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Nominate your municipality for the Golden Carrot 2024!

Nominate your municipality for the Golden Carrot 2024!

School gardens have existed for more than 100 years. That is why many municipalities encourage school gardening. They see it as a good way to introduce children to healthy food and teach them about nature and biodiversity. In 2024, too, the week of 8 to 12 April will once again focus on school gardens. To top it all off, National Outdoor Classroom Day will be organised on 9 April. The week is an initiative of the School Gardens Alliance and Jong Leren Eten.

“If you don’t talk about bullying, nothing will change either”

“If you don’t talk about bullying, nothing will change either”

Bullying at school can cause a great deal of pain and sadness. Jeroen* (11) was bullied so severely at his previous primary school that he no longer dared to go to school. He now attends a primary school that works hard to create a positive and safe school climate: an environment where children are seen and heard, and where action is taken against bullying. Anti-bullying coordinator Karola and Jeroen share their experiences with bullying on the website of the Netherlands Youth Institute. They also discuss how to prevent and address bullying behaviour at school.

Ninth edition of Tap Water Day on 27 September

Ninth edition of Tap Water Day on 27 September

On 27 September, the Dutch drinking water companies will jointly organise National Tap Water Day. This event will take place for the ninth time. The Dutch drinking water companies invite all primary schools and out-of-school care organisations to focus on tap water as a healthy and sporty thirst quencher on this day. With the help of a short, engaging lesson, children from groups 1 to 8 discover why tap water is so healthy when you play sports and exercise. Schools and out-of-school care organisations that register will receive free educational materials.

Health literacy skills are basic skills

Health literacy skills are basic skills

Living healthily, both physically and mentally, cannot always be taken for granted in today’s world, even for young people. For example, we know that young people’s mental health is under pressure. And the number of children and young people who are (severely) overweight is increasing. Healthy School considers paying attention to health literacy skills at school essential for children and young people. What are health literacy skills, and why does Healthy School consider them basic skills? Vivian Kruitwagen, a health scientist responsible for the further development of the Healthy School approach, explains.

Attention at school for the earthquake in Morocco

Attention at school for the earthquake in Morocco

On Friday evening, 8 September 2023, an earthquake occurred in Morocco, which has by now claimed the lives of more than 2,800 people. School & Safety not only sympathises with all pupils, students and education staff who have been directly or indirectly affected by the consequences of this earthquake. The Foundation also understands that pupils and education staff with loved ones in Morocco are worried. That is why School & Safety is addressing questions such as ‘What does this do to pupils and colleagues?’ and ‘How do you deal with it?’

€5,000 from IVN and Jantje Beton for 10 schools to make their schoolyards greener and more playful

€5,000 from IVN and Jantje Beton for 10 schools to make their schoolyards greener and more playful

The 10 primary schools that will receive €5,000 from IVN and Jantje Beton to make their schoolyards greener and more challenging have been announced! From June onward, primary schools could register with IVN and Jantje Beton to be considered. The call resulted in 160 responses in a short period of time. Every one of them was a school highly motivated to enable all pupils to play and learn in a green and playful schoolyard.

Survey among parents on performance pressure at school

Survey among parents on performance pressure at school

The organization Ouders & Onderwijs and the Voor Werkende Ouders foundation are investigating whether children experience performance pressure at school and what parents believe is needed to reduce this pressure. They want to know whether children (sometimes) experience or have experienced performance pressure at school. They also want to know what causes it and what effect it has on children. The organizations are calling on parents to participate. It takes approximately five minutes.

How can you, as a parent, help children learn how to learn?

How can you, as a parent, help children learn how to learn?

At school, your child learns step by step how to plan, organize, learn and work independently. Children in the upper years of primary school are often given homework to help them get used to this. As a result, they gain not only knowledge. They also learn how to learn. The Netherlands Youth Institute has listed ways in which you, as a parent, can support your child with this. The article contains information that schools can use when parents ask them questions about this.

Almost all municipalities can offer primary schools enough sports facilities for compulsory physical education lessons

Almost all municipalities can offer primary schools enough sports facilities for compulsory physical education lessons

Starting next school year, primary schools must provide all pupils with at least two lessons of physical education per week. However, there must be enough sports facilities available for this. 85 percent of municipalities indicate that they can offer all schools enough sports facilities to meet the new obligation. This is according to research by the Mulier Institute among municipal officials.

Veilig Verkeer Nederland refreshes road safety knowledge

Veilig Verkeer Nederland refreshes road safety knowledge

To reduce the number of accidents during this period, Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN) is launching its annual campaign ‘Our schools have started again’ with banners and posters. With this campaign, VVN is calling on motorists to adjust their speed. The campaign was launched on Monday morning, 21 August, at De Gouden Griffel primary school in Berkel en Rodenrijs. Teacher Lennart van der Meulen, who was named ‘Teacher of the Year’ last year, introduced the new campaign element ‘Question of the day’ together with VVN, celebrating its launch in his Year 5 class. ‘Question of the day’ refreshes the children’s road safety knowledge during the first week of lessons, so that they continue to travel safely from school to home and from home to school.

Cycling to school makes the neighborhood happier

Cycling to school makes the neighborhood happier

In a few weeks, it will once again be a familiar sight: busy traffic around the primary school as children are dropped off and picked up. That is why Veilig Verkeer Nederland is calling on parents and children: walk or cycle to school. This makes the school environment safer and helps children gain important traffic experience. Is this topic in need of extra attention? VVN helps parents, schools and municipalities with practical tools or a more comprehensive program.

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