The Montessori school in Venray involves pupils in discussions on various fronts. The pupils’ council is a good example of this. Recently, the school appointed a number of Lifestyle Ambassadors. Principal Petra Janssen responds to five statements.

Statement 1: Pupil participation is only suitable for Montessori education

“Not at all; you can of course apply a sense of ownership at any school. When you let pupils think along themselves, they feel more responsible. That fits very well with the approach of a Montessori school, where children choose what they do within the framework set by the teacher. It is already part of our DNA, so we readily take up new initiatives. Our Lifestyle Ambassadors prove that you can also get children enthusiastic about working on a healthy lifestyle. It is an initiative of the municipality of Venray that is thriving at our school. It fits in well with our ambition to be a Healthy School. We want to continue working on the Well-being and Nutrition theme certificates.”

Statement 2: Children’s ideas are not realistic

“That is not necessarily the case! Our Lifestyle Ambassadors mainly come from the middle grades. A few times a year, the Lifestyle Ambassadors meet with me to discuss their plans. They then actively get to work on them themselves. Of course, they need direction and guidance. But it is, for example, great to see them make a video themselves. Or send a letter to the municipality requesting a smoothie bike. Sometimes you think their plans are unrealistic, such as their wish for a food forest. Unlike the vegetable gardens we already have, it would need to contain substantial fruit and nut trees. At first, I also thought it would be a bridge too far. But after a phone call from the municipality, we are going to make it happen after all. Adults often think in terms of limitations. Children primarily see the possibilities. That is inspiring.”

Statement 3: Children pay little attention to healthy food

“In fact, they are paying more and more attention to it. During the staff development day, our three elected Lifestyle Ambassadors organised an exercise challenge so that everyone could exercise at home that day as well. There was a prize attached to the challenge. They were allowed to buy it themselves. With the budget they were given, they bought a fruit basket. This shows us that more and more children are finding healthy food important and interesting. The idea for the food forest also came from the children themselves.”

Statement 4: Parents hold back children who think along

“So far, parents have not been a limiting factor. It is almost impossible not to become enthusiastic about children’s ideas. And we involve parents in our projects. They know that we sometimes ask a little extra of them, because children cannot do everything independently. Parents consciously choose Montessori education, so they fully support it.”

Statement 5: Lifestyle Ambassadors should help the Healthy School coordinator

“Not necessarily. Our Lifestyle Ambassadors are involved more broadly than just with one theme. The Healthy School approach often works with a specific theme. In addition to nutrition and exercise, the pupils immediately think about the environment as well, for example separating waste. Of course, they can help the Healthy School coordinator very well, but perhaps it works even better the other way around. Let children suggest topics to the Healthy School coordinator that are important to address.”

Tips from Petra Janssen

  • · Start with a small health project and see what gets children excited.
  • · Listen to children; they are full of good ideas.
  • · Do not be too quick to think: that is too ambitious. Often, more is possible.