Message from the Head
Dear Parents,
It has started to feel like summer this week. At Primary, students are learning in our amazing grounds and at Secondary the GCSE and AS level exams are well under way. In PE lessons students are starting to prepare for sports day and there is a purpose and determination as the final pieces of learning are being completed for this year.
It has been great having Primary parents on site to brief them about the exciting school residentials and trips later this term and at leadership team we are planning the end of term celebrations and starting to think about next academic year – we will be writing to you about these plans after the mid-term break. Just to remind you of the plans for next week:
- Wednesday 25 May – we finish at midday at Secondary and 12.20 at Primary*
- Thursday 26 May to Monday 30 May – School closed*
- Tuesday 31 May – Back to school as normal.
*Apart from students in Year 11 and 12 who have exams on 25, 26, 27 or 30 May and have to be in school.
Behind the scenes, our wonderful Parent Community Group with Marybeth Helmsley in the lead is working hard to organise a wonderful Summer Fair for all of us – please save the date of Saturday, 25 June from noon onwards. We definitely want to make this a great one as it is also our 60th Anniversary celebration. And Marybeth and the team would love additional help and support to do so. Please approach her directly, via Classlist or ask the school office to put you in touch if you can help.
With the 60th Anniversary, we have also started to bring together our alumni and are organising an evening event for them (and our current parents) on Friday, 24 June from 19:30 at the Primary Campus. Ian Griffith, one of our Primary parents and an alumni of GES himself, is leading on this initiative and we are very grateful for his support. Please click here to sign up or to find out more about our Alumni offer.
And looking beyond the academic school year, do take advantage of our Summer camps – and invite your friends’ children to join as well. There is definitely something for everyone. See the selection and sign up here on the website.
Just finally, if you haven’t seen our newly expanded Early Years outside space, please pop round and have a look at it the next time you’re at the Primary school – it really does look great and the team have spent hours of their own time planting and organising it.
There will be no newsletter next week, with normal service resuming in a fortnight. Have a wonderful mid-term break and fingers crossed that the sunshine continues!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Matt Williams
Head
FROM THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS
As per our email earlier today, we would like to remind you that today Friday 20 May is the deadline to submit a topic for discussion prior to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association which will take place on Monday 13 June, at 20:00. You can do so by emailing Mr Le Roy at [email protected].
We also encourage our parents to send their applications for the position of Parent Governor. All nominations need to be submitted, with a proposer and seconder, to Mr Le Roy at [email protected] by next Monday, 23 May.
FROM THE PE & SPORT DEPARTMENT
Primary Sports Days next week
We are very excited to host our traditional Sports Days next week. The children have been practising a lot and look forward to being encouraged by their parents.
We are hoping for dry weather. Should that not be the case, we will advise a future date.
All children should wear their House T-Shirts and have a water bottle and sun hat for Sports Day.
In addition, at the end of the races we are planning a Tug-of-war session for parents – if you would like to participate, remember suitable clothing and shoes for a bit of tug-of-war fun.
Now it is time for competition! Go GES Go!
PRAISE FROM YOUR TEACHERS
Swiss Maths Kangaroo Challenge, from Mr Pearce (Head of Secondary Mathematics)
In addition to the UK Maths Challenges which all students have taken in class this year, several regular Maths Club attendees took on the Swiss Maths Kangaroo last term. The results took a little longer to get back to us than usual but they are now in – in the form of rank order!
The top performers from GES were Karlis Kaurats, who came 74th, followed by Sebastian Birchall in 173rd place, Griffin Edwards in 188th and Dylan Ford in 216th, all in their respective age categories. Given that there are 10,000 keen mathematicians who take part in each of the categories, of around 200,000 students eligible to enter, these are really impressive performances.
In September, we’re excited to be offering Secondary students the possibility to enter the Swiss Maths Olympiad, which gives them the chance to qualify for training camps in Lausanne. A reason to keep practising over the summer?!
Geneva Marathon: Junior Races
Congratulations to all GES students who ran the Geneva Junior races last weekend:
- William, Tino and Felix in Year 8
- Ravi in Year 6
- Arun and Ciara in Year 4
They all showed brilliant spirit, despite the very warm weather, and had fun through it all. We are very proud of you.
Upcoming shows and concerts
Upcoming GES student performances
The Primary Rising Stars will be showcasing what they have learnt throughout the year in their extra-curricular clubs on Wednesday 8 June at 17:00 in the Primary Gym.
More details will be shared nearer the time.
The Secondary PA Club will be proud to present to you their reinterpretation of the famous musical ‘Grease’ on Monday 27 June at 18:30 in the Salle Communale de Genthod.
Theatre recommendations, from Mrs Ball (Head of Drama and Performing Arts)
For all of our theatre and performance lovers, here are Mrs Ball’s latest recommendations for local theatre productions.
If you would like further information about any of these, you are welcome to email Mrs Ball at [email protected].
The BFG
An undisputed national treasure and the world’s favourite children’s author, Roald Dahl has enchanted young minds for more than 25 years with stories that fire the imagination, bring dreams to life and release squeals of delight.
- Simply Theatre Studios, Versoix
- Until Saturday 21 May
- Details and booking here
No Exit (written by Jean-Paul Sartre)
Three characters trapped in the eternal whirlpool of Hell, a nightmare, one-way voyage of frightening discovery of one’s deepest, truest self!
- Geneva English Drama Society
- Le Manège, 127 route de Chancy, 1213 Onex
- From Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 May
- Details and booking here
A Night at the Musicals
A talented cast of 45 adults and children will perform melodies from 14 of the greatest musicals in recent years.
- GAOS Musical Theatre
- Théâtre de Marens, Nyon
- From Friday 17 to Saturday 19 June
- Details and booking here
From the Primary School Office
Residential trips: Presentation and Medical Consent form
It was lovely to see many parents during our Information sessions for Key Stage 2 residentials.
In My School Portal, under Primary Residentials June 2022, you can now find:
- The Camps presentations including packing lists
- The Medical Consent form – to be completed by Wednesday, 25 May
- Only for children living in France: the Autorisation de sortie de territoire form to be returned with an ID copy of the person completing the form – to be completed by Wednesday, 25 May
Final timings and contact details will be sent nearer the time of the trips.
Playing on site after school
We are delighted to see GES families back on site at the end of clubs, but can we please remind all families that the children should not be coming back onto the grounds to play after they have been collected; this includes accessing the Key Stage One Garden, Early Years Outdoor Area and the Muga.
This is to keep the children safe and ensure the areas are ready for the following day’s learning.
The children in After School Care are looked after by the After School Care staff and it is challenging for them to ensure the right level of supervision if there are other children playing amongst them.
We thank you for your understanding and assistance.
GES Summer Holiday Camps
Sign up for our Summer Holiday Camps – these are open to GES pupils as well as your friends from outside the school. Thanks to everyone who has already booked places.
One of these camps is the Theatre camp, designed for Secondary students (11 – 14 years old), taking place from Monday 4 to Friday 8 July.
Our Head of Drama, Mrs Ball, along with Mrs Ledgerwood and Mrs Humphreys will make sure to share their passion for theatre and make the camp an exciting experience for those who wish to enter the world of drama.
Book your space now and check the other camps on offer here.
