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Articles
Together we grow stronger. On this news page we share the latest updates, inspiring ideas and innovative solutions to make your journey even better. From new courses to real-life examples: discover everything you need here.
Do you have a great story or a golden tip yourself? Let us know!
Fruit and vegetable consumption during the morning snack twice as high with a 5-day policy
At primary schools with a policy featuring five fixed fruit and vegetable days, children eat twice as much fruit and vegetables during the morning break as at schools where there are no rules. This is shown by research conducted by Wageningen University & Research at nine primary schools in the central Netherlands. The results have been published in the scientific journal Appetite.
National Outdoor Learning Day, 13 April
Fresh air, exercise and a natural environment are good for children's physical and mental health. That is why Jantje Beton and IVN Nature Education are calling on all teachers to go outside during National Outdoor Learning Day on 13 April 2021. Will you join us?
Effects of energizers in primary education
What are the possible effects of energizers—short activities lasting 10 to 30 minutes, indoors or outdoors, that encourage physical activity—at primary school? Femke van Brussel of the Knowledge Centre for Sport & Physical Activity wrote a report on these movement breaks, providing an initial exploration of the scientific literature.
AOJ Monitor supports the connection between education and youth services
Since the introduction of the new Youth Act and the Appropriate Education Act, regions have been looking for ways to connect education and youth care. This connection does not happen automatically. Insight into the figures and the effects of policy is essential for achieving a good connection. The Education–Youth Support Connection Monitor (AOJ) gives regions insight into how their young people are doing and how cooperation between organisations is progressing. This enables them to see where improvements are possible.
The Daily Mile and Avond4daagse are getting even more children moving together
JOGG and the Royal Dutch Walking Federation (KWBN) have joined forces to get more children moving. To this end, JOGG and KWBN are bringing together their initiatives The Daily Mile and the Avond4daagse – Home Edition.
The link between sleep, behaviour and academic performance
Tilly de Jong of Glos Educatief and Francis Lanen of Slaapoefentherapie.nl developed a training workshop for primary and secondary school teachers about the link between sleep, behaviour and academic performance. The training covers the physiology of sleep, stress factors at school and at home, behaviour resulting from poor sleep and how this can affect academic performance. Finally, participants are given practical tools to get started.
New teaching package combines gaming and esports with a healthy lifestyle
Gamen in de Maatschappij is the name of a new teaching package that combines the basics of gaming and esports with learning about a healthy lifestyle. Now that gaming has become an integral part of society, it is time to teach children how to maintain a good balance between gaming and their other activities. The teaching package focuses on responsible and healthy gaming and developing 21st-century skills. Gamen in de Maatschappij is intended for primary education (years 6, 7, 8 and out-of-school care). It is also a fun solution for extended school days, sports and games days, theme days or weeks.
The adolescent brain and the coronavirus crisis
Approximately 1.5 million young people live in the Netherlands. Since the arrival of the coronavirus, these young people have been asked to make major sacrifices, even though they face a limited health risk. Working and studying from home, having little contact with others—what does that actually do to young people? In 2020, the Erasmus SYNC lab extensively studied the impact of the coronavirus crisis on young people. Young people were actively involved in this research to come up with solutions that would help them during the coronavirus crisis.
Workshop on Active Learning during the Healthy School conference
The Healthy School online conference will take place on 31 March. During the conference, Muriel Weltens, Healthy School advisor at GGD Haaglanden, and Miriam Zwinkels-Broch, owner of Beweeginspiratie, will lead a workshop on Active Learning. They will explain how they supported schools in Westland in integrating active learning into their lessons, and participants will also receive tips on how to organise an active lesson on basic skills practice.
BOinK theme evenings on supervision and enforcement in childcare
How is the quality of childcare supervised? What does the GGD inspect and when? What is the role of the municipality? And, above all: at which points in the supervision and enforcement process can the parent committee play an important role? These questions will be addressed during the free online theme evenings on Supervision and Enforcement, organised by the Association of Parents in Childcare (BOinK) on 15 April and 26 May.
Training Happiness with The Happy Game
Research conducted by the Emma Children’s Hospital of Amsterdam UMC in October 2020 shows that many children are struggling with anxiety, stress and depression as a result of the coronavirus. We now know that approximately 50% of our happiness is determined at birth, 10% by our environment and as much as 40% by training our brains. In other words: happiness can be trained. This is how the idea for The Happy Game came about: a family board game that teaches children, their parents/carers and teachers how to train their brains in a positive and enjoyable way to be happy—or happier. The Happy Game was launched on 20 March, the United Nations’ International Day of Happiness.
At Ease with Discomfort
On Wednesday, April 14, Stichting School & Veiligheid is organizing the national education conference Met Alle Respect! During this annual conference, various topics related to social safety in primary, secondary and vocational education will be discussed. These include workshops on bullying, sexually transgressive behavior and working with parents. This (online) edition focuses on uncomfortable situations that you encounter as a teacher in daily practice. The theme is therefore: At Ease with Discomfort.
Childcare practitioners become better at early identification through Alert4you
Thanks to the Alert4you approach, childcare practitioners are better able to identify developmental problems in children at an early stage. This is shown by research conducted by the Kohnstamm Institute on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment and ZonMw.
Dani from The Voice talks about homosexuality in Social Talk
Every week on Social Talk, well-known artists are interviewed about subjects that people do not readily talk about. Social Talk is made with young people and for young people. In the eleventh episode, Dani van Velthoven from The Voice was a guest. He talked about homosexuality. During this talk show, Dani gave tips to young people who are struggling with doubts about their sexuality.
Healthy School NEXT Online Conference Programme
The Healthy School NEXT online conference will take place on 31 March. The programme includes a plenary session with three central themes and a wide range of workshops. The host is Maarten Bouwhuis.
Week of the Spring Fever
From 15 to 19 March, it is the Week of the Spring Fever, a national project week for special and primary education. Participating schools teach lessons for a week about resilience, relationships and sexuality. The project week helps to incorporate these themes structurally into the school plan.
Almost all educational premises smoke-free
By the end of 2020, almost all educational institutions had created a smoke-free premises. From primary education through secondary vocational education, between 95% and 98% had made their premises smoke-free. Higher education had 93% smoke-free premises or campuses. This is shown by research conducted by the Mulier Institute on behalf of the Trimbos Institute in autumn 2020.
‘Childcare is important for all children’
Childcare is important for all children up to and including the age of 12. This is what the sector organisations in childcare, the PO Council, LKCA, NOC*NSF and Sociaal Werk Nederland write in a letter to the House of Representatives.
Healthy Canteen Guidelines becomes Guideline for School Food Environments
The name of the Healthy Canteen Guidelines has changed to Guideline for School Food Environments. The content remains unchanged.
Three Healthy School incentive schemes
Would you like to get started with a healthy lifestyle at your school and would you appreciate an extra boost? For example, focusing on the well-being of pupils and students, so that they feel good during the coronavirus pandemic? To encourage schools in primary education, special education, secondary education and secondary vocational education to work on a healthy lifestyle, three incentive schemes are opening: Healthy School Support Programme 2021–2022, Healthy Relationships & Sexuality Incentive Scheme and Water Taps Grant. Until 19 April, schools (or school locations) can express their interest in one or more schemes.
Edson da Graça talks about debt on Social Talk
Every week, Social Talk features conversations with well-known artists about subjects people do not readily talk about. Social Talk is made with young people and for young people. Edson da Graça was the guest in the ninth episode. He talked about debt.
Whether or not the King's Games go ahead, there will always be a King's Games Package
Since the first edition of the King's Games in 2013, Linda Thuijs and Geke Versprille have developed a free downloadable King's Games Package for primary schools every year. Last year, the package was converted into a ‘stay-at-home version’ within a few days. It is still uncertain what the King's Games will look like this year on 23 April. What is certain, however, is that there will always be a King's Games Package.
Participate in international research on the safe reopening of schools
The UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education invites people working in education and the health sector to participate in international research on the safe reopening of schools. The aim is to collect experiences and opinions from people working in education and the health sector worldwide about how schools in their country were safely reopened and/or kept open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Media Ukkie Days
From 26 March to 2 April 2021, the Media Ukkie Days will take place. During this themed week, an initiative of Netwerk Mediawijsheid, attention is drawn to media literacy in the upbringing of children aged 0 to 6. During this campaign, parents and caregivers of young children receive tips on how to get started with media use within the family. Childcare organisations can also focus on media education during this week.
Webinar Erik Scherder ‘Why children’s brains want to play’
Children’s brains primarily want to play outdoors. Getting active, climbing, and scrambling are good for the brain. If there is anyone who can talk about this in a clear and engaging way, it is Erik Scherder. That is why, on 10 March at 8:30 p.m., he will host a free webinar for Jantje Beton entitled ‘Why children’s brains want to play’.
Heppie in the Classroom: lesson package about positive attention and truly seeing one another
The Forgotten Child Foundation has developed a lesson package with Heppie in the Classroom that makes it possible to discuss different home situations in the classroom. As a result, students gain more awareness and understanding of each other’s behavior and backgrounds. The lesson package reduces shame and judgment, and as a teacher you gain a better understanding of what a child is good at and what they need from you. The lesson package consists of 12 simple and cheerful activities that can be carried out with little preparation. The activities are suitable for the upper grades of primary school and years 1 and 2 of secondary education.
Online Healthy School NEXT conference
Working on a healthy lifestyle at school. How do you do that, especially in these times of the coronavirus pandemic, when the healthy lifestyle of pupils, students and staff requires extra attention? This will be addressed during the online Healthy School NEXT conference on 31 March.
Sense Talk: young people talk about sexuality
Sense.info has a new podcast series: Sense Talk! In this podcast, young people talk about sexuality. The first two episodes – about the first time and about love and sex during the coronavirus pandemic – are online. Also useful to listen to if you want to start a conversation about this with young people!
“I am, I am, who you don’t see”
Being yourself is essential for pupils and students to feel safe and comfortable. The advisers on social safety in schools at the School & Safety Foundation regularly encounter this as well. One story that deeply affected them was that of 9-year-old Stef, who did not feel safe at school.