Blog

Keeping students and parents in touch with their learning is of course crucial in any school. This happens in a variety of ways throughout the boarding school year depending on what the focus of the time is.  At Brillantmont International School, every four weeks students receive what is called an "Attitude to Learning" report, which grades students on their efforts and achievements, based on clearly defined and published criteria. 

This past year our blog was filled with articles on school activities, student achievements, graduation plans, curriculum highlights shared by teachers, discussion about some of the important topics that concern our parents, new policies at the school, and well wishes from our director. As the old year wraps up and a new one begins, we looked back at some of our most popular articles at the boarding school and drew them together in this year-in-review finale. Find below some of the highlights of last year’s blog.

This week we had the opportunity to sit down with our wonderful Maths Co-ordinator, JK Kennedy, to talk about how to engage students in this subject at boarding school and all of the exciting things that he is doing with the Brillantmont Maths programme. Don’t miss his enthusiastic insights and great activity ideas for making maths fun, understandable, and applicable.

Another year ends and it is once more time to take stock of how far we have come and developed this year and what we have learned personally through that. At Brillantmont, so much happens during the school year that it is good to take a little moment and sit down and reflect. 

For over 20 years, one of the most popular extra-curricular activities at Brillantmont has been Model United Nations, otherwise known as MUN. MUN is a simulation conference where students from all over the world are allocated a country, create a delegation and represent that country’s views on current international issues on the United Nations agenda. With the help of the schools they come from, students research, write resolutions and then go to the conference to defend the interests of that country.

Many parents send their children to boarding school in Switzerland, nestled in the centre of Europe, both because of its reputation for safety and security, its fresh air and beautiful landscapes. Safety risk in Switzerland is very low compared to other countries and there is a history of elite families coming here where discretion is highly valued. This tradition also filters down to Swiss boarding schools like Brillantmont where we are used to working with people who seek safety and a good all-round environment for their child. Health and security are therefore prioritised here, and this blog will explore the details of how this is true on our international school campus. 

The extra-curricular activities at boarding school in Switzerland add that essential element of fun to your experience abroad. Switzerland offers incredible natural surroundings ideal for outdoor adventures in all seasons and the rich history of the country makes weekend outings both educational and memorable. Studying at a private institution in a new country gives you the opportunity to explore that part of the world, through the activities and trips that the school organizes for students. Not only is it fun, but it also contributes to the overall development of the individual. This week we sat down with Ginette Tonge, the Activities Co-ordinator and Humanities teacher at Brillantmont.

We have been hearing a lot from students in our blog series this winter, now it is time to hear the parents’ perspective! Why did they choose to send their student to study in Switzerland and how have they seen this benefit their child? These are essential questions to answer for families considering boarding school abroad.

On this boarding school blog we have spoken a lot about what it is like to be at boarding school in Switzerland; we have shared with you the typical day-in-the-life of a boarding school attendee; we have posted videos and photos of some of the incredible excursions and fieldtrips that we get to enjoy; we have opened up discussion on important topics such as the pain of separation for parents and boarding students and the differences between public and private education. However, sometimes the most powerful and helpful pieces are those where we hear directly from students about their experiences at Swiss boarding school.

Last week was Reading Week at Brillantmont International School. This has become an annual tradition at our Swiss boarding school and the focus this year was on drama! Every year we select a special theme and build a week of experiences around it. For instance, one year the focus was on poetry, and another year it was fantasy. Have you experienced a Reading Week while attending boarding school? What were some of your favorite memories or activities from this week?