Last night, the Olympians came together for their final house meeting of the term before heading home for the Christmas and New Year holidays. The evening, thoughtfully organized by our senior house parent, Mr. Gordon, provided a perfect blend of fun, reflection, and camaraderie.

Using the interactive voting platform, Mentimeter, the boys participated in a lighthearted activity where they cast votes on playful questions like, “Who is most likely to become president?” The room was filled with laughter and good-natured debate as results were revealed. To keep spirits high, a spread of snacks—popcorn, biscuits, and crisps—was available for everyone to enjoy.

As the days grow darker and the pace of the academic calendar slows, the Olympians are ready for a well-deserved break. Reflecting on the year, it’s clear that 2023 has been packed with unforgettable moments and opportunities to grow as a community.

From the excitement of trips to Lucerne, Disneyland, and the Montreux Christmas Market, to cultural highlights like Geneva’s L’Escalade Festival and the Europark trip, the calendar has been nothing short of action-packed. On campus, the boys carved pumpkins for Halloween, explored their competitive side during the Boarding Awards, and joined in enriching activities like the ever-popular Climbing Club.

As we close this chapter and look forward to the festive season, we’re reminded of the importance of coming together, celebrating achievements, and cherishing the bonds formed throughout the year. Wishing all our Olympians and their families a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Here’s to a restorative break and an exciting 2024 ahead. 🎄✨

This past week, CDL proudly celebrated Excellence Week. Throughout the year, we embrace the different pillars of our school motto, R.I.S.E., which stands for Respect, Internationalism, Spirit, and Excellence.

While our Boarding Awards recently highlighted many achievements, last week was an opportunity to nominate students who consistently go above and beyond, embodying the commendable qualities of a boarder. Olympus Boarding House is fortunate to have many outstanding candidates who excel in diverse areas. Among them are students with exceptional academic achievements, boasting GPAs above 4.00, others demonstrating sporting excellence by representing national teams, and many who engage in exemplary charity work. These are just a few examples of the remarkable talents and contributions within our community.

For Excellence Week, we are thrilled to acknowledge Ikuma for his exceptional contributions and achievements.

Ikuma excels across multiple domains: personally, within the boarding community, in the local Geneva area, and even on an international level. As an IB1 student, Ikuma demonstrates academic excellence with exceptional grades, achieved through his dedicated and disciplined approach to his studies. Within the CDL community, he represents the voice of Olympus House as a member of the Dining Hall Committee, ensuring that students’ perspectives are heard and valued.

Ikuma’s impact extends beyond the school. Locally, he volunteers at a supplementary Japanese school in Geneva, assisting with marking and supporting classwork. His commitment is evident, having dedicated five Saturdays to this meaningful work. On an international level, Ikuma has shown entrepreneurial ingenuity through a food truck project in Seoul. This initiative introduced fusion onigiri featuring popular Korean ingredients like Bulgogi and Pork Kimchi, creatively bridging Japanese and Korean culinary traditions. The project was not only a testament to his innovation and cultural appreciation but also provided freshly made, delicious meals to the local community.

Ikuma’s dedication, creativity, and community spirit make him a shining example of excellence at CDL. We are proud to celebrate his achievements and look forward to seeing his continued impact within and beyond our school community.

This pillar is championed by Mr. Callum and Mr. Victor, who are guiding us on this meaningful journey.

Imagine a world where everyone was exactly the same—identical in appearance, wearing the same clothes, eating the same meals, and speaking the same language. It wouldn’t take long for things to feel monotonous, right? What makes life vibrant and exciting is our differences. Diversity is simply the recognition of these differences.

At CDL, we take pride in celebrating the rich diversity that defines our community. It’s essential to approach others with tolerance and understanding, especially when their “normal” may differ from our own. By fostering acceptance and showing kindness to one another, we actively create an environment where bullying has no place and everyone feels safe and supported.

Our first step is to open an honest conversation about the perceptions of bullying within our boarding community. Does it occur? And if so, what role can each of us play in supporting one another and building a united, inclusive environment?

Too often, it’s easy to use labels without considering the harm they can cause. Instead, let’s focus on uplifting and encouraging each other, creating a community where everyone feels valued and respected.

@thatboardingvibe CDL Boarding Winter Dance #thatboardingvibe #winterdance #christmasparty #schooldance #cdl @Collège du Léman ♬ Christmas Rock Party – Beat-Hoven

Every December, Geneva celebrates L’Escalade, commemorating the city’s 1602 defence against the Duke of Savoy. This vibrant tradition unites the community with colourful parades, costumes, and also an Annual Run

Another traditional highlight is breaking the marmite, a chocolate cauldron filled with marzipan vegetables. This ritual honours Mère Royaume, who defended Geneva by pouring hot soup on invaders. As families smash the marmite, exclaiming “Ainsi périssent les ennemis de la République!” (“Thus perish the enemies of the Republic!”), they celebrate resilience and unity.

Within the boarding house we celebrated this during our Weekly Meeting. Traditionally the youngest (Maksim) and the oldest (Stanislav) of the family join hands and smash the Marmite.

Clubs are a vital component of our Boarding Activity Programme, offering far more than just an opportunity to participate in an activity. They provide a chance to become part of a close-knit community united by a shared passion for improving skills and learning together.

The Climbing Club is a shining example of this ethos and has become one of the most popular clubs. While Saturday mornings feature a climbing activity open to all, the Climbing Club takes it a step further. This elite group meets three times a week—on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays—to focus on advancing their climbing skills and pushing their limits.

This past week, our Climbing Club showcased its dedication and talent at the Climbing Cup. We are incredibly proud to share that Artem from Olympus emerged victorious, taking first place! Congratulations, Artem, and kudos to the entire club for their hard work and commitment.

Come and see, the performance is about to begin!

Yesterday, Fernando, one of our IB1 students, and his classmates from the Literature and Performance subject delivered a spectacular theatrical performance. It was truly a brilliant showcase of their skill development, as they confidently took the stage to bring their dialogue to life.

Bravo to the entire cast!

December is here, and with it, the Christmas atmosphere has taken over Olympus House. Over the weekend, students and house parents came together to decorate the house in style. The Christmas tree is up, decorations shining, Christmas music playing, creating a cozy and cheerful mood.

The house was quieter than usual, with many boys taking advantage of the weekend to enjoy activities outside of school. A group of eight Olympus boys headed to Paris for the Disneyland trip, where they spent time on rides, immersing in the unique experience and having fun in the magical setting. Several others enjoyed their exeats, taking time off campus to relax.

On Sunday, another group of eight boys visited the Montreux Christmas markets. They strolled through the wooden chalets, sampled Swiss classics like raclette and chocolate, and enjoyed the atmosphere by the lake. It was a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon, perfect for embracing the season.

Back at school, some boys stayed active with badminton, basketball, football, tennis, or boxing, while many used the calmer weekend to catch up on sleep and recharge before the week ahead. By Sunday evening, the focus shifted back to school mode, as everyone prepared for the upcoming week.

With the Christmas decorations now in place and three weeks to go until the holiday break, Olympus House is ready to fully enjoy the season.

Décembre est arrivé, et avec lui, l’esprit de Noël s’est installé à Olympus House. Ce week-end, les élèves et les responsables du foyer ont décoré la maison avec style. Le sapin de Noël est en place, les décorations brillent et la musique de Noël crée une ambiance chaleureuse et joyeuse. La maison était plus calme que d’habitude, car de nombreux garçons ont profité du week-end pour des activités en dehors de l’école. Un groupe de huit garçons d’Olympus s’est rendu à Disneyland Paris, où ils ont passé du temps à faire des attractions et à profiter de l’ambiance magique. D’autres ont choisi des exeats pour se détendre hors du campus.

Dimanche, un autre groupe de huit garçons a visité les marchés de Noël de Montreux. Ils ont exploré les chalets en bois, goûté des spécialités suisses comme la raclette et le chocolat, et apprécié l’atmosphère au bord du lac. C’était un après-midi agréable et relaxant, parfait pour profiter de la saison. De retour à l’école, certains se sont activés avec du badminton, du basketball, du football, du tennis ou de la boxe, tandis que beaucoup ont profité du week-end calme pour récupérer avant la semaine à venir. Dimanche soir, tout le monde était de nouveau concentré sur les cours et prêt pour une nouvelle semaine.

Avec les décorations de Noël en place et trois semaines avant les vacances, Olympus House est prête à profiter pleinement de cette période festive.

@thatboardingvibe Olympus is ready for Christmas!! #thatboardingvibe #boardingschool #itschristmas #decorations ♬ Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

@thatboardingvibe Happy Thanksgiving everyone from CDL #happythanksgiving #schoolmeals #thanksgiving #cdl ♬ Happy Thanksgiving (The Thanksgiving Song) – Vasti Jackson

The moment we’ve all been waiting for this semester is finally here, the Boarding Awards!

This event is all about recognizing students who have stood out in academics, activities, and Boarding life.

This semester, the awards were especially exciting because of the amazing grades across all grades and programs. Many students are so close to excellence! A big shoutout to everyone working hard to improve every day—and, of course, to our winners.

The Activities category was also super competitive, with so many students showing real passion and skill in their hobbies. And let’s not forget the Boarding Life award, which celebrated students who are truly connected to their house and the CDL Boarding community.

Congrats to all the winners, and good luck to everyone aiming for an award next semester! Keep pushing, you’ve got this!

David, Artem, and Jamil who won the Activities Awards.

You-How and Karim who won the Academic Awards.

Tristan, Edoardo, Christian and Nikolai who won the Boarding Life Awards