Hello, we are non-French speakers moving from the US to Geneva for a year starting in August. We have 6 & 4 year old boys and are trying to decide on public vs private school. Based on the location of our apartment, our local school would be Ecole Micheli-du-Crest. A few questions:

1. Is anyone familiar with Ecole Micheli-du-Crest? Is it known as a good/safe school?

2. We were told that there may not be a class d' accueil @ Micheli-du-Crest, but have also been told that for 6 & 4 year old children learning French should not be a problem. But since we are only going to be in Geneva for 1 year, is it worth the potential challenges? That said, we would love for the boys to learn French and feel more a part of the community.

I know there have been lots of public vs private threads already, but I would really appreciate if anyone has heard of our specific public school. Thanks!

The only thing I know is that private school is around 2k per kid. I would not use that amount for the privilege of not learning the local language.

If you company pays for it, it is a different matter. What about a local private school? (not an international one).

Hello,
For your 4 year old there is no need for class d' accueil. My non-french speaking 4 year old started local school this year in September and now by the end of the year she is speaking in French with her classmates. As a matter of fact, for most of the children in my daughters class French was a new language. The teachers in Geneva are very well adapted to handling non-French speaking students.
As far as your 6 year old, I think he should be offered class d' accueil. My children are in ecole de la Roseraie, which is quite close to Micheli du Crest. My older two children are in 4th grade and 6th grade. Both of them were offered class d' accueil and are now fluent in French.
There are many more benefits of putting your kids into local school vs private school. Local primary schools are usually within walking distance of your residence. Your kids will not have to be driven to school. Your childrens classmates will live within walking distance not the other end of town.
On the other hand if you are only here for 1 year and your company pays for international school tuition then private school might be a better option. But dont forget interantional schools usually have a long waiting list.