Message from Ms Matillon, Director General
Dear Parents,
Before I write about the normal whirl of activities and events in school, I would like to remind everyone that today is Emma Brassington’s last day in school with us – an occasion we grandly marked this morning with a special, and very emotional, Primary school assembly in her honour. It was a bittersweet moment that left many of us feeling rather melancholic. Whilst we are excited for Mrs Brassington, of course, as she embarks on new adventures back home in Yorkshire, she will be much missed here. We will certainly be happy to see her whenever she returns to Switzerland for a visit – hopefully, soon.
Also during this assembly, all Primary staff and I were honoured to receive thanks and thoughtful gifts from the parents, many of whom were in attendance. Primary children, acting as perfect little elves, delivered our presents – a marvellously orchestrated gesture that, as I said in the moment, was the most beautiful expression of thanks and community I have ever seen in a school. I was simply overwhelmed, as were Mrs Brassington, Madame Durey and the rest of our staff. Thank you, so much, from us all!
A heartfelt thank you, also, to parents of our Secondary school students for the Staff Appreciation Brunch you shared with us yesterday. As you do each year, you spoiled us with savoury and sweet treats that kept us going back for more from the start to the end of the day. We are grateful every day for your support of our efforts – especially on these festive days! As in Primary – in fact, across the whole school as one – our cohesive and engaged community is such a large part of what makes GES so successful and special.
This week, whilst Secondary school students continued to work hard and sit exams, the mood was decidedly lighter in Primary. We had both the Early Years Christmas show featuring a wonderful story, adorable snowmen and snowflakes, and the sun himself, and the Primary Rising Stars concert which included performances by the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 choirs, ballet, tap and street dancers. The gym was full to bursting for both shows which had us all clapping and singing along, and it was fabulous to see such a great turnout from parents, siblings and even some grandparents!
Yesterday, we celebrated Escalade in Primary by coming to school in pyjamas and eating soup prepared by the children during their French lessons. The onions were strong and stung their eyes, but those who tasted the soup thought it was definitely eye-wateringly delicious. Thank you to all of our chefs and to their teachers for this treat which kept us warm on a cold day.
In a few short hours, our whole-school Christmas Fair – a highlight of the term – will begin on our Primary playground. Tents are being pitched as I write this by our formidable parent volunteers and Ludo, and I can see through my window that they have done a fantastic job with their cold hands. I have been advised by a reliable source that Santa himself will call in to his authentic GES grotto and I will be listening with anticipation for the sound of hooves on the roof until I see him. Children should not miss this opportunity to make sure Santa’s lists are up-to-date, particularly as I know they have all been nice this year.
As I often say, please make sure to consult our school calendar so as not to miss any of the events taking place in the coming days. Next week being our last in school before our holiday starts, classes will end at lunchtime on Friday 12th December, 12:00 in Secondary and 12:20 in Primary. Our caterer will not deliver hot lunches, and neither After-school Care nor extra-curricular activities will run on that day, and we ask you to collect your children promptly at the end of lessons.
This is a reminder that GES will be closed for a three-week winter break and that children will return to school on Tuesday 6th January as Monday 5th January is a staff training day. If you would like to enrol your Primary school child(ren) for our babysitting service on Monday 5th, please contact Louise at [email protected].
I hope to see a great many of you this afternoon and evening at our fair at the Primary campus, and again at the Escalade races on Sunday. Come one, come all, dressed warmly in our waterproofs to support the 100 runners on Team GES!
All the best,
Christina Matillon
Farewell Mrs Brassington!
It was a bittersweet moment in today’s final Assembly of 2025 as our Primary community came together for an exchange of presents and a farewell to Mrs Brassington.
Thank you to all the parents who joined us to give thoughtful presents to each member of staff, from teachers to learning support assistants to administrative staff. We were especially touched that these were given out by your children.
Emotional speeches from members of the school community followed to say farewell to Mrs Brassington, including a wonderfully adapted version of the song “Mrs Robinson” – “Mrs Brassington!” – intoned by everyone in the room! Our heartfelt thanks go to her for everything she has done for our school and she will be missed immensely. Ms Matillon closed the Assembly by recalling all the wonderful things that Mrs Brassington has brought to the school over the years, reminding us how much we had all learned from her, both staff and children alike, and how her ever-present smile and ability to “make everything fun” will be sorely missed.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the hall and the warm hugs that the children gave Mrs Brassington at the end of Assembly are testament to how much she means to them and to the school community as a whole.
Click here for photos and a farewell video to Mrs Brassington.
This week in class
Our Pre-school students were in an artistic mood this week, following instructions to make some salt dough ornaments for Christmas. They were fantastic at thinking about what ingredients they would need for the salt dough and what pieces of equipment to concoct it. They mixed, poured, stirred and rolled until they had created some beautiful ornaments. Now they have to wait patiently for the dough to dry before they can decorate their designs, but this didn’t stop them from excitedly discussing the paint colours and glitter that they will use as part of the next step.
Reception students have been talking a lot about the changes from season to season these past weeks, and have been telling everybody about the different winter activities that they like to join in outside of school.
With the cold season very much starting to roll in, they decided to go on a winter walk during which they found many frosty leaves while singing in unison the songs “Little Jackie Jack Frost” and “Five Little Snowmen”. On one extremely cold day, our adventurers needed a hot chocolate to warm them up and had a special treat watching The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. They also enjoyed the book together, and couldn’t contain their excitement when the snowman flew!
After reading the story Little Snowflake by Suzanne Fossey, our learners discovered how snowflakes are made – and could not believe that one snowflake can contain as many as 100 ice crystals! They were also amazed to find out that no two snowflakes are alike, even though they all have six points – incredible!
Year 2 had a creative lessons this week as part of their P.E. topic on “Games Making”. Our athletes developed their collaborative working skills to share ideas, compromise and make decisions to create fun new games and are very much looking forward to teaching them to each other!
A huge thank you to our EYFS parents who graciously gave up their time to assist our Year 3 geographers with their fieldwork activity.
After exploring the uses of Mt Cotopaxi in the Andes, our Year 3 students decided to plan their own data collection exercise to find out how GES parents like to spend time in our mountains, the Alps. They have been carefully analysing their results and will learn how to represent their data in a bar graph in the coming lessons.
Well down to all our students for their polite requests and thank yous during their time with parents!
We had some great speeches from our Year 9 orators this week! Students delivered their speeches in a mature, confident way, using sophisticated language and impressing their peers with their arguments. Choosing their own topics, they spoke eloquently on a range of issues including equality, race, pride, patriotism and animal rights.
Well done, everybody!
Our Year 10 scientists have been learning about “Electricity in the Home” this week. As part of this topic, they took apart and reassembled a UK plug and discovered the functions of each of its various parts. A practical investigation which will no doubt prove useful in their future!
Our Year 10 and 11 P.E. students made the most of the poor weather this week and engaged in some team building exercises, table tennis and spike ball!
The team building exercises consisted of communication challenges, blindfolded drawing and the electric current challenge. The blindfolded drawing exercise was especially tricky as they had to draw a sports item or person from school using only simple instructions from a partner. They then had to guess what or whom they had drawn!
In addition to reinforcing links between peers, these activities demonstrate just how important clear, verbal communication is and the role it plays in sports and beyond.
Year 11 chemists had their final chemistry practical of the term this week, during which they investigated rates of reaction by observing colour changes and comparing results. Celebrating the successful completion of their mock exams, they seized the opportunity to pose for a team photo!
Beyond the Classroom
Escalade Pyjama Day at Primary
Ah ! la belle Escalade, Savoyards, Savoyards !
Our Primary students and teachers turned out in their fluffiest, warmest and cosiest pyjamas yesterday in celebration of the Escalade. To mark this important moment in local history when Geneva’s citizens had to jump out of their beds to defend their town from invaders, our Primary community paid homage to the beloved Mère Royaume and her cooking by launching the first edition of the GES Escalade Soup. Our Language Ambassadors peeled and chopped all kinds of colourful seasonal vegetables to prepare a delicious concoction which they served during morning break.
Well done to all of them for this heart-warming initiative that brought our school community together over a delightful cup of soup!
A Snowman at Sunset
Our youngest learners shone brightly this week in the much-awaited Christmas Show!
Telling the story of A Snowman at Sunset, the children, surrounded by some lovely little snowflakes, worked together to make a snowman despite the sun shining brightly and melting the snow. Brilliantly representing the hard task at hand through well-staged body language and (very cute!) angry facial expressions, our young thespians persevered and managed to build their snowman in the end!
Well done to all our performers for some superb acting, dancing and singing which truly impressed our audience of family and friends.
Enjoying the Primary Library
At GES, we are so fortunate to have a well-stocked library with comfy seats to curl up in with a book.
Our Year 3 certainly enjoy every minute of their library sessions, engaging both in independent, quiet reading or sharing in these literary moments with their peers.
Secondary Art Extravaganza
Artists in the Year 10 and 12 Art Club took to their easels this week as part of the GES adaptation of the TV show Sky Portrait Artist of the Year!
Tasked with producing a still-life ‘alla prima’ from start to finish with no prior drawing or preparation, our Year 12 contestants used oil while Year 10, along with Mr Shreeve and Nurse Polly, used gouache as their medium. Each contestant was randomly allocated one of four still-life pieces to complete in one hour. All the while, hosts Matt and Stefan introduced the artists and guided our fierce art critics, Ms Buon’Amore and MC Seething, as they imparted some words of encouragement but also brutal roasts!
Our artists’ productions can be discovered at next week’s Winter Showcase, during which the audience will vote for the winner!
Extra-Curricular Activities
A Warm Up Session for our GES Choirs
There’s nothing quite like singing your heart out to fight off the chilly weather! Our Secondary Choir hopped over to Primary this week for a rehearsal with their younger peers ahead of today’s Christmas Fair.
We can’t wait to hear them intone some festive tunes later on!
A Seasonal Science Club Session
Our Year 6 extra-curricular Science Club had a festive final session this week!
Putting the finishing touches on their lovely salt crystal and salt dough Christmas decorations, which our students have been working on to gift as presents, participants also enjoyed creating some fake snow made from nappies.
Rising Stars at Primary
Our Primary performers had their audience singing and dancing along with them this week during the winter edition of our Rising Stars Show!
From beautifully choreographed ballet sequences to energetic moves from our street and tap dancers and tuneful choir pieces, this event left us wowed by the impressive talents of our students who really are rising stars.
Thank you to all our performers for such an amazing show, and to all the teachers and helping hands who worked tirelessly to make this performance such a delight to watch.
Curious Creatures at Zoology Club
Our Zoology Club goers had two excellent presentations recently: one about Lakeland terriers and one about bearded dragons!
John and Tom spoke about their dog, Ottie. Learning about the specific traits of Lakeland terriers through examples of Ottie’s diet, likes and dislikes, students discovered all kinds of interesting facts about this friendly dog species which, according to research, often exhibits “selective deafness” when its interest level is aroused.
Diego led a fascinating exposé about his pet bearded dragon, a diurnal species native to Australia that usually lives in warm environments such as deserts and savannas. Curious about what the term “bearded” refers to, our students discovered that the underside of the throat of these lizards can turn black and become inflated when they experience stress or are trying to entice a mate!
Community News
Course de l'Escalade
This Sunday 7 December, no fewer than 100 GES students will take their marks on the Course de l’Escalade’s traditional, annual race.
Like every year, our school will hold a tent in the Village des Ecoles zone, where runners and their families can leave their belongings and enjoy a pre- or post-race snack and refreshments.
We hope to see many of you there to cheer on our courageous athletes!
Click here to read the letter containing the final details for the Course de l’Escalade.
December Reading Challenge
Primary bookworms are invited to join the December Reading Challenge and earn stars for their House!
See below for this month’s cosy reading challenges and be sure to tick each box when you finish:
· Read in pyjamas, under a blanket, or with a warm drink.
· Read a book with snow in it.
· Read outside for 10 minutes – Bundle up and enjoy a chilly story time.
· Read to someone else (a sibling, parent, cuddly toy or even a pet).
· Read a holiday story (Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year or any festive book).
Secondary Staff Appreciation Breakfast
Our Secondary staff were treated to a delicious Staff Appreciation Breakfast this week, organised by our Parents’ Association.
Thank you to all the parents who contributed so generously to this sumptuous feast which had something everything from salty snacks to mouth-watering cakes and seasonal delicacies!
Wildlife Art Competition
Calling all artists!
Enter the Global Canvas 2026: The Book of Life and be part of the world’s greatest children’s wildlife art competition!
Run by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Global Canvas invited the world’s youth to reflect deeply about wildlife, conservation and the environment.
Open to children and teenagers up to age 16, this competition is the perfect opportunity for young artists to share their vision for how we can preserve the living world.
See below for how to enter the Global Canvas competition:
- Think about the theme and choose your medium
- Create your artwork – size is up to you for individuals; groups may produce displays
- Take clear photographs (or scans) of your artwork, and provide an optional short video about your piece or creative process
- Complete the online entry form when submissions open
- Review and agree to the terms and conditions
Click here to find out more about the Global Canvas and the various age categories.
