It is quiet. (There were times when I thought this moment might never come.) And time for a little reflection.
So many opportunities for growth during these last two weeks! If they took full advantage of this year’s ski trip, your children benefited in multitudinous ways. Everyone excelled on the slopes in a rather extraordinary way this year. In fact, I do not recall a ski trip with so many talented people, regardless of starting level. Virtually all students either skied on black slopes or were capable of doing so by trip’s end. But so many of your children polished their skills of courtesy as well, for example at the dinner table where they quickly moved from a mentality of “French Fries? Gimme!!” to “Can I serve you a plate of goulash?” or “Please, let me take that empty soup dish for you!” Don’t believe us? Ask your child!
They experienced meeting deadlines in various ways, whether for container duty or the teacher-led room inspections. Many children took the brave leap of performing “on stage” in class activities for their classmates’ amusement, while others worked behind the scenes to support teachers and classmates alike. Since the last update, we had a huge crowd for Mr. Weiss’ “Guitar and Sing-along Night”, and perhaps the best word for the “Gods of the Ski Trip” competition between classes is “cacophonous.” A lively dance party in the cellar concluded the activities in Zillertal, including the slick moves of some of our younger teachers. But leaving Austria did not mean an end to the fun: the long-awaited Rap Battle between Bus One and Bus Two finally took place beside the McDonald’s at our last stop before arriving home. And the winner was…?!! Does it really matter when kids are dropping clever lyrics and beats to the general entertainment of everyone? And not to forget the debut of DJ Schickimicki Kiki, our resident Doctor. Great stuff!
Your kids really do squeeze in a lot of activities and learning in the two weeks of the ski trip. Challenges arise both on the slopes and in our living quarters, necessitating the further development of athletic, intellectual and social skills. While exhausting, the intense experience will yield memories for years to come. Too much space is needed for the different contributions of all the teachers, but I would be remiss without citing the leadership of our leaders Frau Krueger and Herr Nagel who have worked hard behind the scenes to make this trip happen as smoothly as possible. We also benefited greatly from the guiding hand of Herr Mueller, who is handing over the reins of leadership after many years of outstanding governance.
We all hope your children have returned with multiple stories of positive growth, new friendships, new confidence in their skiing or performing levels and big smiles on their faces. We are all lucky to be a part of this experience!
Thank you for sharing your children with us!
Mr. Felt
