Tonight we had the pleasure of attending WATU’s winter concert. For those who do not know, WATU is a charity working in Tanzania, and as Swahili is spoken in that country, they used the Swahili word for people as the name of the association, WATU.

Samuel and Jason took part in it as G10 students. First they sang Geographical Fugue part one by Ernst Tock. It was unexpected as they were mixed in with the audience and out of nowhere without any introduction they started singing, very entertaining.

Then they did News of The World section, Samuel talked about the Dana of Valencia, while Jason talked about the 25th anniversary of the peoples’ republic of China’s resumption of sovereignty over Macau. Then they played Silent Night with guitars.

We are celebrating the 17th day of Advent in the Leman boarding house today, with this being the most excited day celebrated so far as the holidays are rapidly approaching! The boys and boarding staff alike remain excited in the lead-up to the festive season, and have been enjoying this tradition!

This weekend, to celebrate his 18th Birthday, Antoni travelled from Geneva to Tampa to race in a half-Ironman event. This grueling physical and mental test pushes athletes to their limits as they complete a a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run. Athletes train for a considerable period of time in order to accomplish such a feat, and we are proud to report that Antoni’s final time was 07:06:28! This accomplishment represents considerable levels of discipline, fortitude and resilience, qualities that will serve him well in the future. He was encouraged from the sidelines by Ignacy, who also flew to Florida to support his brother. Bravo, Antoni!

Last night, the Léman boys attended the Annual Collège du Léman Winter Ball, dressing up in style to enjoy one of the landmark occasions of the boarding calendar at CDL. Delicious food was served and a great time was had by all! Our boys had fun posing for photos, throwing some shapes on the dance floor and catching up with dear friends from other boarding houses. It was a pleasure to see our boys enjoying themselves in such a beautiful environment with a delightful and special atmosphere!

Special thanks must go to Mr Brinkmeyer for organising this special event, as well as the other members of boarding management who assisted and facilitated in the planning procedures.

As part of the new Excellence Week initiative at Collège du Léman, we would like to give special recognition to Adam, Emad and Apollo for their efforts and achievements both within and outside the school framework.

As well as obtaining some excellent academic achievements, Adam and Apollo have both represented the Genève-Servette under-17 hockey team at matches and tournaments, demonstrating considerable sportsmanship and teamwork. They have both set excellent examples for the other boys in Léman – Congratulations, gents!

Special recognition must also go to Emad, who has demonstrated considerable entrepreneurial and innovative spirit through his attendance at a start-up conference, presenting his company and the app that they are producing – Bravo!

Yesterday, Michael and Liusen had the honour of representing Collège du Léman at a national fencing tournament held here in Geneva. The boys both did amazingly, and were able to represent our boarding house in their boarding achievements. Bravo, gents!

Yesterday I participated with Michael in the national fencing competition that was held in CDL. We met people at different ages, at different levels and from different clubs, for example Martigny and EPFL. For me it felt more like friends having fun together rather than a serious competition. I did quite well in the group stage and lost to Michael in the elimination stage. Although I was sad but at the same time I am very happy for Michael and I know that is also a motivation for me to learn and get better next time. I really enjoyed the tournament in general and I hope I can do better in them next year. – Liusen

The Léman House would like to wish Nikita a very Happy Birthday! We hope you enjoyed your day!

Following the Winter Ball yesterday, our boys were in high spirits as they opened their doors on the Advent calendars today! We hope to continue to develop this new tradition within the boarding house to continue to bring excitement (and chocolate) to the boys in the weeks leading up to the Winter Break.

As the Winter break draws closer, Adi, Seyed and Mykhail took a break from the excitement of the preparations for our Winter Ball today and opened their doors of the Advent calendars, enjoying their chocolates before the fun of this evening begins! The boys are all looking forward to the upcoming holidays, however continue to enjoy life within the boarding house!

In keeping with our Advent posts, today Cheickna, Asiimwe and Aijuka opened the calendar to mark the fact that we are now one day closer to Christmas!  As the Winter break is approaching, we are encouraging the boys to reflect on the progress that they have made this term and how they have evolved as individuals.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

In our house assembly this evening, we heard from Mohamed about the inspiring story of L’Éscalade, an occasion celebrated in Geneva every year!

Mohamed gave us some insights into the history of L’Éscalade, and why the day is so important to Swiss people. In 1602, Catholic troops from Savoy were at the walls of Protestant Geneva. In response, the Genevois people banded together, and defeated the Savoyards through courage, cunning and soup. Particularly celebrated is Catherine Cheynel, a lady credited with driving back the Catholic forces through her use of soup as a defensive weapon.

Mohamed shared the story of Cheynel, and the boys made some good memories through the breaking of a chocolate cauldron, a symbol of l’Éscalade. Great fun was had by all!

As the tradition said, the youngest and the oldest of the household break together the marmite symbolising unity.

Today, three of the Léman boys celebrated Day 11 of Advent, with Domiciano, Nikita and Oscar enjoying their chocolate in recognition of the fact that we are one day closer to Christmas!

The frosted breath of winter paints the skies,
As crystal snowflakes drift on gentle air.
Beneath the silver moon’s watchful eyes,
The earth lies still, in beauty cold and rare.

The trees, now shorn of summer’s verdant grace,
Stand stark against the night, a solemn guard.
Their icy limbs, in frozen lace,
Reveal the season’s hand, both soft and hard.

A quiet peace enwraps the sleeping land,
Its silence deeper than the ocean’s song.
Yet whispers stir where winds caress the sand,
A fleeting hymn where winter’s dreams belong.

Oh, fleeting frost, oh, transient jeweled glow,
In winter’s heart, we find our warmth to grow.

Happy Birthday Michael, many happy returns! We hope you had a lovely day and enjoyed the cheesecake!

In Advent there is usually a wreath made of pine branches with 4 candles, which are lighted one by one after each week of Advent. The Advent wreath symbolises the course of the four weeks of Advent. We are now in the first week and the first candle symbolises hope and marks the beginning of the Advent.

Today is the first of December, marking the period of Advent leading up to Christmas Day. In order to prepare ourselves for the festive times ahead, we are observing the Advent period through our new Advent calendars. Every day, three of the boys will be opening a door on an Advent calendar and receiving a surprise, getting them in a good mindset for the upcoming days of fun and festivities!

This weekend, despite the chilly weather and the approaching winter frosts, the Léman boys remained active and, as usual, enjoyed participating in a variety of activities, such as Basketball, Boxing and Tennis. Not only do these activities allow the boys to make the most of their weekends by adding variety, they also allow the Léman boys to spend time with friends from other boarding houses.

Samedi du Partage is an annual event of solidarity in November, volunteers spend the day participating together collecting essential items for people that are in need. My experience was great, we were able to fill several boxes with items ranging from sanitary products to food and baby supplies. It was a wonderful opportunity that really opened me up to new social interactions.

Yesterday marked Albanian National Day, a celebration of Albanian culture. Aril took the opportunity to share his national culture with us, wearing his national headwear and encouraging others to do the same. This demonstrates the enthusiasm of the boys within Leman to share elements of their culture with students and staff alike, creating a welcoming and accepting atmosphere.

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of celebrating the various achievements attained by the Léman boys and the boarding community this semester at the Boarding Awards Ceremony. Many of our boys won awards; Special recognition must go to:

Apollo, Liusen, Bisher, Adame and Michael won the Boarding Life award, demonstrating their welcoming attitudes and keen efforts to create and maintain strong bonds within Leman.

Ignacy, Shaokun, Jason, Filippo and Momo won the Boarding Activities prize, showing their enthusiasm in partaking in the many activity opportunities presented to them.

Adi, Adame, Apollo, Asiimwe, Emad and Michael won the Academic Achievement awards, demonstrating their strong commitments to their studies within their various academic streams.

These must not detract, however, from the work done by other students within the boarding house, who have been applying themselves in their work and putting in considerable effort to both their studies and their academics. Our boys have achieved some fantastic things through hard work and enthusiasm, and we look forward to seeing their continued success in the future!

Well done, boys!

This weekend, the Léman boys got involved in a variety of activities, enjoying a relaxing weekend after a busy academic week. Our boys participated in activities ranging from cooking, in which tiramisu was prepared, to climbing and tennis. Some also got involved in the packing of gift boxes for disadvantaged youth, a commendable and constructive use of their time. Great fun was had by all, despite the absence of the much-loved golf sessions and the cold weather setting in!

This weekend, several of our boys got involved in preparing gift boxes to provide support to those in disadvantaged and unstable areas. This occasion represents Collège du Léman’s spirit of selflessness and internationalism and highlights the importance of supporting those in need, wherever they may be. Numerous students got involved, and we are all proud of them for their enthusiasm and willingness to participate. Commendations must go to Eduard, Aijuka and Cheickna in Leman for giving their time to ensure that children and young people in difficult situations can benefit from some of the joys of this time of year. Well done, boys.

This weekend, Adi, Bisher, Masafumi, Michael and Liusen represented CDL in Volleyball and Fencing tournaments. The Volleyball boys came fourth in their tournament, beating several teams convincingly and working well as a team. Liusen and Michael came in third and sixth, respectively, out of 15 students, demonstrating their abilities to a great extent. The Boarding team, as well as their coaches, are very proud of them. Congratulations to all of our boys involved in these tournaments – well done!

Tonight our Head Boy of Prefects from last year came to visit us and talked to our Grade 11 and 12 boarders about Life after Boarding together with Gia. Both of them graduated last year and they are studying in different universities, but they search for a moment to come back and talked to our boarders about the processes they are going to live during this year or next one and how is it after Boarding. They gave wonderful advice for the Boarders and we wish the best for their future.

Thank you Amir and Gia!

This evening Nicolas and Samuel have been preparing tortilla de patatas, a typical Spanish dish. In Spain, whenever we talk about tortilla de patata, the question of team with onion or without onion always comes up. In the case of these guys, it’s Team with onion.
We are happy to see the kids cooking and sharing typical dishes from their countries.

This weekend, some of our boys went to Lucerne, our first Swiss trip of the year. They walk through the historic city center, visit a couple of museums, and also went up to Glacier 3000. Such a nice experience!

Happy Birthday Apollo, many happy returns! We hope that you had a lovely day and enjoyed the Tiramisu!

The first weekend after the Autumn break, as well as the first of November, has been a blast. Students eagerly participated in their favorite activities. We also welcomed our new boarder, Farid, who quickly made friends and joined the boxing club. Meanwhile, Adam, who constantly trains hard for hockey, found time to join Sunday tennis and showcased intense energy. This weekend we offered, among others, Climbing, Tennis, Boxing and probably, for the last weekend, due to the cold and inclement weather, the students were able to join Golf.

Overall, despite the cold but shiny days, our students were able to join all the activities that were proposed.