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Saint-Dominique Savio is a private school (ASBL Relay Group) which welcomes pupils in difficulty (+ or – 75 %) and children from Christian families. Situated in Mouscron, there are around seventy children enrolled in the nursery and primary school, thanks to the hard work of its seven teachers and many volunteers. The school, which is neither recognised nor subsidised by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, is under the direction of Mrs Marie-Dominique Hillewaert. The project began in 1991 as a school in an attic, then one thing led to another until fifty children were being schooled under one roof, both those with schooling difficulties and without. Today one of the objectives is to welcome children who have failed or dropped out of school in order to help them overcome their difficulties and succeed in their schooling, whether their failure be due to a particular difficulty (dyslexia, high-level autism, physical disability, high potential, illness, cultural poverty…) or to the way in which our school system is currently organised. The school is also open to those families desiring an education for their children which respects Christian values. A financial aid was obtained from Alcuin Funds to assure the salary of three people working part-time. (We have received a part-time salary for three years.)

The Saint Dominique Savio school seeks to provide every child with a quality education in an environment which invites each child to give the best of themselves. The pupils are taught to respect one another, to accept each other as they are, to accept themselves with their own limits and talents. To ensure an individualised teaching which respects the rhythm of each child, every year is split into ten modules. The “normal” rhythm followed by most pupils corresponds to one module per month.

The school wants to give each pupil a good level of study: not only to acquire the required base skills that we rigorously strive to attain, but also to study systematically certain subjects such as spelling and conjugation and to drill certain others such as mental arithmetic. It is perfectly possible to help every child succeed, avoiding the detrimental impact that an unnecessary failure at school would entail. Each year all the pupils of the sixth year of primary school pass their official exams (CEB) with great results. The same can be said for the results of the second grade of secondary school (CE1D). The school does not cater for students any older than this.

The children are also given opportunities to acquire learning strategies, notably thanks to the practice of N.L.P (Neuro Linguistic Programming). Far too little-known, N.L.P is a very effective tool for helping children to succeed.

Singing, dance, music and circus skill workshops are organised at the school and plays and performances are put on. Every morning at 8am the children go to the kitchen to help with the preparation of the meal. Sport (swimming, psychomotor skills) is equally important in the curriculum.

                         News:

• A high-quality musical theatre production is put on every three years (cancelled in 2020.)More information on the project is available on the website: (www.ecolesaintdominiquesavio.be)

Blanche de Castille Classes is an initiative association (ASBL) stemming from the desires of a group of parents to give a complete and personalized education to their children. The project, in progress since 2016, began officially in September 2018. The idea is to maintain a small structure, in order to remain halfway between a standard school and homeschooling. The goal is to have an important impact on the education of the children by giving them the academic and human tools so that they become responsible, engaged, and well-informed adults.   Currently, 18 children are educated in a home situated in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. The school received a donation in 2019 from the ‘Alcuin Funds’ for its arrangement and equipment.

The principal motivations since the project’s launch are: a high level education (personalized education), an alternative education (small groups which facilitate the responsibility, autonomy, and initiative of the child), education through artistic and musical activities, as well as manual activities.

A complete education is what is pursued, while respecting the personality of each child. The education proposed is structured and structuring, and respectful of the cerebral and neural functioning of the student.

For each academic level, a program of knowledge is prepared. This program is maleable as it needs to be adapted to the circumstances and the personality of each child.

The students learn to communicate with their surroundings, in a composed manner. The rules of comportment and discipline are forefront. A weekly resolution permits the establishment of good habits. The development of liberty is favorised by « the preventative method » of Saint Jean Bosco which weighs on the benevolent surveillance and mutual confidence between the adults and the children.

The classes are inspired by the Montessori Method as well as the pedagogy of Charlotte Mason (“living books” and narration). These two pedagogies emphasize contact with nature, manual work, as well as the autonomy and respect of the child :

The blending of ages is prioritized, which is very enriching and creates a familial atmosphere : the older children care for their younger counterparts, and the younger children learn from their elders.

Music classes occupy a large part of the schedule of the children. (music theory, instrument lessons, music history, choir, and voice). The teachers are formed according to the musical pedagogy WARD.

French occupies a choice position as it is important that all of the students speak, read, understand and write perfectly. It is an indispensable condition to an intellectual, rich and free life. The learning of reading begins in the maternelle simultaneously with writing following an alphabetical and syllabic method. These teachings are perfected thanks to daily phonological, phonetical and graphical recognition exercises, of graphism, copying, and reading. The acquisition of spelling is made through the practice of written dictations, or the manipulation of mobile letters.

The students have several seances of a second live language (choice of English, Flemish, Spanish) leaving the priority to French. We begin with essentially oral learning to transition to written beginning in Primary 4th.

Maths begin with the concrete and quickly necessitate abstraction. The link of real-abstract is developed from the beginning, through visualization. All rules and properties are explained and demonstrated before being applied, thanks to observation, manipulation, and reflection exercises.

The teaching of History is chronological, that of geography, descriptive and physical. The natural sciences develop the capacity of observation, manipulation, and reflection. These materials develop the general culture of the child and nourish their curiosity.

The artisanal workshops proposed , like chocolate making, sewing, wool working, or the art sciences. The manual works are often in relation to the geography, science, and history lessons. They permit the development of, among other things, the fine motor skills of the children. Excursions or workshops at the school are organized so that the children become familiar with techniques and careers so that they better understand the world in which they live.

The proper development of the children and their good coordination are also developed through physical exercise and in particular dance and sport classes. Psychomotricity is proposed to the youngest, especially for those who have particular needs. A weekly sport class permits the children to exercise their vigor, agility, and endurance in joy and good humour. Ballet and flamenco are also proposed for girls starting at 4 years old.

News :

• A beautiful library is under construction in order to furnish reading material, a cultural base, and to stimulate the desire for learning in the students.
• An expansion project in the coming years all while maintaining a small structure.
• In September 2021, the opening of 4th and 5th primary grades.

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