With three kids in basisschool (primary school) it’s inevitable I’d end up spending some of my spare time in school. From helping group 6 kids make herby butter in the classroom, assisting group 3 pupils with reading, and being class parent for a year, I’ve helped out where I can. And here’s why being a hulpouder is great if you can offer some time to your kid’s school.
Next School Year Be a ‘Hulpouder’Win Win for You and School
Between budget restrictions, overcrowding in the classrooms and teachers who cannot find enough hours in the day to get their tasks done, your time and assistance is incredibly welcome.
So school and the kids win when you get involved.
And you win too. Getting involved in school when you are new in town and in the expat honeymoon phase will reap benefits later when you’re deep down in the culture shock curve.
You’ll meet new people, get out of the house, pick up Dutch vocabulary, immerse yourself in Dutch ways, and learn your way around all manner of different matters.
Know Your Limitations
If your Dutch is not brilliant then be careful what role you take on. Volunteering to take meeting minutes at the oudercommissie gatherings is probably biting off more than you can chew.
For two years I have volunteered to do reading with group 3 children. When my eldest was in group 3 I didn’t feel confident enough to take on a reading group. A few years later when my middle son reached group 3 I decided to give it a go. It was prima. I got an insight into the ‘learning to read’ system and got to know a few of my son’s classmates better.
So when we moved to the east and my youngest joined group 3 I again volunteered. I read with a trio twice a week for twenty minutes. The entire school year went swimmingly until a couple of weeks ago.
I always ask the group if there are any words they don’t understand. This particular week they list a few words that they draw a blank on. It strikes me that I am as clueless as them about one of the words. I subtly look it up on my telephone. But I am still none the wiser. I realise I have reached my limit. Maan, roos, vis and sok were easy peasy. Opvoeren is not.
In my defence I tweeted my situation and I was told by Dutch tweeters that the word means lots of things and learning it just as a solitary word and not in a sentence was a tall ask for six and seven year olds. And for forty-five year old Brit-born-adopted Dutchies.
So there are always limits. You’ll soon know when you reach them.
Ways to Get Involved
The fact is that many school events and activities cannot take place without the help of parents and grandparents. Things like chauffeuring kids to places. Reading with the kids. Helping out with a knutselmiddag. Joining the oudercommissie (PTA) and organising behind the scenes. Helping in the school library. Watching over a class for a short period to free up a teacher so they can oversee small groups take exams. Cleaning and clearing up school at the end of the school year. The list is likely endless.
Next school year ask how you can help out. It’s possibly one of the best gifts you can give a teacher.
3 comments