January 20th, 2018
21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM
Students learn to downhill ski
By MITCH CRAIB
Special to the Messenger
ST. ALBANS — We live in a state with serious winters, graced with beautiful mountains and gifted with skiing operations that help make it possible to introduce kids to the experience of downhill skiing. Why is this important? Because, being familiar with a major Vermont activity, like skiing, and being able to access our mountains, is a wonderful way to appreciate our snow and cold temperatures.
Each winter St. Albans City School works with Jay Peak to introduce our fourth through sixth graders to the sport of downhill skiing — or skating for the few who want an alternative to the slopes.
For most students, our school’s ski trips provide their first experience with skiing and, for some of those students, it becomes a life-long activity. That was certainly the case for my 10-year-old son. When he came to St. Albans City School from the south he had no skiing background and little experience with winter.
He is now an accomplished 16-year-old skier at BFA who visits the nearby slopes 20 to 30 times a year. For him skiing became a passion, and my family thanks City School for the ski trips in 2012 and 2013 for sparking that interest.
On Monday, January 8, I joined teams Triumph and Voyagers on one of their field trips to Jay Peak where I got to interact with a new generation of skiers. I was present to document the event for St. Albans City School and to chaperone some of the students on the slopes.
I loved seeing the eagerness of the students to try this new activity or extend their skiing skills with harder and harder slopes. I enjoyed seeing the kids appreciating time with each other on the chairlift rides and then speeding down to the base of the mountains together. I marveled at their good humor with the inevitable falls and the support they gave each other with physical help and patience until they got going again. This was a cooperative day.
At lunch I went from table to table interviewing students about their skiing day thus far. They all stated they were having a good time. I heard stories of fast routes followed, multiple runs completed, impressive wipeouts, and lots of advice on how to make turns and stops. Smiles were wide and cheeks were pink. I could see that being on this field trip was hugely beneficial in the way they thought of themselves.
I also want to comment on the adult supervision I observed. There were numerous teachers and quite a few parents present to support the students in their adventures on the mountain. All students were properly dressed, guided to where they needed to be and supervised well wherever they went. The whole day went amazingly smoothly for roughly 100 students and that is no tiny accomplishment.
This day’s wonderful group adventure is one that students and adults at St. Albans City School and Jay Peak have replicated many times over the years. Three cheers to that! --Mitch Craib is the stewardship coordinator at St. Albans City School.
Students learn to downhill ski
By MITCH CRAIB
Special to the Messenger
ST. ALBANS — We live in a state with serious winters, graced with beautiful mountains and gifted with skiing operations that help make it possible to introduce kids to the experience of downhill skiing. Why is this important? Because, being familiar with a major Vermont activity, like skiing, and being able to access our mountains, is a wonderful way to appreciate our snow and cold temperatures.
Each winter St. Albans City School works with Jay Peak to introduce our fourth through sixth graders to the sport of downhill skiing — or skating for the few who want an alternative to the slopes.
For most students, our school’s ski trips provide their first experience with skiing and, for some of those students, it becomes a life-long activity. That was certainly the case for my 10-year-old son. When he came to St. Albans City School from the south he had no skiing background and little experience with winter.
He is now an accomplished 16-year-old skier at BFA who visits the nearby slopes 20 to 30 times a year. For him skiing became a passion, and my family thanks City School for the ski trips in 2012 and 2013 for sparking that interest.
On Monday, January 8, I joined teams Triumph and Voyagers on one of their field trips to Jay Peak where I got to interact with a new generation of skiers. I was present to document the event for St. Albans City School and to chaperone some of the students on the slopes.
I loved seeing the eagerness of the students to try this new activity or extend their skiing skills with harder and harder slopes. I enjoyed seeing the kids appreciating time with each other on the chairlift rides and then speeding down to the base of the mountains together. I marveled at their good humor with the inevitable falls and the support they gave each other with physical help and patience until they got going again. This was a cooperative day.
At lunch I went from table to table interviewing students about their skiing day thus far. They all stated they were having a good time. I heard stories of fast routes followed, multiple runs completed, impressive wipeouts, and lots of advice on how to make turns and stops. Smiles were wide and cheeks were pink. I could see that being on this field trip was hugely beneficial in the way they thought of themselves.
I also want to comment on the adult supervision I observed. There were numerous teachers and quite a few parents present to support the students in their adventures on the mountain. All students were properly dressed, guided to where they needed to be and supervised well wherever they went. The whole day went amazingly smoothly for roughly 100 students and that is no tiny accomplishment.
This day’s wonderful group adventure is one that students and adults at St. Albans City School and Jay Peak have replicated many times over the years. Three cheers to that! --Mitch Craib is the stewardship coordinator at St. Albans City School.