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Introducing Mystery Class #6 Brussels, Belgium 50.8463 N, 4. 3547 E     We are glad to meet you! We are students from the Brussels American School (BAS). Click image to enlarge Do you remember us? We did the video for the first Mystery Class Update this year.   Our Country and City We are located in the country of Belgium, which is situated in northern Europe. We are bordered by Netherlands, Germany, Luxemborg, and France, as well as the North Sea. Belgium has three official languages, including French, Dutch (Flemish), and also German. Our city of Brussels is the capital city of Belgium. Many people come to Brussels to visit our famous Grand Place, which is like an elaborate town square.   Map of Belgium   Our School: A Typical Day at BAS By Morgan E., Sarah M., & Sophie C. Here at BAS we have slightly fewer than 300 students. Since we have a small school, everyone knows each other. We have six small buildings at this school, and right now we have two buildings being built; the art/music building and a new gym. This is a picture of our school, B.A.S. We have a good art program and both a beginning band and an advanced band. Twenty percent of the kids at our school are from different countries. Families stationed here usually stay for about three or four years. We have eleven buses and about three of them are small. After school, kids usually go to CYS (a teen and kids after school program), sports, or straight home. Every Friday some kids go to a middle school teen club where we play games and talk, it is called Club Beyond. Our sports mascot is a Brigand, which is actually a land pirate. Starting in seventh grade you can take a foreign language class such as Spanish, French or Dutch. In seventh grade you can also start playing high school sports, such as wrestling or track/field. So this is what we do at a typical day at BAS, thanks for reading! Away from school, we spend a lot of time traveling with our families to places all over Europe.   Historical Sights and Statues By Daniel, Austen and Matt Brussels is home to many historic sites including the Grand Place, many different museums, Waterloo Memorial, Atomium, and many others. Waterloo is where the Duke of Wellington finally defeated Napoleon. Click image to enlarge The Grand Place The heart of Brussels is the Grand Place, where thousands of people visit everyday. Every year at Christmas the Grand Palace is lit up all around with a Christmas tree in front of it. The African Museum was once a palace for Leopold II. Two huge alliances who have their headquarters here in Brussels are NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the EU (European Union). One very controversial statue is the Manikin Pis. The story goes that a rich man in the city lost his young son, after searching for days he was found in a corner peeing. In order to thank the citizens for finding his son, he had a statue built. Other stories tell different accounts. These are a few of the many historical buildings and statues in Brussels, Belgium.   The Flavors of Belgium By Zach, Germaine and Raquel These are some very good foods in Belgium. If you come here you have to try these foods. We have a historical background that states we invented French Fries and that we have delicious chocolate. Sometimes the French fries are potatoes with seasoning. Belgians go through an average of 250 pounds of potatoes a year—per person! How many pounds of potatoes do you eat? French fries Other foods here include Witloof which is a root type of chicory used in many dishes; and Waterzooi which is a creamy stew, usually with chicken or fish. Witloof Waterzooi A main dish is mussels, which can be served plain or with spices. Escargot is another one of the foods you will encounter here in Belgium. Brussels is also known to have the best waffles, and you can put a lot of yummy toppings on top of them. Mussels Waffles   Thanks and Best Wishes It's been fun for us to be a Mystery Class, and to discover new information about our home. Click image to enlarge The Class of Mystery Class #6 If you'd like to contact us, please write to our teacher Ms. Brenda Quinn at this e-mail.