Giving Back

A New Focus for the Future

By Dr. Marc-Frédéric Ott, Head of School

The year 2022 brought much to celebrate—our LAS Global Family gathered in Leysin to celebrate 61 years of LAS, we celebrated the academic success of our students, we implemented exciting changes to the LAS Summer in Switzerland program, and we fostered a sense of cultural understanding amid geopolitical challenges. I am happy to report that LAS is not only surviving but thriving with many exciting plans for the future! LAS kicked off the 2022-2023 school year with the theme “The Spirit of Philanthropy.” Giving back both as an institution and as individuals is more important than ever.

Last June, LAS and the Leysin community opened their doors to alumni, former faculty, board members, and our entire LAS Global Family from the four corners of the world for the 61st Celebration. Over 1,000 people (representing every single one of the 61 years of the school’s history!) attended the fourday event, which included a Welcome BBQ and Celebration Banquet (at a grand pavilion constructed specially for the event), Dinners by Decade (hosted at restaurants across the village), and dozens of activities on and off the mountain. Read more about how our Global Family reconnected with LAS and each other on page 34.

This year we celebrated successes and implemented exciting changes to our academic and summer offerings. The Class of 2022 had an incredibly strong finish, with 100% of candidates earning their IB Diploma (including a high score of a perfect 45!), our travel program is stronger and more purposeful than ever, and our summer program is moving to a new structure. You’ll find more detailed information about these changes later in the magazine.

As members of an international boarding school community, LAS students show compassion and cultural understanding toward others every day. This was more apparent than ever in February 2022, when our students from Ukraine and Russia came together with our faculty and administration to support and care for one another despite their countries being at war. And thanks to the generous support of the LAS Board, we welcomed two additional Ukrainian students to campus after spring break 2022 on humanitarian scholarships, along with several refugee families.

Our LAS mission to develop innovative, compassionate, and responsible citizens of the world, along with our vision to provide an education with impact around whole child education, ICE (innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship), and global family, keep us focused on what is most important every day. In addition, we will soon add three newly defined LAS values around belonging, the environment, and giving back.

The theme of the 2022-2023 academic year is “The Spirit of Philanthropy,” which highlights a long-standing value of LAS. Over the years, our Global Family has donated their time, talent, and treasure, which has resulted in new buildings and renovations (Belle Époque and the Magic Mountain Athletic Center), financial aid for 35% of our current students, and projects supported by the LAS Impact Fund, all of which you can read about later in this edition of Panorama. The 61st Celebration was just one way for us to thank you for your ongoing support—your generosity gives us a sense of what LAS means to you.

Thank you for your trust and support in LAS. I wish you all the best for 2023.

Cordially,

Dr. Marc-Frédéric Ott Head of School