What they say: Madeline, school teacher

September 2, 2024

There are two characteristics that make teaching in Val d'Isère special: seasonality and remoteness.

Generally speaking, the back-to-school period, which is very intense because the foundations of living together have to be laid, lasts until All Saints' Day. At Val d'Isère, new students arrive throughout the year, so we have to adapt systematically and re-explain the rules to facilitate learning and ensure that everyone finds their place. Similarly, whereas in a traditional school there's a rush in June to bring the year to a close, here we have to take into account the departure of certain children as early as mid-April, so that they finish the cycle on a positive note. So there's never a dull moment, and it requires a great deal of organization to adjust to changes in enrolment.

The second point is distance: this has an impact on the activities and outings that can be organized during the school year. With a 30 km journey to Bourg Saint Maurice, the proportion of teaching outside Val d'Isère is very small, and a single outing takes up a large part of the annual outings budget. Fortunately, there is plenty on offer in Val to enable a variety of activities to be carried out locally. The town's facilities and local partners give us genuine freedom to set up our own projects. The town council has confidence in us and enables us to put these projects into practice thanks to its substantial financial support.