The school year 2017-2108 draws to a close…

The school year 2017-2108 draws to a close…

The end of term has been extremely busy. Two weeks ago, the school had a its Preparatory Visit for future accreditation by the Council of International Schools (CIS). The process of accreditation process is about on-going development and continuous improvement for schools. We will receive a report from CIS in July summarising their impression on the school and evaluating how we match with the standards that are expected of international schools.  The report will also contain a series of commendations and recommendations relating to these standards, which cover all aspects of life at La Garenne. This will form the basis of an Action Plan for future improvement, and will be the starting point for a year-long Self Study, which will begin in September. The Self Study will involve all members of the school community – leadership, teaching staff, non-teaching staff, teachers and parents. The school will have a very thorough ‘look in the mirror’ and simultaneously take the necessary actions that will make La Garenne an even better school. We are, in fact, the second smallest school in the organisation but the whole school community is ready for the challenge.  

Julius Caesar

On Thursday evening, Years 8 and 9 took part in their final cultural outing of the year, attending an open-air production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in the Chateau de Chillon, near Montreux. The castle provides a unique setting for a historical play of this kind. As is often the case, the students were commended on their excellent behaviour and general comportment over the course of the evening. Shakespearean English is not easy, even for first language English speakers, but the students were focused throughout and appreciative of the live drama unfolding before their eyes. This was the perfect way to end their studies of English Literature for this school year.

We now have only one week to go until the end of the 2018-2019 school year. The examinations are over and the teachers are busy writing the end-of-year reports, reviewing not only each student’s performance in the examinations and the third term but also their progress throughout the year. They will also setting targets for each student regarding the year to come, and setting some preparatory tasks for September for the returning students.

The Year 9 students are suffering very mixed emotions. They are pleased to be moving on to new challenges, but at the same time they are aware that they will be leaving a school with a unique family atmosphere. They are leaving La Garenne, where they are oldest students, and they will now be among the youngest in their new schools. We are confident that they will leave us well prepared for the future, both in terms of their academic readiness and their personal development. We wish all the students leaving La Garenne all the very best for the future. Many of them will not be studying too far away and they know that they will always be welcome to come back and visit us here.