17
February
2020
An interview with Alicia & Sophie
Each year we open our doors to students from around the world who want to join us at La Garenne for an Integration period. Two of those students this year are Sophie Pearson and Alicia Latarche from the UK, they are 11 years old and it is their first time at La Garenne.
Why did you and your family choose La Garenne school?
We wanted a different experience and a change from our school and lifestyle. We wanted to ski in the Swiss mountains, meet new people and experience being away from home and our families. We also wanted some independence and when my mum (Sophie) found La Garenne on the Internet, it looked like a great opportunity. We thought one month would be the ideal length of time.
What have been some of your favourite, most memorable moments?
We had a lot of fun in the Boarding House, one evening we chased Sara, the monitor, around the boarding house which was great fun. We loved the expedition, we spent the weekend skiing, ice skating and climbing and we got to sleep overnight in a chalet. Another favourite was going by ski doo to a restaurant to eat fondue. Everyone has been kind and friendly and we are thankful.
How do you feel the experience has changed you?
We feel we can speak more French and we certainly understand a lot more French which is also one of the reasons we came here. We have learnt that children come from different cultures and have different family backgrounds. We also realised that we can overcome feeling homesick as in the first week we really missed our families but we were brave and are happy we stayed.
How is `school life` in Switzerland different to `school life` in England?
We got to ski every afternoon here which was great which we can`t do in England. We have snow to play with at break times. There is lots of chocolate in Switzerland which we like. Going into the village shopping was a different experience as we had to try to communicate using the French we knew.
Thank you Sophie and Alicia!
We are proud of all our students who come and join us during the winter term.
