Message from Ms Matillon, Director General
Dear Parents,
We’ve had a very good week back from our half-term break, with everyone settling quickly into our normal routines on both campuses and focusing on learning. Certainly our exam year students have their eyes firmly set on the prize and, with the organisation, resources and motivation provided by their teachers, are working steadily toward their mock and end-of-year assessments.
In Secondary, our Director of Inclusion, Ms Noble, delivered an excellent training session to our teachers on the topic of assisting students with speech, language and communication needs. Ms Noble’s presentation addressed four key aspects of language (i.e. receptive, expressive, articulation and social communication) and what we can do to support the development of each. Whilst these are standard practices at GES, of course, we always learn and are inspired when discussing aspects of whole-school, high-quality teaching practices, as well as targeted interventions and specialist help for those children and young people who need it. Thank you to Ms Noble for reminding us that all we do to support special educational needs benefits the teaching and learning for all.
This week saw a great number of parents in school at Primary as we hosted a Stay & Play event in Pre-school and Reception, Book Looks for Years 3-6, and information sessions for our upcoming Key Stage 2 residential trips to Torgon and Château d’Oex. Many thanks to all those amongst you who came to school to see for yourselves the fantastic work that your children are doing. Believe it or not, our teachers surely look forward to these events at least as much as their classes do, and we are always delighted to see such a strong turn-out!
I hope you will take the time to read details below about Geneva English School’s outstanding performance at the Swiss Group of International Schools (SGIS) ski races that took place on Wednesday and Thursday in Morgins. I often say that GES punches well above its weight, on both academic and sporting fronts, and we can be extremely proud of our athletes this week! With nearly 100 competitors from 6 schools on each day, some highlights of our results are:
- Category D boys, representing Years 7 and 8, won 1st place for Team GES
- Category F (Years 3 and 4) boys’ team won 1st place and the girls’ team finished 2nd
A very big thank you goes to Mr Sheppard-Burgess for organising our participation in these events, as well as to the SnowPros ski instructors for their expert guidance. Congratulations to our racers who gave their all and displayed brilliant team spirit.
We closed the week at Primary with a bittersweet farewell to Adwoa Ajuebor who left us this afternoon to take on a part-time role at another school. There were few dry eyes in the house during an assembly dedicated to Adwoa, with films, speeches and songs reminding us what a big part she has played in our daily lives at school. We will miss Adwoa and we wish her much enjoyment and satisfaction in her next adventure. Finally, we welcome her successor, Louise Merifield, who is now officially on board and excited to get stuck in.
All the best,
Christina Matillon
Medals Galore at the SGIS Giant Slalom
At the SGIS Giant Slalom ski races in Morgins this week, we were proud to have many of our accomplished skiers competing alongside hundreds of competitors from other schools and developing their skills in this specialist mountain sport.
The Category F Boys won 1st place in the team race and our Girls came home with the second place team trophy! Individual medals were won by Kai – 1st place (Category E), Alice – 2nd place (Category F) and Danny – 2nd place (Category F). Kai’s time was highlighted as exceptional as it was nearly 6 seconds faster than the closest competitor! Well done, Kai!
Our Category D Boys in Year 7 and Year 8 were extremely successful, winning 1st place! This was made possible by some fantastic individual results, with medals for Arthur – 1st place, Thomas – 3rd place , Bram – 5th place and Vasco – 11th place.
The Category C (Year 9) Boys and Girls competed hard and had a great experience, with some skiers participating for the very first time in a competitive race. Year 9 student Matt arrived in 6th place, and we had very good performances from Arjan, Ravi and Isobel, too.
Other notable individual GES finishes were:
- Bryan – 5th
- Valentina- 6th
- James – 8th
- Benjamin – 10th
- Oscar – 11th
- Alex – 13th
- Cosmo – 13th
- Artemis – 15th
Well done to all our students for their hard work, excellent attitude, team spirit and sportsmanship throughout the day.
As always, they were expertly guided by SnowPros Ski School instructors.
This week in class
Year 2 enjoyed a great start to their new Science topic, which is all about plants. Starting at the very beginning of a plant’s life, they explored different types of seeds, sorting and classifying them based on their physical characteristics.
Did you know that we have Olympic winners in our Primary School?
As part of their History topic on how Ancient Greeks influenced modern society, our Year 4 students have been learning all about the origins of the Olympic Games and how this tradition has passed through the centuries. Inspired by how these have evolved through time, they designed and organised their very own, in-class Olympic Games, inviting their classmates to try their hand at various challenges and showcase their skills in speed, dexterity, aim and accuracy.
After a nail-biting spelling contest on silent letters, both Year 6 teams tied for first place, scoring the same number of bonus points for their “unique” words. We learned a lot about the etymology of words in the English language. For example, did you know that the silent ‘u’ in guard comes from French? Or that the silent ‘h’ in ghost comes from Dutch and the silent ‘k’ in knight from Viking invaders?
In Year 6 Science, students have been learning about evolution. Their investigation into Darwin’s theory of natural selection caused great hilarity as they used different implements to replicate finches’ beaks to pick up tiny grubs (in this case, rice grains). Working in groups, they recorded the data gathered in a table, which they will use to create a bar chart. Great work, Year 6!
Year 7 students have been investigating how to separate a mixture of sand, salt, and water using the equipment provided to them and applying their knowledge from previous lab sessions. Through this experiment, they have learned terminology related to separating techniques, including what a solute, solvent, and solution are.
Later in the week, they had fun with chromatography! Building on their knowledge of separation techniques using filtration and evaporation, they discovered how to separate different inks and dyes. In their experiment, they dotted different coloured felt tips on special chromatography paper and suspended it over water. As the water travelled up the paper, it carried the different dyes that make up the felt tip inks.
In preparation for their upcoming trip to Berlin, Year 8 German students have been coming up with rules for their dream youth hostel. These included such tips as: “man muss jeden Tag duschen” (you must shower every day) or “man muss immer glücklich sein” (you must always be happy).
Our Year 8 scientists were back at their lab stations this week and launched themselves in earnest into the second half of our spring term.
Applying their knowledge about reactions and energy conservation and combining it with their mathematical skills, they rolled their sleeves up and jumped into an interactive activity about balancing chemical equations.
Our Year 8 athletes started a rugby unit in P.E. today! Working on their passing skills, they have been developing their tactical awareness of the game through drills and game play.
Beyond the classroom
Book Looks at Primary
Our Primary classrooms were buzzing with activity this week as parents were invited in for the GES tradition of Book Looks. Presenting to their parents the work accomplished this term, our students beamed with pride as they explained all the skills they have developed and the knowledge they have gained in their classes.
In addition to giving parents an opportunity to follow their child’s progress in school, Book Looks are a fabulous way for children to take ownership of their own learning and in so doing to identify for themselves those areas where they have room to grow.
Storytelling Time at Primary
February’s Reading Challenge at Primary was all about storytelling! Inspired by the monthly theme, our Year 6 librarians organised a special, live-action storytelling session for their younger peers in Key Stage 1.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Cupcake Craze at ASC
After-School Club participants always buzz with excitement when cupcakes are one the menu. Involving much laughter, giggles and a lot of noise, our Club-goers concocted some delicious cupcakes following the detailed instructions and list of ingredients written out in French by Chloe and Helena.
A New Hot Topic for Science Club
Year 6 Science Club have thrown themselves into the fascinating world of thermochemistry. Tasked with making hand warmers, they have been exploring exothermic reactions, i.e. reactions that release heat.
Community News
Primary Reading Challenge
In March, get ready to read your way!
Where do you love to read? Is it in the bath? On the bus? Under a tree? In a den? In bed?
As part of this challenge, students are invited to read as many books as they can in as many different places as they enjoy, and send a photo of themselves reading in their favourite spot.
Photos should be sent to Mrs Vavrecka by email to [email protected].
World Book Day
On Thursday 6 March, GES will celebrate the annual World Book Day with a whole school dress-up day. Students are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite character from a book and be ready to share their choice with their class.
In Primary, World Book Week will kick off with a whole school assembly introducing this year’s theme ‘Read your way’ as well as a sneak peek at our whole school book of study Our Tower by Joseph Coelho. Children in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 will be completing a range of different activities throughout the week in their classes based on this beautiful story of adventure and the importance of friendships and relationships.
We will also host visiting illustrator Ewa O’Neill (and parent of John and Tom), who will run workshops with children in Reception, Year 1, Year 3 and 4. The Reception and Year 1 workshop will be based on the story Wimfiddle Finds His Voice by Amber L. Jackson, while the Year 3 and 4 workshop will be based on the story Rowdy The Pirate Who Could Not Sleep by Darcy Pattison. A gallery of Ewa’s work will also be set up in the library throughout the week for all the children to admire and be inspired by.
In Secondary, the English Department will be organising some exciting book-related activities, including an Open Mic reading event in all languages open to students and staff. Secondary students are invited to register their names at Reception for the Open Mic event, which will allow them to earn House points and prizes for their performances.
The Secondary Library will also be relaunched on Thursday and students are encouraged to get involved as much as possible in this inauguration which promises to be full of literary fun!
All staff have also been asked to write a one-sentence review of their favourite book (fiction or non-fiction – all languages welcome!) and publish it on their external classroom door with the cover of the book.
Faces of GES
Our Faces of GES spotlight falls on Ludovic “Ludo” Barthod, our Facilities Manager based at our Primary campus who joined our school in November.
With a background in carpentry and construction, Ludo’s skills are as manifold as they are diverse. Put to the test on a daily basis, Ludo relishes the challenge of finding solutions to support our school and takes immense pride in a job well done.
At GES, he loves the friendly atmosphere created by our wonderful students, parents and staff, and he feels lucky to work in such a beautiful setting and be surrounded by happy children.
In his spare time, Ludo enjoys indoor free climbing as it gives him an incredible sense of freedom and personal achievement. His ambition is to progress to upper levels and, eventually, to climb real mountains in the Alps.
Open Days for Prospective Families
Our school will be taking part in the Open Day Week organised by the Association Genevoise des Ecoles Privées in March! As part of this, we will be holding two open days for prospective families on each of our campuses.
Help us spread the word and share the news with your networks:
- Wednesday 19 March from 9:00 to 11:00 at our Primary campus
- Thursday 20 March from 9:00 to 11:00 at our Secondary campus
On Wednesday at Primary, visitors will learn from Head of Primary, Emma Brassington, about our English National Curriculum delivered to children aged 3 to 11, followed by a tour of the buildings and grounds of the Primary campus.
On Thursday at Secondary, Head of Senior School Daniel Crabtree will present our school’s programme, including the GCSE and A Level provision, as well as the many extra-curricular activities that students can take part in beyond the classroom. The presentation will be followed by a tour of the Secondary premises.
Interested participants are invited to register here.
