Bina Cita Utama School The First National Plus School in Central Kalimantan
July 2013
Message from the
Board Utami Geiger - Chairperson
It is an exciting time for BCU! Having finally
reached a total of 130 students, all our existing
premises are now full. From its beginning in
2005, the school has grown in a very organic
and steady way. At this point in time, our focus needs to be on
strengthening our existing programs and administrative
procedures, and on looking toward the future.
The new school year of 2013/2014 began this week with a workshop
for all the teachers, volunteers, staff and board members, to fully
understand the mission and vision of the school, and to explore
BCU School 9 Years in Operations
In this Issue:
Letter from the Principals
Rise Up and Sing
The New General Manager
Training & Workshop
BCU Staff & Teachers
2 BCU Newsletter - July 2013
ways of bringing that mission and vision to life on a daily basis
in the classroom.
We are also preparing a long-term training program for our
teachers, focused on child-centered education and project-
based learning. It is an ongoing program aimed at equipping
our teachers with the skills to facilitate workshops for other
educators in schools around the region.
On the administrative side, we are working towards
standardizing our policies and implementing the ISO9000
administrative management program. In this area,and to meet
the needs of our growing organization, we have,for the first
time,appointed a full time general manager, Ibu Sati Soesetyo.
We are very thankful to Michael van der Matten who stepped
in as a volunteer general manager in 2008 and who has
contributed greatly in keeping the financial aspect in place and
in managing the fundraising so well. Michael resigned last
April due to personal reason.
Looking toward the future, we are establishing a development
committee to focus specifically on a new campus on a 10-
hectare plot behind the Muhammad Subuh Centre.
The BCU endeavor could not have progressed if it were not for
the support of our Subud brothers and sisters worldwide, and
the Rungan Sari community has also been very willing to help
in every way they can. We are truly appreciative and grateful
for this. Nothing is impossible if we work in a harmonious,
peaceful and joyous way.
We still have a long way to go and many challenges to face, but
the progress made so far keeps our hopes and dreams of
building a school in line with our mission alive.
The Mission of Bina Cita Utama (‘BCU’) School is to be an
innovative educational community offering challenging
programs of study and a high-quality environment for
learning. BCU seeks to nurture individuality, self-worth, a
sense of humanity, and to educate children to become adults
that will make a positive contribution to the development of
their communities and the world.
Thank you, and wishing all a blessed IdulFitri, and
MohonMaafLahir&Bathin.
The School Bus
The School Library
The Renovated Playground
The New Art Room
First Day Assembly
3 BCU Newsletter - July 2013
“Vivamus porta
est sed est.”
Letter from the Principals
As BCU School embarks on its
ninth year there is a sense of
having come of age, and a
feeling of optimism and
excitement about the future.
For the first time the school has
12 separate grades in 12 separate
classrooms, and those rooms are
all full. We accepted 20 new
students this year and had to turn
away another 20 due to a lack of
space. The school is already
recognized as the best school in
Central Kalimantan, based on
measures of success like such as
inter-school competitions and
national exam results. However,
what makes those of us who
work at the school truly proud, is
that we have established a
peaceful, human-centered
learning environment; a place
whereteachers and children get
off the bus in the morning with
smiles on their faces.
BCU School is a place where
children and teachers feel safe to
learn and are afforded the space
to discover their individuality. In
our current location we can no
longer grow in size, however
there are many opportunities for
growth in other directions such
as curriculum development,
contributing to the arts and to the
quality of education in other
schools in Palangka Raya.
This year we are joined by an
enthusiastic and talented group
of volunteers, Gemma Jordan,
anexperienced teacher from
Perth with a background in
student centered learning.
Reuben de Ras from England
who has a passion for electronics
and robotics. Halim Moore, from
the USA, with a background in
Psychology, Margarita Hanlon,
an experienced art teacher from
the UK, and Andrea Sillem from
the Netherlands who has a
background in media and design.
Also for the first time, this year
wewill have a designated Science Laboratory and an Art
Room. During the summer break,
Halim Korzybski renovated our
playground.
And Sati Soesetyo, our new
General Manager has been busy
supervising our finances,
renovations, the construction of
the art room and getting
everything ship shape for the
new school year.
BCU is a nonprofit social project
with the aim of producing
graduates who embody noble
byKarim McDonald &Gunardjo S.Budi
values and aspirations, and who
will in time transform their
province, their nation and the
world for the better. All of the
school’s achievements over the
last nine years have only been
possible through the generous
donations of individuals,
enterprises and Subud groups
around the world. Please keep
the donations coming, as there
are many more children in
Central Kalimantan whom the
school can help to nurture and
develop into useful human
beings.
A special farewell, and thank you
to Olivia Kerr, who volunteered
as a teacher and as Volunteer
Coordinator for the last two
years. Good luck in your future
endeavors, you will be very much
missed by everyone at the school.
KarimMc Donald Gunardjo S. Budi
4 BCU Newsletter - July 2013
RISE UP AND SING
Last year, the BCU's excellent
music teacher, Ibu Reni, was
invited to become headmistress
of a school in town, a post she
accepted. While this means that
the positive experience of the
BCU philosophy and
methodology can spread further
abroad, it also meant that the
school choir was less active than
it has been in the past. The
opportunity for the children to
sing together, not only at school
but also at different events
around town, has proven to be an
excellent tool for strengthening
bonds and social integration.
Consequently, we were delighted
to have Kristina Bischoff (right in
the photo) visit Rungan Sari at
the beginning of the year. Apart
from working for the NDR
(North German Radio), Kristina
is a beautiful singer and also
trains choirs. In view of the
coming Subud Indonesia
National Congress held in
Rungan Sari in February, we
asked Kristina if she might like to
“I feel blessed to be able to share
and to be part of Rungan Sari” (Margarita Hanlon)
Volunteers of
2013/2014
“It’s a rare opportunity and a
perfect place to learn the trade” (Halim Moore)
do something with the school
choir. She immediately took up
the challenge, basking in the
pure joy of working with these
very musical youngsters.
Kristina and Ibu Ika (Ibu Reni's
assistant music teacher) led the
choir through four songs during
the congress's opening ceremony
in the presence of Ibu Rahayu
and her family, as well as the
Deputy Governor of Central
Kalimantan,
BapakAchmadDiran, the Head of
the Department of Education of
Andrea Sillem - Gemma Jordan - Margarita Hanlon - Ruben de Ras - Halim Moore
Central Kalimantan, Bapak
Guntur Talajan, and other high-
ranking provincial government
officials. The children performed
theschool anthem, a Dayak song
and two new songs that Kristina
had taught them. It was such a
success, that Bapak Guntur
immediately invited the choir to
perform two days later for the
Vice President of Indonesia,
BapakBoediono, during his
official visit to Kalimantan, at the
offices of the Governor,
BapakTerasNarang.
Kristina Bischoff + The School Choir
5 BCU Newsletter - July 2013
Introducing the New
General Manager byOsanna Vaughn
The daughter of a diplomat, Ibu Sati Soesetyo
went to school in Indonesia, Turkey and
Germany (where she got her high-school
degree) before studying Interior Design in
Jakarta. Her professional life, however, found her working for the
Goethe Institute, Bayer Indonesia and, finally, 25 years with the
Deutsche Bank. The areas she covered at the bank were: Operations,
Systems and Procedures, Cash Management, Trade Finance, Client
Services, and Corporate Banking, where she lead different teams of 5
to 15 people.
Since moving to Kalimantan to take up her new position as GM, Ibu
Sati has been taking stock of the challenges facing her. While
policies and procedures already exist, she sees room to improve
BCU’s efficiency and effectiveness in its operations. For example,
though the possibility for on-line banking exists, it has not yet been
adopted. Doing so will reduce costs. This, like many other areas,
will benefit from having a full-time GM on location for the first
time.
When asked to share her feeling about this new phase of her life,
Ibu Sati explains, “When I was young I wanted to study sociology,
something related to communication, people and relationships; but
salaries in that area were not really sufficient to live off, so my
mother suggested I look at other options, which I did. In the end,
however, I ended up working in a completely different field. So I
see this job as a blessing – I see it as fulfilling my original calling.
The 25 years at the bank served as an education to prepare me, and I
now envision myself growing further with the school. Time-wise it's
really perfect. When I retired in 2010 I thought of moving to
Kalimantan, following my father’s dreams, but only in early 2013
was there an opening for this job at BCU, and everything just fell
into place.”
During the Break
Smiles throughout the year
Dayak Dancer Team
Team Activities
Let’s Go Girls!
6 BCU Newsletter - July 2013
TRAINING & WORKSHOP By Hermia Brockway
Ibu Diena Haryana from the Sejiwa Foundation conducted another
workshop from 18th-19th July with all the BCU staff, this time even
with Board members attending. As a seasoned leader of business
workshops in Indonesia, she has done this for BCU before on subjects
related to bullying and student behavior. This workshop was wholly
in English and the topic was adapting to change and its huge
potential for positive action once that change is well understood.
Change is the engine for development; far from being an obstacle to
continuous progress, it should be welcomed as an opportunity, a
challenge that allows staff and students alike to go forward working
as a team towards even better things.
Entitled “BCU vision, Mission and Values in Building a Culture of
Excellence” the workshop was intended to motivate all BCU
personnel to effectively live out BCU’s goals in their teaching or
administrative roles. Exploding the old self-limiting perspectives
about change – e.g. it should not disturb any existing operations or
upset any individuals, or that it should always be quick and easy-
IbuDiena led the discussion on various potentially negative
reactions to change and how they might be overcome.
Of course the subject of values was a paramount topic on both days,
but the following morning discussion widened to what this means in
practical terms in the classroom. Participation was markedly
increased when staff and teachers discussed various value-related
behavior issues they had been already presented with in their work.
They shared helpful ideas from their own knowledge or experience
about how problems could best be handled, as well as the leader’s
suggestions. Several afterwards felt this was somewhat of a turning
point in making the terminology relate to realities they already face
in the classroom and said those ideas could directly influence their
teaching right away.
The workshops were of course designed on formats originally aimed
at companies with restructuring or other change issues, and naturally
schools will always have somewhat different objectives to companies.
BCU itself is not undergoing a major restructure; but changes in
operations will always accompany any organization intent on
growing and this is a time of new opportunities in BCU’s
development. In sum, clarifying the underlying processes involved in
handling change successfully was very relevant for all attending this
event.
Our Mission and Vision
Identify Core Values
Diena Haryana
Positive Attitude to Change
Identify Next Action Plan
Upcoming up in the next Issue:
Closer with the volunteers
A BCU experience
Future school plans
Scholarship
Information
The school has 2 different
types of scholarships i.e. a full
scholarship for gifted children
and partial scholarship for
children of Subud members
and/or teachers and staff
With a total of 132 students
from grade 1 and 12 this year,
the school has 3 students on
full scholarship, and 6
students on partial
scholarship. Besides that,
there are also 5 students who
are privately sponsored.
A year’s cost for a student
comes up to $2,500 and the
school would require support
for at least 3 years of
education. Donations of less
than a year’s cost will be
collected in a scholarship pool
and allocated accordingly.
If you are interested to donate
for a scholarship or for other
purposes of the school please
feel free contact us at
more information or visit our
website: www.bcuschool.com
Or should you wish to donate
directly in support of BCU
school education and
infrastructure, below is our
bank account details:
Beneficiary:Yayasan Bina Cita
Utama
Account Number: 0083731002
SWIFT Address: BNINIDJA
Bank name: BNI (PT. Bank
Negara Indonesia
(Persero) Tbk)
Bank address: Jl Imam Bonjol
No. 10 Palangka Raya
73112, Indonesia
BINA CITA UTAMA SCHOOL
Rungan Sari, Jl. TjilikRiwut KM36,
Palangka Raya 73225, Central Kalimantan
http://www.bcuschool.com
e-mail: [email protected]
PATRONS
Mansur Geiger
Hamid da Silva
SUPERVISOR
Isti da Silva
Bardolf Paul
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Utami Geiger (Chairperson)
BachrunBustillo (Treasurer)
Maulithawati Mustafa (Secretary)
MANAGEMENT
Sati Soesetyo (General Manager)
Dr. Gunardjo S. Budi (Principal)
Karim McDonald (Principal Counterpart)
EndahAndayani (Office Manager)
“Woowww!!!!” That was my first impression when I arrived in Schipol airport, Amsterdam, the biggest airport that I have ever seen, western people were everywhere, and no porters that to help me to bring my suitcases. Every-thing was new for me. I went to Deventer which where my University‘s location is, just alone, all by myself. It took one hour and twenty minutes to go by train from Schipol airport to Deventer. From Kalimantan to Holland was the most thrilling experience and the first long trip that I had ever done in my life. I never imagine that I could go to Netherland to study a four year Bachelor degree of International Business and Management Studies to pursue my dream to become a successful businesswoman in the future, and also to make my family proud of me of course.
Family, friends, my teachers, and everyone always supported my studies, they motivated me to learn and learn and be even more diligent. Courage, confidence, and high intentions, for me, were the most dominant attributes I needed to go study in the Nederlands. Also, in my personal point of view, belief in God and trust ourselves that we can do it, must be kept in our minds, in order to reach our dream to come true.
In the other hand, my study in Nederland would not have been possible if I was not able to speak English. Lucky for me, I studied in Bina Cita Utama School for six years which this first national plus school in Central Kalimantan and classes are taught in English. For me, this school is very special, located in small village near the hill, where kids who study in Bina Cita Utama School are able to feel the fresh air which has a good affect for students. It is also a good environment where students and teachers feel more like a family.
Well, here I am, in Deventer, Holland, studying in Saxion University, making lots of friends from different coun-tries, learning new cultures, and building connections and networks, and learning everything new.
I hope this article may become an inspiration for other young people, to study hard and become successful.
On Scholarship in The NetherlandsOn Scholarship in The NetherlandsOn Scholarship in The Netherlands
Fenny, a BCU Graduate writes:
This academic year 2011-2012, BCU has 11 students on scholarship; six on full scholarship and five on
partial scholarships. Currently BCU has 8 donors contributing differing amounts to the scholarship fund to cover some of the costs for these children. If you would like to help ensure these children can stay
at the school by contributing to this fund, please contact us!
The aim is to have at least 10% of the student population on scholarship at any given time. The ideal length of scholarship would be no less than three years in order that the student receives the maxi-
mum benefit from this type of education.
The BCU Scholarship program was established at the inception of BCU School, with the intention to
ensure that the high-quality education offered at BCU would also benefit talented children who would not otherwise be able to attend the School.
The cost for a full scholarship is US$ 2,200 per student per year; providing the beneficiary with tuition
costs, daily school lunch, uniforms, excursions, books and school materials. Each student is assessed
on a case by case basis and where ever possible, the parents contribute as much as they can towards the costs. All donations go into a fund so all donations large and small are most welcome.
Fenny graduated from BCU School in June 2011 after six years at BCU on a partial scholarship. She was awarded a scholarship to study in the
Netherlands . Here is her article:
BCU SCHOLARSHIP INFOBCU SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATIONRMATION