WINTER TERM 2012 - Aiglon College

WINTER TERM 2012

Aiglon Collegefacts at a glanceYear of Foundation: 1949Founder: John CorletteLegal Status: non-profi t organisationStudent population: 327Boarders: 286Day Students: 41153 girls, 174 boysAge range: 9-18As of January 2012:Senior School student number, Lower and Upper 6th form: 113Middle School student number, 3rd to 5th form: 142Junior School student number: 72Student/staff teaching ratio: 5/1Nationalities represented: 58Vacation Courses: Easter (1 week Snow sports and Languages course for ages 10-16 held end of March-2013 dates to be confirmed)Summer School (3 weeks Sports and Languages course for ages 10-18 held 7-28 July 2012)Alumni: active alumni association of approximately 5,000 members called the Aiglon College Alumni Eagle Association (ACAEA).www.aiglon.chAiglon NationalitiesNorthAmerican9.5%SouthAmerican3.5%European65%African4.5%MiddleEastern7%Central Asian3%Indian2%Far Eastand Australasia5.5%Rachel DaviesEditor/Alumni Relations Manager : rmld@aiglon.chLeigh MerchantGraphics and Layout : publications@aiglon.ch© 2012 Aiglon College :For permission to reproduce material contained in this publicationplease contact the Editor.Front and back cover :Pic Chaussy by Ivor LigertwoodAcknowledgments :Thank you to staff and students for providing photographs: Nawaf AlRodhan, Rachel Davies, Tony Hyde, Wildon Kaplan, Simon Hayden,Ivor Ligertwood, George Logie, David Mansfi eld, Michael Thompson,Peter Willett.

Reflectionsfrom the Head MasterSchools love to see themselves as unique; and of course in many waysthey are and always will be, because of the unique palette of peopleand personalities which they represent. Schools also love to think ofthemselves as unique because they are so recognisably different fromother schools, and have quirks and characteristics that cannot beduplicated elsewhere. In other words, there is sometimes a consciousquest to be “different”, as if by marking oneself apart one is better placedto be “great”.But being “great” is rarely about uniqueness alone; more typically it is a characteristic ofRichard McDonald, Head Masterschools that have a culture of aspiration. By this I mean a pervasive attitude of ambition – in themost generous sense of the word – which fuels both an individual and a collective desire to be the best one can be whatever theendeavour. Aspiration can be contagious in a school; when people look around and see how much is being achieved by others, therecan be a gravitational pull that unsettles those who might otherwise drift towards inertia.Aiglon therefore fosters its uniqueness, not for the sake of being “different”, but because we have a profound conviction that whatwe do can be transformational in the life of young people. We can indeed claim to be a “rare” school, given our combination ofinternational diversity, commitment to challenging, holistic education, our unusual expedition programmes, our skiing, our distinctiveboarding houses, all set in a stunning alpine location at the heart of Europe. But rareness is not enough; ambition and action are thevital ingredients in enabling a school’s philosophy and guiding principles to blossom into tangible achievements.These pages give only a sample of the breadth of endeavour and ambition at the school; beyond the words there are myriadexperiences lived daily by students and staff that are testament to a school that is ever striving to be more than merely unique.Richard McDonaldHead MasterAiglon’s Guiding PrinciplesThe aim of Aiglon College is the balanced development of MIND, BODY and SPIRIT through:• Challenge• Respect• Responsibility• Diversity• ServiceThe development of the MIND focuses on the intellect and the capacity to think, learn and reflect powerfully and purposefully.The development of the BODY focuses on physical fitness and the maintaining of an active and healthy lifestyle.The development of the SPIRIT focuses on the essence of ourselves and the exploration of faith, service and purpose in life.Aiglon Today sharing news with the wider college community3

Competing with the bestAiglon College marked the offi cial openingof its magnifi cent Sports Centre on Friday,10th February with over 200 guestsattending this very special event in theschool’s history.The construction of this impressive CHF 9million facility began on 3 May 2010 andwas completed in November 2011. Theschool is deeply appreciative of the manygenerous contributions from its parent andalumni community, from friends and fromcorporate sponsors all making this longawaitedproject a reality.Tony Jhangiani-Jashanmal (’65, P’97)GovernorIt was with great pride that the new SportsCentre was offi cially named in honour ofone of Aiglon’s most prominent alumni,former parent and current Aiglon CollegeAssociation (ACA) GovernorTony Jhangiani-Jashanmal (‘65, P’97).4

Reaching New Heightsby Tony Jhangiani-Jashanmal (’65, P’97) Governor“Chairman, Head Master, Board Members, formerand present staff, fellow alumni, parents, studentsand friends, I welcome you to this marvellous newsports facility which enhances the school’s presentfacilities tremendously.I would like to thank the Head Master Richard McDonald and histeam for pursuing the development of this Sports Centre which hasbeen built within the contractual period.When I was a student at Aiglon, the school only had outdoor sportsfacilities which of course limited the sports and the time that couldbe spent in sporting activities. The only covered sports facilitythat we could avail ourselves of was the Villars skating rink, the‘Patinoire’ which was used by the citizens and visitors of Villars. Theadvantage of frequent visits to this public sporting facility resultedin nurturing acquaintances and friendship with the people of Villarsas well as students from neighbouring schools, which shouldcontinue. I hope that we will fi nd activities and means of inviting thecitizens of Villars and the area to share this beautiful new facility. Isee here today many local friends, including former Aiglon GovernorMr Jacques Luisier, amongst us whom I have known from mystudent days in Villars.Richard McDonald, Sue Stevenson (P’08,’13) Governor,Tony Jhangiani-Jashanmal, Governor, Olga Shakhnovskaya (P’11,’13)and Mark Elliott (P’88,’ 90) Chair of the BoardEgon Vorfeld (’85) Governor, Tony Jhangiani-Jashanmal, Governor, RichardMcDonald and Jonathan Fackelmayer (’95), Vice-President, Friends of AiglonCollege Europe displaying Roger Federer’s shirtOne person who intended to be here is missing. He is, at this verymoment; representing his country in the Davis Cup. I am suremost of you know that I am referring to Switzerland’s own RogerFederer who is in Fribourg not far from here playing at this verymoment against the USA. He nevertheless has sent his greetingsand encouragement to us written on the offi cial Davis Cup SwissTeam Shirt, similar to the one he is wearing during his match. Ithank my alumni friends Governor Egon Vorfeld (’85) and JonathanFackelmayer (’95) Vice-President, Friends of Aiglon College Europe,for arranging this with Roger Federer.I herewith present this shirt to the Head Master to be displayed withpride in this Sports Centre for inspiration - and a reminder to ourstudents of the heights that one can reach in sporting activities withthe dedication, practice and tenacity of Roger Federer.The constructionI wish you all a pleasant tour of the various facilities we have atthis Sports Centre and we look forward to many great achievementsfrom our students.”Tony Jashanmal Sports CentreRichard McDonald, Head Master laying the first stoneAiglon Today sharing news with the wider college community5

Strategic Planning Updateby Mark Elliott, Chairman of the BoardDuring the 2011-12 schoolyear the Governing Boardis working to developa Strategic Plan forAiglon College. StrategicPlanning is not new toAiglon. I was involvedin one of the fi rstformal attempts when,in 1998, Chairman SirToby Coghill assembled a group of 40 people, including governors,staff, parents and alumni, to “brainstorm” the major issuesfacing the school at that time. The group event was facilitated byeducational consultant Peter Aitken from Boston, Massachusetts,and the fi nal report was summarised in a booklet entitled ‘AiglonCollege - the Strategic Plan’. Many of the strategies in this planwere implemented, including the major emphasis on InformationCommunication Technology (ICT) and the increased focus on modernlanguages.In 2006 Head MasterJonathan Long led anexercise to preparea Strategic Plan thatfocused on fi ve goals:Extend, Enhance, Enrich,Transform, Perform.The plan was entitled‘New Frontiers – AiglonCollege Strategic Plan2006-11’ and includedsome strategies thathave since beenachieved such as thenew Sports Centre.The 2011-12 StrategicPlanning process issimilar to that of 1998.It has identifi ed some of the same issues as those in previous plans;but this time we are taking matters much further. We have createdfi ve project teams, each headed by a Board member. Each teamhas recruited parents, staff, students, alumni and, in some cases,outside experts to develop the plans.The teams have now largely completed their Phase 1 work andare now in Phase 2. This phase involves the development ofrecommendations and an implementation plan, a summary ofprogress is outlined below.These projects may mean signifi cant changes in the future directionof the school. Given how rapidly international education is evolving,we need to be at the forefront as we plan the future for ourstudents.If you have any comments on Strategic Planning please email:chairman@aiglon.chBranding by Egon Vorfeld (’85)The Branding Strategy Work Group has completed Phase 1 (‘who weare’ study) and has progressed well with Phase 2 (communications).Most of the research and conclusions were discussed during threewell-attended group meetings and various emails/phone calls. AllAiglon College stakeholders were very well represented: parents,students, alumni, governors and staff, including the Head Master.The team benefitted greatly, amongst other things, from all therecent work undertaken for the re-accreditation process, includingparent, staff and student surveys. We believe a multitude of voiceshave been heard and initial feedback on our findings, amongst awider community, has been very supportive.We have defined the ‘core essence’ of the Aiglon Collegebrand using professional marketing tools. These detailed brandcharacterizations will be indispensable to our communicationsconsultant. The ‘strap line’ accentuating the ‘core essence’ is infact a former one adopted for a 1990s campaign “Reaching NewHeights”. We believe it embodies Aiglon College and its guidingprinciples very well. Both were formally approved by the Board ofGovernors in February.We are currently finalising a ‘brand book’ to ensure consistentuse of the school’s crest, logo, colours, signage and other visualrepresentation and most elements have already been approvedby the Board. The branding guidelines will then be communicatedto the wider school community to ensure full compliance goingforward.The general conclusion is to favour digital and social media totraditional hard copy and to appoint a ‘digital marketing expert’as a ‘prepping’ consultant, prior to engaging an agency to help informulating a clear communications strategy; including re-designingthe school website and competitive tenders will be sought. The nextstage is to establish the potential costs of agency consultation forestablishing brand communications. Any significant budgets anddecisions will be approved by the Board of Governors.Financial stability and growththrough fundraisingby Sue Stevenson (P’08,’13)Since our last report the Fundraising Strategic Planning Work Grouphas focused on the structure and finance needed to put a worldclass Development Office in place and commissioned a review ofour existing Development Programme as a check and balance to thework done by the group. The report has been received, supports ourfindings and has helped to highlight additional areas where we canimprove on our existing processes.The school also commenced a search and recruitment process tofind a Director of Advancement to develop and execute Aiglon’sambitious fundraising plans for future institutional strength. Thegroup has also considered how we can better market ourselves.Further research will be conducted in the next phase on identifyingthe philanthropic potential of Aiglon’s current and futureconstituencies.6 sharing news with the wider college communityAiglonToday

Financial stability and growththrough profit centresby John Cheesmond (P’09)Advertisements have been placed for an Enterprise ServicesManager to take responsibility for developing in a structured andsystematic way the opportunities for facilities usage.Terms of reference for an online shop have been developed andcirculated together with responses received from service providerstendering for the business.With regards to the issue of a second campus, we continue tobrainstorm the overall project for a site in Switzerland or elsewhere.Student Achievementby Allan GrahamThis team discussed measures for student achievement and definedthe information which is needed to begin a process of developingmeasures. As students pass through tertiary studies and into work,the school must be realistic in understanding the challenges ofmaintaining comprehensive records. Consequently we need to focuson data which is within our reach at all times which encompassespre-testing of applicants so that we understand the nature of ourclient base, post-entry testing for base-line data and follow-up, withappropriate record-keeping as a student progresses. Measurementis needed of value-added scores for each student and for wholecohorts, in particular at GCSE and IB levels, and of course universityplacements.The group has requested information about the current pre-testingregime and the current testing regime through Durham University’sCEM Centre which provides us with base-line data. We havealso requested details of other post-entry tests to provide moreinformation when standardised tests might be skewed by thelanguage challenges faced by a number of new students. We arelooking at plans for considering the value-added scores which willbe supplied by CEM Centre for the forthcoming GCSE results, andfor IB results as well as university placements over the last fewyears, so that we have an initial basis for comparisons starting thisyear.Pastoral Care by Kelly Ashton (P’12)The Pastoral Care Work Group has met twice. Kelly Ashton andDirector of Pastoral Care Claire Chalcraft have also met withall houseparents to discuss areas of strength and areas whereimprovements can be made.These early meetings have prompted discussion of topics such ashouse tutors, health care and the health centre, house structuresand infrastructure and management of student life in a very busyschool.We havecreatedfive projectteams, eachheaded byaBoardmember.Each teamhas recruited parents, staff,students, alumni and, insome cases, outside expertsto develop the plans.Mark Elliott,Chairman of the BoardThe teams have nowlargely completed theirPhase 1 work and are nowin Phase 2. This phaseinvolves the development ofrecommendations and animplementation plan...These projects may meansignificant changes inthe future direction of theschool. Given how rapidlyinternational education isevolving, we need to be atthe forefront as we plan thefuture for our students.Aiglon Today sharing news with the wider college community7

“Wilkommen, bienvenue,welcome,im cabaret, au cabaret,to cabaret!”The Kit Kat GirlsPiera Van de Wiel as ‘Sally Bowles’Lewis McDonald as ‘The Emcee’8

“Life is a cabaretol’ chum so cometo the Cabaret.”Tonight was the best for us! We weremore used to being on stage, relaxed andafter Thursday more determined to makethe show work in the best possible way.Songs and dances again went great for me- did not miss a move! ‘Two Ladies’ wasthe best I’d ever done it - by this point Ihad grown to enjoy it, so I really gave it myall. Once a song or a dance was over, I wasalready getting nostalgic - we were nevergoing to perform it again. By the time ActOne was over, I was about to cry - I knewI’d miss it all so much.Piera Van de Wiel as ‘Sally Bowles’ and Grant Falcone as ‘Clifford Bradshaw’A riveting performanceby Andrew Hall, English TeacherThe depth of talent among ourstudents at Aiglon in acting,singing and dancing never ceasesto amaze me. The productionof “Cabaret” this year verysuccessfully tapped in to thisand congratulations to every oneconcerned are in order.This was a challenging choice of play,and, to be honest, I wondered how theproduction directors, cast and crew wouldcope with it. “Cabaret” is a complex show,combining moments of light-heartedhumour - comedy even - pathos, satireand serious and chilling contemporarycommentary and refl ection on the rise ofNazism in the 1930s.All aspects of this production combined tomake this, for me, a riveting performance.Not only were the actors, withoutexception, well rehearsed and directed, butthey also displayed considerable naturaltalents. These talents cannot be taught;you have them, or you don’t. And they didnot in anyway disappoint.Congratulations to Piera Van de Wieland Lewis McDonald, particularly, whotook the leads: both excelled and weremightily impressive. However, they wereably supported by a very strong team ofactors, dancers and singers: well doneindeed to all. The band was of a very highstandard, the sets, costumes, lighting andsound were extremely well conceived andeffective. I was also very impressed by theslick and dynamic dance routines whichwere obviously the product of many hoursof hard work in rehearsal. Congratulationsto the producers and directors, especiallyto Sarah Barker-Doherty, and to AlexBoyd-Williams - does one have to havea double-barrelled name to work in whatis clearly a very successful and thrivingdrama department here at Aiglon?!The success of this production was aresult of obvious teamwork and monthsof rehearsals beginning last Septemberfor a February production. Equallythe collaboration between the dramadepartment and music department washugely successful. The musical directionand the outstanding band were led andconceived by Andrew Bell and NigelGaston working alongside the directors,this was a musical after all!I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at thetheatre. Thank you one and all, withoutexception.Again, I gave my all in Act Two - I was fullyswitched on with my focus on the show!It was great! When it was time for thecurtain call, we got the biggest applausewe had ever received! We even had tocome back on stage for a second bow!Later my mom told me that people werestanding up and clapping - I could not seeit, though, as I was still so excited and wehad bright lights shining in our faces!That was it. We were done. I could notbelieve it. There were people cryingbackstage. It was so emotional. No wordsto describe the feeling. Just amazing,beautiful and already nostalgic! My momand my sister came to that show - theyenjoyed it even more than the first nightand were very proud of me - so was I.When I think about it, I had come a longway since the auditions. I learned howto sing. I learned new dance routines. Ilearned how theater is made. I learnedmore about “Cabaret”, Fossie and thestyle of musical theater. I learned moreabout German history. I worked with realprofessionals and met some new andamazing people. I spent quality time withthe other cast members and made friendsin all forms. I can only say I wish I could doit all again!In “Cabaret”, I completely surprised myselfwith what I could do. It was a real dreamcome true and it gave me courage andhope that I am actually not so hopelesswhen it comes to acting and singing andI could maybe do that in the future! Notmaybe, but I DEFINITELY will – it gave mea thrill like no other! A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!!!Anina Youroukova (Le Cerf)Aiglon Today sharing news with the wider college community9

Ben CookJames StevensonOona OrtmansJames StevensonInter-schools competition at Les HouchesCalixte MestelanOona Ortmans, Ben Cook, Lucy Harold and Frances Bryon10Frances Bryon

Aiglon boys winthe BritishTeam SkiChampionshipsand dominate atthe SGISby David Mansfield (’82), Ski Racing CoachOnce again the Aiglon Ski Team wasvery busy this winter on the race pistesaround the Alps. The students competed intwelve events, including the Swiss Groupof International Schools (SGIS) races, theAssociation des Directeurs des Instituts dela Suisse Romande (ADISR), British races(British Schoolboys, British Inter-schools,Welsh Alpine Championships and AiglonCollege Cup), Independent Association ofPrep Schools (IAPS), Swiss regionalclub races and International FIS races.The Aiglon Boys Ski Race team consisting ofCalixte Mestelen, Mizuki O’Hara, HugoReinhardt and James Stevenson wonthe British Schoolboys Team Championshipsat Meiringen at the end January. The teamwas awarded the Sunday Times Cup forschool 1 st team overall.Aiglon’s Team 2 consisting of Ben Cook,Hobie Greenfield, Hugo Ng and MaxThompson also gave a great performance.All boys skied wonderfully throughout bothdays of intense competition.Last season was exceptional for teamresults and although this year we haveagain brought home many team trophiesit has been the number of impressiveindividual performances which really standout. We are immensely proud of our 20racers achieving 78 podium fi nishes thisseason.A season rich in experiences to be savouredand more importantly, to learn from forthe future. It has been a real team effortby many people to achieve these results.From parents, trainers, staff and of course,the racers themselves. Thank you and welldone!Frances Bryon:1 st ADISR Senior girls slalom1 st ADISR Senior girls combined1 st British Inter-schools slalom (Junior 2)1 st Aiglon College Cup giant slalom (Overall)1 st Aiglon College Cup slalom (Junior 2)1 st Longcroft Cup Parallel slalomJames Stevenson:1 st SGIS Senior Championships (Overall)1 st ADISR Senior boys slalom1 st British Inter-schools giant slalom (Overall)1 st Aiglon College Cup giant slalom (Overall)1 st Aiglon College Cup slalom (Overall)1 st Longcroft Cup Parallel slalomOona Ortmans:1 st ADISR Moyenne girls giant slalom1 st ADISR Moyenne girls combined1 st Aiglon College Cup giant slalom (Junior 1)1 st Aiglon College Cup slalom (Junior 1)Calixte Mestelan:1 st Welsh Alpine Championships giant slalom(Junior 1)1 st Aiglon College Cup giant slalom (Junior 1)1 st Aiglon College Cup slalom (Junior 1)1 st ADISR Night-time Parallel slalomMizuki O’Hara:1 st British Schoolboys Races giant slalom (OverallChildren)1 st British Schoolboys Races slalom (OverallChildren)1 st SGIS Junior Championships (Overall)Lucy Harold:1 st Welsh Alpine Championships giant slalom(Junior 2)1 st Welsh Alpine Championships slalom (Junior 2)Josh Thompson:1 st SGIS Senior Championships (Category D)1 st IAPS Ski Championships (Overall boy)Emily Cheadle:1 st IAPS Ski Championships (Overall girl)Hobie Greenfield:1 st SGIS Senior Championships (Category B)Peter Mardaleichvili:1 st Welsh Alpine Championships giant slalom(Junior 2)These athletes also fi nished on the podiumin other competitions and the large numberof podium fi nishes can be completed withgreat performances from the following racers:Andrew CookBen CookAlexandra KirkpatrickEiko MitsuiHugo NgHugo ReinhardtJan SchnewlinChloe TealMax ThompsonCeleste von der SchulenburgIncredible WinterConditions!by Ivor Ligertwood, Ski MountaineeringInstructorWhat a winter! Ski touring, cross-countryskiing or snowshoeing, Aiglon studentswere very busy this term making the mostof the best snow conditions seen in a longtime. Going out on expedition at any time ofyear demands good personal organisationbut no more so than when the temperatureplummeted and students were faced withtemperatures as low as minus 20! Taskssuch as changing ski touring skins or tyingbootlaces suddenly became very difficult.Do these things without gloves and thedangers become very real. Thankfully, Aiglonstudents adapt quickly to challenges suchas these.Mention has to be made of the group ofstudents who decided to push themselvesthat little bit harder this winter. DominiqueMeyer, Vera Smirnova, KhalifaAlghunaim, Nikolay Makharashvili,Jan Schnewlin, Alex Hui and PeterMardaleichvili started their winter offwith a 1,000m ascent up local Pic Chaussyand after several challenging Sundayexpeditions, they rounded off their winterwith a memorable three day long expedition.It’s not every day that anyone, let aloneAiglon students, have the opportunity to skifrom Switzerland, through Italy and finishby skiing the infamous Vallee Blanche downinto Chamonix, France. The second day waseight and a half hours long and six and halfof those were spent walking uphill! Thisshows just how committed these studentswere.With the warm weather, our thoughts nowbegin to turn to walking and camping.Nonetheless, we do hope to achieve a4,000m peak on skis during the SummerTerm. Watch this space!Aiglon Today sharing news with the wider college community11

College and UniversityResults 2012by Patience Fanella, Director of College and Career CounsellingThe 2011-2012 academic year proved to be an exciting journey of self-discovery,research, maturation and dreaming of one’s future! It is with great pleasure thatI congratulate each and every student for his/her university acceptances andoffers.The end of the year brings with it mixed emotions as the Upper Sixth Form prepares tograduate and leave a place they have referred to as “home” for several years. The studentsbegan the year with some anxiety as the second half of the International Baccalaureate(IB) programme continued and the university application process was upon them. TheWinter Term brought us white-capped peaks, ski-options and “great expectations” as thewaiting period for university offers dragged onwards. Finally, the beginning of the SummerTerm welcomed warmer weather and prepared IB candidates to campus and offers ofadmission from universities and colleges from around the world.The Upper Sixth considered studying in several locations, focusing mainly on the UnitedStates, Switzerland and Europe including the United Kingdom, France and Spain. Of the51 students in the form, 30 (59%) sent 177 applications to the US, 39% applied to the UK,and 25 students also applied to universities in Switzerland and the rest of Europe. Therewas signifi cant overlap in these categories, of course, as students hoped to have offersin multiple locations from which they could choose their desired place for undergraduatestudy at the appropriate time.Students applied to eight different countries and earned half a million dollars in four yearacademic scholarship offers in the USA.The following list of colleges and universities includes the acceptances received by theUpper Sixth Form this year, keeping in mind that the UK offers are conditional, and basedon fi nal IB marks......................................................................................SGIS Forensics andDebating Competitionby Wildon Kaplan (Alpina)On Saturday, 21stand Sunday 22ndApril, twelveAiglon studentsranging fromThird Form toLower Sixth Formparticipated inthe 6th AnnualSwiss Group ofInternational Schools (SGIS) Forensics andDebating Competition at The InternationalSchool of Geneva’s La Châtaigneraie campus.We participated in a variety of different eventswhich included duet acting, oral interpretationof literature, debating, impromptu speaking,the presentation of an original oratory andextemporaneous speaking.Throughout the event, Aiglon’s team not onlymade it to the fi nal round in 5 out of the 8categories, but also showed a high level ofmaturity, enthusiasm, and respect. Aiglon’sentire team learned a great deal from thisweekend and we hope to do even better in nextyear’s competition. We would like to thank MsJeffery, Ms Webb, Ms Marcenaro, Ms Larsen,Ms Thompson and Mr Torrance for their supportin making the weekend so successful.Congratulations to the winners:Wildon Kaplan and Nicole Pistilli: 2 nd placein Senior Debating. Luke Naji: 2 nd placein Oral Interpretation of Literature. EgorShakhnovskiy: 3 rd place in ExtemporaneousSpeakingParticipants: Shannon Paige (Third Form), LeilaMalek (Fourth Form), Dmytro Kovtonyuk (FourthForm), Nicole Nwokolo (Fifth Form), PolinaStepanova (Lower Sixth Form), Wildon Kaplan(Lower Sixth Form), James Stevenson (LowerSixth Form), Nicole Pistilli (Lower Sixth Form),Luke Naji (Lower Sixth Form), Egor Shakhnovskiy(Lower Sixth Form), Khalifa Alghunaim (LowerSixth Form), Jan Schnewlin (Lower Sixth Form).12 sharing news with the wider college communityUNITED STATES and CANADAAmerican UniversityBabson CollegeBard CollegeBentley UniversityBoston CollegeBoston UniversityBryant UniversityChapman UniversityDuke UniversityEmerson CollegeFlorida Institute of TechnologyFordham UniversityHofstra UniversityLehigh UniversityLynn UniversityMcGill UniversityMenlo CollegeNew York UniversityNortheastern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityParsons School of Art and DesignRochester Institute of TechnologySarah Lawrence CollegeSkidmore CollegeSuffolk UniversityTrinity CollegeUniversity of MA - BostonUniversity of MiamiUniversity of MichiganUniversity of the PacificUniversity of PittsburghUniversity of San DiegoUniversity of WashingtonVassar CollegeWheaton CollegeWorcester Polytechnic InstituteEUROPEAmerican University of Paris (France)IE University (Spain)SWITZERLANDBusiness School LausanneEcole Hôtelière de LausanneGlion Institute of Higher EducationUniversité de Lausanne - HECWebster University, GenevaUNITED KINGDOMCity UniversityEuropean Business SchoolExeter UniversityGoldsmiths University of LondonHeythrop College, University of LondonImperial College LondonKensington College of BusinessKing’s College LondonKingston University LondonLondon Metropolitan UniversityLoughborough UniversityLondon School of EconomicsQueen Mary, University of LondonRegent’s American College LondonRichmond - The American Int. University in LondonRoyal Holloway, University of LondonSchool of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)University of LondonUniversity College London (UCL)University of BathUniversity of East AngliaUniversity of HullUniversity of KentUniversity of LeedsUniversity of OxfordUniversity of SouthamptonUniversity of WestminsterAiglon Today

Aiglon alumni support current studentsby Rachel Davies, Alumni Relations ManagerAiglon College hosts an alumni speaker programme and theWinter Term saw three alumni return to campus keen to offersupport and advice to our current students.Raymond Merz (’76), President of Friends of Aiglon CollegeCanada, spent a busy two days at the end of March re-engagingwith his Aiglon experience and engaging with the current studentexperience. Raymond met students, attended meditation andInternational Baccalaureate classes in maths and physics.A graduate of MIT, Raymond went on to complete his postgraduatedegrees at McGill University and the University of Toronto, andas an offi cial volunteer and Educational Counsellor for MIT heregularly interviews prospective applicants to MIT in the Torontoarea. Raymond was keen to share his expertise and advice withAiglon’s current students on applying to university and ways inwhich they could tailor and strengthen their applications to theirchosen schools. We thank Raymond for his very informative sessionto Fifth, Lower and Upper Sixth Form students and for the invaluableadvice on good interview techniques.We were also delighted to welcome Friends of Aiglon CollegeEurope Board Member Charlotte de Brabandt (’05) back tocampus to address the Erasmus Society on the topic of ‘BusinessInnovation’.Richard McDonald, Head Master with Raymond Merz (’76) FOACCanada PresidentRaymond Merz (’76) mentoring current studentsCharlotte joined VW Group’s International Management graduateprogramme and as part of the programme lived in Beijing fora year. She is now responsible for the Group’s procurement ininnovative technologies within the electrical world of ‘AutomotiveInfotainment’. Charlotte discussed her current responsibilities, thefuture of innovation and opportunities for entrepreneurs, her careerpath and her involvement in charitable work - a passion whichbecame deeply embedded during her time as a student at Aiglon.We thank Charlotte for her careers advice and for her inspiringpresentation.Alvaro Menendez Ucelay (’09) is currently a student at IEUniversity Spain and is an offi cial ambassador for the university.He returned to campus especially to present his research, toprovide informationto current studentsabout the universityand to give advice onmaking successfulapplications. Alvarohas now started hisinternship at theArchitects JournalMagazine and we lookforward to his nextpresentation and visitto campus.Alvaro Menendez Ucelay (’09) and fellowgraduate Marie Harfjeld (’09)Charlotte de Brabandt (’05) with the Erasmus Society, Head Masterand Esmond Tweedie, Master in ChargeMary Sidebottom, Director of Admissions and Rachel Davies, AlumniRelations Manager welcome Charlotte de Brabandt (’05)Aiglon Today sharing news with the wider college community13

George Logie entertaining at the Burns SupperThe Burns Supper in Exeter HallOn the slopes...Enjoying excellent conditions14

Reading CompetitionJunior SchoolThe technology challengeA healthy mind in a healthy bodyby Didier Boutroux, Junior School HeadmasterWhat a splendid Winter Term! In myexperience the snow conditions haverarely been so good. Our very ableteam of ski instructors continued towork hard to improve both the skillsand stamina of our budding DidierCuches. Indeed many a convincing resultwas achieved and they all deserve ourcongratulations for their efforts. Thewonderful weather conditions (despite thevery cold spell) also enhanced the qualityof what we were able to achieve in ourexpedition programme, ensuring therewas plenty of powder for ski touring andthe cross-country ski tracks were kept inimmaculate shape. The Winter Term isalways one when the children becometired easily and the weekly respite wehave on Sundays is more than welcome.In the meantime, we did not neglect thecore activity of the Junior School, namelyacademic work. At the end of term, theRoumiantzeff Cup is presented to thestudent who has managed to improveconsiderably on the ski slopes andsimilarly to make good progress in theclassroom. This cup reaffi rms our goalto develop a healthy mind in a healthybody and last term it was awarded toDarina Satdinova. Clearly we appear tobe achieving this if the number of Meritand Honour diplomas is anything to goby; more of these were awarded thanin previous terms. Our efforts to developa spiritual dimension to the students’lives have been supported by a series ofenjoyable and thought-provoking Chapelservices, which the vast majority of ourstudents seem not only to enjoy but fromwhich they also gain tremendous benefit.We are very much looking forward to ourSummer Parents’ Weekend production,adapted from “The Witches” by RoaldDahl and which has kept a sizeable castvery busy. It is shaping up nicely and I verymuch hope that most of you will be ableto attend one of the two performances.This is an excellent opportunity to use thedifferent skills and obvious acting talentthat many of our children appear to have.A varied and entertaining sportsprogramme also took place during thecourse of last term in the splendid newTony Jashanmal Sports Centre mostevenings after dinner, which enabled manyJuniors to enjoy the variety of activitieson offer and expend some of the pent-upenergy they seem to have!Traditionally, especially in the Winter Term,we also like to offer a series of ‘culturalactivities’, which started with the bestBurns Supper we have had so far andduring which our Juniors merrily joinedin some Scottish dancing and tasted aScottish haggis. Another week saw a bingoevening which provided everyone withexcitement and enjoyment in support ofour Wamba Hospital project. For the firsttime this year a technology challenge washeld which proved very amusing, creativeand successful.On a more serious note, our First Formerstook part in a reading competition, whichgives everyone the chance to stand upin front of their peers and deliver theirchosen passage in the most convincingand entertaining manner. A Green Councilactivity evening enabled everyone toreflect on environmental global issues andsustainable development through watchingan informative DVD and then joining inpractical exercises. Finally, on the lastWednesday of term, we held our JuniorSchool inter-house games evening at theSports Centre.This incredibly busy life which is offeredto our boys and girls can only take placethanks to the dedication of our teacherswho are happy to give up their free timeto create these many opportunities. Oncemore I would like to express my gratitudeto all the Junior School teachers andtutors, not forgetting the Houseparents andDeputy Houseparents who have the heavyresponsibility of caring for their charges.Aiglon Today sharing news with the wider college community15

On safariNicole, Rayan, Parviz and Francesca with their guideThe Round Square International ConferenceAlumni eventOn safari16

Our Kenyan Diary and the Round SquareInternational Conference 2012At the end of the Winter Term, four students accompanied by Round Square Co-ordinator Mr Peter Willettset off to explore Kenya and attend the Round Square International Conference in Nairobi.“Tails of Africa”by Peter Willett, Round Square Co-ordinatorThe idea of going on a safari for me is fi lledwith clichés. Hot burning heat, dust, safarihats, bumpy roads and sipping cool drinks atthe end of the day whilst watching the sungo down. Seeing wild animals in their naturalhabitat and taking photographs of their behindsas the vehicles scare them away, these typeof pictures are called “tails of Africa”. I wasnot disappointed and although I did manage toget some great photographs the clichés werefulfi lled. How wonderful to experience them asI realised how lucky we were to witness thosescenes that may not be there forever unless theuniqueness of the African wildlife is protected.I had the privilege of travelling with NicoleWidmer, Francesca Raffaelli, ParvizAbbasov and Rayan Tabbara to Kenya. Wewere so fortunate to have the opportunityto climb the formidable Mount Kisagou: themountain stands at 1860 meters high risingfrom the flat plan of the Kenyan bush. It can beseen for miles around. We visited huge animalsanctuaries and saw giraffe, elephant, buffaloand ostrich and also went on night safari. Whenyou shine the vehicle lights out into the darkthere are lots of little and sometimes big eyeslooking back at you! We saw a bush baby, hareand a variety of other small night creatures.We also saw larger animals during the day:one herd of elephants numbered twelve andincluded a four week old baby. We saw threehundred strong herds of Cape buffalo and evensaw a pride of lions which had just killed abuffalo, guarding it and resting after a big feed.As we arrived at Brook House School in Nairobifor the Round Square International Conferencewe were met by drums, colourfully dresseddancers and Masai warriors. The conferenceweek had a wide variety of activities andstudents walked in game reserves, took partin team building exercises, visited animalsanctuaries and got a feel for what Kenya hasto offer. All commented on how friendly theKenyan people were and welcoming despitetheir hard way of life. Students worked atdifferent locations around the suburbs ofNairobi and witnessed some of the abjectpoverty that people live in. These experiencesmade even more poignant by the fact thateveryone they met were happy and positivedespite their living conditions.The conference theme, ‘No Existence withoutCo-existence’ ran throughout the activities ofthe week. Some of the speakers gave movingspeeches about the confl ict between man andanimals on the continent of Africa. One of themost amazing things to witness as an adultwas the interaction of students from aroundthe globe. Their age, optimism and educationmeant they had no qualms in getting to knowpeople from very different places and cultures.By the end of the week many new friendshipshad been made and some tears were shed ondeparture day.It was a privilege to have spent over two weekswith four outstanding Aiglon students and to beable to share experiences. The Round Squareorganisation is a great one to belong to and asit grows it is looking to expand its involvementin other areas including alumni projects andprojects for parents and students.For more information please visit:www.roundsquare.orgAt Starehe Boys CentreOn Safariby Parviz Abbasov (Alpina)We arrived inKenya on 24th ofMarch. Most ofus hadn’t beento Kenya before,so as soon as welanded at NairobiInternationalAirport, we werevery excitedand keen toexplore. We set off from the airport looking outof the windows of the bus and trying to seeeverything. Our lodge was situated next to aGiraffe Sanctuary - it was really relaxed andnicely decorated. We sang “Happy Birthday” toMr Willett and had an amazing fi rst day.The next morning we had an early breakfastand met our guides Tim and Sam. We had todrive six hours to reach our camp destination.On the way, we stopped and met Sam’s workpartner Paolo and we tried some African foodwhich was really tasty.Aiglon Today sharing news with the wider college community17

On the way to our camp, everyone we saw onthe road was so kind and everyone said helloto us. The children were calling us “muzungu”which means “white people”. After the longdrive, we arrived and met the owners Chrisand Christina. We went to get water soon afterand had to join a huge queue - there were alot of children waiting to fill up their buckets. Itshowed us how hard life is for them.On the 28th March we arrived at our nextdestination and stayed in a lodge called ‘Lion’sBluff’ and the following morning we set offearly on safari. We saw some amazing wildanimals including antelopes, buffalo, lions,crocodiles, elephants, zebras and giraffes.Some we saw really closely and it was reallyinteresting and scary sometimes! We saw alion eating a buffalo! We really enjoyed ourtime on safari.Then we set off for Mombasa where we stayedat Tim’s house which was amazing with afantastic pool and an ocean view. We reallyenjoyed our time there.Marine Lifeby Rayan Tabbara (Alpina)After being onsafari, we wereexcited to begoing to thecoast. We drovefor six hoursand when wearrived we wereso exhausted.Nicole wassitting on thewindow seat so all the dust made her look likeshe was tanned but when she wiped her facethe towel was brown with dirt! As we enteredthe house, we saw the amazing view of theinfi nity pool and the sea. We immediatelyjumped into the pool; it was the best feeling!The next morning we drove to the marinafor some watersports where we enjoyedwake boarding, water skiing and rides on aninfl atable doughnut! Nicole and Francescastood up on their first try. Mr Willett had a tryon the doughnut and he lasted the longest!The following day we set off for Nairobi aftersome snorkelling. During this part of the tripwe were given a taste of Kenya’s marine lifeand conservation programmes. In particular wevisited a turtle sanctuary were they educatethe locals to help protect the turtle breedingbeaches. Then we set off for Malindi Airportwhere we said goodbye to our amazing guidesand took off for Nairobi to prepare for theConference.Alumni Dinnerby Francesca Raffaelli (Exeter)During the secondweek of ourtrip to Kenya,we travelledfrom Malindito Nairobi. Wewent from anuncomfortable30 degrees onthe coast toa pleasant 20degrees in the city. We were all very tired fromthe long journey, but we were excited to havedinner with past Aiglonians.Dinner was in one of the best hotels in Nairobi,The Norfolk Hotel, and we chatted with variouspast students. The dinner was informal to helpcurrent students and the past students interactwith each other with ease. Our Head MasterMr McDonald joined us as well and had thepleasure of meeting some of his old students.The Aiglon Alumni shared their knowledgeand experience through stories of their timeat school and entertained us with tales ofthemselves when they were our age. Thecommon talk at dinner was how differentAiglon has become in just 20 years. We liked tocompare and talk about the new buildings thatwere not built when they were students. We alltook some pictures to commemorate this greatevent and to be able to share this opportunitywe had with others. We all enjoyed this dinnerso much, it was interesting and we all learneda lot.As a current Aiglonian I would be really happyif Aiglon could continue to organise eventssimilar to this for past students. This experiencehas opened my eyes to how much I will missAiglon in the future and how Aiglon becomesyour home.‘No Existence withoutCo-existence’by Nicole Widmer (Exeter)The RoundSquareInternationalConference washeld at BrookHouse School.The theme of theconference was‘No Existencewithout Coexistence’.When we arrived on Monday 2nd April,the students, teachers and a Masai bandperforming traditional African dance withmusic, warmly welcomed us. We registered,joined tours and activities, attended a concertby Eric Wainaina, an African Singer loved bythe Brook House students, and quickly madefriends. We stayed with host families and withother students who were all very welcomingand kind.For the offi cial opening ceremony, we alldressed in our school uniforms. The display wasremarkable! The ceremony was followed by theconference photo and we stood in the shapeof Kenya with a real life cheetah at the front.After lunch the keynote speaker talked aboutgovernance in Africa. We then had our “baraza”- a group of people from different schools whogather to discuss the speakers’ forum. Therewere 20 baraza groups all with different coloursand important leadership fi gures.Wednesday 4th April marked the start of twodays of adventure. We were split into groups:we did river rafting, team building tasks, visitedan orphanage and game ranch in Nanyuki andwent on safari. When we returned to BrookHouse, we had free time to socialise withour new friends and relax after our excitingadventures.Friday 6th April was service day. We visitedanimal orphanages and others saw theslums of Nairobi. After returning we enjoyeda carnival which had food stands, Masaimarkets, camel rides and performances fromstudents representing their nationality andschool. During the conference we also visiteda giraffe centre, an elephant orphanage, dida safari walk and visited the Nairobi NationalPark for the Prince Alexander Fund lunch. Thisis a lunch where a representative from eachschool attends to present the funds they haveraised for Round Square international serviceprojects. I represented Aiglon College and satat the same table as the former Vice-Presidentof Kenya. After the lunch and the wildlife visitswe returned for the closing ceremony. Whenthe time came to go back to our host familieseveryone said their emotional goodbyes.Our last visit was to Starehe Boys Centre. LewisMcDonald and I interviewed three boys whowould like to join Aiglon College withMr Willett and Mr McDonald. Two formerStarehe boys who are also Aiglon alumniwhom we had met at the alumni dinner: MartinGikunda (’99) and Wilson Maina (’06) alsojoined the panel. We then made our way to theairport where we said goodbye to Kenya andbegan our journey home.18sharing news with the wider college communityAiglon Today

AIGLON COLLEGESwitzerland1885 ChesièresAvenue CentraleSwitzerlandTel: +41 (0)24 496 6161Fax: +41 (0)24 496 6162info@aiglon.chwww.aiglon.chIMPRIMEUR: ARTGRAPHIC CAVIN SA // GRAPHISTE: LEIGH MERCHANT // MAY 2012