Giles Houghton-Clarke, President

Like many board members, I joined the APEEE because one topic grabbed my attention, and before I knew it, I found myself unexpectedly submerged in this world of education policy issues, APEEE business management, school financing challenges, the risk of pupils being moved to Arts-Loi and many more topics with direct impact on the wellbeing, safety and pedagogical success of our children.

I have during my time in the APEEE (this is my second stint) come to realise what a lot of hard work is constantly going on at the APEEE level, mostly behind the scenes, and how important and often influential this activity can be. The parents association plays a key role in the European schools, very different from a national school. Here we are key stakeholders, sitting in the governance structure of the schools, a voice in the decision making process on behalf of pupils and parents. And at our school, we are also responsible for running all the transport, catering and after school activity services, which amounts to a small business in itself with a not insubstantial turnover. It's rewarding, engaging and also at times frustrating - but vital to maintain the great school and great school community that we all want for parents, pupils, teachers and everyone who is part of it.

I am a Brit - now with Swedish nationality through my wife, Stefanie (thank you Sweden, thank you Stefanie). Our 2 daughters are in the Swedish section, one now in S7. They have been at school from primary so we have been through the full school experience. It's been fascinating, mostly really great. My personal background is in the private sector, in banking and general management - but also including a fun period in advertising and public relations. I have lived and worked in several EU countries, most recently Spain, and grew up in England, Australia and Switzerland, so I feel a great affinity for this wonderful multicultural environment we are all part of in the school.

I look forward to getting to know as many parents as possible over the coming year. Please get in touch if you have any issues you want to raise, or if you just want a chat about the APEEE. My email address is giles.houghton-clarke@woluweboard.eu.

Bettina Schmidbauer Mogensen, Vice-President Pedagogical Affairs, Co-ordinator Canteen WG

Dear parents,

Let me tell you a short story about our family's common parent/child everyday struggle: My children arrived at this school some years ago, my daughter was only 4 years old when she started in the German section and it was a big change for the whole family. We integrated well, although arriving in Primary and with the first child, there were also challenges. We therefore decided to move to Denmark for a while, where our son started class 0 at the age of 6 in a German school. Only then I realised that what the European Schools offer cannot be taken for granted anywhere else. What the children get here is not only an education, they also get a rich and multiple culture transfer and so many opportunities to learn and grow. Meanwhile, we encountered other challenges in Denmark and after long talks and thinking, we decided to move back to Brussels and reintegrated in higher Primary. It was not easy at the beginning but after some efforts from all sides, it finally worked out.

Today, both kids are happy in Secondary and they thrive. But I never forget the bumpy beginning. I learned that kids grow and develop at different times and at different paces. That is why I say to parents of young kids: you will get there eventually. What is a big problem in Primary can sort itself and work out in Secondary. Suddenly, the brain develops, and your child becomes more active or more interested and responsible. Now I struggle with the teenager phase, but I learned to stay cool and try to survive the hormone storm with dignity. Let's keep fingers crossed.

When we came back to Brussels, I decided to get more active as a parent and joined the APEEE. This year is my 5th year of activity, representing the DE section. I have coordinated the Primary WG, now I do canteen coordination and since 2018 I'm the vice president for pedagogical affairs. It is a great experience to volunteer for APEEE. Of course, the work load could be a full-time job. However, all board members are juggling between professional work and volunteer work, we try to have fun and do what we can with the time available. It is just great if you can shape and improve the life at school and get active in the interest of parents. And finally, my children love the fact that I'm volunteering for their school, and that is my best motivation of them all!

You can contact me via bettina.schmidbauer-mogensen@woluweboard.eu.

Johan Melander, Vice-President Administrative Affairs, Co-ordinator IT WG

Father of three boys, the youngest is in S6. Representing the Swedish section for the second period on the board. Main focus is on process and procedures to try to create a balance between ease to work for employees and ease of use for our parents. The focus last year was on GDPR. This year, it is documenting HR processes in order to make it easy for future boards, try to assist Bengt with Security, and drive our organisation to be as professional as possible for a board of unpaid volunteers.

Johan likes his kids, cooking, sailing and his house in Cap Gris-Nez. He is the credit director for Electrolux in Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa so travels extensively for his job.

Marius Lazdinis, Treasurer

I am trying to fill big shoes – replacing my wife Jovita, who has been at the Board for six years. As it happens, I have also taken over from her the role of treasurer of the APEEE and also chairing the budget group. Dealing with money is never as fun and creative as engaging in other areas might be. But one needs to ensure the full respect of sound financial management principles and detailed rules for money matters, which we already have well established in our organisation. As far as I have seen until now, I think that your money, money destined to benefit our children, is in good hands. I am impressed with their financial discipline and rigouressness of procedures. And working with money does not always have to be dull. Challenging moments requiring priority setting and consideration might present themselves. The task of setting a new, balanced budget for the school year 2019/2020 lies ahead of us as well as considerations, and decisions, on what would be the best ways of managing reserves accumulated in APEEE accounts.

Francesca Tudini, Secretary of the Bureau, Co-ordinator Periscolaire WG, CEA delegate

Dear Parents,

This is my fifth year as a Board member, a great and challenging experience. What I said in my presentation last year is still true: "I consider it as one of the most interesting experiences that a parent can have. You don't need to be part of the Board to help and support the school community, but of course if you are in, then you are in a privileged position and it is easier to play an active role".

After three years serving as President of the Association, I found that it was time to change so that I could focus again on issues close to my heart, like the initiatives I had started in the past and which I consider to be my best personal contribution to the Association: the projects "end-of-the-year activities" and "preparation of the BAC". They have proved so far to be quite successful thanks to the big effort by the school to implement them.

This year, I will be leading two Working Groups that I consider of particular importance. The first one is the Enrolment Policy WG and the second one is the Periscolaire WG. My goals are to make sure that our voice is heard, in cooperation with the other APEEEs, at the Central Enrolment Authority (CEA) when it comes to the decision-making process for the new enrolment policy (which is becoming quite challenging given the overcrowding issue), and that our periscolaire activity programme keeps its position as the top programme among the European schools. The new WG has already started its work and it is good to see how the new colleagues are bringing in some fresh ideas. The support from our great staff is also something that we value immensely.

My door is always open to all parents. My personal commitment is to ensuring that – despite us being a group of volunteers – we can always offer help and support to anyone who asks.

Thanks again for your trust.

Francesca

Andreas Rogal, Information Secretary, InterParents delegate

This is my fifth year on the board, representing the EN section. As Information Secretary of the APEEE Bureau, I am also coordinating our Communication Working Group. This year, I have also taken on the coordinater's role for the APEEE's support of the European Schools Mobility Programme (student exchanges). Our school has decided to reduce the Mobility Programme to the bare minimum, only allowing for term-long exchanges in S5. I strongly believe that it is important to make this exciting opportunity as relevant as possible to as many students as possible. However, given the school's limited resources, this will not happen overnight and it will necessitate complex negotiations with the school's management and parent volunteer action.

Together with Jan and Vanessa, I am also one of our APEEE's delegates to InterParents, the body representing all European Schools' parents at system level.

These are troubled times for the European Union and its European Schools, with our school being no exception. A catastrophic scenario with all seconded UK teachers being made redundant immediately in the case of a departure of the UK from the EU without a withdrawal agreement has been avoided, but the future for our EN sections as well as for teaching in English in general is far from clear or certain.

Our school will welcome a new director at the beginning of the new school year in September. The APEEE has an important role to play in making this management transition as smooth and successful as possible.

I am originally from Germany but have lived in the UK and in France before coming to Brussels fifteen years ago. I like playing football, an interest I share with my elder daughter.

Please feel free to contact me on any issue regarding which you think I could help you - and most importantly, if you want to contribute to the APEEE's efforts regarding communication and the Mobility Programme.

Anthony Bisch, Coordinator Primary & Nursery Pedagogical Affairs (CEP&M)

Anthony has been re-elected to the Board for the second time. With one child in P1, he represents the German section. He writes:

As coordinator for the Primary and Nursery education Council, I am committed to promote parents and children's interests through a constructive dialogue with school management. I want to favour a better communication and information flow from teachers to parents in an inclusive school. Offering support to pupils when needed while preventing violence are essential to offer a beneficial development to our children in a harmonious multicultural environment.

Furthermore, I will remain strongly involved to guarantee a high-quality standard for the transport and canteen services as well as periscolaires activities provided by the APEEE.

Vanessa Aulehla, Coordinator Secondary Pedagogical Affairs (CEES) Working Group, Interparents delegate

Vanessa represents the Italian speaking section at Secondary level, she writes:

This is my third year at the APEEE board. My daughter did her BAC last year, my son is in S4.

I am particularly worried about the general problem of overpopulation and that the high demand for new inscriptions to the Brussels European schools is answered by the authorities with transfers of already enrolled students to any temporary site. Why should our students pay for the delays in preparing for the 5th school?

Also worrying are the possible changes of the BAC like the phasing out of the prebac, the reduction of choices for the oral bac and the changes of the written bac (only external correctors...).

In general, I would like to continue help parents better understand the school and help the school (teachers and management) understand the parents better. In an environment of mutual trust it is certainly easier to overcome shortcomings and to find solutions for different challenges, be it a more efficient communication, better career guidance, reducing of lost hours or exchange of best practices among sections and classes.

Minna Melleri, Coordinator Transport Working Group

Together with Pia and Jan, Minna represents the Finnish section, with two daughters in P 1 and 2 respectively. She writes:

Having recently relocated back to Brussels, our family is new to the European School and it is also my first year as class representative and APEEE Board member. I will coordinate the Transport WG and follow pedagocical affairs specifically regarding the primary and nursery sections. I work in the non-profit sector advocating for more entrepreneurship education across Europe. So education is both a personal and a professional passion for me!

Bengt Davidsson, Co-ordinator Health, Safety and Security Working Group

Bengt is a board member since 2017. He has one child in P4 and another in M2. He represents the Swedish section in Primary. He writes:

I joined the APEEE board as I wanted to be closely involved in my kids' school develoments and to contribute with my experience and my positive energy. Having an engineering and environmental management background, I appreciate good structures and green credentials.

This year, I will continue my task as coordinator for the working group on health, safety and security. This is an important but challenging task with the purpose to keep reminding school management to address the issues, perhaps not unlike a guiding consultancy. The issues covered by this working group are problems with the school's infrastructure (buildings), controlled access to the school site, and pupils'well-being.

Another area that interests me is school transport, which I believe has the potential to improve our environmental performance. I am also engaged in the nursery and primary education council (CEP&M). It is important to further bridge the gap between the parents and school management. A positive dialogue with the school is essential for good results!

Elita Petraitene, Coordinator Active Community WG

This is my first year at the APEEE Board. I am representing the Lithuanian section with children in S1 and P3. I am a lawyer by education with 10 years of experience in state service.

Since the first year my children were enrolled to the school I have been volunteering in different activities – Christmas market, Footfest, Library, school trips, etc.

I like things to be clear and done right. So, I would like to help improve parent's partnership with the school management and teachers and to ensure the best for our children. My goal is to contribute more in:

• helping the new-comers to understand school and APEEE policy better and adapt easier,
• improving children's safety at school (support anti-bullying, anti-drug measures),
• ensuring more accessible learning support for children (including gifted ones),
• promoting the extracurricular activities at school and ameliorating the access to them,
• promoting voluntary activities at school involving parents and children.

Ana Dumitrache, Coordinator Welcome Committee

Chers parents et élèves! I am very glad and honoured to be part of the APEEE Board, having been re-elected as representative of the French section.

I have always enjoyed being an active parent, because I believe that we, parents, can make the difference in finding solutions and developing good initiatives for our children. Because I would like to see our school as a genuine friendly community of people – pupils, parents, teachers, staff, I am active as a coordinator for the APEEE's Welcome and Community service. Don't miss our invitations for coffee mornings and other events, and join us!

It is my third year in the Board, and I remain interested and active in pedagogical matters in both primary and secondary, the transition from primary to secondary, and in issues such as overcrowding, health & safety, teachers absences, anti-bullying and anti-drug policies, quality extra-curricular activities.

I am Belgian (with various origins!), lawyer by education and work in EU employment and education policies.

I am at your disposal for any question you might have, so please do not hesitate to contact me on ana.dumitrache@woluweboard.eu. Thank you for your trust! Merci de votre confiance et à bientôt!

Sanjee Goonetilake, Coordinator School Community Building WG

I am representing the Dutch language section with children in P2 and S1.

I have just completed one year on the APEEE board. I arrived at the school in September 2016 from Namibia. We had spent 11 years in Africa on three EU Diplomatic postings to Eritrea, Zimbabwe and Namibia. While we loved all the countries we have lived, my heart was stolen by Eritrea, where I learned to appreciate the simplicity of life and human warmth.

Originally from Sri Lanka, I am a world citizen and a proud European with a passion for ecological issues and opinion making. I have a background in International Relations, European affairs, humanitarian work, teaching, creative writing, social media management and grassroots-level development work.

I am also active in several working groups and in particular on welbeing ,substance abuse policy, negative impact of excessive mobile Phone use- Health Safety Security WG, Educational Support Working Group, Welcome Working Group, Communication Working Group, Active Community and the three core services of the APEEE (transport, cantine and periscolaire).

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.

Imagine a school built and nurtured by deep community ties where students, teachers, the school administration and the parents play an active role to ensure that every child is happy, healthy and curious to learn. By the school community I refer to the students, the teachers, school administration and the parents.

During the last year, I have spent countless hours at the school, meeting parents, teachers, school administration and the students while defining, searching and trying to understand how the school works and how we can contribute as parent volunteers to the school. I foresee the need to have a sense of school community building. I strongly believe that parents are not a separate entity nor are the teachers, management staff nor the students. We all make one big community and we need to think of all of us as one.

During this journey, I have encountered dedicated teachers, school management staff, parents and students who are silent heroes who contribute incredible amount of hours to making this school into a community. Their efforts take place in different areas, and often go unreported and unrewarded. I see many possibilities to revive them, to continue them, to enhance them and to show appreciation of these efforts. As a part of this journey, I have enlisted APEEE support in helping teacher run clubs such as BRUMUN, the Debate Club, the Media Club, the Feminist Club and the many other clubs that exist in our school. I have just christened this new Working Group as School Community Building and we will be developing this WG during the year to see how far we can go.

I believe that "trust" is the key word in school community building. The other day I was speaking to a student in S6 who told me what "trust" meant to him. He said that one teacher had asked his entire class if they wanted to see a classical music programme. The teacher had not told them any rules and he had simply trusted that they would behave themselves. It was a Friday night and over 30 students were out and all of them had made the utmost effort not to break any rules simply because the teacher had trusted them. He said it was amazing that on a Friday night you get over 30 students from S6 to be at a classical music concert voluntarily. He said that this entrusting "trust" is the key to building trust. I believe we as parents need to build trust with the students (our children), the teachers and the school. There is already a cherished school community and the will to make it even tighter.

I also believe that we need to nurture a culture of appreciation. By this I mean, that we need to teach our children to show gratitude to what they have, what they receive and most of all to their teachers. I am amazed at the maturity shown by the senior students of this school and I hope that my children would be as wise as those students when they graduate one day.

If you would like to join this new working group as a volunteer please contact me at sanjee.goonetilake@woluweboard.eu.

Thank you for all the efforts you make to bring the school community closer.

Roberta Maggio, Coordinator Compliance and Risk Assessment WG

Roberta has been newly elected to the Board, representing the Italian section. She writes:

I am the proud mother of two girls. The big one is in P1 of the Italian section and the small one, hopefully, will join EEB2 in a couple of years.

Italian of nationality, I have lived in Hungary and Estonia before landing in Brussels in 2016, just in time to enrol my daughter to the European School. She was accepted in EEB2. I remember that I was frightened by the dimension of the school and I was worried that my little girl of 4 years would be lost here. Then I met the APEEE and I realised the big role parents played to provide a good quality time for our kids.

Our school is big, articulated and challenging. But at the same time, it is full of opportunities and experiences and open to the world. I would like that the time spent at school is a good time giving the opportunity to our kids to learn and grow in a safe and welcoming environment.

I would like to contribute to create this special environment and this is the reason why I have joined the APEEE Board. My professional background is as a lawyer and I am putting at your disposal my experience together with my passion and commitment.

Tatiana Almeida, Coordinator Educational Support WG

I was elected to the APEEE Board for the first time this year, representing the Portuguese section.

I am the mother of two girls (P3 and M1) and an expecting mother of another future EEB2 student.

European schools are currently facing enormous challenges and I believe it is my duty as a mother and member of the school community to get engaged and actively participate in the ongoing dialogue about the current and future challenges of our school.

I believe that the APEEE plays a very important role in promoting personal, academic and civic standards of excellence among the school community and I am thrilled and honoured to help out in every way I can.

In addition to participating in some of the horizontal APEEE working groups and being the PT delegate in the education committee for nursery and primary, I am currently coordinating the Education Support working group. I am particularly interested in the development of new inclusiveness strategies and policies for students with special needs.

I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at: tatiana.almeida@woluweboard.eu

Luís Amorim

I have been elected to the Board for the first time in 2019. I have one daughter attending Secondary School in the PT section. I like our school's international outlook and its emphasis on language learning. I also like our school's investment in civic education through activities such as Brussels Model United Nations, thematic clubs, and educational school trips. I believe all this contributes to branding our school as a ‘quality educational space' amongst other international schools in Brussels.

I wish to contribute to a school community anchored in diversity, human development, healthy lifestyles and the pursuit of academic excellence, adapted to pupils' different needs and talents. Moreover, I would like to support initiatives that promote diversity and student well-being, the prevention of substance addiction & abuse and those that promote the school amongst European universities and related bodies.

I have been living, working and studying in Brussels since 1996, and have been an official at the Council of the EU since 2002.

You can contact me via luis.amorim@woluweboard.eu.

Szilvia Kalman

I am a new Board member representing the French section. My elder daughter is in S1 and my younger one will also join the primary section of EEB2 next year. I feel greatly honoured to work together in the Board with many dedicated parents for the benefit of our children. For the past seven years, I have been working on education and youth policies at the European Commission/DG Education, Culture, Youth and Sport and it is great opportunity for me to look at education from a more practical angle through the eyes of parents. In my experience, there is a growing consensus on the challenges faced today by schools and the directions to go, yet I feel that practice is often far from theory. I believe that schools should equip children with the skills needed in the 21st century, which requires new ways of teaching and learning. At the same time, the well-being of our children matters just as much as academic achievement and I am convinced that it is possible to reconcile these two aspects. I would like to support the school in making further progress in these areas, in particular by making use of tools and good practices available at EU level. In the board, I am primarily involved in pedagogical matters, well-being, educational support and community building.

Natalia Karpenko

Natalia is a newly elected Board member representing the Dutch section. She writes:

Our family has been a part of the EEB 2 school community for a year and a half now, as my eldest daughter became its pupil in Primary last school year and my youngest one joined Nursery last fall. We are a very multicultural and multilingual family, with me being Ukrainian, my husband Italian and our children acquiring actively four languages at the same time. In this respect the mission of the school as stated on its website, "to provide a multicultural and multilingual education", matched our expectations beautifully. Another principle of the school which appealed to us very much was "to foster tolerance, cooperation, communication and concern for others throughout the school community and beyond". Despite the excellent job the school is already doing in these areas, I believe we as parents have an important role to play in these processes. However appealing it might sound, effective multilingualism and a warm and stimulating school community are no easy tasks and need a lot of effort and commitment. I would like to contribute my experience and expertise in these fields as an APEEE board member.

My background is in education. Graduating from university with a degree in English and Dutch, I went on to teach Dutch at the university of Kyiv in Ukraine. Meeting the need of the Dutch community in Kyiv, I started also teaching Dutch language and culture to the Dutch primary school children there as their parents wanted the kids to speak the language and to feel connected to the culture and the country of their origin. Thus, helping to strengthen and enrich the Dutch community centered around the school came naturally into my daily work. After moving to Brussels, I enrolled at university again: this time to learn how to become a qualified Dutch Primary teacher. I have completed internships at EEB 3 and now work there part time as a replacement teacher. At the same time, I feel that staying connected to your own cultural heritage is important for both my children and myself. As a result, we as a family are quite active in the Ukrainian community in Brussels, forming bridges between different cultures and trying to get the best out of this challenging journey.

Saida Khanboubi

This is my second year on the APEEE Board, representing the English section. The first year was a challenge (with anti-drugs policy ,the Art/Loi issue and the consequences of Brexit uppermost on my mind), as the European system is so complex but I enjoyed working with a great team, and learned a lot ..at the end of the day, it’s a pleasure to see things moving.

Originally, I came to Europe from Morocco, I studied and worked in the IT & information system in Paris, then moved to Brussels in early 2001 to work in the European institutions. My children are in P5 English and S4 French section.

Among the working groups which I worked in last year, working with Manuela on Education Support and how to create a better education environment for our children was a nice experience when it comes to diversity in our school education system.

I will continue working in the canteen WG, on bullying prevention, and educational issues.

When it comes to secondary issues, I would like to focus on substance abuse prevention and the students’ exchange called Mobility Programme .

Thanks a lot for your trust, and please contact me if you have suggestions, ideas or issues.

Akvile Motiejunaite-Schulmeister

Akvile is a newly elected Board member representing the DE section. She writes:

"Mama, what do you do at work?", my 4- and 6-year-old daughters ask me. I work to make Kindergartens better, I answer. "What would YOU like to improve in your school?", I return the question to my closest and dearest case studies who attend MAT DE.

I am very lucky: currently my interests, my work and my family cycle are all aligned. I moved to Brussels 11 years ago to work at the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. I analyse how education systems differ in Europe and help countries learn from each other. Here I met my Austrian husband and we raise our girls who already speak German, Lithuanian and French. EEB2 is an amazing example of European education systems under one roof, where kids speaking different languages learn, play and grow together.

So why am I here? When introducing my candidature for the board elections, my husband put it simply: "help me move the debate about best education practices from our dinner table to your school board." That's what I am here for. Please come and talk to me if you have ideas how to improve our wonderful mini European Education Area. I am a DE delegate in the Maternelle and Primary Pedagogical Affairs working group as well as a member of the working groups on Educational Support and on Extracurricular Activities.

Jan von Pfaler, INTERPARENTS delegate

This is Jan's fourth year on the APEEE Board, representing the Finnish section. He writes:

Thank you for the trust shown in me at the election. I hope I can repay it with positive contributions.

I am mainly interested in the quality and sustainability of the school systems. Due to the end of the financing contract (cost sharing), retaining and recruiting of quality teacher is increasingly difficult as the contracts on offer are not attractive enough. Increasing the share of seconded teacher is a problem if they are not properly prepared for teaching in our multilingual environment. The assessment reform clearly has negative implications to the value of BAC due to management of the change. Brussels' capacity issues, well predicted a long time ago, are and will be causing a constant struggle until the fifth school will be opened and filled.

Even if the struggle seems never ending, and most likely is, it does bring about results, too. Most recently, Belgium authorities have taken up the very proposal we parents made concerning temporary measures to host the growing number of pupils.

Let us keep waving the flag of rationality, things would be very different if we did not.

You can contact me via jan.von.pfaler@woluweboard.eu.

Pia Pistol-Diboine

I was elected to the APEEE Board for the first time this year; I represent the Finnish section together with Minna and Jan. I have two children: my son is in P4 and my daughter in P1.

I am a believer in walking the talk: I feel I do not have the right to complain about things that are going wrong unless I have contributed in trying to make them right. This is why I have always engaged in the activities of the school communities that my family has been a part of.

In addition to participating in the education committee work for both primary and secondary schools, I am currently a member in the Health, Safety and Security Working Group and the Communication WG.

I also have a horizontal ambition and that is improving the overall communication with parents, teachers and other stakeholders of our school community.

You can contact me via pia.pistol-diboine@woluweboard.eu. I look forward to hearing from you!