Greetings from the Zillertal in Austria,
Tuesday evening marks the end of the first segment of the 9th-grade ski trip. On Wednesday, the student ski groups will be mixed with new students and a new ski instructor. Wednesday will also be a shorter ski day. In the afternoon, students will have more time to rest and prepare for the final two full days of skiing and the room check.
After three days of skiing, the great majority of beginner skiers have begun to use the T-bar (“Ankerlift”). Some of the new skiers even joined an advanced group on the third day. After the tiresome first days of walking up the hill, they are learning how fun downhill skiing is—especially when they don’t have to walk, and the ski lift carries them uphill. At lunch today, there were smiles and merriment in the warm, Austrian sunshine with the Almdudler that a few of the students were drinking. Meanwhile, the intermediate and advanced skiers have been able to get to know the mountain and work on more technical issues.
To make the trip possible, we are pleased to have a few first-time ski instructors who have made the time to come: Mrs. Hale, Fr. Simons, and Ms. Younghans. They have joined the team of colleagues and our former JFKS students who work as ski instructors in Austria and another who is studying medicine – our ski trip “doctor”.
Tonight, there is an outdoor party, with a student DJ. Some of the students are dancing, jumping, and singing to the music at their party. It feels a bit surreal after the past two years of such events being canceled and locked down. As we witness the students have fun in this new phase of the pandemic, we are especially grateful that all testing has been negative regarding Corona. Moreover, as we read about the horrific war in Ukraine that has torn apart the lives and darkened the youth of so many, it is with an especially grateful spirit that we watch these students enjoy their youth without disruption.
Jason Lang
on behalf of the Ski Instructors
