Message from Mr Williams, Head
Dear Parents,
I can’t quite believe that our second term is over already. It only seems like yesterday that we returned from the Christmas break and already the first signs of spring are appearing across the Primary grounds. Whatever you are doing over the next two weeks, I hope you have a relaxing time. School returns on Tuesday 16th April at the normal time.
This week, I was very proud to show off the school to the Independent Schools Inspectorate team. They definitely saw GES at its best. The inspectors specifically asked me to pass on their thanks to everyone who completed a questionnaire and to the students they met over their two day visit – and I would especially like to recognise the meticulous planning completed by Alice Priestley that contributed to everything running with Swiss clockwork precision. We will receive a formal report in about 8 to 10 weeks that I look forward to sharing.
On Tuesday night, it was a privilege to watch Back in Time, our Year 3 and 4 show written by our very own Mrs Humphreys. It was a fantastic evening filled with talented students singing and dancing their hearts out. Thank you again to the parents who helped with this event and to all the staff who contributed to producing a show of such high quality.
Last night was the music recital at Secondary and Miss Parker tells me that the standard of performances was excellent. Thank you to all the music team and to the students for all the hard work that went into the show.
At Secondary, we welcomed back our Year 12 geographers from their trip to Barcelona, and we have been celebrating one of our Year 9 students, Jonathan, who earned the title of Danish Under-14s ski champion in all categories. Congratulations to Jonathan!
We have a few students and families leaving GES today and I want to wish our leavers all the best in their move and for their adventures to come. To one and all, have a very Happy Easter.
Best wishes,
Matt Williams
From the Primary School
Year 3 and 4 Travel Back in Time
This week we had the performance of the much awaited Year 3 and 4 show, Back in Time, at the Espace culturel de Genthod. Featuring superb bilingual acting, singing and dancing, this performance transported the audience from the future to the past on a magical adventure following characters Peter and Layla.
Written entirely by the fabulous Sian Humphreys, Head of Primary Arts and class teacher, the show also included the beautiful creations of our Key Stage 2 Art Club, who has spent all these past weeks hard at work in designing the set.
Bravo to all our performers, backstage crew and set designers for this wonderful production!
April Reading Challenge | A Poem A Day
This month in the library, we are celebrating poetry. Back by popular demand, this month’s reading challenge is to read a poem a day. Try to enjoy a range of different themes and poets, including French poets, and even try performing your poems aloud to friends and family. A selection of poetry books will be available in the library and in your classroom libraries.
For this challenge, note down the title of each poem read and its author on April’s reading challenge sheet and hand it to your class teacher by the end of the month to receive a reading certificate and 5 stars for your House.
Medals All Around for Year 1
Congratulations to our Year 1 swimmers, who were all awarded their medals after this year’s final swimming lesson with Red Whale Swim School!
They have been working hard on their technique and have made tremendous progress. We are very proud of their efforts all these past weeks.
News from Secondary
We Have a National Ski Champion!
A huge bravo to Jonathan Ahrendsen in Year 9 who brought home the gold in all four disciplines at the Danish ski championship! Winning the Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G and Parallel races, Jonathan has been crowned Under-14s Danish ski champion.
GES Athletes Shine in Badminton and Basketball
Over the past couple of weeks, our Secondary School has entered both an SGIS Basketball tournament and an SGIS Badminton tournament.
Year 11 Charlotte Rossiter represented GES at the SGIS Category A Badminton tournament in Lausanne. Having played some fantastic group games, Charlotte qualified for the knockout rounds, finishing 7th out of 17 girls who entered. This is a fantastic result and will pave the way for future GES representation in Badminton tournaments.
Our Year 10-13 boys went up to Villars for the SGIS Category A Basketball tournament. As their first venture into a tournament under the GES badge, it was a superb experience. Finishing 2nd in their group, they qualified for the semi-finals, narrowly missing out on a final spot. The team ended up finishing 4th overall, just outside of the medals. Another first for GES, which highlights the growth of sport in the Secondary school.
Rebirth of the Secondary Library
Our Secondary Library has been abuzz with activity this week after numerous weeks of preparations to get this space ready to welcome visitors once more. With its fresh new look and refurbished reading and working areas, our learners from across all year groups have thoroughly enjoyed reclaiming this space to curl up with a good book, work independently or team up with classmates for joint study.
Visiting individually or with their classes, our students have also been able to browse the numerous titles available on the library shelves, and a number of volunteers have stepped forward to man the desk and ensure their peers can take out and return books in an organised fashion.
School news
A Melodic End of Term for Our Musicians
What a tremendous success for our Music Recital held this week in the Chaplin Room at Secondary!
No fewer than 25 student musicians aged 5 to 18 took turns enchanting the audience of peers, parents, siblings and staff who had gathered to hear the progress each of them has made over this last term. Delighting listeners with music pieces ranging from the classical repertoire through to modern hits from Walt Disney, Harry Potter, Bob Dylan and more, our students showcased their talents as violinists, pianists, singers, guitarists and clarinetists.
Faces of GES
The winning formula for this week’s Faces of GES points to Ken MacLean, Deputy Head of Science, who joined our school in 2023 after 13 years teaching in London. A teacher of Biology, Physics and Chemistry, Ken was drawn to the world of education by his wish to share his passion for science with young people. Making a difference in a young person’s life, whether by helping them reach their full academic potential or encouraging them to think about the world we live in, lies at the heart of what motivates Ken every day. His students’ enthusiasm, positivity and thirst for knowledge inspire him and are all qualities which he himself exemplifies for our school community.
Ken takes his love of science beyond the classroom. If he could invite three people to a dinner party, he would choose to host Charles Darwin, Aristotle and Marie Curie, all scientists in their own right whose views on where the world is going Ken would love to discuss. His favourite book? The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee, a beautifully written overview of the inner workings of DNA to control cells and therefore all life on Earth. Drawn to South Africa for its incredible biodiversity and wildlife, Ken is an outdoor enthusiast, and enjoys snowboarding, climbing and cycling, especially in nearby Chamonix!
