We started the past three academic years by welcoming one group of new students – the tenth graders. This year, for the first time since 2019, we are once again welcoming three groups of new students. As well as our new full-time students, we are very happy to receive visitors from Canada and Japan as part of our Exchange Program and Summer in Leysin (SIL) Program.
The dorms opened on Saturday, July 8, and despite a few delayed flights, all the students were able to get to Leysin on that day as scheduled. The next day, Sunday, the students had the day to unpack their belongings and to get used to their surroundings. All the new students received guidance in the morning from the dorm life committees on how to use the cafeteria at meal times, and in the afternoon guidance was given on how to use the facilities in the dorms. On Monday, we had an assembly, and students met all their teachers for the first time, and the focus was on orientation for academic matters. On Tuesday, 11th graders and SIL students started their classes, and 10th graders had one more day of orientation, guidance and team-building before they started their classes on Wednesday.
Everyone was experiencing something new – the 10th graders were in classes at KLAS for the first time. 11th graders were getting used to their new sections, and the MBP/AEP separation. And 12th graders, considered SIL students with the Canadian and Japanese visitors, were experiencing a program and syllabus that none of them had even seen other students take before.
After so much new information in a few short days, very warm weather and some jetlag, students were certainly ready for their first weekend when it arrived, and we were able to start that weekend with a delicious buffet banquet as a formal welcome of all the students.
In addition to the start of classes and activities, Saturday excursions have been arranged for 10th graders to see sights of local interest in Switzerland, and older students have been able to get a taste of both local culture and of cultures in neighbouring countries. Faculty families have been enjoying events such as barbecues, hikes, an outdoor adventure park and meals. Clubs have started meeting for practices, usually on Friday evenings and Sundays, so students certainly have plenty of things to keep them busy throughout the week.
Furthermore, this year’s Kumon Summer School students were hosted in our dorms, and we hope that they enjoyed the longer program that had been created for them so that they can experience and learn many things about KLAS and our surroundings, and we hope that they choose to return to KLAS as full-time students in the future.
We are certainly off to a busy start, and we look forward to continuing this with an active, educational and rewarding year ahead.