Introducing Mystery Class #9 Mons, Belgium 50.450 N, 03.933 E Greetings from Mystery Class #9! Dear Friends--we are made up of Shawn Mondloch's students from the SHAPE American Elementary School (SAES) in Mons, Belgium. Our School At this school, there are grades K through 6. There are separate schools for preschoolers and high school students. The day begins when students come in from the playground at 8:45 a.m., and ends when they go home at 3:30 PM. Visit our School Website Belgium is surrounded by the countries of France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and across the English Channel is Great Britain. In Belgium, three languages are spoken here: French, Flemish, and German. Mons Means Mountains City Hall Mons is located southwest of Brussels, near the French border. Its name means "mountains" and that's what surrounds Mons--mountains. It is the capital of the province of Hainaut, and it is a very beautiful city with many historic buildings, monuments, traditions and festivals. In the heart of Mons is the Main Square, with the gothic City Hall. Pet the Primate Pet me for good luck At the main gate of City Hall lives the city's most famous and inhabitant--the Guard's Monkey! He's a cast iron statuette of a Monkey, and the legend is that if you pet the monkey with your left hand you'll have good luck. Nearby is the Mayor's Gardens, with a famous water fountain called the "Ropieur", a gift by the sculptor Gobert to honor the children of Mons. And Mons has many other spectacular buildings and monuments including the baroque style Belfry--87 meters tall, with 49 bells--that overlooks the city; the gothic style Sainte-Waudru Collegiate Church; and The Museum of Decorative Arts François Duesberg. The City hosts several days of wonderful processions and parades. Every year the "The DUCASSE" is celebrated, where the "Golden Charriot's Procession" and the Dragon's Fight called "Lumeçon" occurs. The origins of the chariot's procession goes back to 1349, when the city thanked Sainte-Waudru, the Holy Patron who relieved the city from the epidemic of plague. Learn more about Mons and our school at these websites: Mons Tourism Office Belgium Travel Network--Mons SHAPE American Elementary School Home Page Back to Today's Report Copyright 2000 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form