 Poster: A snowHead
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We got the letter yesterday about a trip in 2014, scotishland or frogsville.
Has anyone ever volunteered on one of these as a helper? We (me and the mrs) have put ourselves forward.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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homers double, brave man. How are your vomit-mopping skills (coach transfer to resort?  ). Seems a bit daft to organise - necessarily far in advance - a ski trip to scotishland. Lovely place but snow in frogsville is more reliable.
My son in law does secondary school trips (or did, with two kids now I don't think my daughter would be keen for him to use up their precious school holiday ski dates on a school trip). Different set of problems, with older kids. Less vomiting (if you keep them off the booze) and less homesickness. He loved the school trips - his school prioritized kids who had never been skiing, and he reckoned they got a lot out of it.
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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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The letter was put out to gauge interest at this stage, same with the summer PGL type trips. The school is quite good really, they try to fund half the cost of trips like this and the head is of the opinion that kids get more life experience out of this sort of thing than sat in a maths lesson.
I'm not so fussed about sick kids, I've done it before when our sprog couldn't keep her cheese and ham sandwich down.
If there is any consultation with parents who have been skiing I'l be reccomending a French resort over scotland just for snow records.
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homers double, I went as an accompanying adult on a boys prep school trip - probably 22 years ago now - in February to LDA - it should have been during the schooll's half term but 'Sir' got the dates wrong when he made the booking, so we all went all the same.
No vomiting from what I can recall, flew to Lyon and coach from there. We had full board so returned to the hotel most lunchtimes. There were two members of staff, husband of one of them, and 5 or 6 parents. Rather good food in the hotel so at dinner there was lots of shunting of things the boys didn't like from their tables to ours, and they dared us to eat more than one or two chips so they could go their way. Incredibly well behaved boys so not discipline problems at all - and I think it made my skiing come on a bit as I was so conscious of not wanting to embarrass my son.
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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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homers double: As a confimed Ski Scotlander with 24 years' experience of skiing there, I would suggest that you must do everything in your power to avoid arranging a school ski trip there.
When it's good it's very very good but while there is generally some skiing somewhere between (at least) December and the end of April:
- The weather is completely unpredictable.
- Ski areas can be stormbound - even with good snow cover.
- Snow can disappear in days (there was hardly any skiing/snow at all (if any?) in March this year - normally a reliable snow month.)
We're just back after skiing good conditions at Cairngorm yesterday and Wednesday. However we didn't confirm we were going or book digs until the day we drove up - ie once that we knew the weather was forecast to be ok. Flexibility is the key and there is every chance that booking (for example) a random week in 2014 could see at least 2 or 3 days of storms/high winds/closed ski areas.
The kids could have the time of their lives in Scotland....or not. As if to prove the point, Cairngorm is stormbound today - with windspeeds forecast to be touching 100mph.... 
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homers double, I have been on such trips (as a teacher, not helper) and they can be a lot of fun as pam w, said some of the older ones tend to became hell bent on trying to get booze and the younger ones spend the first night 'wired' but soon calm down, generally the kids were a joy, we had a lot of laughs. Just don't take them ice skating, we had more injuries from that than the skiing.
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| Swissie wrote: |
| homers double, I have been on such trips (as a teacher, not helper) and they can be a lot of fun as pam w, said some of the older ones tend to became hell bent on trying to get booze and the younger ones spend the first night 'wired' but soon calm down, generally the kids were a joy, we had a lot of laughs. Just don't take them ice skating, we had more injuries from that than the skiing. |
blimey, even i never tried to score booze in primary school, thos odd gooseing and smokes, but never booze 
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Pity you couldn't go just a little further over the border to here in Italy. My local resort has many school parties from the UK who seem to enjoy themselves tremendously, although I've never noticed primary school parties. Mind you, they come all the way from the UK in coaches to keep the costs down (even from Scotland), so perhaps too much kitchen roll might be needed for primary school kids!
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ansta1, it was the secondary school kids I had in mind with the booze. I think taking primary school kids (by which I mean under 11s) is very brave but probably not too many booze problems!
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Just don't take them ice skating, we had more injuries from that than the skiing.
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my only serious wintersports injury so far, in a quarter of a century, was ice-skating - on the rink in Chamonix, when the snow was absolute rubbish. It wasn't that serious, even so. The only proper serious injury in the family was one of my sons, toboganning. Out of control (and probably slightly boozed up) toboganning is lethal. Very badly smashed ankle, cleverly put back together by surgeons in Innsbruck.
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pam w, i know it was an attempt at humour, clearly the attempt missed the mark.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ansta1,  Have just thought back to a ski trip I had when at school, I was about 12 (light years ago) and we were a right bunch of little herberts.
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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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I went school skiing at 9 (one of two state primaries in county to go, I don't know if either does now) in 2004. No vom on the transfer, but one guy did have to be taken to hospital halfway through the week - saw himstrapped to a board. Fond memories....
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Not skiing - but I have supported a week long residential trip for Year 6s (last year of primary) in North Norfolk.
A week I will never forget - wouldn't have gone if my eldest hadn't been on the trip. 54 kids. Any time that they weren't doing an organised activity you had to be a policeman. Hideous. Never again.
Enjoy it if you go though......
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You know it makes sense.
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Aaa the School ski trip, for £650 we got a 36 hour coach trip and 5 (not 6!) days skiing in Ravascletto, Italy.
We had morning and afternoon lessons thrown in, but the stuff they called 'food' was pretty hideous.
In this day and age it baffles me as to why schools will subject a coach load of people to a 36 hour journey (each way) as a pose to flying. Agreed with TO's I can see it becoming more expensive when you add on Full board, lift pass, ski hire etc. But surely a DIY full board chalet (2 or 3 if needed) would work out around the same price once everything is added on and still allow them to FLY???
The only school trip that I remember we actually did fly on, was to Disneyland Paris! Which from Exeter is absolutely mindboggling!
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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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Callum001, schools like coaches because it's cheaper and it saves having to herd children through airports. They don't do DIY because they want all the bonding/support/etc they get with a TO. Eg Icelandic ash cloud fiasco - how would you like to arrange emergency accommodation and transport home for 80 schoolkids? How would you pay for it all?
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've done a few trips with primary age children - great fun - I'd recommend it! We always fly, prefer Italy and go at Easter. We take the school nurse too. I'd insist that the party leader has the SCO qualification at the very least.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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homers double, sounds fab, what a great school, enjoy it 
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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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Callum001, With a coach you have more control over the kids at the start and end of èach day. Especially if you choose accommodation about 10 minutes drive from the slopes. That also makes it cheaper than ski in / ski out accommodation and easier to find accommodation that will take a group like that.
I think that here is much to recommend the coach
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| daveyladboy wrote: |
| I've done a few trips with primary age children - great fun - I'd recommend it! We always fly, prefer Italy and go at Easter. We take the school nurse too. I'd insist that the party leader has the SCO qualification at the very least. |
Seems like it can be done.
Herding children through an airport is no excuse not to fly (especially with older children). Besides, my old school used to have no problem flying art students to Barcelona or like I said before to Disneyland, jeez i even remember they did a history trip to Poland (flying into Krakow)......so why should a ski trip be any more difficult?
I agree a coach may be slightly easier on the teachers/parents stress levels, but why not save 32 hours each way by flying!
EDIT: A quick look online reveals a few companies specialising in school ski trips, they give the option to travel by coach or to fly. Flying is £90 dearer. 90!! What loving parent wouldn't happily cover the extra cost so that their kid doesn't have to sit on a coach for a day and a half?
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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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| Quote: |
Herding children through an airport is no excuse not to fly
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In your opinion as someone not required to manage 80 adolescents intent on sneaking off to the bar.
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| Callum001 wrote: |
Herding children through an airport is no excuse not to fly (especially with older children). Besides, my old school used to have no problem flying art students to Barcelona or like I said before to Disneyland, jeez i even remember they did a history trip to Poland (flying into Krakow)......so why should a ski trip be any more difficult? |
We're talking about primary school here, not older children.
I've done coach and fly, and coach is far easier with a large group. The lat time I flew with 10 year olds, BA kindly gave us the middle seat of each set of 3 as all the other passengers had been allowed to check in online and select the window and isle seats. Lots of the kids hadn't flown before and when we hit turbulence and had to be in our seats about half of them were crying  The other issue was 10 yr olds lugging luggage around that was twice the size of them!!
The other big advantage of coach is that you have it in resort for evening ents. Want to go bowling? That'll be €5 each plus €15 per person for the bus hire/taxi if you've flown. Most groups I've been with go out 3 or 4 nights during the week, so that puts another £60 onto the cost of the trip. School ski organisers will make decisions over saving a fiver, so to save £150 is a no-brainer.
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I did school ski trips for 20 years while I was working (now retired). Lately we always used Interski who have the Aosta valley sewn up. Thoroughly recommend them as they provide a complete package. As the school where I taught was very near a dry slope we ran a ski club there each week with 50 - 60 pupils learning to ski board. They were not allowed on the trip abroad until they could ski/board in control parallel skiing or linked turns boarding and use all the uplift. This way they were confirmed snowsports enthusiasts and we had very little discipline problems. Many kids came 3 times during their secondary time. The older ones were role models for the younger ones and it worked like clockwork. Same hotel each year so owners knew us all. I know many schools take beginners but my experience is that being able to move round the mountain allows them to get much more from the experience - and the instructors loved having kids who could already ski/board. We always went by coach (lots of videos to keep them amused) even from Scotland.
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No trolls yet about bar bills and free trips paid for by the poor kids (or not so poor)
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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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Guess who's just scored a week skiing with the mrs and NO kids
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Nice, take yourself off somewhere snowsure and leave the little ones to a week hiking
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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