Javanese culture celebrated at school (From Bucks Free Press)

Javanese culture celebrated at school

7:40am Monday 13th February 2012 in News By Jade Coulon

JAVANESE culture was celebrated at a Marlow primary school last week with an evening of shadow puppets, music and food.

Aris Daryono, a musician from the Indonesian island of Java spent one week at Sandygate School teaching year one pupils about the world’s most populated island.

Mr Daryono taught the children how to play traditional Javanese instrument, the Gamelan as well as showing them how to make their own shadow puppets.

The Indonesian musician read traditional tales to the children who then wrote their own Javanese inspired stories.

The week concluded with an evening performance of their stories using their shadow puppets and playing the music they learnt on the Gamelan.

The year ones also served up Javanese food including a fried rice dish called Nasi Goreng, Agar Agar Jelly, fruit kebabs made from papaya, pineapple and mango, banana fritters and Green Tea.

The children sold tickets for the show to their family and friends, raising money to pay for the materials they had used to make their puppets and food.

Year one teacher, Sharon Reynolds said: “The children really really enjoyed themselves and learnt so much from Mr Daryono.

“They created such an Indonesian feel in the hall with their puppets, the music, the food and all the decorations they made.

“The parents have responded very positively about how much the children have learnt and how much they’ve been going home and talking about the Javanese culture.”