Prosit!
If it’s September, it’s time for Oktoberfest! Go figure. We have our little bash every year in—where else?—Munich. (The chair of our board of governors happens to be from Munich). We’ve got the Lederhosen, the Dirndls, the local brew, and plenty of Gemütlichkeit.
Thank you for your interest in reconnecting with Aiglon. We hope you'll also take a few minutes and help support the school by donating to one or more of our several funds. Your gift will help ensure that Aiglon remains at the forefront of international experiential education, providing an unparalleled experience for new generations of impressive students from around the globe.
The Aiglon Advancement Office and staff are always pleased to work with you to structure gift opportunities that ensure your philanthropic goals are met while best supporting the school's various needs. The Friends Of Aiglon College, Inc. (U.S.) is a 501(c)(3), and contributions to the FOAC are tax deducible for U.S. taxpayers, subject to compliance with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service code.
If you would like to speak to the FOAC president regarding a gift, please contact Noel Thompson using the message form, email address, or phone numbers on the Contact page.
Gifts of all sizes are needed and appreciated. We hope that all our parents, grandparents, alumni, alumni parents, and friends will make Aiglon an annual philanthropic priority.
Aiglon Announces Its Initial 2022 IB [International Baccalaureate] Results. School Alumni Offer Our Congratulations to the Class of 2022! 🍾
““We are proud of what the cohort has achieved in this year’s IB Diploma examinations, and we believe these results are a testament to Aiglon’s educational ethos. 73 students were entered for the IB Diploma and the cohort achieved a 100% pass rate. Two students earned 44 points. In addition, 23% of the cohort achieved 40 points or above. Impressively, 22 students completed a bilingual diploma! The Class of 2022 IB cohort achieved an overall average of 36.9.” ”
In the early years, Aiglon found its niche as a school that emphasized the “whole person” —mind, body, and spirit—but arguably with a particular emphasis on the latter two. Founder John Corlette wasn’t trying to compete academically with, say, Eton or Harrow. He knew he couldn’t. But he believed that stressing the importance of physical fitness and spiritual formation would make an Aiglon education something truly special. Today, Aiglon’s academic program goes toe to toe with the best schools in the world. When you consider that many Aiglon students don’t speak English (the language of instruction) natively, this achievement is truly impressive. Hats off to the faculty.
Experiential Learning—Deeply Embedded in Aiglon’s DNA
See What an Aiglon Outdoor Expedition Looks Like These Days
(Student Produced.)
They’re not exactly the same as many of us remember. Now, we understand there are usually teachers along to ride herd on students (one suspects we have lawyers and insurance underwriters to thank for that.) And that means, among other things, no more cheating. At least we assume it does. But it also means students are no longer in charge of achieving their expedition objectives and getting back to school safely. Former housemaster and junior expeditions master Will Sutherland recently expressed some nostalgia for expedition cheating—and getting away with it—saying it might have helped some students develop the self-confidence that comes from ingenuity, but not the sort of “ingenuity” that compromises academic integrity. (Or maybe he just liked busting miscreants he found partying at some parents’ chalets?) Certainly, many old Aiglonians list expedition exploits as among their fondest school memories. Nevertheless, it looks like overnight outdoor adventures are still a lot of fun.
Skiing the Dents du Midi
This short video below is not an Aiglon production. The skiers are not Aiglonians (we don’t think). But alumni will look at this and flash back—it’s certainly redolent of what most of us did on skiing long expeditions years ago. And it was filmed in our back yard. Enjoy.
Aiglon 25—How It All Began
The FOAC has published a new edition of Patrick Roberts’ early history of the school. While a lot of water has flowed over the dam since 1974, Patrick’s narrative gives readers some insight into John Corlette’s remarkable vision and tenacity. Aiglon came within inches of collapsing numerous times before it found sound footing. Only JC’s grit kept it afloat. This is a fascinating read for any Aiglon alum. Proceeds from sales will be used by the FOAC for future alumni initiatives, including helping to build and organize a school archive. Order your copy now on most Amazon sites worldwide (In the U.S., click or tap here).
Your Gifts At Work
Aiglon’s seven scholars from the Class of 2019 would like to say “thank you” to our scholarship donors for helping make their dreams come true. Alumni generosity has helped open up a world of opportunities and made an impact on these Aiglonians that will last a lifetime. Now our scholars are off to some exciting places! Learn about how you, too, can help going forward. Click or tap here.
The name is Bond, James Bond.
The Aiglon 007 Connection
The James Bond movie franchise was launched in 1962 by producers Albert (Cubby) Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. That was the year the world first met British secret agent 007 in Dr. No. Several years later, Harry’s children, Steven and Hilary, both attended Aiglon. Recently, Steven sat down with Spy Movie Navigator to reminisce about his dad and his memories of the famous family business.
Click or tap on the image to navigate to the interview
Aiglon Stories: Koome Gikunda
Koome Gikunda was born in Kenya and first attended school in Nairobi. In 1997, after a chance encounter with a delegation from Aiglon at a Round Square Conference meeting, he was awarded a scholarship to study on the Mountain. The rest, as they say, is history—and remarkable history at that. The following is his story, told in his own words to the graduating class at the 2015 commencement ceremony in Chesières.
Koome talks about his Kenyan upbringing and his remarkable good fortune to be picked as an Aiglon scholarship student. It was alumni generosity that helped make his amazing "luck" possible and, as a consequence, the luck of countless others who have now benefited from his philanthropy and significant investments in his native Africa. Here's the evidence your donations don't just benefit Aiglon, they can help change the world, or at least a corner of it. You can read Koome's bio here. The video is just under 13 minutes long.
