At Collège Champittet, reading is recognized as a fundamental practice that enriches students' lives in profound ways. The school understands that a regular habit of reading not only expands worldviews and shapes original thought processes but also significantly contributes to mental and physical wellbeing. The benefits are comprehensive, ranging from building emotional intelligence and reducing stress to aiding sleep and forging new neural pathways in the brain. To actively instil a lifelong love of literature, the school has implemented several strategic initiatives. For primary students, the school encourages parents to subscribe to Maximax, a service that delivers a new fiction book to each child every month. This approach transforms reading into an exciting, anticipated event, fostering reading for pleasure from a young age. Furthermore, the curriculum is thoughtfully designed to integrate and champion reading. A notable example is a Grade 6 teacher who dedicates time each month to take his entire class to the library, ensuring every student can personally select a book. This practice empowers students and makes them active participants in their literary journey. The engagement does not stop at simply reading the book. Students are required to write a summary for each book they complete. The first three summaries are traditional written assignments. For subsequent books, however, students elevate their work by creating digital presentations using iMovie. This innovative method allows them to blend their French language skills with digital expertise, incorporating music and special effects to creatively share their reading journey and comprehension.
Beyond the classroom, Collège Champittet provides exceptional opportunities for students to connect with the wider literary world. A prime example is the school's proud sponsorship of Le livre sur les quais, a prominent literary festival held in Morges on the shore of Lake Geneva. This sponsorship underscores the institution's deep commitment to cultural and literary enrichment. Recently, students from Grade 7 and Grades 11 to 14 attended the festival, where they were immersed in a vibrant celebration of literature. The event offered a thrilling, multi-faceted experience; students could browse countless bookstands and, most importantly, engage directly with authors. These interactions provided invaluable insights into the writing process and the minds behind the stories. Students had the privilege of speaking with authors Sorj Chalandon, who wrote the novel Le quatrième mur, and Thibert Colin, author of the children's book Le disparu de Blackwood. Both authors generously shared their experiences and answered students' questions, making the art of writing tangible and accessible. Gallia Chevalier, the Champittet librarian who accompanied the students, observed the powerful impact of these encounters. She reflected that students' eyes light up when they discover the passionate individuals behind the pages they read. These meetings give students a unique chance to ask questions, understand the creative process, and sometimes even recognize themselves in a story or a testimony. It is a profound joy, she noted, to witness their curiosity, love of reading, and desire to write grow through such direct and personal engagement with authors.
