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 !

and Jeûne Genevois day out in Lausanne…

Today was a beautiful and busy day for our girls ! First, since it’s a bank holiday for Geneva, there was no school, and all the shops of the canton were closed. Not a problem, we took this opportunity to go to Lausanne ! Plan for the day ? Olympic museum and little bit of shopping in the city.

The museum is very modern and interactive, we particularly enjoyed the last part testing our memory skills, reflexes, etc. Vladi and I got 46 at the reflex skill ! None of the girls wanted to race though, I wonder why… 😀

Afterwards, when back in the house, our girl Annie was super kind to bring some mooncakes for all of the house ! A Chinese cake to celebrate the mid-Autumn festival (中秋節). This was a great discovery for a lot of us, and just shows again how amazing it is to live in an international house, celebrations from everywhere ! Thank you Annie for sharing with us.

Our OP girls get 1st place, of course !

Mooncakes with or without nuts !

Today the girls go to know our Wellbeing Program Pillar 1 – with our first takeaway point:

Discover how we can use sport and our hobbies to maintain a healthy mental balance

Most of our girls are ready for the year with the first goals set and an amazing experience ahead.

We are pleased to announce that Jiaxi HE (Annie) will be our House Captain for the 2022/23 academic year! Congratulations, Annie!

We are really proud of you

Chihana has earned the role of House Representative in Old Portena for this academic year! She will be the voice of our students in the regular House Representative Meetings with Miss Lucélia and Miss Terri in the Boarding Office!

Well done, Chihana!

The boarding house competition has begun, and it started with the sports competition!

Everyone participated in sports games such as three legged race, tug of war, musical chairs, baskets, ping pong race and badminton shooting. Well done girls for the great team spirit you displayed!

Sunday is for baking chocolate cake! Here is Ashley and Ran baking up a storm in the kitchen. Delicious!

Today we visited Geneva and we did some errands. After an amazing thunderstorm,  the  sun  shined beautifully

This week we started our cooking club, Mia and Kotoka joined and made a wonderful fried rice plate. We can not wait for next week’s project!

Today we had our first Monthly Boarding Assembly, followed by a welcome dinner where the girls enjoyed a delicious meal. Afterwards Ms Maral made crepes for the girls as a treat for our first House Meeting. Thank you Ms Maral!

The girls visited Concha this morning to go through the school rules and expectations with the House Parents. Well done everyone for listening!

It was a hot sunny day today and the girls spent a bit of time in the afternoon chilling in the house. After dinner we all went out to enjoy the fresh air and we played some ball games including dodgeball, volleyball and even tag!

An evening well spent!

Today we welcomed back our new students and they all had a welcome assembly where they got to meet their teachers, meet other fellow students and do some activities.

It was a great start for the new school year and we are looking forward to it!

The summer vacation is coming to an end and… We can’t wait to meet our new girls! And to welcome our older girls back!

What did you do during the summer vacation ?

We enjoyed the sun, the lake, sometimes even the sea, and most of all, we enjoyed spending some time with our loved ones.

In the meantime, house Old Portena will be open from tomorrow morning, 9AM, for all our newcomers ! There will be a welcome assembly as well as a welcome cocktail from 17PM until 19PM, where the parents are also welcome !

After loads of packing and cleaning, our lovely house of Old Portena will soon be closed for the summer…

Thank you to all of our girls for an amazing year full of memories and love ! Thank you also to the parents, agents, all the CDL team, for making this year so enjoyable.

We wish you all a beautiful summer holiday.

We will be back soon, and we can’t wait to see our girls again and meet our new girls. Take care of yourselves and enjoy the summer !

As it’s the last weekend of the school year, it is a good time to reminisce of everything that has happened in Old Portena since August. So many beautiful memories to cherish while getting ready for this last weekend before the great summer holidays !

In Old Portena, a lot of our girls like to get creative in the kitchen. You will often smell some ramen, eggs, bread, some vegetables, etc. being cooked !

Today, our girl Yustyna decided to make dango, and make a video out of it. She also helped me making the crêpes and showed of her amazing flipping skills ! See for yourself, she can even double-flip !

Preparation : check

Both the crêpes and the dangos turned out amazing of course !

Crêpes : almost done

This Saturday, despite the heatwave, our girl Chihana and her amazing team had a veeeeery long day at their football tournament with 14 teams in Bern… 7 matches in one day !

And guess what ?

They got second place ! It was a long, exhausting, but fun day for them. We are so proud of Chihana, and her team of course, well done !

What best idea than jumping in the pool after a long tiring day of exams?

Today we enjoyed the Concha garden pool with our friends, in this heat, the best thing to do is to get in the water!

Out football star, Chihana, got the opportunity to travel to Barcelona to play in an International tournament to represent Switzerland with her team, USTS.

They are trying their best to qualify!!

Today Marina visited us and helped us relax a little bit through an amazing mindfulness exercise during this important exam period. I am sure it will help us in a stressful moment.

Thank you very much Miss Marina.

Monday was a bank holiday here in Switzerland and we did not have school, therefore we used the opportunity to enjoy a little fair in Lausanne. It was great fun and the weather again was incredible.

It might be Sunday evening, but the weekend is not over yet ! Nevertheless, let’s have a look at what our girls have been doing these last two days.

A super fun activity made its’ appearance on Saturday : wakeboarding. Perfect in this sunny and hot weather ! An exciting opportunity to say the least.

Our girls also had the opportunity to cook some delicious cupcakes, or go horseback riding, chess, biking, baking, etc. A lot of things to choose from !

The process…

The result ! Miam.

Tomorrow, our girls will be out for the afternoon at Lausanne’s fair : Luna Park. Enjoy it !

This Saturday was a very exciting day for Old Portena and Concha Annexe. We had a common house activity proposed by CA girls : Paintball !

Two teams, but one common goal : just have some fun. We have to admit that the girls got us at every match… One day, we’ll have our revenge ! In any case, great game girls ! Also, great behaviour and spirit for this day, very proud. 😀

Beware !

Concha Annexe + Old Portena friendship

On Thursday evening, grade 6 and 7 did a play. The girls did their very best, and put on a fantastic show for the public ! Well done girls.

The end of this school year might be getting closer, but the fun is certainly not over !

We might not be the winners, but we feel like it.

Well done to the teams, it was great atmosphere.

This lovely Sunday was perfect to enjoy the sun and our surroundings. Versoix has a lot to show us.

After the tiring day, we needed to cool down, and what is better than a quick jump in our Concha pool? And we can not forget, our water fight!

Today as we do not have School due to the Swiss bank holiday, we used this opportunity to enjoy this fantastic weather; we visited Chateau Chillon in Montreux, a beautiful fort by the Lake Geneva.

Yesterday our girls performed their musical choices in front of their class after been practiced the whole year in their music lessons.

WELL DONE GIRLS!

This afternoon Darina performed in the IMYC showcase in front of her class and showed her most valuable talent.

Well done Darina, we are really proud!

This weekend felt just like summer, over 30°, sunny skies, humid weather… But still, activities went on as usual, and our girls kept up with a busy lifestyle here at CDL !

What did they do, you ask ?

Well, let us show you…

Some of them went horseriding

Others worked their brains in a game of chess

then some cooked some deliciousness

or went for a bike ride through the woods

or even played some volleyball, very appropriate with the current weather !

and more !

Next week, the girls will enjoy an especially long weekend of 4 days ! What will you do for the long weekend ?

This weekend we got the opportunity to join the School trip to Europa Park. We left on Friday evening direction Germany. There, we spent two fantastic days in the park with our friends. There were many type of rides to make the most of each second in this great Theme-park.

Last night during our House Meeting we discussed a few topics we needed with the girls and then we watched a video Mr. Salva sent to us to launch the last pillar of our wellbeing program.

We started the delivery phase of Pillar 5: Making Safe and Responsible Choices.
As announced during the Assembly the key take-away points will be:
Time in: how do you connect with inner world?
Attachment figures: how our attachment style influences the way we make our decisions?

This week we will focus on Time in!
What we experience in our inner world, which includes our feelings, thoughts, perceptions, memories, beliefs, hopes, dreams, desires, motivations, longings etc, can occur even without us being aware of it. The lack of self-awareness entails the failure to see the patterns in our behaviors and thinking. As a result, we risk making choices that are not aligned with what we really are and with what we really want.
On the contrary, when we develop the habit to pay attention to these inner experiences we become more self-aware. This can help us have more control over the decisions and choices we make and prevent us from being at the mercy of our own feelings, desires, and external negative pressure.

On Wednesdays, we get the opportunity to enjoy our international dinners. Yesterday we also had the choice to eat outside and enjoy this beautiful sunshine. Our girls made the most of the time with their friends to charge the batteries and get ready for this difficult exam period at the end of the School Year.

We are really happy because the SPRING is finally here. We got to enjoy our inter-houses volleyball tournament against New Portena. We nearly won and had so much fun!

Really proud of Alana, Yustyna, Nastia and Luciana who did their best with Miss Cristina.

Well done team!!

Today, the girls went to the picturesque city of Yvoire, in France. The weather was beautiful and shiny, perfect to fully enjoy the day of wandering around in a postal-card place !

The coast of Yvoire

When on a boat, you have to try…

It’s another week-end at our boarding house, and as usual, the girls had a lot of different activities to choose from. Some of our girls went to play some tennis. Some went horseback riding. However, as usual, cooking is a winner !

And when you’ll see what they made, you will understand why.

Separating egg whites and yolks takes concentration !

Cooking is always better with good friends.

Mousse au chocolat, with langues de chat !

This month is also the fitness challenge, and today’s challenge was made for one of our girls. They had to do uppy-keepys with a football… Chihana was so good at it, that she didn’t stop at failure, she stopped when she got to 1000 !

1000 keepy-uppys for Chihana !

Some of our girls also went to Geneva. Perfect time for a bit of shopping, of course !

So.many.figurines!

That’s it for today. Tomorrow, all of the girls will have the opportunity to visit the beautiful town of Yvoire ! And they will get there by… boat ! Pretty exciting, no ?

Our football star Chihana joined the boys in their tournament this evening. What an experience!

Did you know? The fitness challenge is back!

Yesterday the challenge was to see how many baskets you would score in 1 minute.

We tried our best 🙂

When the weekend comes and the sun is by our side, we make the most of the time with our friends. We have learnt a new Chinese card game and we also made some delicious food.

Yesterday night, some of our girls took opportunity during their social hour to do some extra sports, as they usually do on Thursdays.

It’s always great to see our girls moving and enjoying doing some sports ! Great job girls !

You’ve got this Darina !

We’re one month into spring and right now, the sun is shining full blast ! The trees are full and green, temperatures are nice enough and our winter jackets are gone.

You know what this means ? This means that outside activities will be possible again, biking, kayaking, walking by Leman lake, enjoying sunny evenings outside the house… We can’t wait to enjoy the beautiful weather even more !

I’m sure there will be a lot more outside pictures to share soon. 😉

Perfect weather for a bike ride !

Two of our girls, Luciana and Kylie, spent their Easter break surrounded by beautiful landscapes… They went to Cyprus and Greece with a fantastic group of people !

The girls got to do some historical visits, as you can imagine, but also had the opportunity to snorkle, swim, try out some survival tricks building tents, kayak, etc.

Good food, beautiful weather, fun activities, great people, it was a good break !

Thank you to the team for making this possible !

After a long break of two weeks, the house will be ready and open from tomorrow 9AM to welcome our girls back. We can’t wait to see them again and hear about their Easter break.

We have missed you girls !

All the girls are off on their holiday adventures and we hope that you can all enjoy spending time with your family.

We can not wait for you to tell us your amazing stories!

Enjoy 🙂

The approach of Easter breaks also means the end of this term’s wellbeing theme : our online safety.

Through the weeks, we talked about many different subjects, going from how we present ourselves online, to the pictures that should or should not be posted, and who do we follow, do we know them in real life ?

The girls brought up many good points during these discussions. Most of us agreed that we only post the good sides of our lives. And we shouldn’t believe everything influencers post, because it’s mostly a facade. We’ve also taken some time to see how much time we spend behind our screens, and to be more careful about our privacy and who we follow and who follows us back.

Although internet will continue to play a central part in all of our lives, we are now more aware and able of how to handle it.

Thank you girls and CDL team for making this a very interesting pillar !

Yesterday we had an amazing House Dinner. Lasagna with some salad. DELICIOUS!

And after it we got some time to play with our friends!

And another round of diverse activities on the campus !

Between horse riding, cooking, running, chess, etc. There was a lot to choose from.

One activity is consistently popular on weekends… Cooking !

After all, who wouldn’t want to learn how to cook their own choux à la crème ?

Others put their brains to the test thanks to a chess game.

And others went for a walk, got to bake, or play some music. In any case, it was another busy week-end for our girls at the house !

Finally, it’s Friday ! More time for the girls to meet up with each other in other houses. Today, Luciana, Darina and Nastya spent some time at Concha Annexe.

And they got an amazing treat thanks to Miss Maria who made them some amazing chocolate and peanut butter rolls as well as jam rolls. Made with oats and apples, for our health ! Needless to say, it was delicious.

What better way to start the weekend and all the activities it brings !

Today in our International Dinners we got INDIAN TIME

Yustyna is happy to be back and has missed these amazing dinners really much.

Of course, we can not forget our afternoon snacks. Yesterday we had home made banana muffins. R

DELICIOUS!

Thank you very much Miss Maria for baking for us.

Finally after 3 long years, we got the opportunity to meet together and celebrate our Boarders Talents.

Well done to those who got the courage to go on stage.

This weekend we got the opportunity to visit the amazing city of Barcelona. Chihana and Miss Cristina had an amazing time together with a great group of students.

We not only visited the most famous monuments but we also got the chance to visit Barça’s football stadium.

This weekend Berru and Nastia played some tennis during Saturday morning, they will become professionals very soon!!

Sally, Kylie and Amy spent a lovely Sunday afternoon enjoying the company of our great Musician Rogerio from Leman 2.

Darina, Luciana and Rin practiced their best shots in Badminton.

Yustyna and Chisa enjoyed the lovely weather we are getting these days and got some inspiration for their art creations.

This weekend, we also had the Chamonix Trip. Rin and Yustyna took this opportunity to visit our neighbour country, France and its lovely mountains.

This Wednesday, Chihana played an interschool championship with the Panthers High School girls and they won it.
well done team!!

Yesterday was on of the funniest, nicest and best days at CDL!

Thank you for helping us having so much fun!!!!

And of course, after a long day, we need a good recovery, Nutella sandwiches with a some banana on top.

DELICIOUS!

“Sunday, Crêpe Day” – New tradition at Old Portena

This weekend our girls enjoyed some of the activities organised by the school. From cooking, horse riding and also a visit to the amazing Aquarium in Lausanne.

Chihana participated in a External School Competition with Panthers team, they won the 3rd position.

Chihana scored 6 great goals to help the team reach the Podium

We are very proud of her

Darina won the ski competition last weekend in the mountains, we are very proud of her.

WELL DONE!!

Last Wednesday we got together in Eiger Auditorium for our Boarding monthly Assembly.
This month was a bit special as two 16 years old Kate and Ksenia got on stage to share an amazing message of peace between Russia and Ukraine. How friendship and respect go beyond politics

Today Paria, Luciana and Manuela practiced together their keyboard homework.

Feel free to come to Old Portena to have some time in our lovely new space, all for us.

Chihana, Rin, Paria, Chisa and Kylie had the opportunity to enjoy our amazing camp in the mountains, they had such an amazing time.

We are happy to announce that the Boarding House is now open and we are please to welcome all our girls soon.

WE HAVE MISSED YOU 🙂

Whether you are skiing, travelling or enjoying some days with your family and friends, we hope you get a well deserved rest this week and enjoy a lot!

Today it was the Sports gala for the grade 8s and Luciana did an amazing job! She is so talented that she won the first place, we are so proud of her!

Annie is improving each day in her piano, we would love to see her on stage very soon.

Keep working hard Annie, well done!

The girls love their Sunday snack, there is nothing like a homemade healthy pancake, with loooooots of chocolate on top

Berru, Kylie and Sally went cooking on Saturday, they will become professional chefs.

Our favourite moment of the week – Sunday Brunch

Ghida and Cherry from New Portena skied today with Darina, such a great team!

Bonding between Houses

And Luciana in her usual Ski Club:

Tennis is so much fun when you play with your friends

Rin and Chihana enjoyed an amazing match with in Volleyball Club