Bishop Dr H. Doloksaribu, Bishop of Indonesia (Region I), officiated at the Dedication Service. Among those present were Mr Tan Wah Thong, Chairman of the ACS Board of Governors; Mr Mucki Tan, founder of Sekolah Tiara Bangsa, forerunner of ACS (International) Jakarta; board members from Singapore and Indonesia; principals and vice-principals of ACS schools in Singapore; and pastors from the region.
The 45-minute service, held at the Jakarta school's Performing Arts Theatre, included performances from the school choir, a piano piece performed by the School Captain, Abel, and a short video presentation charting the history of the school.
Mr Daryl Forde, the Executive Director, began by welcoming the guests with a short speech. He spoke about adding the richness of 120 years of the ACS culture to the existing one in the school.
Mr Tan Wah Thong then welcomed the school into the ACS Family. In his speech, he spoke on what it is like to be an ACS school by referring to the visions and missions of the various ACS units.
He said that the hallmark of the ACS Brand of Education is its high academic standards and its thorough preparation for students to meet the challenges of post-secondary and tertiary education. It provides students with a holistic education.
"Although rapid changes have taken place in our society and have posed many challenges, the ACS educational mission, based on Christian values and Christian teachings, remains unchanged.
"We dedicate ourselves to educate and nurture each generation of students to be God-fearing men and women of character and integrity and equip them to make responsible contributions as future leaders and global citizens. We shall continue to work hand-in-hand with ACS (International) Jakarta in order to fulfil this high calling.
"This vision challenges the school, the board, the parents, the Church, supporters and well-wishers to educate and nurture the students to be a future generation of God-fearing men and women to become scholars, officers and global citizens," he added.
Bishop Dr Doloksaribu, in his message, said he was pleased that The Methodist Church in Singapore was now collaborating with The Methodist Church in Indonesia to educate Indonesian children. He hoped that there would be more opportunities for tie-ups and cooperation in future.
The guests were introduced to the school anthem, sung in English as well as Bahasa Indonesia. They were then treated to an Indonesian buffet lunch followed by a tour of the school.
All the classrooms are air-conditioned and
are spacious. There are computer labs, lecture rooms, science
labs and a large library. The school also boasts a state-of-the-art
350-seater Performing Arts Theatre, three music studios, a dance
studio, seven tennis courts, four of which are under cover, a
football pitch, two mini-football pitches, two basketball courts
and a futsal court.