Blog

The Brillantmont Summer Course kicks off in a few weeks and we are very excited to welcome students from all over the world to the Brillantmont summer family.  The BM summer school is well known for creating a great balance between studying and having fun. Maybe your child is considering starting boarding school and you want them to get a taste of what it is like to live away from family, or maybe your child has been going to summer school abroad for a number of years already and can’t wait to go back again. Whatever your situation, our Summer Course has something for everyone. Click below to watch the link to our Summer Course film.

Sports are an important part of Brillantmont life and provide students with much-need time out from their studies, a chance to think about something else, as well as to get fit of course! The sporting year at Brillantmont is rich in diversity as we aim for students to try many different sports. With an excellent range of sports facilities on campus, plus those of the city and lakeside, the programme is varied and fun.

Sports teach students perseverance, how to work as a team, how to take the lead, how to develop strategies and above all, sports celebrate friendship, which is at the heart of boarding school life, as Maria, captain of the volleyball team explains, “Being in this team allowed me to meet an amazing group of girls whom with I have shared laughs, cries, stress, nerves, disappointment but mostly satisfaction and joy. We all have grown closer together and improved infinitely together as well, getting to know the sport better than I thought I would. I have experienced teamwork like I never had never before, and a unique sense of belonging and unity.”

The 1^st term sees students getting back into shape after their long vacation and with the ski season on the horizon, the focus is on developing physical strength through ice skating, running by the lake, urban workouts or specifically targeted exercises. The 2^nd term focuses more on team sports, playing lots of volleyball (we are proud winners of the inter-school cup), unihockey, basketball and football and the swimming pool. The highlight has to be the week long ski week to Zinal, summed up simply by Nina, “Ski week was one of the best weeks in my whole BM life. So happy I went. I had a great time.”

As temperatures rise, students head outside, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine, playing more tennis, beach-volleyball by the lake or in the athletics stadium.

Living in the city means students can enjoy famous Lausanne sports events, such as the Midnight Run, where hundreds of Father Christmas figures run through the old town. Over a third of the school ran the popular Lausanne 10km and 20km, with fantastic results and we have the fun filled Colour Run to look forward to in autumn.

Sports are a great way to forget the stresses of the day, to disconnect from academics for a while and to enjoy developing a new skill.

Brillantmont is very proud that our Student Wellbeing & Pastoral Care Coordinator, Mrs Julianne Brown, is on the National Executive Committee of NAPCE (The National Association of Pastoral Care in Education- www.napce.org.uk).

"A while ago, we shared our preparations for Geometry Week at Brillantmont International School. It's in full swing and the students continue to be engaged in interesting and exciting new ways of connecting maths to the world around us.  All this week students at Brillantmont are improving their geometry skills and getting to grips with abstract concepts. Every year our mathematics department joins forces with a different department and asks students to consider the links between subjects. This year we are connecting the dots between mathematics and art. Students have been learning about geometry and creating designs using abstract compositions and impossible shapes.

We're always thinking cross-curricular at Brillantmont and trying to find ways to engage the students in Maths by thinking creatively. We are currently in the throes of the "Splat competition", which is a regular annual event for which students can win a prize by completing as much of the booklet as possible. The Brillantmont Splat Challenge 2018

A year reaching its end is a time for reflection and celebration. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to change jobs every two years, moving from one challenge to another. That is not the case for the staff at Brillantmont. The size of the school means that the range of tasks and jobs to be done is always varied and changing, as the school constantly evolves and moves forward. Consequently, several staff members have been at the school for many years, which ensures continuity and a long-term vision.

Nobody embodies this better than our Director, Mr Philippe Pasche, who this year celebrates his 40th year at Brillantmont. He began working at the school as a young accountant, also teaching commerce and sports. He has always been eager to develop students' interests beyond the classroom and, as an accomplished sportsman, to get them moving! Particularly keen on skiing, he has shared many memorable moments on the pistes and some people might not know that he is in fact a qualified ski teacher. He always looks forward to joining the students during their week long ski trip, which in February  2018,  is to the village of Zinal. Working closely with the owners of the school, the Frei family, Mr Pasche's role has evolved over the years and on the retirement of Mme Frei, who had been Head for over 40 years, he stepped into the role of Director General. With the support of Deputy Director Ms Boland, he successfully leads Brillantmont forward.

As we celebrated him at a recent dinner, he reflected on his years and his journey within the Brillantmont family. The way the school has changed and developed over the years, always trying to keep excellence and the students' success and well-being at the centre of our vision, has given him immense opportunities to develop talents and competence in many domains. The demands of his role and leading a community of 200 people means that life is never dull and proves that "variety is the spice of life." Surpassing everything however, is his respect and affection for the students and the satisfaction he gains in seeing them mature and develop is the greatest reward he could wish for.

We would like to congratulate him on this milestone anniversary and thank him for his years of commitment and passion for Brillantmont.

The first term at Brillantmont has whizzed by with many exciting events paving the school calendar. The first few days, when we welcomed new students, on their first experience away from home, seem a distant memory. Our students are now well and truly immersed in school life and part of the BM family. After the first weeks of hard study, the October break to Nice and Verona provided a welcome taste of European dolce vita. Back in school, the annual Reading Week celebrated the power of words and brought out our students' creative sides. The ever popular Model United Nations trip to Singapore provided unique opportunities to develop leadership and group work skills. Habitat for Humanity have worked tirelessly on fundraising events to support their upcoming building trip to Portugal and et's not forget the numerous trips, international evenings and learning projects which have also filled this term.

Every year Brillantmont celebrates the written word during Reading Week. Librarian Mrs Robbins and English teacher Mrs Nikyulu , who organised it, are not alone in believing that, even in this digital, fast-paced world, nothing beats turning the printed page.  As the softly falling snowflakes herald the arrival of winter, what could be better than snuggling up with a good book and being transported to another world?