We had a nice weekend with a mix of activities. The girls and boys from Saint-Loup Houses took part in Pilates, cooking, tennis and climbing. It was a good way to recharge, and now we’re ready to begin the new week!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of our first challenge in the House Competition! The girls  and boys have done an amazing job with their pumpkin carving. We can’t wait to see the results of all the other houses’ carvings as well. We also had the chance to enjoy the delicious treats brought by Maria, straight from Mexico!

Stay tuned for updates on the competition!

As the academic year unfolds, we want to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our students. Your resilience and commitment have been inspiring, and we recognize that this can be a demanding time. We hope you embrace this chance to recharge your spirit and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Saint-Loup Villas after the break ready to tackle new challenges together.

The boarding houses will reopen on Saturday, 26th of October at 9:00am.

During this time, we encourage you to stay connected and informed through the CDL News app for important updates and announcements (HERE).

This week’s international dinner was Chinese, and it provided our boarders with the chance to experience new flavors and reconnect with familiar tastes. This dinner allowed students to explore Chinese culinary traditions, appreciate cultural diversity, and engage with their peers in a meaningful way.

This weekend was packed with activities for the boys and girls from the Saint-Loup villas! Although the weather wasn’t exactly what you’d expect for the end of summer, they didn’t let that stop them from staying active and enjoying a variety of activities.

Micha had an especially busy weekend, taking part in both tennis—alongside his friend and mate Lyam—and trying out golf for the very first time. Chady also kept up with his weekly football match, playing a crucial role as a midfielder for the Versoix team. His stellar performance helped secure a victory, and he contributed two assists!

The girls were just as active! Sofiya embraced something new by joining the brand-new Gardening Club, enjoying a unique and educational activity. Meanwhile, Gigi and Anastasia attended a relaxing Pilates lesson, where they were able to unwind, improve their flexibility, and take care of their well-being.

Here are some snapshots of this fun-filled weekend! 📸

Our first dinner at the boarding house was a special and cozy gathering, marking the start of our monthly tradition. Held within the comfort of our house, the evening was filled with laughter and conversation as students, both new and returning, bonded over a delicious meal. These monthly dinners are a cherished opportunity to come together, strengthen our sense of community, and create lasting memories within our boarding family.

This weekend our group of boarders traveled to the beautiful mountains of Valais to enjoy a intense and joyful program of activities.

Olekseii joined the Hiking group during the morning of Saturday.

At the camp the students challenged the staff on a basketball game.

Intensity was high and their motivation to beat the house parents even higher.

The boys also went on a mountain trottinette tour with amazing views.

The boys also had time to play football.

And of course they did not miss the opportunity to play tennis like every weekend.

There was also several challenges against the other boarding houses.

Another fantastic trip with CDL. The group is exhausted but with a lot of new experiences in their memories.

This weekend, the boys and girls from the Saint-Loup Villas made the most of the last days of summer by staying active and entertained. With the weather set to change in the coming weeks, they took full advantage of the sunshine and warm temperatures.

A big group of our students focused on improving their tennis skills. Chady, Ana Roberta, Lyam, and Alex have been putting in the hard work, and it’s clear that they’re becoming outstanding players!

Meanwhile, Oleksii continued his tradition from last year by attending the weekly Chess Club. With his sharp mind and strategic thinking, he successfully outsmarted his opponents on the board.

Here are some snapshots of the weekend! 📸

Following a brief yet enjoyable summer break, both Saint Loup villas are now fully prepared to warmly welcome our incoming students. We’re thrilled to introduce our new House Parents: Mrs. Madina and Mrs. Semi for Saint-Loup 4, and Mr. Xavi and Mr. Nacho for Saint-Loup 9. Their enthusiasm and energy are sure to set a positive tone as we embark on a new academic year together.

We can’t wait to see what exciting experiences and opportunities this year will bring. Welcome back, everyone!

Dear all,

And just like that – the year is over. As we get ready to close the house, we wish to all those who have been in the Saint-Loup houses this year, have an enjoyable and relaxing summer. To those graduated and to those not returning, we wish you all the luck in the world for your future endeavours, we know that you will do yourselves, as well as all of us here, proud. To those returning, we look forward to seeing you all again in August. But until then, take it easy!

The Saint-Loup Team ❤️

Ronan & Anastasia

Dear all,

As we march ever onwards towards the end of the academic year at CDL, there are still plenty of things to keep everyone occupied, and plenty of opportunities of respite for those in the height of exam season. The normally scheduled weekend activites, the Runners vs Riders event, Bol D’or on Lake Leman and our End of Year Event in Concha to top things off. Thank you to everyone involved in organising these evnts, the joint Saint-Loup crew thoroughly enjoyed themselves!

Dear all,

As we continue on the march towards the end of the academic year here at CDL, the summer’s sun warmth is ever present and the traditional Wednesday International Dinner never fails to be an absolute success. We were able to enjoy some wonderful food from Germany today, please take a look:

During the course of Pillar 5 of our Wellbeing Programme, over the past four weeks, we finished off the topic on making good decision by engaging our students in a discussion about peer pressure — how it operates and how it can influence our lives and decision-making.

To wrap up this pillar, the well-being advocates created a concluding video that addresses some of our boarders’ questions. Thank you to Mr. Manu, and everyone involved, for making this initiative a success!

To get us right and ready for these discussions this evening, we were able to enjoy some fabulous Ethiopian food for this weeks International Dinner, please see the photos below.

This weekend two of our students went wakeboarding on the lovely Lake Léman. Although the weather was wonderful, the water was still freezing at only 12 degrees celsius, which made falling in that much more consequential!

Eduardo and Luis both managed to stay stable on their boards and even successfully attempted  jumps.

Even with the early start, they both made the most of their Saturday morning enjoying the lovely Swiss May weather before their exam revision fully starts.

Dear all,

This evening, all of the Saint-Loup 9 house, including some guests, were lucky to head over to the Stade de Geneve to watch FC Servette play BSC Young Boys, as part of our House Activity. It was a thrilling time, and the boys seemed to really enjoy it; so much so that not even the copious amount of rain, thunder or lightning was able to spoil the mood!

The SL9 Team

Dear all,

For what could be the very last time this year – we had a dinner at home, provided for by the wonderful kitchen team. The SL9 boys and their guests had a great ‘ole time, to be sure!

Dear all,

It has been a busy Wednesday across both the Saint-Loup houses today.

In the evening we held a joint-Saint-Loup House Meeting to discuss two very important topics. This was also something of a special occassion as it signified the very last House Meeting that some of our our boarders in the houses attended, as graduation for them is fast approaching.

The first topic was to continue our ongoing discussion about our latest Pillar Movement, looking at making safe and responsible choices/decisions. This week in particular we investigated, ‘How can I help myself and others when making a difficult decsion?’ This discussion was made all the easier by the fantastic video put together by Mr. Manu and the Pillar Student Advocates.

To end our meeting, and to put a poignant note on this blog post, we took a moment to talk about the ongoing tragedy in Brazil,  the southern region of which has been facing a flooding natural disaster that has wrecked havoc. Our very own Eduardo, took the lead to guide us through this difficult conversation. He informed us about what has happened, what is happening currently, and, for those of us who watch from afar, what we can do to help, in a very real way. Thank you Eduardo.

Spring is shyly revealing itself, and with it, the beauty of nature that we are lucky to be surrounded by. Our little path is full of surprises. Look at this visitor!

Monday started with a homemade cake to support all the girls who work hard during this very demanding period of tests and exams. They often come home on Mondays to a little cake surprise but they said this one was their favourite. If only we had the exact recipe measurements! It was made with love but without scales! 🙂

By Saturday, we could start resting a bit more and as many of us share the Christian Orthodox religion, we spent Sunday morning together, we went to church and we took our eggs with us. It was a lovely moment that brought us all even closer together.

Happy Easter to all the students and colleagues who might celebrating today and tomorrow, Monday!

Καλό Πάσχα! Христос воскрес! Hristos Voskrese!

The Saint Loup team❤️

Dear all,

It has been a busy day today, with much to unpack!

The Boarding Community held its May Assembyl, the first time we have all been together since the April Break. A lot of topics got covered, including two particular subjects of note: The May Fitness Challenge and the start of Pillar Five.

As we approach exam season, there can be a lot of stress and anxiety that can get us down. So this fun challenge, with a new activity for every day of the month is designed to burn off some steam and allow our students a chance for some respite from all the hard studying they’re doing. With plenty of rewards and healthy competition to keep things interesting, bring it on! Thank you Ms. Perrine and Ms. Iola for organising this!

This evening, Mr. Manu introduced Pillar 5, Making Safe and Responsible Choices, the final pillar in this years Well-being program. As our students transition into adulthood, particularly for those preparing for college, the significance of this topic cannot be overstated. In a world filled with a myriad of influences, both online and offline, teenagers encounter numerous temptations. It is imperative that they cultivate robust, healthy morals and ideals to navigate these challenges, while staying true to themselves.

To top the evening off, the international dinner for this week was from the good ol’ U.S. of A. Chicken wings, barbecue ribs – whats not to like?

Dear all,

While those of us who stuck around the campus this weekend were able to take part in all the usual amazing activites offered for us –  a group of students were able to utilise their weekend to the maximum and visit Berlin!

Included in this group was our very own Luiz Eduardo, who simply loved the trip, returning home on Sunday evening tired, yet thrilled, at all the things he was given the chance to see. From walking tours, to a river a cruise and seeing the Berliner Fernsehturm Television Tower – there was certainly a lot to enjoy!

Have you ever tried some Cuban cuisine? If not, you should as soon as possible!

Tonight`s dinner was delicious! Accompanied by some lovely dessert and Cuban music, this was one of the best International dinners!

Chao pescao!

The Saint Loup Team ❤️

After a well deserved Easter break, our students are back in St-Loup for the final stretch before the end of the school year.

Both Luis and Eduardo enjoyed some time with their families during the holiday break, travelling far away from Versoix.

On the other hand, David spent time with his friends on a school trip in Tanzania and Zanzibar where he engaged in a variety of different activities. These include visiting a coffee farm, helping build a goat shed as part of a community project, going on a safari to see the wildlife, and learning about the local traditions and cuisine. This trip is sure to have a lasting effect on him, providing him with life experience and memories that will last a lifetime.

After what has been an eventful break, the boys are ready to face the final couple of months before the summer holidays.

Dear Parents,

With the Easter break fast approaching, we understand that many of you will be planning special gatherings and activities , or simply spending quality time together, we hope that your holiday is filled with love, laughter, and cherished memories.

We have a special thought for the brave boarders who will be travelling to Tanzania and  Zanzibar. It will be an enchanting experience, with exploration of quaint villages, verdant coffee plantations, and the captivating Dolly Bush Estate, where a night of camping beneath the stars awaits them. Several days are dedicated to meaningful service projects at Dolly Primary School, offering them the chance to make a lasting impact by contributing to community development. We are so proud of them. They will also experience the thrill of a safari adventure in Tarangire National Park,  amidst breath-taking landscapes.  From sea safaris to spice tours in Zanzibar, each day will offer a new opportunity for exploration and discovery. They will be forever touched by the beauty and spirit of Tanzania. We also want to assure you that they are in good hands. Our staff will be here to ensure that they are well cared for and that their holiday experience is a positive one.

Once again, we wish you and your family a joyful Easter holiday filled with love, happiness, and the warmth of cherished company. Thank you for being valued members of our boarding community. 

Dear all,

Yesterday the boarding community held its much anticipated annual talent show! It was a joy to be in the presence of so many talented students and it was an incredible amount of fun!

The big debate here in SL9 was which of our students’ amazing gifts we would submit for the show – but we think we did a pretty good job. Please see below.

Well done lads! And to evryone who took part, fantastic work!

The Saint-Loup 9 Team

The next Beathoven – David, our House MC – Luiz Eduardo, and our master water-bottler flipper – Eduardo.

Dear all,

It has been a busy past couple of days for the boys here in SL9 – from destressing at the end of a hard week, celebrating friend’s birthdays, taking part in a charity football tournament, practising boxing skills, and perhaps even a small wander to the Festichoc festival in Versoix or an exploration in Geneva… An exciting couple of days to recharge the batteries!

The Saint-Loup 9 Team

The most part of our raining week-end turned around eating, and cooking.

What a delicious week-end !

First on Saturday night we had the joy to welcome Emma’s friends, with whom we could celebrate Internationalism (So it was our part II of our  “LET’S CELEBRATE INTERNATIONALISM”. It was wonderful to see 4 different young ladies, with three different nationalities, cooking together a Brazilian dessert, and a very special kind of pizza. They danced, laughed and watched a movie together. One of them even slept over. It was so nice to have her.

Today two of our girls marched through Versoix roads to celebrate the Women’s day. I’ve just heard they had so much fun during this time, what a joy to hear that our ladies are more than satisfied with their resting week-end.

This afternoon, I treated our girls with chocolate dessert, and Choetsho did it by making waffles. It’s always good to share this friendship together.

Cooking, and cooking again, Choetsho also had the priviledge to be tought by a chef how to bake a Black Forest, it looks so beautiful.

As we say in French : “Allez bon appétit !”

Saint Loup 4 team.

Life is lovely here, spending our evenings sharing, and being creative.

It is not that hard when the house is full of kind, talented girls.

We leave you with a few moments from this week that made us feel cozy and happy.

Home is where there are smiles, and Saint Loup is definitely home.

The Saint Loup Team ❤️

Dear all,

Tonight the school got to enjoy a traditional dish from Canada, poutine, expertly served up to us by the excellent cooking team in Leman.

Delicious!

The Saint-Loup Team  ❤️

Dear all,

The Saint-Loup 9 boys had an action packed time this weekend. Certain highlights are certainly the long awaited boxing lessons taking place here in Versoix. As well as the opportunity to go to the 2024 Geneva Motor Show.

It is a tired household on this late Sunday, but everyone throughly enjoyed all they had the chance to do over the past few days.

The Saint-Loup Team

Dear all,

Tonight we took a journey over to India and had the privlige of enjoying a lovely butter chicken dish, accompanied by an assortment of other traditional delicacies.

Thank you to the all the cooking team for their incredible work!

The Saint-Loup Team ❤️

Dear all,

From all at the Saint-Loup houses, welcome back! We hope you had a restful break and are ready for everything in the next term.

The Saint-Loup Team ❤️

Dear all,

It is now the February Break, from all of us here at Saint-Loup – we wish you an enjoyable and relaxing week!

The Saint-Loup Team

We all had a beautiful way of expressing our understanding around Global Citizenship. Our common ground was that

we are all equal and we should live life with understanding, inclusivity and respect towards all living things and our planet. We are a global community striving for a better world!

The Saint Loup team ❤️

On Saturday evening, two of our boys, Eduardo and Luiz, celebrated their friend, Enzo’s, 18th birthday, by enjoying a lovely meal in Geneva .

The same evening, whilst on exeat, David found himself watching a football match in Paris.

On Sunday, some of our boys invited their friends over for some New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch, as well as a Mario Kart competition. They then finished their weekend by enjoying a game of football on campus.

Overall, a fairly quiet weekend before the holidays.

One part of our values in CDL is to promote internationalism.  It’s a real chance for our boarders and day students to have the opportunity to live and learn with so many people coming from so many different countries and cultural backgrounds. It allows them to enlarge their vision of the world and enriches their knowledge and it gives them a better sense of tolerance.

In our home sweet home (St Loup 9) we have 7 boarders, 2 house parents, 8 nationalities, 6 languages. A real chance to be together. The challenge I gave to our wonderful boarders, a few months ago, was to showcase anything that they would like to share to their home mates and even to other boarders from other villas, about their cultures and country.

Today Etoile from France was the first one to try the challenge, two of her housemates joined, and we also had the pleasure to welcome another boarder from another villa, and also a day student.

It was a magical time, with lots of joy, and fun. Etoile taught her friends how to make French crêpes, she played French music, and a very popular song from a very popular singer popped up. “Cette soirée là”, from Claude François. Etoile was happy to speak a little bit concerning this French artist, and gave a little bit of background concerning him. If you are curious, I would encourage you to have a look at that video too : Claude François – Cette année là (Clip officiel) (youtube.com)

Please let us know in the comments what you think about this song and choreography.

The most funny part of this afternoon was that suddenly the guests decided to make their own recipe, adding ingredients to the crêpes dough.

This is what we call a cultural melting pot.

It was a real success. And we are looking forwards to live another internationalism adventure, maybe next time we will have the joy to taste a special meal from Republican Republic or we will have the opportunity to hear a song from Bhutan, or someone will teach us a Ukrainian dance. Who knows who will be the next one to try the challenge, but for sure we are looking forwards to have another fantastic time together.

Special thanks to Etoile for being the leader of this wonderful time.

Dear all,

Today we had the opportunity to have dinner at home, which suited the boys down to the ground. We also had a sepcial occassion to celebrate, as earlier this week the newest member of the Saint-Loup 9 house joined – welcome Mahan! Now that we have a full house (and full bellies!), we are ready to take on the world by storm!

The Saint-Loup Team

Eduardo, Luiz Eduardo, Mahan & David enjoying their dinner for the first time as a full house – including a partial cameo in the reflection!

Dear all,

Today, the College du Leman community celebrated the Lunar New Year – Gong Xi Fa Chai, May you be happy and prosperous!

We celebrated the day by a special presentation brought by two of the Leman Boarding House students during our monthly Boarding Assembly, as well as making it the focus of our weekly International Dinner meal.

A sepcial mention, in regards to our monthly Boarding Assembly, must also go out to Saint-Loup 9’s very own Luiz Eduardo, who along with others students going on the Tanzania trip (a few places still available!), spoke  about a charity football competition, with funds being raised towards Tanzanian needs!

Happy Lunar New Year!

All the best,

The Saint-Loup Team

Dear all,

On Sunday, the Saint-Loup 9 lads visited the boys at the Concha Boarding House to experience some traditional Raclette. Smiles all round and a tasy meal had by all! 🧀

Saint-Loup 9 Team

Dear all,

Today the two Saint-Loup Houses met for the weekly house meeting, and to go through our well-being pillar movement together. And a sweet surprise awaited – there was cake at the meeting, life can’t get any better than that surely! A delightful touch to our well-being exploration!

In the final week of our Pillar Three, ‘Friendships’, well-being programme, our focus narrows on toxic friendships and relationships, emphasizing the importance of spotting warning signs. Together, through open dialogue, with one another, as well as within ourselves, we can recognise the signs of unhealthy and toxic behaviour, and equip ourselves with the tools to navigate the complexities of friendships and relationships, ensuring that we are a pro-active force in fostering and nurturing healthy friendships around us, and also for us.

May this newfound awareness guide us towards fostering connections that bring joy, support, and positivity into our lives.

The Saint-Loup Team ❤️

Dear all,

For the second ski weekend, the Saint-Loup folks had the opportunity to go to Crans-Montana, for another action packed weekend on the slopes. Just as thrilling and exhilirating, everyone really enjoed their time here!

Here we are joining forces once again this Wednesday to discuss all the exciting new things happening!

Our new Climbing Club, Ski Club, Esports Club and our Book Reading Challenge are about to begin and we are ready for it! We also got together to practice our French with our weekly mini French course. This week we learned phrases that have to do with catching a cold. We made sure to eat a few oranges while doing that!

We also had a lovely discussion on our Pillar 3 about  International friendships and addressing microaggressions. Stressing the importance of respecting each other, celebrate our differences and be considerate of everyone`s feelings including being aware of our own.

We wish you all a wonderful rest of the week!

The Saint Loup Team ❤️

Dear all,

For our first ski weekend, the CDL boarding community visited the wonderful Leysin, where they were able to partake in activities ranging from the aforementioned skiing (and snowboarding), all the way to tobogganing and igloo building. Needless to say the lads enjoyed themselves thoroughly and look forward to the trip to Crans-Montana next weekend.

Our skiing escapade in Leysin wasn’t just about conquering the slopes however; it was a celebration of the joy that comes from sharing laughter with friends, and creating memories that can warm our hearts long after the snow has melted. The added plus of course being that this was only the first of two ski trips which can only suggest that things look ever upwards!

The Saint-Loup  Team ❤️

Dear all,

Today the two Saint-Loup Houses joined together to attend the weekly house meeting as a group, where we continued on with our Third Well-Being Pillar Movement. This week, we embark on an introspedctive journey within ourselves and our friendships, looking to understand the qualities that define our friendships with people.

Positive friendships play an incredibly important role in all of our lives.  As individuals, our ability to be attentive to the thoughts, feelings, and well-being of other people is focused on in the context of positive friendships.

Healthy friendships are built on mutual care, understanding, respect, and responsibility. The diverse responses the students gave when asked what unique qualites they thought they excelled in as a friends provided clear insight towards the positive connections that are promoted in our community.

In our continued pursuit of positive friendships, we recognize that the journey is reciprocal. As we seek the best in our friends, we also strive to be the best friends we can be. As we move forward in our friendship journey, let us carry these reflections with us, fostering an environment where positive friendships flourish, and each individual contributes to the collective growth and well-being of our community.

Saint-Loup Team

Luiz and David made full use of their first weekend here, meeting with their newly made friends, heading into Geneva, and participating in some of the amazing weekend activities that are offered!

The Dream Team Duo In Action!!

Although new to the boys in Saint-Loup 9, the CDL community strives to better itself and our students with every stride. One of the more powerful ways we do this is through well-being Pillar Movements. Our next Pillar will focus on Building Positive Friendships.

Embarking on the third well-being pillar, we, as a community, are committed to cultivating positive relationships, with a specific focus on friendships. Recognizing friends as chosen family, we encourage introspection into the essence of these connections, ensuring they contribute positively to our lives. This week, we’re spotlighting the qualities we value in friends through an inspiring video, prompting students to reflect on the depth of their friendships.

This authentic connection, forged by shared experiences, becomes the cornerstone of our well-being movement. Watch the Pillar 3 video for key insights on fostering positive friendships, shaping an enriching path forward for everyone.

Today the boys took part in their first Boarding Assembly and experienced their first evening of the weekly Internationalally Inspired Dinners, today’s being the Japanese evening!

Trudging through Swiss snow to school – it’s an icy adventure with a twist.

It was a brisk walk through all the snow for the boys to get to school this morning!

Today our boys enjoyed their first day at CDL. Although they are still getting accustomed to life in boarding, they are ready to take on the second semester of the year, meet many people, and make new friends.

Everyone is now back and the house is warm and full of life! The weather is getting colder and a little homemade chocolate goodness goes a long way! Especially when the whole house smells amazing and we need some extra energy!

Mondays can be fun and yummy! 2024 here we come!!!

The Saint Loup team ❤️

Dear all,

We hope that the winter break treated you well, and your New Year started on a high note!

Sending a warm welcome to David, Eduardo, Luiz, and Mahan—our new boarders in Saint-Loup 9, for the next semester at CDL!

A New Year means new adventures on the horizon, stay tuned!

All the best,

Ronan, Nathan & The Saint Loup Team

✨ We wish you a magic and wonderful Christmas !! ✨

🩵 Happy holidays with your families and see you soon 🩵

The Saint Loup Team ❤️

We like to think that the Secret Santa signals the beginning of our holidays, so only a few days before the break, the girls exchanged small gifts and hugs.

Happy Holidays to everyone and we hope this is only the start of the best holidays ever!

All our love to the families and friends along with our warmest wishes

The Saint Loup team ❤️

Today, I wanted to talk about something really important for all of us. Something that we all have in common in Saint Loup 9 house :

🐾        🐾      🐾      🐾       OUR PETS !!       🐾      🐾      🐾      🐾

We have to admit one thing: it’s not just our animals. For us, they are just like human beings, part of our family in the same way as a little brother or sister. We can talk to them, they can understand us, and let’s say that they can even answer !

We LOVE them and they love us back. Our relationship with them is special because we know they will never hurt us, it is only love and cuddles. We could watch them play or sleep all day long ! So yes… we do miss our cats and dogs. 😭

Although we can still see them by videocalls, we cannot hug them, which is a HUGE frustration.

But I have a GOOD NEWS : in less than a week, we will be able to give them passionate hugs and kisses !

The holidays are approaching and we can’t wait to get back to our families (which includes our adorable pets) to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.

We woof you a meowy Christmas ! 🐶😽

Pictures are all we have when we are away from them, so enjoy these wonderful photos of the Winx girls with their “children”🧚‍♀️

Kseniia 💙                                            Fields 💜

Bruna ❤️                                                 Haruka 🩷

Sofiya 💛                                              Akmaral 💚

Miss Maria 🤍                                        Miss Lina 🖤

Saint Loup 9 ❤️

The Fête de l’Escalade is an opportunity to remember the history of Geneva but also a time for togetherness. For this reason, we got together and Samira and Etoile, and Kseniia and Sofiya, our youngest and oldest girls in the houses as tradition dictates, broke the Marmite with their soup spoons!

As you can imagine, we did not stop until we ate all of the chocolate and marzipan vegetables while reading the history of the Escalade that goes back to 1602!

Happy Escalade!

The Saint Loup team ❤️

The girls of Saint Loup 9 decided to do a Secret Santa this year!

Even Maria and Lina, the house parents, joined in, and it was MAGIC. ✨

We all did our best to find the perfect gift for the girl we had to give a present to. Between candles, pyjamas, Christmas socks, jewelry… etc. It was a warm and loving moment, and we will always remember it.

We wish you all the best, girls ❤️

Merry Christmas and lots of love!

 
A bientôt !

Saint Loup 9 ❤️

At Collège du Léman, we love creativity !

With the festive season just around the corner, we launched a gingerbread house competition.

Our queen of creativity at Saint Loup 9 is Bruna👑. She is always the first one to participate, especially when it comes to creativity.

We decided to honor all the girls from the house, Switzerland and our beloved Collège du Léman to make this wonderful house.

Its creation required a great deal of patience and attention to detail, but look how beautiful it is !

Com muito amor ! Beijos 😽

Saint Loup 9 ❤️

The first weekend of December has brought us the first snowflakes of the season. Although it didn’t snow much and didn’t stay on the floor, we could see it brought excitement to our girls’ eyes.

As we also started the countdown for the holidays to go back home, the girls wanted to make sure they were taking advantage of the few weeks they had left before the end of the semester.

Bruna and Sofiya are becoming regulars in our cooking club. This Saturday, they baked holiday season-themed cookies and decorated them. It’s not because our girls made them, but they were delicious. On the same day, Akmaral woke up early to exercise and play some Tennis.

Last night we had the chance to attend the first, of hopefully many more, Winter Festive concert for Boarders organized by Mr. Roger, House Parent in Léman. Our boarding community is full of brilliant students with plenty of talent and we want to make sure they have a platform to develop their skills with us.

Plenty of boarders came to support their friends and enjoy a great show where we were asked to sign along to the songs and have fun with the musicians.

Among all the performances, our dear Akmaral was one of the stars. She, accompanied by Adi on the guitar and Mr. Roger on the piano, sang Snowman by SIA.

This week for our wellbeing pillar we changed topics and we focused on disability. With this topic, the group of advocates for this pillar wanted to make the rest of the students reflect on the concept of disability and to look around the houses and identify potential barriers that a housemate with a disability might encounter.

For this, they created a QR code where students could submit their answers and reflect on how we, as a community, can make a difference to help others.

What would you improve about the boarding house for a housemate with a disability?

The Saint Loup team

On Sunday we had this AMAZING cake competition. All the houses gave their best, and we were able to discover cakes each more beautiful than the last!
Although the Pavlova from the Villa du Lac girls stood out for its unbelievable delicacy, our houses didn’t fall short as we finished in the top 5 !🏆

The Saint Loup 4 girls chose to make a magnificent chocolate, coffee and strawberry cake. Congratulations to Choetsho, who gave her all for this sublime cake. 🍫☕🍓

The girls from Saint Loup 9 chose to make a lemon cake with a magnificent Christmas decoration. Congratulations to Haruka and Bruna for this magnificent decoration ! ❄️🍋☃️

A bientôt !

The Saint Loup Team ❤️

What a fantastic weekend for our Saint Loup girls!

We spent our Saturday afternoon at the Montreux Christmas market- It was so busy and festive!

There were many little shops with local produce, ornaments and food. The girls had fun watching Papa Noel come in from the lake and enjoyed a nice dinner and walks around the lovely town.

The holiday season is definitely here!

Saint Loup Team ❤

As the festive season is approaching, Miss Maria went on a brave quest to decorate the house for the holiday season. The task was not easy as it was going to be the first decorations the house would have and she wanted to live up to the girls’ expectations.

Fortunately, our lovely girls had a blast decorating the house. Music was up, and the festivity mood was on. Laughter was guaranteed and they all went to bed with a big smile on their face.

This weekend our Campus was quieter than usual, as many kids went back home for the long weekend or joined the Boarding trip to Copenhagen. In Saint Loup, some of our girls stayed and enjoyed a calm weekend participating in their activities.

Sofiya’s passion for food is starting to grow on her, and she decided to go back to Cooking lessons where she learned how to make a delicious Coco and Mango crumble. But that’s not it, in the evening she invited her friend Emma to our home and together they cooked some homemade tomato sauce for their pasta. The smell was from another world 🤤

Akmaral woke up on Saturday with plenty of energy to play some Tennis with her border fellows despite the cold weather 🥶 while Fields attended body-shaping on Sunday to make sure she is in shape for her next challenge (we don’t want to spoil anything, but she’s going to be in a rush pretty soon).

Choestso was captivated by one of the new clubs and decided to attend the History Club as she is passionate about Greek History and Mythology and, since the teacher is Greek, she has plenty of opportunities to ask him interesting questions.

We hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

Today marked one of the most eagerly awaited days for our boarder: the gift box wrapping. A few days ago our boarders donated money to help bring joy and happiness to hundreds of kids in Eastern Europe. This is always one of the most awaited events in our community, as it allows our students to gather together for a good cause.

Haruka and her friends helped organize and buy all the items that were necessary to complete these boxes and Bruna participated in the wrapping today.

As you can see in the video, a few of our boarders reunited to help wrap all the gifts, make sure each box had the necessary elements, and, even more importantly, write a personalized letter to put inside each box.

To conclude with Respect Week at CDL, we asked Bruna, one of our Senior students in the house, to explain to us what the word “respect” means to her.

Respect. The act of respecting is one of the most profound displays of empathy an individual can have towards others and the environment. It extends to different cultures, customs, decisions, and even the environment you find yourself in, revealing its essential role in building a harmonious society. While seemingly simple, unfortunately, many people still struggle to respect the diverse realities beyond their own experiences. I emphasize the importance of opening the mind and seeing the world through empathetic eyes, understanding the rich tapestry of diverse personalities and opinions that shape our collective journey.

Recognizing and appreciating the world’s diversity not only fosters understanding but also enriches our interconnected society. In a world where people think and live differently, acknowledging and valuing these differences becomes a source of beauty and strength. The varied realities of the world are not only something to be celebrated but also serve as a fundamental support for a more vibrant and tolerant global community.

Bruna will be graduating from CDL in June; we are very proud to know she will take with her the CDL RISE values that she has been learning and acknowledging during her years with us.

On Friday we celebrated Bruna’s 17th anniversary!

It’s the first birthday we get to celebrate in the house and we couldn’t be more excited.

Dear Bruna, we wish you a year full of joy and great news, as well as achieving all of your dreams and aspirations.

Sundays are usually a quiet day. The girls like to get ready for Monday, do homework, and study for tests. But today is a different kind of Sunday as tomorrow they have no class. The house has been quiet for the whole day, as the girls have been taking it easy today.

As a motivation for the summatives coming soon, we decided to surprise them by baking some chocolate cookies!

Sofiya was the first one to try them and she said they tasted very good 🤩

The Saint Loup team

Tonight, as we do once per month, we reunited on our interior terrace to enjoy a delicious Spanish-inspired dinner. We had Paella with chicken, Bruschetta with tomato, and some traditional madeleines. At the end of the meal, we discussed the best breakfast options and why eating Nutella in the morning is a weird choice.

Fields arrived a bit later as she had her piano lessons in school, but we were having so much fun that we completly forgot to take a second picture 😥

Until next Dinner in the house ❤️

In this week’s Wellbeing session, we talked about Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

As we know, the teenage years are a time of self-discovery (getting to know and understand who we are), but also exploring gender identity and sexual orientation. For us, as caregivers, it is crucial to create a healthy and supportive environment where our students can be themselves and express themselves freely.

To help them with their questions and fears, our group of advocates has created a safe platform where students can post their questions anonymously and they will answer them back. We hope this will help our students to feel more comfortable in our community.

The Saint Loup team

For last week’s challenge, the girls needed to record themself with their roommate and find similarities, either in their cultures, personalities, interests, etc.

Bruna (Brazilian) and Haruka (Japanese) talked about how they both like to sleep and as a result, their room is always really quiet; they also discovered that it’s really common in their countries to cook a lot of dishes with pasta! Who would have thought Italians had competition on who eats more pasta!

Akmaral and Sofiya (Kazakhstan) have a lot of points in common! They both love to draw, watch the same Russian shows, and much more. Have a look at their funny video and what they said in it 😊 .

Fields (United States of America) and Kseniia (Russia) have also a lot in common! they both like Drake’s music and to stay in the dark!

The girls had a lot of fun recording these videos and also got to know each other a bit better during the preparation of the recording.

As we can see, it doesn’t matter where we are from, we all can have things in common, even if we come from two continents opposite from each other.

The Saint Loup team

8 billion people are living in the world right now. There are no two similar persons and everyone has their uniqueness (unless you have an identical twin…).

Today we want to celebrate all the little things that make us unique and different by wearing odd socks! Each sock has a different personality, you can like classic socks, funny socks, or stripped socks.

Let’s celebrate diversity!

As usual, this weekend was full of different activities 🌸

First, Sofiya took a cooking class. She prepared delicious meatballs with semolina 🍴🍛 Look how proud she is !

Then Akmaral played tennis and, as you can see, she was very focused! She’s getting better and better 🎾

After these first two weeks back to school, Etoile decided to relax this weekend by stretching 🧘‍♀️

A bientôt !

The Saint Loup Team ❤️

Good evening everyone !

Fields, Bruna and Kseniia have just returned from their wonderful weekend at Europe’s biggest amusement park in Germany 

They had so much fun together and with their friends from other houses. They came back with their heads full of memories and are ready to face the week ahead. 💪

They also came back with two new friends! We are now 9 at Villa Saint Loup 9 😂

A bientôt !

The Saint Loup Team ❤️

During the weekend, the only thing we could talk about was rain. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Non-stop. But don’t think this weather stopped the girls from enjoying their free time.

Bruna and Haruka spent their weekend in London (spoiler alert: also raining in London), and Étoile enjoyed a lovely weekend in Marrakech with her family, while the rest of the girls stayed in Geneva.

Sofiya attended an amazing Art Seminar in school where she learned the Felt Technique. After that, she enjoyed a fun afternoon in Nyon with some friends from school!

Akmaral played some tennis in the morning before heading to Geneva in the afternoon as the rest of the girls did (event if it was raining cats and dogs).

Kseniia had a lovely Italian dinner with some of her friends, while Fields went shopping to prepare for the cold winter.

As you can see, nothing can prevent the girls from having a lovely time and enjoy the company of their friends.

The Saint Loup 9 team.

Last night we had our first international dinner after a two-week break. We were delighted with an amazing Portuguese dinner full of Pao com Chouriço, chicken, potatoes and Pasteis de Nata.

But this will not be the only International dinner we will have this week. Do you want some clues? Pan de Muerto, tacos, Calaveras (or the Katrina, as you may also know it).. until then, have a lovely afternoon.

The Saint Loup team.

Last night we celebrated Halloween in CDL. All our candies were prepared to be distributed to the local kids and CDL students. We had lots of fun watching kids knocking on our door with their truly spooky costumes.

We also had some terrific costumes as Fields dressed up as Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, Etoile as a witch, and Emma as a policewoman after an ugly fight.

   
After dinner, Sofiya worked really hard carving our spooky pumpkin, do you recognize the character?

Kindest regards,

The Saint Loup team

What a lovely evening we had !

We decided to make Halloween cakes, but ended up making a mix of Christmas and Halloween cakes 🎃🎄It looks good doesn’t it ?

We had a really great time together, even if Kseniia did cut her finger 🤪 (No worry, it’s only colorant!)

Happy Halloween to everyone !!

Much love,

Saint Loup Team ❤️

Slowly the girls are starting to leave the house to go back home for two well-deserved weeks of holidays. We’ve had a wonderful start to the semester and we couldn’t be happier to share this incredible experience with all our girls.

We wish everyone a lovely October break. Get a lot of rest, enjoy, have fun, and come back ready to continue making unforgettable memories.

The Saint Loup team

Tonight we celebrated the end of the half-term with a lovely dinner in the house before saying goodbye and going back home (exceptions are Fields and Bruna who will be traveling around Europe for two weeks – we are just a little bit jealous, fyi).

Tacos are always a hit and the truth is that we couldn’t get enough! Our stomachs were starting to get full, and glasses were filled with Iced Tea; the conversations were chaotic, and Bruna was trying to convince everyone that she was right, no matter the subject of discussion (but she was open to listening to everyone, of course). We discussed nationalities of origin, languages, foreign alphabets, what would happen if you were born on the border in the middle of the forest (that was an interesting question Kseniia…), and our favorite movies (all of them are for the General Public – Frozen 2, Lorax, High School Musical 3, Horton Hatches the Egg… very teenager-ish movies).

We were having so much fun… we almost forgot about dessert!!

At the same time, our Saint Loup neighbors were also enjoying a delicious dinner and… celebrating Étoile’s 16th birthday with an extraordinary chocolate cake.

All the girls are now packing and getting ready to depart tomorrow afternoon or during the weekend. These first few months have been great and we can’t wait to see you again in 2 weeks, but for now… let’s enjoy the distance!

The Saint Loup team

Last night we enjoyed our last International Dinner before the October break discovering some traditional dishes from Sweden! Meatballs, pastries, smashed potatoes, bread… Food was delicious!

The Saint Loup team.

The beginning of the year has been full of adventures, novelties and studies !

We’ve had a great time together at home, at school and at the various activities the girls have taken part in.

They now have a well-deserved break during the October vacations. But before that, they still have a short week of classes, where we are sure they will give it their all. 💪🌸

A bientôt,

Saint loup team ❤️

Last night we had our second Boarding Assembly of the year, where numerous students went on stage to present and introduce us to different topics.

We discovered Brazil’s amazing life and food; we concluded our first Wellbeing Pillar by talking about the importance of a good night’s sleep and how being active can improve not only our physical health but also our mental health; and three of our Prefects introduced us to different charity clubs taking place in our school helping children and adults around Tanzania, Geneva, and Switzerland.

Haruka and her friends Bice, Sayuri, and Hanna, also went on stage and introduced us to one of the charity events we participate in as a Boarding Community, the Gift Box Appeal. During the month of November, we will be raising money among the students to provide gift boxes during the Christmas season to those in need. Last year we helped bring happiness to Ukranian refugees who had to fly away from their hometowns and their country due to the war.

The Saint Loup team

Every Wednesday we are looking forward to our International dinner. Tonight we had some amazing Thai food!

Over the past weekend, Kseniia embarked on a magic trip to Disneyland Paris. Students took the train and in no time they could see the magnificent and emblematic Disney Castle proving that they really were in the most magical place in the world. Kseniia had the pleasure of meeting the most known and famous host in the entire world: Sir Mickey Mouse. At the moment, the house is filled with Disney memories and chocolates.

Food, rides, fun, friends, and laughs… we can really say the trip was a success.

The Saint Loup team

Even though we are already in Autumn and we can see the leaves changing colors, the weather was lovely and we got to say goodbye to September in the best way. On Saturday we played Tennis and we cooked a delicious dessert with pear and caramel.

Sunday was a very busy and active day: Chess, Bodyshaping, Stretching, Brunch… But the fun was not only taking part in Collège du Léman but also 125 km from there. Samira, Emma, and Etoile went on an adventure with their friends and spent their day in Walibi Amusement Park getting in fast and intense rides. The trip back to the school was quiet… I guess they will all sleep really well tonight.

The Saint Loup team

To celebrate International Translation Day, our boarders have a special message for everyone, in all 6 official UN languages.

If you liked this video, follow our CDL Instagram page and don’t miss out on any content: Collège du Léman (@collegeduleman) • Instagram photos and videos

The Saint Loup team

Today we celebrated the start of the year with the annual Welcome Back Barbecue with lots of food, music, and activities for all the students. Some of our borders had different charity stands to help, for example, the victims of the devastating Morrocan earthquake.

Two of our girls, Haruka and Akmaral participated with their Charity Club making bracelets with the kids and painting their faces. We can assure everyone, volunteering and young students participating in the charity event had a lot of fun and a lovely time.

If you joined us to celebrate the beginning of the year or participated in the event and donated to charity, thank you very much for your collaboration.

The Saint Loup team

Paella, calamares fritos, muslitos de pollo, mejillones al vapor, parrillada de verduras and crema catalana. the girls had a lovely variety of tapas to chose from to celebrate our Spanish international dinner. Enjoy the pictures!

The Saint Loup team

Another weekend is slowly coming to an end. We had so much fun at our weekend activities! We also got to do some community service around our area. It is really important to take care of our surroundings as much as ourselves and anyone who needs it.

We are ready for the week ahead!

Here are a few pictures:

The Saint Loup team ❤

During our house assembly last night we discussed with the girls the importance of having a good night’s sleep and how it can help us during the following day to have more energy, be able to focus in class and be more present during the day.

During the past week, the girls were challenged to follow one of the tips in the picture.

Fields changed the warm glass of milk for a nice cup of tea before bed and Haruka turned off her phone every night around 9 pm and had an average of 9 hours of sleep every night. The results were precise: both girls had much more energy during the day and were able to be more productive during the afternoon.

They all agreed that having a good night routine is essential as it helps us to be much more efficient during the following day.

The Saint Loup team.

As part of our Wednesday International Dinner event, tonight we were delighted with Lebanese food. Our girls enjoyed some chicken, beef, lamb, different kinds of hummus, pita bread, and some traditional desserts, among other things.

Kindest regards,

The Saint Loup team.

After a rainy week, the sun was shining and the girls spent a lot of time out and inside the house with different activities.

Fields and Akmaral started the weekend early in the morning playing Tennis, one of the most precious sports here at CDL.

Emma and Etoile had fun baking some cinnamon rolls for the house and exercising on Sunday with Bodyshaping and a Relaxation activity.

But the fun started at 12:30 when Samira, Kseniia, Fields, Akmaral, and Sofiya arrived in Viry to do some Karting. Speed, adrenaline, laughter, friendship, and lots of fun made the perfect combination for a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Now the house is very quiet and the girls are getting ready for the start of the week, looking forward to the next weekend where more exciting activities will be waiting for them.

The Saint Loup team

This weekend, a group of students took part in the Lake Geneva clean-up, where they helped set up tables, tents, and benches and cleaned the surroundings.

Haruka took part in this initiative and, with her friends, spent her Saturday morning helping preserve our lovely lake.

The Saint Loup team

Today marks the first “Dinner in the House” event in Villa Saint-Loup. While we usually have to go for dinner every night to the cafeteria, once a month dinner comes to us. This little event at home is the perfect opportunity for the girls to bond and have a laugh in the comfort of our house.

Tonight we were delighted by an amazing lasagna made by our kitchen staff. Thank you very much for all the amazing food you cook daily for us ❤️.

But the evening didn’t end there as Akmaral was thirsty for revenge. Somehow, slowly but surely, she is convincing the rest of the girls in the house to play Monopoly cards with us. This time Sofiya joined the game; it was her first time and she didn’t do bad at all (keep in mind she was playing against two professional players). This time the end of the game was 1:1 for Miss Maria and Akmaral. Fair to say both girls were conspiring against Miss Maria.

The Saint Loup team

As part of our Wednesday International Dinner event, tonight we were delighted by our Chefs with Japanese food. Our girls enjoyed some sushi, teriyaki chicken, spinach dumplings, rice, and a mix of vegetables.

Kindest regards,

The Saint Loup team.

As part of our plan to promote French at home, we’ve put around the kitchen little stickers with the names of the different elements we can find in our kitchen, such as the fridge, the glasses, plates, or the dishwasher.

We will also try to use French as a language of communication with the girls in the house once a week (Google is welcome in our conversations).

À bientôt !!

The Saint Loup team

Today we talked about Pillar 1 of the Well-being Project and Etoile who is our representative for Saint Loup presented us with all the wonderful options for better sleep!

Each girl chose one of the tips below so this week we aim for a good night`s rest, and a positive morning mood!

What will you try out before bed?

The Saint Loup team ❤

And voila ! The girls during their activities in Verbier with these wonderful and famous Swiss mountains 🤩

After this amazing weekend, we’re ready to tackle our week, our heads full of beautiful memories.

the Saint Loup team ❤

We just spent the weekend in the mountains and it was an amazing trip! We got to try out new activities, we learned new things about ourselves and the people around us. The weather was amazing, we went hiking in the mountains, climbed up walls, biked down the mountain slope, we did all sorts of sports including an Olympic competition on Sunday morning!

This was the best beginning of the year ever!

the Saint Loup team ❤

Thursday 7th was a bank holiday as we celebrated Jeûne Genevois in the Geneva canton. The girls made the most of the excellent weather and enjoyed our beautiful city, Versoix. Some of them preferred staying home resting, studying and preparing their luggage for the weekend because… we are going to Verbier!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and let’s talk about today. The sun has been shining brightly and intensely for a few days now in Geneva, and as we know that autumn is just around the corner, the girls don’t want to miss the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine with their friends.

In the house, we had an exciting game of Monopoly Cards, a game that if you don’t know, you’re missing out on all the excitement! On this occasion, Miss Maria was the clear winner after 7 intense games (4-3). Better luck next time, Akmaral!

The Saint Loup team

On Sunday, the girls took on other boarding houses in a competition featuring all kinds of fun games !

This weekend, the girls happily participated in very nice activities such as :

Horse riding 🏇, Cooking 🍳, Stretching 🏋️‍♀️, Tennis 🎾, and Chess 🌸.

We let you take a look at these lovely young ladies having fun ! (Without forgetting to focus on their studies 😉)

With our best wishes,

The Saint Loup Team.

Last Friday we wanted to celebrate the first Friday of all of the girls being back in the house. We wanted to celebrate this little exciting moment with some pizzas and board games.

Is there any better plan than making our own pizzas while the girls share their stories?

In addition, on Saturday we welcome to the Saint Loup 9 house Akmaral. We hope you feel at home with us❤️

Kindest regards,

Saint Loup 9 team

All the girls at Saint Loup are now here and we just had the loveliest Sunday evening together! We got to know each other a bit better and share a laugh, future plans and all the wonderful things we are doing at school in September!

Here we are just before the first full week of school! We are ready to have the best Monday!

St Loup 4 girls & Anastasia

The first day of school is never easy, but today a new chapter starts in the lives of our girls.

It’s the last first day of High School for Bruna, who will be graduating next June. We know she will be ready for any path she chooses. We can’t wait to accompany her on this last run.

Today, was also the first day of school with us for Meli, Fields, Kseniia, Sofiya, and Haruka. The girls had a lovely breakfast together and got ready for the day with amazing energy in the morning.

Saint-Loup 9 girls

We wish you all the best in this new adventure and can’t wait to be with you all along.

With our best wishes,

The Saint Loup Team.

The summer holidays are coming to an end and in the Saint-Loup teams we are preparing the house for our girls’ arrival. We can’t wait to meet everyone and have an amazing year.

This year, Saint-Loup 4 is welcoming, Saint-Loup 9 into the neighbourhood. Both houses will be using this blog to share wonderful pictures and experiences of the girls. We can’t wait for our girls to meet and share moments together.

Welcome everyone to the 2023-2024 school year 🎉