By Crista Trirahayu | School Principal
Dear friends and kind supporters of Taman Cipta Karya Nusantara Foundation,
Warmest greetings to you all as we look back on four months full of activities – apart from a few quieter weeks as one academic year came to a joyful end and before we welcome a new cohort of young learners.
One of the highlights for the children as the school year-end approached was to go out on a shopping day, which was not only the culmination of children learning how to save daily in their own piggy-bank but also discovering how to carry out real transactions in the supermarket according to their shopping list. Some bought carrots and other vegetables for their favourite soup while some others bought dish-wash soap for their Mum, having noticed Mum's shopping list stuck on the fridge door. Others still purchased fruits for their grandma and all in all it was striking how thoughtful they were in their shopping, showing how they care about family members as well as fulfilling their own needs.
But the main event was a very special celebration to mark the end of the year combined with a graduation ceremony for our leavers. For the previous year’s celebration, the emphasis was very much cultural and for this year we decided to pick up on the theme of sports, inspired by the addition of Montessori sports to our curriculum this academic year. So what better way to do this than with The Lilliput World Family Fun Run!! Over 300 participants embraced the spirit of the day with either a 3 or 5 kilometre run enthusiastically flagged off in the early morning by Gusti Prabukusuma, the brother of the Sultan of Yogyakarta. After welcoming the runners back, children and teachers put on an extravaganza of songs and dances as we also celebrated the achievements of our 26 graduates and wished them well on the next chapter of their learning journey. Congratulations to one and all!
The success of the event was a testimony to the tireless work, attention to deal and careful stewardship throughout of our wonderful teachers, admin team and other staff members for whom we are full of admiration and gratitude, embodying, as they do, the spirt of the school and TCKN foundation. With the year then drawn to a close, some well-earned rest was in order, although not for long as we also wanted to make use of the break to offer some continuing professional development and skill-enhancing workshops to our teachers. Run in a relaxed atmosphere, the emphasis of the workshops was on refreshment, mutual support and personal sustenance which provided a nurturing context in which to delve deeper into our own values as well as the school’s philosophy. As we continue to be reminded, the school motto of Learn, Understand and Grow applies just as much to all the staff as it does to the children!
No sooner had one academic year ended than the new one began and it was a delight to welcome a group of excited new children to school together with their parents, who are always very much part of the school community. The first few weeks of the new year always bubble with the enthusiasm and thrill of newness and this year was no exception as children settled into new routines and made new friendships. Attention soon though was on another celebration, this one to mark the 5th anniversary of The Lilliput World and Taman Cipta Karya Nusantara Foundation. We held a series of events, including two powerful sessions with parents, before the main event, two years to the day since we moved into our new building. That day and occasion had been blessed by representatives of five religious traditions, a Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Catholic and a Protestant and for this anniversary we repeated that winning formula. While each representative spoke, a highlight of the occasion was the words of wisdom shared by Romo Beny, former Jesuit provincial, about education and the ecosystem of a school. The insightful conversations, joy and loving exchanges continued over lunch downstairs in The Caring Kitchen, with much food for thought as well as on the plates!
We continue to be grateful for the wonderful experiences that school life provides in our special building, for the joy and laughter that children fill the school with each day and for parents’ trust in us. And of course none of this would be possible without the kind and generous support of our donors, whom we can never thank enough for all that you do as you walk with us along the way, with each step helping give young learners a good start in life and a solid foundation for all that lies ahead of them. Allow us though to close with an invitation and request: the new school building is mostly complete but we have really only just begun to fill the school library with books and would very warmly welcome any support you may be able to give to help us stock the library – and to come and visit us to see it all for yourself!.
Finally, thank you again – and please do share our story with friends and others who might wish to join us in supporting young learners at The Lilliput World Montessori school.
With much gratitude and warmest wishes from all of us at Yayasan Taman Cipta Karya Nusantara.
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