I have been to three different primary schools, one in Zevenaar and two in Leeuwarden. The first year (group one at the time, now group three) I was at the Terebinth in Zevenaar (photo). I also went to preschool for a little bit I guess in Zevenaar, probably at the same location. The Terebinth was a nice school in a newly built area, so with lots of new parents and small children. I remember we walked to school and there were parents who huided us across one big road. At this time, I do not let my son of 7 walk to his school although it's closer by and no real traffic present (times have changed, and it's Amsterdam, but he'll be ready soon). I remember playing in the sandpit at playtime, usually someone was completely covered in sand. Must have been great for the teachers, those kids completey covered in sand. Simple memories: first writing lessons (boom, roos, vis, vuur) my drawer of my desk that got stuck for months, the sunscreen that made a lot of noise when it was windy, the competition I did in writing exercise to finish first (not good for your writing skills). Also, some books we read twice. Twice!! That was boring. I also remember that a kid got into a long coma a couple of hours after a relatively small fall at school. I never know what happened to him. I met one of the girls in my class (Mirjam) later again when I went to university.

When my parents moved to Leeuwarden where my father got a job (my both parents were born in Leeuwarden, and family lived there as well, so it seemed a logical choice), the first school I went to was the Koningin Emmaschool, a christian neighbourhood school where my mother went to school when she was young. I stiil remember my first day of school there, I was really impressed by the vocal qualities of one kid. My memories are mixed. On one hand, I played a lot in the neighbourhood woth my friends from school, but I also remember taht it tok quite a while before I was accepted by the other kids. Especially the first months I could often be seen alone at the playground. It was a school where the teacher smoked in the classroom and where the kids (8 or 9 years old, mind you) were asked to collect packs of cigarettes at the local grocery during school hours. My teacher also pinched kids (it hurt) and once humiliated a kid because he peed in his pants. Probably the poor kid was to afraid to go. Although I had friends and all, my parents decided to put me on another school, apparently because I was too smart for the class (or the level of the school too low). In the end, I think it was difficult to get accepted since I was way smarter than the rest, was not of christian upbringing and of a too high social class (living on the 'richer' border of a working class area with academic parents.

The third primary school I went to was a semi-private school (there were no real private schools allowed in Holland at that time) called the Leeuwarder Schoolvereniging or LSV. I spend the last three years (class 4, 5 and 6) of my primary school era there. It was a school for the rich and educated, with children mainly from lawyers, medical doctors, notaries and the higher business echelons. Run by the 'van der Hams' (husband and wife) the atmosphere was strict with homework and in the two upper classes french lessons. Kids from parents that were personal friend from the 'van der Hams' were favored. It was a good school, that must be said, especially for people with brains since the level was high, but too elite-like for many (my sister for instance, who did not belong to the favorites, most likely because my parents divorced).  For me in any case, it was a good school and a good preparation for my 'A-level' high school. Although I belonged to the best of my class, the head of the school advised my mother not to choose for the Gymnasium, because socially I would not fit in according to him as a kid from a broken family. How wrong he was.  I heard that only later, and again, since I was quite good at school, my LSV era has left relatively good memories.