As winter settles over lake and hill,
College du Léman grows calm and still.
The term now rests, the year draws near,
Time for home, for warmth, for cheer.

Wherever the holidays may lead you now,
Home or travel, here’s our vow:
We’ll meet again with energy and cheer,
Ready to welcome the coming year.

The Winter Ball was a brilliant way to celebrate together, hosted in a fantastic setting at the Mövenpick Hotel. The boys rose to the occasion, looking smart and carrying themselves with real maturity throughout the evening.

The food was excellent, the atmosphere relaxed and upbeat, and the disco quickly became the heart of the night. It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves, mixing well and making the most of the occasion.

Events like this are a reminder of how important it is to pause, dress up and celebrate as a community. A thoroughly enjoyable evening from start to finish.

Tonight we marked a classic Geneva tradition in the House, the Marmite de l’Escalade.

As always, we followed the custom of having our youngest and oldest students break the chocolate pot together. Marco took the role of the youngest, and Matthew represented the oldest in the House.

It was a small moment, but a nice way to pause, share a bit of local culture, and bring everyone together before the holidays. And of course… nothing unites a boarding house faster than Swiss chocolate.

Our latest house competition took a festive turn this week with the challenge of building a gingerbread house. Some houses across campus went for architectural masterpieces, others for perfect icing work… and then there was Olympus, approaching the task with enthusiasm, creativity and a sense of humour.

Our final creation may not win any awards for elegance, but the effort behind it told a better story. William and Fede took the lead, fully embracing the challenge and giving the rest of the house something to cheer for. From balancing collapsing walls to negotiating icing that had a mind of its own, they kept the mood light and the energy high.

What mattered most wasn’t the result but the spirit in the room. The boys worked together, laughed through the mishaps and enjoyed the chance to do something a bit different. It was another reminder that competitions aren’t only about winning; they’re about showing up, taking part and having fun as a community.

This month CDL Talks gave us a moment to be genuinely proud of one of our own. Ronan, a House Parent from Champ des Bois took the stage to speak about resilience, a theme that sits at the heart of what we try to build in Olympus and across boarding life.

His talk was calm, thoughtful and grounded in real experience. He spoke about resilience not as a dramatic, heroic quality, but as something that grows day by day, in how young people respond to challenges, manage their emotions and learn to trust their own abilities. It was a message that felt both practical and hopeful, and it landed well with the students who attended.

In many ways, Ronan’s talk echoed what we see in the house. Resilience doesn’t appear in big leaps. It forms quietly through routines, supportive relationships and moments where students push themselves a little further than they did the day before. This is the environment we work to create: a place where students feel safe enough to take risks, steady enough to practise new habits and supported enough to try again when things don’t go to plan.

Seeing one of our staff speak so clearly about these ideas was a reminder of how fortunate we are to have role models who not only guide our students but also live the values we hope to instil.

A huge thank you to Ronan for representing Boarding so well and for giving our community something meaningful to reflect on.

Although we offer a wide range of activities for the boys to sign up for, Olympus is still a home. And just like any home, not every moment is filled with something big or elaborate. We also encourage a sense of normality and comfort in the house. It’s often in these quieter, unstructured moments that conversations flow more easily and relationships grow.

Whether they’re playing pool or table football, watching a film together, cooking, fixing something around the house or putting up decorations, these simple moments matter. It’s easy to overlook them, but they’re often where the real connection happens.

Decorations are up in Olympus!!!

@thatboardingvibe We are ready! #thatboardingvibe #schoolchristmas #christmasdecorations #boardingschool #olympus ♬ sonido original – Aztinay𓇼

Our theme this week is Excellence, and it’s been a good chance to remind the boys that it isn’t only found on a podium or in a spotlight. We’ve already celebrated one of our students for his remarkable performance on the volleyball court, but excellence shows up in many quieter ways throughout the week and we make sure to highlight those too.

Every time a student scores above 90 % on a test, they earn a spin on our Win Wheel. It’s a small moment, but it recognises effort, consistency and pride in their work.

At our weekly House Meeting, we also take time to acknowledge anyone who had zero lates the week before, the cleanest room of the week, any positive ISAMS entries or encouraging emails from teachers, and anyone who represented Olympus or CDL on a team. These little milestones matter. They show the boys that excellence is often built from simple, repeatable habits.

Once the announcements are done, we wrap things up with our traditional end-of-meeting game. Each week it’s something different, and we draw random names from the box to decide who gets to play. The atmosphere is always electric with the rest of the house cheering, laughing, and urging on whoever is up next. It’s a light moment, but it keeps our community connected.

Excellence doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It grows in spaces like this: where hard work is noticed, good habits are encouraged, and everyone gets the chance to take part.

This weekend the students came together for something a little different from our usual routine. Each house donated money to support our annual Gift Box Appeal, and with those funds we were able to buy a range of small but meaningful items for children in orphanages across Eastern Europe.

What made the afternoon special wasn’t just the cause, but the atmosphere. Students gave up their free time to help sort, organise and pack the gifts. The dining room turned into a small production line — wrapping paper on one table, toiletries and toys on another, and plenty of teamwork holding it all together.

There was a real sense of purpose in the room. The students were focused and proud to be doing something that will make a child’s Christmas a little brighter.

Thank you to everyone who contributed and took part. It was a good reminder of what our community can achieve when we pull together.

@thatboardingvibe 2025 Gift Box Appeal #thatboardingvibe #schoollife #giftboxappeal #shoeboxappeal ♬ Christmas Nostalgia – NC MUSIC

This week, Olympus was transformed into a house of cobwebs, pumpkins, and eerie laughter as our boys threw themselves into the Halloween spirit. From the moment the first decorations went up, the energy in the house shifted.

Pierre and William, did our pumpkin carving for the House Competition!