Highlight of 2016

Medina's best of 2016 (countdown).
PS: She can read and write, now! 

27 December:  Ice Skating! (image to be uploaded soon).

29 November: 3^rd Award! Improvement in handwriting. 

18 November:  3^rd Dance Performance

13  September: Cosplay for Roald Dahl Day and until recently, she is still into Matilda, particularly the Musicals.

Summer: Great Summer!: Great Yarmouth, Weston Supermare, Lomba Makan Kerupuk, etc.

22ish  August:  Big Friendly Challenge & Dentist Visit: 

8  June: Peppa Pig Theme Park

16 May Writer of the Week: http://medinaazzahra.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/writer-of-week-may-2016.html

7 May:  Bungong Ceumpa Dance (first experience ever) 

Medina's favorite stories:

Three little pigs:

Julia Donaldson's Room on the Broom

Other stories: Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo, Billy Goats Gruff, Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Of course Medina loves to recite short surah of Quran, daily prayers, and sleepover in Masjid, particularly during KIBAR event in April (Manchester)  and October (Southampton). And, of course in Pengajian Al Hijrah Bristol, our own congregational home.

Last but not least, Medina is not a mainstream girl. Her favorite character of three little pigs is the second pig, not the third one. Her favorite Trolls character is DJ Suki, not Poppy.
And she is now into home-Karaoke! :) 

So long 2016. Welcome 2017!

Brilliant appreciation: the 3rd Award this year!

Written by: Ibu Rossy

"Medina is an excellent learner because she is unstoppable like LBOT and is trying really hard with her writing". (the certificate, signed by B Pritchard, her teacher, 29/11/2016)


Alhamdulillah, Praise to Allah, Medina has won (another) award from school. This time is an appreciation for her effort in writing. So proud of my little angel, and appreciate what the school has done. This is really a brilliant idea to embrace the every progress of the learning process.

the proud pupils

accepting the award from the head teacher

the assembly

Every year, the school gives award to pupils (two pupils of each class) who
have put a lot of effort to achieve improvement. Some have improved in
writing, others in Math, andthere are also who spread positive environment
such as reading, embracing every challenge, etc; all the achievement that
cannot be represented by numbers/figures.

By appreciating the uniqueness of every child and their effort to improve in
every field they are struggling, surely it will boost their confidence and
motivation to achieve more.

Medina, I believe that this leap frog will bring you to another giant step in
the years ahead.

“ The place where we grew up influences the way of our thoughts, feelings
and action...” (From executive book summary of Hofstede, 2005).

First award: link

Second award: link

3rd Dance Performance, Cultural Fayre, 15 November 2016

Medina and Samira are in action again, performing Bungong Tjeumpa Dance (Flower of Cempaka) or Rebana (Tambourine) Dance at their school (Bristol),  for Cultural Fayre, Thursday 15 November 2016.
This is the 3rd time they performed the dance, after at Trinity Center (May) and Bradley Stoke Community Center (September).
They were in school's newsletter!

with the organizer

the performance

the audience

preparation

some of the performers

the dancers

the proud moms

Here's the video:

Menjelang Musim Panas Berakhir

Di akhir Agustus, sekitar sebulan kemarin,  kami mendapat undangan pernikahan di Weston Super-Mare, sekitar 1,5 jam dari Bristol. Ini adalah kota pantai yang tidak terlalu besar. Jadi, sekalianlah kita main ke pantai.

Teman baru, namanya Fred. Medina berani naik Fred tanpa ditemani, lho

Main air

Ada Helikopter deket banget, euy!

Eid Mubarak and Happy Roald Dahl Day from Medina!

#MedinaIS5 #roalddahlday #roaldday100 #eidmubarak #iduladha

Medina dressed up as Matilda  to school for Roald Dahl Day 

Medina came early for Eid Prayer, 12 September, in Bradley Stoke, Bristol. Happy Eid! 

Bermain dengan BFF dan Pengalaman Menonton Musikal Live Pertama!

Kebetulan dapat tawaran diskon gede untuk menonton pertunjukan musikal The Three Little Pigs di Colston Hall, Medina pun berangkat mengajak teman dekatnya, 24 Agustus 2016.

Berikut adalah foto-foto pertemuan mereka, setelah sekian lama terpisah karena liburan panjang.

Best Videos of Summer 2016!

So long Summer 2016. Time to go back to school.
But the sweet memories remain in our heart.
Some videos showing Medina's activities during Summer   2016:

Great Yarmouth:

Pengajian Al-Hijrah Bristol  & 17 Agustusan:
Reciting short surahs

Lomba Makan Kerupuk (courtesy Arwanto)

Big Friendly Reading Challenge:

Al-Hijrah Summer Adventures

Islamic Cultural Fayre, Easton Park.
Recites doas. face painting, etc

Other events:
- Weston-Super-Mare
- A Playdate with her best friend, and Medina's first experience to see a live on stage musical!















Bonus: Peppa Pig Theme Park, Poulton's Park, Easter Break 2016

(Photos): Medina's Great Moments

Medina is our little chef, love reading and retelling stories, love imagination and playground, and love role-playing as teacher. Now, she can read independently, and yes, she loves books (as well as IPad), love watching clips, learning to memorize some short surahs and daily duas. Since we moved to Bristol, September last year, she totally passed toilet training and now she is pamper-free. In few days, she will be in Year 1 (TK Nol Besar), and already have some best friends at school.

What significant achievements!

Here’s some of her daily activities captured by this blog and other social media.

2015

September-October

Moving to Bristol  & Medina as the photographer http://medinaazzahra.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/moving-to-bristol-very-first-photo.html

And Medina is a very helpful and diligent girl. She always wanted to help her parents. Well done, Memei!

going to Reception, Primary School.

November

starting to learn how to read independently

December

And Medina is our little chef, too :)

Visiting Bath and Jane Austen Museum.

2016

January

And a Salehah girl.

February

Stonehenge Trip

March

World Book Day: Medina as Little Red Riding Hood:

To celebrate World Book Day, students were encouraged to dress like their favorite characters. 

April

Medina went to Manchester for KIBAR Spring Gathering, the biggest gathering of Indonesian Muslim community in the UK. She visitied Football Museum and two Stadium as well.

May

Rebana Dance performance, 7 May 

Writer ofthe Week: 

An Award from school: 

June,

A card forBaba, Father’s Day baba.html

Peppa Pig Theme Park, Paulton Park http://medinaazzahra.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/daddy-pig-and-his-big-fans.html

July

Medina participated in Sports Day, organized by her school. She won Sack Race aka lomba balap karung.

August

Recite Dua at Islamic Cultural Fayre in front of many people

Big FriendlyRead Challenge,  summer break 2016 

Celebrating Indonesia's Independence Day, 17 August 2016

Three Little Pigs the Musical with her best friend, summer break 2016. It's a playdate.

She loves Bubbles and Sandcastles too

Here's Medina's  wall of achievements, where she put all the stickers from school and other places:

See you next year, Medina!

[Videos]: 5 Best Moments of Medina

Happy Birthday Medina!
To celebrate Medina's 5th Birthday, we put 4 brand new and 1 best videos from the last one year in this blog.
Enjoy, and don't forget to drop some comments.

#MedinaIs5

1. An Interview with Medina.
And, dont' miss the surprise. Watch it until the end. :)

2.  Medina Retells The Three Little Pigs

3. Medina retells a story titled: Room on the Broom
One of her most favorite book. She learned to memorize word by word by heart from Julia's performance.

4. Medina performs Rebana Dance.
Trinity Center, 7 May 2016, organized by Bristol Indonesian Society.

5.  Islamic Cultural Fayre, 7 August 2016.
Halal BiHalal (Post-Ramadan Gathering) in Bristol, organized by Bristol Muslim Cultural Society.
In the afternoon, the host announced that he invited children to recite short surahs or other activities. At first, Medina did not want to go. "I don't want to recite surah". But minutes later she changed her mind: " But I want to read Doa". So She read 2 short duas

If the video didn't work, click: here 

The Dentist and The Big Friendly Read Challenge

Last Monday was one of  great days for Medina during Summer break.

First, she went to the dentist, and after that she visited the library, which is only 5 minutes away by walking.

Few days before, she cried in front of the dentist surgery. Not because she was frightened, but she needed her teeth to be checked by the dentist by that very minute. She was supposed to have her appointment in  few months. Luckily, we could reschedule the appointment. So, on Monday, she went to the dentist gladly, riding her scooter and with her Skye bag on her back, as if she was going for a picnic.
Medina always brushes her teeth twice a day, so she is fine.


After that, we visited the library, where she could claim her prize for summer reading challenge 2016.

This month, UK celebrates Roald Dahl and children are encouraged to read 6 books during their 6 weeks school holiday. It was called the Big Friendly Read, (and, yes, at that time BFG the movie was happening).

And Medina has read School Bus Trip, Titchy Witch & the Birthday Broomstick,  Over the Moon, Dilly and the Goody-Goody, What the Ladybird Heard Next, and, her favorite:  Room on the Broom. (Yes, she is a big fan of Julia Donaldson).

She got a certificate, a medal, a DVD voucher, some cards and a yellow rubber band.
She still has few weeks to the next reading challenge from her school: reading 17 books. so far, she already read around 14 books.

Well done, Medina!

Writer of the Week, May 2016