SECOND DAY

Ibu Andy and Ibu Robyn were taken to lunch at Gitung. We were amazed at how beautiful and green the gardens were after the dryness of Bendigo. We enjoyed the hospitality of the Principal, Pak Dedi Rafidi, and the staff at Ciputat as well as the delicious food - our favourite was 'Kol and the gang' - Gado Gado - and of course tempe.

SECOND DAY

On the second day, Ms. Jones joined the Music class taught by Mr. Nasution. He teaches the students to play the angklung (a traditional musical instrument from West Java made from bamboo together with modern musical instruments. He has put together a band from a group of 5 students, who have already practised a song. The band used both modern musical instruments and angklungs from the class.
Playing the angklung is not difficult: what we do is just shake the angklung. It has its own tone, so one angklung has only a single tone. Everybody took an angklung including Ms. Jones.

Ms. Jones joined the class to play the angklung.

And Mr. Zulkifli Nasution played the kendang. Kendang is a traditional percussion instrument.

After joining the music class, Ms. Jones came to an Art class by Ms. Anne. She showed Ms. Jones, how to make the handy craft.
No worries to try: she got straight into it.



Finally, the students get a chance to practise their English with a native speaker. Mr. Sukanta introduces his students to the special guest.

FIRST DAY

The students on the balcony show their enthusiasm to see the guests. We planned not to disturb the other classes for the Welcoming Ceremony, but the noise from the sound of the gamelan music could not keep them in their classes. The Guests from Australia, however, are new for us.


Ms. Elmi and Ms. Jones were accompanied by Mr. Affan and the students from OSIS, along the way to the school lobby. I thought that the time for ceremonies was over, because we recently had the same ceremony for Mr. Dedi Rafidi's arrival to this school in December 2008 but once again we have had a Welcoming Ceremony for our special guests.





Right in front of the lobby, they stood for almost half an hour. The saman dancers greeted them with their fantastic motions. Saman is a dance from Aceh, it is also an after school activity for our students, who love this dance. This dance group is becoming more and more popular in our school.

A warm hand shake from Mr. Ullis, who is a social worker. He is a guest teacher for English in our school. He comes from Switzerland and has lived in Ciputat for 5 years, and not too far from the school. He joined us to welcome Ms. Elmi and Ms. Jones. As can be seen in the picture, he likes batik very much, and he is also wearing a peci on his head.
This Picture was taken in the Principal's room. From Left: Mr. Hidayat, Mr. Hamdari, Mr. Ullis (English teachers), Ms. Elmi, the Principal Mr. Dedi Rafidi, Ms. Jones and Mr. Affan.

Ms. Elmi in the class, accompanied by Ms. Dardanela (English teacher) is introducing herself to the students. The students were very curious, but more nervous about speaking in English. Fortunately, Ms. Elmi is a teacher of Bahasa Indonesia, and she is very good in this subject.

Ms. Jones is showing something about design in the magazine to Ms. Dardanela. They were in the same room with the other teachers who were talking about the friendship between Weeroona and SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat.

Shaking hands after the exchange of the MOU and Ms. Elmi giving Mr. Dedi Rafidi a souvenir from Weeroona.

Weeroona Guests Activities

There are many things I want to say, but I cannot write as much as I would like to because of my lack of English vocabulary. I will try to write as much as I can so please write a comment, particularly if I have misspelled a word or anything else.
The guests arrived on schedule and our welcoming party greeted them right at the gate.The banner was hung from the top of our gate to welcome the guests. Their photographs looked older than the original. They laughed when they saw the banner.


A jasmine garland is presented to our special guests. The chief of OSIS (Students' Leadership Organization) Ade Surachman welcomed Ibu Robyn with a garland made from jasmine buds.


The students performed a welcoming dance. The dance is a traditional dance from West Java; we usually present this dance to special guests or perform it for special event. This dance is not in our curriculum, but it is an after school activity (extracurricular). The dancers were wearing traditional costumes, not our school uniform.
Ibu Robyn and Ibu Andi (this is what they would be called in Indonesia) were walking slowly, surrounded by the dancers. On Ibu Robyn's right is Mr. Ibni Affan, our English teacher. He was responsible for organising the program for the guests.

I'm the one who designed the welcoming banner. I thought that I had taken the wrong pictures of them. They are much prettier than the pictures that I downloaded of them before.

SISTER SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS: Ciputat and Weeroona

Educational Working Guidelines for a Sister School Relationship between an Indonesian School and an Australian School by Herli Salim – Doctor Candidate, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
(Translated by courtesy of Ms Robyn Elmi, Weeroona, College,Bendigo, Melbourne)
Rationale:
Based on UU No. 20/2003 about the National Educational System, it states that it is desirable to get at least one school in an area through to an international standard. To strengthen the autonomy of a particular area, it states that schools in that area should focus on forming international relationships. (Legislation No. 32, 2004 about Governmental Regions). The National Education Minister’s Decision No. 30/2007 about national educational standards directs schools towards attaining international standards. In the meantime, the BNSP (The Body for National Educational Standards) was formed to push efforts to increase the quality of national schools so that they are equal with the international world and consequently their graduates will be of a high quality. The establishment of Banten Province was also an educational requirement as a bridge to aim towards improving the prosperity of the Banten people. (UU No. 23 tahun 2000). All of this legislation aims to stimulate a quick growth in the quality of education through to both national and international standards.
The initiative for Indonesian and Australian Schools to work together was highly recommended by OECD countries and UNICEF. Both world organisations recognize the mutual benefits of countries working together cooperatively and the results of these interactions will create educational networks which will facilitate the mutual exchange of curriculum and other educational opportunities for teachers and students.
Now is the time to create a cooperative educational work environment between Indonesia and Australia. These efforts are gathering momentum because of the efforts of Dr. H. Herli Salim, M. Ed., lecturer at Indonesian Education University, Serang Campus and student in the Doctoral Program at Deakin University which is held in Australia to advance his studies. He works together with his colleague and Australian friend Dr. Peter Waterworth, special educational consultant and social education. The city and regency of Serang have long known Dr. Waterworth as a speaker at several educational seminars.
In the meantime, in relation to the Australian workforce, the Australian Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd, said that it is important that the Australian people return to the close relationship they had with their neighbouring countries and that the Australian people should study Asian languages, including Indonesian. Now, in public Australian schools, there is a strong desire to learn Indonesian. Because of this renewed interest in learning Indonesian, there is a growing interest between Weeroona College Bendigo and SMA Negeri Ciputat 2, Tangerang to work together. It is fortunate that the desire to work together has coincided: SMA Negeri Ciputat 2 will get the opportunity to develop to an international standard and its students will have the opportunity to study English; whilst Weeroona College Bendigo students will be able to improve their Indonesian. If this pioneering effort at working together between the two schools is established, then this cooperative model can be established more broadly.
We should consider this issue of sister schools working together and these relationships should be carefully maintained and nurtured as they gain momentum. It is important that they continue to provide quality working relationships and that the benefits are shared equally by both sides.
FORM:
Working together with SMA Negeri Ciputat 2, Tangerang and Weeroona College Bendigo will involve both schools always making the effort and taking care to ensure the relationship continues to grow and develop. The possibility of working together educationally will take the following form:
1.Student exchange: The students will have the opportunity to be involved in home stays and shadowing with their peers. Students from Ciputat 2 will be able to study English, Information Technology and Technology and Weeroona students will be able to study Indonesian, local Art and traditional dance at Ciputat.
2.Staff exchange: Nepal staff will have the opportunity to study educational administration at Weeroona to optimise and modernise their management skills and support their information technology skills.
3.Principal exchange: Principals can work together to exchange ideas to develop agendas to work together and discuss the development of educational management which is based on the internet, building educational projects together which are funded by world bodies or each country.
METHOD OF WORKING:
1.Ciputat 2 will always create ways correspond with Weeroona College. Firstly, Ciputat 2 will begin corresponding between principal, teachers with teachers, staff with staff and students with students.
2.Ciputat 2 will always need to create routine contact to ensure we are following the same agenda both in Australia and in Indonesia.
3.Ciputat 2 proposed the production of a web site together and its contents will be contributed to by both sides. For steps to begin, both sides need to send emails and letters via post to discuss the types of activities that could be undertaken.
4.Ciputat 2 will make a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with Weeroona College. The contents of this MOU will form the basis of the educational partnership between the two schools and will be the starting point of serious and intensive discussions between the two schools.
5.Ciputat 2 will carry out a visit to Weeroona College Bendigo to see the potential to work together and formalise the relationship, that is, by the signing of the MOU to hold a sister school relationship.
6.Ciputat 2 would like to begin organising formal permission with the Weeroona and Ciputat parents so that the students can experience homestay accommodation.
7.Ciputat 2 and Weeroona would like to exchange educational resources to help with the teaching of the curriculum. This could be in the form of good quality second hand material such as books, comics, CDs, films, newspapers, novels, DVDs, etc.


CONCLUSION
It is the responsibility of the mediator to help develop good communication between the two schools. A committee will need to be formed and once established, a strong effort on both sides will be required to maintain the momentum and ensure a strong relationship continues to develop and is maintained (HS, 2009).

era baru SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat

Saya mungkin bisa dikatakan sebagai saksi sejarah dalam perkembangan SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat sampai sekarang ini. Walaupun masih digolongkan 'hijau', saya sudah mengalami empat masa kepemimpinan kepala SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat.
Pertama saya datang, yaitu tahun Juli 1998, SMA negeri 2 Ciputat baru memiliki 12 lokal dan siswa masih harus berbagi waktu sekolah pagi dan sore hari. Sekarang SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat telah memiliki 27 kelas, ditambah beberapa lab dan sebuahperpustakaan. Semua siswa bisa mengikuti rombongan belajar bersamaan, yaitu di pagi hari. Perkembangan terus menerus dilakukan, baik fisik maupun akademik, walaupun di sana-sini masih banyak kekurangan.
Pada era Pak Dedi ini, SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat ditantang untuk mengikuti kemajuan jaman dengan drastis. Program yang sangat jelas berbeda di Tangsel ini yaitu, 5 hari aktif, upacara hanya setiap tanggal 17, RSBI, menuju ISO Manajemen Mutu, dan program-program lainnya. Perlu dicatat, Pak Dedi belum lagi memulai 'debut' APBS nya. Tapi sekarang kita bisa melihat mobil sekolah dengan logo tercinta kita terpampang di pintu mobil tersebut. Taman yang sementara ini dipagar mulai terlihat menghiasi, taman yang lama, tapi terdiri lebih banyak pohon. Jalan kumuh menuju wc kelas kapel di belakang kantor kelurahan diperbaiki menjadi sebuah taman.
Saya terus terang senang dengan arah perkembangan SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat, sambil berharap bahwa itu semua baru awal gebrakan pak Dedi. Saya menunggu gebrakan selanjutnya, dari pimpinan baru saya ini.
Pak Dedi berharap SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat membuat jalinan dengan sekolah dari negara lain sebagai 'sister school'. Ini benar-benar gebrakan yang fantastis, dan saya sangat mendukung, banyak harapan yang sudah ada di benak saya. Membaca laporan dari pak Herli, dan setelah bertemu langsung Sore tadi, saya sangat berharap SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat terbang lebih tinggi lagi. Sister school adalah sebuah jalan atau strategi yang jitu membawa perubahan. Beberapa alasan bagi saya adalah:

1. terjadi hubungan yang saling menguntungkan bagi kedua pihak

Kerjasama tersebut bisa meningkatkan kemampuan siswa, tenaga kependidikan, dan leadership di SMA negeri 2 Ciputat. Ethos kerja dari bangsa Australia bisa kita adopsi, sehingga kita bisa meningkatkan kemampuan keahlian dalam mengelola lembaga pendidikan serta manajerial yang lebih baik, yang akan menghasilkan peserta didik bermutu lebih baik juga. Bagi pihak Weeroona, mereka bisa menjadikan kita sebagai pembanding atau, studi kasus dalam mengelola pendidikan dengan peserta didik yang berasal dari Asia, karena kita juga manifestasi dari Asia.
Selain itu, kerjasama ini akan membuka mata tantang kultur kedua pihak, dan akan memperkaya khasanah budaya masing-masing.

2. terjadi tukar menukar pengetahuan dalam berbagai bidang, terutama bidang pendidikan

Dalam hal pengajaran di kelas, terutama bahasa Inggris bagi siswa di Indonesia, SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat bisa mendapat wawasan baru tentang cara mengajar bahasa Inggris yang baik. Hal itu juga terjadi sebaliknya bagi pihak Weeroona dalam pengajaran bahasa Indonesia. Pertukaran pengetahuan pengajaran bahasa Indonesia dan Inggris adalah awal yang bisa berkembang pada mata pelajaran lain. Selain itu terdapat beberapa mata pelajaran yang berbeda di kedua sekolah yang bisa dipelajari untuk dipraktekkan di sekolah lainnya.

3. terjadi keadaan saling menghargai sebagai bangsa yang berdaulat dengan tali persahabatan

Persahabatan tidak perlu melihat warna kulit atau bendera, agama maupun afiliasi politik. Persahabatan tidak mengenal kontinen, dan itu akan lebih baik dari pada permusuhan. "Musuh pun kalau dirangkul tidak mungkin mendorong". Persaudaraan sekolah ini saya bayangkan menjadi saudara yang saling berbagi, dan lebih banyak pada sisi perkembangan kemanusiaan bukan politik.

4. terbukanya wawasan kedua pihak tentang negara tetangga yang lebih obyektif

kedua pihak dapat saling berhubungan dengan korespondensi atau berbicara langsung menggunakan teknologi komunikasi terkini yang tidak terbatas, sehingga masing-masing dapat menilai kondisi sister school di seberang dengan obyektif.

Demikianlah kesan saya terhadap program 'sister school' SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat dan Weeroona College mengingat SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat adalah sekolah yang masih muda dan kecil.
Saya sangat menyambut baik program ini dan sangat menghargai upaya pihak-pihak terkait, terutama Pak Herli. Pak Herli bahkan menyempatkan diri datang ke SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat di sela-sela kesibukannya di tanah air untuk meyakinkan panitia tentang realisasi program ini

Delegation from Weeroona College

Educational Friendships and Links:
SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat, Tangerang, and Weeroona College, Melbourne, Australia.




Weeroona College Bendigo Melbourne will send 2 teachers to visit SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat from 6 April – 14 April 2009. The teachers’ name is Ms. Robyn Elmi who teaches Indonesian language, and Ms Andrea Jones who teaches arts. Ms. Robyn Elmi will help SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat Tangerang to learn English. During her visit to SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat, she will share her knowledge with SMA Negeri 2 Ciputats’ students. She will present a conference in learning English. Other Weeroona College teacher is Ms. Andrea Jones. She will teach SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat’s students arts as a media for learning, during her visit here. She recently starts learning Indonesian Gamelan music. She likes traditional music and if it is possible she intends to learn more about Gamelan music when she visits SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat Tangerang. This educational activities is for initiating and strengthening friendships through school to school contact. Pak Dedi Rafidi, the school principal of SMA Negeri 2 Tangerang has long history contact with Weeroona College. It started when he led at previous school, however, he wants to keep contact with Weeroona College, thus, when he moved to SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat Tangerang. He tries his best effort to link Weeroona with SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat. In the future, may SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat be able to visit Weeroona to forge link and to create mutual benefit for both schools. In return, we hope this educational friendships and links will help understand and build good neighbouring friendships either for Indonesian and Australian (HS, 2009)