By Sanjee Goonetilake, Coordinator of School community Building WG 

It was the World Teachers’ Day on Sunday October 5th, 2025; a day to honour the teachers who give so much to our children. 

I was first told about this initiative by Ambar Lietar Hernandez, an APEEE Board member of European School Laeken (EEB4) in 2018. It seems this day is celebrated in Mexico as a public holiday as “Dia del Maestro” on May 15. History and origin of Teacher’s Day Why do we celebrate it in Mexico on May 15? – The Yucatan Times

I thought it was a cool initiative and we also started celebrating it at EEB2 in 2018 for the first time. 

In 2019 the management also joined the parents in celebrating this day by thanking the teachers and now it has become an annual event at EEB2. This year we celebrated it on Friday 3rd October 2025. 

On Friday morning, I delivered Chocolates to the staff rooms of Woluwe primary, Woluwe secondary and Evere primary with the help of PT Board member Vanessa Coutinho and parent volunteer & former EN section Board member Gabriella Skara. 

We also included allergen free Chocolates that Vanessa was kind enough to find for all 3 staff rooms to be inclusive to all teachers. 

We also passed by to thank the nurses, psychologists and the educational advisors. Here is a glimpse of the happy staff. Everyone was grateful and asked to thank the parents. 

The last picture is of Michel, the school gardener and driver who is dressed in a red sweater who drove me to Evere. He has worked for EEB2 for 33 years. He kindly helped me to find all the buildings as a clueless Woluwe parent. Michel deserves an interview on its own for this newsletter.

If you would like to join us next year in thanking the teachers or if you have creative ideas for this event, you can contact me at Sanjee.Goonetilake@woluweboard.eu & secretariat.apeee@woluweparents.org