The celebration of '30 years of the CSI' ended on a high last week with a full day of inspiring performances and speeches, and plenty of opportunities for families, staff and students (both past and present) to socialise together.
The formal celebrations began with guests being welcomed into the school by CP pupils in the various languages of the Section. This was followed by series of speeches and performances from students. The programme for the afternoon included singing from the Confluence Choir, a theatrical performance from the 2nde Zheng He classe d'intégration and dancing from CM1 pupils. Special guests included a former CSI Anglophone Section student, Mme Rima Abdul-Malak (now the Minister for Culture) and the rector of the academie de Lyon, M. Olivier Dugrip. Both made interesting speeches, with Mme Abdul-Malak sharing her memories and emphasising the richness that the international Sections bring to the school. A cocktail event followed, with apéro dishes provided by each of the Section.
Families and students, from the past and present, were invited to come into the school later in the evening for a reprisal of the afternoon performances. This was followed by an international buffet & drinks, hosted and catered for by the International Sections. The brightly decorated tables and the wide variety of dishes on offer clearly reflected the cultural (and culinary!) diversity of the Sections.
Our congratulations to the organisers for all their hard work in coordinating this event, and we look forward to celebrating again in another 30 years!