Al Siddiq International Secondary School Student Achieves 2nd Place in ESPECTO.11 2024 Storytelling Contest, Al Siddiq International Secondary School has once again achieved an outstanding accomplishment. Several students from the school took part in ESPECTO (El-Hassan Sport and Academic Competition) in various categories, including MHQ (Memorisation of the Holy Qur’an), English Storytelling, and Squarth (Quiz Competition), held on 26–27 October 2024, and proudly brought home remarkable results. Students from Years 4 and 5 of Al Siddiq International Secondary School reached the semi-finals in the Squarth competition, while a Year 5 student achieved 2nd place in the Storytelling contest, surpassing 23 other participants — a truly admirable achievement.
The ESPECTO (El-Hassan Sport and Academic Competition) has been organised annually since 2012 by Pondok Pesantren Modern Al-Hassan, receiving enthusiastic participation from a wide range of schools. The competition is open to both primary (SD) and secondary (SMP) students and includes various contests such as Futsal, Badminton, MHQ, Calligraphy, Squarth, Speech, Poetry, Storytelling, Poster Design, and Photography. ESPECTO carries the slogan “Rise your passion, show your best action to be champion,” encouraging students to awaken their spirit and give their best performance to become champions. Alhamdulillah, Al Siddiq International Secondary School has demonstrated its best action and brought home a trophy in this year’s event.
Three students from SD Al Siddiq International — Omar Sani Nasri, Khanino Amal Prasojo, and Ibrahim — successfully advanced to the semi-final round of the Squarth (Quiz) competition for Years 4 and 5. Although they did not reach the final stage, their achievement of reaching the semi-finals was already a great accomplishment and a proud moment for the school. One of the Squarth coaches, Ustadz Abdullah Syafii, Lc., who also teaches Islamic Education at the school, shared his thoughts:
“The event was very engaging, encouraging students’ interest in the subjects tested, such as Mathematics, Social Studies, and Islamic Studies. After the competition, they became even more enthusiastic about learning. Personally, I hope we can participate in more events like this in the future and achieve even better results.”
In the Storytelling competition, SD Al Siddiq International was represented by two students from Years 4 and 5 — Queensha Nahda Permana and Fathimah Tsabitah. Both students performed excellently, with Queensha Nahda Permana proudly earning 2nd place. This is a remarkable accomplishment, especially considering that SD Al Siddiq International is a school that has not yet reached its second year of establishment, yet its students have already brought honour to the school.
The Storytelling coach, Ms. Elsa Violita, S.S., M.S., an English teacher at SD Al Siddiq International, expressed her pride in their achievement:
“I feel truly happy and proud of what they’ve accomplished. From the beginning, they were very enthusiastic when chosen to represent the school. Despite their busy schedules, they still managed to make time for practice. Their success is the result of their hard work and courage to take part in the competition. I’m especially proud of Queensha, who was initially doubtful during practice but gave her best performance during the preliminary round and went on to win 2nd place. I hope this achievement motivates them to keep improving and growing.”
May this remarkable achievement serve as an inspiration for other students at Al Siddiq International Secondary School to continue striving for excellence and developing their potential. The school hopes that in future competitions, Al Siddiq students will achieve even greater results and that this success marks the beginning of many more accomplishments to come.
By: Yundara Ulfa Priatna, M.Pd.