A new international school will open its doors next September in Etoy, a small village in Vaud, located conveniently between Geneva and Lausanne. Enrolments have now started for the first phase of the GEMS World Academy - Etoy, which will accommodate up to 1,000 students in a new, purpose-built building, already nearing completion.
Managed by GEMS Education, the largest K-12 private school operator in the world, the new school will teach students primarily in English. Currently applying to be a "Candidate school”, GWA Etoy aims to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB), Primary Years (PYP) and Middle Years (MYP) programs to children aged from 3 (pre-K) through to 14 (Grade 8), and will expand in the future to include children up to the age of 18 (Grade 12).
Rob Curtis, European Marketing Manager at GEMS Education, told knowitall.ch,
“Founded in 1959, GEMS Education employs over 11,000 teachers, specialists and support staff worldwide, providing high quality, holistic education to more than 110,000 students, from 151 countries. Our new flagship school in Etoy will mark a GEMS first on the European mainland and will become part of GEMS Education’s expanding global network of award-winning schools.”
He added, “GEMS students have been accepted into some of the most prestigious universities and colleges around the world, including 12 out of the top 15 universities in the world. GEMS schools perform above the international averages in the International Baccalaureate for both average scores per student and the percentages of students passing the IB Diploma. The pass rate for GEMS schools is up to 12 per cent higher than the international pass rate.”
Being connected to a global network of award-winning schools will mean that teachers at GWA Etoy will have access to the GEMS Professional Development program - one of the most comprehensive education training programs of its type in the world. Not only will this program ensure the best possible academic outcomes for GEMS students, it will also enable GWA Etoy to attract and retain the highest caliber teaching and leadership staff.
By incorporating the very latest IT infrastructure and technology within the school, including wireless, multi-device access, GWA Etoy will provide students with a wide range of what it calls “higher order” learning opportunities. This means that children will, for example, be able to access expert teachers and virtual learning resources not only within the classroom, but also from the other side of the world! To help students become confident using the diverse selection of media that is shaping our new digital world, GWA Etoy will also have its own radio station, television/camera studio and music technology lab, all linked to a digital editing suite to create a complete production environment.
A purpose-built World Language Learning Center, open not only to students and staff but also parents and those in the wider community, will enable English, French, Spanish, German, Mandarin and Arabic to be learnt at the school. Recognizing that a wide range of learning techniques is often required in language learning, the school will offer a variety of learning programs – including real teachers - adapted to individual needs, including day, evening, weekend and holiday sessions, business and corporate language training, distance learning, language camps, overseas visits, links to sister GEMS programs and ICT integrated learning.
At the heart of the school will be a spacious "Discovery World" library, employing state-of-the-art computer and ICT resources to provide teachers and students with different options for personal study and group work. Video conferencing facilities will also be available in every classroom to allow pupils to collaborate with peers around the world and within the GEMS network. In addition, the school's Experiential Theatre - a large scale digital screen system with powerful audio - will create a unique, immersive learning and teaching environment.
When the school opens in September 2013, GWA Etoy will offer an impressive range of outdoor sports facilities, including an all-weather, under 18 competition-sized football/sports playing field, all weather Multi Use Games Areas (MUGA’s) that can accommodate a range of ball sports and other activities, and a 100m Sprint Track, with both High and Long Jump.
On completion of the multi-use Sports Centre, which is planned for 2014, there will be a large “double gym” for all indoor ball sports, and an indoor 25 meter, 8 lane pool with a children’s learning pool. An all-day restaurant/café will host parents and the local community. A full fitness club will also provide adults with weights/fitness facilitites and a spa. The Sports Centre will be open 7 days a week, 18 hours per day, and will be available for students before and after school, as well as to parents, families and the community by special arrangement.
As part of GWA Etoy’s commitment to using local suppliers, its dining experience will be provided by DSR, who have extensive experience in school catering. All schools for which DSR is the privileged caterer have adopted Switzerland’s “Junior Green Fork” label - a nutritional approach that ensures children get all the energy supplies they need for balanced growth and good health.
A key feature of GEMS Education’s philosophy is its commitment to parents. Robert told us, “GEMS understands that positive interaction between school and home are vital to a child’s development and education. We provide a variety of parent programs aimed at enhancing the relationship between parents, children and the school. In addition to before- and after-school programs until 19h00, there will be weekend and holiday programs – as well as an on-site clinic with dentist and doctor when the Sports Center is completed in 2014.”
He added, “Our acclimatization program is designed to orient parents quickly and easily into the new school and its environment. The school will also offer a range of ways in which parents can participate in the school and their children’s learning as well as integrate with other parents. This includes the GEMS Parental Engagement Program, which is so important to us that it even has its own website at www.gemsparents.com! Anybody thinking about sending their children to our school should really take a look at this website, to get a better idea of how a GEMS school operates, providing an education that enriches not only the lives of its students, but also the communities in which they live.”
GEMS World Academy – Etoy
www.gemsworldacademy-etoy.com
La Tuillière 18
1163 Etoy
Switzerland
021 964 18 18
079 568 83 45
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