Together we bring out your inner magic

Our school De Optimist is named after an optimist, which is a small sailing boat. This safe sailing dinghy is used to teach children to sail. The children are alone in this boat, while the instructor is in another boat, guiding and instructing. The child is learning, experiencing as an active participant and gaining confidence to become an independent human being. And all this takes places thanks to a little boat - De Optimist. This way of teaching a child how to 'sail', truly reflects our vision of learning & education.
We welcome children in a spirit of understanding and tolerance in our diverse and multicultural school. We find ourselves to be a caring community that supports them to become a compassionate committed global citizen. We feel it’s exciting to grow by learning, which is at the core of everything we do.

 

We challenge children to realise their full potential and provide opportunities to discover and develop their unique talents. We support our students to be responsible for - and committed to - their own learning, so they will become lifelong learners who enjoy learning. We make learning visible and children are experiencing their growth. This inspires fun in learning and develops self-determination, self-regulation, ownership and empowerment in the learning process.

 

We house both the Dutch and international department. The Dutch department of De Optimist has approximately 320 students divided into 13 groups. Our international department has approximately 100 students divided into 7 groups. Our team consists of approximately 40 staff members, including specialist staff and student trainees (we are a training school for students in education).

 

Our classes

Class sizes are relatively small for greater personal attention to every pupil’s learning needs. We approach our students in a positive and constructive manner. We aim to act as role models to give your child the best possible guidance and education. 

 

Our international team

Our staff reflects the interculturality and international mindedness of our school with as many as 8 nationalities among our members of staff. Please meet our team.

 

School Board SOPOH

Our school is part of the foundation Stichting Openbaar Primair Onderwijs Haarlemmermeer, a public primary education institution - a branch of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. This school board governs 22 schools in Haarlemmermeer. Here you can find more information about SOPOH. Unfortunately the website is in Dutch only.

 

Member of Dutch International Primary Schools (DIPS)

We are a member of the DIPS. Dutch International Primary Schools have two things in common:

  • There is the connection with the mother school, which is Dutch education and the Dutch language. All international schools have an integration programme that is run together with the mother school.
  • There is a high level of focus on international education, with English as the language of instruction. All schools are member of the either IB Primary Year Program, (IB-PYP) or the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). This gives us the opportunity to really work together in a community of Dutch International Schools.