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Would you like to know which Healthy School activities best suit your school? Then register for the online Wellbeing Activities Fair on 20 or 27 May. These events offer you the opportunity to gain inspiration and learn more about the activities available relating to the health theme of Wellbeing.
Children at several childcare locations in Maastricht have recently started being offered vegetables every day. This is part of the Groenteboxjes programme, an initiative by JOGG Maastricht, MIK & Spelenderwijs, Maastricht Sport and supermarket ALDI. The goal? To get children used to eating vegetables from an early age and thus lay a healthy foundation for the future.
There is nothing more fun than venturing out into nature with children. Especially now that spring is almost here again. Put on boots, clothes that can get dirty and withstand a knock or two, and go exploring. Everything is interesting, from a flower to a little beetle and from a large puddle to a pile of branches. You can go out into nature, but you can also bring nature closer. And did you know that research shows that children at a green daycare center sleep better and that the child’s well-being improves? Time to get started.
From 10 through 14 March, ‘Naar Inclusiever Onderwijs’ is organizing the Week of Inclusive Education. During this week, schools and collaborative partnerships throughout the country in primary and secondary education will draw attention to the importance of inclusive schools: schools where all students are welcome, learn together at school, grow up together and enjoy a good education.
The ‘Step-by-step plan: dealing with online incidents’ by the School & Safety Foundation is a clear framework for action for schools. The plan shows step by step how a school can deal with an online incident between students—and learn from it for preventive policy. This is necessary because of the major role of social media in our society, meaning that incidents involving social media can also affect the safety and well-being of a school community.
Schools and chefs can sign up for Chef in the Classroom 2025. During this event, taking place from 16 to 18 June, a real chef will visit a class of Year 6, 7 or 8 pupils to make a delicious and special dish together with the students. Registration is open until 31 March. Schools that register in March will receive the groceries and materials for 32 pupils free of charge.
On 3 March, World Hearing Day, VeiligheidNL launched the campaign 'It’s perfectly normal, with a first phone'. This campaign, which is also relevant to education professionals, aims to help parents prevent hearing damage in their children. Research shows that virtually all 10–15-year-olds regularly use headphones or earbuds to listen to music, play games or watch videos. More than a quarter of these children listen at a high volume (70% or higher).
Schools can once again apply for a grant to offer students additional activities alongside regular education and thereby promote equal opportunities among children. The application period for the third round of the School & Community programme is open until 31 March 2025.
More and more primary schools are recognizing the value of student participation, especially in relation to the citizenship education mandate. The right skills and attitude help create space for students to participate. But how to put this into practice is often still a challenge. It is time to get to work on this during an inspiring webinar on 26 March, organized by the Netherlands Youth Institute for primary school teachers and principals.
Gezonde School is hosting the webinar ‘Dealing with Discomfort with Ease’ on 13 March. During this online meeting, you will learn how to deal smoothly with scepticism, resistance or doubt about, for example, Spring Fever Week, treat policies or phone use. The webinar will show you how to ensure that the other person is open to a conversation and to arguments. The webinar will be given via Zoom by Iris Posthouwer.
The Food Waste-Free Week will take place from 8 to 14 September 2025. The education sector can also do its part. The Samen tegen voedselverspilling website provides an overview of all available and developed teaching materials and information about food waste for pupils and students. In part 1: primary and secondary education.
Between 10 March and 15 April, schools in primary, special and secondary education, as well as vocational education and training (MBO), can register for the Healthy School Incentive Scheme 2025–2026. This scheme offers schools additional guidance or financial support to work effectively on the health and well-being of their pupils or students.
Jong Leren Eten-Gelderland is organising an inspiration afternoon on Thursday 13 March together with partners for municipalities, primary schools, secondary education and nature and food organisations in the Achterhoek and surrounding area. JLE Gelderland invites you to come and listen and experience how you can get started with healthy and sustainable food choices for children and young people within education. Participants will go home with a backpack full of inspiration, practical tools and a network of enthusiastic colleagues.
Children who have a positive relationship with an early childhood educator in daycare or family daycare have less difficulty making the transition to primary school. This is shown by research on which Rosanne Sluiter received her PhD from the University of Amsterdam on Friday, 21 February.
Mark 8 April in your school calendar: that is when IVN will celebrate the tenth edition of National Outdoor Learning Day, with the theme: The Nature Squad! Primary education is the ideal place for children to discover that they are part of nature. Learning outdoors connects children with nature and with one another. Through Outdoor Learning Day, IVN contributes to this and allows schools and children to experience how things can be done differently.
The Koningsspelen will take place on Friday, 17 April—a day with a sporty twist for many primary school pupils. Preparations for the Koningsspelen are already well underway. Many teachers have little time to put together an extensive programme. With the free downloadable Koningsspelen Package from former physical education teacher Geke Versprille, preparation is much simpler and pupils are guaranteed a day full of sporting activities.
There is now a new, useful digital tool on Jouw Gezonde School for schools working according to the Healthy School approach: ‘Get started’. The tool was already available for schools in primary and secondary education, but as of Monday 17 February, vocational education schools also have access.
Carnival is coming up, and perhaps you celebrate it at your school. How can you ensure that Carnival is a fun experience for all students, where everyone respects each other’s boundaries? To create a safe and pleasant atmosphere, it is important for the school to make clear agreements and establish rules of conduct. The School & Safety Foundation offers tips on how to get started.
This week – 10 to 14 February – is the Week of Love. During this week – an initiative of Rutgers – secondary schools and vocational education institutions offer lessons on resilience, relationships and sexuality. Gendi, an initiative of Stichting School & Veiligheid, offers you tips for teaching safely and talking about sexuality – including gender – and sexual diversity – in the classroom.
The Healthy Children's Centre in Motion programme, aimed at increasing participation in physical activity and promoting healthy nutrition at Maastricht schools, is expanding to secondary education under the name Healthy Secondary Education in Motion. Stichting Limburgs Voortgezet Onderwijs is joining the partnership. The programme is starting at three Maastricht schools: VMBO Maastricht, Terra Nigra and Novo-college. The schools will receive a physical activity and nutrition consultant and will work with a tailor-made (activities) programme to further promote a healthy and vital environment.
Figures from the Dutch Inspectorate of Education show that the number of reported cases of bullying and physical violence in education has increased again. The number of incidents of harassment is rising sharply in both primary and secondary education, as is the severity of the incidents. To put a stop to this, IVN Nature Education has been advocating for more green schoolyards for years. There are demonstrably more arguments and altercations on a grey, paved playground than on a green one, where there is generally a better atmosphere.
The number of cases of bullying involving psychological and physical violence has increased in primary and secondary education. This is the conclusion of the Inspectorate of Education.
Are you a school board member, school leader or healthy lifestyle coordinator, and are you passionate about promoting a healthy lifestyle in primary education? Join the Healthy Lifestyle advisory group! In the advisory group, you will contribute to policy and sector development relating to children’s healthy lifestyles, and gain an inside look at schools that are already actively working on this. Sign up before 19 February. The first meeting will take place on 4 March.
Fewer and fewer municipalities offer school swimming. In 2020, almost one-third of municipalities supported school swimming; four years later, that percentage had fallen to below one-quarter (23 percent). This is shown by research conducted by the Mulier Institute among Dutch municipalities.
Water management in Flevoland is of great importance for keeping the polder dry. To give this extra attention, schools can register with IVN Flevoland until 28 February to win a free Water Lesson.
Would you, as a municipality, like to get started on making schoolyards more playful and greener? IVN’s SchoolyardCheck will help you get started! In five steps, each consisting of three to five statements, the check guides municipalities through the experiences of other municipalities and provides tailored advice. This gives municipalities insight into what is needed to create successful and future-proof schoolyards. After completing the check, municipalities will receive their score and IVN’s advice by email.
Parents find it nerve-racking when children play outside unsupervised and take risks. However, Canadian and Norwegian researchers who conducted an extensive study emphasize the benefits of risky play for children in the renowned journal Nature. The findings are also of interest to education professionals.
In collaboration with scientists, the School & Safety Foundation will publish ‘Working towards a positive classroom atmosphere – five tips to prevent bullying’ in January 2025. It contains five scientifically substantiated, practical tips that teachers can put into practice immediately to create a harmonious environment.
A healthy school lunch can make a positive contribution to the health of Rotterdam children. There is enthusiasm for this among children, parents and primary schools. But obstacles still need to be overcome. This is the preliminary conclusion of the study conducted by Erasmus MC on behalf of the Municipality of Rotterdam.
The Smaaklessen & EU-Schoolfruit Support Centre will have a stand at the National Education Exhibition at Jaarbeurs Utrecht from 21 through 25 January. The stand can be found in Hall 12 and is number A071.