Year 11

“All progress takes place outside the comfort zone”

This statement is not only true for Michael John Bobak, the owner of the quote and a digital artist who is well-known for his smearing technique. It is also relevant to year 11 students who are just beginning their journey in the Diploma Programme this year.

“In DP, we are expected to be more independent, especially in HL subjects,” said Omar, a respectable member of 11D advisory. “Now, we are given minimum guidance because they expect us to know what to do. It really tests our responsibility.” According to him, this is the big difference between MYP and DP life. “We can still ask and consult with the teachers, but no more ‘hand holding’.” However, he finds this as a positive challenge. “I realize that DP time is the transition between school and university life. Most of us will live independently apart from our parents one day, and we have to get used to that from now on,” he continued.

To start the new school year, the school provided a DP induction program for Year 11 students. In the first two days of this academic year, Year 11 students were exposed to a lot of information about the syllabus, the expectation and skills that are needed to be successful in Diploma. “Many people said that life in Diploma means you will have to work until 3am. But I don’t think that is really necessary and that is just a misconception,” stated this young man who wishes to pursue a career in International law. “I have planned ahead how to manage my time and most of the time I can just sleep at 10pm. I think, the night before a test, you should not sleep too late so that you can wake up with a fresh mind and be ready to face the test.”

If Omar emphasized the significance of time management, Ardel said that being open-minded to new opportunities is the key to success. “Just be open to the new opportunities. Just don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone.”

She really speaks based on her experience. As she is new to GJS, she employs open-mindedness when the chances come. “From lessons to lessons, I make new acquaintances and become involved in many collaborations, in class and after school. I can really learn from the class discussions as well as interaction after school. When I ask things, they don’t just give a short answer, but they offer many points of view which makes me feel more welcomed here. It often becomes a very organic discussion,” said this friendly girl who wishes to take arts or architecture in the university later. “Don’t be scared to just ask. You’ll never know that the people you’ll meet can be very open, helpful, easy going or can be there for you at any time.”

Anyway, aren’t we all risk takers?

Dwi Astuti

Another challenge that she anticipates is also the fact that students get used to synchronous learning and that now students no longer have the office hours. “Personally for me, I will take on the challenges one by one and overcome them step by step. There shouldn’t be any rush in wanting to quickly adapt to the new ways of learning and do it at your own pace so that you could familiarize yourself and get comfortable with the changes.” Laura also reminds us not to forget to enjoy ourselves. “Being IB students, sometimes stress and pressure is simply inevitable. Take a break from time to time so that you won’t burn yourself out.”

A positive vibe is also felt by Ibu Melanie, one of the Year 11 Advisory teachers. “I feel quite excited and positive about it. Initially I was rather nervous as I have not seen many people, or been to many indoor places outside my own home for such a long time. However, once I got back to school I really enjoyed seeing my colleagues again and strolling the corridors again, and seeing how well our school has been looked after since we’ve been gone. The health protocols are in place and it’s easier to wear a mask all day than I had thought! This week it has been a real pleasure to see some of our students back in school.”

She continued that a lot of thought and effort has gone into the re-orientation and students’ have been asked for their thoughts and concerns every step of the way. “If they think we can do more to help them ease into our new routines, they need to voice it!” She also encourages students to make the most of their opportunities. “In any situation, always engage with the people you work with and meet, whether that’s online or in school. Make your voice heard. Be present actively in your classes and in your life!”

Dwi Astuti

Stuco’s 2021-2022 Batch Recruitment & Game Night

In late August of 2021, the Global Jaya Student Council took on new student council members. While each student recruited has unique perspectives and visions, they all have one thing in common, all students have the passion for contributing to making Global Jaya a lovely community. The recruitment takes place online through the Google Meets platform. The student council executives interviewed all candidates to understand them better and explore the participant's strengths and weaknesses. Case studies were conducted to determine and assess their capability in specific student council scenarios. In the end, 20 students were chosen to be Junior Members of the council:

Year 7 = Aqila, Kalif

Year 8 = Nadindra, Nisha, Anika, Jasmine

Year 9 = Emir, Nadine, Nisa, Najwa, Bianca

Year 10 = Kaira, Arfa, Annisa, Marsha, Sumayya, Allea, Indira, Linette, Haudy

To break the ice and further understand the newly-elected members, the student council executives held Game Night in the second week of September. Led by MCs Indra and Hanif from Year 11, various games such as Spyfall and Kahoot were played by the 2021-2022 batch of the student council. At first, the new members were reluctant to speak at the Meet. However, after one round of Spyfall, they all started to bond with the existing student council executives and have fun with the batch. Combined with the MCs' enthusiastic and cheerful attitude, the Meet's mood transformed positively, and the batch's new friendship began. Hopefully, with the refreshed student council group, the campus's student-teacher bond can continue to support and understand the community.