About Our School
Fun Schools
School is FUN when you feel welcome, have a good connection with others, can laugh, can play, are allowed to make music, paint and draw, can move a lot, and when you are stimulated to learn about the world around you. We see it as an important task to help children achieve the broadest possible personal development in a positive pedagogical climate.
SCHOOLS represents our solid approach based on foundational knowledge and essential skills. We aim to achieve the best possible results in education and have high expectations of both students and colleagues. We take our role as knowledge transmitters very seriously. Our learning environment is structured and well-organized. Lessons are delivered using an engaging and effective instruction model.
At all times, it holds true that a child can only develop optimally if they feel connected to their environment, are allowed to show their individuality, and experience sufficient successes.
Our Identity
Het Palet is part of Onderwijsgroep Amstelland, which provides Catholic and Protestant-Christian education. Our school has its roots in the Protestant-Christian tradition.
We celebrate Christmas and Easter extensively and pay special attention to the stories behind these holidays. Twice a year, around these festive periods, we visit the Paaskerk in the Augustinuspark with all the children. We also organize a Christmas dinner and an Easter breakfast, turning the celebrations into joyful and festive occasions.
We are open to everyone, including those with different beliefs or no belief at all. Naturally, we are attentive to the stories and celebrations that children are accustomed to at home. We engage with what children bring into the school and also provide knowledge. All world religions are covered.
In group 7, we take the children on a tour through Amsterdam, visiting various places of worship.
A key aspect of our identity is that we are a Peaceful School. What this means can be found under the heading Peaceful Citizenship.
What We Are Proud Of
In seven points, we would like to tell you what characterizes our school and what we are proud of.
1. Small-scale and Personal
Het Palet is a small neighborhood school with 225 students, 9 groups, involved parents, and an enthusiastic and dedicated team. Due to its small scale, it is possible to maintain a personal approach and get to know everyone well.
Our school has a very diverse student population and is thus a realistic reflection of the Keizer Karelpark neighborhood. We see the differences as an enrichment to give children an open view of the world with interest in others. We respond to differences and offer education that is as tailored as possible. A stable team of teachers and support staff works daily to serve all children.
At Het Palet, we want every student, parent, and colleague to feel at home.
Through the Peaceful School program from group 1 to 8, we teach children to play together, learn together, and live together. With this, we develop social skills such as: learning to make choices, presenting yourself, being kind to others, helping each other, and learning to deal with conflicts. These skills are of great importance for the development of citizenship. This takes place throughout the week at various moments inside and outside the classroom, both in targeted lessons and in free situations.
We have a democratically elected student council that meets regularly and is allowed to contribute ideas on various school matters.
A group of students from grades 7 and 8 serve as mediators during recess. These mediators support playtime when needed and help resolve conflicts.
A Peaceful School is a school where it is safe, where there is no place for bullying, discrimination, and exclusion. We all adhere to a number of basic rules that have been democratically established.
3. Rich Approach to Language and Mathematics
To understand the world and function in society, general knowledge is of great importance. To acquire that knowledge, you must become proficient in language and mathematics, among other things.
“We provide our students with a rich language environment where reading plays a central role. Reading opens many doors to knowledge, vocabulary, imagination, and empathy. Our program offers ample space to develop a love for reading. We have our own school library where all classes visit weekly, and we maintain close contact with the Amstelland library for an enriching lesson offering. In addition to reading, we pay significant attention to speaking, listening, and writing in an expressive way. For example, we use VTS (Visual Thinking Strategies) to learn how to observe and articulate through artworks. With the program of De Schoolschrijver, we teach the children creative writing. English is taught as an additional language on a weekly basis starting from grade 5.
Like language, mathematics is all around us. Without realizing it, we calculate all day.
For mathematics, we use a modern method that we partly deploy digitally and that makes our education as adaptive as possible. In addition, we expand our approach with playful elements from the ‘Met Sprongen Vooruit’ (Leaps Ahead) program. We participate in the Great Math Day and Money Week.
4. Orientation to the World Through Themes
Children are naturally eager to learn and curious about the world around them. It is our task to maintain this. We see our school as a training ground where children can safely become acquainted with worldly matters appropriate to their age. From kindergarten onwards, we help our children orient themselves to the world nearby and the world further away. We want to be attentive to what children bring up themselves and offer them topics. We use a thematic approach. For a period of several weeks, each group focuses on a central theme in a playful manner, stimulating broad development. This includes acquiring general knowledge, developing language skills, fostering creativity, and social formation.
5. Culture with Quality
We are a CMK school. CMK stands for Cultural Education With Quality. This certification is not given lightly. We sustainably provide a platform for expressive subjects.
We consider creative development extremely important for emotional and social formation, as well as for orientation to the world. We offer a rich variety of artistic activities both within and outside the school. For example, we have weekly focus on music and visual arts in all classes. Often fitting with the central theme. Our regular teachers are attentive to this, but we also employ specialist teachers. In groups 5 through 8, Wednesday is an alternative day when artists teach visual arts. With their passion, they bring an extra dimension to our school. One of our colleagues teaches music weekly to groups 1 through 3, while a music teacher from Amstelveen Music School comes for the other groups.
6. Healthy School
We are a Healthy School, which means we pay a lot of attention to healthy nutrition and sufficient exercise. All children receive two gym lessons per week from a specialist teacher. We drink water during breaks. All children bring fruit or vegetables for snacks, and we encourage healthy sandwich toppings for lunch. Treats are part of birthday celebrations, but here too we appeal to parents to keep them as healthy as possible.
We participate in the School Fruit program. For half a year, we receive fruit and vegetables for three days a week. This way, all children are introduced to a varied selection.
7. Authentic School Buildings
Our two buildings are monuments from the 1950s. Large classrooms, high ceilings, a central hall, plenty of light, and classic details still make the whole atmosphere cozy and charming. The location in Wilhelmina Park is beautiful. From the classrooms, there is a lovely view of the seasons.
Our groups 1-2 are housed in a separate kindergarten building. This building is specially designed and tailored to the world of young children. These groups come to the main building weekly for gym and a library visit.
Our Kindergarten Education
Our motto ‘Fun Schools’ also applies to our kindergarten education. It is of great importance that children experience enjoyment and that we provide an attractive learning environment that responds to what naturally interests young children. The kindergarten period is also a time to gain knowledge about the world that is larger than what you’re used to, to become proficient in language and math, and thus be well-prepared for a more school-like approach in the higher grades.
In the attached document, you can read more about our View on Kindergarteners.
