We are delighted that AFNORTH have moved forward with the concept of a House System. Both staff and students are excited to develop this idea as everyone at AFNORTH will be joining a House team. AFNORTH is composed of students from around the world sharing many languages and cultures.
Our house system is designed to help everyone feel connected within our school community. We hope that the new houses will build relationships across the school and develop from year to year.
Staff and students have been involved from its conception. Flyers and posters advertised the range of house name options culminating in a digital vote. House names are based upon our host country, the Netherlands, and selected Dutch cities are representative from all regions of the Netherlands. Each house is also represented by a colour based upon each city’s flag.
SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS
Eindhoven is famous for its innovative character, bustling with creativity and innovation in design and technology. It’s also known as a modern and green city, with plenty of parks and hotspots.
NORTHERN NETHERLANDS
Due to the extensive waterways and close proximity to the North Sea, Leeuwarden was a major trade post until the 15th century. Today it is the economic centre of the Friesland province, Leeuwarden has a host of attractions from public parks to canals and historical buildings and is a great base to explore the Frisian Islands.
WESTERN NETHERLANDS
Rotterdam is famous for its modern architecture, with landmarks such as the cube houses, the market hall, the Erasmus bridge and its many skyscrapers. Its diverse nightlife contrasts with the bustle and industry pulsing throughout the day. The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe.
EASTERN NETHERLANDS
Arnhem, the capital of Gelderland, is located on the right bank of the Lower Rhine. Although it is well known for its medieval history and its strategic importance in WWII as part of Operation Market Garden, today people often come to visit its popular open air museum and spectacular Burgers’ Zoo.
Students and staff from every section and from every grade/year level have now joined the four houses and have started to work together to build relationships and an identity for each house. House points are also awarded for different activities and displayed in the school entrance area.
Throughout this first year, we are working within our grade/year groups to develop opportunities for students to interact with students from other national sections in order to embrace internationalism while pursuing activities that reflect AFNORTH’s 6 Cs (Collaboration, Creativity, Character, Critical Thinking, Communication and Citizenship). These opportunities highlight a range of modes of learning from developing marble runs and pasta towers to playing sport activities like kickball and frisbee golf. Classes and staff have found ways to incorporate curriculum and interpersonal skills to embrace and work together.
Looking forward, we hope to continue to build our house system to incorporate mentorship between grade/year levels where older students can help to model positive characteristics and behaviors. These relationships not only enrich the lives of our younger students and help their sense of belonging and acceptance, but also give our older students opportunities for leadership and coaching.