Our Ref: MB/DMB 26 September 2016
Dear Parent/Guardian
I wrote to you recently to remind you of the payment schedule and the date for the information evening. I mentioned the Calshot dry ski slope training evening in the letter where I was only able to provide a date. However, I am now in a position to provide full details.
Dry Slope Training Monday 5th December 2016 - Before you read any further, I want to make sure that only total novices attend the trip at Calshot. We have limited numbers available, so the trip is only for those who have never skied before – this is not just confined to experience on snow; this also includes those who have been to a dry slope. 50 places are available for students eligible to participate.
Secondly, booking Calshot for a group of our size is very difficult. We need all three slopes for three hours and the only date available towards the end of the Autumn term is the Monday 5th December. We are scheduled to ski at Calshot Activities Centre between 6pm and 9pm, leaving school at 3:40pm and returning to school at 10pm. Students will attend school in normal uniform, but will need to get changed at lunch and then assemble on the main drive to get on the coach at 3:30 (students will leave lessons 10 minutes early). I would urge students to have a good lunch on the day and to bring some food to eat in the evening. Although food can’t be eaten on the coach, there will be ample opportunity to eat food at Calshot as students will only spend 1½ hours of the 3 hours skiing.
Calshot Activities Centre is housed in a cavernous old aircraft hangar and as a result can be very cold. They also have strict rules about what must be worn to ski. Therefore, students need to bring the following:
ü Gloves – not necessarily ski gloves, but the hands must be covered.
ü Warm clothes – When skiing a t-shirt and sweatshirt should suffice (however, unless you have a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath you will not be able to take your sweatshirt off as your arms cannot be exposed due to the abrasive nature of the slope). When not skiing I would recommend wearing a jacket to keep warm. Jeans are not suitable and I would advise wearing old tracksuit bottoms.
ü Socks – skiers must wear long socks (finish just below the knee) as otherwise the ski boots will rub badly.
Food and drink – not a great deal can be purchased at the centre, so some provisions will be necessary with plenty to drink as skiing can be tiring. As mentioned previously, please ensure sure your child has eaten a good breakfast and had plenty to eat at lunch as skiing is a strenuous activity.
I cannot stress highly enough the need to have all the clothing listed above due to the strict rules of Calshot. Failure to bring the appropriate gear will result in your son/ daughter not being allowed to ski. Another thing that will help me is for your child to know how much they weigh in KG and their height in CM as this will enable me to set up their skis correctly. Please do not estimate this.
The cost of the activity is £25.
As this trip is deemed to be an enhancement to the curriculum, the school normally is unable to offer financial assistance and therefore the full cost of the activity must be borne by yourselves. Payments and accompanying paperwork must be handed in on or before the deadline date outlined to avoid jeopardising your child’s place on the trip/activity. Should your child withdraw from the activity, please be aware if a deposit is required that this will be non-refundable and any further payments can only be refunded if the place can be filled by another student on a waiting list, or if the withdrawal is for an insurable reason. If there are significant changes to the cost of the trip, these may have to be passed on to the student. Be assured that we will try to keep such costs to a minimum.
We would advise that students do not to take valuables out on school activities, however, should they be taken parents should ensure personal possessions are adequately insured.
Please fill in the form below and send it in, along with payment (or pay online), to the Finance Office at the school by Friday 21 October 2016 at the latest.
Other information/ reminders
Payments - Please assist the organisation of the trip by completing your payments on time.
Paid so far accurate as of Thursday 22 September
Still to pay:
Hoody paid (£21):
I would also like to take this opportunity to provide a few reminders:
The Ski Trip information evening. This will take place on Monday 21st November at 6.30pm in the Main Hall. During the evening we will explain our plans for the trip, show slides taken on previous visits, discuss clothing required and go through things such as code of conduct. This is an important meeting and we expect every skier and his/her parents to attend.
Passport and EHIC cards Every child must be in possession of a Passport. Please ensure that it is up to date (i.e. expires after March 2017, but it is safer to have at least six months left at the time of entry to the foreign country) and if it needs renewing that this is completed in plenty of time. The majority of you have already provided me with your child’s passport details, but if you have yet to do this please pass on the details to me as soon as possible. I require the following information:
ü Full name
ü Date of Birth
ü Passport Number
ü Nationality
ü Passport Issue Date
ü Passport Expiry Date
If your child does not have a UK Passport you will need to ascertain if any visas are required and apply for these.
Every child will also need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Please make sure it expires after March 2017. You can apply for an EHIC card online and it is free to obtain one - https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/startApplication.do
It is a condition of the insurance that every child is in possession of a card. It is your responsibility to ensure that your child is in possession of a passport and EHIC. Please apply in plenty of time to the relevant authority. Failure to comply will result in your child not being able to travel so please act now. Please believe me when I say that we have had real problems with this in the past, with one student only receiving their EHIC/Passport the day before departure; please don’t put yourself/myself in this position!
Ski Hoodies - Finally, there have been some developments on the ski hoodies. Please see the form attached and follow the instructions.
I look forward to meeting you on Monday 21st November at 18:30 in the Hall and in the meantime if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Bamford (Ski Trip Organiser – )
*********************************************************************************************************
PLEASE RETURN TO THE FINANCE OFFICE BY FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER 2016
Dry Slope Training Tuesday 5th December 2016
I confirm that I have parental responsibility for
Name………………………………………………………………….…… Form……………………
I enclose payment of £25
I will pay online
He/she is in good health and I consent to him/her taking part in the programme detailed in your letter.
I can confirm that my child has never skied on snow/ dry slope before (Please tick the box)
I understand and accept that it is my responsibility to update the school should there be any changes to the medical information about my child. Please communicate these to Mrs Brettell, Business Support Manager.
Signed………………………………………………………………….…….Date……………………