A glimpse about SIS
The After School Activities (ASA) program offers an array of co-curricular learning experiences that vary from quarter to quarter, so that students can explore different interests. They provide opportunities for students to use their creativity and problem-solving skills; to learn the importance of goal-setting, prioritization, and planning; and to enhance their positive social skills in areas such as cooperation, negotiation, stress management, and conflict resolution. Ultimately, the program fosters students’ self-confidence as well as camaraderie among students from different grade levels.
ASAs that involve physical exercise include: basketball, swimming, kung fu, yoga, ballet, badminton, ping pong, soccer, baseball, and cross-country running. Secondary students can also tryout for teams within the school’s varsity athletics program that compete with local teams in volleyball, soccer, basketball, swimming, and badminton, and participate in regional tournaments, as a member of the Indonesian Small Schools Activity Conference (ISSAC).
ASAs that focus primarily on the development of creativity include: arts and crafts, bead and jewelry making, board games, reader’s workshop, crocheting, photography, cooking, gardening, robotics and other STEM-related classes, and music, which includes a robust strings program with classes at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels for elementary and middle school students.
ASAs provide a multitude of school and community service opportunities. Student-initiated, faculty-supported service learning projects are developed, either independently or in teams, through the secondary school’s advisory program and are then conducted outside of the regular school day.
With guidance and support from teacher sponsors, students organize and facilitate events that benefit the school and greater Surabaya communities, and regularly partner with local orphanages and established service organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the Cleft Care Indonesia Foundation. The creation and facilitation of service-oriented projects is directly tied to the school’s core learning outcome that regards developing students who are empowered global citizens and the requirement of designing and implementing an extended service learning project is noted on students’ transcripts.
ASAs that provide opportunities for students to develop and exercise their teamwork and leadership skills are the High School, Middle School, and Elementary Student Councils (STUCOs), Model United Nations (MUN), Global Issues Network (GIN), National Honor Society (NHS), National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), and the speech and debate club. Student elections, auditions, and inductions are held annually to determine which students will represent and lead the student body, at home and abroad.
The school’s administration meets regularly with representatives from these organizations and is committed to providing the financial, logistical, and supervisory support these student groups need to execute projects designed to improve the school and serve the local community. Annually, student groups travel to international destinations, such as Taiwan, Qatar, and Canada, to participate in conferences and competitions. Participation in events such as these helps to develop the core learning outcome of being an engaged communicator and works to broaden students’ perspectives about the world and their engagement with it.