Internat Sainte-Marie Mertzig

Welcome to Sainte-Marie

Through an archway on the main street of Mertzig you enter the St. Marie Internat. It is a large house with three storeys, a large courtyard and a field for football and basketball. There are 27 boys and girls who go to primary school in the parishes of Mertzig, Feelen, Wahl and Grosbous.

We provide children and young people with a safe home where they feel comfortable and can develop well. We have many common rooms where we eat, play, learn, romp, rest, do handicrafts or chill out together.

You have your own room.

You have a room to yourself. You can also share a big room with another child if you want to. We respect your needs. The room is equipped with modern, practical furniture. You bring your own bedding and personal belongings. You can decorate your room as you like. The rooms are spread over three floors and are separated into girls' and boys' groups. You will find separate showers and toilets on your floor. Unfortunately, our house is not barrier-free.

You are part of a familial community.

You are part of a small group that has its own space for studying ("Etude"). You are always with the same children here. Your small study group belongs to a life group. The life groups do a lot together in their free time. We have two life groups, divided by age.

You always have a reliable contact person.

In your small group, you have a fixed reference person who supports you and with whom you can always talk when something annoys you or makes you happy. This person is your reference educator. He or she also keeps in touch with your parents and your school. You can also turn to any of the other educators, they all will have an open ear for you. If you want, you can also see our psychologist. She can help you solve problems and she will keep secrets.

Our day has a fixed framework.

We eat together in the internat in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening. Our cook prepares fresh food every day. Afterwards, you can take part in activities or play indoors and outdoors. Before dinner, we do homework. You always go to bed at a fixed time.

We want you to feel safe and secure.

We have a fixed daily routine and rules so that you can find your way around. The rules make sure that we get along well with each other. We have written them down so that you know what to do.

You are important.

We have a children's council. You can have a say in what life at the internat should look like. The children's council is elected every year and thinks about what should be done differently.

We help you every day with your homework. With our help you can become independent and achieve your goals. Learning takes place from 17:00-18:30 in small, fixed groups of four to eight children. Your reference educator will support you as much as you need. Each group has its own study room ("Etude"). We also have books and tablets if you want to look something up. You can do your homework and prepare for tests in the "Etude". We look after your needs and help you as much as you need it.

When you come home from school or have finished learning, there is always free time to play, do handicrafts, paint, build with Lego, run around, play football, table football or pool billiard, climb or chill and enjoy some peace and quiet. We have many well-equipped rooms indoors where you can be active or relax alone or with others. We love being in our large common room and running around on our playground and sports field.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we offer activities that you can sign up for. We like to go to the sports field, play indoor board games, go to the forest or cook and bake with our cook.

We organised a football tournament, danced hiphop, did circus and acrobatics, worked with clay, held a drumming workshop and made a film.