As mid-July approached, the students’ council was busy preparing left-and-right to conduct a very unique and warm welcoming week for the new admitted students of SMA Pembangunan Jaya Sidoarjo to create the best of first impressions towards the school that they will be attending for the next three years. Orientation week, or is familiarly known as MPLS-PDB (Masa Pengenalan Lingkungan Sekolah Peserta Didik Baru) is series of activities within the first few days of the newly admitted students orchestrated by the council to familiarize the new students with the school’s dynamic.
For years prior to this year’s orientation week, SMAPJ SDA’s orientation week usually only lasted for three days. This year however the school decided to do a five-days-format to give a more holistic introduction to the school’s environment and programs. This year’s orientation week’s theme was also a fun and unique one, “Traveling Around the World”
Before their first day of school on Monday, the new students were invited to join a pre-orientation event on the Saturday before their first week. On this pre-orientation day, the new students were introduced to each other and to the students’ council. They were also given the instructions both materially and substantially about what they should prepare beforehand. The new students were divided into small groups of sevens named after a country with one assigned students’ council member to guide them throughout the next five days.
On Monday, the orientation week was opened by an opening ceremony outdoor. Once the ceremony ended, the students headed to the ballroom upstairs to hear a few opening speeches, learn about the “anti-bullying vow”, and was introduced to the full member of the council in more detail.
Throughout these five days, the new students experienced various of fun games both outdoor and indoor. A few brainstorming session were also held to build interactions between the students, and a few materials and presentations were also given by teachers, beauty brand Emina, the environment ambassadors of Sidoarjo Pepelingasih, and more.
On the fourth day, the students were asked to perform any kind of performance and arts with their group in front of all the students and teachers. The orientation week ended on Friday with an awarding session and a full day of extracurriculars and clubs introductions plus demos to help all the students decide which of the extracurricular they will be interested in joining.
Editor in Chief : Syakira Azzah K. S.
Journalist : Syakira Azzah K. S.
Editor & Translator : Syakira Azzah K. S.
Photo : Jasmine ‘25
English 
Indonesian
Leave a Reply