Learning beyond the classroom!

This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Year 5 and 6 students (groups 7 and 8) from Sterrenschool De Klimboom (Venray) to the Overloon War Cemetery. As part of their project on ‘War and Peace,’ intern Lise Weerts organized this educational visit for her “Learning Outside the Classroom” assignment.

The students arrived bravely on their bikes, accompanied by teachers and parents. During a brief introduction about the Battle of Overloon in 1944 and the history of the cemetery, many hands quickly went up. Their questions were insightful and touching:

• Why are only men buried here and no women?
• How did they know who the soldiers were back then?
• Were they allowed to be reburied at home later on?
• How do you track down their families today?

It was impressive to see the children connect these historical facts to stories from their own grandparents, and even to current events in Ukraine and the Middle East.
In small groups, the students were guided past the graves, where we shared the personal stories of the soldiers—who they were, their families, and what happened to them during the war. The children were deeply engaged, respectful, and a true credit to their school!

We at the Overloon War Chronicles Foundation thoroughly enjoyed their enthusiasm and interest. We heard from Lise that despite the wind and rain on the cycle back, they “immensely” enjoyed the day and learned so much. This is exactly why we do what we do!

For more photo’s see our post on Facebook.