Issue: 6 | Friday 4th October 2024

Message from Ms Matillon, Director General

Dear Parents,

Walking through the halls of our Secondary school today, I have heard lessons through every open door on such topics as friendship; empathy; managing emotions; balancing work, leisure, exercise and sleep; and the cause and effects of stress. Our GCSE and A Level students have also had the opportunity to hear words of wisdom from our guest speakers from Young Enterprise Switzerland on the subject of personal finance and careers. Based on the level of active participation I’ve seen from students across year groups, this first PSHE day of the year is clearly – to borrow a word from our Primary vocabulary – “WAGOLL”, what a good one looks like! A very big thank you to our entire Secondary team, including Nurse Polly, for delivering such a diverse and relevant curriculum!

Earlier in the week in Secondary, we had our first Book Look of the year (for Year 10 families) as well as our first Parent-Teacher meetings (Year 11). Feedback I’ve heard on both events has been very positive and I’m delighted that so many parents were able to participate. Clearly, conversations about school work and academic outcomes become quite serious once students are in their exam years but, fundamentally, there is no better way to motivate our children to learn and to achieve than for parents to show interest in the process and their progress. GES students’ success is very much based on the three-way partnership between them, us at school and parents, and it is very rewarding to see that synergy in action.

As part of our ongoing cycle of professional development, the Primary leadership team spent time on Wednesday looking at samples of children’s work from all year groups. It was a pleasure to see the range of work and how teachers’ feedback in exercise books is helping students progress by celebrating excellent work and guiding them on areas for improvement. Children from Reception to Year 6 enjoy using their ‘purple polishing pens’ to respond to feedback by making spelling corrections or practising correct letter and number formation. High quality work was seen across the curriculum, with children demonstrating pride in their presentation. Despite being only a few short weeks into the term, the progress made by all students is already evident. We’re grateful to our Primary team for all their effort and, specifically, too, for their contributions to our first – teachers only, for now – Book Look of the year which proved a very worthwhile exercise from which to develop.

It has come to our attention that the two pedestrian crossings near our Primary campus have been blacked out and so, effectively, no longer function as safe crossings for children. I have been in touch with the Genthod town hall regarding this issue and have stressed the importance and urgency of reinstating at least one designated spot where children can cross the road safely, and that will be clearly visible from passing cars. I hope to come back to you with good news in this regard very quickly and, until then, I ask that you take extra care when driving on the route de Malagny at drop-off and pick-up times.

As our goal is to keep children not just safe, but dry, we ask that parents of Primary schoolers please pack a change of socks and bottoms in their rucksacks during this changeable weather season. While we do have indoor break times when it is raining, lingering puddles are a magnet for many children, and it is uncomfortable for them to return to lessons in wet clothing. Thank you for packing whatever is needed to avoid our having soggy children in school!

In what is clearly becoming a habit, I have more staff baby news to share. This week, our Secondary Maths teacher, Ms Brewin, gave birth to a beautiful daughter, Annabelle Frances, who looks in photos shared like she might already be practising counting her fingers! We are delighted for Ms Brewin and her family and wish them great joy in this new adventure.

All the best,

Christina Matillon

Celebrating Black History Month

In celebration of Black History Month, our Secondary students took part in an important assembly led by History teacher, John McSweeney.

Structured around the theme of reclaiming narratives, the assembly shone a spotlight on the untold stories, often unsung heroes and the everyday individuals of black culture who have made an impact on our communities. Exploring the inventions of such pioneers as Elijah McCoy (ironing board and water sprinklers), Alice H. Parker (gas furnace), Garrett Morgan (traffic lights) and Frederick McKinley Jones (refrigeration technology), our students realised that countless household and everyday objects are the product of these great minds from history.

View photos of the assembly here

This week in class

In Geography, Year 2 continued travelling the world and have arrived in Africa.

Using a variety of atlases and globes to investigate different types of maps, our globetrotters learned about the differences between physical and human geography, sorting different physical and human features found in Africa, discussing and comparing ideas, and giving reasoned explanations for their decisions.

See the gallery below for photos.

As part of their PSHE programme (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education), Year 7 students welcomed guest speaker Dr Charlene Kasaven for an important workshop on dental care.

Learning about the importance of toothbrushing, students were invited to bring along their toothbrushes and take part in the demonstration on how to brush their teeth correctly.

Dr Kasaven is a dentist specialising in pediatric dentistry who trained in the UK and currently works in several practices across Geneva.

Browse our photo gallery to see our students in action!

Primary Reading Challenge

September Challenge

Year 4 and 6 students Emma and Lea took the September “Sweet or Savoury” reading challenge to a tasty conclusion. Browsing through their recipe collections at home, their eyes fell on eye-watering instructions to make queen cakes, which they baked together successfully!

Well done girls!

October Challenge

Join our October reading challenge! Enjoy a book from our Autumn and Halloween collection in the Library and write a short book recommendation about it on the leaf template. Colour or paint your leaf in Autumnal colours and add it to our Autumn tree in the Library!

The leaf template is available on My School Portal.

Beyond the Classroom

Maths Galore at Secondary

Mathematics were in the air this week at Secondary as 18 of our Year 10-13 students took part in the UK Maths Trust Senior Mathematical Challenge.

Led by Head of Maths and Economics, Luke Pearce, our mathematicians threw themselves into this 90-minute competition that involved 25 multiple choice questions.

We look forward to receiving the results in a few weeks, for which we are confident many of our participating students will earn Gold, Silver or Bronze certificates. Stay tuned!

SGIS Netball Friendly at St George's International School

Our Years 3-6 netballers had a brilliant afternoon under the sun at St George’s International School for their first friendly of the year. Nerves were high, however, emphasis was placed on learning and having fun.

The Category F Girls drew 4-4, while the older girls in Category E lost 7-12. Overall, everyone had a fantastic time enjoying quality moments together as a team off campus and admiring the beautiful views of Lac Léman on the way there.

Players of the Match, awarded by St George’s, were:

  • Esme
  • Emma
  • Valentina

Well done to everyone for participating!

 

Secondary House Registration

Students gathered in their House groups for registration this week.

House Captains led the session with slides and group activities, with a focus on students getting to know each other within their House and across year groups. They organised paired activities including personal questions and discussion topics based on current affairs.

Rhône House Captains Yannick and Ines said they enjoy such events and realise they involve confidence and leadership skills. They are happy to have the opportunity to develop these skills as House Captains.

Click here for more photos

International Poetry Competition

Primary students will be participating in this year’s Poésíæ international poetry recital competition, which challenges them to learn and recite a poem in a foreign language.

As well as developing their love and appreciation for language, the exercise of recital also develops public speaking skills, self-confidence and oral language competence.

The top two students in each year group will be entered into the World Finals, competing against students from over 250 schools worldwide to win a range of exciting prizes including books and Amazon vouchers.

Behind the Scenes of Our ECA Performing Arts

Rehearsals are well underway for the upcoming show, Willie Wonka. In addition to cast members singing, acting, miming and becoming comfortable with being on stage, our backstage crews have been mastering the art of stage direction and lighting.

At GES, we are always impressed by the inspiring teamwork and community spirit that such productions involve, and the resilience they help build in each and every one of our students.

Click here for photos

ASC Cooking

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” goes the old saying. At our After School Care club, we think it’s even better when apples are delicately folded into a scrumptious apple tart.

This is exactly what our little chefs did this week, as they peeled, chopped and baked apples into tarts of all shapes and sizes.

See photos of them here

School and Community News

Half-Term Dance Camps

We are delighted to be hosting exciting dance camps in our Primary gym during half-term break (21 October – 1 November). From street dance to hip hop, from Latin to show dancing, there is something for everyone!

Open to children aged 5 to 17, these camps are organised by Danceteam International, whose instructors are all dance experts with experience working with children and teenagers, and trained in the latest safeguarding practices.

Click here to sign up

Parent Survey | Sharing Skills and Expertise at School

We are incredibly fortunate to have a wonderfully diverse parent community at GES. Our parents represent countries from all over the globe, with individual experiences of a multitude of home cultures, as well as a breadth of knowledge acquired through work opportunities worldwide.

As we continue to develop our programme of in-class visits linked to our curriculum at Primary, we would like to offer you the opportunity to share your skills and expertise for an hour or so at some point during the academic year. We know how much parents have previously enjoyed coming into school to inspire our children, and so would like to propose a few ideas to spark your interest.

These include:

  • Lead an assembly about a cultural festival;
  • Give a talk about a globally recognised day;
  • Demonstrate a dance or play a musical instrument from your home culture;
  • Speak to children about your profession or a unique experience you’ve had at work;
  • Lead an art or craft session

We would love to hear your suggestions, too, and invite you to complete this Google Form by Wednesday 9 October. Furthermore, if you have an idea that your child/ren would be able to share in school themselves, please let us know.

Faces of GES

This week the spotlight of our Faces of GES series falls on Head of Science, Ken MacLean. A passionate biologist, Ken holds degrees from the Université Claude Bernard in Lyon and the University of Exeter, and a PGCE from University College London’s Institute of Education.

Before joining GES, Ken was Head of Science at St James Senior Girls’ School in London. Since arriving last year, Ken has enjoyed helping a new group of students to develop their scientific skills and knowledge, and working with a great group of colleagues at GES.

Outside of work, Ken is a very enthusiastic sportsman, playing squash, golf and ice hockey, as well as cycling and climbing. While most of us have only ever admired the view of Mont Blanc from our classroom windows, Ken can proudly claim to have reached the summit!