The Pre-IB Community Learning and Service Week

Many of the activities focused on spreading kindness and helping others. Some students baked treats and created handmade cards to bring happiness and positivity to members of the community. Others worked in the school restaurant alongside professional cooks, where they learned about food preparation, teamwork, and responsibility. Students also visited local elderly care centres, where they sang songs and shared warm and joyful conversations with residents, creating meaningful connections.

Other groups travelled to a horse shelter where they learned about animal care and helped with daily tasks such as cleaning and feeding the horses. Some students also visited the local fire service, where firefighters explained fire safety and demonstrated important emergency procedures. In addition, students had the opportunity to participate in skiing activities with Handiconcept, visit the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum to learn about the work of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, assist junior school students during lessons and activities, and take part in a creative cloud graffiti project, which allowed them to draw and improve their drawing skills. 

Everyday Heroes: The Volunteer Firefighters of Villars  

What would you do if a fire suddenly started in your home? This is a question the local volunteer fire service helps the community prepare for every day. These firefighters play an essential role because the nearest professional fire station is located in Lausanne. Although many of these firefighters have full-time jobs, they still dedicate their time to protecting their community. "During this visit, I learned about fire hazards, safety regulations, and how to respond correctly in emergencies, including how to handle a burning oil fire safely" stated Hoodo. "It brought my peers and me a joyful experience, taught me a lot, and made me appreciate the help that firefighters contribute to our community." 

Secret Agents and FIFAD@Villars  

The Community Learning Week commenced with the screening of two documentaries on climate change at the FIFAD@Villars schools morning. "Admittedly, I initially mistook them for typical "save the planet" discussions. It was not." stated Elina. "The first film followed two explorers crossing Greenland by snow kite, collecting data on melting ice. "When they said 30 million tonnes of ice melt every single hour, I had to sit with that for a second. And if Greenland's ice sheet melted completely, sea levels would rise by seven meters. A glaciologist and a geologist from the University of Geneva were there explaining it all, and what got me was this: the planet has never warmed this fast in 4.5 billion years. The second film was about Mont Blanc, a photographer, a painter, and a climber, all people who have watched the mountain they love slowly change beyond recognition. "

Then came Secret Agents of Joy. "We baked cookies, made kindness cards, and walked through Villars giving them out to locals and shop owners. My French is not great, so that was challenging, but people were kind about it" she continued. One person took a card, read it, and said, "You made my day." I was not expecting that. "It made me realise that sometimes the smallest thing you do for someone is exactly what they need most" Alina concluded. 

Elderly Care Center in Aigle 

During the Community Learning Week, there was an opportunity to visit the elderly centre in Aigle and to spend time with the residents. "One of the most enjoyable parts of the experience was when we organised a small concert for them" stated Syed. "It was nice to see how happy and engaged the residents were while listening to the music we sang. Many of them were smiling, clapping along, and enjoying the moment. This has shown me that important, simple activities like music and social interaction can help with their well-being. I have noticed that the staff who were working were very kind toward the elderly and were very patient with them. This experience helped me understand that elderly care is not only about health but also about creating a warm and supportive environment. Overall, I really enjoyed this experience, and it helped me appreciate the importance of caring for older members of our community." 

Horse Shelter

During this community learning week, a group of students volunteered at the Horse Shelter down in the valley. 

"The experience at the horse shelter was especially appealing to me" stated Celine. "There, I had the opportunity to help out fixing the fences, removing weeds from the field, cleaning the stables, and brushing the horses. The job at the horse shelter is definitely not easy and physically tiring, but the joy we’ve gained is massive. During the volunteering, I found out that the amount of work that has to be done daily in the horse shelter is a lot, and it is incredible that the workers there are able to manage these repetitive and exhausting tasks driven by their kindness and passion." 

She continued "Furthermore, I also learnt that the horse shelter is facing financial instability, because the earnings from lessons are not sufficient to cover all the costs to take care of the horses, but they have never come up with the thought of giving up. Among those horses, some are ill, some are too old to be ridden, but it is pleasing to see that they are all living in a clean and joyful environment thanks to the effort of the staff at the horse shelter." 

Authors: Celine (Year 11), Syed (Year 11), Hoodo (Year 11) and Elina (Year 11)