In a couple of weeks we will have the long weekend at La Garenne. The students are allowed to finish school on Thursday 15th February at 16.45 and return on Sunday evening 18th February for 18.00. Therefore there will be no classes on Friday, the day pupils stay at home and the boarding students will have special activities planned for them. If you are picking up your child for a few days, please make sure to inform the school office!

With this year’s cultural trips coming up soon, we are already planning ahead for the following school year. In the spring of 2019, the Year 9 class will visit Costa Rica in Central America.This tropical country, with coastlines on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, offers enormous educational possibilities. Its protected national parks provide unique examples of biodiversity and abundant flora and fauna. Its volcanoes are among the most active on the planet, providing a fantastic backdrop for some truly beautiful natural landscapes.

Beyond the cultural aspects, the coastal areas offer fantastic beaches, giving the students ample time to relax and enjoy the tropical environment Costa Rica provides.

A very busy weekend for our students. They participated in the Fisherman's Friend competition  by helping and working to raise money for the school charity. They worked hard all day and raised CHF700! Another group sold waffles to people who were skiing in Villars for the day on Sunday and raised over CHF700 as well! A great effort by all the students and staff who participated. We are very proud of all their hard work.

At La Garenne we prepare our students to take the Cambridge English exams. On top of their Literacy lessons, the students attend a weekly lesson which is differentiated for their level. At the end of the year (May, June) the students sit a reading, writing, speaking and listening exam suited to their level.

La Garenne is an official Cambridge test centre. The school receives the results in July/August and the certificates are then sent to our parents.

1) At what age do the students at La Garenne start studying and working towards passing the Cambridge English exam?
The course is for students in Year 3 to Year 9.

2) Which Cambridge English courses do La Garenne offer?
Young Learners - Starters, Movers & Flyers, Key for Schools (KET), Preliminary for Schools (PET) and First for Schools (FCE).

3) Which skills will the children be tested on?
The exams are designed to motivate children from a young age right through to their teens and beyond. They cover all four language skills - reading, writing, speaking and listening - bring learning to life.

4) How do the students prepare for the exams?
Each academic year the students progress to the next level, our new students complete a placement test which allows us to make sure that each child is placed in the correct course, this is reviewed throughout the year. We have one teacher assigned to each course and they use the official Cambridge materials and textbooks to teach and prepare the children for the exams at the end of the year. The lessons are interactive, fun and aimed at the age and level of the students in the class.

5) Will the exam qualifications be recognised by the child's future school?
The exams are linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) - the international standard to describe language ability. This makes it easy to see the progress each child is making in English, and for secondary schools, educational institutes and employers to recognise the child's ability when they leave La Garenne.

Finally, Cambridge English Qualifications are designed to develop real-life communication skills. This also encourages and motivates learners because the skills that they are developing are not just for the exam, but for life.

A few facts and figures about Cambridge English

• More than 5.5 million people take the Cambridge qualifications and tests every year.
• There are over 2,800 exam centres in 130 countries.
• Over 50,000 preparation centres around the world prepare learners to take the exams.
• Cambridge have been providing English language assessment since 1913.

In our lesson, we have been learning new vocabulary about the weather. These children, who are in the 'Movers' group had to work together to present a short weather report. Please click on the video to watch one of the presentations.

With winter once again here and the snow as well, we set about our igloo project again. We started last year and unfortunately the lack of snow and wet weather hindered our efforts. We tried but unfortunately didn't manage to finish. This year we returned again with a new idea, moving the snow from the paths and road to one place and then to create our igloo. So far so good! We have managed to sart the entrance and will try to get it finished over the next few days. Once done, we have planned our evening fondue inside and if possible, to sleep one night outside...well that's the plan:-)