principal Jyoti Mayall said, \"Our schools
\nare located mostly in residential areas as part of our vision to
\nbring quality Singapore education to the suburbs.\"<\/p>\n
Classes are taught in both English and Mandarin Chinese, with
\nteachers hailing from Singapore, Australia, Canada, China, India,
\nthe Philippines and the United Kingdom. English as a foreign
\nlanguage is available for non-native speakers, and Mandarin is
\nalso taught as a language course.<\/p>\n
Aside from regular foundation courses in the humanities,
\nmodern languages, social and life sciences and mathematics, SIS
\nalso offers contemporary subjects such as information technology,
\nor IT, economics and business management, as well as robotics.<\/p>\n
One of the school's special focuses is its interdisciplinary
\nprogram, which incorporates at least two, and as much as four,
\ndifferent subject areas within a life-skill application. Past
\nprojects have included organizing field trips and creating
\nadvertisements.<\/p>\n
This year, SIS students have proposed that the school hold an
\novernight camp and a dance -- and have submitted a formal
\nproposal, complete with an itinerary, agenda and supporting
\nfund-raising activities. There is even talk of an \"SIS Idol\" in
\nthe pipeline, also a student initiative.<\/p>\n
Community service is an emphasis also, with students reaching
\nout to their less privileged peers, \"adopting\" an orphanage and
\ndonating uniforms to the Kartini toll-road school.<\/p>\n
But all work and no play make students dull children, and fun
\neducational activities are provided after school as part of the
\nCore Curriculum Activities program, much like extracurricular
\nclubs.<\/p>\n
Students are required to join at least one activity, choosing
\nfrom modern dance, Chinese traditional dance, choir, team and
\nindividual sports, tae kwon do, the eco-garden -- designed and
\nmaintained by students under teacher supervision -- and even the
\ninternational Cub Scouts, which run a school-wide recycling
\nservice.<\/p>\n
Toddlers are not left out of the fun, either, and they may
\nparticipate in focused activities such as arts and crafts and
\nstorytelling.<\/p>\n
The SIS academic year runs commences in January, with a one-month
\nsummer holiday in June and a six-week Christmas holiday to close
\nthe year. For more information, visit www.sisjakarta.com.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sis-students-learn-to-take-the-wheel-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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