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Sint Joseph School

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Did you ever hear of a school that accidentally became the first “Brede School” in the Netherlands? Right here, before the modern Sint Jozefschool, stands a legacy stretching back to 1873. Pastor W.J. van Campen, flush with a recent inheritance, decided to establish a Roman Catholic school on the Amstelveenseweg. The Sint Jozefschool opened its doors in 1874. It began humbly, a single classroom led by Meester van der Vliet. Around 75 farm children, their shoes clacking on the road, trekked from across the Buitenveldertse Polder to this very spot for their education. The cost? A mere dubbeltje a week. The Sint Jozefschool’s expansion in 1906 saw four new classrooms added. The original classroom transformed into a meeting and recreation space. This seemingly simple change marked a historic first. The Sint Jozefschool inadvertently became the first “Brede School” in the Netherlands, a community hub extending beyond formal education. It even offered a space for fathers, keeping them off the streets and out of the taverns. In the 1920s, the Sint Jozefschool moved further down the Amstelveenseweg, near the present VU University Medical Center. A large marble plaque, still visible within the current school, commemorates this era. Another move occurred in 1953, this time to the Kalfjeslaan behind the Augustinuskerk. The Sint Jozefschool, once an Amstelveen institution, officially became part of Amsterdam. By the late 1990s, another transformation was needed. The old Kalfjeslaan building was demolished and the current Sint Jozefschool opened in 2007. Today, with over 500 students and 45 staff, the Sint Jozefschool continues to thrive in this bright, spacious building.

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