Learning a Dutch song

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

One of my favorite songs is Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. Adam and my host family helped me learn the whole song in Dutch. 

When I get back to Texas, I can help Avery and her 3rd grade class sing this song in Dutch. The words are on the wall behind Adam. Let's practice.

The words sound like:

Hoaft, Shkouders, Kuh Nee en Tain.

Hoaft, Shkouders, Kuh Nee en Tain.

Oar ren, Oh ghun, Pun chuh vun yuh noose.

Hoaft, Shkouders, Kuh Nee en Tain.

Learn some more Dutch words

Inside the Dutch classroom

From the front of class, I could see all the kids. This was my view all morning at school. 

Juf Neenke put a magnet on my belly so I could see the kids and the school day's schedule. Dutch kids do not go to school on Wednesday and Friday after lunch. We could go home at 12:30.

What did I learn today? It's on the board above my head.

Type in the Dutch words on the green paper to see what I learned today.

Click on the picture and make it bigger.


No Fighting, No Shouting and No Bullying
The students in this school also get lessons about Respect, Responsibility, and Working Together. They learn how to understand their own feelings and to respect the feelings of their classmates.

Instead of fighting, shouting or bullying, these 2nd graders know how to communicate with each other to solve conflicts. They are taught that they always have a choice. They can decide how to solve things.

I felt very safe with my new friends.

Backpacking to school on the bike

I rode in Adam's backpack to his school. Adam was very careful on his bike with all the traffic, people, bikes and cars. I didn't see how dangerous this was because I was inside the backpack with the school snacks.

Adam is Avery's cousin, he is 8 years old and in Group 4. His school has a really long name: Vleuterweide Openbaar Basisschool or Vleuterweide Public Elementary School.

See more about Vleuterweide Openbaar Basisschool (in Dutch only)

Adam's teacher is Juf Neenke (YUF Nain Kah) and she was happy to have me in class today. She is a kind and strict teacher. Just what an 8 year old boy needs.

She introduced me to Adam's Group 4 classmates. I think this is like 2nd grade. I felt very proud, special and lucky to be doing this project and spending the day in a real school in Holland.