Simone was fed up with the students at her Hilfertsheem College swearing by ‘cancer’. Together with a colleague, she therefore decided to set up a fine pot. “Children react with laughter, but they really pay. They really can’t get away from me.” And what if they don’t have any cash with them? “Then they can pay by card,” the canteen teacher said in 2020 to NH.
Amount remains secret
It is now more than four years later and Simone has already donated the amount from the fine fund several times. But Simone does not actually want to know how much has been donated in total. Because, according to her, this is at the expense of the message she wants to convey. Namely that you should not scold the disease.
That message has now landed at Hilfertsheem, because Simone notices that there is less swearing at her school. “You just have to be very clear with the students. Then that will be appreciated.”
Simone is certainly clear. She has also had to deal with it in her own life. “When I hear someone curse at it, I often ask: ‘Did your mother die of cancer in your arms?'” It is a personal story that makes a big impression on the students. So much so that students often donate on their own.
In any case, Simone notices that people are increasingly thinking about swearing about this nasty disease. “There is a new generation of students at school who take it more into account.”
Fine pot is here to stay
The Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is of course also very happy with its action. “It is great how Simone teaches her students to stop swearing with this word and at the same time raises a very nice amount for our cancer research,” the hospital said.
And as for the fine pot itself: it remains. “As long as I work at Hilfertsheem, the pot will remain standing. Persistence wins.”
View the 2020 report about Simone and her fine pot below.