The first annual “LAS Dorm Olympics” extravaganza was an exciting prelude to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. On February 10th, school spirit reached new heights as student-dorms competed against each other in various athletic, educational and talent competitions. Students swapped school uniforms for themed outfits ranging from “Whacky and Tacky” to shaved heads and mohawks.

The fun began with the LAS Quiz Bowl where students went head-to-head in a trivia game during Wednesday Assembly. The event was hosted by Mr. Hugh Kelly, Spanish and Social Studies Teacher and Beau Reveil Dorm Head, and Mrs. Suzanne Meyskens, Beau Site Dorm Head, while Academic Affairs Assistant Jamie Black kept score. Boys and girls were judged separately in order to have two champions. The game went into overtime due to a tie between Savoy and Beau Reveil Boys. In a tiebreaker series of questions, Beau Reveil took first prize of 100 points.  Belle Époque girls won, also gaining 100 points.

Following the Quiz Bowl, students departed for Lower Sporting in Leysin Village for athletic games and competitions. Dorms competed in basketball knock-out, ping-pong, curling, indoor soccer and chess. Faculty members supervised each activity.

The next event consisted of “Dorm Visits” from Associate Dean of Students, Mr. Tim Weir and Mr. Rich Tyler, Dean of Students. Dorms were checked for overall cleanliness and several rooms were selected at random for a closer inspection. The boys of Savoy and the girls of Beau Site were the winners.

The final event of the 2010 LAS Dorm Olympics was “Does Your Dorm Have Talent?” Students from each dorm performed in a talent show during Wednesday Assembly.

More Pictures from the 2010 LAS Dorm Olympics:

Next week kicks off Dorm Olympics at LAS and students are getting excited for the school-wide contest. Wednesday, February 10th kicks-off of the two-week event and will include various athletic, academic and talent competitions. The fun will begin at assembly next Wednesday with the LAS Quiz Bowl where three members from each dorm will compete against each other. Then students will move down Lower Sport for hands-on athletic fun, including a knockout basketball championship, ping-pong, curling matches, indoor soccer and chess.

Boys and girls will be scored separately in different championships, one for boys dorms and one for girls dorms.

Photo by Thomas Padick, Multimedia Teacher

Cast members of the spring production, “Little Shop of Horrors” had their first official rehearsal last Wednesday in preparation for the April production. Held in Savoy’s Black Box Theatre, Director Carolyn Swanson was excited about this year’s talent.

Stay tuned for more updates on the spring play.

Photo by Tim Weir, Associate Dean of Students

Students received great news during their first period classes…

Faculty announced a SKI DAY to take advantage of the powder and favorable conditions on the mountain. Students exchanged their books for snow gear and hit the slopes in sunny Leysin.

Ski days are awarded when the greater school community is meeting expectations, skiing conditions are favorable, and there is no inconvenience to institutional functioning.

Last year's snowshoeing group

A group of five LAS students and two teachers will snowshoe up the Berneuse on February 25th to raise money for a service trip to Nepal. The 6kms trek will begin in Leysin Village (1268m) and end at the summit of La Bernuese (2048m), aiming to simulate the physical challenge and mandatory team work facing them this spring.  The Berneuse Snowshoe Challenge is a major event in a series of fundraisers for the 2010 “Nepal Shelter for Life Project.”

During the trip students will provide the poor village of Mugu with clean energy to curb the young mortality rate and to directly better the lives of villagers by installing smokeless stoves and solar panels.

The optional spring break trip is part of our unique curriculum which combines formal study with travel.

The group needs your help!

You can help by pledging upon the team’s successful snowshoe trek to La Berneuse. Their goal is to raise CHF 16′000 toward the overall cost of solar panels, smokeless stoves and their transport by helicopter to the region. Your donation, however small or large, will make small steps towards making the world a more equitable place.

Please feel free to contact Laura Sommariva or Erin Dobson for more information. You can also learn more about the 2010 Nepal Shelter For Life Project by visiting www.las.ch/lifestyle/nepal.html .

Students:

• SaraOlivia Granberger (Switzerland)
• Richard Goto (USA)
• Simon Romano (Mexico)
• Swanee Messerli (Switzerland)
• Beth Donaldson (Scotland)

Teachers:

• Laura Sommariva (Teacher of Mathematics)
• Erin Dobson (Teacher of Science)

Photos by Ethan Harris, Alpine Ski Team Coach and

Athletic Director/Activities Coordinator

The Goats hit the slopes Tuesday for their first competitive ski race which was cut short due to foggy weather. Despite uncontrollable difficulties, younger members of the team skied well at the  Category B SGIS ski race in Morgins. The second run was cancelled due to heavy fog so racers had to rely on their first run for rankings. The boys narrowly missed the podium by just a few points. Valentin Sigrist had the team’s best result, finishing in 6th place overall. The full team will compete this Sunday, Jan. 31st at the SGIS Championships in Villars.

MORGINS Ski Race RESULTS: JAN. 26

Boys

6th Place – Valentin Sigrist (Switzerland)

14th Place – Michael Schobitz (Germany)

16th Place – Dylan Sanden (Switzerland)

17th Place – Kurt Ko (Taiwan)

Girls

12th Place – Shoko Oguchi (Japan)

Category B SGIS Ski Race in Morgins

]]> http://www.las.ch/general-news/2010/01/goats-first-ski-race-stunted-by-weather/feed/ 0 http://www.las.ch/general-news/2010/01/267/ http://www.las.ch/general-news/2010/01/267/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:45:34 +0000 Admissions News Admin http://www.las.ch/?p=267

Photos by JJ Morrissey, Student Conduct Coordinator and

Eden Dorm Head

LAS raised over CHF 3′000 for victims of the Haiti earthquake Tuesday through a dual-campus bakesale. Faculty and friends donated baked goods while students helped make crepes after a long day of skiing. Sales were held at both “The Cave” in the Belle Epoque Campus, and “The Fishbowl” down in Savoy. LAS raised a total of CHF 3′415.

Organized by: Emma Alexander, Assistant College Counselor

Special Thanks to: Mr. & Mrs. Hanowitz, Adriana La Lime, Gregory Marks, Ms. Puffer, Sara Gomes and Alayibo Semenitari.

The event’s proceeds will be donated to Partners in Health.

Partners in Health (PIH) works to bring modern medical care to poor communities around the world. It has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. Based in Boston, PIH employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, including doctors, nurses and community health workers.

Photos by Mahmoud Soliman

Students hit the slopes this week for their first taste of Ski-Term. Over the weekend, students were divided into groups based on level and experience and will continue with lessons every Tuesday and Thursday as part of our unique winter curriculum.

A school-provided annual pass allows unlimited access to the Leysin and regional slopes. Our ski and snowboard teams compete against other international schools.

Last week marked the beginning of a mentoring program between juniors and seniors of the Belle Epoque and 8th and 9th graders of Eden. Dubbed “The Big Brother Program” by its founders Mr. Ted Groom, Dorm Head of Belle Epoque, and Mr. James Morrissey, Dorm Head of Eden, the group met for a pizza dinner and then it was on to Chateaux D’Oex for some bowling!

The winning team was awarded free kebabs from the very popular Kebab de Troie in Leysin.

The program will continue throughout the second semester and will serve to connect the Belle Epoque and Savoy campuses, providing our youngest students with role models to promote growth and maturity.

On Thursday, Jan. 14, students took on the teachers in a series of volleyball matches held in the Goathouse. Members of the girls team played against the female staff, the boys took on the elders, and the last contest was a co-ed match-up.

Women’s faculty beat the girls while the boys varsity team beat the men 2-1 in a three-series match. Students made donations of 5chf (and were able to miss Study Hall) with all proceeds going to the Nepal fundraising campaign.

In March 2010, a group of LAS students and teachers will travel to a remote area of Nepal to help families in need of clean area in their homes. They will install solar panels to provide energy for cooking and lighting, which will replace smoke-producing ovens that pollute the breathing air in their native dwellings. Students raised about 1000 CHF. The group’s next fundraising event is the Bernuse Snowshoe Challenge.

If you wish to make a donation to the Nepal fundraising campaign, please contact Erin Dobson (edobson@las.ch).

Ski season is upon us and the Goats are getting ready to head to the hills! Students ski and snowboard two afternoons a week as part of our unique winter curriculum.

Our adapted winter schedule allows LAS students to exploit the natural beauty of Leysin and the elevated mountainside on which we live.  The kids have the opportunity to ski and snowboard up to 4 days a week, providing great exercise, challenging experiences, clean air and lots of fun!

A Ski Off this weekend, Jan. 18-19, will arrange all LAS students into various levels of skiers and snowboarders based on ability and safety. Lessons begin the following week on every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon for the next two months.

Our competitive program includes about thirty students who will compete as members of the Alpine Ski Team, the Freestyle Ski Team and the Freestyle Snowboard Team.

See you on the slopes!

Boys Varsity Championship Team

The Boys Varsity Basketball team wrapped up a stellar season by overcoming the odds and beating defending champions College de Leman in the conference finals.

The team went undefeated this season until they reached the ADISR finals, nonetheless still earning a respectable 2nd place in the league.

The following weekend in the SGIS Championship (Nov. 28-29), the team beat or tied some elite schools to arrive again in the final game. After several lead changes in a high-intensity title game, the Goats won by two points (45-43) and clinched the SGIS Conference Championship.

Congrats to Coach Weir and the boys!

The Boys Soccer team, coached by Jamie Black, followed up last year’s winning campaign with an even more successful season, going undefeated until the ADISR semi-finals. They finished 1st in the Mountain Division, but lost a tough game in the semi-final match against College du Leman of Geneva. However, their win against Brillantmont-Lausanne earlier in the season meant the team kept 3rd place overall, a very respectable result in this competitive league.

Boys Football Team

The Girls Soccer team finished 2 and 4 this season in the ADISR league, but performed much better than the record shows. The squad, led by new coach Paul Fomalont, played well as a team and raised the level of their game. It showed when they earned 3rd place at the Basel Indoor Soccer Tournament, the team’s best result in many years.

Girls Football Team

Coach Hitchcock’s Boys Volleyball Team has developed into a perennial powerhouse. In the last 3 years his team has either won or been runner up in the SGIS Championship, as was the case this year when the team brought home silver medals in this competitive tournament. In the ADISR league, the boys took 3rd place. Most of the squad will be returning for another run at the title next year.

Boys Volleyball Team

The Girls Varsity Volleyball team, coached Tim Sloman and Kristin Montgomery, finished 5th in the SGIS Championship, while the JV squad had an amazing tournament and ended up with bronze medals. Coach Irina Kurenkova was extremely impressed with how her team played.

Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball Team

A new sport this year is Rugby, and the boys (coached by Richard Tyler & Joe Gold) learned how to play the game from scratch. They played with heart and soul and showed the other teams that LAS is a force to be reckoned with. They came from behind to beat Le Rosey in their first game of the season.

Rugby Team

Coach Laura Sommariva and the Lady Goats of the Girls Basketball team had tremendous season. This Cinderella squad earned medals in all of their endeavors: 3rd place at the SGIS tournament, 3rd place overall in the ADISR league, and 2nd place at the Zurich Invitational at the end of the season.

Girls Basketball Team

The Boys Basketball teams, both JV and Varisty, were led by new coach Tim Weir to stellar seasons. The JV team won all their friendly matches and the Varsity squad won 9 consecutive games, stood alone atop the Mountain Division, and played in the ADISR final match. Read the next posting to see how the boys fared in the title league game and in the SGIS Championship…

Boys Junior Varsity Team