Philippa at her daughter’s graduation in Bath, UK last month
When we heard that Philippa Dobree-Carey had written a book about how to manoeuvre children into a university, we had to know more! We asked her to answer the following questions and she has even offered a great lifetime discount on her membership subscription.
Why did you start? What has been the inspiration?
Having successfully installed my children, who graduated from high school in 2018 and 2020 into their respective universities in the UK and Switzerland, I realized my acquired knowledge could be a help to other parents and students who may be also be confused by what to do, what to buy, and where to even start. With each installation into student accommodation, and then packing them up at the end of the year, I made myself lists, tips and templates to remember for next time, which then turned into a really organized kit that we referred to in terms of inventory, not forgetting things, and remembering what NOT to take next time!
Have you been working on this idea forever, or was it something that came to you recently?
I had started to develop training materials which I pitched to the Ecolint La Chataigneraie campus with the intention of running a summer program for IB graduates, to prepare them with some life skills before going to university. While my children know how to cook, iron, stick to a budget and go food shopping, I was aware that their peers may not have the same knowledge! The school was interested in the project and while I was developing the course further to roll out in 2020, COVID-19 struck, and the school then had to cope with switching to remote learning, which threw a spanner in the works. I therefore switched gears, and started to note my ideas into a book format.
What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?
Timing and Technology! I work full time as a Change Management Coordinator for The Global Fund, therefore this was a personal project outside of working hours and at weekends. Obviously my strength and expertise lies in time and project management so the biggest obstacle was keeping my energy levels up, in addition to managing a household, settling two adult children in UK and Swiss universities, a husband, a puppy and all the organisation that those require! The second obstacle was technology – which has now increased and improved my skillset in terms of knowledge on publishing, website development and social media – although my children would beg to differ on the latter, so I let them handle that side of things! Tiktoks and being in front of a camera are not really my cup of tea!
As a follow up for our previous article that was very popular with our readers, here is some more fun French knowledge to have under your hat next time you need to sound more "like a local"! This excerpt from Know-it-all passport® 11th edition, pages 461-463, will help you fit in! Click here for part one that we published on the 15th August 2022!
Can you complete these sentences? Choose from these words to fill out the sentences*.
If you are having a staycation this year, it might be a good idea to see how good your French lingo is. Sometimes people try their hardest to speak French, but clearly are just translating from their own language. Maybe this excerpt from Know-it-all passport® 11th edition, pages 461-463, will help you fit in! Part two is published at this link.
Accents
Some French words change meaning with or without accents. In February 2016, the French Language Academy declared they were to simplify the French written language. However, it will be hard to implement!
stain = tache
task = tâche
young = jeune
fast from eating = jeûne
of the / Some = des
as of = dès
wall = mur
ripe = mûr
on = sur
sure / confident = sûr
or = ou
where = où
the = la
here = là
Masculine vs Feminine
Be careful if you accidently add the wrong gender to some words! You will change their meaning!
Wanting to know about the new bilingual English/French nursery that opened in 2021, we caught up with Julia Bentgens, Founder of MIS Geneva. There are a few spots still available to sign up your child to the upcoming summer camps. MIS Geneva is offering our knowitall.ch readers a 10% discount! Read on to find out how.
How did MIS Geneva get started?
The reason we started MIS Geneva is a sweet and personal story. After our daughter graduated, she lived in Geneva for five years working as a babysitter, among other jobs. When caring for the children, she would often sing, play, and take them on excursions in which she spoke in both German and English. The parents of the children often mentioned that it was a pity there were so few bilingual resources for young children in Geneva. The rest is history…
What is the story of MIS Geneva?
MIS is a bilingual learning institution with over 15 years of experience. We embrace the concept of a progressive kindergarten environment in which children learn to be independent, self-directed learners and develop confidence and compassion as global citizens. Learning multiple languages supports these ideals.
We have several kindergartens, and well as a Primary and Secondary school in Germany. The values of our school are to teach and support:
• Respect
• High quality
• Focus
• Love of challenge
• Inspiring teaching with structure and caring
• A comfortable and safe environment for children to grow
Montessori Seeds of Knowledge was started in 2011, where there were 12 students aged 3-6 in a classroom in Tartegnin, and 7 students aged 6-12 at a class in Les Fontaines, Nyon. By 2012, the school had grown to include a 3-6 classroom in Nyon as well. In 2015, the school needed to expand further and moved to Vich, where it stayed for 5 years. Then in the summer of 2021, the school moved to custom built premises in Etoy. With the recent move to an amazing space, it was time to catch up with the founder of the school, Marie Littman.
Why did you start the school?
When Madame Littman started working in education, she felt that the common focus of the school establishments was often on financial turnover or the needs of the adults. And so, it was her dream to create a school that was truly child centered, where the child was the absolute focus.
What was the inspiration?
When Madame Littman was doing her ecole educatrice training, she discovered the Montessori pedagogy, and thought it was absolutely marvellous. She was inspired to create a real Montessori school, where the adults were happy to come to work and the children were engaged in their work and wanted to attend.
What is the biggest obstacle that you have had to overcome?
Trying to find a beautiful building that could offer everything that the pedagogy requires and an outdoor space has been challenging. The buildings were either unsuitable or the communes were not keen on the idea of having a school set up in the proposed premises. Now the school has moved to Etoy, which is slightly outside of the Nyon area where the school had an established reputation, so we must start to build up the reputation again. However, the new premises are magnificent with lots of light and space. Through this, Madame Littman’s dream is being realised. Currently, the new playground is being installed, and the children are very excited about this. Whilst the move has been challenging, with a new catchment area and lots of shipment delays due to the COVID pandemic, the student, parent and teaching community are very happy.
