Message from Ms Matillon, Director General
Dear Parents,
Last night, whilst I was warm and comfortable in my home, our Years 7 and 8 outdoor education enthusiasts camped under the stars (and thick blankets) on the Primary school field, accompanied by Mr Pearce and Ms Magowan. For all of our campers who attended GES Primary – perhaps especially those who were students there only three short months ago – it must seem like that experience was a lifetime and a world away. I consider myself very fortunate to work in a school where, year after year, I see successive cohorts of children grow and mature, the biggest of the Primary schoolers becoming the smallest at Secondary. It is a striking reminder of the passage of time – in a good way!
Even before many of us were awake this morning, Years 12 and 13 Geographers left Secondary by coach to explore the Mer de Glace in Chamonix. The trip will provide an opportunity for students to undertake investigative fieldwork and contextualise learning from the classroom, all while visiting one of the region’s most beautiful sites. Thank you to Mr Shreeve for having planned such an exciting excursion.
Next week will be a busy one, starting with the taking of school photos on Monday 22 September at the Primary campus, and on Tuesday 23 September at the Secondary campus. This annual project is a wonderful opportunity for us to create lovely photos and memories, so we ask for children to be dressed smartly, please; GES-branded clothing may be worn, of course, but is not required. As the background of these portraits will be white, we advise students to avoid wearing white or very light colours, and tops with bold patterns, slogans or obvious brand names are discouraged.
Our footballers will be active in three tournaments: Cat F girls and boys (Years 3 and 4), Cat A (Years 10-13) and Cat C boys (Years 7-9) teams will all have the opportunity to make GES proud and to have lots of fun on the pitch. Next Saturday, our netballers will start their season with a tournament at LGB. Go, Team GES!
We will mark the International Day of Peace at Secondary with assemblies led by Ms Kelleher, the theme of which will be “Act now for a peaceful world”. Children of all ages have the power to promote peace, both inside and outside school, and Ms Kelleher’s message should serve to awaken each of our inner peacekeepers – a quality that is especially pertinent in 2025. Later in the week, A Level economists will attend the World Economic Forum on a study visit that will deepen their knowledge and understanding of the principles of global economics they are studying in the classroom.
Parents, for your planning, please note that term dates for the 2026-2027 academic year are now posted on the school’s website.
In closing, I draw your attention to the Parents’ Association Annual General Meeting that will be held on Wednesday 1 October at the Primary Campus. On the agenda is a short review of the past year’s activities and accounts, followed by nominations and appointments for the committee President, Secretary and Treasurer positions for the coming year. All parents are invited to attend starting at 17:30 for a drink and conversation, and the meeting will begin promptly at 18:00. Should you be interested in becoming more involved with the activities of the Parent Association, I encourage you to contact them directly at [email protected], or via your class or year group representative.
All the best,
Christina Matillon
Year 2 Take a Walk Around Genthod
As part of their Humanities topic on “What makes Geneva special?”, our Year 2 students took part in a geographical walk around neighbouring Genthod this week.
Using their orienteering skills to read a map, they accurately pinpointed important areas of the village and followed a route to each of them. Among the key landmarks they identified and visited were the post office and grocery store, the Genthod church, the various bus stops and, of course, Geneva English School’s Primary campus!
Enjoying warm sunny skies during their fieldwork, our students came out of this exercise with a new understanding of their local area and the principal characteristics that make up a town or village.
This week in class
Our young learners had some Bee-Bot fun this week in class. Using these exciting, easy-to-operate robots, our students worked on their counting, sequencing and directionality skills by programming commands into them and watching as they drew pictures. This was a great exercise for them to develop their problem-solving technique!
In Year 5 and 6 Art lessons, our artists have been focusing on powerful mark making. Invited to imagine that their drawing was in competition with the map in the background, our students put all their creative juices to the test to make sure that their drawing would come out as the winner. They combined their observational drawing skills with powerful mark making for maximum visual impact, creating some gorgeous designs which they can all be proud of!
Our Science labs continue to buzz with activity over at Secondary as our students engaged in a number of fascinating experiments.
In Year 8, our scientists performed a compound testing experiment. Using various solvents to observe reactivity and carrying out flame tests to identify metal ions, they were able to test their properties and determine which compound they were dealing with.
Solubility was the word of the week in Year 9. By adding a solid substance to a liquid, they observed whether it dissolved (soluble) or not (insoluble). They then took their investigations further by heating and cooling their solution to establish whether this increased or decreased its solubility. This allowed them to track their findings in solubility curves.
Our Year 13 chemists carried out Fehling’s test to distinguish between aldehydes and ketones and consider how these organic compounds can bond with other functional groups. This experiment enabled them to understand the subtle differences in their structure and their various properties.
Beyond the Classroom
New Primary House Captains Announced
Congratulations to our newly-elected Primary House Captains, Connie and Cato (Jura), Oscar G. and Ella (Rhône), Teo and Evie (Léman), and Oscar B. and Elizabeth (Dôle)!
Our new Primary leaders were announced this week during an assembly focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Taking a close look at SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, SDG 4 – Quality Education, SDG 13 – Climate Action and SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, our House Captains reflected on how the goals inspire them to model good leadership of their school community.
At GES, we deeply value the voice of all our children. To ensure everyone has the chance to take on responsibilities, students from Years 2 to Year 6 are invited to apply for positions such as School Council representatives, Sports Leaders, and Language Ambassadors.
Applications are due by next Wednesday 24 September at the latest. Letters of application should be submitted directly to the relevant teacher:
- Sports Leaders (Year 6 only) candidates can apply by email to Mme Bugeja ([email protected])
- Language Ambassadors (Years 3 to 6) candidates can apply by email to Mme Briand ([email protected]) (Year 3 students can send a little video instead of a letter)
- Year 6 School Council candidates can apply by email to Mme Durey ([email protected])
- For School Council from Year 2 to Year 5: Applicants should prepare a short speech at home explaining why they would be a good school council representative, which they will present in class. Their peers will then vote for their representatives.
We warmly encourage you to support your child in this process, helping them prepare their application or speech so they are ready by Wednesday morning.
Year 7 and 8 Campout at Primary
This week was marked by the much-awaited Year 7 and 8 campout at our Primary campus!
A regular and favourite event of our Secondary Outdoor Education calendar, this campout had many of our students setting up their tents for a night under the stars. After enjoying some games on the Primary sports field, our campers had dinner together and toasted marshmallows to make S’mores. Taking advantage of the calm and perfect weather conditions, some of our students took part in some stargazing with Mr Luke Pearce, learning to identify Cassiopeia, a northern constellation recognised by its distinct “W” or “M” shape formed by five bright stars.
After a peaceful and warm night’s sleep, they delighted in a healthy breakfast of fruit, pastries and juice before packing up their tents and returning to Secondary for the start of the school day.
Joining Mr Pearce in supervising the students was Ms Magowan, our external helper, who was very impressed by how self-aware, friendly and inclusive our campers were and how considerate they are of each other’s emotions.
In addition to building team spirit, this event gives our students a great first introduction to our Outdoor Education programme, which includes the Duke of Edinburgh International Award expeditions and many other opportunities to learn and grow in the great outdoors.
Celebrating the International Day of Democracy
How would you define “democracy”? What are its characteristics? Can you think of examples and counter-examples?
In celebration of this week’s International Day of Democracy, our Secondary students took part in an assembly to reflect on democracy, its threatened status in the world and how they can engage in democratic activities at their level, including joining their school’s Student Council or local youth parliament, volunteering for local causes, keeping abreast of current issues, using social media responsibly and ethically, and speaking out against injustice.
After a historical tour down to the origins of democracy in Ancient Athens, our students considered how events like the 2008 economic crisis or the advent of digital media have shaken the four pillars on which democracy rests: free and fair elections, the rule of law, the protection of human rights and active citizen participation.
Year 12 and 13 Geography Trip to the Mer de Glace
Our Year 12 and 13 geographers took to the road today for a fieldwork outing to the Mer de Glace glacier in Chamonix.
Enhancing their fieldwork skills and geographical understanding in preparation for their A Level exams, this trip is a terrific opportunity for our students to visit one of the region’s most spectacular landmarks and to witness first-hand the effects of climate change on geological formations.
Stay tuned for a further report about this trip next week!
Community News
Reminder | School Photo Days
Our school photographer will be on site on Monday 22 September (at Primary) and Tuesday 23 September (at Secondary) to take portrait photos and group photos of our students by year group.
Please note that for organisational reasons, we cannot arrange new photo sessions in case of student absences. We, therefore, kindly ask families not to schedule out-of-school appointments for their children during these two days.
Please refer to the email sent on Tuesday 18 September regarding timings for sibling photographs.
Primary Car Park Safety
Further to our review of vehicular traffic to and from the Primary school car park, we have been closely monitoring and reviewing how to ensure that children who arrive at school on foot, or by bicycle or scooter are kept safe.
We would appreciate your support with noting and following the procedures outlined below, regardless of how you and your family travel to school.
Mornings – Each day from 08:10 – 8:30:
- A member of GES staff will be present at the entry to the car park and courts.
- This member of staff will manage the flow of traffic entering the grounds and leaving the courts, asking for cars to stop with a “stop” hand gesture to allow safe passage of children entering via the pedestrian gate on foot or bike.
- If you arrive by bike, we ask that you and your children dismount before passing through the gate to reduce the speed at which you will cross the car park.
- Pedestrians will be directed to walk towards and pass close to the hedge and school buses, in the direction of the “kiss and fly” footpath, where a member of GES staff is on duty each day.
Afternoons – At 15:20 and 16:20 (and 12:20 on Wednesdays):
- Adult cyclists are asked to leave the site by following the “kiss and fly” lane, observing the one-way traffic flow.
- Pupils leaving school alone, on foot, by bike or scooter, or to take the public bus, will be escorted to the main road, via the pedestrian access gate by a member of GES staff.
Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our children is our priority and we thank you for your understanding and support.
Call for Volunteers | European Day of Languages
Next week, on Friday 26 September, our Primary School will be celebrating the European Day of Languages, as well as world languages at school.
Activities will take place throughout the day to promote language diversity, cultural awareness and to inspire students to appreciate the value of language learning.
We invite parents to participate in our celebration by volunteering to read a short text, story or poem in their respective languages. Many parents will remember taking part in this project in past years, which is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the diversity within our school.
Below is some guidance on what this opportunity would involve:
- We are looking for one or two parents to volunteer per class.
- Parent volunteers will be asked to come in and read in class between 8:30 and 9:00. The time allocated for each parent will be a maximum of 10-15 minutes.
- The selected text, story or poem should be adapted to the children’s age group and needs to be relatively short. We recommend that parents reading to our youngest learners make sure their texts have illustrations to help with understanding, and that parents translate the main part before reading it.
- Parents are welcome to stay for the assembly which will take place at 9:00.
If you would like to take part, please write to Mrs Réjane Durey ([email protected]) at the latest by Tuesday 23 September, who will coordinate volunteers and be in touch to finalise details.
We look forward to having many parents in school for this event!
Course de l'Escalade Registrations
We are pleased to announce that this year’s Course de l’Escalade will take place during the weekend of 6-7 December 2025, and we are delighted that we have already had 35 sign-ups!
For those new to the region, this is a family-oriented festivity, culminating in traditional and hugely popular road running races in the Old Town of Geneva. Last year, we had over 100 students representing GES from Reception to Year 13!
Joining the GES Team:
When you register your child/ren – and we hope you will do so! – please sign them up as part of the GES group via this link (i.e. not as an individual runner).
- The cost for participating children is CHF 26, which will be invoiced to you by the school once sign-ups have closed.
- Please register early as there are limited places in each category (2024 races filled up quickly).
- You can check if your child has been registered successfully by checking the team sheet in this link using the password: GES2025!. This list will be updated weekly.
There are three categories of races that may be of interest:
- Children and Youth races: The children’s/youth races will take place on Sunday 7 December. Children/teenagers aged 6 or older (born between 2008-2019) can participate as part of the GES school team. Each runner will receive an official, individual placement in their own age group and their individual times will also be recorded as part of Team GES.
- Child-Parent races: Children born in 2020 or 2021 have the opportunity to run with one of their parents. The aim is to introduce 4 and 5 year olds to the Escalade races and prepare them to run alone in the future. Only one adult (minimum 16-years old) can accompany each child. We encourage you to sign up as part of Team GES team if you and your child are running in this category, too.
- Adult races: Adults are also welcome to register individually via this link, however you will not be able to sign up as part of Team GES. We do invite you to get in touch with us should you wish to wear GES colours during your race.
We are looking forward to seeing many GES families participate in this wonderful community event. Further information will be shared once registrations for Team GES close on 15 November.
Go, Team GES!
Key Stage 1 Phonics Information Sessions for Parents
We were delighted to welcome many parents to our two Phonics Information Sessions this week at Primary. Providing the best guidance to parents on how they can support their children at home with reading and writing, our very own Shelley Vavrecka explained the ins and outs of our Phonics programme and how it enables our students to achieve excellent results.
At GES, we are proud that 100% of our Reception students exceed expectations when it comes to knowing and recognising sounds, and that all of them reach their expected goals in reading.
