Volume 1 Issue 1—October 2009 - Keeping you informed about the challenges and successes of S4 and our students

in the Netherlands

Opvang 2009 - A Success!

The Hague– The very first weekend in August proved to be an exciting
one for many as St. Maarten Student Support Services (S4) welcomed
new students from the Dutch Windward Islands to the Netherlands for
the school year 2009/2010. In pursuit of degrees ranging from MBO to
WO, in fields from Aviation to Biology, a total of forty-eight students
from St. Maarten and St. Eustatius were greeted with enthusiasm at
Schipol Airport on Sunday August 2nd, 2009.
The official welcome reception and dinner took place at Hotel Schipol
A4 where the Director of S4 Drs. Marva Richardson, the representa-
tives of the Island Government of St. Maarten, the Antillean House,
SSC and St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce delivered words of advice
and encouragement. The students received packets of valuable infor-
mation including their insurance policies and rental agreements. They
also got the chance to meet the mentors that would assist them with
orientation in their respective cities and schools. For a group that had
just arrived to Europe after a nine hour flight, the students, although a
bit fatigued were well-behaved and in high spirits. The “Opvang” was
deemed a success by everyone present.
Every year hundreds of students from the Netherlands Antilles arrive in
the Netherlands with the hopes of obtaining higher education and a
new outlook on life. S4 was incorporated in 2004 to assist the students
from the Dutch Windward Islands by offering an array of support ser-
vices aimed at guiding the students toward success.

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!
Meet the S4 Team 2
John Brooks - MBO Med. Lab. Technician
Juan Carlos de Jesus - Chef Advanced Picture Gallery 4

Shobhan Giterson - HBO Communication Studentverzekering 6

Shariselle Hennis - BBA International Business Student Highlight 6
Mavis Lestrade - HBO Education—English
Changing Studies 7
Efrena Plantijn - MBO Nursing
Housing Rules 8
Ruben Richardson - MBO Sociale Dienst
Shurhensley Thielman - MBO Netwerk Specialist Mentor Highlight 8

Chi Hing Yee - BSc Accountancy

 WHAT’S GOING ON... page 2
WHAT’S GOING ON...
The Quarterly Newsletter From S4
WHAT’S GOING ON... has been created to keep the students of S4, their parents and the communi-
ties of St. Maarten, Saba, Statia and the Netherlands informed about the organization and it’s stu-
dents’ successes and challenges. St. Maarten Student Support Services (S4) was established in No-
vember 2004 in order to guarantee proper guidance and supervision for our students in the Nether-
lands and to ensure that their stay in the Netherlands would be fruitful.

WHAT’S GOING ON… is distributed electronically on St. Maarten, Saba, Statia and the Netherlands.
Hard copies are also available at the S4 office.

Born on Curacao almost 50
years ago, my parents were
both from our lovely island
St. Maarten. My father was
from the Dutch side of the island
while my mother, the French. I
grew up on Curacao with frequent visits to St.
Maarten, the island that I have loved from a child.
My story is similar to that of most of you. After completing my
VWO education I came to Holland for the first time when I was 18
years old. At that time I chose to live in Groningen which was and
still is an excellent “studenten stad”. I came to study Pedagogiek
at the Rijks Universiteit Groningen. At that time I was told that
90% of the Antillean students did not succeed in their first year.
This boggling statistic made me determined not to become part of
that group and with hard work and determination I successfully
completed my first year within the scheduled time frame. In my
second year I decided to switch to “Bedrijfskunde” and after com-
pleting my Bachelor - “Kandidaats diploma Pedagogiek richting
Onderwijskunde” I went full ahead into Bedrijfskunde. I really en-
joyed this study and my enthusiasm for it showed. During my final
year I was able to arrange an internship at De Bank van de Ned-
erlandse Antillen (the Central Bank) in Curacao and following that
I wrote my “afstudeer scriptie” entitled “The Effectiveness of the
BNA - De Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen” for which I was
happy to have received a 9 (nine) when I graduated as “Drs in de
Bedrijskunde”.
It has been 22 years since I graduated from University and during
the years that followed I pursued my career in the Commercial
Banking sector. I started out as a Management Trainee at the
ABN Bank in Amsterdam/Groningen with my first placement be-
ing with that bank in Curacao. However, within 3 years I got a
better job that carried me to my favourite island, St. Maarten.
There I started as a Commercial Credit Account Manager at The
Windward Islands Bank (WIB) and after a few years I became the
youngest Senior Account Manager within the Maduro & Curiel’s
Bank Group. In 2005 I got the opportunity to further my career by
moving to First Caribbean International Bank in St. Maarten as
the Head of Corporate Credit & Country Head. Together with my
colleagues who formed the Management Team we succeeded in
moving that company from a “sleeping bank” to one that is con-
sidered as one of the leading banks on the island.
On May 1, 2009 I was appointed as the Director of S4 in The
Hague. During an initial orientation period of two weeks at the
Department of Education on St. Maarten I held productive meet-
ings with Commissioners, the Management Team of the Depart-
ment of Education and that of the Department of Finance. I also
visited the secondary schools where I was able to share valuable
ideas with the School Managers and Career Counselors.
You may wonder why I should choose to leave everything behind
for a job as S4 Director in “koude kikkerland”. My answer is a
very simple one. At this stage in my life I have already accom-
plished most of my financial, social and personal goals. Instead of
going for more of the same I now choose to pursue a better qual-
ity of life. I can now be closer to my 12 year old son (who has
been residing in Holland for the past 8 years) and at the same
time give back valuable time, energy and resources to the island
that has been so good to me. I am still young enough to pick up
that part of my profession that has always been close to my
heart: Pedagogiek. Through S4 I intend to help each one of you
to accomplish your goal to also become a successful St. Maarten,
Saban or Statian professional.
For most of us education will continue to be the “Key to Success”.
Even though I was not born rich, through first of all my strong
faith in God, my education, my determination and by making
good choices I have become successful in life and I want each
one of you to have that same opportunity. No one can make you
study if you don’t want to; but through S4 we can be there to sup-
port, help and motivate you along the way. Whether it is by help-
ing you find a room, a school, buy a computer, pay for your
books, etc. It is my goal that as S4 gets better established we will
also be able to help you to find internship and even a job in the
private or public sector in St. Maarten. My story started similar to
that of most of you and I believe that each one of you have the
ability to also become successful citizens on our islands.
In recognizing the importance of education as a tool to elevate
the standard of living of our Country, the Government of St.
Maarten, continues to allocate significant financial resources to
S4. I believe that these funds can go a long way in helping each
one of you, our S4 Students, to become more successful in com-
pleting your studies within the allocated time frame, graduating
and finding a job back home. Each one of you has the potential to
make St. Maarten a better place for us all.
I take this opportunity to thank former director Drs Linda Richard-
son for being the one who saw the need for S4. It is her “brain
child” and as we look towards the future it is my goal to continue
to build on that strong foundation. that has been laid by her and
the Board of S4. I welcome your ideas on how to make S4 work
better for you and I look forward to meeting with each one of you
soon. For those of you living in The Hague and if you live else-
where, when you come to The Hague, I invite you to visit the of-
fice at Casuariestraat 5 -4th floor, where the S4 team is ready to
make a difference in your life
Drs. Marva A. Richardson
 WHAT’S GOING ON... page 3

Roos Leerdam-Bulo
Information Manager
I am an open, flexible and energetic person. Good com-
munication is, in my opinion, an essential condition for
producing efficient results and achieving team success. I
appreciate the friendly, young and diverse environment
and the open management culture at S4.

Johishi Romney
Housing Coordinator
As S4’s housing coordinator I am responsible for all matters
concerning student housing. Amongst other things I con-
sider myself a thoughtful listener, open, energetic and coop-
erative individual. The overall reason why I enjoy working at
S4 is because of the assistance that we provide students,
which in turn aides them in adapting to life in our Dutch
society.

Amerik Van der Plas

Financial Administrator
I have been working with Antillean student organizations
like SSNA and S4 for over 27 years. I consider the Antilles
as my second home, I love the islands and its’ people. At
S4 I handle all financial administration including student
insurance matters. I enjoy the office’s professional and
relaxed atmosphere.

Ludmila Duncan a.k.a Ludi

Front Office/Managing Editor—Newsletter
Life is an adventure and I believe in the pursuit of happi-
ness through education, real-world experiences and the
enjoyment of friends and family. Managing S4’s Front office
gives me the opportunity to interact with students on a daily
basis, assisting them in any way possible, as they strive for
excellence. Ambition and a love for St. Maarten drives me;
that is what I want to pass on to them.

Milanou L. Koeks a.k.a Mila

Head Mentor
I am a fun, charismatic person who enjoys smiling. I joined
S4 three years ago and I am responsible for the coordina-
tion of S4’s Mentoring system. My expertise is Education
and Child Studies (Pedagogy) which allows me to give
advice, support and guidance to our students. I hope to
make a difference in their personal development.

Richelis Van der Mark

Management Assistant– Intern
I consider myself an ambitious, motivated and enthusi-
astic person. Working at S4 gives me the opportunity to
help the students of St. Maarten adjust in the Nether-
lands. I am hoping to achieve my Bachelor’s Degree
through this final internship.

Elton Villarreal
Opvang & VOBAS
I’m an honest, fun loving and happy person. What’s
good about S4? I get to help “our own”; students from
the Antilles. As Opvang Coordinator I focus on creating
acitivies that allow for the smoothest transition when
students arrive from St. Maarten. I also enjoy the S4
office and my colleagues; it’s a great atmosphere to
work in.
WHAT’S GOING ON... page 4
WHAT’S GOING ON... page 5

These pictures
were taken on
August 2, 2009 at
the Schipol A4
Hotel during the
Welcome Cere-
mony of the new
students

Pictures courtesy
of Tico Vos,
Director NOSTEVE
 WHAT’S GOING ON... page 6

Studentenverzekering Bij VPZ —Alles Dat U Moet Weten

Regelmatig ontvangen wij vragen van studenten over hun ziektekostenverzekering en wat de gevolgen zijn als ze naast
de studie gaan werken. Dat kan namelijk grote gevolgen hebben. Met deze memo willen wij onze studenten informeren
over deze complexe materie. Lees deze informatie aandachtig door zodat je later niet voor vervelende verrassingen
komt te staan.

Hoe zit het ook al weer?
Vanaf 1 januari 2006 is in Nederland de
Nieuwe Zorgverzekeringswet van kracht.
Deze wet zorgt er voor dat elke Nederlander
recht heeft op een ziektekostenverzekering.
Deze ziektekostenverzekering is de
basisverzekering en is verplicht voor het
grootste deel van de inwoners van Nederland.
De basisverzekering is, zoals we hierboven al
aangaven verplicht voor het grootste gedeelte
van de inwoners van Nederland. Er zijn echter
in de wet een aantal groepen uitgesloten van
deelname aan deze ziektekostenverzekering.
Studenten uit het buitenland, die uitsluitend
voor studie in Nederland verblijven, mogen
geen basisverzekering afsluiten. Het gaat voor
deze memo te ver om de wetgeving op dit
punt te behandelen. Studenten van Sint
Maarten, Saba en Statia worden door de
wetgever als buitenlandse studenten gezien.
Om die reden heeft S4 voor de studenten bij
VPZ een particuliere ziektekostenverzekering
moeten afsluiten. Voor deze verzekering geldt
dat dit geen basisverzekering is en er
daardoor geen recht bestaat op de
zorgtoeslag.
Wat gebeurt er als je gaat werken?
In het vorige onderdeel hebben we
aangegeven dat studenten van S4 geen
basisverzekering mogen afsluiten en ook
geen recht hebben op de zorgtoeslag. Daarop
is echter een belangrijke uitzondering van
toepassing. Als je gaat werken en je
werkgever draagt belasting en sociale
premies af aan de belastingdienst, dan wordt
je niet langer uitgesloten van de
basisverzekering en ben je zelfs verplicht om
deze verzekering te nemen. Wat moet je dan
zelf doen:
De particuliere studentenverzekering bij VPZ
omzetten in de basisverzekering en bij de
belastingdienst de zorgtoeslag aanvragen.
Let op; je bent verplicht om je verzekering te
wijzigen. Doe je dat niet dan kun je een forse
boete tegemoet zien. Deze boete bedraagt
130% van de nominale premie voor de
basisverzekering. Bij een nominale jaarpremie
van € 1.200,-- bedraagt de boete € 1.560,--
als je een jaar lang geen basisverzekering
hebt gehad. Naast de boete moet je ook de
achterstallige premie betalen. In bovenstaand
voorbeeld wordt het totaal verschuldigde
bedrag € 2.760,--.
Wat moet jij doen als je gaat werken of
gaat stoppen met werken?
Geef dan de mutatie zo snel mogelijk door
aan Boogaard Assurentien. Vraag bij de
belastingdienst de zorgtoeslag aan. Dit kun je
doen op de volgende website;
www.toeslagen.nl. Stop je met werken laat
dan de basisverzekering weer omzetten in de
particuliere studentenverzekering en geef dit
ook door aan de belastingdienst om de
zorgtoeslag stop te zetten.
De verzekeringspremie voor de particuliere
studentenverzekering bij VPZ wordt nu door
S4 voor je betaald. Je bent dus prima
verzekerd en je behoef je geen zorgen over je
verzekering te maken. De premie die S4
maandelijks voor je betaalt, bedraagt:
• €53,08 voor de leeftijd tot 21 jaar;
• €65,32 voor de leeftijd vanaf 21 jaar
Als je gaat werken, is dat een persoonlijke
keuze. Dit betekent dat je dan te maken krijgt
met extra premie voor de basisverzekering.
De premie voor de basis- en aanvullende
verzekering bedraagt, afhankelijk van het
gekozen verzekeringspakket tussen de €115,-
- en de €135,-- per maand. S4 heeft de
verplichting om de volledige premie aan VPZ
te betalen. Je bent echter voor deze extra
premie zelf verantwoordelijk en wel om de
volgende 2 redenen:
• Je hebt gekozen om te gaan werken en
extra inkomen te verdienen
• Je kunt zorgtoeslag aanvragen
S4 zal je een incasso machtiging sturen om
maandelijks deze extra premie automatisch
van je rekening te laten afschrijven.
Aan de hand van onderstaand voorbeeld
zullen we dit duidelijk maken.
Student is 22 jaar:
Maandpremie basis- en aanvullende
verzekering VPZ die S4 heeft betaald €135,--
af; maandpremie van de particuliere
studentenverzekering VPZ 65,32
----------
Extra premie die bij de student € 69,68
geïncasseerd wordt door S4 =====
De student ontvangt van de belastingdienst
rechtstreeks de zorgtoeslag van € 57,-- per
maand, zodat de meerkosten voor de student
€ 69,68 - € 57,-- = € 12,68 per maand
bedragen. Dit kan de student ook betalen
omdat hij/zij een betaalde baan heeft.
Let wel het is een voorbeeld. Wij zullen voor
elke student die de basisverzekering heeft
afgesloten een persoonlijke afrekening
maken.
Ten slotte willen wij je nogmaals dringend
verzoeken om, als je een betaalde baan hebt,
je particuliere studentenverzekering bij VPZ te
lat en omzetten in de verplichte
basisverzekering. Doe je dat niet, dan riskeer
je een hoge boete!
Amerik van der Plas

Shurhensley Thielman—S4 Student

Currently pursuing a HBO degree in International Business Studies, Shurhensley is a student

who knows what he wants and is prepared to work hard to achieve it. As an Elctrotechniek
graduate of the Milton Peters College in St. Maarten, Shurhensley came to Holland and earned
two MBO diplomas; ICT Medewerker Beheer and ICT Netwerk Specialist. Over the last two
years he has earned an array of IT certifications and he is now a Microsoft Certified Professional.

Shurhensley considers himself to be an inquisitive, friendly and easy-going person. He also as-
sisted S4 with the supervision of incoming first year students to the Netherlands when he volun-
teered as an S4 “Opvang” member in 2008. S4 wishes Shurhensley much further success; only
bigger accomplishments await him now.
 WHAT’S GOING ON... page 7

On September 7th
2009, the Head of the
Department of Educa-
tion—Island Govern-
ment of St. Eustatius,
Mr. Rene Reehuis
made a courtesy visit
to the Netherlands and
to the S4 Office.

Mr. Reehuis is seen

here receiving a com-
plimentary S4 Informa-
tion Booklet from S4
Information Manager
Roos Leerdam-Bulo.

Changing Schools, Studies or Continuing Onwards

Request for Extension of Study Financing
As an S4 student one of your most important responsibilities is to keep the S4 office informed of any changes to your study during your tenure
in Holland. The following procedures were put in place to keep the Island Government of St. Maarten up-to-date on the status of our students
as all changes to your studies must be submitted to S4 for approval by the Executive Council of the Island Government of St. Maarten.

Change of Study and/or School

If you have or intend to change your original study and/or transfer to another school that is different to what is stated in your “besluit”, you are
required to send into the S4 office:
• A signed motivation letter stating the reason why you want to change schools and/or study. In this motivation letter you must also request
the approval of the Executive Council to this change
• Copies of your most recent grades and proof of registration to the new study/school.

Graduated– New/Second Diploma

Are you a recent graduate who intends to continue onwards to a second degree? If you would like to continue to receive financial aid from the
Island Government of St. Maarten, you must apply for an extension of your study financing. You are required to provide us with:
• A signed motivation letter informing us that you have obtained your degree and why you would like to receive an extension of your study
financing to pursue another study.
• A copy of the diploma received and copies of all relevant correspondence with the new school/program.

Requesting Book Money

If you have changed study, school or are pursuing a second degree and have not completed any of these steps but would still like to request
book money for the study year 2009/2010, you can do so by filling in the request form and returning it to the S4 office along with (A) your most
recent grades list and (B) proof of registration for the current term.

Any student who has (A) changed study or school and/or (B) graduated and started a new/second study, must request the approval of this
change from the Executive Council. You must also submit your motivation letter along with the relevant documentation no later than September
30th, 2009 to the S4 office for processing. Please note that students who have not followed the above-mentioned procedures will not receive
the second half of their book money in February 2010.

Help us to keep St. Maarten informed of your ambitions, challenges and successes here in the Netherlands. In order to offer better quality ser-
vices, S4 requests that you continue to correspond with us on any issues affecting you as a student as well as any ideas you may have on how
to improve your relationship with the office.

Drs. Marva Richardson

 WHAT’S GOING ON... VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1
Editor-in-Chief Graphics Staff
Drs. Marva Richardson Ludmila Duncan Milanou Koeks
Roos Leerdam-Bulo
Managing Editor Contributors Richelis Van der Mark
Ludmila Duncan Edwina Hodge Amerik van der Plas
Shurhensley Thielman Johishi Romney
Assistant Editor Elton Villarreal
Johishi Romney

WHAT’S GOING ON... is a quarterly publication of S4, produced for informational purposes only. For more information, please contact St. Maarten
Student Support Services at Casuariestraat 5, 2511 VB Den Haag, the Netherlands . Tel: 070-311-5420 Fax: 070-346-9111, info@s4foundation.nl

Housing Guidelines for Students

Dear Students of 2009/2010,
By now you would have gotten settled into the housing accommoda-
tion provided to you by S4 and you should be adjusting to daily life as
a student in the Netherlands.
This is the time to reiterate the ground rules to make your living and
study experience more pleasant. The following are the most important
rules:
• Smoking in the apartment or in your room is prohibited
• The use and sale of controlled substances in the apartment
or in your room is strongly prohibited
• Loud music or any type of noise hindering roommates and/
or neighbours is prohibited
Complaints regarding your housing situation should first be voiced to
your mentor. If your mentor is unable to assist you with the matter,
then you should contact me at the Housing Department of S4.
Some of you are renting your housing accommodation from a housing
corporation while others are tenants of houses that S4 maintains,
these houses are better known as “doorstroom woningen.” In both
cases it is very important that you make your rent payments on time
and keep track of these payments. Ensure that the rent payment is
made even if you have signed an automatic deduction authorization. If
for whatever reason, the rent has not been deducted from your ac-
count, contact your housing corporation or landlord immediately to
inform them of this matter and to prevent any arrears in your rent pay-
ments occuring.
In general the period for which you can rent a “doorstroom woning”
from S4 is one year. With this in mind, we advise you to register at
housing corporations in your city at your earliest convenience. The
sooner you do this, the sooner you will become eligible for a house.
It’s a good idea to not only focus on “student housing” but to look at
the residential home market as well. This way you improve your
chances of finding a home when the time arrives for you to leave the
“doorstroom woning.”
As this might be the first time that you are renting a home, please note
that rent should always be paid upfront. For example, the rent pay-
ment for the month of November should be paid in the last week of
October, but in any event no later than November 1st.
Tip: Beware of Electricity and Gas companies that go door to door
offering you a ‘better deal’ than your current provider. If you are rent-
ing from S4, you should never enter into such agreements as your
rent payment already includes the cost of gas and electricity which are
paid directly by S4.
Johishi Romney

Edwina Hodge—Mentor in Arnhem

Hello to one and all. I am a third year student of S4 and currently attending school and working part-time. My best
attributes are that I have a liberal mind-set, straight forward personality and free spirit. Being willing to work hard
for what you want is very important. I also believe in having dreams and goals because without them you can’t
envision yourself going anywhere.

I’m a mentor because I love working with younger people. I rather to see the glass as half full and so no matter
the situation I try to help my mentees by steering them in the right, positive direction. The students I mentor know
that I believe in them and that I’m always there for them when they need me.