Inspirational Class with Police Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore: Mr. Indra Fadillah Siregar

“Wherever the land is stepped upon, there the sky is upheld. We must obey the rules that apply in the place we live.”

This morning, all students appeared neatly lined up and standing tall to welcome the arrival of Mr. Commissioner Indra Fadillah Siregar. He is the Police Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore and had the opportunity to be the speaker at the Inspirational Class.

He warmly greeted the students with the term “Dek!” in line with how he refers to himself as “Kak!”, creating an atmosphere that initially seemed tense, to become relaxed and friendly.
Mr. Indra began his presentation by explaining a little about the meaning of symbols and the hierarchy of ranks in the Indonesian National Police. Then he explained that rules are binding and do not recognize age, especially in Singapore. “The regulations in this country are very strict and sharp, so we must be very careful,” he said.

Furthermore, he discussed the circulation of vape in Singapore, which has different policies compared to Indonesia. In Singapore, vape is prohibited in terms of its usage and circulation. He recounted an example, where an Indonesian citizen was caught carrying vape to Singapore through the Harbourfront port. The person then sought his help. However, even though he is a police officer, he cannot help because it is outside the jurisdiction of the Indonesian National Police. He emphasized that violations of regulations regarding the use and circulation of vape in Singapore are often found among students. “You younger siblings must be careful, don’t let curiosity lead you to regret in the future because of dealing with the law in Singapore.” This emphasis is important to convey to the students, to further strengthen their determination to avoid violations of rules, both Singaporean regulations and school rules.

There was an interesting thing that made the audience stunned. It turns out he was one of the police officers tasked with handling various cases of thuggery and large-scale criminal activities in Jakarta, such as the robbery case at the late Ust. Jefri Al-Buchori’s house.

The activity was closed with words of thanks and appreciation from the school, delivered by the Principal of the Indonesian School in Singapore, Mrs. Yenny Dwi Maria, M.Ed.

Thank you for your inspiration, Mr. Commissioner!

Special Inspirational Class with Ambassador Suryo Pratomo: Awakening Nationalism Among the Nation’s Children

“Learn new things without leaving Indonesian culture. Study diligently and consistently, apply what is good for the progress of the nation.”

The bright weather marks the beginning of this morning’s inspirational class.
It’s very special because His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Singapore, Mr. Suryo Pratomo, kindly attended as a speaker, accompanied by the Cultural Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, Mr. IGAK Satrya Wibawa.

The inspirational class began with a welcome speech from the School Principal, Mrs. Yenny Dwi Maria. She expressed gratitude and welcomed with joy and gratitude the presence of the Ambassador this morning.

Good Morning!
Good Morning!
Good Morning!

Ambassador greeted the students with enthusiasm.
Ambassador began his presentation by presenting factual data that stirred national pride and love for the Indonesian nation. He mentioned that Singapore was once a country full of poverty but they committed to progress together so within 57 years they have progressed significantly, having an excellent education system and an economy comparable to developed countries in the world. However, all of that didn’t come overnight, it was certainly full of hard work.

He then showed pictures depicting the development of telecommunications technology.
With his clear and engaging delivery style, he recounted the development of communication technology from sending letters using carrier pigeons, the invention of the telephone, telegraph, fax, to the latest telecommunications technology today.
He shared a unique experience from his early career as a journalist. It was very difficult to send news while on duty covering a remote area in the Philippines. Then the story continued when he covered the World Cup in Italy in 1990. At that time, the coverage photographer had to enter a special room to print negative images into photos. It took about 2 hours to send a photo from Italy to Jakarta.

Fortunately, now there is the internet, everything is very easy. We can send messages from anywhere to anywhere easily. Whatever we want to search for, we can find it in seconds. This is different from when the School Principal or the Cultural Attaché were in school. We had to search from page to page for the desired information. But of course, technology is like a double-edged sword. If used properly, it can be useful for prosperity, but if used for crime, it can be very harmful. For example, in 2022, Singaporeans suffered losses of SGD 660 million due to scams. This happened to Singaporeans with an average education background above high school.
The 3rd President of Indonesia, Mr. BJ. Habibie said, “an open world must be balanced with Indonesian children who are knowledgeable and accompanied by faith and piety, so that technology usage is controlled and used for good.”

He then talked about people whose contributions have changed the world, namely:
1. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone
2. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the mobile phone
3. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple

Furthermore, he talked about Steve Jobs when he started building desktop computers which later evolved into Apple products as they are now. Currently, Apple’s assets are 4 times larger than those of Indonesia and 10 times larger than those of Singapore. Truly an inspiring story.

Technology continues to evolve. This is not the end of technological innovation. He believes that this is the beginning of technological revival, “it is very possible that someday you will be the ones who develop technology.” He said with enthusiasm, followed by applause from the students. He continued, “Diligent, enjoy what we do, and be consistent. That is the key to success.”

“Do you all like K-pop?” He asked.
“Yes, Sir,” The students answered in unison.

He then talked about how South Korea, which gained independence in the same month and year as Indonesia, could become as great as it is today. They became trendsetters, excelling in sports, culture, technology, education, and economy. South Korea educated its people to not want to lose to others, to be diligent, and always strive to be the best.
He continued the story with a flashback to 1991, when China was still backward. But now they have become the second largest economic power after the United States. He emphasized that they could be like that because the entire society had the same commitment to advancing the country through education.

He advised, “Determine your path to contribute to the future of the Indonesian nation. Keep learning and give your best!”
“Learn new things in Singapore without leaving Indonesian culture. Apply what is good for the progress of the nation.”

He shared inspirational stories from various fields in a very interesting way, thus arousing our awareness and increasing national insight for the students.

We are very lucky this morning to receive motivation and inspirational stories from the Ambassador.

Thank you and stay healthy, Ambassador.

_fkc_

SHINE YOURSELF TO SHINE THE WORLD

“Be grateful for what you are experiencing now.”

“Green…”
“Black…”
“Bla…ck”

The spirited call suddenly echoed in the Hall of Singapore Indonesian School. Followed by the movements and cheers of the students who responded to the command with excitement.
The morning inspiration class activity began with green-standing, black-squatting, followed by playing with shapes, initiating today’s morning inspiration class. All students were welcome to choose and move towards their preferred shapes. There were circles, squares, triangles, and squiggles. After the students gathered at each chosen shape, they were randomly asked about the reasons for choosing that shape.

This morning’s inspirational class featured Mrs. Tina Priyatin, M.Pd. She holds a Master’s degree in Education and is currently a doctoral candidate at the Indonesian University of Education.

This morning, she invited the school community to move and rejoice. She explained to the students how to recognize the character tendencies of people who choose certain shapes (square, circle, triangle, or squiggle). Many students, especially high school students, agreed with the character analysis presented by Mrs. Tina.

She then conveyed that everyone has both good and bad traits. “Indeed, it’s not easy to read one’s own character,” she said.
Mrs. Tina then asked one student to come forward, a representative from the high school, Khayru, who was willing to share his good and bad traits based on his assessment. Next was Qeenara from the elementary school representative. She mentioned that her bad trait is being unable to stay quiet and often shouting. However, Mrs. Tina suggested that perhaps this bad trait could be a potential talent; perhaps Qeenara could become a singer when she grows up.

Next, Mrs. Tina shared her childhood story, which was filled with scarcity, yet young Tina had high spirits and motivation to learn and dream. When she was in elementary school, young Tina often participated in various singing, dancing, and poetry recitation events. Her academic achievements always placed her as the top student in her class.
Young Tina gradually grew into a teenager. She once collected used items to save money for further education. She entered college with her own funds, aspiring to attend a state university, but by then it was too late, so she ended up studying at Pakuan University in Bogor.
She studied while working as an English teacher, then became a teaching assistant, and after graduating, she was given the opportunity to become a permanent lecturer at her alma mater. This proves that her spirit overcame all the limitations she faced. Truly inspiring.

A very memorable experience for her was when she met Mrs. Yenny, the headmistress of SIS, in Bali. Both of them received the prestigious Pearson Amazing Minds 2010 award. That was the first time Mrs. Tina flew on a plane and stayed in a luxury hotel. There’s a funny story when she couldn’t differentiate between the bath towel and the bathroom rug.

Currently, she is a Trainer at an institution that provides training for English teachers. She also had the opportunity to be a Presenter at an international seminar in Bangkok.

There is an irony in her story, that although her English is not excellent, God has paved the way for her to achieve many of her dreams. Another dream of hers is to establish an English tutoring center for children. Alhamdulillah, she has successfully built Bumble Bee Learning Center, with teaching staff consisting of students she taught.
She advises to make the best use of time. When there’s free time, “What should I do?” That’s the opportunity to think about other positive things. There are some amazing quotes she mentioned at the end of her presentation, such as:
Don’t be part of the darkness
Use your talents to be a blessing
Use your voice to broadcast goodness and hope
Use your hands and feet to create something useful
Ultimately, life is accountable to the Creator
Make something that makes your parents and God proud
In the darkest moment of your life, there are stars shining bright

She invited everyone to stand up and shout, “I can do it!”

Ending her presentation, she led everyone in singing the chorus of Queen’s song “We Are The Champions.” “…we are the champions my friend…”

Truly an encouragement for us this morning.

After Mrs. Tina finished her presentation, the School Principal expressed gratitude and presented a token of appreciation to the speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Tina!

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