The term has started well and we are very happy to see that the students are all back at school and enjoying the new term. It has been quite a cold start with the snow and cold wind  staying with us but hopefully this weekend the sun will be back for the skiers and snowboarders in the school. The classes are very busy fitting in all the subjects into one of the shortest terms and the students are of course, working hard. With the upcoming St Valentine's disco, charity events and end of term ski race, the students will have lots to do!

We strive to create an environment that engages learners, fosters creativity and resilience, cultivates empathy and encourages creativity. Research shows that learning happens best when it is done in a way that is practical, relevant, and engaging - rather than theoretical and decontextualised - and that learning happens everywhere, anytime.

Today, the Year 5 students were weighing in grams and then converting the weights into fractions of kg, grams and kilograms, and kilograms as decimals. They then worked in small groups to investigate the distance of each planet from the sun. They used the scale 10,000,000km in real life represented by 1cm in our models.

This weekend we welcomed back the students after the holidays and got straight to work on Monday morning. All three Junior classes began new IMYC units, beginning with the Entry Points, which set the scene for the Big Ideas that will be guiding their learning for the next five weeks.

• Year 7 will be following the Big Idea of Risk: ‘Progress involves exposing ourselves to and considering the impact or forms of danger, harm, uncertainty or opportunity’.

• The studies for Year 8 will be guided by the concept of Competition: ‘Trying to beat others has good and bad consequences’.

• Interpretation is the Big Idea that will provide the link between the academic subjects for Year 9: ‘Only a very few things are true for all people’.

The accompanying photographs show the Entry Point for Year 7, involving a series of enlightening and thought-provoking outdoor activities centred on risk.

Today saw the first term of 2017-2018 come to an end. The exams are over, the end-of-term reports have been sent and all the members of the La Garenne community are looking forward to a well-earned holiday.

This morning we held the Academic Exhibition. The parents were invited to the Academia building and each class was able to showcase the work that they have been doing throughout the term. The accompanying pictures show some of the presentations and demonstrations that were available for the visitors to see.

The morning was concluded with the Christmas Show, performed with great enthusiasm by the younger students. Our sincere thanks go to all of the teachers and students who were involved in this production, which was very much appreciated by the parents.

During the afternoon, Parent/Teacher meetings were held in Academia during which the parents were able to meet with the teachers of their children. Direct discussions of this type are extremely valuable in developing the productive partnerships that exist between the school and the parents. The meetings allow for detailed discussions on matters arising from the reports. They also enable the teachers and school leaders to put in place strategies that guarantee the effective development and progress of each individual student, in unison with the parents.

After the meetings, the students and their parents left snowy Villars for the winter holidays – being sure not to forget their holiday homework and reading list, of course!

May I take this opportunity to wish the whole community of La Garenne a very happy Festive Season!  

With the Christmas holidays starting today, we wish all the students a happy holiday and that they have an amazing time with their families. It has been a long term and very busy. The students have worked well and now deserve to relax a little and enjoy their holidays.

The school reports will be made available this week and I hope that Father Christmas is happy with them and adds a few presents, we will see. We hope that all the students enjoy their Christmas holidays!