Schoolhouse Renovation Completed John F. Kennedy International School held the official opening of their beautifully renovated schoolhouse on 12 January 2015, during an evening of speeches and musical celebration.
Photos: zVg
John F. Kennedy International School Proud to Officially Take Over
BY GSTAADLIFE
The schoolhouse, which was built in 1880, was donated by the people of Saanen to the John F. Kennedy International School in 2000. The unique building has been a source of local pride for well over 100 years. End Result The plan to bring the magnificent property back to life–financed primarily by John F. Kennedy Foundation's fundraising efforts–suffered its share of fits and starts. Progress was not always easy and renovating the building according to local planning regulations proved a challenge. Originally due to open in September 2012, the schoolhouse's makeover was slowed by John F. Kennedy International School's transition to foundation status and the need to secure sufficient funding. Some of the funds were raised with the sale of “friendship bands”, and the names of many parents and now appear in the corridors of the first and ground floors of the new building. When additional funds were needed, a saviour was found in local billionaire Peter Livanos and family, who provided the bulk of the renovation funds. “All this would not be possible without the exceptional support and outstanding contribution of the Livanos family, to whom we would like to address a very special thank you,” said Behar, who expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the school. Everything Old Is New Again The renovations were designed to restore the original character of the building while at the same time incorporating modern energy consumption and safety standards. The result: a beloved building still recognizable by locals that is nonetheless ready for the ever-changing face of education today.
Renovation of Saanen's historic schoolhouse is now complete
Improvements include a new professional kitchen and dining room in the original basement, as well as a large auditorium on the top floor. The auditorium is called Fossati Hall, and is dedicated to Mrs Fossati, whom director Henri Behar thanked during his speech.
ucation here at home. While the school suffered setbacks in the past few years during a change of management, it has rebounded under current director Henri Behar. The John F. Kennedy International School has more than doubled the number of students, from 27 two years ago to 65 today.
School History The John F. Kennedy International School is unusual in that 75 % of children who attend the school are day students, which shows the confidence of local families and the value they place on ed-
The school has been part of the Saanen community since 1971, and in that time, thousands of children from all over the world have attended courses there. Since 2011, the school has been run by the John F. Kennedy Foundation.
Henri Behar, second from left, with Mrs Fossati, Philippe Gudin, and architect Mr Lehmann
LOCAL NEWS // GSTAADLIFE // ISSUE 1 // JANUARY 29, 2016
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