 Poster: A snowHead
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
Odin, you tell me that the teachers on the trip where that young lad died last week were "enjoying a freebie". I think not  |
One of them is a friend from university. He's not in a good way.
Anyone who thinks that teachers run these trips because it's a chance for a 'free' holiday has no idea of the effort, additional work and level of responsibility that each trip entails. I was introduced to skiing by way of school trips; contributing to the direct costs of the trip for the teachers that enabled that to happen was the best money I (actually, my parents) have ever spent.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DB, quite liked Kitzbuehel for being cutesey and for gorgeous instructors- however I would be open to other ideas...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Rob, thanks so much for that! That's what I think too. I reckon most families would struggle to take an average 2 kids in the holiday time, I know I would!! My kids stay here and don't ski whilst I take other people's. School trips give kids the chance to get the ski bug and for me its great when they see that not everywhere speaks English- hurrah! I couldn't imagine being the teachers in charge of that poor little dude who was killed last week, the thought of going back without one makes me feel quite ill. You're right you know, I have spent the best part of 6 months almost daily organising this trip as well as going on SCO and ASCL courses- it's not something you can take lightly.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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schatzi, take no notice of ignorant, rude comments from people with no clue, and stunted powers of empathy.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Cathy and Pam thank you I really liked the comment s about stunted powers of empathy. What is really gaulling is when you get other staff saying to you "did you enjoy you're holiday?" when I am actually very behind in all work, with huge bags under my eyes. Worth it though! Don't want a lot of praise but don't want the crappy comments either.
Anyone else out there that knows of a good hotel/youth hostel in Kitzbuehel or Aurach??
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| schatzi wrote: |
| DB, quite liked Kitzbuehel for being cutesey and for gorgeous instructors- however I would be open to other ideas... |
Kitz is very quaint but low and so booking in advance is risky esp. if you have over 40 schreiende Kinder / Teenagers.
Where in Austria have you taken them so far? As a teacher with a school group what do you look for in a ski resort (other than attractive ski instructors  ) - short transfer? Near to a particular airport? Tame nightlife so they don't get themselves into trouble? Snow secure? easy terrain? Smaller resort so it's easier to herd the kids around?
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Hi Lizzard! How do you know these things??
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I confess to working for SkiPlan/Equity in 2Alpes (which is why I'm in the alps while you're in East Sussex). I have worked for SkiBound in the past, but they have done a lot of cost cutting over the last few years, and I don't hear much that's positive from friends still with the company.
I think SkiPlan offer a pretty good product to schools, and I have certainly seen a lot of familiar faces amongst our party leaders this season so we must be getting at least some of it right anyway. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Basically all the things you just said!! You doing this for a living??? We've been to Zell am see before that was good and Kaprun not so keen on that. Personally I like good looking ski instructors but seriously, I would fly next time so shortish transfer(2hrs ish) a free ski bus as we wont have a coach, a friendly place of accommodation preferably just for us with no other school group and their pissed teachers! Snow secure yes mix of slopes blue-black. Some nightlife when I can take thm out is good but not so that they can escape themselves into it!
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Lizzard I have heard that ski plan are good could you recommend anywhere up there? Do you know of anywhere in kitzbuehel- fixated on the place!!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| schatzi wrote: |
| you get other staff saying to you "did you enjoy you're holiday?" |
That is difficult - what chance have you got with the general public if colleagues take that view? - though I guess it's half in jest - I'm sure they could recognise how challenging it is if they thought about it.
It's probably better as separate thread in apres-ski but I think there is an interesting debate about the PR that teachers get - how much is general resentment and misplaced envy from others and how much could be deflected by teachers if there were a change of working practices. I actually love snowheads for talking about snow stuff so I'll leave it be.
Meanwhile, well done for sticking it out - though I don't suppose there was much option by the time you realised how awful the bounders were...(the operators not the kids that is)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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FWIW, I've mentioned we're going to Les Men. (Pierre Blanche)this Easter with Skiplan and am looking to use them again to go to Val d'Isere (Verdets appartments) next season.
We used the Grand Aigle in Serre Chevalier twice recently with Equity-accommodation was fine and the staff excellent!
We generally go big and high-if there's one thing worse that going skiing and having no snow...it's taking 30 teenagers skiing and there's no snow!
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You doing this for a living???
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That rather depends on how you define 'a living'. I'm planning on looking for alternatives, but this has to do with my personal circumstances and isn't particularly any reflection on SkiPlan.
Based on your criteria above, I'd recommend a look at the hotel Les Airelles in 2Alpes - small enough for your group to have sole occupancy, hour and a half transfer time, free navette all round resort (though you're about two mins walk from the nearest lift anyway), guaranteed snow and a good mix of pistes. If you want to make enquiries, reps are all listed here: http://www.skiplan.co.uk/reps.asp - give your local one a call.
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You know it makes sense.
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schatzi, are you looking for Feb 1/2 term next year? If so, you may struggle to get exactly what you are looking for. For the 1st time in a few years, the whole of england shares the same 1/2 term week. I know a few places that I could recommend (not in Kitzbuhel though), but they are all booked up already for next year.
Equity & PGL both get a reasonable write up (usually) so give them both a call and see what they can offer you.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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No Elizabeth we've got the green light to travel in term time- first time ever so I can be a little more flexible.
Can anyone tell me how to get those little faces in the box, I just get a letter when I try.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Lizzard thank you very much for your help, I am prepared to leave Kitzbuehel for the mo and go and have a look at France! It is actually my principal teaching subject but we usually cater for French in another trip but if you know its good thats worth quite a bit.
Our Pension were so stingy with food we had to divvy it out to the kids ourselves to make sure it went round! I don't really want that again nor do I think that 12 in a room with 1 shower works well! Single occupancy would be very good as it would mean we may get hot showers and we would not have to worry about other groups of staff being inebriated and up giggling until 2.15 am. Heavens knows how they skiied the next day it was quite impressive in an odd way.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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schatzi,
Probably better you take them late Jan if possible before running into other February international holidays.
A friend of mine is a school teacher I'll see if she knows where to find out more ski info for school groups.
Obertauern is snow secure, might be worth a look. Obergurgl would make it easy as you have the little darlings trapped in a village down a valley but the transfer time from Innsbruck is over 2 hours. Most places in Obergurgl are just a few mins walk from the lifts so no faffing about with buses though.
there are a few other Austrian resorts to choose from though
http://www.bergfex.com/austria/
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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schatzi, click on teh smiley - it looks like keyboard charachters but turns into a smiley on the post - as if by magic  (that is a capital D with a colon in front)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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schatzi, have sent you a PM with a couple of suggestions.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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 Still confused but thanks holidaylover!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks DB for your comments would be great to know when hols are! Thank you everyone!! Feels like you are all new friends - bless! 
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schatzi, I ran the Airelles last year, hot water was never less than abundant.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Thanks Stewart you are right! And sharing a hotel with a group of staff who were pissed from 5pm onwards was also problematic I originally wanted Tignes and was promised it at a clubhotel and then was told that it was their error and that it was already sold! Should have known then really....We do work really hare this is my 4th with no injuries and that means nagging them within an inch of their lives- my husband was on this one and he thought I had turned into Godzilla!!!!!
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schatzi,
Please don't tell me you are the english teacher..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Btw, sue the back bottom off them.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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schatzi, I am the EVC for my school and we have a number of overseas trips, including skiing for the first time in eight years. I am currently organsing the thing. Your experience is what I dread, not just for me, but for any of my colleagues on the other trips. The catalogue of problems for you sounds incredible, you must have been looking for the hidden cameras after you got into resort.
We are travelling with Skiing Europe, it is a first for us, but the whole team felt positive about them. I hope we are not going to have your situation!
I have to admire your resillience, keep the s posted on the company's response.
Clearly, big is not always better!
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If you are spending the sort of money associated with 50 people going on a trip - isnt a tiny bit of research appropriate?
Also, I'd demand referrals from satisfied customers..
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Actually professorpool I am ignoring your comments! If you look at other people's they are kind, constructive and supportive. If you were actually to read further up the page you may notice that I am in fact an MFL teacher teaching 3 languages but not English - I expect that was a dig at a typo I made earlier! And I am on my 26th trip so yes a lot of research went into the trip and I had travelled with them in 2002 with no problems. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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schatzi, Have you looked at www.snowslippers.co.uk They go to St.Johan in Tirol. , not far from Kitzbuhel
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 27-02-08 18:48; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks for that Byron will check them out. Was also approached by Crysatl today. Does anyone know anything about them?? Good or bad?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Sorry that should read crystal when I get over excited I can't type! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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schatzi, I think you'd be better served by a schools specialist than a megacorp just out to mop up as much business as possible.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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schatzi, Sorry ,got the wrong St Johann
The one Snowslippers go to is St Johann in Pongau.
But still very nice and worth a look.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Travelclass/Skiclass are both owned by SkiBound.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Don't think i am expecting too much at all. I have also done 2 previous trips with them no probs. But I think I have the right as a teacher to expect: a coach company hired by skibound to have the wherewithall to get us there if stopped by the police and a means of paying fuel bills, that there is enough food every night to go round, that 1 shower for 12 is not workable, that vegetarians who have paid the same amount of money as meat eaters get a decent meal, that 5 staff are not crammed into a double room, that we are not locked out every night and waiting until the hotel owner can find a minute to come and let us in, that children are allowed more than 1 packet of butter for breakfast and for making their lunch, that the comapny actually books what we have paid for, that they can tell us a few weeks before we go what our apres-ski activities are and that when the area reps come to visit us (they live in Kitzbuehel) that I am not in the awkward situation of having to translate my grievances to the hotelier. Still maybe you're right I am just too picky!!
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and by the way I don't like champagne!
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FAQ
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