Why does LVIS have a house system?

We were so impressed with the wonderful team spirit, support and encouragement we saw from all children.

For those that don’t know, the House system originates from England and is commonly known through the Commonwealth. Many countries outside of England still use this grouping tradition. Originally, the House referred to the houses where children liven in boarding schools. This became especially popular during the 19th and 20th centuries in British boarding schools, but many schools through the commonwealth and throughout the world adapted the same house system to encourage some friendly competition between the children.
1) Children are separate into their respective houses at the start of the school year.
2) There are a few fun houses events such as the one hosted on November 12th for the House Afternoon.
3) Other aspects of the house system will be incorporated into the activity of the children’s day to day school life to encourage a team spirit.

Asides from tradition, the house system promotes aspects and opportunities of team learning. The children are taught to work together in teams in a friendly and fun atmosphere while also respecting one another regardless of age or class. The house system is thought to promote fair play and team work, skills that are useful and relevant for later on in life working in team environments on projects in professional career path. It also encourages the younger children to mix with the older children, something that they don’t ordinarily get to do since LVIS has now separated into two school buildings.

Some of the other advantages include, promoting team leadership opportunities, quickly adapting new students, enhancing school spirit, raising awareness of school traditions, building a sense of school community. These are the reasons at least that the house system has lasted through the ages, and spread from England boarding schools to day schools across the world.

The house system is common in the UK but in Europe much less so. LVIS is proud to be one of the few schools in Switzerland that follows the house system. It’s a fun way for the children to get to work together as a team to achieve a common end goal. There are aspects of the classroom that are also added, and points are kept on a board in the school so the children may know which team is winning. Currently, LVIS has a red and blue house. Once the children are selected into their house as early as foundation stage 1, or kindergarten, they stay in that house. As much as possible, siblings are also kept in the same house as well so there can be a sense of family tradition and pride among the houses.

The children, especially the younger ones, are quite familiar with the concept as it was made popular through the Harry Potter series. The famous matches between Gryffindore and Slytherin in Quidditch, and the selecting of the names from Dumbledore’s hat. The children are all very well aware of the house system and have well conceived ideas of the fun competition between the houses.