Message from Ms Matillon, Director General
Dear Parents,
Today is a special day at GES – the day of our annual International Carnival at which the whole school comes together to celebrate our cultural diversity with food, music and games. During the school day, we enjoyed ten presentations from parents who are shining a light on particular aspects of their heritage, everything from Greek and Indian dancing, to Russian toys and Uruguayan traditions, and many countries and topics in between. Our children were fascinated and entertained, and I know that our teachers, normally the subject matter experts in the classroom, learned a thing or two, too! We are grateful to the parents who volunteered their time and creativity to share something about their families’ backgrounds with all of us, and to Ms Livesey who coordinated this initiative.
The set-up of our International Carnival is taking place outside my window as I write this and there is definitely excitement in the air. Many children and teachers are looking fantastic in national dress, food stands are being installed, along with the sound system and decorations galore from around the world. A huge thank you goes to all the parents who were here doing the literal heavy lifting – tables, benches, marquees, etc. – even before I arrived at school this morning, and to all of you who have donated your time and/or delicacies from your home countries in order to make this event the huge success it is sure to be. A special thanks, of course, to Susie Leslie and Zita Sheikh, without whose devotion to GES none of this would happen. Susie and Zita, your contribution to our school is enormous, and there are really no words for how much what you do means to me and to all of us.
As always at GES, we have had a week packed with learning and activities. In Secondary, GCSE exams are continuing, including Geography fieldwork taking place today, unfortunately in the wind. In Primary, children in Years 2 to 6 have completed “GL Education” assessments and I am delighted to report that initial results are very strong. I have been reviewing Year 6 results this morning and am so impressed with the work of our students and their teachers: across English, Maths and Science, 99% of scores meet or exceed expectations, with more than a third in the top category. I am extremely proud of this result which confirms GES’ reputation for quality and academic excellence.
I am also very pleased to announce the birth of Year 2 teacher Ms Cesmat’s healthy baby boy. Congratulations to Ms Cesmat and her husband on the safe arrival of beautiful Emile, and to Alexandre on his new role as big brother and best friend for life.
All the best,
Christina Matillon
Celebrating International Day at Primary
Today was International Day at GES Primary!
Fully embracing the spirit of day, many of our students came to school dressed in their national costumes or in the colours of their national flags. During Assembly, they took part in a parade to the cheers of their peers and teachers.
We were also thrilled to have so many parents come into school to lead cultural workshops for our students. From initiations to Greek and Indian dancing to presentations about Russian toys, from beginner German lessons to storytelling from New Zealand and introductions to Bulgarian geography and customs (including gifts of bracelets for good health!) and Uruguayan traditions and history, parents took our students on a cultural tour around the world.
Thank you to all of them for their time, energy and enthusiasm! We look forward to continuing our celebrations at this afternoon’s International Carnival!
This week in class
French was on everyone’s lips in Year 1 this week as students took part in numerous activities enabling them to work on their vocabulary. In story time, our learners read the book Toujours rien? by Christian Voltz, a story about nature and the patience needed when growing things from seed, which tied in perfectly with their Science unit on “Plants”.
In Maths, students loved exploring ordinal numbers by organising a car race, and once again working on their vocabulary with sentences such as “qui est le premier?”. This created a natural link with their P.E. lesson later in the day, during which warm-up was all done in French.
Well done, everybody!
Year 2 students were delighted to welcome Roopa Gill, Bonnie’s Mum, for a fascinating presentation and workshop about the celebrations and traditions of the Sikh festival Vaisakhi.
Listening attentively and asking many questions, our learners very much enjoyed the practical exercises on Sikh symbols and their meanings.
Thank you, Mrs Gill, for taking the time to present to our students!
Science classes were all about life-cycles this week for our Year 2 and 5 scientists.
Year 2 explored the various steps in the life-cycles of different animals, such as chickens and sea turtles, using French vocabulary to name each step of the cycle.
Year 5 went further in their investigations, looking specifically at the fascinating world of insects. They also incorporated their knowledge of French, commenting on whether each different insect was a masculine or feminine noun. Later in the day, during Drama class, a “papillon de nuit” made an unexpected appearance, prompting students to launch into a scientific recap of their earlier Science lesson.
Year 4 enjoyed designing their own national park emblem en français this week! A wonderful way of incorporating French into their Humanities lessons, this activity enables our students to build their confidence in the language by creating their own sentences and writing them independently. These activities empower all children — even those who may feel less confident in French — to take ownership of their learning and be proud of producing work in French across different contexts.
Well done to all of them!
Beyond the Classroom
UN Children's Walk Ceremony
On Tuesday, Year 4 took part in the UN Children’s Walk Ceremony at the United Nations Office at Geneva’s Palais des Nations. They proudly presented a video showcasing the many inspiring activities our school has participated in around this year’s theme of “peace”. They also had the special opportunity to contribute to a “Canvas for Humanity,” adding their fingerprint to a collaborative piece of art.
Throughout the event, Year 4 exemplified GES’s core values through their respectful and supportive attitude toward fellow speakers. They were outstanding ambassadors for the GES community and we are immensely proud of them.
Certificates for Our Mathematicians
Our Year 7 and 8 mathematicians were delighted to receive their certificates from the recent UK Maths Trust Junior Mathematical Challenge today! A 60 minute, 25 question multiple choice quiz, with questions which increase in difficulty throughout the test, the Challenge encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought and fluency to make students think.
Our students acquitted themselves superbly, with 12 bronze, 8 silver and 4 gold certificates!
A Colourful Outing to the Scienscope
Our school’s second trip of the year to the Scienscope at the University of Geneva was a fantastic experience for our Year 9 students! They investigated colours, looking at chromatography, acids and alkalis, the electromagnetic spectrum and flame tests.
The team at the Scienscope workshop delivered an amazing, hands-on session for our students that masterfully conveyed to our students a commonplace, yet abstract topic.
We are very fortunate to have the University of Geneva so close by and to benefit from their infrastructure and experts for our students.
Well done to all our students for their impeccable behaviour throughout the trip and enthusiastic exchanges with the University’s scientists, and thank you to Mr Feeney and Ms Lanfranco for organising and accompanying these wonderful learning opportunities.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Key Stage 1 Football Friendly Tournament
Our Year 1 and 2 footballers gathered on Sunday morning for the much-awaited friendly tournament against four other teams. Enjoying the sunshine and the excitement, both our teams played with increasing confidence, supporting one another and showing great sportsmanship all throughout the matches. The players overcame their nerves with enthusiasm and kept their spirits high, embracing the opportunity to try new positions and skills as the games progressed.
Special mention goes to our fantastic goalkeepers: Alec, Harry, Enzo, Rafik and Rory for their excellent saves. Aidan, Hugh, Yuvann, Santi, Ben and Javier showed great adaptability, moving between defence, midfield and attack. Harry, Arnaud, Leo and Francisco were energetic and creative in attack, contributing to many goals.
All players came away from the tournament with a medal, proud of their efforts and fair play. It was a great experience for everyone involved, and they should all be proud of how they represented GES.
Well done to all the players for an amazing tournament!
ADISR Benjamines Netball Tournament
On Thursday evening, our Year 5 and 6 girls headed to La Châtaigneraie for an exciting netball fixture – and what a brilliant experience it was! For several of our players, this was their first-ever match, and they showed fantastic determination, energy and team spirit throughout.
The first half was incredibly close, with both teams evenly matched. The score at half time was 5–5, a true reflection of the girls’ focus and teamwork. In the second half, the opposing team, with a few experienced Year 7 players in their mix, managed to pull ahead, finishing the game 11–6.
Despite the scoreline, our girls can feel extremely proud – they played with great heart, adapted well, and supported one another on and off the court. It was fantastic to see a blend of Year 5 and 6 players of all abilities working together and stepping up to the challenge.
A huge thank you goes to our Year 10 student, Blaithin, who came along to support the girls and umpire – her presence and encouragement made a big difference.
We’ll continue to build on this great experience in training, and we’re excited to see this team go from strength to strength! Well done, girls!
A Piano Prodigy in our Midst
A huge congratulations to Danny in Year 4 who just received the results from his first ever piano exam, the Music Teachers’ Board Pre-Grade Introductory – a Distinction!
Having already enjoyed hearing Danny play in music recitals at school, we look forward to his future performances at GES.
A Zest of Science
This week’s Science Club was all about building circuits, but with a lemony and potatoey twist! Tasked with building an electronic circuit, our scientists had the extra challenge of having only lemons and potatoes as battery sources to power their light bulbs.
Working in groups, each pitched in ideas about the best way to construct these circuits and they are now all experts at wiring and switches!
Dance Champions!
Congratulations to two of our dancers, Emma and Orla in Year 6, for their participation in the Golden Bee International Dance Competition last weekend!
Emma won first prize for her streetdance solo performance, “Cowgirl Emma”, receiving an impressive 118 out of 120 points. Performing with their team, Emma and Orla, outdid themselves again and earned another first prize for their group dance, “Snake Eyes,” scoring 110 out of 120 points.
Emma put so much effort into her solo and the group performance with Orla and the team – it was a fantastic experience for them all. We are extremely proud of them!
Community News
GES Athletes at the Genève Marathon
Congratulations to all our athletes who participated in last weekend’s Generali Genève Marathon, some of them proudly sporting their school colours!
Running in the Junior races, Chloe, Ben, Harry, Aidan, James, Enzo and Elenna sped down the racetrack and produced some terrific results that they can be very proud of:
Juniors 1km
Harry: 00:04:55 (6/162)
Aidan: 00:05:06 (20/162)
Ben: 00:05:41 (70/162)
Juniors 2km
Enzo: 00:09:10 (40/312)
James: 00:10:15 (127/312)
Chloe: 00:11:01 (178/312)
Elenna: 00:11:05 (186/312)
Juniors 3km
James 00:11:00
Callum 00:13:11
Raheem 00:14:26
Special mention also goes to our very own Jonathan Sheppard-Burgess, Director of Sports and Enzo’s Dad, for leading by example and running in the 10KM race!
New Member of the GES Family
Meet the newest member of GES!
We are thrilled to announce that our Science Department has a new resident: a lizard known as a green anole (Anolis caroliensis).
Native to the United States, particularly North Carolina, this species of lizard is a sight to behold. Thanks to specialised pigment cells in its skin, known as chromatophores, the green anole can change the colour of its skin depending on its mood and stress level – ranging from dark brown to bright green. It is also characterised by a structure on its neck known as a dewlap, which is used to reflect UV radiation, and so attract mates. Our lizard, being male, will reach a maximum length of 12.5 cm – 20.3 cm at full growth.
We look forward to sharing his new name soon!
Reminder | Secondary Sports Day
Our Secondary Sports Day will take place on Monday 26 May at the Centre sportif de Versoix (Rte de l’Etraz 201, Versoix) from 8:00 until 13:00*.
Throughout the morning, our athletes, divided into their Houses, will take part in a range of track and field events, including high and long jump, shot put, individual and relay races (which includes both students and teachers!).
Parents are invited to join us and cheer our students in this convivial, community event celebrating sportsmanship, teamwork and collaboration.
Save the date!
*Please note that free parking is available only for the first two hours at the Centre sportif de Versoix.
Reminder | SEND Coffee Morning
Join us at our Secondary campus on Tuesday 27 May for a Coffee Morning led by our Director of Inclusion, Jodie Noble, on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
In this meeting, Ms Noble will deliver a presentation about her role as Director of Inclusion and SEND Coordinator, including our school processes for identifying additional needs, how we monitor students’ progress, our SEND educational ethos and the different ways in which we support our students at the Primary and Secondary sites.
Parents of all students are invited to come along and learn more about the ever-changing world of special needs provision and how GES is keeping up with these developments. Parents are invited to arrive at the Secondary Grand Café/Chaplin Room from 8:15 to share a coffee and the presentation will begin at 8:30. There will also be an opportunity for general questions and to discuss school life afterwards.
If you wish to attend, please email Gaël at [email protected] to confirm your attendance.
In the meantime, if you have any individual concerns or questions and would like to contact Jodie Noble, please do so by email to [email protected].
Faces of GES
Our Faces of GES turns to Gregory Furter this week, our Director of Operations and Data Systems who joined our school in April.
Having previously worked in international and business schools in Geneva and France, Greg brings to GES a wealth of experience in running ICT operations in educational contexts, with specific knowledge of the English National Curriculum and the technology and information systems that drive the delivery of lessons.
Enchanted by the beautiful setting of our school, Greg has been especially touched by the warm and welcoming atmosphere of our community since his very first day with us as well as by the supportive and comfortable learning environment that our school creates for our students to thrive in. This makes him all the more excited about his job of finding innovative and creative solutions to enhance the student learning experience and support teaching.
Outside of school, Greg is the first to give back to his community as a volunteer firefighter in Nyon. Passionate about all things involving going up mountains, he is also a rock climbing and via ferrata instructor and, as a current student of Russian, Italian and German, a powerful model of lifelong learning!
