Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2000 22:47:57 +0200

Subject: La Châtaigneraie, Founex

Dear Ron Forrest,

It has taken us some time to respond to your letters and we hope to have now avoided « the emotional impressions and secondary issues » you had mentioned. The following clearly indicates the choices we have made in order to prepare our child for "modern society by furthering the social and emotional development of the individual" (*).

Associated with the proximity of our local community, advantages such as an international opening of mind and an English/French campus environment had made us choose La Chât for both primary and secondary. Our child entered La Chât over seven years ago and is now in FLP class7.  She will be entering class 10 in September 2003, the turning point for the new campus at Grand Saconnex.

With at least 24 students, her class has always been full. 80% of those children have been the same for the past 4 years. Many in both FLP &ELP have been friends since class 1. "The programmes should be designed with the long-stay students in mind" states the Foundation's Principles for an International Education *. Most of those families will remain at La Chât for the entire primary and secondary school years.

To ensure their family an outstanding quality of life, most of the parents have bought homes near La Chât. The short distances allow time for wonderful healthy and cultural activities within the local community. Avoiding the unnecessary stress of long bus/car journeys on crowded highways, our child is on a swimming team, takes violin lessons, has ample time to do her homework, relax and enjoy family.

Sending our adolescent daughter into one of the large Swiss cities or even its outskirts (more so at a critical age) would have changed our plans completely. We would have turned to another secondary school, providing her with healthy and sound values, preparing her for her future.

Obviously the environment as well as the lack of stress due to elaborate logistics are of utmost importance for success - we are, year after year, informed of the outstanding academic results at La Chât.

We trust that the foundation will do their utmost to maintain these high standards and hope that you will also take into consideration the permanent residents that have put their trust in the Foundation for the entire secondary schooling of their children. Unfortunately at this point we strongly doubt we have made the right choice as we barely see a future for students issued from the local communities around La Châtaigneraie.


Jean-Claude & Chantal Maillard