Go Lions! (A Basketball Blog Entry by JC student Mario Tanzil & Dian Mak)

Last Saturday (13 August 2011) was our first match of the year and, as expected, we were nervous. Compared to other schools, we had had barely any training and our moves were rusty.

As we arrived at the campus of SPH Kemang, we were all feeling pretty much the same way: nervous; a little confident; and, a little scared of being too confident and complacent. While warming up, the SPH basketball team gave us the usual calculating stares and we them.

The whistle sounded. Within seconds, the gym was reverberating with the sounds of pounding feet, the thumps of the basketball, the shouts of the players and the cheers of the onlookers.

Throughout the two games, the players could be seen running up and down the court from one end to the other almost non-stop. All our hard work was rewarded. Winning our first matches of the year was a huge ego boost as our teams had suffered many very humiliating losses since we started playing against other schools.

Our male team won with a score of 32-17 and the female team won with 11-3! Satisfied, exhilarated and sweaty, we shook hands with the other team, and took a group picture.

I would like to congratulate the team for the victory, well done!

Our victory would not have been possible without our coaches' and every player's effort. We are off to a good start in the year and are hoping to keep a winning streak! Let's keep it up, team!

GO LIONS!

Blog Entry and Photography by Mario Tanzil (JC Student) & Dian Mak (Secondary 4 Student)

Indonesia Turns 66! (Blog Entry by Secondary 3 Student Christy Olenska)

On the 15th and 16th of August 2011 NationalHigh Jakarta School celebrated the independence day of our country that falls on 17th August every year. The students and teachers displayed vigorous patriotism and love for Indonesia by wearing our beloved Batik and the spectacular colours of the Indonesian flag: red (the colour that represents human blood) and white (the colour that symbolises human spirit.)

The event kicked off to a start with a formal flag-raising ceremony. The conductors and participants of the Upacara showed great enthusiasm for the country by saluting and honouring the flag as it was slowly raised to the top of the tall white pole. It was during this event the school showed their patriotic love and support for our country.

The events that followed the ceremony were the various types of games prepared for the enjoyment of everyone in the student body. There were the traditional sack racing event, fish race, the most anticipating activity of tug of war and so many others. A game of ‘chocolate coin’ presented itself as a novelty during the celebration. Instead of the traditional game of eating the krupuk that is suspended on a horizontal pole, the students had to bite chocolate coins off chocolate-coated melons and collect as many coins as possible to win the race.

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The games were played with tremendous amounts of enthusiasm as each class competed to rise as the victor. Although there were many wins and many losses, they were automatically ignored as the students were too distracted by the sheer enjoyment of simply taking part in the activities that expressed our love for Indonesia.

MERDEKA!

Event organised by Mr Tedi, Indonesian Teaching Staff and the Events Committee
Article by Christy Olenska (Secondary 3 Student)
Photography by Celina, Marco, Alicia (P6 Students) and Ms Chie

(Our first blog entry for the new school year! Don't worry about the events we had before our most recent Indonesian Independence Day Celebration - we'll be posting about those events, too! Watch out for these 'flashback's interspersed with our more current blog entries! ~ Blog Admin)