Ecolint - Newsletter.indd - Ecolint Alumni Office

1
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
ALUMNI
In last year’s annual DirectorGeneral’s report I wrote that the year
2003-2004 had been one in which
the school community had reflected
on what it felt were its distinctive
characteristics and where it wanted to
go in the future. It was a year in which
we looked again at the Foundation’s
vision, explored issues of governance
and communication and developed a
strategic plan to guide our work over
the next few years. The present school
year, by contrast, is proving a year of
action in which we begin to put in
place the measures on which we have
agreed.
At the centre of this year’s action
is the creation of our new campus at
Grand-Saconnex: the Campus des
Nations. What prompted, some years
ago now, the decision to construct a
new campus was the growing difficulty
experienced by members of the
international and local community
in finding places for their children
within the school. One of the main
effects of the new campus should be to
reduce pressures on places elsewhere
in the Foundation and make it easier
in particular for us to find places for
whole families when they first arrive in
Geneva. Although competition for our
places is less severe now than it was a
few years ago, and will improve further
with the opening of the new campus,
there is still a widespread view that
it is impossible to get one’s children
into the International School. We will
be combating this view over the next
few months with a media campaign
designed to remind people that, after
eighty years of service to the Geneva
community, we still exist, that we have
places, and that we are about to open
a splendid new campus.
La construction du Grand- Saconnex
a maintenant atteint un stade avancé,
dans les délais prévus pour son
ouverture en septembre 2005, et
toujours en parfaite conformité avec le
budget annoncé. J’ai mis mon casque
de chantier l’autre jour pour faire
un tour complet du bâtiment. C’est
une construction impressionnante:
lumineuse, claire, spacieuse, où il est
LA GRANDE BOISSIÈRE • LA CHÂTAIGNERAIE • PREGNY-RIGOT • MIES
ECOLINT EXPANDS ....
CAMPUS DES NATIONS
photo : Sue Anthony
SPRING 2005
NEWSLETTER
Campus des Nations – March 2005
Nouvelles du Directeur général
aisé de se déplacer et de se réunir. Ce
sera un cadre stimulant pour les futurs
élèves qui y seront instruits. Les étages
supérieurs offrent des points de
vue magnifiques: au nord, sur le bel
arboretum de l’Ambassade du Brésil
et au sud, surtout si l’on parvient à
faire abstraction (je sais que ce n’est
pas facile) du bâtiment du BIT à
gauche, sur le Jet d’Eau, les Voirons et
le Mont-Blanc.
Le nouveau campus inclura le
nouveau site de Saconnex et Pregny.
Ce dernier accueillera les enfants de
3 à 7 ans (jusqu’au terme de la classe
de seconde) et Saconnex, les enfants
Dates des Kermesses
Mark your Calendars
La Grande Boissière :
28 mai 2005
10-12 June 2005: La Châtaigneraie
Special Alumni Reunion
(see page 4)
Pregny-Rigot :
4 juin 2005
La Châtaigneraie :
11 juin 2005
cont’d on page 2
27 – 31 July 2006: Colorado Reunion
The members of the Rocky Mountain
Ecolint Alumni Chapter are pleased
to announce that the 2006 Reunion
will be held in the Colorado
Rockies at Copper Mountain Resort,
Colorado, USA – See you there !!
(see page 5)
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
2
de 8 ans et plus. La première année,
le site de Saconnex recevra des élèves
jusqu’à l’âge de 16 ans (classe de 11e),
que viendront rejoindre les deux
années terminales, successivement en
septembre 2006 et en septembre 2007.
Pregny subira des transformations au
cours de l’été pour offrir des lieux
mieux adaptés à des enfants en bas
âge. Au bout du compte, ce sont 960
élèves au total qui fréquenteront le
campus.
At the same time as the new campus
opens both Rigot and Mies will close.
Both schools have contributed
massively to the education provided
by the Foundation. Many alumni will
have begun their schooling at Rigot
and will have fond memories of it.
Mies is of course a much more recent
addition, but has been a huge success
and, in its short history, will also have
left behind many lasting memories.
We hope to mark the closing of both
schools with ceremonies at the end of
the school year.
One of the major issues facing us
in the new campus has been what
educational programmes it should
adopt. Given the diversity of practice
within the existing schools of the
Foundation we obviously had a choice.
The decision has been to adopt the
programmes of the International
Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO)
throughout. We will therefore be
following its Primary Years Progamme
(PYP), Middle Years Programme
(MYP) and, once the top two years have
been added, the IB Diploma. This is
highly appropriate, I think, in a school
that helped set up the IB Diploma
and the IBO, and in a new campus
that has as its immediate neighbour
the international headquarters of the
IBO. The programmes offered at the
school will be primarily anglophone,
as that is where the greatest demand
exists.
Pour perpétuer les traditions
de bilinguisme de la Fondation,
le français fera l’objet d’un
enseignement plus poussé qu’une
simple langue étrangère. Tous les
efforts seront déployés pour que les
élèves maîtrisent la langue française
à l’heure de quitter l’école. Nous
offrirons en plus à tous les élèves de
l’école secondaire la possibilité de
suivre certaines matières en français si
leurs parents le souhaitent.
The new campus has a small team
already in place planning every aspect
of its functioning, headed by the new
campus principal Mrs Lesley Stagg.
Staff and students are being recruited,
resources are being ordered, and a
myriad of decisions being made about
the timetable and the daily life of
the school. The new campus will be
different in some respects from any
other existing part of the Foundation.
Its creation, we hope, will make
for livelier debates and exchanges
across the whole Foundation. It will
be established very firmly, however,
within the Ecolint tradition and carry
forward all the values and emphases
that, over eighty years, have made our
school the very distinctive place that
it has become. I very much hope that
some of you may be able to visit it once
it is open and hard hats are no longer
de rigueur.
Meanwhile we continue to be active
on a whole variety of fronts on our
existing campuses, not least with plans
for a number of major improvement
projects. But that will have to be the
subject of another newsletter.
I wish you all the very best for the
remainder of 2005.
Elections au Conseil de
Fondation – 2005
Elections to the
Governing Board – 2005
Les membres souhaitant voter par
la poste pour les élections 2005 du
Conseil de Fondation doivent remplir
et renvoyer le formulaire d’inscription
au Bureau des Anciens. Le matériel
de vote vous sera envoyé afin que vous
puissiez le remplir.
L’Assemblée générale consultative
du Conseil de Fondation aura lieu
le mardi 24 mai 2005 à 20h00 à La
Châtaigneraie, Nouveau Bâtiment, 1er
étage (Salle Polyvalente 1), chemin de
la Ferme, 1297 Founex.
Members wishing to vote by post in
the 2005 Elections to the Governing
Board should complete and return
the registration form to the Alumni
Office.
The voting documention will
then be forwarded to you for your
completion.
The Governing Board Consultative
General Assembly will be held on
Tuesday, 24 May 2005 at 20h00 at La
Châtaigneraie, New Building, 1st floor
(Salle Polyvalente 1), chemin de la
Ferme, 1297 Founex.
Venez nombreux nous
rejoindre !
Assemblée générale de
l’Association des Anciens
Nicholas Tate
Director-General
La prochaine Assemblée générale de
l’Association des Anciens de l’Ecole
Internationale de Genève aura lieu
à La Grande Boissière le samedi 28
mai 2005 – jour de la Kermesse – à 11
heures, dans l’ancienne bibliothèque
devenue l’actuel Salon des Professeurs
dans l’Orangerie.
A l’issue de cette réunion, vous êtes
tous attendus au stand des Anciens
pour le traditionnel ‘verre de l’amitié’
offert par le Comité central.
3
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
President’s message
DC. The traditional “B.E.E.R” reunion
was held at the Pickwick Pub here in
Geneva just before Christmas with a
good showing of alumni from both La
Grande Boissière and La Châtaigneraie
campuses. There are also a number of
upcoming events, including:
The La Châtaigneraie reunion will
be held on Friday, 10 June, Saturday,
11 June and perhaps Sunday, 12
June. Please see page 4 for more
information and the website is www.lachat.ch.
I
t’s just over three months since I
sat down to write my article for the
November Newsletter and I have
been asking myself what has changed
since then. For the Association, this is
a period of necessary reorganisation.
Having negotiated a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Foundation
(the governing body that runs the
three school campuses) we are
now starting to put it into practice.
Needless to say there are many
details that need ironing out but
with goodwill on both sides we are
making excellent progress. Working
closely with the Development Office
we have started the onerous task of
cleaning and integrating our various
databases. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank Sue Anthony
who has been hard at work on what
is a very unglamorous but absolutely
essential project, since an accurate
database is the cornerstone of
virtually all our activities. Fortunately
the Development Office has recently
appointed Christine de Loriol
(christine.deloriol@ecolint.ch)
as
communications attaché and she will
be adding to the resources of the
Alumni Office, focusing in the first
instance on the database and then on
our next major project, updating the
alumni website. The result of all this
hard work will be a better more proactive service for our alumni members
throughout the world.
Despite the time & effort involved in
these administrative projects alumni
activities have continued a pace
thanks to enthusiastic alumni around
the world. Successful Escalade dinners
were held in Denver, Geneva, London,
New York, Sydney, and Washington
The LGB class of ’72 are holding
an
informal
get-together
in
Southampton, UK, this summer
on the weekend of July 9-10. The
proposed venue is Chilworth Manor
(contact Ratko Djukanovic for details
R. Djukanovic@soton.ac.uk)
The Rocky Mountain Ecolint Alumni
Chapter of the Alumni Association has
announced plans for a reunion next
year which will be held the weekend
of July 27-31 2006 in the Colorado
Rockies at Copper Mountain Resort.
(see page 5).
For those involved in the International School today the last three
months have presented the usual
continual challenges. The construction
of the Campus des Nations continues
according to schedule and is due
to open in September this year and
will provide much needed places for
those students who attend the Pregny
Primary School as well as catering for
the increasing numbers of students
coming to Geneva each year.
The existing campuses of La Grande
Boissière and La Châtaigneraie are not
being ignored though. The Governing
Board has approved a major capital
development programme to improve
facilities on both campuses some of
which are badly in need of updating.
Given the extent of the program, the
Foundation will need to supplement
available capital resources with a
fundraising campaign. This will be
targeted at, amongst others, those of
you who would like to help Ecolint
improve the quality of the educational
facilities offered to today’s students.
Of course the International School
is not just about bricks and mortar
but also about ideas and ideals. One
of the strange things about being
both a parent of a current student
as well as an alumnus is that, while I
am very aware of the many changes
that have taken place over the years, I
also frequently have a sense of déjà-vu
which convinces me that the Ecolint
spirit is alive and well. Just before
Christmas my daughter represented
Nicaragua at The Students League of
Nations (many of you will remember
this as the S.U.N), and talking with
her about the experience it was clear
that students still struggle to leave
their own ideals behind and adopt
the rather more pragmatic positions
of the countries they represent, and
while the SLN now involves more
schools it remains much the same
institution as it was when Bob Leach
founded it back in 1953.
In any case change can also be
a positive thing. Class 13 have
just finished their mock IB exams
(remember those?) But while the
pre-exam nerves remain the same
the International Baccalaureate has
changed considerably. When I sat
mine in 1972 we were only the second
year to sit the full diploma and the
concern then was whether sufficient
universities would recognize the
fledgling system to make it a success.
Today the International Baccalaureate
is one of the most recognized
educational diplomas worldwide its
success a lasting testimony to the faith
that parents & teachers of the time
had in the ideals of an international
education. As an active Alumni body
we can play a part in keeping the spirit
of innovation that led to the creation
of the IB alive for future generations.
Sam Jarrell/72
Very important !!
Alumni Website
We urge you to visit our website :
www.ecolint-alumni.ch
and register with the ONLINE
DIRECTORY and the THREE
ALUMNI LISTSERVES
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
4
Reunion at La Châtaigneraie
10 - 12 June 2005
Dates for your diary ....
Dear Global Alumni and friends,
We are getting another Alumni
reunion off the road at the LA
CHATAIGNERAIE campus!!!
The
80’s Alumni have got back together
with some vital input from La Chât.
staff.
Cheers Phil Hill/82, Ian
Cogswell-Prince/81 for the students
and Béatrice Hoesli, Gus Ritson, Liz
Whitehead and Michel Chinal for the
Staff (and students of course). The
concept is a very relaxed get together
over the 2 day period, but orientated
around the Kermesse.
Friday 10th June:
Given the welcome and the ample
food last summer, we are returning to
the Relais de Chavannes for dinner,
the village being just up the road from
the campus.
Saturday 11th June:
Kermesse on campus starting 11h00
with the traditional food stalls, kiddy
entertainment, dance shows and
plenty to entertain all age groups.
The Kermesse will officially be over at
16h00 - but starting at approx. 14h00
and just around the corner, where
the former tennis courts were..., lies
the Alumni AREA and Alumni with
kids area. There will be a Barbecue,
drinks, live band and DJ and the time
will be ours.
We have left the Sunday open for
improvisation on a picnic, brunch or
any other indecent proposal.
If you will be or can be around La
Chât. that weekend come along and
why not bring some classmates with
you. You know, it could be worse than
a lazy June weekend staring at Lake
Geneva!
If you are able to help us join
up with other La Chât. alumni, do
e-mail this invitation on to them.
We are always looking for ‘lost’
alumni and for people to help us
coordinate different year groups : if
you are interested please contact us at
alumni@ecolint.ch .
The booking form and hotel
information will be available on the
website www.ecolint-alumni.ch.
Other than that, best wishes, be
safe wherever you are and see you in
June!!!
Leona Godfrey/84
lsfge@hotmail.com
photo: Isabelle Albrow/84
Web edition
A web edition of this ‘Newsletter’ has
been posted on the Alumni website
at :
www.ecolint-alumni.ch
Une version internet de cette
‘Newsletter’ peut être consultée sur
le site des anciens : www.ecolintalumni.ch
Phil Hill/83, Sarah Lambert/84 and Leona Godfrey/84
GENEVA ESCALADE –
for text see page 6
Genève: Luc Hamzavi, Jo Jennings and
Isabelle Gilliéron/82
Genève: Arlette d’Amico, Hélène Forneris, Monique Florimond, Les Wise,
Marie-Françoise Polliand and Nicholas Tate
5
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
Colorado Reunion
27 - 31 July 2006
Dear Ecolint Community,
The Rocky Mountain Ecolint Alumni
Chapter is pleased to announce the
site and date of the 2006 Ecolint
Reunion. It will be the weekend of
July 27-31 in the Colorado Rockies at
Copper Mountain Resort. Copper is
a small mountain resort 90 minutes
west of Denver off I-70. Through local
Ecolint contacts, we were able to get
excellent room/condo rates which
will be available from July 24 to August
6 for those interested in pairing the
reunion with a family vacation.
Included in the room /condo prices
are free parking, spa, pool, and workout room. Copper offers a multitude
of activities; hiking, horse-back riding,
white water rafting, golf, tennis, and
shopping. A free shuttle is available to
towns in Summit County most notably
the historic town of Breckenridge
perfect for an afternoon of quaint
shops and restaurants and the factory
outlet at Silverthorn, an excellent
bargain for those powerful Euros.
We encourage Ecolinters around
the world to mark their calendars and
make plans for a memorable reunion
with old friends in the Colorado
Rockies. For those interested in a
virtual tour of Copper please go to:
www.coppercolorado.com. If you
know of Ecolinters not online or who
do not read their emails, please share
this information with them.
Warmest regards to all,
Pennie Aldrich/65
Rocky Mountain Ecolint Chapter
Room & Condo Rates
available at Copper
Mountain Resort
Hotel Rooms:
Bronze
92.00
Silver
98.00
Gold
106.00
1 Bedroom Condos:
Bronze
105.00
Silver
122.00
Gold
130.00
2 Bedroom Condos:
Bronze
150.00
Silver
191.00
Gold
220.00
3 Bedroom Condos:
Bronze
252.00
Silver
269.00
Gold
289.00
Beds in all hotel rooms and condo
bedrooms come in a variety of sizes;
king-size, 2 queen-size, 2 doublesize, and 2 twin-size. Reservations for
specific sizes are based on availability.
All condos have full kitchens and living
rooms with queen-size sleeper sofas.
Rates are based, per night, on room
or condo size NOT OCCUPANCY.
Those of us who would like to double,
triple, or quadruple up to save money,
have that option. Reservations can
be made by contacting Copper
Mountain via the website given above
and identifying yourself with the
International School.
REUNION FEES
Registration
$40.00
Events Fee (Friday Evening Reception
& Saturday Dinner Dance)
$90.00
Registration instructions will be
available at a later date.
U.S. Midwest States
Alumni Group
The Alumni Association, together with
Sergio Mazza, is trying to encourage
the formation of a US Midwest states
regional alumni group. The intent is
to organize occasional alumni events
such as the Escalade dinners that have
been such a great success in cities
around the world, and possibly a
local “kermesse” or a regional alumni
reunion.
“There are times when it would
be wonderful to reconnect with old
friends or simply others that have
shared the Ecolint experience and still
share the spirit, without the need to
physically travel back to Switzerland.
I attended Escalade dinners in
California and New York and would
love to see the tradition take hold in
Detroit.” – Sergio Mazza /76 LGB.
All Ecolint Alumni in the states of
Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana
interested in participating in future
local events please contact Sergio at
sergiomazza@comcast.net.
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
6
Around the World with the Escalade
December 2004
Denver
Geneva
London: Breaking the marmite: Felicity
Clemens, Michaelene Stack, Sundiatu
Dixon-Fyle and Roger Murray.
Photos de l’Escalade à Genève
page 4
London: l. to r.: Agnes de Guzman
and husband Antonio Borges, Joanna
Clemens, Nicolas Bonard, Robin Dormer,
Nick Hembrow.
London: Agnes de Guzman and husband
Antonio Borges, Joanna and Felicity
Clemens.
Former and present administration
and teaching staff joined the alumni
for the traditional Alumni Escalade
dinner held on 8 December in the
cafeteria at La Grande Boissière.
We were about 90 present and it was
as usual an opportunity for the Alumni
to thank those teachers who retired in
2004 after many years service. Sam
Jarrell presided over the festivities, Dr.
Nicholas Tate graciously presented the
honorary diplomas, and Luc Hamzavi
took us through the stirring events of
1602 in masterly style. Thanks as ever
to Jo Jennings for leading us in the
Escalade victory songs.
Richard Vyvyan/01
Les anciens et actuels membres de
l’administration et les professeurs
nous ont rejoint pour le traditionnel
dîner de l’Escalade qui s’est déroulé à
la cafétéria de La Grande Boissière.
Avec près de 90 participants, ce
dîner était à nouveau l’occasion
pour les anciens de remercier les
professeurs qui ont pris leur retraite
en 2004 après de nombreuses années
d’enseignement. Sam Jarrell a présidé
les festivités, Dr. Nicholas Tate a remis
les diplômes honorifiques et Luc
Hamzavi nous emmena magistralement dans les événements passionnants de 1602. Encore un grand merci
à Jo Jennings de nous avoir guidés
dans les chansons victorieuses de
l’Escalade.
Photos : Nick Hembrow/81
The annual Denver Escalade was
held once again at the clubhouse of
Bruce Barta’s /73 in-laws. The group
was treated to a combination cheese
- meat fondue dinner.
The highlight of the evening was
as usual the singing of Escalade
songs, and the breaking of our
Geneva marmite. Breakers this year
were Sonny Massey, mother of Judy
Ackerman/70, Lori Ackerman/73
and Marloes Miller/95. In addition to
our regular gathering we also had an
out of state guest from Washington,
Judy Howenstine/65. Judy enjoyed
the evening so much she vowed to
check out the Seattle group next
Escalade.
A very festive evening was had by
all and we look forward to next year’s
Escalade.
Pennie Aldrich/65
London
The recently-formed UK alumni
chapter organised an extremely
enjoyable Escalade dinner at the St
Moritz restaurant in London’s Soho
district on Wednesday, 8 December.
It had been quite a few years since
any such event had been held in the
UK and all who took part were agreed
that it should become a regular event
in future.
Chapter members Agnes de
Guzman/90 and Nicolas Bonard/89
ably organised the dinner, attended
by some 15 UK-based alumni and
their partners. It was especially nice
that the participants were more
recent Ecolint graduates, along with
a few older stagers! The UK chapter
was also delighted that Ecolint’s new
development director, Michaelene
Stack, was able to come from Geneva
especially to take part. This gave her
a first opportunity to meet a group of
alumni in a social setting and judging
by the animated conversation that
marked her part of the table they
enjoyed the chance of meeting her so
soon after she had taken on the job
formerly held by Scott Lane.
The other participants included
Roger Murray/67, Robin Dormer/
68, Nick Hembrow/81 plus wife
Penny, Helen Storckmeijer/89 and
her partner, Sundiatu Dixon-Fyle/86,
Fabrice Bourelly/90, Laura Anson/
90 plus partner Jay, Agnes’ husband
Antonio Borges, Joanna Clemens/90
and her younger sister Felicity/92.
The St Moritz is the only Swiss
restaurant in central London and
therefore the ideal venue for such
an event – Swiss cheese fondue was,
unsurprisingly, the menu choice for
most, although Bratwurst sausages
and rösti was another popular choice.
The large Marmite sent over by the
Alumni Office – many were pleased
Sue had chosen dark rather than milk
chocolate – was broken in traditional
manner by the oldest and youngest
at the table, respectively Roger and
Felicity. The chocolate and marzipan
vegetables all disappeared in about
5 minutes – most had chosen not to
take a dessert to leave enough room!
Roger Murray/67
7
New York
Sydney
Washington DC
Sydney Alumni celebrated Escalade
at the University and Schools Club
- where I think we are regarded as
the most exotic of the members on December 10, 2004. Those who
braved the weather - Marcus Sherwood
arrived by motorbike, dripping wet
- (“It was a dark and stormy night...”)
and savoured the marzipan provided
by the Alumni Association included:
Alex Buzo/62, Janet Dawson/74,
Robert Horninge/74, Fiona Manning/
83, Susan Norbom/80, Ariella Ryner/
92, Christine Sherwood/80, Marcus
Sherwood/79 and Ann Tothill/79.
Alex Buzo/62
The 2004 Washington DC Escalade
Reunion for the International School
of Geneva took place on December 11
2004 at “The Melting Pot” - the one
restaurant in the region that serves
fondue. The Alumni Association
kindly went to great lengths to send
us an authentic commemorative
chocolate ‘Marmite’.
Attendees – some accompanied by
guests, spouses or children were:
Franz Oppenheimer/37 LGB, Patty
Moran Steelman/63 LGB, David
Williams/68 LGB, Shanta Devarajan/
71 LGB, Yukiko Omura/73 LGB,
Jeff Berkin/74 LGB, Alexander
Smouha/84 LGB, Jacien Carr/85 LGB,
Tom Taylor/86 LGB, Nathalie
Albrow-Kavalier/91 La Chât, Vanessa
Camilleri/91 LGB and Erin Emerson/
97 La Chât.
Alexander Smouha/84
Washington DC:
Photos : Rock Brynner/63
Ecolint NE Alumni held its Escalade
bash on December 13, 2004 in New
York City at our favorite wine-cellarlike location, the back room of
French restaurant, Tout Va Bien. The
event was extremely well attended
by a combination of regulars and
new members, some of whom have
just moved here. It was a great,
fun-filled evening to catch up on
news, make new acquaintances and
celebrate the 402nd anniversary
of Escalade! The marmite, kindly
supplied by the Alumni Association
in Geneva, was smashed per tradition.
Peggy Troupin/60
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
New York: l. to r. facing us: Jane Sharp, Steve Tobias, Peggy Troupin, Madeleine
Howenstine l. to r. back to us: Robert Hobbs (husband of Jean Crutchfield), Judy Thomas,
Ellen Schwartz
Photos : Alexander Smouha/84
New York: l. to r. facing us: Madeleine Howenstine, Hélène Potter, Liz Frank, Charles
Potter l. to r. backs to us: Judy Thomas, Ellen Sherman Schwartz, Jerry Schwartz, Riva
Freifeld, Jean Crutchfield (Jerry and Riva face us in the mirror)
New York: l.: Karl Cerni, Amir Mehdiza (hidden by Karl) r.: Lorena Cerni, ….,
Jens Krummel
Our thanks to the Organizers of these
Escalade dinners......
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
8
Campus News – La Châtaigneraie
Photo : Sabah Al-Basri Salman
l’école une étude de déclassement est
en cours.
La réunion des anciens, prévue au
moment de la Kermesse le week-end
du 11 juin, sera, je l’espère l’occasion
de renouer des liens. C’est avec plaisir
que je me joindrai à vous la soirée du
11 juin.
Je vous invite donc à vous contacter
mutuellement et je vous encourage
à faire le déplacement. Le comité
vous conseillera sur les possibilités de
logement.
Michel Chinal
Directeur du Campus
From the 2005 ‘La
Châtaigneraie’ Governing
Board Report :
Secondary School at La
Châtaigneraie :
‘This year has seen another step in
our gradual move towards increasing
the level of bilingualism in the school.
The Bilingual Maturité was offered
for the first time this year and much
preparation has been done to be ready
to teach the Humanities subjects in
English. Exam results have been very
good this year.’
Vie de l’Ecole
‘Les compétitions sportives, grâce
à l’apport d’un budget spécial et
Photo : Sue Anthony
La Fondation de l’Ecole Internationale
de Genève fête son 80e anniversaire.
La Châtaigneraie a rejoint l’Ecole
Internationale en 1971 soit 34 ans
de vie commune. Fondée en 1908 la
Châtaigneraie a connu une histoire
plus mouvementée et bien qu’il y
ait encore des visites d’anciens de la
période pré-écolint, il est difficile de
pouvoir constituer une association des
anciens de la Châtaigneraie depuis
sa création. Nous avons d’ailleurs
actuellement très peu d’archives sur
la période de 1908 à 1971.
Une histoire de cette période serait
intéressante à écrire. C’est la raison
pour laquelle je fais un appel à toute
personne en possession de documents
sur cette période. Je tiens à remercier
Mme Meyhoffer pour les photos quelle
m’a communiquées. Ainsi que M.
Sheppard (USA) pour les documents
remis lors de son passage.
Les anciens de la Châtaigneraie
ont parfois de la peine à trouver leur
place dans la structure actuelle de
l’Association des Anciens.
Un groupe s’est récemment
constitué pour relancer, redynamiser
l’association. L’objectif n’est pas de
faire une sécession, mais de constituer
une fédération des anciens. Avec
Internet il est plus facile de reconstituer
un réseau il faudrait que 2 anciens
par décade s’attellent à la tâche. Un
site indépendant à été ouvert par un
ancien Ian Cogswell-Prince. D’autre
part, je vous invite à consulter le site
www.ecolint.ch de l’école qui vous
donne régulièrement des nouvelles.
Le campus est en pleine mutation.
L’annexe de Mies qui avait été ouverte
en 1999 va fermer à la fin de cette année
scolaire avec l’ouverture du nouveau
Campus des Nations au GrandSaconnex. Je vous communique cidessous des extraits du rapport annuel
établi pour le Conseil de Fondation.
Parmi les grandes innovations, il faut
rappeler l’adoption du programme
primaire de l’office du Baccalauréat
International pour les écoles primaires,
l’introduction de la Maturité suisse
bilingue, la construction d’un terrain
de football artificiel et l’organisation
d’un concours d’architectes pour
la construction d’une nouvelle salle
de sport. La rénovation de l’ancien
bâtiment suit son cours et suite à l’achat
d’un terrain de 17.000m2 en face de
d’une nouvelle coordinatrice sont en
plein essor. Nos élèves participent aux
rencontres internationales (ISST),
nationales (SGIS, ADISR) ou locales.
Nous participons essentiellement
pour le football, le basket, le crosscountry, le rugby, le minihockey et le
badminton, le ski et le tennis.’
‘La récente Ligue des Nations des
Etudiants (LNE, SLN) a réuni 15
écoles dans la grande salle de l’ONU à
Genève. Les débats ont été focalisés sur
les problèmes sensibles du moment :
gestion mondiale de l’eau potable, le
rôle du Conseil de sécurité dans les
crises internationales, les relations
israélo-palestiniennes, la lutte contre
le terrorisme, la légalisation de
l’euthanasie.’
Terrain de football synthétique à La Chât.
9
Pour la première fois dans l’histoire
de La Châtaigneraie des élèves de
la section francophone ont exposé
leurs travaux artistiques de diplôme.
En effet, en septembre 2004, trois
étudiants de la première volée de
la nouvelle Maturité Suisse : Fiona
MacFarquar, Mélanie Borès et Kai
Pham, trois anciens à présent, ont
passé avec grand succès leurs examens
finaux en option spécifique Arts
Visuels, un programme qui ressemble
beaucoup à celui des Arts du BI. Ils ont
exposé leurs travaux dans la poterie,
métamorphosée pour l’occasion
en galerie et la soirée fut un grand
succès, les anciens étudiants ayant pu
expliquer avec brio leur cheminement
artistique à leurs anciens professeurs,
leur famille et leurs amis.
Le département des Arts Visuels
de La Châtaigneraie a bien grandi
depuis son séjour dans la sympathique
petite maison à côté des courts
de tennis, il occupe à présent une
grande partie du rez-de-chaussée
du vieux bâtiment ; la cafétéria, la
cuisine et les anciens frigos, certains
bureaux ayant été réaménagés en
ateliers, sans pour autant perdre leur
architecture si particulière, les formes
des fenêtres, de certaines portes
ayant été respectées et une ancienne
fenêtre « œil de bœuf » ayant été
redécouverte et mise en évidence.
Chaque année le département
organise
quelques
expositions,
celle des étudiants BI en mars-avril,
maintenant les diplômés Maturité
Suisse en octobre, et, selon les envies
et les idées, de petites expositions
thématiques comme cette année
les travaux inspirés par l’Afrique,
pendant la semaine africaine et les
autoportraits après les vacances de
Pâques. Les travaux IGCSE sont mis
en évidence chaque année dans le hall
d’entrée du Centre MultiMédia.
Aimeriez-vous être tenu au courant
de ces manifestations ? N’hésitez
pas à nous contacter et nous vous
ajouterons avec plaisir à notre liste :
beatrice.hoesli@ecolint.ch
Béatrice Hoesli
Message from the
Executive Committee of
the Student Council (La
Chât.)
Le comité Exécutif du Conseil des
Elèves se compose des présidents
du Conseil des Elèves – Ashley
Oldacre, Dylan Boynton et Mylene
Maillard, le secrétaire, Evan
Boggs, et du Trésorier, Sridhar
Tamminayana.
Already we find ourselves in March,
with less than half the school year
remaining, and it feels like we’ve only
just gotten started. Elected last June,
it seems we have worked tirelessly to
uphold the legacy of our predecessors
and improve on that which we deemed
lacking in past administrations. Our
main goals for the year are that of
bettering the everyday life of the
students we serve and improving the
system of the Student Council itself.
By this summer we hope to have
created something worthwhile to pass
onto the next generation of the La
Châtaigneraie Student Council.
Yet less than eight months ago
we found ourselves sitting around a
table discussing just what it was we
hoped to achieve during our term
of office. Each year the Executive
Committee goes through an initial
period of tentative plans and projects
as they work to assemble a group of
committed, intelligent Committee
Heads and construct a preliminary list
of events, projects and overall goals.
This period occupied a major part
of June and September as we quickly
learned that organizing Council-wide
meetings and small-scale projects
proved more difficult than initially
expected. Our first test as an effective
student organization truly came
in early November with the Junior
Halloween Dance. Hiccups were
minor, and overall we now consider
the night to be a success.
We were now into our stride, with
a pair of fundraising events following
hot on the heels of the dance and
accompanied by the newly invented
Activities Week – seven days worth of
hilarious costumes and exceptionally
unusual hairstyles. A pair of dances
– one held at school and the other in
an upscale Genevoise hotel – and the
annual sale of roses on St. Valentine’s
Day brought us into late February, as
major planning for the Bal des Neiges
got underway. The yearly Fashion
Show is also fast approaching, and
yet few of our fellow Student Council
officers seem overtly anxious. The
workings of the Council have become
‘business as usual’ as we move into
spring, and we hope for this steady
stream of events and improvements to
continue well into the summer.
At this point our greatest success
has been the fact that students
now view the Council as an active,
informative body rather than a ragtag
band of students pulling together
every once in a while to get a dance
planned. I would say that our being
considered a positive force within the
La Châtaigneraie community is proof
that we’re doing our job right.
Photo : Philippe-André Kzink
Nouvelles du Département
des Arts Visuels de La
Châtaigneraie
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
Département des Arts Visuels (La Chât.): Exposition B.I.
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
10
Campus News
La Grande Boissière
Jean-Guy Carpentier
Campus Principal
LGB Gates
Physical Education Department
Sports Field
Many of you will remember the
mud-baths and wet feet suffered due
to the poor drainage of the Sports
Field. Well, we have been working
hard to find funding to remedy the
drainage problem and re-configure
the whole Sports Field. Thanks to
a very generous donation of CHF
500’000, we can now go ahead with
this project. The final proposal was
brought before the CDG for review on
February 23. All components of the
project received strong support. It is
hoped that the work may take place
over the summer 2005. The target is
that the facilities will be available for
the students at the beginning of the
school year 2005-2006.
Voici l’équipe senior de foot de LGB, qui a participé et gagné le tournoi indoor soccer de la
SGIS (Swiss Group of International Schools) le 21 Novembre 2004. Elle est accompagnée
par son entraîneur, M. Boudehane .
Re-naming
the Reception/
Guidance building
Following wide consultation, several
names were put forward to the CDG
for their views concerning renaming
the
old
Guidance/Reception
building. With a strong consensus
Photo : Alfonso Fojo
At LGB we had an unfortunate start
to the second term. The magnificent
XVIIIthC entrance gates were
badly damaged by a truck driver
who misjudged the height of his
truck. The wrought-iron gate, crosspiece, stone pillar and urn suffered
the consequences of this error of
judgement. It is the first time that
the gates have suffered such damage.
However this is not the first time
that they have been dismounted.
In 1965 the gates and pillars were
taken down to allow a better flow of
traffic. Fortunately a preservation
order ensured that they would not
be destroyed. In 1978 the gates were
reinstated (in a different location)
thanks to the perseverance of Madame
Vicky Stereva, an alumna who also
persuaded the authorities to restore
the elegant edifice.
Considerable
restoration work will have to be carried
out to bring the gates and pillars back
to their original splendour. We are
liaising with the state to see that this is
done as quickly as possible.
the CDG considered that this building
should keep its original name, which
was unfortunately lost somewhere in
the history of our school. It was felt
that since the Foundation Strategic
Plan calls for greater sharing of
our school history with the school
community, it would be appropriate
to keep this historical element. From
now on, we will refer to this building
as “La Ferme”.
Photos : Pablo Lopez
Dear LGB Alumni,
Le football féminin est une activité très importante à LGB. Ici on peut voir l’équipe de
football senior qui, après avoir gagné le tournoi scolaire à Genève, a participé à la finale de
la Coupe Suisse à Berne. L’équipe est accompagnée par Sue Kline, la responsable du succès
du football féminin à l’école.
11
What’s going on in the
Theatre Arts Department :
Photo : Edmundo Timm
Main School production (English) :
Musical ‘Blood Brothers’ – all years.
LGB Theatre : 27-30 April – 19h30
Fashion Show – all years – LGB Theatre
26-28 May – 19h30 and 31 May – year 12,
IB Theatre Arts evening performance
– year 12 – LGB Theatre 2 –3 June, 19h30
Marshall Sapherson
Head Theatre Arts
Vernissage :
Class 13 IB Visual Arts
Photos : Alfonso Fojo
An excellent evening was spent with the
Class 13 IB Visual Arts students, and
Stephen Preece, on 23 March in the Visual
Arts department. This was a celebration
of the termination of three days of
examinations. The students presented
their Research Workbooks, Studio Work
and explained their work to a large group
of visitors. Thank you, Class 13 students.
LGB Boarding Students of
the 60’s :
We found this photograph of the
Boarders in the mid 60’s period. There
are many we can identify, but if you
recognize yourself or other friends, please
get in contact with us – alumni@ecolint.
ch
From your Boarding House ‘parents’ of
long ago……..
Two LGB Exchange
Programmes :
L’échange Laflèche/Ecolint
A l’initiative d’Hélène Dupuis,
professeur de français au Collège
Laflèche, à Trois- Rivières, au Québec,
nous avons organisé un échange
pédagogique et culturel entre des
élèves préparant le BI .
Dix élèves de classe 12 de français
A1 ou A2 du secondaire de La
Grande Boissière sont partis avec
deux professeurs de cette discipline,
Marie-Claire Vigneau-Ribal et Martine
Maudet vers les neiges du Québec et
les glaces du Saint-Laurent, pendant
les vacances de février 2005.
Là-bas, nous avons été reçus comme
des rois. Nous avons découvert un
système
scolaire
complètement
différent, même si l’examen final
est le même. En effet, au CEGEP,
sorte de pont entre la fin des études
secondaires et l’Université, des
étudiants, sélectionnés sur la base
d’une réussite académique pendant
leur scolarité obligatoire, préparent le
BI sur deux filières, l’une à dominante
scientifique et l’autre à dominante
littéraire. L’une des grandes surprises,
pour nos élèves, fut de constater qu’au
Collège Laflèche, tous les étudiants
étaient québécois, et qu’on pouvait
vivre sans téléphone portable greffé
dans la main. Nos étudiants logeaient
dans les familles des correspondants,
nous allions en cours le matin et nous
visitions la région l’après-midi.
Après cette semaine de découvertes,
les Québécois sont venus à Genève. Ils
furent reçus chez leurs correspondants
désormais amis et nous avons
fonctionné de la même manière,
alternant cours et visites. L’une des
grande surprises, pour les Québécois,
fut de constater que tous les étudiants
n’étaient pas suisses.
En somme, cette extraordinaire
aventure a été un grand succès, sur
tous les plans. En effet, à l’Ecole
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
Internationale, nous parlons beaucoup de nos diverses cultures, mais
finalement, nous évoluons tous dans
une sorte de « culture » commune :
celle de l’Ecolint. Avec cette
expérience, étudiants et professeurs
ont vécu un véritable échange culturel
et pédagogique. L’un des participants
m’a confié : « J’ai plus appris avec
ces 15 jours d’échange qu’en 15 ans
d’école ».
Merci à tous ceux qui, de près ou de
loin, ont rendu ce projet réalisable.
Merci à tous ceux qui croient que
la pédagogie peut aussi se vivre extra
muros ....
Marie-Claire Vigneau-Ribal
Mauritius Exchange
Programme
The exchange to Mauritius was felt to
be a good idea from many points of view
- first of all we would be establishing
ties with the first International School
on the island of Mauritius and the
International School of Geneva. Le
Bocage International School, like
ourselves, offers the IB Diploma
Programme.
In the February break a small group
of students came to Geneva and were
hosted by our LGB students. Several
activities were arranged for them
including a visit to CERN, the UN and
ICRC, a trip to Chamonix and visits
to museums in Geneva as well as a
guided tour of the Cathedral and La
Vieille Ville. They spent two days in
school experiencing different lessons
and on their final evening we all went
out for a fabulous fondue.
The return visit will take place at
Easter 2005 – and will be hosted by
families in Mauritius. We’ll let you
know how it goes …. in the next
alumni ‘Newsletter’ ….
Jane McKenzie
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
12
What’s New With You ?
Just what have you been doing since
you left the different campuses?
Have any novel and exciting things
happened in your personal and
professional life? If so, please let us
know and we will try to include your
contribution in future editions of the
Alumni ‘Newsletter’. We keep the
ball rolling with news from Pablo O.
Canziani, graduated 1977
Profile: Pablo O. Canziani
Graduation from La Grande Boissière
in 1977.
Some perspectives from the South of
South America
Good Lord! 28 years have gone by
since the Graduation Ceremony at
the Thônex Townhall (it was raining)
and the Senior Prom on one of
the wheelboats of the Compagnie
Genevoise de Navigation. That means
I am 45 and some of the more recent
members of the Alumni community
are thinking ‘Help, more dithering
from another oldtimer’. And yet…
and yet I feel great and I feel young,
as if only a few years had gone by since
my 9 years at Ecolint: Doris Rushton,
M. Thedy, Mr. Quin, Mr Dorsay,
Mme Bonhomme, Mme Rivoire, the
Unitts, the Anthonys, Mr Sharpe,
Mr Montgomery, Mr Bonnan, Mr
Phillips, Mr Thomas and so many
others. I feel young and active not just
because I am doing what I like. It is
so because I learnt about keeping an
open mind and heart, starting with
the efforts requested and expected
from us at Ecolint, and continuing
with many difficulties over the years a war between the UK and Argentina,
because people at the helm in both
countries, one a dictator, the other
an elected Prime Minister, each had
their own petty reasons which needed
an expensive and deadly circus to
remain in power rather than discuss
and negotiate the issue as requested
by the UN since the sixties, the
sacrifices of my fellow citizens and the
glorious return to democracy in 1983,
hyperinflation and unemployment
(yes, I too was unemployed for a
while), the dismantling of my country
through the blunders and corruption
of its very own politicians, together with
the connivance of some others from
abroad and institutions that ´helped´,
supporting behind the scenes corrupt
practices to their benefit while
supposedly preaching ´transparency´
and ‘globalization’(one way only
please, mind you) with a tinge of
superiority, the untimely death of my
mother… I learnt how important it is
to remain young in mind and heart
to lead my young doctoral students
and junior scientist, to transfer them
the patience and enthusiasm for the
job and the good things in their life
choice, despite our local problems
and difficulties. I know, above all, how
important it is to remain young and
enthusiastic for my wife and children.
A brief chronology… In 1985 I
finally earned my MSc. in Physics at
the University of Buenos Aires and
married beautiful Mercedes, an art
teacher, friend and spouse. Our first
son, Tomás was born in 1986, as I
started my PhD in Physics, specializing
in Geophysics, while working at the
Naval Research Service. My mother
died in 1987 after suffering multiple
schlerosis for over 10 years, and some
time later we lost a child during
pregnancy. In 1989 our first girl,
Julieta, was born and in early 1991 I
earned my PhD. By September 1992 I
was a PostDoc Fellow at the University
of Washington, Seattle, under Prof.
Jim Holton, a great scientist and an
even greater person. We stayed there
for almost 2 years, while I worked as a
member of the NASA UARS Science
Team (Upper Atmosphere Research
Satellite). There, due to the partial
failure of the satellite instrument
whose data I was going to work with,
a momentous change in my career
occurred. I began research on the
issues of ozone depletion and climate
dynamics and change. While in Seattle
my wife introduced me to camping,
which has become a family activity
ever since. Furthermore the Cascades
scenery and a trip to Yellowstone
and Grand Teton, triggered the
shutterbug in me, and photography
has been a part of me ever since. Our
last camping adventure this year was
a trip to Bariloche at the northern
end of the Patagonian Andes, almost
1800km away from Buenos Aires.
At the time we faced a difficult
choice. We could stay in the US, where
probably I would lead a good scientific
career, not necessarily brilliant but
reasonably good and well paid. Or we
could return home, avoid the pain of
being foreigners for the rest of our
lives, in particular for our children and
for the family, but have a more difficult
evolution in my career and economy.
Yet at the same time back home we
would contribute to development of
our country and recovery of its selfrespect. We opted for the second,
more difficult path: nor my wife nor
me, despite many difficulties including
a significant bout with ill-health for my
wife, regret our choice. Prof. Holton
kindly provided his support for this
enterprise and kept me as a member of
the UARS Science Team for a number
of years. Shortly after our return our
youngest daughter, Maria Paula was
born. I joined CONICET, the National
Research Council of Argentina and
slowly opened a professional path for
my work and my scientific ideas. My
research includes data analysis from
NASA, ESA and Argentine satellites,
as well as modeling in cooperation
with universities in UK, Italy, Canada,
Germany and the US. Foreign
recognition for our results came along
and I have been involved in Vienna
Convention (Ozone layer) activities,
in the last two U.N. State of the Ozone
Depletion Assessments and special
assessments for the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, as co-author
and one of the representatives of the
South American scientific community
in the field. I am a member of the
Steering Committee for one of the
World Climate Research Programme
projects (SPARC) and have actively
worked to bring scientific meetings
and expertise to the South of South
America, to help develop the scientific
capabilities in the region and to share
our own activities with the rest of the
13
world. Despite the worn out, almost
caricature-like image many people in
the First World still have about South
America, many things are happening
in the fields of science and the arts, and
the exchange of ideas and the sharing
of cultures and values is after all what
the true globalization is about.
Since last July I lead, at the Pontificia
Universidad Catolica Argentina a
new programme which includes
physicists, chemists, engineers and
meteorologists in an interdisciplinary
effort, which in the future will include
researchers from the Social Sciences
and Economy, in order to study
climate related global change issues in
an integral approach. A further goal
is to contribute to the development of
a scientific research tradition at this
university. A last and proud milestone,
my eldest son is starting to study
Architecture next month.
Since our return home I have been
active in what we call ‘extension’
activities. This means that as member
as CONICET we have to interact with
the media to inform society on our
research results. Since ozone depletion
and climate change are major
social issues down here (Chile and
Argentina share the dubious honor
of having each spring the Antartic
Ozone Hole fly over their southern
territories and populations). Thus I
won a national journalism prize back
in 1998 for a three part serial article
on the ozone issue. Occasionally
I also write opinion articles for La
Nacion, one of the major newspapers
in Spanish, referring to Science and
Technology and their role in society
and sustainable development, as well
as on environmental issues. Seeing
what we use in our research and
realizing how damning the current
trend is in the global society as well as
in its relation to the environment it is
impossible to remain quiet.
Together with camping and
photography (I always travel with my
camera), I continue with my passion
for trains. I am currently trying to start
work again, this time with my children,
on model railroading (CFF of course).
It has become terribly expensive but
then that is an added challenge to
manufacture everything yourself. As an
anti-stress activity, but as joint activity
with Mercedes as well, we have been
taking tango lessons for a while now.
To those who know me as a person
not very much in touch with bodily
activities this is probably surprising! It
is not the old Valentino style, nor the
stage version better known abroad. It
is the classic and popular Argentine
‘milonguero’ style, which is now
becoming known in far away places as
Japan, Finland or Germany. Tango is
undergoing a major rebirth here, and
it is a very pleasant way to exercise,
specially for couples. None of you can
imagine the pleasure of stretching a
crumpled backbone, to the rhythm
of Tango, embracing your wife, after
many hours in front of a computer
screen.
Bear with me through one more
important issue in recent years. During
December 2001 the level of years of
compounded political ineptitude,
together with the weight and pressure
of the questioned and questionable
foreign debt and the internal social
debt reached a dangerous level in
my country. In a surprising peaceful
civil uprising society forced many
changes, while respecting democracy,
and a new period began. Despite the
goodwill of the people, we came too
dangerously close to a civil war, but
somehow or other that was avoided. At
the time the UN Office in Argentina
and the Catholic Church launched
a special programme, known as the
Argentine Dialogue, to mediate and
promote the exchanges between the
different parts of our society and with
the politicians. Over the next year this
process evolved to the point that it is
now jointly chaired by over 40 social
organizations, including the Catholic
Church,
Jewish
organizations,
Protestant entities, Muslim communities, human rights groups,
Argentine YMCA and YWCA, etc.
Specific consultative working groups
were created to develop, through
open democratic debate and social
consensus, blueprints for State Policies
on such diverse issues as housing,
judiciary reform, health, transparency
policies for political parties, etc. These
consensus based concepts represent
the baseline which all political parties
must engage to respect. Once major
guidelines are established the working
groups interact with the government
and national Congress to reach the
implementation phase. Progress at
this stage can be painfully slow as
many old political and business habits
die hard. For the first time presidential debates, albeit non-televised,
were held in Argentina under the
sponsorship of the Dialogue. As
chair of the Science and Technology
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
working group I participated in many
of these town meetings. I must say it
has been a fascinating experience,
particularly since the debates were
co-chaired for example by a rabbi
and a sheik, a bishop and a rabbi or
a pastor and a sheik, etc, side by side,
in an example of mutual respect and
tolerance. Forcing politicians to try to
be transparent at least for a while was
interesting. The UN is studying the
evolution of this democratic tool and
is promoting its use in other countries
undergoing stress and crisis under
democratic systems. Last year the
Argentine Branch of the B’nia Brith
awarded the Argentine Dialogue
and its members their human rights
for their work in helping restore
democracy and its institutions in this
country.
The members of our working group
are active scientists, lawyers and
development economists with diverse
experience. We work with the various
science and technology models
currently operating in different
countries, in order to rebuild the
once excellent science tradition in
this country. We do not do this in
our free time for fun. We are mostly
overworked, underpaid researchers,
many of whom also teach at different
universities, doing research with
threadbare grants in order to compete
in the international arena. We do
this for the sake of a better country
and, why not, a better world, where
democracy and dialogue and real
tolerance can become a way of life,
and the respect for others a trademark
in a wide variety of activities, including
international affairs and maybe, some
day, even in the world of business.
Daydreaming? May be...and so?
After all, why not? Let’s return to the
beginning of these lines: youth is not
so much about wealth or external
revamping through surgery, miracle
creams, botox, whatever. Youth is
about the heart and about being
happy with what one is, has and does.
It is about ideals, it is about caring, it is
about love. It is about always working
to make this a better place for us and
for others. Youth is about learning
from mistakes and failure and yet not
giving up. Youth is about opening new
and better paths.
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
14
Retirements
Pregny Rigot
Ted Weldon (1974-2004)
Ted started working at the United
Nations School (now Pregny-Rigot)
in September 1974. The director
of the school at that time was Joyce
Wakenshaw. She told me that it was
unusual to have an application from
a man to teach Class 2, but as many
of the children had fathers who were
often away from home she decided
that the influence of a male teacher in
the classroom of such young children
would prove to be a real advantage.
Ted went on to teach Class 2 for more
than 20 years, so clearly Joyce was right
in thinking that employing a man to
teach young children was a good idea.
In 1997 Ted moved down to Rigot to
teach the Primary Reception class. He
was much appreciated by the parents,
who found their young children were
having a unique experience being
taught by “the man-teacher” as the
little ones called him.
There are very many happy and
amusing memories of Ted, which were
recalled, fondly, by both colleagues
and former students at the time of
his retirement last summer. Many
remembered the stories Ted used to
tell his class, mostly very “tall” stories,
but all too believable. At any rate, he
told them in such a way that his class
were never entirely sure, but they
loved the sensation of being just a
little bit scared, especially when it was
a trusted and loved teacher who was
telling the stories.
Former students spoke about
Pumpkin the rabbit, which roamed
freely around the classroom, ate any
snack that was (accidentally) dropped
on the floor and loved to join in class
activities. They also recalled with
amusement Mr. Weldon’s incredibly
loud sneezes which used to rock his
classroom and the Central Space and
which featured prominently in many
an End of Year assembly when the
Class 6 students shared their memories
of life at Pregny.
In 1976, Ted’s future wife Keeney
Ryan joined us at Pregny on a oneyear exchange. They surprised us all
by getting married in August 1978. We
were so delighted that Ted brought
Keeney into the International School
family, and as colleagues and friends
we spent many happy times with
them both, until her untimely passing
after a long and courageous struggle
against cancer in 2001. We did our
best to support Ted during her illness
and grieved with him, because she
was such a wonderfully talented and
devoted teacher and a truly loyal and
caring friend who left us much too
soon.
Ted was also a long-serving Staff
Representative, who worked tirelessly
on various committees over a number
of years to ensure that the working
conditions of the staff were respected.
We thank him for his sterling efforts
on our behalf and wish him a long and
contented retirement.
Sandra Oakley
La Châtaigneraie
Monique Florimond (1984-2004)
Depuis la rentrée 2004, les choses ne
sont plus tout à fait comme avant à
l’Ecole Primaire de la Châtaigneraie:
Monique Florimond, enseignante des
classes 6, a pris sa retraite. Monique
était une de ces personnalités
marquantes de notre communauté
scolaire et son absence se fait
fortement sentir.
Au début de sa carrière Monique
a cherché de nouvelles frontières
au Canada. Ensuite, après quelques
années à l’Ecole Active Bilingue
de Paris, elle a enseigné dans une
école internationale en Suisse. Elle
a finalement trouvé sa place à La
Châtaigneraie où elle a marqué tant
d’élèves pendant 20 ans. Nous étions
très attachés à sa forte personnalité,
une personnalité nourrie aussi par
une vaste culture et sa passion pour
l’enseignement, choses qu’elle savait
faire partager. Monique aimait être
en classe avec ses élèves, allant jusqu’à
refuser une réduction de sa charge
d’enseignante
en
compensation
de son travail de coordinatrice du
programme francophone, travail
qu’elle accomplit avec son efficacité
caractéristique.
Attachée à des convictions et
principes qu’elle savait défendre haut
et fort, son engagement constant
contribuait à animer les assemblées
et réunions où elle n’hésitait pas à
rappeler à l’ordre collègues, parents,
voire directeurs qui déviaient tant
soit peu de sa vision des choses (Gare
à celui ou celle qui ne remettait pas
l’agrafeuse à sa place !). Les réunions,
les pauses dans la salle des professeurs
ne sont malheureusement plus tout
à fait les mêmes depuis son départ
et nombreux sont tous ces petits
évènements et détails de la vie scolaire
qui ne manquent pas de régulièrement
nous rappeler l’absence d’une chère
et très respectée collègue.
Fine
gastronome
mais
aussi
défenseur passionné de la culture
francophone et de la langue française,
sa curiosité envers les autres et sa
soif de lecture des littératures du
monde étaient restées insatiables. Au
travers de ses récits de voyage, de ses
connaissances et passions, elle nous
enrichissait de ses enthousiasmes.
Pas pour elles des numéros ou
noms banals pour des locaux – nous
avons des salles qui s’appellent ‘Les
Impressionnistes’ ou encore ‘Les
Lumières’. Son dynamisme et son
rayonnement
nous
manqueront
beaucoup. Désormais elle va mettre
son énergie et ses talents au service
de ses loisirs (bien mérités). Nous
espérons toutefois qu’elle continuera
à nous faire partager ses découvertes
et sa vision des choses tout en maniant
la langue de Molière avec esprit et
habileté comme elle savait si bien le
faire.
Ann Le Diraison
Hélène Forneris (1972-2004)
32 ans de carrière dans la même
institution laissent des traces sur la
personne sans doute mais aussi sur
l’institution.
Normalienne confirmée, Hélène en
1972 se laisse tenter par l’expérience
d’un poste à l’étranger par le biais
d’un détachement de l’éducation
nationale française. Il s’agissait à
l’époque de relancer un collège que
l’Ecole Internationale de Genève
venait d’acquérir. En y faisant carrière,
Hélène a largement contribué à la
renaissance, au développement et
au succès de notre campus de la
Châtaigneraie. Je tiens à la remercier
pour ces 32 ans de collaboration.
15
Le
parcours
d’Hélène
est
exemplaire : elle a mené de front
les multiples facettes du métier
d’éducatrice. Comme professeur, elle
a enseigné le français, l’histoire et la
géographie. Elle a préparé des volées
d’élèves au Brevet des Collèges et à
l’option français B du Baccalauréat
International. Ella a introduit les
examens de français comme langue
étrangère du DELF et du DALF. La
préparation régulière des pièces de
théâtre était le prolongement naturel
de son enseignement. Maîtresse de
classe pendant toutes les années,
elle a conduit les conseils de classe
« d’une main de fer dans un gant
de velours » pour reprendre un
commentaire d’élève. Organisatrice
hors pair de la traditionnelle course
d’école annuelle, elle a fait découvrir
entre autre les volcans d’Auvergne, les
gravures rupestres du Val Camonica
et surtout Venise, sa destination
préférée. Innovatrice, Hélène a
testé les nouvelles méthodes de
grammaire et surtout elle a participé
à l’introduction de l’informatique
dans le département de français dont
elle a été la coordinatrice pendant
plusieurs années. Enfin, pendant les
7 dernières années, Hélène a partagé
son énergie entre l’enseignement et
le département de la guidance, autre
prolongement naturel de la salle de
classe vers l’université ou la vie active.
Créatrice, elle a mis en place des stages
en entreprise d’une semaine pour les
élèves de 11e.
D’un tempérament bien trempé et
maniant le verbe avec brio, Hélène
a toujours tenu sa place dans les
différentes commissions de travail
et autres comités dont notre école
est coutumière, n’hésitant pas à
manifester vertement ses désaccords.
Hélène a fait valoir ses droits à la
retraite anticipée. Les mots utilisés
par les élèves et ses collègues lors
des incontournables cérémonies
de départ ne trompent pas sur les
qualités du personnage, chacun y est
allé de sa trouvaille pour faire une fête
joyeuse d’une rupture qui n’est jamais
anodine. Nous attendons maintenant
que Hélène accepte de servir dans le
nouveau comité créé pour relancer
l’association des anciens.
Bonne retraite Hélène.
Michel Chinal
Directeur du Campus de la Châtaigneraie
Important :
Tributes to Mme Piera Bonada,
Mme Arlette d’Amico and M.
Roman Tomzack, who retired from
La Châtaigneraie in August 2004,
will be given in the next Alumni
‘Newsletter’.
La Grande Boissière
Marie-Françoise Polliand (1963/
67-2004)
Arrivée en 1963, Marie-Françoise a
été tout de suite saisie par l’esprit
d’ouverture et l’internationalisme qui
font partie des valeurs de l’Ecolint.
C’est ainsi qu’en 1964 elle partit à
l’aventure, lorsqu’elle accepta, au
nom de l’Ecolint, une mission de 9
mois à Dar-es-Salam pour créer le
département de français de l’école
internationale de cette région... elle y
est restée 4 ans.
A son retour, elle reprit ses allées
et venues entre les unités primaire et
moyenne de la Grande Boissière.
Au cours de ce long périple dans
l’enseignement, Marie-Françoise a
beaucoup apporté aux collègues qui
ont eu la chance et la joie de travailler
à ses côtés. Celles qui, comme moi,
l’ont accompagnée pendant quelques
décennies ont pu apprécier:
Sa disponibilité: toujours présente
pour prêter main forte là où c’est
nécessaire, mettre à disposition
son temps et son expérience pour
les nouveaux arrivants, ou pour les
autres.
Son professionnalisme: toujours
disposée à envisager de nouvelles
approches pédagogiques, avec sérieux
et compétence, ayant pour objectif
de susciter chez les élèves, à tous les
niveaux, l’enthousiasme, le plaisir
d’apprendre, d’utiliser et d’apprécier
la langue française.
Son enthousiasme et sa générosité
à partager avec les collègues ses
approches pédagogiques et sa
connaissance du milieu Ecolint.
Sa foi sans faille dans les valeurs
de l’Ecolint qu’elle a toujours non
seulement défendues mais vécues et
fait vivre aux nombreux élèves qui
ont eu le privilège de l’avoir comme
professeur.
Sa solidarité dans les moments
difficiles,
quand,
aux
instants
d’agacement ou de découragement
elle nous disait toujours, avec
l’optimisme qui la caractérise:
”N’oubliez pas, il y a les élèves en
premier... et puis cette école est quand
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
même formidable!”
Marie-Françoise ne prend pas de
retraite. Elle quitte l’école et les
élèves mais son horizon s’élargit vers
les sommets de Saint-Gervais qu’elle
affectionne tant. Ski, raquettes,
randonnées été comme hiver, voyages
et autres activités sauront rythmer,
à une autre cadence, des journées
riches d’expériences nouvelles.
Merci Marie-Françoise pour tout
ce que tu as donné de toi-même à
la communauté de l’Ecolint et Bon
Vent !
Gladys Doebeli Rocourt
David Ryan (1969-2004)
David Ryan “retired” in August
2004, though the school immediately
acknowledged his indispensability by
asking him to return for one final IB
class.
David came to Ecolint in 1969. In
1973, Alison Russell arrived in the
Maths department. She soon became
Mrs Ryan and, in due course, the
mother of Philip and Andrew, both
now alumni of Ecolint and Cambridge,
a fact which David tends to play down
with typical modesty.
I begin with David’s family because
that is where his life is centred. The
world is full of teachers who neglect
their families for their work and
administrators who encourage them to
do so: it is to no one’s benefit. We teach
nothing if we do not live the values that
make human life worthwhile. David,
with the quiet normality of a decent
family man embracing the tried and
tested values of civilized society,
conveys more of these than many a
preaching, politicising, awarenessraising proselyte. Indeed, that has been
the secret of his outstanding success
with students and especially with those
most prone to going off the rails. By
quietly presenting the role model
he is through his gentle, methodical
way of working, he enabled students
to feel the value of a well-regulated,
honest, unpretentious way of being,
free from threat or intrusion. Here,
students knew, was a stable family man
par excellence and so his classes became
stable families in their own right.
He never went in for “pastoral
care” or “whole child” policies – he
just got on and did them: the whole
world of aims, goals, objectives,
educational philosophy, pedagogic
theory, ologies and isms was alien to
him and he preferred not to analyse
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
or articulate the knowledge he had
built for himself over a life-time’s
authentic classroom experience. He
nevertheless (or therefore?) achieved
by his own quiet, honest, sound
practice a teaching career that many
would envy and all could learn from.
His students were the lucky ones to be
able to experience this at first hand.
Melvyn Elphee
Alan Sharpe (1965-2004)
September 1924 – Ecolint opens with
three teachers.
September 1965 – Ecolint opens
with over one hundred teachers,
including Alan Sharpe as a newly
recruited physics teacher.
September 2004 – Ecolint opens with
well over three hundred teachers, but
Alan Sharpe is 300 km away in France,
enjoying his first days of retirement!
For nearly half of its existence Alan
served the School. He lived through
many of its political and administrative
upheavals and crises but as a true
professional he never allowed these
to deflect him from his primary task
of teaching, encouraging and guiding
the young people entrusted to him.
His innovative and sometimes
unorthodox ways of presenting
Physics as an exciting and accessible
subject inspired many of his students
to continue on to brilliant careers in
science or technology, but even those
who chose other directions can look
back on his classes as “fun places to
have been”.
Whether in the Physical Science
and, later, Integrated Science courses
he developed for years seven and
eight in the pre-Middle School days
or Chemistry for classes nine and
ten or “la physique” for francophone
classes Alan’s infectious enthusiasm
communicated itself to the students.
A generation of IB students will have
experienced his talents through the
compulsory Theory of Knowledge
course. Not all will know that Alan
worked hard and long with the
IBO in trying to develop a course
which would be interesting, thought
provoking and relevant to all students,
whatever their particular specialities,
yet not overburden the hard-pressed
Diploma candidate.
From his earliest days at Ecolint,
Alan was recognised by his students
as a friend in whom they could
confide and who would champion
them as individuals or as groups. He
16
was always ready to help with student
activities, whether by chaperoning
dances, accompanying groups to the
Walabi Fun Park or sports events,
or facilitating the annual Students
Day Fairs. Alan’s talent for pastoral
care was recognised more formally
in his duties as Class Tutor and later
as Assistant Principal. Through his
wise and concerned mediation many
potential disputes between individual
students, or between students and
members of staff, were quietly and
tactfully defused and settled. His
personal integrity gives Alan an
authority respected by students and
colleagues alike.
His salary statements will dryly
record Alan as a science teacher, a
tutor, an assistant principal. To the
wider Ecolint community he was
much more than these. Who can
forget his stage appearances, or the
English Pub which Alan and his wife
Carole have run at the LGB Kermesse
for so many years? Staff will remember
his gastronomic prowess when along
with Les Wise and Mary Sorrentino,
he carved and served mouth-watering
ham and gratin in “Piggies” at the
Student Day Fairs whereas Alumni
attending the 5th World Reunion last
June will remember Alan, Isobel Wise
and Frank Lunt as the master chefs
of the Sunday morning Bar-B-Cue at
LGB.
I had the privilege of working closely
with Alan in the Physics (later Science)
Department for over thirty years. He
taught me a lot about Physics, about
people, about life in general and I
value his continued friendship.
Alan deserves a long and happy
retirement, to give him time to
indulge his passions for antique
scientific equipment and veteran cars
but it seems unlikely that Ecolint will
not be able to tempt him back into the
laboratory from time to time.
Tony Montgomery
Anne-Marie Trémeaud (1982-2004)
est partie avec sa Mini vers d’autres
horizons en juin 2004
Pour elle, pour notre Dame,
quelques mots agencés en acrostiche.
A comme Actrice de talent, à tout
moment, à chaque instant, mais aussi
un A comme Amatrice éclairée d’arts
de toutes sortes, en particulier la
musique, la peinture, la littérature.
N comme Nouvelle venue perpétuelle,
qui demande à son voisin : « Mais qui
est donc ce Monsieur ? » « C’est le DG,
Anne-Marie, depuis quelques années
déjà ! »
N
encore
comme
Narratrice
passionnante d’anecdotes amusantes
ou des mariages de ses trois enfants.
E comme Enseignante originale,
attachante et brillante, qui a aimé tant
d’élèves qui le lui rendaient bien !
M comme Magnifique dans sa
simplicité seigneuriale de femme de
qualité à l’esprit raffiné.
A comme Amie des bons et mauvais
jours, toujours fidèle et bienveillante,
compréhensive et tolérante.
R comme Rigolote et facétieuse qui
sait rendre supportable une réunion
ennuyeuse, faire disparaître un coup
de spleen et ensoleiller un matin
brumeux, à 8h sur le parking.
I comme Innocente, même devant
le pire tribunal de malfaisants et
médisants.
E comme Economie, bien sûr,
discipline difficile qu’elle a su rendre
passionnante pour 22 générations
d’élèves turbulents que pourtant
elle appelait toujours « mes petits
chéris ».
T comme Travaux à corriger,
cauchemar des profs et voleurs de
dimanches dont elle est désormais
débarrassée.
R
comme
Rageuse
devant
l’incompétence, l’injustice et la
bêtise.
E comme Ecolint qui perd avec
elle un membre emblématique,
charismatique, intelligent, fin et
cultivé.
M comme Mini noire légendaire à
l’intérieur apocalyptique garée devant
la grille et remplacée désormais par
une autre Mini verte.
E comme à l’Ecoute des autres, de ses
amis, de ses collègues, de ses élèves,
des membres du CDG où elle a siégé
quelques temps.
A comme absolument géniale et
irremplaçable dans sa singularité.
U comme Utopiste et néanmoins
réaliste qui apporte sa petite pierre
lumineuse à l’édifice du monde pour
le rendre meilleur, par exemple avec
sa chronique littéraire dans le Journal
des Français à l’Etranger.
D enfin, D comme Départ vers une
nouvelle vie que nous lui souhaitons
tous, avec ceux qu’elle aime, longue
et bienheureuse.
… Connaître Anne Marie Trémeaud
est une chance, compter parmi ses
amis, un privilège…
Marie-Claire Vigneau-Ribal
17
Les Wise (1970 – 2004)
It all began back in 1970 with a
misunderstanding. I was in London
to interview applicants for a Chemistry
teaching position – amongst them a
certain young Leslie Wise. We waited
in different areas of the chosen venue.
We waited and waited and waited.
Finally, and I am not quite sure how,
we managed to make contact.
This was our first misunderstanding.
It was also the last!
Like so many of us, Les came to
Geneva thinking it would be for
just a few years. I doubt that he ever
imagined that he would dedicate
the rest of his teaching career to
Ecolint.
Les is an accomplished
Chemist and a skilled communicator.
Generations of alumni are indebted
to Les for their achievements in
Chemistry. However he is more than
just a Chemist. His knowledge of
Geography and many other subjects
makes him a formidable opponent in
Trivial Pursuit. Indeed he might well
have studied Geography rather than
Chemistry at the University level had
not a School Careers adviser told him
that with a degree in Geography he
would be condemned to teaching!
One particular area of Chemistry
in which Les excels is the thermal
molecular structural modifications, of
triglyceride, protein and carbohydrate
materials. Yes, he is a superb cook and
so many of us have had enormous
pleasure by being on the receiving
end of his skills in this area. However
above the knowledge and expertise is
Les the human being. He has been
a caring and compassionate teacher
who has always had the welfare of his
students at heart. He also managed
to inject a great deal of humour
into his teaching. There were times
when I would hear him teaching in
the adjacent lab and it sounded to
all intents and purposes rather like
an episode from Fawlty Towers. His
students laughed and learned.
Les, yours has been a long
and
distinguished
career
at
Ecolint. Countless colleagues and
students remember you with affection
and respect. Enjoy a long, happy and
well-earned retirement. And don’t
forget to invite us round for your next
culinary creation!
Eric Anthony
Jacques Mandallaz
Le 31 décembre 2004, après avoir
travaillé 21 ans à l’imprimerie, notre
cher collègue Jacques nous a quittés
pour une retraite bien méritée. Nous
lui souhaitons beaucoup de bonheur
pour cette nouvelle étape de vie. Nous
reviendrons plus complètement sur son
passage parmi nous dans la prochaine
édition de notre ‘Newsletter’.
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
Très important !!
Site web des
Anciens
Nous vous prions instamment
de visiter notre site web:
www.ecolint-alumni.ch,
de vous inscrire en ligne à
l’ANNUAIRE DES ANCIENS et
d’adhérez aux TROIS FORUMS
Alumni News
I am aware of many alumni who have
exceptional musical talents but I
hesitate to attempt a comprehensive
list for fear of offending by omission.
However two of our former students
have caught my attention of late.
I chanced to see a TV programme
recently in which Ju-Ying Song/87
LGB was performing. She seems to be
doing very well indeed in her career. I
have read an enthusiastic review of a
performance back in 98 at her Alma
Mater Stanford, where she included
in her recital, a piano duet with a
certain Condoleezza Rice! I also read
a review in the Gramophone magazine
which said “And finally there is the
Taiwanese pianist Ju-Ying Song who in
this, her first recording, gives evidence
of extraordinary talent in the shape of
Oriental fingerwork allied with razorsharp intelligence. Maybe, sometime
in the next millenium, she will be
the one to put on disc my perfect
performance...”. We have lost contact
with Ju-Ying – so if anyone out there
has an e-mail we would appreciate it.
In November 2004, CERN for its 50th
anniversary celebrations promoted
a concert at the Victoria Hall. This
featured the celebrated Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra and equally
celebrated violinist Maxime Vengerov.
The conductor was alumnus Tommaso
Placidi/82 LGB.
Tommaso has conducted some of
the great orchestras of the world,
including a period as assistant to
André Previn with London Symphony
Orchestra. Know of others who are
making their mark?
Eric Anthony/97
Frances Leon Quintana/33
– Albuquerque, NM, USA
Jswadesh@aol.com
Frances’ son, Joel, writes: ‘The big
news for this 2004 was the publication
by Alta Mira Press of my mother’s
book ‘Ordeal of Change: The
Southern Utes and their Neighbors’.
It’s a book that is both scholarly and
easy reading. If you’d like to learn
a bit of Americana, I recommend it.
(www.altamirapress.com).
Because my mother is no longer
able to travel, we were grateful for
visits from our family. The decline in
my mother’s health has also brought a
retinue of home medical help, so we
are rarely alone. Life goes on, but at a
slower pace.’
Alexa MacKinnon Payan/38
– Morelos, Mexico
Alexa has written a book on Flora
Tristan (Gauguin’s grandmother)
which has just been published by the
Grijalbo Group in Mexico. She and
her son, Donald/66, would like to see
it published in English. Alexa is in
contact with Susie Sweetser-Clifford/
39, Cora Lee Gethman/39 and Loïs
Meyhoffer/33.
Cora Lee Gethman Gibbs/39
– Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Coraleegibbs@aol.com
‘I send my very best wishes and would
so like to be there with you at the
B.E.E.R. night. I am wondering if there
are any members present from my
“generation”. I attended the school
probably almost as long as anyone,
from 1929 to 1939 and I have many
wonderful memories of those years.
I have stopped by the school several
times over the years and my eldest son
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
spent one year there in 1967-1968, I
am now located near Newport, Rhode
Island, retired from my position as
director of the Newport Art Museum
Previously I was a curator at the
Museum of Art of the Rhode Island
School of Design while my husband
was a professor at Brown University.
He subsequently became President of
Amherst College before his untimely
death in 1983. I think back to the
influence Mme Maurette and Miss
MacKinnon had on me developing
my appreciation for art and so much
more. I would love to hear from any
“old timers” who attended La Grande
Boissière in the 1930’s.’
Stéphanie Oats Farrall/51
(class of ‘59) - Australia
Sfarrall@netspace.net.au
It was wonderful to return to Ecolint
last December, to renew friendships
and make new connections and to
join in the Escalade dinner. It’s not
easy to get to Geneva from as far away
as Tasmania, but going to see our
young family and our first grand-child
in Grenoble brought us closer and
gave us this opportunity to visit the
school.
A special part for me was meeting
with Sue Anthony and Richard Vyvyan,
to share memories and to learn
about Richard’s work in the archives,
continuing Vicki Stereva’s task of
preserving the past of the school.
Seeing photos from this collection
brought back many happy memories
from 1949-51, of being in Manguère’s
class, and of Alouette, the Roquette
family, “Mutti” Hartoch, Miss Lidster,
and singing with Monsieur Buard. But
our main focus was on my father’s (Bill
Oats’) strong links with Ecolint, first in
1938-40 as a teacher at the beginning
of the Second World War when he
was asked by Madame Maurette to
take a group of students to safety in
her home in Hendaye, SW France,
then in 1949-51 when he returned
as directeur-adjoint, to work with
Monsieur Roquette. The archives held
some treasures for me. Richard showed
us a letter my father had written to
Vicki Stereva on hearing of Madame
Maurette’s death, in 1989: “Who but
she could have had the willingness
to trust a raw young teacher with the
challenge - you take the kids down to
Hendaye, set up a school in exile and
I’ll cook for you.”
It was good to see George Walker
again, and to be reminded of another
18
link with Ecolint - through the IB
which we recently introduced at The
Friends’ School in Hobart. Catching
up with fellow Anciens, and at last
meeting Georgia Achard after being
in touch by e-mail made this a special
homecoming.
Jane Hougen Fast/59
jhfast@mchsi.com
‘I have just returned from Ecuador
(the Galapagos Islands and Quito)
and Peru (Machu Picchu, Cusco, and
Lima). Besides the amazing natural
beauty of these incredible and unique
places, I was able to spend an evening
with Hernando de Soto/59 (Ernie to
us) in his gorgeous home. I found him
to be very involved with the welfare of
his country and the economically
disenfranchised of the world. He
looks well and fondly remembers so
many from Ecolint. Now, if you can
only get him to a world reunion!
As for me, personally, I am adjusting
to a new life without my 35 year
marriage partner, Chet Fast, who
passed away in Oct. 2004. My mother,
now 95, continues to live with me and
encourages me to “go forth” so I do! A
trip to Mexico and southern Utah in
April; then, who knows?
Best wishes to all.’
Joan MacPhail Knight/60 Woodstock, NY, USA
Jkmacgriff@aol.com
‘After leaving Ecolint I moved back to
the US with my family who had been
living in Tunis, spent my senior year at
Mt. Vernon Seminary in Washington
DC and then graduated from Smith
College. The mother of two daughters,
Elizabeth and Sophie, I lived most of
my adult life in Manhattan, working
as a children’s book editor and
have become a writer myself - most
recently a series of books set in the
1890’s about Charlotte who travels to
France with her mother and father
who is a painter. Six years ago Bill
and I moved to Woodstock, NY, and
started a company, Catskill Mountain
Pictures, a location services company
for fashion and film. I enjoy writing,
gardening and long walks with my
Brussels Griffon dogs. I would love to
hear from friends and can be reached
at : Jkmacgriff@aol.com, 20 Lasher
Rd., Woodstock, NY 12498.’
Riva Freifeld/61
New York, NY, USA
rivaf@attglobal.net
Riva lives in New York City and is
currently producing a one hour
historical documentary on Annie Oakley,
funded by a grant from the National
Endowment for the Humanities and
WGBH-TV in Boston, MA, USA. It will
air as part of the “American Experience”
series on American public television in
late fall 2005.
Richard Bruland/64
Los Angeles, CA, USA
rbruland@cyberhotline.com
Richard writes, ‘A survey of the
last 15 years of my painting at LA
ArtCore in downtown Los Angeles
just ended. It was very well received,
and was a wonderful chance to show
the progression and evolution of my
current work.
On April 16th will be the opening
reception for a month long solo show
of all new paintings at the Gail Harvey
Gallery, Bergamot Station, B-5, 2525
Michigan Avenue Santa Monica, CA.
Tel: (310)829-9125. In the fall I will be
having a solo show at Mt. San Jacinto
College, San Jacinto, CA.
All my painting is still absolutely
connected to what I absorbed and
learned in Mr. Holmes and Mr. Uzzell’s
art classes at Ecolint. Both those
teachers (particularly Mr. Uzzell) had
a huge impact on my development
and understanding of what art and
painting is all about.
Farifteh Hafezi-Robb/66
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
f.v.robb@btinternet.com
‘I can’t believe it’s almost a year since I
made that emotional and such a happy
a visit to Ecolint and Geneva. Life is
extremely busy for me at present as I
have added a new re-search adjunct to
my post as NHS midwife here. I visited
Ecolint for the first time after nearly
40 years (I left in 1966) last April, and
what took me most by surprise was the
number of motor vehicles around the
school, also the fact that my Primary
School playground at La Grande
Boissière is now a car park!, and the
general disappearance of the green
open spaces of my childhood memories
within the school. Otherwise, I
suppose, “plus ça change, plus c’est
la même chose”. Many thanks once
again for all your kindness in showing
me around and entertaining me.’
19
’Also, I am still in touch with:
Thomas Munch who was in my year at
Ecolint (his wife Meg is godmother
to one of my daughters!) He is
presently a History lecturer at Glasgow
University, has a grown-up son and
daughther, and has written several
books, and
Michele Castle Klein also in my year
until approx. 1963, and my best friend
at Ecolint. She studied psychology,
married Jacob Klein a physics lecturer,
has four grown-up children and
divides her time between Israel and
Oxford, and has also written several
books.’
Lori Lieberman Cali/69
Los Angeles, CA, USA
lorlieberman11@earthlink.net
‘I’m living in Los Angeles with my
husband, Joseph, and our blended
seven children (I have three),
and have continued to pursue my
recording career - currently at
work in the studio completing my
sixteenth album/CD.’ Lori’s website
is www.lorilieberman.com. Joseph is
an actor (best known for his role in
‘Saturday Night Fever’) as well as a
home theatre designer.
‘My sisters, Kim Lieberman-McCarty
and Susan Lieberman/67 are doing
well in their fields. Susan owns an
incredibly beautiful store in Santa
Monica called ‘Paris 1900’ (website
www.paris1900.com) and Kim is an
artist with tremendous success with
many shows throughout the country –
notably in New York and Los Angeles.
(website www.kimmccarty.net). Kim
and her husband, Michael McCarty,
own two chic restaurants called
‘Michaels in New York and Los
Angeles.’
Arthar Sutan-Khan/73
Geneva, Switzerland
SULTANH@unhcr.ch
Athar would enjoy hearing from his
former classmates – especially Cindy
Burgess and Ann Rehlaender.
Nigel Edmonds/78
Ottawa, Canada
Clarke_Edmonds@hotmail.com
Nigel is looking for old school friend
Tom Lho/78
E. Kate Robertson/83 (La Chât)
ekate@quattro.ca
Kate is looking
Stephenson/83
for
Charlotte
Linda Hanson/86
Boston, MA, USA
lindahansonlaw@verizon.net
‘We have a 19 month old son, Daeven,
and are expecting our second baby in
April.
I run my own Estate & Tax Planning
Law Practice just outside of Boston
and would very much like to get in
contact with other Alumni living in
the Boston area’.
Ilona Tar/90
Sydney, Australia
ilona@backpackersworld.com
‘After graduating from Ecolint in 1990
I completed one year of Architecture
at Uni de Genève and then moved
to Sydney to complete a Bachelor
of Landscape Architecture at the
University of New South Wales. The
culture shock of moving to Australia
was so enormous that I have been left
with an affliction - after 13 years away
from Geneva - I still have an American
accent! After achieving my goal of
seeing my landscape work on TV, I
then became Graphic Artist. I am
now working at Backpackers World
Travel, Sydney, as a Creative Designer.
I return to GE whenever I can and
always miss it!’
Sara Furstenborg-Zitouni/92
Geneva, Switzerland
sara.zitouni@ecolint.ch
‘Since January 2005 I have been
working as the Administrative Assistant
to Ms Lesley Stagg, Campus Principal
of Campus des Nations.
After leaving Ecolint in 1992, I
attended the Ecole Hôtelière de
Genève and graduated in 1995 with
a Hotel Management Degree. I then
worked at Le Richemond, the Crowne
Plaza and finally at Hotel President
Wilson, one of the Leading Hotels
of the World, before coming back to
Ecolint in October 2000 in the role of
School Secretary at Pregny Campus.
This was a welcome change in my
career allowing me to spend more
time with my two children Saïd and
Sonia, who are now 6 and 2 years old.
I am very much enjoying working with
Ms Stagg and look forward to assisting
her in opening Ecolint’s 4th Campus
in September 2005.’
Marc Luanghy/97
Genève, Suisse
Je m’appelle Marc Luanghy et suis un
ancien élève de l’Ecole Internationale
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
de Genève (La Grande Boissière).
J’y suis arrivé en septembre 1994
pour terminer le cursus en juin 1997
(Baccalauréat Français, ES). Après
avoir effectué mes études de droit en
Angleterre, je suis rentré à Genève
d’où je vous écrit.
Dwight Crabtree/98
Bangkok, Thailand
DwightC@AIG.com
I find myself in Bangkok, Thailand,
where I’ve been working for AIG ever
since graduating from Princeton in
June, 2002. Besides the day-to-day
of working for a finance company,
my Thai has improved dramatically
(e.g. “same same, but different”), the
food is spectacular, and travel in S.E.
Asia is tops. I’m heading to Southern
Thailand at the end of March to
coordinate a donation of supplies,
equipment and building materials for
two primary schools in areas that were
severely damaged by the tsunami.
For those who come to visit, you may
be in luck to be introduced to the best
place in Bangkok to eat what I fondly
call “soupy barbecue.” Illustrious
Ecolinters such as Tyler, Shona and
Carolynn Crabtree, Eraj Wirasinha,
Matt Robinson, Paul Robinson,
Sandra Mullins, and Deborah Beran
(who is teaching in Chiang Mai) have
all taken part.
In addition, Marcia finds herself
happily retired in Maine with fond
memories of the classroom but
realizing that retirement can also be
just as busy!
Alumni T-shirts for sale
We have Alumni T-shirts and pens
for sale. If anyone is interested in
purchasing these souvenirs please
contact the Alumni Office.
Vente de souvenirs
Nous vendons des tee-shirts “Anciens”
et des stylos. Toutes les personnes
désirant acheter ces articles sont
priées de s’adresser au Bureau des
Anciens.
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
20
In Memoriam
Jean-Pierre (Jumpy) Dufour/60
– 9 November 2004
Jumpy,
You have left an indelible impression
on all who knew you. Already your
name was a distinguishing factor :
a misprononciation of Jean-Pierre
in China where you were born. You
subsequently became known as John
in the years that followed your Ecolint
experience, but you remained the
same intrepid, personable, jocular
person you were then. A bon-vivant
who loved life and people and who
excelled in the art of conversation,
whether mundane or erudite.
You would not have us mourn you,
as was your wish, so simply allow these
few words to be a tribute and a loving
celebration to your memory. We
all send our heart-felt condolences
to your wife Helga and your son
Michael.
Lovingly, your sister Adrienne/58
Marie-France Bertherat Felley/72
et fils, Nicolas - 26 décembre 2004
A tout mes amis de classe (Nathalie,
Antoinette,
Denis,
Jean-Jacques,
Isabelle, Michèle... etc. ) qui sont sur
le réseau Ecolint, comme certain de
vous le savez déjà, notre chère MarieFrance est décédée avec son fils aîné
Nicolas (Clément ayant survécu) dans
le Tsunami à Sri Lanka.
Elle était une de mes plus chères
amies depuis l’Ecolint avec qui je
parlais et que je visitais régulièrement
lors de mes séjours réguliers à Genève.
J’espère que vous me rejoindrai pour
exprimer à sa famille nos sincères
condoléances.
To all Ecolintiens. Marie-France and
her oldest son Nicolas perished in the
Tsumami on the coast of Sri Lanka.
Marie-France was a woman of
extraordinary kindness who had a
very accomplished career with the
Red Cross (Nicaragua, Israel and
South Africa) and worked for the
Protestant Church administration in
Geneva. A service was held in Geneva
for them which was extraordinarily
well attended.
She had
2 sons of which
the youngest survived and the
oldest disappeared along with
her. She was one of my closest friends
since school and I am absolutely
devastated at her extremely premature
departure. She was a great listener and
was always there for me when I needed
her. Her son Nicolas was a pillar
for her and his younger brother, in
what was sometimes a very hard life,
and a superb young man adored
by his younger brother Clément.
Clément is back in school and trying to
lead a normal kid’s life. Luckily he is
cared for by his father and companion
and seems to be coping well for the
moment.
Please join me in wishing our fellow
Ecolintien a very sad goodbye, may
she and Nicolas rest in peace and
may we all express our grief to the
remaining family for the untimely loss
of such a wonderful person.
Steven Zimmer/72
Nurith Konikoff-Levy/58 –
1 February 2005
Nurith passed away in Tel Aviv,
Israel, on 1 February 2005, following
a courageous battle with cancer.
Nurith graduated from Ecolint in
1958 and for many years had taught
Art in Jerusalem.
Nurith was the sister of Roni and
Daniel, and the sister-in-law of Daniela
(née Bucher), and the aunt of Anne
and Stéphanie – all of whom are
alumni. Our heartfelt condolences
to Nurith’s family and friends in Israel
and Geneva.
Sue Anthony
Naissances
Toutes nos félicitations à :
Gilbert Moeckel/80 (La Chât) and his
wife are very pleased to announce the
birth of their baby daughter, Sophia
Grace, on 26 October 2004. She is
the delight of her brothers Julian and
Nickolas.
Linda Hanson/86, and her husband,
who live in Boston, have a 19-month
old son, Daeven, and are expecting
their second baby in April 2005.
Barbara Armas-Loughran/88
and
Steve Loughran are happy to
belatedly announce the births of their
children – Aidan Joseph, born on 18
January 2003, and Ciara Armas, born
on 28 April 2004. Both were born in
Princeton, NJ.
Alex Aziz/89 (La Chât) and his wife,
Hilary, are delighted to announce the
birth of their daughter, Megan Tarana,
on 15 September 2004 in Geneva.
Mariages
Félications à :
Philip Ryan/94 (La Chât) who
married Lucinda Hutchinson on 4
January 2005 in Perth, Australia.
International School Alumni
Association
Association des Anciens de l’Ecole
Internationale
62, Route de Chêne
CH - 1208 Genève
Tel: +41 22 787 25 55
Fax: +41 22 787 26 35
E-mail: alumni@ecolint.ch
Website: www.ecolint-alumni.ch
Portable: +41 79 449 50 43
Editing : Sue Anthony
Proof-reading : Donate Dobbernack
les membres du conseil des élèves,
un stand pour marier les étudiants
avec alliances et lancer de riz, ainsi
qu’une agence matrimoniale. Nous
avons organisé en coopération avec le
conseil des élèves de la Châtaigneraie,
les Bals des Neiges Junior et Senior à
l’hôtel Noga Hilton. Avec une partie
des bénéfices des bals, ainsi qu’un
généreux don du PTA, nous avons pu
faire nous même un don à Clair Bois,
une association pour jeunes gens
handicapés à Genève et nous espérons
continuer à créer des liens avec eux.
Nous avons été actifs au sein du
CDG, particulièrement en ce qui
concerne les grands projets de
développement du campus. Nous
avons par exemple pu faire poids
pour sauvegarder la colline, espace
vert privilégié des étudiants de l’école,
dans le cadre du développement
d’un nouveau complexe sportif qui
fera le bonheur des étudiants. Nous
avons maintenant pour objectif
d’assurer la création d’un lieu pour
LGB – Student Council
En juin 2004, les deux groupes
concurrents en lice pour l’élection
du conseil des élèves de la Grande
Boissière se sont unis pour former
un groupe commun suite à une
élection mal coordonnée par nos
prédécesseurs. Nous avons préféré
former un conseil de coalition plutôt
que de faire durer les échéances ce
qui, du même coup, aurait pénalisé
les étudiants.
Dès le début de l’année, pendant
les derniers beaux jours, nous avons
organisé un tournoi de basket sur
environ deux semaines qui a rassemblé
une quarantaine de participants.
Nous avons ensuite organisé un bal
de début d’année pour les neuvièmes
et dixièmes années sur le thème de
Las Vegas, avec des jeux de cartes qui
permettaient de gagner à manger ou
à boire. Juste avant Noël, un concours
de groupes de musique. Pour la St.
Valentin, nous avons organisé la
traditionnelle distribution de roses,
avec livraison dans les classes par
les membres du conseil des élèves,
un stand pour marier les étudiants
avec alliances et lancer de riz, ainsi
qu’une agence matrimoniale. Nous
avons organisé en coopération avec le
conseil des élèves de la Châtaigneraie,
les Bals des Neiges Junior et Senior à
l’hôtel Noga Hilton. Avec une partie
des bénéfices des bals, ainsi qu’un
généreux don du PTA, nous avons pu
faire nous même un don à Clair Bois,
une association pour jeunes gens
handicapés à Genève et nous espérons
continuer à créer des liens avec eux.
Nous avons été actifs au sein du
CDG, particulièrement en ce qui
concerne les grands projets de
développement du campus. Nous
avons par exemple pu faire poids
pour sauvegarder la colline, espace
vert privilégié des étudiants de l’école,
dans le cadre du développement
d’un nouveau complexe sportif qui
fera le bonheur des étudiants. Nous
avons maintenant pour objectif
d’assurer la création d’un lieu pour
Photo : Julien Domercq
En juin 2004, les deux groupes
concurrents en lice pour l’élection
du conseil des élèves de la Grande
Boissière se sont unis pour former
un groupe commun suite à une
élection mal coordonnée par nos
prédécesseurs. Nous avons préféré
former un conseil de coalition plutôt
que de faire durer les échéances ce
qui, du même coup, aurait pénalisé
les étudiants.
Dès le début de l’année, pendant
les derniers beaux jours, nous avons
organisé un tournoi de basket sur
environ deux semaines qui a rassemblé
une quarantaine de participants.
Nous avons ensuite organisé un bal
de début d’année pour les neuvièmes
et dixièmes années sur le thème de
Las Vegas, avec des jeux de cartes qui
permettaient de gagner à manger ou
à boire. Juste avant Noël, un concours
de groupes de musique. Pour la St.
Valentin, nous avons organisé la
traditionnelle distribution de roses,
avec livraison dans les classes par
les élèves au centre même du campus,
à l’emplacement de l’actuel service
technique lorsqu’il sera relocalisé
dans le cadre du nouveau complexe
culturel qui remplacera les actuels
départements d’art et de théâtre. Il est
aussi prévu de revoir la constitution
du conseil des élèves pour assurer
une meilleure représentation des
différentes tranches d’âge ainsi
que relancer l’engouement pour
constituer un véritable esprit d’école.
Julien Domercq
Photo : Julien Domercq
LGB – Student Council
les élèves au centre même du campus,
à l’emplacement de l’actuel service
technique lorsqu’il sera relocalisé
dans le cadre du nouveau complexe
culturel qui remplacera les actuels
départements d’art et de théâtre. Il est
aussi prévu de revoir la constitution
du conseil des élèves pour assurer
une meilleure représentation des
différentes tranches d’âge ainsi
que relancer l’engouement pour
constituer un véritable esprit d’école.
Julien Domercq