Message from Mr Crabtree, Executive Head
Dear Parents,
I want to begin my first newsletter with nothing more than a huge thank you to every pupil, parent and member of staff who has made this week such a wonderfully positive experience; full of ambition, ideas and individual stories that make GES so special.
I was eager to immerse myself in the children’s lived school experience and speak to as many of our parent and staff community as possible. With this in mind, it was a privilege to be able to sit with every Primary class each day this week to observe the quality and care with which our teachers nurture and educate our children, and the enthusiasm, curiosity and energy that radiates from the children as they learn.
My week began with meeting the Primary Parent Representatives and ended with a celebration of artistic and sporting success in Mrs Grant’s assembly this morning where she distributed Star of the Week certificates and Gold and Platinum awards. Following Tuesday evening’s electrical storms, we were so pleased to be able to host our Key Stage 2 Sports Day on Wednesday. The morning was another example of our school community at its best, with our pupils representing their Houses in dedicated, supportive and healthy competition. Congratulations to Léman House on their victory, but I think the real winners were our entire school and parent community!
At Secondary, our GCSE and A-Level students have resumed their examinations, but certainly now with their graduation and end of year celebrations in sight! In addition to exams, it’s also a busy time for our Secondary enrichment programme; following last week’s Year 10 Tour du Lac Cycling expedition, this morning our Year 9 students left for a two-day kayak tour on the Rhône with our Outdoor Club, ahead of next week’s A-Level Geography fieldwork trip to the UK – a wonderfully busy time for our staff and students!
In developing the leadership team at Secondary, I am pleased to share that I have been able to appoint three outstanding colleagues to the Heads of Key Stage roles to work under Ms Newbury, Head of Secondary. Ms Empson is promoted to Head of Key Stage 3, Mr Shreeve to lead Key Stage 4, and Mr McSweeney becomes Head of Key Stage 5 working alongside our new University and Careers Counselor, Mrs Hutcheson.
One reflection from my mornings this week spent at the Primary drop-off is the noticeable care and attention with which our parents drive through the car park; thank you for this. We all appreciate the potential consequences of any moment of distraction while driving. I would like to ask every member of our community to place this at the forefront of their minds next week, reducing risk by always keeping speed to a minimum.
An important goal is the development of our school’s engagement with our local, francophone, communities. Following from welcoming the Mayor of Genthod, Madame Guinand, to our production of Aladdin at the Salle Communale last week, I’m pleased to share that this week our Primary Deputy Head, Mme Durey, met with the team at Genthod Library to put in place visits to the library for all children in Key Stages 1 and 2 as part of their Primary French curriculum next year.
As the week ends I reflect on all the valuable conversations and interactions I’ve been able to have with our students, parents and staff. My key take-away is how much we all value what GES offers us as a school and a community; we have a shared ambition to redouble our efforts to further enhance the experience and welcome more families to join us.
I wish you and your family a wonderful weekend and look forward to getting to know you even better over the coming weeks.
Daniel Crabtree
Key Stage 2 Sports Day
With beautiful sunshine and cooler temperatures, the weather was perfect for our Key Stage 2 Sports Day this week over at our Primary campus!
Competing in their Houses, our athletes in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 displayed great sportsmanship and teamwork as they pulled together to break records in a number of sporting disciplines. From individual accomplishments in long jumping and throwing to playing careful balancing acts with the sack racing and egg and cup racing, from short-distance speeding with the 75m and 300m sprints to testing their endurance with the final House relay, our students had a wonderful time in this athletic extravaganza that brought so many parents and families to our campus.
In fitting GES tradition, the morning’s events closed with an invitation to parents to participate – this year with a hilariously fun parent and teacher tug of war!
Congratulations go to House Léman for their outstanding performances, which brought them to the top of the Key Stage 2 Sports Day podium!
This week in class
Our students have had such an exciting couple of weeks in Reception class, caring for their (very hungry) caterpillars, watching them grow in size and observe as they started to spin their chrysalides. To make sure they remained safe, our students made signs to remind everybody not to disrupt them!
This week was particularly special as their first two Painted Lady butterflies emerged! Our students watched them with excitement, and were thrilled to have them in the classroom: the butterflies were with them during writing time and even during snack break! They spent all afternoon writing little notes to give to them, painting butterfly pictures and reading stories to them, using their knowledge of the butterfly life cycle they have been studying and putting their understanding of symmetry to the test when drawing.
In a fitting tribute to today’s World Environment Day, our students released their first two butterflies (Bruce and Sonny) in the school grounds, contributing at their level to the protection, safeguarding and reproduction of key pollinators of local flora.
Well done everybody!
As part of their Geography unit comparing Switzerland and Tanzania, our Year 1 students were thrilled to welcome Chris, Lucas’ dad, for a moment of sharing about his ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Our geographers were amazed to learn that Kilimanjaro is nearly 6000 metres high, stands alone, and takes climbers through several different climates on their journey to the summit. Chris showed us photographs from his expedition, including visits to a Tanzanian school supported through his fundraising efforts, beautiful views from the mountain, and incredible wildlife from the Serengeti.
Our students asked thoughtful (and funny) questions and compared Kilimanjaro to the Alps that they can see from their own school. Hearing first-hand about the landscapes, wildlife and communities of Tanzania brought their geography learning to life, captured their imaginations, and may well have inspired a few future climbers along the way!
Year 2 loved the total freedom in their Art lesson this week, during which they were challenged to make a “seed” and build roots and shoots from it. The aim was to be as playful and creative as possible and use a variety of materials. Our artists were totally absorbed and the end results are awesome! Tara’s shoot stretched so high it ended up hanging from the bunting! Willow made a stunning 3D tree out of beads and buttons! Gabe even made a pollinator! Santi used so much Blu Tack, we have none left!
Well done, everybody, for your creativity, imagination and enthusiasm.
Thanks to Nurse Polly, our Year 6 students are now well equipped to respond confidently in an emergency situation. Through their training, they have learned how to identify potential dangers, assess responsiveness, perform chest compressions, use a defibrillator, and place a casualty in the recovery position to ensure their safety and comfort until further help arrives. Important skills which can help save lives.
Our very own Mme Briand has once again done an amazing job organising all the Father’s Day creations for this Sunday’s celebration in Switzerland. During their French lessons, our students created beautiful cards and crafts, while also taking time to reflect on the special messages they wanted to write to their dads in French.
A wonderful opportunity to combine creativity, language learning, and heartfelt appreciation for the important fathers and father figures in our lives.
Joyeuse Fête des pères à tous les papas !
It’s been another busy week of scientific investigation for our Secondary students!
Using Pringles cans and various household items, our Year 7 made their very own pinhole cameras to understand the natural optical phenomenon of the camera obscura effect whereby light from a scene passes through a tiny aperture and projects an inverted image on the opposite side of the box. This exercise was key to illustrating the use of pinhole cameras in capturing the movement of the sun over a long period of time for the study of solar eclipses.
This week has been all about the fascinating world of electricity for Year 8 scientists as they launched into their new unit through practical experimentation with batteries.
For our Year 10 physicists, their experiment using an air track enabled them to investigate how an increase in mass decreases acceleration because heavier objects possess greater inertia.
Beyond the Classroom
Pedalling Memories
After their exciting and intense cycle around Lac Léman last week, a number of our intrepid Year 10 students who took part looked back on their adventure.
On behalf of her team, “Los Pollos Hermanos”, Katrina reports: “For our Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition, we cycled around Lac Léman, 180 km, travelling through a variety of landscapes, including lakeside towns, countryside roads, and steep hills. The expedition was both physically and mentally challenging, but it was a very rewarding experience.
During the trip, we faced several difficulties, such as one member of our group becoming ill and dealing with a puncture, which delayed our progress. However, the most challenging part of the expedition was losing two members of our group on the second day of the journey. This had a significant impact on team spirit and meant that the remaining members had to take on more responsibility, such as riding at the back of the group and making sure we didn’t lose anyone else.
It was difficult to adapt to a smaller group, but we worked together to stay motivated to complete the expedition. This experience taught us the importance of resilience, teamwork, and supporting each other during difficult situations.
Overall, cycling around Lac Léman was an unforgettable experience. Despite the setbacks we encountered, we completed the expedition and developed skills such as communication, determination, and independence.”
Year 10 student Anna also shares her team’s memories from the trip: “Our tour of Lac Léman – 180 km – was an incredible experience that led us to truly appreciate the beauty of this stunning lake. As a group, we overcame minor obstacles such as one of our member’s bike’s wheels coming loose multiple times, a navigation error that led us to a main road, and overall exhaustion and sunburn. Our meals were simple yet fulfilling: instant noodles, pesto pasta and tortillas with biscoff spread. We managed to keep an efficient pace that worked for the entirety of HAMILAM (our group name) and supported each other through the 32° heat. We bridged gaps within the group and made sure nobody fell behind. Additionally, we gathered enough information to successfully fulfill our aim (analysing graffiti levels around Lac Léman). Unfortunately, however, we lost our stove on day 1 and had to use a spare stove provided by the school. As we crossed the finish line, our lives as we knew them changed forevermore.”
Extra-curricular Activities
A Silver Cup for the Season Finale
Our Category E Year 5 and 6 boys finished the season with silverware at the SGIS football tournament in Geneva on Friday!
Drawn in a tough group, the team played well and finished strongly with two wins in the afternoon.
Our boys were recognised for their outstanding sportsmanship throughout the tournament and were awarded the fair play trophy.
Well done boys, you did GES proud!
Natural Observations
Our Year 6 Science Club students stepped into the shoes of naturalists for an afternoon. Taking a tour around our Secondary school gardens, they collected, drew and identified different plant specimens to understand the many different characteristics they have developed to adapt and thrive in nature.
Chase, the Gentle Giant
Our Secondary Zoology Club was delighted to welcome a very special guest, Chase, Julia’s beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog. Weighing an impressive 50 kg, Chase is a gentle giant who loves attention and is happiest when surrounded by people. He is incredibly social, enjoys lots of company, and is especially brilliant with children.
Our Club members thoroughly enjoyed meeting and spending time with Chase, whose calm and friendly nature quickly won everyone over.
Our students learned that Bernese Mountain Dogs were originally bred in Switzerland as farm dogs and used to pull carts loaded with milk, cheese, and other goods to market. Thanks to their great strength, they could pull loads many times their own body weight, making them invaluable helpers to farmers. Today, they are best known for being loyal, affectionate family companions.
Community News
GES Dance Champions
We are proud to share that our Year 7 students Emma and Orla both achieved excellent results at the Bravissimo International Dance Competition in Paris last week.
Orla achieved second place with her solo performance and Emma achieved first place. They also won the first prize with their team dance “Don’t Stop the Music” and received the “Mention Cristal” in the Style Libre category.
Well done to both of them for their hard work, commitment and impressive achievements.
Our Geography Prodigy
Congratulations to our Year 9 student, Damien, who competed in the Geography division of the International Academic Competitions’ European Championships against students from across Europe, and came in third place overall.
Commenting on his participation in this competition, Damien said: “My passion for Geography comes from my love of travel and exploring the world around us – understanding how landscapes, cultures, and borders shape our view of the planet. After several challenging rounds, I advanced to the finals, where I came through and secured third place overall. It was a great experience, and a world of motivation to keep exploring. Next year, I’m going for gold!”
Well said, Damien! Keep up the hard work – we’re all rooting for you!
Save the Date | Primary Rising Stars
Save the date for the Rising Stars performance at Primary next Wednesday 10 June at 17:30!
Starring our accomplished Primary Choir, tap dancers and street dancers, this show is a great opportunity for students to showcase all the progress they have made in their chosen artistic disciplines.
Don’t miss out and join us for what promises to be a night to remember!
