Happy Birthday Hunter, We wish you a wonderful day and all the success for your new age!

Last night after our dinner at home, some of the kids got out their board games and enjoyed some time and laughter with friends. Some went downstairs and got on the table to play Catan, while others took over the living room sofa to play what’s on my mind. We were happy to see them also spending time with each other and laughing because the game was fun or something funny came up.

These are some matches that we are making in the school. By now, we have won both of them, 10-3 and 2–3. Incredible players with a lot of potential, we combine all the systems in this match, High School and French section, so we get to know each other and make friendships. All grades are allowed, so we can have fun all together with some competition too. – Oscar.

Tonight we had dinner at home. We do this so to spend some time with just the members of the house and to make it feel more like a family, in our case, to spend time with the big family that being from Leman means.

For tonight we have been able to enjoy Mexico and feel it a little closer. We had tacos and guacamole and as one of the Mexican guys in the house said “Sir, esto es cena de campeones” (Sir, this is dinner of champions).

Wednesday was the first assembly after the lunar new year, that’s how Michael opened his section. Together with Filippo they co-directed a small but great play about the history of how the Chinese zodiac signs came about. In the play we could see other boys from the house involved representing the different animals of the zodiac and the Jade Emperor.

The legend

The Jade Emperor, ruler of heaven, called all the animals of the world to a race and said that the first twelve would enter the zodiac. To reach them, they had to cross a river.

In those days, the rat and the cat were great friends. But, although they were very intelligent, they were the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom. So they decided that the best and fastest way to cross the river was to cross on the back of an Ox.

The Ox agreed to carry them across the river. However, as there was a prize involved, the rat decided that to win, he had to do something, so he threw the cat into the water: from then on the cat became a natural enemy of the rat and the water. After this, the rat reached the shore and claimed first place in the race, closely followed by the strong Ox, who was named second animal of the zodiac.

Behind the Ox came the tiger, who explained, panting, how he had had to fight the currents and how, thanks to his great strength, he was able to reach the shore and become the third animal.

The fourth place in the zodiac went to the rabbit, who thanks to his jumping ability was able to hop from one bank to the other, although he also explained to the emperor that he would have fallen into the river had it not been for a piece of log floating in the water.

Later, the dragon flew up and told the emperor that he could not get there first because he had to stop to create rain in order to help the people and creatures of the land. In addition, on the final stretch he had come across a rabbit clinging to a log, which he helped by nudging it with his breath so that it could reach the shore. The emperor, surprised by his kindness, awarded him fifth place in the zodiac.

Shortly afterwards the gallop of a horse was heard, but a snake frightened him and made him fall. Thus, the snake finally took sixth place while the horse took seventh place.

A short distance away were the goat, the monkey and the rooster, who were approaching the river bank. The three creatures helped each other to cross: the rooster built a wooden raft for the three of them, while the goat and the monkey cleared the undergrowth and so, rowing and rowing, they managed to reach the opposite bank. The emperor, very pleased with the teamwork of the animals, named the goat the eighth animal, while the monkey and the rooster were given the ninth and tenth places respectively.

Although the dog should have got a good place because he was the best swimmer of all the animals, he was delayed because he needed a bath after the long race, and when he saw the cool water of the river he could not resist. So he was assigned the eleventh place.

Just as the emperor was about to close the race he heard the grunting of a small pig that had started the race when it was very hungry, so soon after the start he feasted and took a nap. When he woke up, he continued the race and arrived just in time to be named the twelfth animal of the zodiac.

Finally, the cat arrived too late, occupying the thirteenth place and unable to gain any place in the calendar, so that his hatred of rats made him forever their bitterest enemy.

This is how the Chinese horoscope would have been created.

During our boarding assembly today, the boys got to see and listen to a broad array of individuals from the school presenting various topics. We had the opportunity to watch several of our boys take part in a uniquely entertaining play on the cultural significance of the Lunar New Year calendar, listen to Mr Antonio discuss a charitable initiative encouraging students to take ownership of positive volunteer work and enjoy the music being played by Samuel. These were just a few of the wonderful presentations that we had the opportunity to see. The boarding assembly is a monthly opportunity for our boys and the broader Boarding community to listen to other individuals present ideas and express themselves creatively.

This evening, the school was visited by a local restaurant who had prepared tremendous amounts of Lebanese for the students and staff. It was a lovely meal and a great opportunity to expand the students’ culinary horizons! Tender beef, rich hummus and fresh lettuce and tomato were just some of the delicious ingredients and foods that were served to us. Overall, this meal allowed the boys to spend some quality time with their peers and to grow to appreciate internationalism in all of its forms.

This year we had 2 ski days in La Tzoumaz. Some of our boys went to make the most of the snow and the ski slopes! It is a privilege for us to be able to provide such opportunities that allow the boys to experience all that Switzerland has to offer. At the end of the day, we welcomed very tired but very happy boys back to the house – we hope you enjoyed yourselves, boys!

Building strong connections with our students is a fundamental aspect of boarding life. Last week, we had the privilege of participating in our Boarding Football Tournament, an exhilarating event held under the lights, where students faced off against the boarding staff in a highly competitive match. The game was fiercely contested, showcasing both tactical discipline and sportsmanship from both teams. In a thrilling conclusion, the staff emerged victorious with a decisive “golden goal.” It was an honour to compete against a team of such character and determination, reinforcing the spirit of camaraderie that defines our boarding community.

This weekend, Cheickna, Oleg and Michael took part in a local “Bridge builders” event, attending a social event to meet and spend time with displaced Afghan.

“On Saturday, we want to Bridge Builders – Les Caves Versoix, which was near the school. We had Afghani food when we first arrived, including some delicious bread with sauce prepared by one of the refugees. Overall, the experience was wonderful. We left after hearing an informative discussion and seeing multiple performances by the Afghani people that were present.” – Cheickna.

Happy Birthday Oleg, many happy returns! Wishing you all the best for the year ahead.

This weekend, whilst some of our boys had the opportunity to go and enjoy the slopes, others remained on campus and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the weekend by participating in various activities. Climbing, Tennis and Basketball are just a few of the activities available to the boys, and they all enjoyed themselves considerably whilst taking part. Not only do these activities allow the boys to move around and reap the benefits of an active lifestyle, but give them the opportunity to socialise and strengthen their bonds with one another.