Collège Champittet has introduced an innovative tradition that is transforming student life: the School House System. This exciting initiative places every student from preschool through Grade 8 into one of four distinctive houses – Eagles, Lynx, Wolves, or Bears – creating a framework that fosters cross-age connections and celebrates collective achievement throughout the academic year. The house system specifically promotes solidarity between younger and older learners, breaking down traditional grade-level barriers and creating meaningful mentorship opportunities. Unlike academic grading systems, this approach focuses on recognizing positive behavior, teamwork, and community engagement. Each house maintains its own House Chest where students collectively earn tokens through acts of kindness, participation in school activities, and various achievements. This unique reward mechanism emphasizes that success at Collège Champittet extends beyond academic performance to include character development and community contribution. The system intentionally honors team efforts that embody positive attitudes and active engagement with the school community, reinforcing the institution's commitment to developing well-rounded individuals.
The official launch of the House System on September 4th demonstrated the program's immediate impact on school culture. Students arrived dressed in their house colors – yellow, red, green, or blue – creating a vibrant visual representation of the new community structure. The day began with team-building workshops where students collaborated to create unique house identities through custom flags, slogans, and songs. This creative process allowed each house to establish its distinctive character while fostering teamwork and collective ownership. The school parade provided a platform for houses to proudly display their newly created identities, building school-wide camaraderie. Friendly competitions throughout the day allowed houses to earn their first points, with fellow house members enthusiastically cheering on their peers during races and celebrating together during the inaugural award ceremony. The community feeling deepened during shared house lunches, creating informal bonding opportunities. Throughout the launch day, students earned points for their houses based on participation, creativity, team spirit, and athletic achievements. As one parent observed, 'This was such a special and inspiring day – the House System is a great initiative. Well done, everyone!' The system has already proven effective at integrating new students and strengthening each child's sense of belonging within the collège 社区。
