A day full of excitement and enthusiasm for the students of the HAVO 1 class. And perhaps it is extra exciting for this group, because De Atlas is a school for children who need special education. Today, Ardi Sanwikrama’s class gets the unique opportunity to run the Nieuwe Kolk cinema.
Teacher Ardi has taken this initiative. Inspired by his own years of experience in the cinema world. “You naturally want to prepare them for life outside school,” says the teacher. “It’s safe inside the classroom, so you want to get them outside, out of their comfort zone, because that’s when they learn the most. That’s why I think it’s important to learn outside the classroom.”
From receiving visitors to making and handing out popcorn, opening room doors and starting the film. The 8 students take over all the responsibilities of a real cinema employee. 70 other students from De Atlas come to watch a relaxing Disney film at the end of the year.
“It went really well. We have never had such a quick turn-in of 70 people,” says Bhodi Lesage, Head of Commercial Operations at the cinema. “They also came here last week for a tour, so they knew exactly what to do today. They did a great job.”