Kidney donors! Empathetic hedgehogs! Social entrepreneurs concerned about the use of plastic! Brave cats! What do all of these things have in common? They were all examples of the terrific heroes students at SMAN 2 Demak shared for the 2020 WORDS Storytelling and Storybook competition.
On February 14, 2020, the WORDS competition was held at SMA Negeri 2 Demak. ETA Tessa Sontheimer, with help from her colleagues and co-teachers, supported and guided her students throughout the story ideation and writing process.
Over multiple weeks and workshops to prepare, students created, illustrated, and performed dramatic and heartwarming five-minute stories about a hero or heroes. The hard work and determination to perform well were on clear display during the multiple workshops and rehearsals the week leading up to the performances.
Overall, there were 14 performers from tenth and eleventh grade and a student MC. The event was from 2-4 pm and included terrific presentations and even a bit of fake blood. All students celebrated their participation in the competition the next weekend with lunch at Tessa’s house of grilled cheese, mac and cheese, deviled eggs, and brownies. Students also saw “Call of the Wild,” which is about a heroic dog working as a sled dog in Alaska.
The first winner of the competition, Ana (Aik) Tazkia, is very excited to share her story on the national stage in Jakarta in April!
Each student that participated did a terrific job, showed true commitment to learning about English, and was a hero to their classmates.
Tessa Sontheimer is currently teaching at SMAN 2 Demak, Central Java.
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