We had lots of fun at the End of Year Party today, where everyone all gathered in Concha for one last big hurrah before the holidays. We played in the pool, slides, water activities, foam party and many more!

The academic year is drawing to a close, and to celebrate, we decided to host a special dinner in the house yesterday. We had a nice meal together in the garden and we ate chicken tacos, nachos and ice cream.

It was a moment to reflect on the past year, to celebrate our achievements, bond with friends and savour the sweet taste of freedom just around the corner!

It was a special evening and we enjoyed it!

After a busy week studying, the girls took some time during this past weekend to have fun with their friends. Indeed, we spent some lovely time playing games all together such as The Werewolf and card games and did some nice activities.

On Saturday, we went to Nyon to watch Annie Jr, a play organized by Collège du Léman with its amazing students. The girls genuinely appreciated it.
After the show we had some free time in town where we explored the city by the lake and had one of best ice-creams of the Town.
During the weekend the girls also went to do Tennis, Climbing and Cooking.

We ended the weekend as usual with some crepes and Sunday evening was the time to get back to school routine, the girls studied and were ready to start a new week.

The girls joined in some mid-week fun yesterday by going karting in nearby France. They took to the tracks to navigate the twists and turns and had so much fun doing so! Thank you to Ms Perrine and Ms Iola for organising this event!

On Tuesday the sun finally shined, summer is almost here! And what’s better to celebrate that a gathering together?

We had our yearly Middle School Tea Party to thank all the teachers for their efforts and support over this year. Thank you for all of you who took the time to come and spend some time with the girls and boys.

Well done girls! Now the last push for the end of year exams, all the best of luck!

We enjoyed the first weekend of June in Old Portena, we visited the market in Versoix, and spent time with friends!

It was also a special weekend as it was the graduation ceremony on Saturday and Anne, Isabella and Layla performed with the orchestra for it. And on Sunday we visited the AquaParc for some swimming fun!

This evening Isabella and Anne performed in a lovely concert in aid of MADS. Isabella played a cello solo, and she also played a cello and violin duet with Anne.

The aim of MADS is to increase student awareness on mostly local, but also global issues, both humanitarian and environmental, and to raise funds to help alleviate these problems.

Well done girls on participating for a good cause!

It was an active day for the girls yesterday, with some taking part in horse riding and boxing. They also enjoyed the lovely weather we’ve been having lately!

Yesterday evening we had our weekly international dinner, and everyone enjoyed a Mexican meal of shredded beef tacos, rice, and tortilla chips. The girls loved it, as you can see from the pictures below!

It was a fantastic evening last night in the Eiger auditorium where Layla performed in the Performing Arts concert.

The evening featured snapshots of excellence in the Performing Arts from across divisions at CDL including soloist, the orchestra, rock band and chamber groups.

Well done Layla!

Nothing better than treating yourself to a facial mask! Lisa, Liza and Melissa did just that last night. Such a relaxing treat!

In a world filled with countless options and decisions, navigating safely and responsibly is essential for our overall wellness. Join us as we delve into the importance of mindfulness, accountability, and informed decision-making in fostering a healthier and happier life. Let’s embark on this journey together towards a more conscious and fulfilling existence. Stay tuned for insights, tips, and strategies to empower your choices and enhance your wellbeing. Let’s make safety and responsibility our guiding stars on the path to wellness

To facilitate the submission of ideas for students, a QR code has been generated.

We started our weekend by a sunny day at Annecy, where we went on a boat ride, then a walk in the old town, with its colorful pedestrian streets.
To continue enjoying the weather the girls went to the lake for some Banana boat rides. On Saturday afternoon, the girls discovered a new Outlet center , where they could explore the shops and get some delicious food.
We ended up the weekend with some relaxation, crepes and a walk by the lake.

Each of our girls have their own preference, but spending time together is the important part of it!!

The boys from Champs des Bois came over yesterday evening to visit our house. They ate some yummy cake and played Dobble with the girls!

Yesterday afternoon Nina and Lisa went to Geneva with Kimi and Mana from Champs des Bois. It is always more fun to go and explore the city with friends!

The girls were in a crafty mood yesterday and made some beaded straps for their phones. Check out their creations below.

Cooking is always a popular choice on the weekends – it is always the girls’ first pick when choosing activities! It is exciting to cook different things each week, and this past week they made sushi.

Meanwhile, Miyuki enjoyed cooking with her friends in Champs des Bois; they made sushi as well!

Over the weekend, Lisa joined the school trip to Berlin. She had a nice time exploring the city, which is vibrant, fun and full of history!

This weekend we had lots of fun in the different activities available. Specially in our weekly Geneva outing.

Lisa is a professional chef by now, check out her skills:

We ended the first week back to school after the Spring Break with International Day! This is a day where the whole school celebrates internationalism. Miyuki, Liza and Layla took part by dressing up in national costumes!

Wishing you all a wonderful time during the spring break. Take this opportunity to recharge and unwind! Enjoy!

Liza, Miyuki, Melissa and their grade 6 classmates put on a drama show based on myths and legends such as Ishtar and Tammuz, and Persephone. They all put on a fantastic show tonight. Well done!

Spring has finally arrived last week and we are looking forward to brighter days ahead of us!

Yesterday evening was one of the most anticipated events of the year: the Boarding Talent Show. Every house took to the stage to showcase their talents, leading to an entertaining night of performances!

Our Old Portena girls danced to songs from the movie Barbie, and despite some pre-show nerves beforehand they did an amazing job and nailed their performance! Well done! See some photos and a video below.

What was Old Portena up to yesterday?
It was Radi’s birthday and so and we celebrated with a delicious cheesecake. We also did a last rehearsal for tonight’s boarding talent show, and lastly we played some board games to end the day!

Liza, Karen, Melissa and Nina are all keen horse riders. Most Saturdays they go to the nearby stables to practice and improve their skills. Check out pictures of them in action below.

Lisa and Liza enjoyed a lovely weekend in the beautiful city of Paris. Check out the amazing monuments they discovered together.

This weekend we enjoyed different activities from Horse Riding to Escape Room.

Karen, Lulu and Mira decided to join the Women’s Day March, “Walk with a purpose” around Versoix.

Nothing better than your friends decoration your room
And they did an amazing job
We wish you a wonderful day Isabella!

How can we, together, as a House, make an impact in the whole world?

We are excited that March is here! The days are getting longer and brighter, and the winter chill is slowly giving way to the warmth of spring. We are very much looking forward to the days ahead.

We would also like to say a warm welcome to Nina, who joined the Old Portena family a few days ago, and spent her first weekend with us!

For the February break, Liza, Ran and Isabella spent a magical week in the Finnish city of Rovaniemi. Situated on the Arctic circle, Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland and is known as “The Official Hometown of Santa Claus”.

They got to visit the Santa Claus Village, see the northern lights, ice skate on a frozen lake, go on a dog sledding adventure and much more. It was the perfect way to spend the week!

Melissa, Miyuki, Lisa and Mira went to Crans Montana last week for the February break. While there they enjoyed a week of skiing, snowboarding and a range of other activities such as bowling, ice skating and tobogganing. They had an amazing time!

After a busy start to 2024, it is now time for a short break.

While some girls are heading to Winter Camp in Crans Montana, others are going to the Finland trip to see the northern lights, and the rest are spending it with their family. Enjoy the week and see you soon!

It is International Dress Up Day in school today. Layla, Melissa and Liza dressed up in their national clothes/colours for the occasion. It is lovely to see the girls supporting this initiative and showing pride in their cultural backgrounds!

During our house meeting, Isabella, Radi and Ran gave a presentation about responsibility. As we are all living in the same house, it is important that we respect and are courteous to one another. The girls stressed the importance of this in their presentation. Thank you girls for doing this!

This week in Collège du Léman we are celebrating Internationalism. During our house meeting tonight, the girls each wrote down what internationalism means to them. Check out what they wrote below.

Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️

This day is all about celebrating the love you have for the people in your life, and we did so by having a special dinner surrounded with friends. The girls also received roses from their friends 🌹 We hope you had a special day too!

This evening, our grade 6 girls Miyuki, Melissa and Liza participated in the grade 6 Winter Concert. It was an great concert full of lovely music. Well done girls!

Have a glance at the little video:

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Cooking is always popular between our girls …

However, nothing beats the movie night in Champs des Bois!!!

Although  our  new  furry  new  friends  could  be  at  the  top  as  well!!

Layla joined the new Club e-Sports! How exciting?

Tonight for our weekly International Dinner, we ate a delicious Chinese meal to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year. The girls really enjoyed it!

Last night’s double birthday celebration for Karen and Lisa was nothing short of magical.

The air was filled with laughter, warmth, and joy as Old Portena girls commemorate these two incredible souls.

The genuine happiness on Karen and Lisa’s faces as they blew out the candles on their joint birthday cake was a testament to the love and camaraderie that surrounded them.

It was an amazing moment of joy, a celebration that truly exemplified the beauty of shared happiness and the importance of celebrating life’s milestones together.

After 2 consecutive ski weekends spent up in Leysin, it was back to the usual weekend routine on campus. The girls took part in their favourite activities like cooking and horse riding, and the trampoline park on Saturday. And on Sunday they went ice skating!

Meanwhile, Lisa, Liza and Mira ventured off to Rome with a great group of boarders and staff. While there they enjoyed the delicious food and sights Rome had to offer.

What a nice weekend the girls had!

Yesterday evening was the last week of Wellbeing Pillar 3, and we focused on identifying the warning signs within relationships.

During our house meeting, the girls did a Kahoot in which they were presented with different scenarios that could occur amongst friends, and they had to decide whether they were red, yellow or green flags. By having this discussion, the girls were able to reflect on their own friendships and gain insights into potentially harmful dynamics.

Today, we crafted a batch of “bonding muffins” as a collaborative effort among the Old Portena girls.

Together, they worked seamlessly as a team to bring forth these exquisite delights.

Take a moment to admire the results—aren’t they irresistibly delicious?

In week 3 of our 3rd wellbeing pillar, we discuss with the girls about international friendships and addressing microaggressions.

International friendships enrich our lives by exposing us to diverse perspectives, cultures and traditions. These connections foster mutual understanding, breaking down barriers and promoting global harmony.

Despite the positive intentions behind international friendships, they can inadvertently lead to unintended microaggressions due to cultural differences and misunderstandings.​

It’s crucial to approach these relationships with open-mindedness, cultural sensitivity, and a willingness to learn to avoid unintentional microaggressions and foster genuine understanding.​

Microaggressions are subtle insults or unintentional discrimination typically directed at marginalised groups.

At one point or another, we all have said the wrong thing unintentionally as we go about our daily lives. It’s important that you address and correct the harm that you have caused.

​

🎿❄️ Just swooshed through a spectacular weekend in Leysin, surrounded by the breathtaking Swiss Alps! 🏔️❤️

Despite the chilly weather, the snow activities were pure joy, and the cozy atmosphere made it all the more magical. 😊✨

From thrilling ski runs to making unforgettable memories with friends, it was a weekend filled with laughter and adventure. 🚡

Can’t wait for the next one! 🗓️

More plans in the pipeline, more fun waiting to be had.

Who’s ready for another weekend of excitement? 🎉

We move on to the second week of our third wellbeing pillar, which is focused on cultivating positive friendships and relationships. Last week we focused on identifying characteristics of positive friendships, while this week we are looking inward and reflecting on the type of friend we are and how we can be a better friend.

For our house meeting today, we discussed this point with the girls, and each of them wrote down what made them a good friend, and what they can do better.

The start of the second semester means that we are back to the usual weekend activities! The girls are back to doing their old favourites, like cooking and horse riding, and an outing to Geneva on Saturday afternoon. And to top off the weekend, they enjoyed a game of laser tag on Sunday!

In this new school term, we launch Pillar 3 of our Wellbeing Program, which is focused on cultivating positive friendships and relationships.

One of the most important aspects of attending a boarding school are the friendships the girls make. The close-knit environment make for relationships that grow and develop, which in turn can lead to life-long friendships.

This important topic will be discussed during our weekly Wednesday meetings for the next several weeks. For this week, our takeaway point is identifying characteristics of positive friendships and a video was shared for the girls to watch.

Happy New Year to all!

Old Portena is now back open, and we are ready to welcome the girls back. We hope you had a great and restful break, and are looking forward to the new semester full of adventures and challenges!

We wish you all a happy and peaceful winter break! The house is now closed and will reopen on Saturday 6th of January 2024.

For now, relax, enjoy and spend time with your loved ones. We’ll see you next year!

Yesterday evening all our Old Portena girls along with some other boarders, visited Château de Coppet to learn about its history, and we also watched an illuminating lights show at night. It was the perfect outing to enjoy together before we break for the holidays!

Last night, Isabella took part in a winter concert in aid of one of our school charities, WATU. It was a musical evening featuring the CDL community choir and high school and middle school musicians.

Well done Isabella!

We all got into the Christmas spirit today, and we exchanged our Secret Santa gifts. Thank you girls for putting a lot of thought into your gifts, everyone was spoilt!

In the heart of celebration and laughter, Miyuki’s birthday became an enchanting tale of joy, with the sweet crescendo being a magnificent cake that stole the spotlight.

Layers of velvety goodness, adorned with vibrant colors and delicate edible flowers, awaited eager forks.

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Every December, the city of Geneva celebrates L’Escalade, which commemorates the defeat of an attempt to conquer the Protestant city by the troops of the Catholic Savoyards.

This historic event is celebrated in various ways, one of which is the smashing of the marmite de l’Escalade, a chocolate cauldron filled with marzipan sweets. The oldest and the youngest join hands and smash their hands over the cauldron, revealing the sweets inside.

Miyuki and Isabella, the youngest and oldest in the House, about to smash the marmite

Today we went to the cinema to watch Wish. Such a fun movie!

Tonight, we gather under the glittering stars for the Winter Ball, a spectacular event that marks the culmination of a semester filled with hard work, growth, and unforgettable moments.

The venue, cloaked in an aura of elegance, is set to host us in its welcoming embrace. Beyond the exquisite food and the enchanting ambiance, tonight is about coming together as a community. It’s a chance to reflect on the challenges we’ve faced, the triumphs we’ve achieved, and the friendships that have blossomed. The Winter Ball is a melting pot of shared experiences, a space where we can revel in the collective spirit that defines us.

As we dust off our finest attire and prepare to dance the night away, let’s savor the moments that make this event so special. The Winter Ball isn’t merely a conclusion to the semester; it’s a celebration of the journey we’ve undertaken together. It’s a reminder that, despite the academic rigors, we have created a vibrant and supportive community that stands strong in the face of challenges.

This evening after our weekly house meeting, we continued to work on the Old Portena Yearbook, with the girls sticking their favourite pictures on it, and writing an end-of-year semester reflection. We’re excited to continue this for the next semester!

Last night we celebrated our boarders in our annual Award Ceremony, where medals were given to those who displayed an outstanding contribution to Boarding Life, Activities and Academics.

Lisa and Anne got an award for Boarding Life, Karen and Isabella for Activities, and Karen for Academics. Huge congratulations girls!

Welcome December! We are ready to count down the days until Christmas with our advent calendar 🎄

Last night we all went to Eiger auditorium to watch a wonderful Winter Concert. Boarders from other houses took to the stage to show off their musical skills, and our very own Anne and Isabella also took part in the spectacle, playing the violin and cello respectively. Congratulations to all those involved, it was a magical night full of beautiful performances!

Today we had the Bake off competition, where every boarding house had to bake a cake and the best one wins. For ours, we baked a cake based off our pink house hoodie. The girls were really focused with helping and decorating our cake. Well done girls!

Radi was in Warsaw for the past few days participating in a Volleyball Tournament with her team. They won first place! Well done everyone!

On Saturday morning, Kate volunteered for Samedi du Partage. The goal was to distribute dedicated shopping bags to customers in Aldi, who in turn can shop and fill the bags with food and essentials for people in need.

Well done Kate for taking part in this initiative!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and that means we get to decorate the house. The tree is up, and the house is brightened up with lights. We are now ready for a cozy, magical Christmas!

It’s Friday – the best day of the week and the girls agree!

We’re carrying on with Respect Week, and I’m thrilled to share this incredible video featuring the girls in the House. Not only are they actively participating, but we also have older girls joining us to offer their guidance and present respect from a unique perspective.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on the essence of respect. Respect is the recognition and appreciation of the inherent worth, dignity, and rights of individuals, regardless of their differences. It involves treating others with courtesy, kindness, and consideration. This week is an opportunity for us to deepen our understanding of respect and its multifaceted expressions.

In the video, our girls and the older mentors will shed light on the diverse ways in which respect manifests itself in our lives. Through their experiences and insights, we aim to cultivate a culture of mutual understanding and appreciation within our community. Stay tuned for a journey into the heart of respect, as we continue to learn and grow together.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGe13mVca/

Respect Week at Old Portena has been off to a fantastic start.

On Monday, our girls came together to kick off this special week by creating a captivating poster that not only promotes the values of RESPECT but also delves into its deeper meaning. In a close-knit boarding community like ours, the question of how respect grows is particularly poignant. It flourishes here through daily interactions, open communication, and a shared understanding of each other’s unique backgrounds and perspectives. Respect is the foundation upon which our community thrives, and this week is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to celebrate and strengthen that core value that unites us.

While some girls stayed on campus this weekend, Kate, Mira, Radi, Karen and Lisa went off on a trip to Europa Park with other boarders. Even though the weather wasn’t on their side with it being wet and rainy, they still had a lot of fun enjoying the rides and attractions. Check out some photos below!

The girls enjoyed some homemade crêpes this afternoon. A good way to enjoy this wet and cold Sunday afternoon!

This cold autumn day didn’t stop Miyuki from going to Geneva. It is always nice to get out of campus to explore the city, and Miyuki always looks forward to it every Saturday!

For our weekly meeting last night, we had a Kahoot to see how much of the girls know about the house rules, and they also continued to fill in their yearbook with pictures!

We also talked about the second pillar of the wellbeing programme, which is Protecting Against Bullying and Protecting Diversity. For this session we talked about similarities between roommates.

Each year we have a pumpkin carving competition, in which each houses attempt to transform pumpkins into works of art. The girls got their creative juices flowing, and we are very happy with the end result!

Yesterday we celebrated Halloween, and the whole boarding community transformed into a lively hub of ghoulish festivities, all in the spirit of Halloween!

The girls got dressed up, enjoyed a Halloween-themed dinner in the Leman dining hall, and went trick or treating to other boarding houses. It was certainly a night full of spooky delights!

One by one the girls are finally arriving in Old Portena after the break, and are once again filling up the house with their presence. We can’t wait until everyone is back!

Old Portena is open and we are looking forward to welcoming you back to the house! We hope you all had a lovely October break and feel refreshed and ready to take on this second half of the semester!

Tonight we had dinner at home, a monthly a occurance that happens and one in which the girls always look forward to. For this we do not go out to the Leman cafeteria as usual to eat dinner, we simply have the food delivered to the house. We had Mexican burritos, tortilla chips and corn. The girls enjoyed it! Thank you especially to the kitchen staff for doing this!

It is also our last dinner together before the October holiday. From tomorrow the girls are going away to enjoyed a much deserved break after a busy first half term of the school year! Enjoy the break and see you in two weeks!

Wednesdays in Old Portena are our special House moments where our girls sit together and take a moment to reflect on the past weekend and upcoming week.

This week we have launched our Internal House Competition:

 The girls earn points based on their behavior and dedication to both our house and the boarding community. This encourages a spirit of unity and shared responsibility, fostering good behavior, teamwork, and a strong sense of community engagement. It’s a fantastic way for our girls to not only showcase their individual strengths but also to collectively make a positive impact on the world around us.

After the break, come ready with ideas and full of energy to win every week!!!

Which team are you in?

Go Cheetahs!

Go Lions!

Go Tigers!

Today’s house meeting was extra special as we also celebrated Layla’s birthday. We wish you the very best Layla!

The girls also continued filling in their Old Portena yearbook, cutting and putting pictures on it to capture memories of the year.

The cool October mornings bring a sense of coziness and warmth to our boarding house, where every day begins with a shared ritual – breakfast. For the past few days, Liza and Miyuki decided to add a little extra charm to the start of their day by twinning in style!

In Old Portena, there are always things happening and we are always on the go!

We had a lovely tree that was painted by a day student, all done and brightening up our staircase. Friday afternoon after school, we went to Coop to stock up on food, and then on the weekend we had our usual activities. A particular highlight was the 5KM race for both students and staff, and in which Karen and Layla took part in! Well done girls and everyone!

This is our last weekend before the October break next week, and the weather was definitely on our side – sunny and lovely!

Dinner on Wednesdays are special because we get to eat food from other countries. And last night we were transported to the rich and vibrant flavours of Thailand.

International Dinners at Collège du Léman is a celebration of diversity, a reminder of sharing experiences and flavours from around the world. It’s also a time for our students to bond over their love of food! What culinary adventure are we going to next week? Stay tuned for more!

This past weekend has been a busy one.

On Friday afternoon after school, Karen, Anne, Mira, Kate and Radi left for Disneyland Paris with other boarders. They spent the weekend there, experiencing the rides and magical atmosphere Disneyland is known for.

Back on campus, aside from doing their usual activities, and the weekly Geneva outing, the girls also ventured to a nearby adventure park called Walibi on Sunday. Lots of fun and laughter was had that day!

Looking forward to the next weekend!

We’re thrilled to introduce our exciting new project, the Old Portena Year Book, which is all about celebrating the vibrant spirit and well-being of our community. We believe that physical activity plays a pivotal role in enhancing overall well-being. As we embark on this journey to create a memorable yearbook from scratch, we’re not only preserving memories but also promoting an active and healthy lifestyle. Let’s capture the joy of movement and the essence of our amazing community on every page. Stay tuned for updates and be part of this wellness-filled adventure!

We took advantage of the sunny weather this afternoon, and we walked to the lake and had ice cream. The girls loved this very chill and relaxed Sunday!

Saturday is the best day of the week! There is no school, and is a free day for the girls to enjoy their activities, like horse riding, cooking and running. It’s also a day where the girls can go to Geneva to shop!

From Kotoka’s special birthday celebration to horse riding, cooking, running, and even some karting, this past weekend had it all! Take a look at some photos below…

This weekend was spent up in the mountains of Fiesch. The girls had a variety of activities to choose, from hiking and mini-golf, to a ropes course and via ferrata. And on Sunday we played some mini-games in the sports field!

It was definitely a weekend full of fun and adventure! Now we are back on campus and ready to start the new week.

Today is Jeûne genevois, which is a public holiday in Geneva. Since there is no school, we took advantage of the day and visited the beautiful French city of Annecy. We took a boat ride in the lake, and then went shopping. The girls were very happy!

Warm, sunny weather for the past few days means we can enjoy our garden and sit outside! We’ve been having our study hall in the fresh air, and in the evenings we play board games!

Today we also had the pleasure of having Defne and Ana Sofia, prefects from Terray boarding house, over in the house to give a presentation to the girls. They talked about the dangers of smoking and vaping and the importance of making heathy decisions. Thank you very much ladies!

Exploring the great outdoors in Geneva with some awesome sun-soaked adventures like accrobranches and horse riding! Getting to know each other better through these amazing experiences has been truly unforgettable.

Sundays are for fun and relaxation! After brunch, Layla, Radost and Karen went to Aquapark while the rest of the girls stayed on campus to enjoy the activities on offer. It was also a day to bond with each other while playing board games and doing arts and crafts!

It’s the first weekend of the school year and it was a busy one full of activities for the girls!

Mira chose to do kayaking while Miyuki, Kotoka, Ran and Layla went to cooking. Melissa, Karen, Radost and Kate did horse riding, while Lisa enjoyed some climbing.

After lunch, we also had the chance to go to Geneva to go shopping and Miyuki and Lisa tagged along!

The girls spent yesterday afternoon in the Concha gardens playing an escape quest. They were split up into teams with other boarders and they had to solve puzzles and riddles to win a prize!

Today we had a very busy day! We had orientation day in the morning, where the girls got to meet their homeroom teacher and their classmates.

And then in the afternoon we got to relax and chill in the house for a bit before heading to the Concha gardens to enjoy their large outdoor space. The girls played some games and swam in the swimming pool. Check out some pictures below!

It was a very exciting day on campus as we welcomed all new boarders. Today we are happy to welcome Anne, Kate, Karen, Mira, Layla, Lisa and Miyuki to Old Portena!

They got to see their rooms, meet their roommates and make new friends! We also had a welcome assembly in the afternoon and ate some yummy food afterwards. The kids also enjoyed a treasure hunt after dinner. A long, busy but exciting day!

The summer holidays are finally coming to an end, and the Old Portena team are looking forward to welcoming both old and new girls to the house!

We hope you had an incredible summer and are ready to start the new school year. We can’t wait to see you all!

Congratulations to our Grade 8 students Ashley, Mia, Vlady, Chihana, Amy and Lily who graduated from Middle School today! Next year they are moving to the big world of High School. In addition, Chihana received the REACH sportsperson award, which is given to the student who best exhibits the important values of sport. Mia and Ashley also received the prize for the most improved student.

We are all proud of the hard work you have displayed over the past year and we know you will all excel in High School! We wish you the very best!

Today we got together for our last birthday celebration, which unfolded under the glorious embrace of perfect weather. It was a day filled with friends, love, and laughter, painting a picture of pure joy that will forever be etched in our hearts.

This weekend was the last time the girls took part in their usual activities for this academic year. They went to cooking, golf, banana boat, a Geneva outing, chess and baking. Ashley and Vlady also got to go to the Observatory in Geneva, where they learned about astronomy and all things about space! We also celebrated Mia’s birthday in advance, with a fun little party and cake!

Now it’s time to prepare for the last few days of school before the start of the summer holidays!

Yesterday under the warm evening sun, we enjoyed an American BBQ dinner. There were burgers, hotdogs, salads and desserts to choose from. No one was left feeling hungry, that’s for sure!

As the academic year comes to a close, nothing marks the occasion quite like the End of Year Event.

It’s a celebration packed with amazing activities that cater to everyone’s tastes and preferences. From thrilling water games to friendly competitions, this event provided endless fun.

The party’s refreshing water elements, including a sparkling pool and exhilarating slides, offer a splash of excitement and relief from the summer heat.

Amidst all the laughter and splashes, cherished friendships are strengthened and new memories are made. And let’s not forget the delectable ice cream delights that make this party truly unforgettable.

Sharing laughter and indulging in frozen treats with friends creates a warm and joyful atmosphere.

Today was a special, and a little bit stressful day… Indeed, our girls had their student-led conferences ! For this, they had to present their REACH portfolio, explaining how they achieved their goals this year.

Throughout the year, the girls have done their best to be responsible, eco-friendly, active, creative and healthy, and this conference was the opportunity for them to show to their teachers and houseparents, how they have managed to achieve REACH goals.

This presentation was a little bit nerve-wrecking for our girls, but they all did an amazing job !

Anna getting ready for her presentation

Stella explained to us how she takes responsibility for her pet’s wellbeing

A colourful portfolio by Mia !

Kelly, ready to start her presentation !

Cute cats to relax the atmosphere, well thought Lily !

Our one and only house captain, Ashley !

Chihana has had many responsibilities this year, between all her activities and life as a boarder.

Chisa’s colourful presentation

Wednesdays as always is International Dinner and today we enjoyed Singaporean cuisine: noodles with chicken skewers. We’ve also been lucky to have warm, sunny weather the past few weeks, so every Wednesday we embrace the fresh air and eat outside!

Our warm and sunny weekend started off with a delicious dinner in the house on Friday! Miss Maral and Miss Cristina cooked for all the girls and we all enjoyed a yummy chicken burger, cakes and snacks!

And as usual on Saturday and Sunday the day was full of activities for the girls. Cooking, tennis, banana boat and a trip to Aquaparc was in the cards for all.

Aquaparc in particular was the highlight, and everyone enjoyed swimming and all the water slides!

Meanwhile, Stella had the opportunity to go tandem paragliding over Lake Geneva. It was an amazing experience and she was really happy that she was able to go!

This evening Isabella participated in a charity concert with some other students. She gave a beautiful solo cello performance!

Well done Isabella, we are very proud of you!

Ashley, Chihana, Vlady, Mia, Isabella, and Lily had an amazing experience in Milan together. They really made the most of every trip they went to, but this one, as the last one, was the most special one for them.

Check some of the amazing pictures:

This week we had another long weekend, and we made the most of it with some amazing activities. Finally, we got some nice weather and we could enjoy the lovely sun, lake, and surroundings.

We can not wait for the summer to arrive!

Over the 4 day long weekend, several of the girls jetted off to Vienna. They spent an exciting few days exploring this charming and artistic city with other boarders! They visited museums, castles and ate delicious food such as wiener schnitzel and apfelstrudel. They all had a nice time, as you can see from the photos below!

Today there is no school due to the long weekend holiday, and with most of the girls away on a trip to Vienna, Miss Cindy took this opportunity to cook lunch for those who are left in the house.

She prepared pasta carbonara, so creamy, rich and yummy! And of course there is always room for dessert. This time we had brownies with a raspberry coulis to accompany it. Just the perfect plate of sweetness to finish off our delicious meal. Everyone really enjoyed it! Thank you Miss Cindy!

Chisa and Kotoka went to watch her friend Chihana playing football. It was a great experience, Chihana was playing against boys and her team did a great job!

Aller Chihana!

We tasted a home made lemon cake, fresh and sweet for the energy needed on a Saturday afternoon!

Anna and Mia are proffesional chefs, they love cooking and make great dishes. This time Mia helped our new join to the community Alessia,  what  a teacher  you  are Mia!

This afternoon we spent a lovely time in Geneva and our girls got the necessary ingredients to make this fabulous Hot Pot! Typical Chinese dish they all love. Nothing is as tasty as homemade food!

The House has an extraordinary smell 🙂

Yesterday evening we had our monthly boarding assembly, where Isabella and Kelly got to play Habanera on the cello in front of the boarding community. We are proud of you girls, very well done!

The final Pillar of our Well-being Program was also launched yesterday during the assembly. This time the topic is “Making Safe and Responsible Choices”. This is an extremely important topic, especially as students grow older. Teenagers are surrounded by many influences both online and in real life. There is much temptation and it’s important they develop their own strong healthy morals and ideals. Through the next weeks, we will ask students to explore an area of interest relating to this pillar through a podcast or other research.

After the assembly and eating an international cuisine of Lebanese food for dinner, some of the girls headed out to Olympus to play some sports! Being active is always important!

Another weekend, another list of activities for the girls to choose from! On Saturday, Chisa, Isabella and Anna went to cooking while Amy and Lily played tennis. It was also a warm and sunny day, so in the afternoon we ventured out to Geneva to enjoy the city and do some shopping! Sunday was a more chill day, starting with our yummy brunch and the girls doing activities such as Body shaping and Stretch & Relaxation. And of course the day wouldn’t be complete without crêpes and cookies for a treat!

Meanwhile, Mia, Ashley, Vladi and Ran went on a trip to sunny Spain to visit Madrid with other boarders. It’s certainly a great way to spend the weekend! Let’s take a look at some photos from the past few days below:

Chasing the ball in tennis

Preparing spaghetti in cooking class

Shop till we drop!

Sunday brunch options

A variety of sweets to choose from

A Sunday staple in Old Portena: crêpes

Vladi, Mia, Ran and Ashley in Madrid with other boarders

This week in Old Portena, we celebrated two of our girls’ birthdays. It was very nice and fun gathering together with friends to celebrate their special day! Happy birthday Amy and Kelly!

And as usual for our International Dinner this week, we had a taste of other counties cuisine. This time we had a Chinese evening, and it went down a treat! The girls enjoyed it!

We had an amazing time in Chamonix. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and we spent our day in the beautiful train/gondola and walking down to the amazing ice cave in the glacier.

But the best part of the trip was the time we spent together. We laughed, shared stories, and created new memories that we know will last a lifetime. There’s something special about being surrounded by nature and good company that makes everything feel just right.

Nothing beats a Saturday spent with your girls, catching up on fun after the holidays, and creating unforgettable memories to enjoy.

Dear parents, dear agents, dear readers.

Old Portena is open again and ready to welcome back our girls for the last stretch of the semester. New season, new activities ! This semester, our girls will be able to enjoy some amazing water activities on lake Leman.

In the meantime, we look forward to hearing everything about our girls’ holidays !

And so ends another busy term, and now spring break is here! Enjoy the holidays and the bright spring sunshine. See you all in two weeks for the final term of the school year!

With the Easter break coming up, and the girls going away on holiday for 2 weeks, we decided to gather together one last time tonight to have a party!

Snacks, chats and a good time before the break is always a good idea!

This weekend was the last weekend before the Easter Break and we spent an amazing time together.

We cooked a lot, we baked, we played games and we even watched a football match in Geneva!

We had wet, rainy weather this weekend but the girls still managed to make the most out of it with their activities. They had tennis, cooking and hip-hop on Saturday, and even had a chocolate egg hunt in the house! They had fun searching for them and it was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon!

On Sunday the girls went to Maison Cailler where they learned about the history of the chocolate brand and got to taste some yummy treats.

Now it’s time to spend the evening doing homework and tidying the rooms to get ready for the upcoming week.

Searching for chocolate eggs

Is there one here?

Over the past two weeks during our wellbeing session, we have been talking about online safety. The two takeaway points we have dealt with so far are Online Life vs Real Life and Scams, Security and Identity Theft.

It is important that the girls know and are aware of how to protect themselves online, so for today’s wellbeing session we did a reflection of what we learned so far.

We asked them the following questions:
What would you do if you had to spend 1 day without your phone?
What would you do if someone was being mean online to you or a friend?
What is your advice when using social networks?

Check out their answers below:

This evening we got the opportunity to watch and enjoy our fellow boarders talents!

From dancing to singing, everyone enjoyed all the performances and well done to all – especially to our Old Portena girls who did an amazing job up on the stage!

Ready and excited to perform!

This weekend was great fun in Old Portena.
We had our usual activities, such as cooking, in the House we have professional chefs.!! We also enjoyed the amazing weather on Saturday playing some tennis outside for the first time this year, SPRING IS COMING!

Today, we went and tried Paintball! It was great fun to try it for the first time, but we did not all love it, at least, we tried something different and we were all together!

Our football star Chihana received an award for recognition of her work at the Nord Anglia European games in Budapest, where she scored 14 goals.

Well done and congratulations Chihana!

Last night, former Old Portena boarders Manuela, Darina, Rin and Paria came to visit the house. They talked to our grade 8 students about what it’s like transitioning from middle school to high school, and also about the grade 9 choices.

Thank you so much girls for taking the time to talk to the younger students and answering any questions they had!

Another weekend has gone and passed, and as usual the girls chose to do their usual activities like tennis, chess and baking. Mia, Lily and Ashley also enjoyed a few hours of shopping in Geneva.

Meanwhile, Chihana had a busy few days in Budapest where she participated in the Nord Anglia Basketball and Football tournament with the CDL Panthers football team. Chihana and her team won first place in the tournament – very well done girls!

Elsewhere, Vlady went on a trip to Rome with other boarders. She got to see the beautiful sights the city has to offer, and even got the opportunity to watch a Six Nations match between Italy and Wales.

Looking forward to the next weekend!

Today we celebrate Isabella’s birthday. We wish you a great day!

The fourth pillar of our wellbeing programme is all about the important topic of online safety. With kids using the internet from such a young age, it is more important than ever to teach them how to be vigilant online.

For this particular pillar, we have our very own advocate, Lily, who will help lead the discussion during our wellbeing meetings. Thank you Lily!

Our first takeaway point for this pillar is Online life vs Real Life. Our advocate hosted a quiz in our house to help the students start to think about their life online. How much time do they spend online daily? How do they choose to interact with friends? Do they live in the moment, or through a lens? etc. Also thinking about the balance they have in their life between time spent online and the elements of Pillar 1, which was about Nurturing Healthy Bodies and Minds.

Old Portena wishes you a wonderful evening and start of the week!

This weekend in Old Portena was full of fun. We had the usual Saturday activities but we chose this time cooking and wood crafting. And on Sunday we went to play Laser Tag a game full of adrenaline and emotions, we had a blast!

Vlady and Ashley went to visit one of the most beautiful cities in Spain: Barcelona and they had the opportunity to visit the museum of her main football team. We are looking forward to their arrival so they tell us all they have learned. Wishing them a safe flight back!

Yesterday evening was our monthly boarding assembly. This is a time where all boarders gather together to share news and present something they are passionate about.

Afterwards, we had our weekly international dinner and this time we were treated to a delicious Bulgarian dinner!

While most of our girls spent the February break with their families, Ran, Chisa, Chihana, Ashley and Mia went up to the mountains in Crans Montana for the Winter Camp. They spent the week enjoying the slopes and doing fun activities. They all had a great time and now they’re having a chill weekend after the busy week!

Old Portena is now open once again and we can’t wait to warmly welcome our girls back to the house!

We hope you had a great February break and are ready for the rest of the semester. See you all soon!

The Old Portena team wishes you the best time at home with your families. For those coming to the Ski Camp, we will have a fantastic week full of new adventures!

Rest well and recover fully for the last part of this School Year!

Wishing you a great time!

Yesterday we enjoyed a Valentine’s Day dinner with all of our friends. The dining hall was decorated for the special day and roses were handed out to the girls. How nice!

We were lucky to have a weekend full of sunshine on campus. The girls were full of smiles and were in a good mood because of it! They enjoyed their usual activities like tennis, cooking, an outing to Geneva, baking and chess.

After a nice weekend with great weather, it’s time to get ready for the week ahead by doing some homework and tidying up the house!

Old Portena is a busy House, but always full of fun and laughs!
This weekend was a very special one for two reasons: Mrs. Maral’s birthday and Isabella’s first time in Geneva. Of course, we celebrated together.

Friday night we had a special takeaway night with a movie to disconnect after a long working week.

Saturday we enjoyed our favourite activities: cooking, tennis, hip hop and football. After it, we went to Geneva together. Grade 8s had their first meal together in a restaurant, it looked fantastic, and Mrs. Maral and Mrs. Cristina got very jealous.

After a long afternoon enjoying the lovely Geneva sight seeing such as the Jet d’eau, we came back home to celebrate Maral’s birthday and sing and dance together.

Today, we went ice skating: SO MUCH FUN!!!

    Today we  had our  Monthly Boarding  Assembly.

we enjoyed some amazing home made snacks

Of course a Wednesday can not end without our favorite dessert: crêpes, how delicious!

And … our internal House Competition:

Who can beat Mrs. Maral playing Rummikub?

Ashley is still thinking …

This weekend was again spent in the beautiful Swiss Alps village of Fiesch. The girls and other boarders once again had the opportunity to enjoy the impressive alpine scenery and the various sports activities that were on offer such as skiing and snowboarding. Some also went on an excursion to the town of Brig!

What a great weekend we had!

Welcome to the third pillar of our well-being programme: Building Positive Friendships.

It is a pleasure to finally meet our lovely girl Isabella. We had a fantastic evening playing games and enjoying a chocolate cake that Angelina brought. Thank you very much, it was delicious!

This weekend we spent a lovely time in the Swiss Alps. The whole school came together to enjoy the lovely landscape, sports activities, and wonderful sunshine.

Our girls enjoyed different activities such as bowling, billiard, snowboarding, skiing, and sightseeing.

We even had a round of BINGO! Unfortunately we were not very lucky 🙁

This evening some of the girls participated in a badminton tournament and they had fun while being active! Lily won 2 games and Chihana won 1. Well done girls!

After the winter holidays, the girls are back at it again with their usual weekend activities! They enjoyed tennis, woodcrafting, stretch & relaxation, chess and baking. And of course they enjoyed some crepe time on Saturday. Check out some of them in action below.

We are looking forward to welcoming you back to Old Portena.

We hope you had an amazing time at home with your family and friends, we are ready for the new adventures of this New Year 2023!!!

The Old Portena team wishes everyone a wonderful holiday season and a happy and peaceful New Year.

The house will reopen on the 7th of January. Enjoy the break and see you then!

Happy birthday Lily! We hope you have an amazing day. We wish you all the best!

“Ainsi périssent les ennemis de la République”

L’Escalade takes its name from the assault on the ramparts of the City of Geneva by the troops of the Duke of Savoy during the night of 11/12 December 1602. Every year in December, the Fête de l’Escalade commemorates the victory of Geneva with a blend of humour and tradition.

Des petardes inside the marmite are a resemble of festivity and the tradition says to break it with a friend.

Great outfits, outstanding behaviour and lots of laughs during this great event.

The girls had an amazing time, ate great food, and had so much fun with their Housemates.

Thank you very much to all the staff members who helped to make this possible.

Today too, the Christmas spirit was present at Old Portena. Indeed, the house was full of Santas ! We had our little Secret Santa Party, and we were all so spoilt.

Thank you Santa !

Christmas was in the air last night as we built and decorated a gingerbread house. As this is a competition between all the other houses, the girls really got stuck into it and tried their best to decorate to the best of their ability. Let’s hope we win!

The end result!

Last night, the boarding community gathered to celebrate and give awards to students who displayed an outstanding contribution to Boarding Life, Activities and Academics.

Huge congratulations to all students who won awards, especially our Old Portena girls! We are all very proud of you!

Ashley and Mia are winners of the Boarding Life Award

Ran and Mia are winners of the Activities Awards

A happy Amy got an award for Academics!

Most of our girls spent a fun weekend in Europa Park with other boarders. They enjoyed all the amazing rides and the glittery Christmas decorations – no doubt getting them into the holiday spirit!

What is the best way to prepare for the week ahead? Eat some yummy homemade cake of course!

On Sunday all of our girls were really focused and helping with the bake off competition, well done girls!

This Saturday was full of activities, we had cooking, tennis and we helped with he Christmas Decorations. Then we had some time to enjoy Geneva with our friends.

This weekend was no ordinary one. Our girls had the opportunity to go to a lot of different places ! To start, two of our girls went on a boarding weekend trip to Paris. Mia and Ashley had a great time over there !

Our girls who decided to spend the weekend at Old Portena visited Interlaken on Saturday. The name of the city literally means “between lakes”, as it is situated between lakes and surrounded by amazing mountains.

On Sunday, we visited the Montreux Christmas market, a very beautiful and big market with tons of tasty treats and pretty things to buy. The weather was on our side this weekend, as we didn’t have any rain during these trips.

Now after all this, a well-deserved rest !

Interlaken, Paris, Montreux, so many places to be !

This afternoon in our weekly wellbeing session, we continued our discussion about diversity.

The second takeaway point this week is: Noticing differences is normal but there are many ways to be an ally.

A fruitful discussion was had as we talked about how diversity isn’t just about our ethnicity or the colour of our skin, but also about our hobbies and personal interests. It’s about what makes us unique and different from everyone else, but also embracing that uniqueness because without it, the world would be a boring place.

At the end of the session, everyone had the chance to write nice qualities about each other. It was an interesting session indeed!

Maryam, Mia and Mindy had a great time during photography class today. They were super creative and were inspired by their surroundings. Well done girls!

This weekend we had great fun in the House.

As usual, Saturdays we do some shopping, get some snacks for the week and enjoy some time outside. This time we got the opportunity to go to Geneva or stay on campus and visit the local supermarket.

Today, we played LASER TAG with our house mates, and it was great fun. We did two teams, and both won once, so it made it very nice and balanced.

Now, we will do some homework during the study hall period, we will go to dinner at 18:30 and we will get ready for the upcoming week.

This week in the second pillar of our wellbeing program, we talked about integration and promoting diversity.

Our first takeaway point is: Integration and diversity are part of the international agenda of the world’s most important institutions.

The girls watched a video about diversity and they wrote down what it means to them. Find some photos below!

What can be better to recover from a long cold rainy day than coming home and getting home made orage spongy cake?

Thank you Mia for helping with this fantastic dessert!

Enjoy it 🙂

Weekends are never boring! Let’s take a look at what the girls did…

Tennis on Saturday morning

Anna and Mia enjoyed cooking

Anna and Vladi went to Geneva for some shopping

Ashley and Mia made cookies in baking club

Chisa, Ran, Kotoka and Chihana playing chess

A competitive game of Monopoly for Anna, Vladi and Stella

Pumpkin carving House competition!!

Today we had the opportunity to dress up and get enjoy an amazing party, some Houses were fully prepared for us to go trick or treat!

This weekend, our girls are coming back from close and far away places… And we are so happy to have them in Old Portena again. They got some time to relax and recuperate before going back to school, and the jet lag is real for some of our girls. Of course, the amazing Sunday brunch will help them get that energy back !

4 of our girls went to the CDL trip in Portugal !

Sunday, crêpe day

Old Portena will open its’ doors again on Saturday at 9AM, and we are looking forward to hearing all about our girls’ holidays !
Are they ready to enter the spooky season here at CDL ? Boo knows…

It’s officially the start of the October holidays and all the girls are off to enjoy a much deserved break after a busy and exciting start to the school year!

Have a great week everyone and we hope you come back feeling refreshed and ready to take on the second half of the term 😊

Summer weather to enjoy this Sunday in our garden!!

Autumn is the perfect moment to visit the lovely country we live in. Today we went to Fribourg and enjoyed and amazing weather together.

This weekend at Old Portena was a calm and enjoyable one. A weekend of relaxation and fun activities. See for yourself !

Some tennis on a Saturday morning !

Very serious cooking for others !

Fun time in Geneva !

While some stayed on the school campus, Mia, Ashley, Lily and Chihana went on a trip to Disneyland Paris where they spent a magical weekend enjoying the attractions and rides. Plus they also got to know boarders from other houses!

We have extremely proud to have heard Maryam playing during the Boarding Assembly, very brave of you. Well done!

On Tuesday we had the Disney Quiz House Competition! We did a great job, well done Lily, Ashley and Mia. Thank you for representing Old Portena in the best way!

and of course we love playing uno in the evenings!

The best way to get to know Switzerland is by travelling by train. What if there is a little train that takes you everywhere?

Today we enjoyed the most picturesque  Swiss train stations and its lovely moments

This week we concluded the first pillar of our wellbeing program. NurturingHealth bodies and healthy minds.

These were the two take away points of this pillar:

1. Discover how we can use sport and our hobbies to maintain a healthy mental balance
2. The importance of a healthy balanced diet

We asked our girl a  key question: How have my friends helped me in achieving a healthy balanced lifestyle regarding nutrition and physical activity? And these were the main answers:

Also, as part of our wellbeing program, we decided to create a “grateful” poster and this month, starting today we will be writing what we are grateful for, first was Mia.

“Great things happen to those who don’t stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful.” Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

The girls were busy this weekend and took part in activities such as cooking, tennis, golf, baking, chess, body shaping and also an outing to Geneva!

Ran and Mia are pleased with what they made in cooking class

Chihana keeping focused in chess club

Ran and Kotoka walking the streets of Geneva

Vladi trying her hand at golf

Mia, Anna and Stella in baking club

Stella and Anna with their finished product

Our girls played a basketball match against the girls from Villa du Lac on Thursday night. We didn’t win but our girls gave it their all, a lot of them participated and they showed good sportsmanship ! Maryam is our big scorer of the night, but there was also a good team work between everyone.

Well done girls !

Maryam and Mia make the most of their photography classes, they take wonderful pictures of us and the campus.

Today we celebrate Ashley’s birthday. Ashley brings such a great energy to the house and we are so happy to celebrate her special day together! Here’s to another year around the sun!

This weekend was extra special, as we all went together to the mountains in La Tzoumaz ! A calm ski resort situated 1500m above sea level. Fresh air assured !

The girls had different activities to choose from, some of them went biking down the mountain, others went climbing, others hiked up and some even did some shelters or rope courses in the woods.

The weather was amazing for the occasion and our girls were all so well behaved and nice, we are super proud of them and had a great time. Thank you girls !