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Reading enriches our lives in numerous ways. A regular habit of reading not only helps to expand our worldview and shape our own original thought process – it also improves our mental and physical wellbeing by building our emotional intelligence, aiding sleep, reducing stress and forging new neural pathways.
At Collège Champittet, we know that reading is important, which is why we’ve taken steps to instil a love of reading in our students. To foster the habit of reading for pleasure, we encourage parents to subscribe our primary students to Maximax, giving young readers the chance to discover a new fiction book each month. Our teachers also support reading as part of the school curriculum – for example, one of our Grade 6 teachers takes his class to the library each month so that every student can choose a book. Students write a summary for each book they read. The first three books are summarised in the traditional way, in writing. After that, the books they read are turned into digital presentations using iMovie. Students incorporate music, special effects, French language skills and digital expertise to share their reading journey.
Most recently, we accompanied our students in Grade 7 and Grades 11 to 14 to Le livre sur les quais, a literary festival held in Morges, on the shore of Lake Geneva. Collège Champittet is a proud sponsor of this event. For our students, the festival offers a thrilling opportunity to rediscover the world of literature – not only through browsing the many stands of books, but by speaking with authors and gaining insights into the writing process. Sorj Chalandon, author of the novel Le quatrième mur, and Thibert Colin, author of the children’s book Le disparu deBlackwood, generously took the time to share their experiences and answer our students’ questions.
Our Champittet librarian Gallia Chevalier, who accompanied our students, reflected, “Our students’ eyes light up when they discover that behind the pages they have read is a passionate person, ready to share their ideas, their world and their emotions. Meeting the authors gives them a unique chance to ask questions, understand the creative process and, sometimes, recognise themselves in a word, a story or a testimony. It’s a real joy to see their curiosity, their love of reading and their desire to write grow.”