At eight o’clock on the morning of Saturday, January 18, 2025, ETA Mary Breen and her counterpart Bu Winda added a second strip of tape to secure a banner in the school’s multimedia room. They had already counted snack boxes, lined up chairs, laid out scoring rubrics, and found an extra black pen for the judges. They wanted to ensure nothing would disrupt the presentations at SMAN 1 Manggar’s WORDS storytelling competition.

Seven student competitors, dressed in batik and carrying a large stick, a cardboard boat, and seven original storybooks, waited patiently for the competition to start. It was the culmination of months of work writing, drawing, and rehearsing their stories. After opening remarks by Principal Sabarudin and Bu Winda, the storytelling began.

Students drew inspiration from the traditions of Belitung Island to create original stories about honoring local customs and respecting the power of the sea. In each five-minute presentation, the students used their English skills to build tension and drama. From jumping on a step stool in excitement to collapsing on the ground in sadness to a surprise dragon popping up from a storybook, students took the audience on a journey with them.

After all the presentations, students and judges nibbled on their snacks while the final scores were tallied. Among many strong performances, Callista Nathaniel emerged as the first-place winner, earning the chance to compete at the national competition. Mary is excited to work with Callista on her project to prepare for next month’s Jakarta event.

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