Lego club
08/01/2024, by Stephen McCarthy

In our elementary school's Lego club, our little vexologists passionately transformed colorful Lego bricks into miniature flags, turning our creative space into a vibrant tapestry of cultural expression. 

With each builder showcasing their unique flair. our Lego flags now stand proudly as tiny yet mighty symbols of both imagination and unity within our school community. 

Skateboarding club
21/11/2023, By Suzanne Prins

This week the Skateboarding club went on a Field Trip to the JFK SkatePark because they could not practise at school in the Fall rain & they wanted to practise in an actual SkatePark. They had a wonderful time and always got back up when they fell. Next week they will go to the same Park and continue practising their skills. 

Chess club, Term 1
3/11/2023, By Gino de Mon

With the fantastic tournament behind us, we've made another post to enjoy, please see below.

The next tournament will be on November 26 in Stein

- Merodestraat 31, 6171 XM Stein

This is one of the most fun tournaments in the entire year, and would be a great entry level chance.

Me and a few others will be there to guide students and make sure they have a fun day! 

We hope to see you there!

With Kind Regards,

Gino de Mon

Tournament info:

https://www.lisb.nl/jeugd/competities/jeugd-grand-prix

Registration:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4dAW3QQdjW-FwrxYvxh3ISb_4PPe8BcoKKigx_cAX2HORXQ/viewform

(Club is Op zijn Plaats)

https://charder3.wixsite.com/schaakvereniging-op/news/grandiose-schaakweek-spelers-sv-op-zijn-plaats?fbclid=IwAR2zmEddw62qq5qsiXD-k4jbCWjC_xUdKHporA6yl1DxI3nZJl4liJ2XwBo

Ballet, Term 1
27/09/2023, by Maria Eiferova

Dear parents,

I'm delighted to share our plans for this semester in the ballet club.

In the upcoming weeks, we will focus on enhancing our fitness, stability, and flexibility through floor and centre exercises. We'll also work diligently on posture, positions, and essential exercises like demi-plié, battement tendu, battement tendu jeté, small jumps, and turns.

Furthermore, every group will have the opportunity to prepare a captivating dance routine for future performances. Here are the themes:

• KG-Y1: "Snowflake" Dance

• Y2-Y3: "Dolls"

• Y4-Y6: "Dance with Umbrella" Waltz

• Secondary Ballet Students: Duo Performance

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to reach out.

Let's make it a fantastic journey of artistry and growth!

All the best,

Marija Eiferova

Creative Writing, Term 1
22/09/2023, by Maggie Holman

Our creative writing club got off to a great start on Wednesday. We talked about characters and what they need and do, then everyone spent ten minutes doing some free writing - a beginning of a story about a character of their choice. It was great to see everyone jumping straight in to have a go at the task. Afterwards, the individual writers shared their work. Each student read their work out loud and we all had a go at giving some positive feedback. By doing this introductory exercise, I found out the different interests and styles of writing we have in our group. 

Over the next few weeks, we'll be exploring the idea of plot, location, description and dialogue, and how they can be used to drive a story forwards. It's already clear that the group is enthusiastic and creative, and I'm excited to see the finished results of our first writing project.      

Leco club, Term 1
22/09/2023, by Stephen McCarthy

We had an incredible start to our LEGO Club adventure! Our young builders, full of enthusiasm and creativity, embarked on a journey to create mini versions of themselves or representations of what makes them unique. It was amazing to see the imaginative worlds our students brought to life through LEGO. Some crafted tiny LEGO people that echoed their personalities, while others constructed dream houses filled with their favorite things. And one young engineer wowed us all with a fantastic all-terrain vehicle equipped with a claw, skis, and a propeller! Together, we celebrated the joy of creativity and self-expression through the magic of LEGO bricks. Check out the photo of the fantastic vehicle one of our young builders created during our first session!

Stay tuned for more exciting adventures in the world of LEGO. Next week, we will be building a bridge that can carry a lego vehicle across tables!

Warm regards,

Stephen McCarthy

Digital Deign & Photography, Term 3
30/06/2023, by Agata Szulc-Szynaka

Digital Design Club is a combination of fun with digital photography and design using free software.

In the third semester, we had the opportunity to go outside twice to capture the first signs of spring, and in late spring to create video material for a film project.

We also created flyers using free photos from stock and free mockups using our compositions.

I think that we managed to use this short time well to learn softwares photo tips and compositions. Please click here for a video slide show of the work this club has accomplished the last 15 weeks. 

Yoga Club, Term 3
16/06/2023, by Christina Belova Widdershoven

Yoga in Sanskrit means "unite" and every yoga practice aims to create a union/connection between body, mind and spirit. Every yoga practice is performed with an open mind and open heart.  

13 weeks ago a lovely group of secondary students started their journey in yoga. 

Together we shared many joyful moments of mindfulness and meditation, have practiced several yoga breathing techniques - pranayama, which help students to become aware of the breathing and learn to use the lungs at full capacity, and through various postures- asanas strengthened our body's. Besides the traditional yoga sessions, we have also experienced fun yoga games with cards, tried Mandala Yoga, learned about chakra's - energy points and every student had a chance to teach others a chosen asana.     

During the yoga practice everyone usually concentrates on their own practice, however during our last session the students literally stepped out of their "comfort zone" and practiced asanas with a partner. Partner yoga is about learning to trust each other, to support each other, align each other's postures and deepens our connection.  

I am super proud of every student's achievement and grateful for their enthusiasm and positive mindset. 

The next session on 23 June will be the last one and the parents are welcome to join and experience a yoga practice together with the students.

Namaste.    .     

Chess club, Term 3
07/06/2023, by Gino de Mon

Hi All, great news!

Ther will be a chess tournament on Saturday 17 June. 

This will be held at Buurtcentrum Daalhof Aureliushof 160, 6215 SW, Maastricht. 

Entre fee is €5,- for the whole competition, which will be from 13:00 up until 17:00-18:00.
Parent(s) & Guardian(s) are welcome to come spectate. 

Any and all questions are welcome, we hope to see you there!

Registration link

Secondary  school- Self Defense, Term 3
02/06/2023,  by Omar Rashidi

The club name simply summerizes the club.
Students learn how to defend themselves when in dangerous situations.
They learn to controle the situation where they might otherwise freeze-up. 

The number 1 thing students learn during Self Defense is to run and avoid any danger if at all possible. However if running isn't an option, then they need to learn how to defend ourselves.  

Teacher Omar teaches the students ways to keep a clear head, keep calm, keep distance and keep safe. 

Baking club, Term 3
02/06/2023. by Shirani Mehta and Suzanne Prins

Over the last couple of weeks the Baking club students have learned to make a wide range of baked goods.  A few examples of this are: Scones, Chocolate Chip cookies, Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes, Brownies and M&M cookies.
Teacher Shirani educates the students not only on practical skills like precise recipe following, recipe writing, or how to knead the perfect dough, or the difference between dough and batter. Shirani also teaches the students the art of patience while baking and about the many different dessert styles around the world.

*A Baking tip for everyone: Never close a tupperware lid before the dish has cooled down! A warm dish will cause condensation. As hot water rises from the food, it will come in direct contact with the lid and can cause harmful chemicals to leak. 

Hip Hop club, Term 3
30/05/2023, by Keanu Ruitenschild

Over the last few weeks the students have learned a dance to the song ''Just got Paid'' from Singala. They picked this up quite fast. We have also been working on the HipHop Bounce and their performance skills like stances and facials. We finish each lesson with a little game like Red light, Green light. 
At the moment the students are makeing their own choreography from scratch on the song ''Dance Monkey'' from Tones. 

Folk Dance club, Term 3
18/05/2023, by Maria Eiferova

We have started this new term with a Chinese Fan Dance!

For more than two thousand years, the traditional Chinese fan dance has been an integral part of China's rich cultural heritage. This ancient form of folk dance holds great importance and is highly revered by the Chinese people. Through the fan dance, performers convey a range of emotions and meanings, making it a versatile and multi-purpose art form.

At the folk dance club, we guide students in learning the Chinese fan dance. Our focus is on teaching new dance techniques and honing fan techniques to help students develop their skills. Through our lessons, we aim to foster a deep appreciation for the beauty and cultural significance of the an dance. Our goal is to instill a lifelong love of folk dancing in our students and help them build confidence and self-expression through this ancient art form.

An introduction to Dungeons & Dragons
16/05/2023, by: Brendan Hogan

Dungeons and Dragons is one of many Table Top role playing games, but it is by far the most popular. In recent years it had been rejuvenated by pop culture, through series like  the Big Bang Theory or Stranger Things(especially the latter). Recently there was also a film released, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, that captured the ridiculous essence of a typical D&D adventure. It’s plot is great big adventure that is interspersed with deep emotional meaning and utter nonsense. 

As a side note, the setting of this film takes place in the same place as our campaign that we are playing in the Club! The city of Neverwinter on the Sword Coast, this is where the Party(what we call a group of adventuring characters) met Gundren Rockseeker their old friend who asked them to help him steal a mysterious puzzle box and meet him a few days south in the town of Phandolin.

But I digress, I was speaking to how this game has been given a second wind in recent years. Many more players are playing then just 5 years ago.  The popularity of online streamers such as Critical Role or Dimension 20 have also created massive communities of people who adore these sorts of games. It’s not an easy game to get into, as while all the tools are easily accessible there is a lot of cultural knowledge that when passed on can flesh out the game. On best practices or simply knowing when to ignore the rules.  This is why school clubs for this game are a fantastic place to pass on this knowledge, it’s where I started playing after all.

All this being said it is nice to see that it is still alive and well and doing better then ever. Playing games is an important part of being human, and so is telling tales.  This does both.  And while we’re at it we can explore ourselves and also just be silly and get up to nonsensical adventuring with some good ol’fashioned tomfoolery.

 May all your rolls be 20s,

                                                                 - Dungeon Master Brendan Hogan 

Chinese Brush Painting club for secondary school celebrating the Mother’s Day
12/05/2023, by Teacher: Yan Ma

Honestly, it occurred to me only one day before the Thursday painting class for the secondary club that Mothers Day is just around the corner. Of course, there's no better gift to give to mom than a Chinese brush painting created spontaneously on the class. The flower of Carnations is a common theme on this special occasion, while in Chinese culture peony is a traditional flower symbol. The Chinese word for it, 牡丹 (mǔdān), means “the most beautiful.” This beautiful blossom is well- known as the “King of Flowers.” It symbolizes beauty, femininity, love, affection, and good fortune since the Tang dynasty. Club students first drew a sketch of their own mom using Chinese brushes and ink and then decorated her with these bright and fabulous peonies. The painting of peony flowers from an oriental culture expresses the same deep love to every great mom. “妈妈，我爱你

!” (Mom, I love you!) Happy Mother’s Day!