What a year it has been for skiing! Although it didn’t necessarily snow any more than usual this winter, the persistently low temperatures meant that ski conditions remained excellent all season. It was nice to see so many students make good use of the Morzine trips to really challenge themselves and to extend the skills they learned at Les Mosses.

 Inter-House Sport

Inter-House competitions have followed a similar pattern with Atalanta winning everything ... the indoor football, the volleyball and the skiing.  It is not that Atalanta necessarily start competitions as favourites but they always seem to be organised and motivated on the day.  The competitions are however, always close and it will just take that little bit extra to turn the winner's ribbons into yellow or blue ones.  In the meantime, hats off to Atalanta for their amazing consistency.

Inter-School Sport

Back in January, a large squad of badminton players from St George's went to the SGIS championships in Geneva. This tournament has grown enormously since its inauguration and so it was an exceptional performance from Isabel Edwards that won her a silver medal for the third year in a row and from Olivia Perrin that earned her a semi-final spot.

Although the swim team temporarily disbanded mid-way through the term due to other commitments, it was not before they gave another first-class showing at the SGIS swimming championships in Basel. They came third out of ten competing schools and were the best-performing small school at the meeting. Juliet Pearce, Libby Urquhart-Ducharme, Chris Hutton, Edward Pearce (who was competing against boys several years older than himself) and Sara Bosshart all won medals from individual events.

The ski racing team took part in three competitions this year: the SGIS senior championships; the SGIS junior championships; and the ADISR championships. Our most successful racers were Martin Barrett and Adelaide Wood, who both won bronze medals in Villars, and Branden Stobbs who placed fifth in a highly-contested Category Three Boys’ race at the same venue.

The girls’ ski team deserves a special mention for always being so supportive of each other. We could all learn from their example when they cheer each other on and rejoice in one another’s success. Similarly, it is good to see St George’s students encouraging each other to try out new skills and reach new heights on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. This supportive attitude makes everyone more willing to take risks with their learning. On the ski slopes or in the classroom, we don’t make progress when we are anxious, conservative or fearful that others may mock our mistakes. We do make progress, however, when we receive support from our peers and thus feel we can be child-like, playful and daring.

 Enjoy the Spring break and take personal responsibility for making it an active one.

J. Hill