We are so proud to see that Liusen, Apollo and Antonio received the Secondary Prize Giving at the awards ceremony this afternoon. Congratulations !!!

Between packing and goodbyes, we have had activities as well. Officially we can say that we are in summer and it is already visible that next week the holidays start. This last weekend we had paddleboarding, banana boating, climbing, running club and chess club. What a way to say goodbye to this school year and the lake.

Domiciano is a passionate writer and today we decided to talk to him about his published book as well as his creative process. We had an informal interview/chat which was fantastic and gave us a little more insight into what it takes to write a book. Below are some highlights of our talk:

When did you first realise you had a passion for writing? 

“I guess that this started with school assignments and having to write and prepare assignments for literature subjects. I then realised that writing was a great way of expressing myself better and constructively sharing my thoughts.”

Was there a particular moment or experience that led you to start writing?

“Not really, I must admit that my parents encouraged me to do so and this was a supportive push for me to write my stories.”

Are there any Authors, Books or people that inspire and influence your writing style?   

“I would say that my Dad and Sister also write and this encouraged me to do so as well. One of the Authors I get inspiration from is Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, a Portuguese writer who in many of her works describes Childhood memories and nostalgic moments”

Has reading influenced your writing or even the other way around? 

“Reading makes me more aware of other genres and great ways to send my message across to an audience. It provides style ideas and structures that I can then use within my own ideas”

What inspired the idea for your book – The Curls of Kavuto? 

“I would say mainly my sister but most importantly a little reflection on Angolan Society in general.”

Many authors and artists have different creative processes. What is yours? 

“What works for me is during the day, for example, I get ideas and make a note of them on my phone. As some time I start puzzling these ideas together to find a great theme or paragraph. I also start finding ways to connect what I have been reading and experiencing around me every day and write with this in mind.”

What did you do when you hit a creative dry spell?

“When this happened I normally did some research about my topic and this helped connect me back with my own storyline.”

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while writing and publishing your book? 

“I would say working with the Editor was very challenging as we needed to meet several times and discuss our differences in opinion but ultimately produce a great book together. Also at the book launch in Luanda, speaking in public was not easy as people had many questions and I needed to find different ways to convey my answers clearly and effectively.”

What is the most surprising thing you learned about publishing a book? 

“The most surprising thing for me was the amount of people involved and necessary to publish one book is incredible from the Editor to the  Illustrator, Paging, Translator, and many others that need to work together with one common goal.”

What advice would you give your friends here at CDL who also love to write but haven’t had the courage to share their work yet?

“I would say that finding someone you fully trust and sending them your work is very important. You can ask their opinion and discuss your work without it becoming public or with any judgment. After that, you might then feel more incentive to approach another writer or editor and ask for their opinion. Also, you can always use a Pseudonym if you are not comfortable with your name being used in publications. The important is writing and seeing how your words are read by different people.”

Do you have future publication plans? 

“Yes, I really want to write a Novel for an older audience and possibly make that into a screenplay or theatrical play. In the works still … “

Thank you so much Domiciano for sharing all of this with us. We loved your book and look forward to reading your next Novel!

Cheesecake topped of his day with the traditional chant in Leman … We wish Aydan an incredible year ahead and a very Happy Birthday from his Leman family! 🍰🎉

Yesterday the boys had the chance to enjoy the marvellous weather with the End of Year Event. Many games were offered : water games, laser game, bikes, water slide, foam party… It was amazing to see the boys with such big smiles, enjoying a nice moment together before the summer. The day finished by a food truck in the garden, to see the sun setting.

Today, both staff and students, including those in Léman Boarding House, took part in a charity event. The challenge? 170km cycling vs 60km running. The question? Who gets back first?

3 members of the Boarding team and the PE department embarked on a gigantic bike ride around Lake Geneva, whilst a number of students and staff members each participated in a 6km run, in a relay style, until we reached a total of 60km.

After over 5 hours on the road, the cycling group arrived on campus 20 minutes before the final runner! Everyone worked hard and did incredibly well! Congratulations to everyone who took part in this event.

This was all to support the World Bicycle relief – a charity which aims to provides bicycles to those without access to them. To learn more about the charity and the event which took place, please click the link below.

https://join.worldbicyclerelief.org/WBRtheraceison/schoolfundraiser161 

This weekend, there was the annual Bol d’Or Mirabaud on Lake Geneva. This incredible sailing race, which is the largest inland lake regatta in the world, takes place from Geneva, all the way to the other end of the lake and back, and can take a number of hours to complete. We had the privilege to see many of the incredible boats sail past Versoix this morning, and we also had our very own CDL sailing team participating.

This weekend our boy Ignacy had the most incredible experience – Sailing in a Race from Geneva to Rolle and back. After almost 24 hours of preparation and Sailing College Du Leman finished a brilliant 2ND PLACE out of 55 boats in a time of 11h 4min 28sec! This is his view on the journey:

“On Saturday, the 8th of June at 13:00, a sailing competition began in Geneva, went to Rolle (a small village halfway between Geneva and Lausanne), and then returned to Geneva—a journey of around 60 kilometers on water. The CDL sailing crew hoisted their largest sails, as the wind was low and no improvement was predicted. However, due to the experience of the coach (who had already won more notable competitions such as the Bol d’Or) and the synchronization of the crew, the CDL’s boat, Surprise, quickly pulled ahead of others in their category.

Sailing on the French side of the lake, the boat caught substantially more wind, reaching a maximum speed of 3.5 knots (6.5 kilometers per hour). As the sun began to set, at 19:30 the boat passed Rolle and started heading back to Geneva. However, because Rolle is located on a headland, the water was sheltered from the wind. Despite this, compared to other boats that were stationary, the CDL ship managed to move half a kilometer in 1½ hours by utilizing every slightest movement of air and eventually reached the open wind part of the lake.

Later, as one of three ships that managed this, the CDL’s Surprise began their exactly 5-hour-long journey back to Geneva (departing Rolle at 19:34 and arriving in Geneva at 00:34). In the darkness, the boat separated from the two other competitors in the same category. From one crew member’s perspective, the most interesting part happened not more than 10 meters from the finish line, as one of the previously separated competitors appeared, stealing wind from them while going head to head and almost touching sails with the CDL boat.

Upon arrival at the port, the captain checked the results and found that the CDL’s 2nd place was nearly stolen, as the other boat was recorded as arriving just one second later.”

Ignacy Stebelski
(Léman)

Well done Ignacy, next stop: Bol d’Or !

Have a look at some moments of his journey.

This weekend some of our lucky Boarders had the opportunity to experience something unique, Paragliding!

They flew over Lake Geneva and the city of Montreux and were absolutely speechless. On his return, Apollo said this was the perfect weekend packed with the most heartfelt memories since he came to Switzerland.

Have a look at these stunning views …

This weekend was the premiere of the school Musical, Annie Jr. Our boy Apollo was part of the cast, playing the role of a foster father Oliver Warbucks. What a show they put on with so much passion, dedication and hard work. Hats off to them! We are very proud of Apollo’s acting and singing skills and look forward for future performances.

Well done to all the cast and Teachers who produced this play!

You were not here with us yesterday but we couldn’t wait for you to come back from your weekend and celebrate with us.

Happy Birthday Iska !!

This weekend we once again had a wide variety of activities. Our boys chose to take part in paddleboarding, tennis, cooking, climbing, etc. In these times when it’s the last push before the summer, a moment of disconnection is good for the students’ wellbeing.

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2024!

It was an amazing ceremony this morning and it was an extremely proud moment for us to see all the Léman boys go on stage to get their diplomas.

Congratulations also to Ablai and Amir for their amazing musical performances!!