Chaos and mischief: Celebrating Sinterklaas

The highlight of the event was a fantastic performance by Group 7, who brought the tale of Sinterklaas to life for the entire school.  

Adding to the festive atmosphere, each class showed off their Dutch language skills by presenting a Sinterklaas song they had been practiced during their Dutch lessons.

However, the unexpected twists of Sinterklaas festivities awaited us the next day, on December 1st. As we arrived at school, we were greeted with a mysterious sight – a closed school, lights off, and a missing key. The children, determined and creative, tried various methods to unlock the building, including one student attempting to open the doors with her hairpin.

And just when the suspense was reaching its peak, Miss Manon arrived in her car with the key, revealing that it had been mysteriously placed in her shoe that morning. We opened the doors and realized that the Rommel pieten, mischievous helpers of Sinterklaas, had paid us a visit during the night.

Even though the classrooms doors were still locked and more keys needed to be found, we could already see the mess they had created,…with tables overturned, marbles scattered, puzzled pulled out of the cupboards and toiletrolls scattered everywhere…  But they also found a very kind letter from Sinterklaas where he praised the children for the incredible learning journey they had undertaken over the past year. As the classroom doors swung open, revealing the aftermath of the Rommel pieten’s mischievous escapades, the children were in for another surprise – a thoughtful class gift to be enjoyed together.  

To complete the Sinterklaas celebrations, the children of groups 6 and 7 classes hosted a Sint surprise event for their class on Tuesday 5 December. For those unfamiliar with this tradition, the Sint surprise event involves students exchanging creatively wrapped gifts with surprises inside, adding an extra layer of excitement to the festivities.

In the end, our school experienced a uniquely Dutch celebration of Sinterklaas, where surprises, Rommel pieten, and laughter created another Sinterklaas celebration to remember.