Monday 23rd January 2023 was National Handwriting Day in the US. Established in 1977 on the birthday of America's famous writer, John Hancock. A fitting time then for Oak Hill in Nyon to hold the first in their speaker series for 2023 on this topical subject. Handwriting in a Digital Age - why it still matters and how adults can help? It can be hard to motivate children to write when they do not see its relevance and spend most of their time in front of a screen. Parent and teachers may also find it difficult to persuade reluctant children to persevere with what seems like a challenging task. This webinar will provide a wealth of ideas to help solve some of these issues by: • Discussing the prerequisites needed for handwriting. • Identifying the most common difficulties. • Addressing why it is worth persevering with handwriting. • Examining whether/when children should use cursive writing or typing. Seminar Details Presented by Vera Popovich, Occupational Therapist and co-director of Ergo-Leman Sar. Thursday 2nd February 2023. 18.00-19.15  - ‘live’ via Zoom. Cost 35CHF. This seminar is open to all - if you are interested in joining, you can register at education@oakhill.ch. For more information on Oak Hill and the programme they offer visit their website here . Read our previous article on Oak Hill helping to find the right support for you if you are concerned about your child’s reading skills.

Just a note to all of you avid swimmers out there, the Cossy indoor swimming pool will be closed for maintenance work during the Vaud school half-term holidays. Saturday 11th February until Sunday 19th February. While the maintenance work is happening next week why not take the plunge and get into the lake instead? It's a cool 6 - 7 degrees Celcius at the moment! Read our previous article on the many benefits of cold water swimming.

The Nyon by-election took place on Sunday 5th February for the public to vote for one of six candidates to join the Municipality, the executive body of Nyon. This special election was held to replace the seat left by the resignation of Elise Buckle of Les Vert.e.s back in November 2022. Copyright - Ville de Nyon The Results The participation rate for the electoral vote was 29.02%. Announced on Sunday afternoon by the President of the Municipal Council Marco Carenza, the results are as follows: Pierre-Alain Dupuis – NOVIODUNUM  545 Valérie Mausner Léger –  Les Vert.e.s – Parti socialiste  1209 Salem Fedal – Mouvement Citoyen Nyonnais 41 Olivier Riesen – PLR.Les Libéraux-Radicaux  961 Jay Reuter – Nyon POPulaire  341 Sacha Soldini –  à la Municipalité  745 (With 36 scattered votes) The total number of votes was 3878 and the absolute majority to win was 1991 . As no candidate reached the absolute majority, there will now be a second round of voting which will take place Sunday 26th February 2023 . This second round will be between: Valérie Mausner Léger –  Les Vert.e.s – Parti socialiste. Olivier Riesen – PLR.Les Libéraux-Radicaux. For more information on the two candidates, visit the Ville de Nyon website .

The Green Film Festival is back for its 18th edition. This growing festival will take place in nearly 80 towns across Switzerland and France including all the French-speaking cantons with more than 400 screenings of around 50 films. It will start on 4th March until 9th April 2023. The Festival brings us an exciting programme of documentary screenings and events, presentations and debates on climate change and sustainability issues. Focusing on raising public awareness of the consequences of climate change and encouraging us to make changes in our lifestyles. Here in Nyon, the festival will be held on Thursday 9th - 12th March, you can see the full programme and ticket information here.Opening night is being funded by the Ville de Nyon to raise awareness of sustainability issues among the public with a free screening of Showing Climate: My Brain Goes Ostrich by Raphaël Hitier and Sylvie Deleule. 18:45 Thursday 9th March at Nyon Town Hall. Doors open from 18:30. Entry by registration . Showing Climate: My Brain Goes Ostrich Scientists are unanimous: climate catastrophe is imminent but it is avoidable! And we still do not react. How can this inertia in the face of urgency be explained? Are we programmed to hide in the face of the threat? What if the very functioning of our brain distracted us from making the right decisions? The latest advances in neuroscience, behavioral psychology or anthropology shed light on the contradictions and fears that inhabit us when it comes to changing our lifestyle habits. After the screening there will be a discussion taking place with the presence of the following speakers: Oriane Sarrasin - teacher and researcher in environmental psychology at the University of Lausanne and partner of the La Canopée project. Alexia Rossé - coordinator at the Interior Transition Laboratory (EPER-AdC). Nikola Sanz - psychologist and member of the Romand Ecopsychology Network. Pascal Wagner-Egger - teacher-researcher in social psychology at the University of Fribourg and author of the book Beware of your brain. There will also be an aperitif with vegan or vegetarian options made up of local products after the screening. And if you can't make any of the Nyon screenings you can look at the full programme available  - there are 24 in Vaud alone!

Following on from the topic of handwriting in the digital age , let's explore further with Oak Hill into why writing can be such a challenge for so many primary school age children. Starting school can bring up lots of different emotions within children; excitement, nervousness, unease. These are all normal feelings but when is it time to pay more attention to a lack of confidence in their writing skills? There are three areas to look at: Motor skills Letter shape/letter sound knowledge Attention and memory Motor skills Children develop at different stages and writing may be difficult if a child's fine motor skills are not yet fully developed. Manipulating their wrist, hand, fingers, or thumb with accuracy may be challenging. As a parent, you may have noticed that your child needs extra help when they eat with cutlery, cut paper with scissors or unbutton/unzip clothing themselves.  Gross motor skills (using the large muscles of the arms, legs, and torso) and sensory motor difficulties with balance, posture and hand-eye coordination may also explain why your child finds writing demanding. Continuing to work on these skills at home will develop their confidence and ability. It may also be useful to visit an occupational therapist for added support. Letter shape/letter sound knowledge By the time children are 5-6 years of age, many of them can: Generate a rhyme sequence Recognise alliteration Identify syllables in a word Segment words into sounds or match letter names to sounds. However, for some, these key phonological and phonic skills are not yet developed and they do not have the knowledge needed to transfer oral ideas to print. Spelling will probably be inconsistent too. To assist, look for opportunities to work on these foundation skills at home. Using Kinaesthetic materials such as plasticine or plastic letters to make words, essentially manipulating and touching the materials to learn. Attention and memory Writing can be challenging for anyone who is easily distracted, whatever the age! For children, feelings of impulsivity and lack of focus may result in spelling difficulties, poorly planned work, illegible handwriting or a difficulty getting started in the first place. In class, students with working memory issues may also find the many automatic processes required to compose a piece of text too demanding. These include organising ideas, recalling spelling, grammar and punctuation, etc. Children’s confidence can easily wane, contributing to or resulting in unsuccessful writing experiences. What can help? Students often benefit from short, highly structured tasks to help them ‘stay on track’ and complete an activity successfully. Giving students a set amount of time to write, without focusing on their handwriting or spelling, can give some students the freedom they need to express themselves. Using word banks on their page/white board can also provide support to a child when they are unsure of the vocabulary/spelling they should use. Modelling how to start a sentence is another useful scaffold for students, ensuring greater ‘take up’ and understanding for them. Finally, using a variety of activities, stationery and technology will help keep their interest fresh. Showing empathy, understanding and regularly praising the effort students give to writing can really help them develop skills at their own pace. What else can I do as a parent? If your child has consistently had writing issues since starting primary school, now may be a good time to have an assessment about why this is the case. There may be ADHD/ADD considerations to address, different instructional methods to benefit from or specific motor support and guidance that they need. Alternatively, your child may have reading/writing challenges or dyslexia. Identifying the causes, whilst also working with the school to further develop will only help your child on the journey to find their ‘inner author’. Oak Hill For parents looking to find out more about how they can help their child improve their writing skills, why not attend one of Oak Hill's regular Open Mornings or seminars? Meet the team, visit the school and observe a lesson.  The next Open House is Wednesday, March 15 th 2023 14:20 – 15:30. You can visit their website to register .

After the second round of voting in the Nyon by-election, the winning candidate is Oliver Riesen of PLR. Les Libéraux-Radicals who narrowly beat out his opponent Valérie Mausner Léger of Les Vert.es. The two candidates went head to head for the seat left by the resignation of Elise Buckle of Les Vert.e.s back in November 2022. It was a very close election with Olivier Riesen gaining 88 more votes than Valérie Mausner Léger. The participation rate was 28.05%. There are approximately 14,031 voters registered out of the 23,000 population and 3938 voting cards were received. The results were as follows: Valérie Mausner Léger (Les Vert.es): 1,807 votes (48.3%) Olivier Riesen (PLR. The Liberal-Radicals): 1,895 votes (50.7%)   Congratulations to Mr Oliver Riesen, we wish you all the best! Read more about the 2021 elections here in Nyon  and the voting process.

GAOS are bringing you a feel-good musical comedy for their Spring show this 2023 - Sister Act .  When aspiring nightclub singer, Deloris van Cartier, witnesses a murder, she is placed into protective custody in supposedly the safest place: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and the uptight Mother Superior. Deloris uses her singing talent to inspire the convent choir. They become the hit of the community, but the gospel nuns' fame draws the attention of the gangsters.Is Deloris running out of time? Or did the gang underestimate the power of sisterhood? Performance Times at the Théâtre de Marens, Nyon. Thursday 30th March 2023 20:00 Friday 31st March 2023 20:00 Saturday 1st April 2023 14:00 and 19:30 Sunday 2nd April 14:00 Tickets are on sale now here.

Nyon's Christmas Market kicks off Thursday 8th December 2022. Brought to you by the SIC Nyon Merchants Association , the market will be lighting up the town centre at the Place Bel-Air, Rue de la Gare and Place du Château. There will be a host of activities happening up until it closes on Christmas Eve. An incredible 40 chalets this year, all offering you treats, goodies and delights for you to enjoy. Celebrate this magical season with friends and family while tasting local products and crafts, as well as DJ sets, concerts, acrobatic performances by local artists and of course - the one and only Santa Claus! There will be extended shopping hours until 20h on the following days. Tuesday 20th December Wednesday 21st December Thursday 22nd December Friday 23th December An added bonus - family-run businesses are able to open on Sunday 11th and 18th December. A great opportunity to get some last-minute shopping done. To make it even easier to get into Nyon, there are free urban buses (lines 801 to 805) for the duration of the Nyon Christmas market. Running from 8th December until 24th December from 16h to the end of the service.

There is a buzz in the air around town at the moment and it's not just down to the New Year, New Me feeling - it's actually for elections! You may have noticed the posters plastered on billboards of the potential candidates, received campaign leaflets, read the local newspapers or seen the debates on local TV.   This particular election is a special one - let's dive in and break down what it is for, who can vote and what you need to do. Who exactly are we voting for? You may recall that we already had local elections back in Spring 2021, so why we are voting again so soon? This a by-election (a special election held between general elections to fill a vacancy) to replace the spot left by the resignation of Elise Buckle of Les Vert.e.s back in November 2022. After two years of turbulence within the Municipality, a replacement is now needed to complete this local executive body of seven members. As opposed to the elections held in 2021, this particular vote is much more straightforward as there is only one position to be filled. Sunday, February 5, 2023 will be the date for the first round of voting. Who can vote in this election? Were you surprised at receiving voting papers in the post for the first time as you did not think you could vote at all being a Foreign National? It's not just the Swiss Passport holders who can get involved. As this is a local election at a Municipality level, you are eligible to vote if you meet the following criteria: Resident with continuous residence in Switzerland for a minimum of 10 years. Resident of Canton de Vaud for the last 3 years. 18 years and over Hold a Permit B or C residency. This also means that not only are you eligible to vote, you can also put yourself up for election. Who is Who? The Municipality is the executive body of Nyon and manage the everyday operations as well as carry out the decisions of the Communal Council. The Municipality is made up of 7 members including le Syndic (mayor) Daniel Rossellat. They are elected by the majority vote every 5 years and there is a separate election held for the position of mayor. This current 5 year legislature is from 1st July 2021 to 30th June 2026. The Communal Council (Conseil communal) looks after the management of Nyon and is made up of 100 councilors. Similar to a local parliament or council, they convene each month and vote on issues such as the city budgets, bylaws and local taxes. These 100 members are elected by a proportional system. Who are the candidates? Below are the candidates and which party they are representing. Pierre-Alain Dupuis - NOVIODUNUM, Valérie Mausner Léger -  Les Vert.e.s – Parti socialiste,  Salem Fedal - Mouvement Citoyen Nyonnais, Olivier Riesen - PLR.Les Libéraux-Radicaux, Jay Reuter - Nyon POPulaire, Sacha Soldini -  à la Municipalité, You can read more about each candidate and what they stand for on the Ville de Nyon website here . If a second round of voting is needed, it will take place on 26th February 2023. How to vote? Thank you to Evren Kiefer for breaking down the process of voting for us. Open the envelope by pulling the tab so that you can reuse it to cast your vote. Take the booklet with the lists, select the list for which you’d like to vote and tear it off the booklet. Put the list in the yellow envelope, close it. Tear the voting card off the part which contains your home address. Write your date of birth in the series of small squares (using the day, month, year format). Sign on the line. Put the voting card in the grey envelope so that the address of the town hall appears in the window. Put the yellow envelope in the grey envelope as well. Close the grey envelope and either stamp and post it or take it to the town hall at the Lancaster building on Place du Château 3 or the police station opposite Place du Château 10. It is important and impactful to participate in local elections if you are eligible to do so. Not only for the benefit of you and the town you live or work in but being able to vote for people to represent you, your ideas and who support your interests. Your vote will make a difference in decisions made for the future of Nyon. Happy Voting! If you want to learn more, read our previous article provided by Robert Jenefsky that goes into detail about the local election system here.

"Do you hate meditating? Do you find it difficult or boring? Do you want to understand more about meditation and mindfulness and how to realistically implement it into your busy week, without the new age fluff? Do you want more inner calm and focus to ease stress and anxiety? If so then this weekend course is for you! Over these 2 afternoons you will learn everything you need to know about meditation and mindfulness, try 10 different techniques to find which suits you, plus 4 breath meditation methods." Why not give this Meditation 101 Course a go! Two afternoons with Charlie Stewart-Brown, founder of Indiv Yoga, who will guide you through all things related to meditation and mindfulness and teach you how to incorporate them into your daily lives. When: Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th May 2023 13:00 - 16:00 Where: Yoga Moves Nyon, Rue du Marché, Nyon. Price: CHF180 Book and find more information here . 10% early bird discount until 15th April when booking with code: MEDITATION10 Read more about Charlie Stewart-Brown, founder of Indiv Yoga Switzerland in our interview from last year.

Saturday 6th May 2023 is Cycling Day in Nyon and is taking place at Morâche park and in the courtyard of Rocher school. The Ville de Nyon has a full programme of events lined up for the day. These include: A cycling in complete safety course for families. A second-hand bicycle market. Learn the basics to repair your bike mechanics course (registration required). And lots more! Check out the programme for more details . Happy Cycling!

Nyon is home to Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot and the Living in Nyon team, along with ten of our readers, were given exclusive access for a guided tour mostly reserved for clients or watchmakers within the industry.  Background  Renowned for its innovative and cutting-edge designs, Hublot was founded in 1980 by Carlo Crocco. A relative newbie compared to the classic watch houses, the likes of Jaeger-LeCoultre, established in 1833 in the Vallée de Joux, or Patek Philippe in Geneva, 1839. The brand has quickly gained a reputation for creating some of the most visually stunning watches in the world. Perfecting their signature style modern blend while still keeping hold of the traditions and prestige associated with watchmaking. The Tour It was a beautiful day in the sunshine and Eric Cart Lamy (Watchmaking Instructor at the Hublot École d’Horlogerie) was to be our fantastic and knowledgeable guide for the afternoon. First stop, the design department, where we learned the process of how Hublot’s team of designers and engineers work together to bring each design to life. Every person along the chain is crucial to the process and if one of the links are not working then the whole operation doesn't work. Hublot push the boundaries of what is possible in watch design with their use of unusual materials in their construction such as ceramic, titanium and carbon fiber. They were one of the first watchmakers to incorporate rubber straps as well as coloured ceramics into their designs that have since become a hallmark of the brand. The ceramics are made internally because they are usually only available in black or white. Hublot also worked with EPFL (Swiss Federal Institution of Technology in Lausanne) and financed research to make a 18-carat Magic Gold that was impossible to scratch. "Be first, unique and different" - Hublot's President Jean-Claude Biver A quick outfit change into Hublot work coats so we looked like true watchmaking professionals! Next, we were ushered into a room with a stunning backdrop of Lac Léman and Mont Blanc in the distance. We were now in an area full of highly skilled watchmakers where we witnessed the intricate and delicate art of watchmaking. Hublot have not automated any of their processes, everything is done manually because of the need to feel and touch the materials. This makes each and every piece unique. It was incredible to see. For the finale, the watches! This is where we all really perked up, fawning over the watch pieces worth thousands and thousands of Francs. As the gloves went on in order to handle these pieces, the rapid fire of questions began (mainly, how much is this one worth? And this one? Can I hold it?)! Amongst them was the LaFerrari Tourbillon and also the award winning Classic Fusion Cathedral Tourbillon Minute Repeater  -  a definite show stopper. A watch with an independent chiming mechanism striking different tones for hours, quarter hours, and minutes with two small hammers. So just by listening, you can tell the time. Lots of fun!   That concluded our tour and wonderful experience that any watch enthusiast, or not, would have enjoyed. Plus, I got to take away a fabulous sleek-black brochure that would look at home on any coffee table! Join us for the next Living in Nyon event . This time we're swapping out watches for beers at the Cap'taine Mousse Brewery in Nyon. I can't believe I got fired from the watch factory.  After all the extra hours I put in. Yesterday, I bought six watches. You could say I have a lot of time on my hands!  Seema & Mandy