Belonging: What does this mean at Holland International School, Singapore?
28 November 2022, Ms. Ashley Bentley
"I have always been interested in the idea of ‘belonging’ and the role that schools can play in establishing this for children. Since moving to Singapore, I have become even more intrigued about what this means within an International School setting, where children come from different countries, with varying cultural identities, and often move frequently. What does ‘belonging’ actually mean? It is a term that we hear a lot within the expat community, as we fear our children won’t be able to make the deep connections that they did when living in their home country.
According to the Cambridge dictionary, belonging is: “a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having good relationships with the other members of the group because they accept you.” This is a good place to start when we are considering young people, who spend the vast majority of their time within a school setting. It is essential that children feel happy and emotionally settled. A great deal of evidence shows that children who are happy and feel fulfilled socially, actually learn more, behave well and are motivated to achieve. When difficulties occur, children who feel comfortable within their school setting are able to cope better as belonging creates a protective factor for them; it builds resilience as there are always others to fall back on for support.
In the UK, I was lucky enough to help lead a school of over 400 children and 40 members of staff. I prided myself on knowing everything about every child, their parents, siblings, often their grandparents. As a church school, the sense of community was strong and it shaped our ethos and everything we did. When I joined Holland International School this year, I believe I was looking for this same feeling of belonging; the need to once again be a part of a school community where, in the words of the famous sitcom ‘Cheers’, “everybody knows your name”. This is certainly true within our school. HIS is a home away from home for its students; a safe space where they can be themselves because they feel valued and supported. The positive relationships between the staff and children at HIS are key in establishing this feeling of safety, as well as the small and welcoming school grounds. Being small is not a disadvantage at Holland International School, it is one of our main strengths. When students, staff or parents, join the community they are quickly integrated and welcomed. As you walk around the school, there are similar themes that can be seen within all classrooms that bring us together, but there are also differences between classes and groups. Being the same but different is vital in an International School; the children know they belong to the same school community and yet they can celebrate their identities and unique nature within this safe space.
I love the quote by Brene Brown, an American research professor. She says, “Those who have a strong sense of love and belonging have the courage to be imperfect”. This is what we wish for the nearly 300 students at Holland International School, that they take risks in their learning, try new things and are confident when they move on to their next school. The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) offered at HIS, allows children to take these risks, to research and investigate with independence, but still with the support of their peers and teachers. During celebrations such as Sinterklaas or Christmas, or simply during Friday assemblies, it is wonderful to see how the whole school comes together to connect. The children sing, smile and cheer, free to be themselves within the safety of every school gathering.
Parents are, of course, a huge part of our school community and the connection between home and school can clearly be seen. Recently one of my students moved to a new country. The child’s parents cried when we said goodbye to him, the other children in the class were visibly upset when the time came for him to leave; they hugged him as siblings would hug each-other. Although this was a very sad time for all of us, it also made me feel that we had created something very special. When this child left Singapore it was like a member of our family left as he belonged to our class. Deep bonds are formed at Holland International School.
To conclude, what does belonging mean for the students at Holland International School in Singapore? To me it means: a sense of community; being deeply connected to others (peers and staff); being understood as individuals; being seen, valued and respected."
If you would like to come and walk around our boutique school,please contact our admin teamto make an appointment for a personal tour with Marc, the school Principal.