April 2016

Dear Parents/Carers/Guardians,

Re: Coombe Federation Snowsports Trip 2017 to Prato Nevoso, Italy

After five successful school ski trips in the past four years, we would like to offer your son / daughter the opportunity to participate in the Coombe Federation 2017 ski trip to Prato Nevoso in the Mondolé ski areawith Halsbury Ski. The trip will take place during the first week of the Easter holidays, from the 31st March 2017 to 7thApril 2017 (exact dates to be confirmed). This will allow us to get better value for money and a longer recovery time after returning from the trip. This may seem like very early planning, but it does mean that payments can be spread over a longer period of time and we will be able to secure the most appropriate hotel for our group. The trip is open to pupils who are currently in Years 7, 8, and 9.

The cost of the trip will be £785. This price includes: coach travel to and from resort, full board accommodation, hire of ski boots, skis and helmet, a lift pass, 5 hours a day of ski instruction, a programme of evening entertainment, a trip memento and comprehensive travel and winter sports insurance. The only additional costs that you may incur will be for the hire or purchase of appropriate ski clothing, dry slope ski lessons (optional) and spending money. We will be giving details of a payment plan to spread the cost over the course of the year. Learning to snowboard is also possible for an extra£40 per payer to cover the increased cost of snowboard hire and the specialised snowboard instructors. A minimum of 8 students and a maximum of 10 of a similar ability per instructor are required to form a group. If these numbers cannot be reached across the federation then they will ski as per the rest of the party.

In order to secure your son / daughter’s place, please complete the slip overleaf and make a payment via ParentPay for £100, by the end of the school day on Wednesday 4th May 2016. This deposit is non-refundable. The school will no longer accept payment by cash or cheque. Payment can be made either online via Parentpay or by visiting a Paypoint store. If you do not have your Parentpay log in details please contact the school office. If you do not wish to make an online payment through Parentpay you will still need to log onto Parentpay in order to print the appropriate Paypoint Barcode letter and then take it to your local Paypoint store where you can make the payment by cash or cheque. A list of Paypoint stores can be found at If you need any assistance with this please contact the school office.

We estimate that the uptake will be similar to previous years; however, if we exceed this, names will be drawn at random. Those not chosen will be placed on a waiting list, and their deposit will be refunded. Students who are drawn will receive notification of this. If you visit the Ski Trip area of the school website, you will find a PowerPoint provided by Halsbury, about the destination.

Please be aware that the school reserves the right to withhold or withdraw this opportunity from pupils who have an exclusion record or who are regularly removed from lessons, as well as for any incidents that may occur up until date of departure which place a doubt over a pupil`s suitability to the trip and/or impact on the safety of the travelling party.

Towards the end of the Autumn Term 2016 we will also be organising a Parents’ Information Evening to give you more details.

Please contact us if you have any questions or queries regarding the trip on

Yours faithfully,

Mr M Pellett and Mr G TaylorMrs M Pellett and Miss C Harding

Ski Trip Organisers at Coombe Boys’ SchoolSki Trip Organisers at Coombe Girls’ School

Coombe Federation Snowsports Trip 2017 Reply Slip

For the attention of Mr Taylor (CBS) or Mrs Pellett (CGS)

Please hand to the Ski Trip replies box, in the main school office by the end of the school day on

Wednesday 4th May 2016.

Student’s NameTutor Group

  • I have read and understood the introductory letter about this trip, in particular with regards to the method of allocating places and the cancellation policy.
  • I agree to paying £785, using ParentPay according to the payment schedule (which will be detailed in the confirmation letter), should my son / daughter be allocated a place on this trip.
  • I understand that my son / daughter will only be offered a place if I have completed this reply slip and paid the deposit of £100 (via ParentPay), by the end of the school day on Wednesday 4th May 2016.

Please tick this box if your son / daughter might be interested in learning to snowboard, if we have suitable uptake for this

Parent / Carer nameDate

Signed (parent / carer)

Federation Snowsports Trip to Prato Nevoso, Easter 2017

Resort
Prato Nevoso is one of the quieter resorts that we offer and it has proven very popular with school groups because of its welcoming atmosphere and friendly ski school. As a smaller, friendly area, it enjoys the benefits of being safe and quiet but, despite their size, the villages offer plenty to keep students entertained in the evenings. As well as doorstep skiing, a friendly ski school and an extensive ski area all make for quick progression, making it a great choice for school ski tours.
Skiing
Prato Nevoso is part of the Mondolé ski area which also links to Artesina and Frabosa Soprana, resulting in 130km of skiable terrain. Snow coverage is always good, even in mild weather, as 95% of the runs are covered by state-of-the-art snow cannons. A great place for beginners to improve, Prato Nevoso offers some lengthy blue and red runs, which most should be able to manage by the end of the week. The Artesina side offers some challenging reds for the more advanced.

Hotel Marguareis

The 3* Hotel Marguareis provides comfortable and secure accommodation directly on the main piste. It is modern with many areas refurbished in the last couple of years. Bedrooms are very comfortable and the dining room is done in a traditional Italian style. There is also a gym and steam room available to use at the end of a hard day. There is a bar overlooking the slopes and a pleasant sunny terrace, as well as plenty of spacious communal areas, one of which can be converted to host a disco or mini-cinema room and has table tennis and table football.

Location

The convenient location of this hotel really cannot be beaten. The nursery slopes and lifts are within metres of the front door with the ski school and ski hire located right next to the hotel. This allows for doorstep skiing, easy access at lunchtime to return for a hot lunch and the ski room is easily accessed at the end of the day which means that skis almost never need to be carried. Additional après ski activities are nearby in Prato Nevoso (15 minutes away by coach)

Cancellation Terms

As mentioned in the attached letter, the £100 deposit is non-refundable, once your place has been allocated to your son / daughter.

Between 6 weeks after booking and up until 10 weeks before departure, a loss of 50% of the invoiced price will be incurred, if your son / daughter is unable to travel.

Between 2 and 10 weeks before departure, a loss of 75% of invoiced price will be incurred, if your son / daughter is unable to travel.

If your son / daughter is unable to travel within 2 weeks of departure, the full invoiced price will be lost.

Please note: If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your own travel insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges from your family’s insurer.