Earlier this year, our Primary students had the chance to take part in a mass singing event in London's iconic O2 Arena.

Young Voices brings together young people from all over the world and for our students and staff, it was an incredible experience for many different reasons.

This video sums up just how much it meant to our La Garenne community and why.

Wellbeing Newsletter

INTRODUCING OUR NEW HEAD PREFECT

My name is Myriam and I have the honour to be the Head Prefect of La Garenne International School. I am 17 years old and I am currently studying for the IB diploma. I have been at La Garenne for 2 years and it has been greatly valuable for me. I am very pleased to receive a lot of support from the staff and teachers on a daily basis. Besides that, I love spending time with my friends, going out for activities or doing sports. However, I have to admit that it can be quite challenging to manage my studies and my hobbies. That is why I am doing plenty of things to take care of my mental health in order to manage all of it at the same time. For instance, I like to go out for a walk to get some fresh air, going to the gym, going out to a restaurant, planning my days, tidying my room, reading books and also, taking naps. I believe that our mental health should be our priority and we must take care of it.

MANAGING EXAM STRESS

Just Breathe
"You are strong enough to handle your challenges,
Wise enough to find a solution to your problems, and
Capable enough to do what needs to be done.”
Lori Deschene

For the first time in the history of La Garenne International School, the first cohort of DP2 students is embarking on their IB exams. This is a very exciting but also challenging time for everyone. It is normal to feel overwhelmed when preparing for and writing an exam, but looking after our mental health and our wellbeing during revision and exam time is very important. Here are a few tips that were shared with our DP2 students to help them navigate the upcoming stress:
Step2: High levels of stress tells you that you need to take a break from the stressful sitaution. Here's what you can do:

Laugh with friends
• Eat healthy snacks
• Learn to say no
• Listen to music
• Tidy your study space
• Stretch your body
• Drink water
• Take deep breaths
• Sleep more
• Go for a walk
• Reduce screen time
• Do something creative
• Read a book
• Write a diary

Step 3: Talk to someone for additional support: your boarding houseparents, your health and counselling team, your teachers and school mentors. The whole school would like to wish our DP2 students all the best in their upcoming exams.

WELLBEING IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL

It is well known that bringing pets to the classroom has a positive effect on the education of our students: not only do they provide an alternative way for children to learn, but it is also linked to supporting emotional wellbeing. For children who do not have a pet at home, they have the opportunity to see, feel and touch an animal, enriching their curiosity and creativity. The primary section was extremely lucky last week to welcome Sausage the rabbit into their Art class.

EARTH DAY

Since 1970, Earth day has been celebrated annually on 22nd April to raise awareness and to show support for protecting the environment. The first Earth Day started with Senator Gaylord Nelson, an American politician and environmentalist who wanted to raise awareness about environmental issues.
The theme for this year’s Earth Day was Invest in our Planet. This reminds us of our responsibility to give our time, energy and resources to help solve different environmental issues. How can we as individuals help to invest in the future of our planet?

• Reduce plastic consumption
• Join an organisation to plant trees to offset our carbon footprint
• Commit to sustainable fashion
• Use public transport as much as possible
• Turn off the lights when you leave the classroom

La Garenne also plays a role in protecting the environment with our sustainability initiatives. This school year, La Garenne has invested in green energy by installing our own solar energy plant outside Beau Site, as well as investing in two electric minibuses to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to cleaner air in the community. Every small action can have a big impact when it comes to protecting our planet.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK

The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is Anxiety, which is one of the most common mental health problems affecting people today. Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry and fear that can affect a person in a variety of ways.
Anxiety is a normal reaction that can, in some situations, be beneficial to us in that it can make us more aware and alert. A healthy level of worry or stress can help us in preparing for an exam or an important presentation. However, when this worry becomes too big and takes over our thoughts and feelings, it ceases to be helpful and turns into a disadvantage.

What can we do to cope with feelings of anxiety?

• Focus on your breathing - use a breathing technique that works for you, for example the 4-7-8 system
• Keep a diary of your emotions - this can help you see what triggers your anxiety
• Take time outside in nature - it can help us feel calmer and less stressed
• Exercise on a regular basis during the week. This does not have to be too strenuous. A walk outside with friends can do wonders to our wellbeing

During Wellbeing Week, the students will take part in numerous activities linked to looking after their wellbeing and in particular reducing stress and anxiety levels on a day to day basis. Some of the lunchtime activities that will be run by staff and prefects will be:

• Making your own calm jars
• Make your own stress balls
• Fun and creative workshop linked to anxiety
• Board games and bingo
• Mandala colouring session

FIVE DAILY REMINDERS

I am amazing
I have the power to do anything I put my mind to
I choose to be positive
I will not give up
I will let go of the negative energy surrounding me

MENTAL HEALTH LINKS

Yoga office / screen break
Yoga to release tension
Tai-Chi / Qigong
Meditation
Fitness with Madfit
Tabata workout
African dance lesson
You are not your thoughts
Mindfulness revision

Beau Site Boarding, March 2023

Beau Site is a vibrant place to live and work. Our students are a great bunch of young people who we love seeing grow and mature, as they progress through the year.

Celebrations

Birthday parties, themed nights, music and fun. That's a core part of the Beau Site boarding experience.

Well Being

Being away from home and family for long periods can take its toll. So we try hard in Beau Site to give our students space to relax, to be themselves, and take their minds off homework. Well Being week was an opportunity to do just that.

House Events

Inter-house events are a healthy way to encourage competitiveness. Each term, students take part in sporting challenges and social projects which gain points for their houses - Buse, Lynx, Bouquetin and Cerf.

Weekends

Weekends this term have been absolutely packed with different activities and social events. We've also ensured that students have enough time to get their homework done, call their families, and chill.

Welcoming New Students

Every ski season, students join us for an unforgettable ski experience. We have had the pleasure of welcoming people from all over the world, including Peru, Brazil and Iran. These opportunities are incredibly enriching for both campers and boarders. The campers get to ski in the Swiss Alps, while the boarders get to meet new people and new perspectives. We have been extremely proud of our boarders, as they were very welcoming, taking new students out for dinner, showing them around town and giving them a taste of what a real La Garenne student is like. In fact, many campers want to come back, a true statement of our students’ social and empathy skills. Thanks to the boarders, the campers will treasure their newly formed memories of La Garenne and Villars for life.

 

ECAs and Weekend Activities

Due to students’ skiing commitments this term, we reduced the number of compulsory ECAs. Having said that, some of our boarders still wanted to do just as many and we are proud of their proactivity. We have a brand new gym which is used day in day out by our future body-builders. In terms of ECAs, students have been able to choose from academic subject clinics, creative activities, sports and even helping out at a nearby refugee centre. Our most popular options were yoga, robotics and our Wednesday Fondue outing in which we are transported by a ski-doo to the magnificent Solalex Valley.

At the weekend, we make the most of our surroundings, taking students out to explore our own beautiful canton of Vaud, including our students’ favourite: Montreux. We have also been playing padel tennis, karting, relaxing at the privatised thermal baths in Villars, watching movies on cinemas booked only for us, as well as trying out curling and of course hitting the pistes in our ski resort.

 

LG Outdoor Programme

In addition to our weekend excursions, students had to take part in the outdoor programme: they had to choose from ice-climbing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or ski touring. Additionally, they spent a weekend away at another ski resort such as Grimentz or even Courmayeur at the foot of Mont Blanc. Not only do they gain in confidence - heading down a steep slope on skis can be intimidating - but they also develop the resilience needed to never ever give up.

 

Fixtures, School Challenge and House Competition

Our athletes showed their competitive nature during different fixtures held in and around Villars. We had some fantastic results, including our snowboarders who took home most of the prizes (1st Team Slalom, 1st Individual male, 1st Individual female). Our girls’ volleyball team keeps improving, as does our younger girls’ football team. We would like to thank those students who represent our school and constantly demonstrate their commitment to training, week after week, in as many disciplines as possible. Well done. This also goes for those who travelled all the way to Frankfurt to take part in the MUN (Model United Nations) conference. Last, but not least, our students took part in a school challenge that consisted of running a rather challenging obstacle course. Well done everyone.

 

School Trip (Paris)

Yet again, a rather busy term. Despite this, intrepid boarders took their suitcases (the big ones to make sure some shopping will fit), and headed to the City of Love - Paris. They visited the Tour Eiffel, the Opéra Garnier, the Sacré Coeur, saw a Lion King live performance, took part in a graffiti workshop and before they had time to stop and think, they were back in Villars. Their behaviour was outstanding, so congratulations are in order!

 

Birthdays

We have had many birthday celebrations this term and we would like to congratulate again those lucky boarders who got to do their favourite activity, eat at their favourite restaurant and taste a delicious cake baked freshly by our local partner. Happy birthday LC, Yu, Eloy, Mark, Hugo, Charlie, Carla, Kaloyan, Taiki, Vlad, Shoei and Daniil. Happy birthday also to our boarding colleagues Naji and Mouna!

 

Boarders of the Week

Every week we choose two students who stand out for different reasons. Sometimes it is because of their positive attitude, while for others we acknowledge their contribution towards life in the boarding house, either by carrying out their duties to a high standard, or helping house parents or their peers. The outstanding students this term are:

• 12th January: Camila and Hugo
• 19th January: Sasha and Mark
• 26th January: Ava and Roman
• 2nd February: Maria Laura and Marcelo (winter campers)
• 9th February: Angelika and Alejandro
• 16th February: Carla and Eloy
• 23rd February: Samira and Vlad
• 2nd March: Maki and Taiki

 

As a reward for their contribution this term, our boarders of the week were taken by train to a special evening where we had an exquisite dinner in the middle of our Villars ski slopes, surrounded by a full moon and a clear sky.

 

 

GRADUATION AND ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

We are planning a spectacular double celebration in Summer 2023. This will mark the first graduation of our International Baccalaureate students. In addition, we will be celebrating the 76th anniversary of the founding of La Garenne.

All students will take part in the School Show and festivities on 16th and 17th June and you are cordially invited to attend. As this will be a very busy time, and accommodation in the village is limited, we recommend you to book your hotel stay now.

You can find a list of recommendations on our website here.

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ACADEMICS

We are celebrating some great results in external examinations this term (DELF French & IELTS English). Some of our older students have also received excellent university offers from King’s, Durham, Bath, EHL and Bayes Business School.

These highly respected universities have very competitive entrance requirements. From January, most students will be preparing for Cambridge English and more DELF French exams. The students will have further presentations from visiting universities as well as the opportunity to tour Swiss universities nearby.

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SPORTS

La Garenne has taken part in a large number of sports competitions such as Volleyball, Football, cross country and golf.

After the success of Juventus intensive soccer camp and bringing in a professional volleyball coach, we now want to extend masterclasses to other sports including table tennis and padel (tennis).

 

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SCHOOL TRIPS

All students will take part in educational trips over the next two terms:

• Primary: London,UK: Young Voices
• Secondary: Paris, France: long weekend
• DP1: London and Oxford, UK: university visits
• M1 to M3: Morocco or NASA (Orlando, USA)*
• M4 to DP1: Kenya or Iceland*

*Choice of trips. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

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UPGRADING OUR FACILITIES

We would like to thank our generous parents who have allowed us to turn the top floor of Academia into a library and provided a large LED screen for our Community Floor. We are pleased to announce that we are also creating a new science lab for the middle school, refurbishing two music rooms and enhancing our school gym equipment.

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IMPORTANT DATES FOR TERM 2

Please check the 2023 calendar here: School Calendar 

• January 15-19: Young Voices (Year 3 to Year 6)
• February 4-5: Year 1 and 4 (Sledging - Trient), Year 5&6 (Ski - Leysin)
• February 11-12: MYP1 and 2 (Snowshoeing - Jura), MYP3 (Cross Country - Jura)
• February 17: Valentine’s Day Party
• February 19: School Challenge
• February 24-26: Long Weekend in Paris (Le Roc students)
• March 4-5: MYP4&5 (Ski - Zinal & St-Luc)
• March 10-12: DP1 (Ski Leukerbad), DP2 (Ski - Courmayeur)
• March 14: School Ski Race
• March 16: Term ends at 16:00