HITTING THE SLOPES

HITTING THE SLOPES

Warminster hits the slopes!

No sooner than School was officially out for the Easter holidays, 40 children led by 5 heroic staff set off excitedly for Pila in the Aosta Valley, Italy for the first combined Senior and Prep School ski trip organised by the intrepid Mr Holt! The long journey down to the heart of the Alps proved plain sailing and we arrived to unseasonably warm weather, 23 degrees Celsius –  rather than a hot chocolate, we all reached for an ice cream!  Ski boots fitted and ice creams eaten the group enjoyed a well-earned rest before the challenge of the first day on the slopes.

In spite of the warm weather there was more than enough snow, thankfully, to keep our beginner skiers happy. By Wednesday however, the summery conditions were transformed into a picturesque winter snow scene. Conditions on the slopes were challenging, even for our more experienced skiers but all of our pupils adapted and impressively made significant progress.

The highlight of the week was the ski awards ceremony held on Friday night – the perfect way to celebrate our young skiers progress, not to mention determination.  Certificates were handed to each individual from their instructors and there was plenty of laughter and smiles all round.  Amongst the many well-deserved accolades was the ‘All Round Good Egg’ award – justly won by Grace Trott for her fantastic attitude and good humour on the slopes.

There was a healthy amount of après ski activities to keep the pupils and staff entertained too including a pizza night, ice cream extravaganza, tubing and bowling. Staff were greatly impressed by the pupils’ behaviour and their approach to tackling what was for many a new sport.  Both exhausted and exhilarated from their action-packed week of mountain air and morning until night activities, it’s not surprising that the long drive home was considerably quieter than the journey over.

Enormous thanks go to Mr Holt for organising such an enjoyable experience for everyone – pupils are already enquiring when the next trip to the mountains will be held.

Michelle Finnigan, KS1 Teacher