It's been a busy but exhilarating time for La Garenne students who have been in Costa Rica, Tanzania, France and Portugal on our annual school trips.

From building chicken sheds and installing solar lights in a remote African village, braving the chilly Atlantic surf in the Azores, enjoying close up views of wildlife (not all of it friendly), to having fun at the Puy du Fou theme park, all ages have made the absolute most of their experiences. Even the unexpected weekend in Amsterdam (thanks to issues at Schiphol Airport) didn't phase us. In fact it became a fabulous opportunity for exploring such a beautiful city.

Sadly the school trips are now coming towards their end and we expect some of our students back in school in the next 24 hours, no doubt exhausted but full of reflection about what they have seen and learnt.

They will spend the next few weeks writing up their journals and putting together presentations for their IB exams and assessments. We can't wait to see them.

Thank you to all the staff who led the trips for their encouragement, care and support of La Garenne's students.

There's been a palpable sense of excitement across La Garenne for the last week, as students and staff prepare for the best event of 2022: the School Trip. Our buildings and boarding houses have been ringing to the cries of "where's my passport?", "I can't find my flipflops" and, most importantly, "will I be able to sleep on safari?"

This year we are going to Tanzania, Costa Rica, Portugal (actually the Azores) and France. Even our youngest children from age 5 have days of activities planned including trips to Aquatis, a chocolate factory and the beautiful floral sculptures down by Lac Léman (Lake Geneva).

Like every school trip, there is always a reason behind choosing the destination. Our students will learn about biodiversity, ecology, conservation, and in Tanzania, they'll be helping on humanitarian projects such as installing solar panels and renovating a school. Privilege comes with responsibility.

The reason for so much excitement - after all, school trips at La Garenne are compulsory - is because we haven't been able to go to faraway places for almost two years. Finally though, with restrictions lifted, bags are packed, plane tickets are bought and yes, those flip flops have been found.

You can follow the progress of our students across La Garenne's social media, particularly Instagram and Facebook, where we will be posting regular updates and highlights.

Welcome to what is optimistically known as the Summer Term*. Our students have been enjoying a good break with their families but that comes to an abrupt halt this weekend as we open our doors once again for Term 3.
We really hope they've found time to complete all their holiday homework, because this term is crucial for grades and progression to the next academic year. On the timetable are French, high school diploma and IB exams, and all manner of tests and assessments.
That's not to say there won't be time for relaxation and fun, because boarding school life is never just work and no play. So in a couple of weeks' time, our students will be complementing their classroom learning with trips to Tanzania, France, Portugal and Costa Rica.
Follow us on social media to learn more.

* In the last week we have had heaps of snow, lots of rain and hail and also some very welcome sun - normal for the Alps of course.

As the sun is shining and the air is warm, what better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than to jump into some fresh cold mountain water. The boys and girls of Le Roc had the opportunity to head to Champery to go Canyoning! Seven hardy adventurer donned their wetsuits, jumped into some harnesses and walked down into a local stream bed. for the next 2 hours they slid, slipped, jumped, rolled and abseiled down rock pools, water falls and rapids. A great way to cool down on a hot day.