PARENTS MEETING TO START OFF 2025/2026

Wednesday August 6th 2025

A purposeful learning journey needs a strong commitment from all the parties involved-school, parents, and students-from the very beginning. A strong commitment will lead to a strong cooperation between them all to support children’s growth, both academically and in character. Then, a strong cooperation starts with a good consolidation. To make that happen, Al Azhar 55 carried out a parents meeting on Thursday, July 10, 2025, with the parents of 1st grade students and on Saturday, July 19, 2025, with those of 2nd to 6th grade students. A theme “Building a Strong Home-School Relationship to Foster Behavior” was brought to envision how we would go through the academic year 2025/2026.

The meeting took place at two different venues, i.e. the one with the 1st grade parents was in Tower 2 and the other one was in Tower 1. The meeting with the first grade parents began with a welcoming speech from Ibu Suhartini, M.Pd as The Vice Chairman for Academic Affairs of Al Azhar Yogyakarta World Schools. Then, School Programs Elaboration followed, given by Mr. Risal-the Principal, Ms. Vita-the Vice Principal for Curriculum Affairs, and Mr. Aldian-the Vice Principal for Student Affairs. Parents were engaged in the discussion. They asked a lot of questions to gain information about learning, school facilities and how to build students’ character. They also attended a session with homeroom teachers to get more in-depth and classroom-based information about the activities students would do and the learning goals.

The second meeting, with parents of grade 2-6 students, went a little bit different. In the first session, they had a deep talk with a psychologist to discuss how to build strong relationships with children and school. The session began with a brain gym and simple games as a warm welcome as well as to open an engaging discussion. Parents were very keen about the parenting topics, as they are very relevant to their everyday lives. This discussion encouraged them to get to know more about their children according to their needs and how to build meaningful relationships between parents, children, and schools. Meaningful relationships will result in meaningful education, not only today, but also throughout children’s lives. Therefore, parents, and schools need to work hand in hand to make that true. As stated by Ali bin Abi Talib, we need to “educate our children for the world they will live in”. In the second session, parents attended a “presentation and talk” with their child’s homeroom teachers to get detailed information about classroom activities and learning goals.

The meeting concluded with an open forum for feedback, where parents voiced their appreciation for the school’s ongoing efforts and offered suggestions to further improve collaboration and communication. All in all, this parents meeting served as a reminder that when families and educators work together, students benefit the most. Al Azhar 55 keeps being committed to nurturing a school community rooted in academic excellence, faith, and mutual respect.

(ms Indira)

Testimony

Prof. Dra. Hj. Suwarsih Madya, M.A., Ph.D.

Amidst the globalized situation which poses challenges of which one is a possible threat to identity, yet provides ample opportunities to excel for those who possess the prerequisites, we need to equip our children as the continuing generation with necessary competencies—affective, cognitive, psychomotor and interactive. In other words, we need to help them grow and develop into total persons and this can be achieved through the whole-child development approach which ensures the development of all potentials. In addition to this is the need for developing some competence which enables the children to communicate globally. All of this will ensure that the children will develop their citizenships both at the national and global levels. How can this ideal development be realized?

If you want to find out about how efforts are made to develop children’s whole potentials, you can come to SD Islam Al Azhar 55 Yogyakarta. Here you can see how the four-year old school has grown fast due to the stakeholders’ trust to send their children to study here. With only 54 children in the first year, this school now has 185 students. These students are educated to respect and preserve the social-cultural environment by learning the local language (Javanese, including the script) and arts (dance). Simultaneously, they certainly learn the national language (Bahasa Indonesia) and national content, which is unquestionable since it is compulsory, and English, which has now become a global lingua franca; thus, a prerequisite for successful global communication. More importantly, children in this school also learn to practise their religion consistently. So, in this school children’s identity is rooted in the local culture, with nationalism and global awareness being inherently developed together with reliogiosity.

Does the whole-child development approach at SD Islam Al Azhar still give room for children to excel? In my belief, when all their potentials are developed, children will have a greater chance to excel and I can see the truth in my belief in this primary school. In the last two years, the students have made great achievements in various competitions held at the local and national levels–gold medals in English, math and science competitions (national), silver and bronze medals in IT competitions (national), silver and bronze medals at colouring and swimming competitions (local) to mention some.

In conclusion, SD Islam Al Azhar has given evidence of the right efforts of true education to develop both intelligence and character.

Prof. DR. Budi S. Daryono, M.Agr. Sc.

Testimoni Sebagai Orang tua menyekolahkan anak Di Al-Azhar 55

Sudah menjadi kewajiban bagi orang tua untuk memberikan pendidikan yang terbaik bagi putra putrinya. Tantangan untuk mendidik anak di Era Global dan Digital pun semakin besar, kita tidak bisa lagi membendung segala perubahan yang begitu cepat terjadi, dan harus mempersiapkan anak-anak supaya bisa survive dan sholeh/sholehah tentunya. Saat ini dunia bagaikan kampung, dimana tidak ada batas-batas untuk melakukan transaksi kehidupan, untuk itu anak harus bisa berkomunikasi dengan bahasa universal sebagai modal utama. Disamping itu, pendidikah Ahlak dan Aqidah harus diberikan secara dini sebagai dasar anak dalam menghadapi gejolak gelombang kehidupan. Atas pertimbangan tersebutlah, kami selaku orang tua memilih untuk menyekolahkan putra kami tercinta Hikari di Sekolah Islam, yang menggunakan dua bahasa pengantar, yaitu Al-Azhar 55.

Prof. DR. Budi S.Daryono, M.Agr. Sc.