A Year 5 student from Al Siddiq International Primary School successfully advanced to the final round of the Spelling Bee Competition (Group C Category: Years 5–6 Primary School) organised by English First (EF) Kalimalang, outperforming 47 other participants. The competition took place on Saturday, 25 October 2024, at the EF Kalimalang centre.
The Spelling Bee competition was held to showcase children’s ability to spell words in English correctly. Organised by English First, this event is recognised as one of the largest spelling competitions in Indonesia. The main goal of the competition is to improve children’s English proficiency and self-confidence. Participants are given English words and must spell them letter by letter accurately. The level of difficulty varies depending on the group and stage. The EF Spelling Bee consists of three rounds — the Preliminary, Semi-final, and Final — and is open to students from both public and private primary and secondary schools in the surrounding areas.
The Al Siddiq International Primary School student who reached the final stage of the Spelling Bee is Percy William. Although he did not take the top spot, Percy successfully demonstrated his skills and placed among the Top 5 finalists, defeating 47 other contestants in Group C (Years 5–6). This is a remarkable achievement for Al Siddiq International Primary School, especially considering that the school has been established for less than two years.
The Spelling Bee coach, Ms. Elsa Violita, S.S., M.S., who is also the English teacher at Al Siddiq International, expressed her pride in Percy’s performance. She shared,
“I’m so proud of Percy. Even though he has a foreign background and speaks English in daily life, he still showed great enthusiasm and discipline during practice. He remained humble and didn’t underestimate his competitors. Since it was his first time joining a Spelling Bee, he felt a bit nervous and wasn’t yet familiar with the difficulty level of the words. Although he didn’t win first place, reaching the final round and making it into the Top 5 is already a wonderful accomplishment for him and the school. I hope this will be a great start for Percy to continue improving his skills.”
May this outstanding achievement serve as an inspiration for other students of Al Siddiq International Primary School to keep striving for excellence and developing their potential. Hopefully, in future competitions, Al Siddiq students will achieve even greater success, marking the beginning of many more remarkable accomplishments in the years ahead.
By: Yundara Ulfa Priatna, M.Pd.