Skip to main content

Tag: Winter Sports Program

Winter Sports: The Challenge and the Benefits

Yes! The first two weeks of FMSL’ Winter Sports Ski and Snowboard lessons have gone well. Thank you to all those staff and parent volunteers who are making this program so successful and organized.

Why skiing and snowboarding, you wonder? It has always been a goal to be able to give each elementary student the opportunity to explore the sports as part of our great Wasatch Front, and world-renowned mountain slopes.

Transporting eighty plus students, with gear, snacks, and equipment is no small feat. There is a lot of preparation, practice, and patience involved. There is nothing quite like the panic of missing snow-pants, a broken clasp on a helmet, or the confusion of 4 sets of skis that all look alike and the label has rubbed off.

However, and whatever the new challenge is, the buzz and nervous excitement of the students makes it all worth it. Our students are challenged in every way, taking on Winter Sports. They are leaving their regular school day schedule with several tricky transitions from eating lunch earlier, changing into proper clothing and gear, keeping track of gear and bags, moving to and from proper busses, meeting up and working with different groups of peers and instructors, developing new skills, and so much more.

You have probably noticed your students are exhausted by the end of the day! Not only are they getting such a great physical workout with carrying their gear back and forth, staying on their feet for the two- and half-hour lesson, and all the muscle groups in their legs, they are receiving many social and emotional benefits as well.

Some of the added benefits for this kind of activity are as follows:

  • Increased circulation equals increased endorphins and adrenaline: this can elevate the mood and provide an overall sense of wellbeing and contentment.
  • Greater sense of spacial awareness: being able to judge speed, distances, and body position begins with your mind and its’ ability to interpret surroundings.
  • Better Sleep: at the end of the day with so many charged interactions between brain and body, you might notice the Sandman comes to your home and a deep, healing sleep will come.
  • Improved concentration and thinking capacity by making strategic decisions like the best route and considering other moving objects around you. This means a greater capacity to learn in all areas of life flexing the correct brain muscles to decrease chances of suffering from mental decline in old age.

We look forward to the remaining lessons this season. Please don’t forget sunscreen and NUT-FREE snacks and water bottles for the bus rides. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the FMSL Office.

Winter Sports: A Group Experience

The intent behind our Winter Sports Program is that these lessons and experiences let our students have a real-life group driven experience where there is crossover between programs; where there are great opportunities for the students to practice the life skills they have been learning and practicing in such a safe environment here at MCS. It is an opportunity to let our students explore one of Utah’s greatest beauties- the mountains and our incredible snow.

Please keep in mind that these lessons are peer-oriented and group options are bound to contain a number of skill sets being presented, developed, and learned amongst the students. Some students are at the peak of that skill set and some are at the base of that skill set. However, those students are all within the same level. It can become very frustrating when friends ski/ board together on the weekends, but are grouped apart for the lessons. However, we ask that you place your trust in the ski program to group our students as they see fit and ask that you remind your children to do the same.

We really want to enforce that as these lessons continue on, it really is a collaboration as a group to learn and practice. Snowbird has hand-picked instructors specifically for our school, and instructors go through intense training on how to meet the needs of each student in the group.

A successful day may not be or mean that your student was the fastest, moved up a group, etc. A successful day should be evaluated on whether or not your student was safe, having fun, in an environment where they can learn without frustration, were able to communicate their feelings appropriately, follow instructions, and engage appropriately with their chaperones, instructors, and peers. Ultimately, when a student is feeling comfortable and safe, there will be more detailed, controlled progress. One of the reasons we appreciate Snowbirds Ski Program is that they take an approach to individualized instruction that is similar to our approach here at MCS.  However, their ability to separate every single skill level is limited by a number of factors.

First Day of Winter Sports 2015 – 2016

Congratulations to all our Winter Sports participants making it through the first day! We were so impressed with the order, care, and helpfulness from all involved. Everyone did so great that we made record time getting everyone ready, gear loaded, and on the busses.

As far as first days go, we did awesome! Snowbird will be sorting out, refining, and arranging groups now as they have seen the kids and identified where they should be. Please be aware that your student’s group may change next week for what they were in this week.

 

 

We look forward to another successful Winter Sports year and are excited about next week’s lesson. Stay tuned for updates

 

Winter Sports Registration & Waivers

Winter Sports Registration and Waiver Forms are now available. Please read through, fill out completely, and return to the MCS Office by December 18th. You may pick forms up from the MCS Lobby display or print them. Winter-Sports.pdf

Winter Sports will commence February 3rd, 2016 and take place every Wednesday until March 2nd, 2016 (five weeks).

When filling out your student’s forms, please consult the following scale:

 

Also, we have check lists (see below) available to help students keep track of their belongings to and from home, school, and the resort. Please ask for one from the MCS Office if you feel your student would benefit from such a tool.

If you have further questions, please direct them to: ashleehaslam@mcsslc.com

2015 – 2016 Winter Sports Program: Snowbird

Winter is just a season away. Please keep in mind that all students participating in the Winter Sports Program this year will be REQUIRED to have helmets and goggles and there will be no daily rentals at the resort.

The PSA is working on potential discounts for MCS renters and will keep us updated. For now, please check out the list of Ski Swaps coming up.

Click here to see a list of upcoming ski swaps.

MCS Family Ski Day

b2ap3_thumbnail_Ski-Day.png
b2ap3_thumbnail_Ski-Day-1.png
b2ap3_thumbnail_Ski-Day-2.png

 

To close our Winter Sports season, Brighton Resort would love to host an MCS Family Ski Day. Tickets are at a reduced rate and can be purchased from the MCS Office. When purchasing your tickets, please ensure to make checks out to MCS.

 

Winter Sports Video

There will not be any Winter Sports this Wednesday, February 25th. Instead, enjoy this video of the last 3 weeks of our Winter Sports Program.

:

First Day of Winter Sports

The first day of Winter Sports was a success! We would love to thank all those who chaperoned and made it possible for our students to enjoy and learn such great activities and develop their skills and talents.

b2ap3_thumbnail_IMG_3123.JPG
b2ap3_thumbnail_photo-2.JPG

 

MCS’ Ski and Snowboard lessons are taught at Brighton Resort. The first day of lessons can be a bit tricky as instructors adjust groups. Instructors will assess each student and figure out what level that student will enjoy and be able to continue to develop and enhance their skills.

b2ap3_thumbnail_photo-3-1.JPG

 

Our chaperones were great in helping to keep spirits high, students organized, and feeling secure. This year we have 24 Kindergartners participating in the Winter Sports Program. It was awesome to see them hauling their gear by themselves to and from the school and also to observe the older students reassuring and comforting them.

b2ap3_thumbnail_IMG_5484.JPG

 

Murray County Ice is providing ice-skating lessons to a portion of our students. Again, our parent chaperones were wonderful in providing support to our students and teachers.

b2ap3_thumbnail_IMG_5501.JPG
b2ap3_thumbnail_IMG_5506.JPG

 

Spirits were high as students finished their lesson and moved into the free-skate period to practice what they learned.

 

Winter Sports Program Information

b2ap3_thumbnail_IMG_0234.JPG

Winter Sports will be starting in two weeks. You should have received the following pdfs in your email. Please read through and ensure you and your child are prepared for Wednesday, February 4th! If you have questions or concerns, please contact Ashlee Haslam at (801) 355 – 1555.

Parent-Letter-Skiing-and-Snowboarding.pdf

Chaperone-Letter.pdf

b2ap3_thumbnail_Freya.JPG

b2ap3_thumbnail_Sevilla.JPG

b2ap3_thumbnail_IMG_6732.jpg

Parent-Letter-Ice-skating.pdf

Chaperone-Letter-ICE-Skating.pdf

b2ap3_thumbnail_IMG_5325.jpg