ski trip info 2015

Happy New Year!

  Kids are doing their best to get back into the groove with all the snow days we've had!

Our 5th grade ski trip is THIS Friday January 16th.  Weather is supposed to be warmer and not so bitter cold but the kids still need to bring layers to wear. We recommend an extra pair of socks as sometimes rental boots are a bit damp inside and damp feet = cold feet!

Parents who are skiing with their students and who have kids that have skied before that they can vouch for can leave to ski on their own as soon as instructions are given to the whole group. This is easiest if you have your own skis.... if not once you have your rental skis and boots you can go.

All other parents and children who have not skied before will be divided up and given lessons with instructors. Any students who has not skied before or who has skied only a couple of times MUST have a lesson.

Friday, students will meet in the gym so that I can take their attendance.  Students can then either ride the bus with their friends or ride up to Timber ridge with their parents.  On the way UP friends of students must ride the bus for liability reasons, but on the way home it is permissible for another student to go home with another parent as long as a form has been filled out turned in to us BEFORE the ski trip giving that child permission from their parent to do so. 

Kids will get their lift tickets in the gym. Parents will get their lift tickets at Timber Ridge as they only give us enough for our kids until we hand over a check at the resort. If you filled out your forms and turned in $, we have a record of who turned in what and will bring all of that with us.

Snowboards..... If your student has an APPROVED snowboard with metal edging and have snowboarded successfully at least 10 times they can snowboard. If they however have just received the snowboard recently and are still learning we prefer that if you as their parent are not going to be on this trip that they get skis and learn to ski with everyone else.

Students who have snowboards but no boots... .I'm not sure how this works as I don't and have never snowboarded..... so I don't know if their boots are compatible with commercial bindings?  or do snowboarders not have bindings?  If you have this dilemma, please call Timber Ridge yourself before Friday and find out!

Any student who has their own equipment must have it transported by an independent vehicle... there isn't any room on the bus for equipment.

There is a large, heated glassed eating area for parents who are not skiing to sit and watch the shenanigans of the lessons.  Bring a camera.... even though the bunny hill has very little slope to it, there are visually alot of little bodies laying in the snow at once for the first part of the day!

Students will be required to check in with teachers (Mrs. Vandermei who is not skiing) twice during the day. Once during lunch, and another time during our 15 minute mid afternoon break. An announcement will let students know about the mid afternoon break. Lunch is immediately following lessons. Have the kids eat a good breakfast... there is no time for snack and the span from until they actually get lunch is long.

Upon arriving at Timber Ridge, we have all students take all their lunches, bags and things that they don't need to ski upstairs to the viewing/cafeteria area. We try to snag the tables closest to the windows as sometimes other school groups are there, so if you get their first, grab and hold them with your stuff for us! 

Kids will then go back downstairs and find a seat in the rental room to listen to instructions.  Parents are then asked to help get the kids into their boots before they put on their own. It just helps everyone to have a better day when we get them suited up and out first!

We recommend that if students are bringing a lunch that they pack more food than they will usually eat. Bodies that are moving all day and out in the cold trying to stay warm burn through a lot more calories and they eat more than normal.

Parents who are skiing with their children and taking their children home do not have to turn in their skis at the end of the day when the rest of the Sunsetters are called in.  Passes are usually not good for the evening ski but most of the time the lift operators really don't pay too much attention.

We try to plan on having the kids back by 5:30 but in the last two years delayed busses returning to pick us up at Timber Ridge have caused us to not get home until almost 5:45.  Please do NOT sit in the car and wait for your child to come out to you.... we have to visually see that you are there picking them up rather than just sending them out to a car.

The kids will be briefed on gear that they need to bring (extra socks, gloves, hats, etc) as well as how they day will go, how to put on skis etc on Thursday afternoon following recess.

I think that's everything.. if I missed something call or text me 501-3969.  I apologize in advance for typos... no time to proofread!