GstaadLife

Gstaad International School has just announced plans for a luxurious new campus within Hotel Alpine Lodge.  Located between Saanen and Gstaad, the hotel is is comprised of two chalets, indoor and outdoor pools and a modern fitness centre. In the next few months, it will be partially transformed to integrate bright, spacious classrooms and common rooms. While Alpine Lodge will continue to operate as a hotel, attracting guests throughout the year, it will over time house the school's older pupils.

“The acquisition of Alpine Lodge is a natural step for Gstaad International School,’ commented Mark Malley, CEO of Bellevue Education Group, which acquired the school in 2012. “The school already offers a unique learning experience for its pupils; now they will benefit from unrivalled facilities and accommodation.”

Home to several of the finest international schools in the world, the Gstaad/Saanenland region has been offering a first-class education for over 100 years. While the famed Le Rosey and John F. Kennedy International School host a majority of pupils, the petite Gstaad International School proves good things come in small packages.  The school, which recently became a Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) member, has historically maintained low pupil numbers and small class sizes for a personalised learning environment. 

An open reception will be hosted at Alpine Lodge on Saturday, June 29. Residents are welcome to learn more about Gstaad International School and its educational philosophy at the event, as well as connect with staff and administration. The Gstaad community is very important to the school, insists Executive Headmaster Christopher Sanderson, who hopes to strengthen existing ties by closely engaging with residents and local businesses.

An official public invitation is expected to follow with further details.

A new chapter has opened not only with the JFK international school but also with its previous managers - the Lovell's. Well, Bill, Sandy, Bryce and Vicktoria Lovell started their own company - Lovell Camps which offer boys and girls from around the globe both summer and winter holidays. They told us that these camps combine sport, language, and outdoor and cultural excursions. More after the jump.

The Hotel Arc-en-Ciel in Gstaad is celebrating its 50th anniversary this Saturday October 22 2011 from 11:00 till 17:00. You can have a look behind the scenes, there will be music, a lucky wheel, pony riding, face painting, a bouncy castle, the famous electric cars, and a special pizza oven for the kids.

BEMO (Bewegte Momente) is happening again - Sunday October 23 2011 from 10h00 to 13h00 at the school sports center between Saanen and Gstaad. They bring out every bit of sports equipment you can think of and the children can use everything for free. Parents are responsible for their little ones so you cannot just dump them there - but lots of fun is guaranteed and they will sleep soundly that night.

Is it getting harder and harder to convince your teenagers to come up and slow down in Gstaad? Well now they don't have to slow down, with the July 16 opening of the new skatepark in Oeyetli-Saanen (on the other side of the field beside the river opposite the Eggli-Saanen skilift). The skateboard club of Saanenland is also holding training sessions for all-comers every Thursday from 18h00 to 19h30. 

At a John F Kennedy School informational meeting this past Saturday June 11 2011 at the Hotel Landhaus in Saanen, Peter Livanos, school parent and Greek shipping tycoon, announced that directors Bill and Sandy Lovell are retiring after 40 years of service. Gareth Davies, a highly-experienced international educator and school director, has been appointed the new headmaster starting in August 2011. While rumors have been swirling in the community for some time of Livanos' impending "takeover" of the Saanenland's famous old English-speaking school, Livanos explained that he was acting merely as a facilitator for the school's transition from private to public ownership, convincingly dispelling rumors that he was buying the school. In fact the school is to be entirely owned by the John F Kennedy School Foundation, a partnership between the school and the commune of Saanen.  The foundation is a registered Swiss non-profit and tax-exempt organization (Reg. No. CH-092.7.014.596-3) that has been created to provide funding for building projects, new programs and scholarships. A nine-member board of trustees controls the foundation, and the management of the school has been turned over to a professional team. 

The Institut Le Rosey has been in search of a new area for its Gstaad campus for a while now, and believes it has found it in the form of Schönried Erli (above the village of Schönried on the Rellerli side). Pictured above is a mock-up of how the campus is expected to look, a project which will be a joint effort of architects Benz Hauswirth GmbH, Jaggi & Partner AG and Chaletbau Matti AG. They have conceived a campus that looks like a mini-village with numerous buildings in the local chalet style set around a village square. The village itself will include living quarters for about 450 students and 100 teachers as well as the classrooms, cafeteria, sports facilities, and a parking garage for about 75 cars. The only discussion point amongst locals is the Hubelstrasse which is simply too narrow at parts for the kind of traffic expected. More as we have it.

 
Fantastic kids program at earlybeck - last Wednesday April 6 kids were able to decorate an Easter bunny and make their own out of chocolate at the factory between Saanen and Rougemont. They only advertised this great idea with flyers in their shops but we hear there are still a few places left for the same thing in Le Grand Café in Château-d'Oex on Saturday April 16 2011. It is SFr 15 per participant, takes about an hour and a half, and is really a ton of fun. They even learn quite a bit. For reservations call 033 748 70 48. Kids should be 5 years-old but we saw younger ones doing it with the help of an adult. More pics after the jump.

The winter season 2011 is over, skiing is just not much fun any more on the slushy slopes but your beloved little ones still need to get their energy out of their bodies somehow. Here is the solution for this weekend. The school sport center between Saanen and Gstaad is open this Sunday from 10h00 to 13h00 for kids up to 10 years old. They bring out every bit of sports equipment you can think of and the children can use everything for free. Parents are responsible for their little ones so you cannot just dump them there - but lots of fun is guaranteed and they will sleep soundly that night. 
 
 

Unbelievable but true - it's been 40 years since Bill and Sandy Lovell started the JFK International School in Saanen. Last week the celebrations started and the Lovell's were surprised by a cook book created by the parent association. There is also some big renovation coming up in the old Saanen school house. Check out the foundations newsletter. Some more pics after the jump.