Two weeks without class isn’t a vacation at SMA Negeri 1 Manggar! Instead, students worked on P5 (Proyek Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila) projects on entrepreneurship and health. Throughout the two weeks, ETA Mary Breen chatted with the students in different classes and even learned the line dances choreographed by the 12th-grade classes.

On October 3, they presented their results to the school community. Their dedication and hard work shone through the whole day. Even a brief rain shower didn’t dampen the students’ spirits. As the morning progressed, the school filled up with families watching the dancing and browsing the stalls with the products students had developed.

Each class decorated their area with batik hangings and local decorations like the mentudong (red food cover made from dried leaves). Students in the 10th grade used English to sell the handicrafts they had created to Mary and Bu Winda. In the 11th grade, students made delicious food using local ingredients and were excited to see Mary try it for the first time. Learning about the customs and local foods in Manggar became a point of commonality for Mary and the students when classes resumed the following week.

Mary Breen is currently teaching at SMAN 1 Manggar, East Belitung.