3rd - 10th February 2007
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3rd February 2007We finally arrived this morning at Verbier after a thankfully uneventful trip. It began at DESS, then onto Abu Dhabi, to Geneva and then finally up the mountain to Verbier. Clear blue skies greeted us but by the time we arrived there were some very tired children. The children must be commended however on their commonsense and courtesy towards one another and others around them.
After arriving we received a briefing on the hectic week of activities and skiing ahead. It was then down to the basement to get our skis fitted and ready to go for a big day of skiing ahead tomorrow.
After a filling lunch of salad and lasagne it was time to explore the town of Verbier and we set off on a treasure hunt around the town.
A quiet night ahead is planned with movies and an early lights out in preparation for hitting the slopes early tomorrow.
A big hello to all the family and friends back at home from the children here in Verbier!!!!
We made it!
Look mum, snow!
4th February 2007DESS HIT THE SLOPES!!!!! You would think travelling and not sleeping for almost 24 hours would be enough to make anyone want a bit of a sleep-in!!! Not the children from DESS!
7:00 a.m. this morning saw the first of the children emerge in their ski gear ready to go!
A hearty breakfast prepared us for the day ahead and after a quick briefing we were ready to hit the slopes.
All children were allocated an instructor for the day and they set off to test their skills on the mountains of Verbier.
After a day of fun, sun and falling over, we made it home safely and then had the option of swimming, shopping or staying in for a rest.
We're off ice skating tonight - looks like it's going to be another cold evening in Verbier.
After a hard days ski - time to 'hit' the town
Can't hit the town without money :-)
This is the time that parents dread! Mum, Dad, can you recognise your child? All answers on the school "Guestbook" please. Maybe Mr Lohe will bring you back some Swiss chocolates - or maybe not :-)
Crabs & Bears? Everyone seems to be over their jet-lag and settled into the Verbier lifestyle. Last night we enjoyed fondue and an evening of ice skating. The evening meal also allowed us to present the first tour prizes of "Crab of the Day" and the "Care Bear" Award!
Ambre Battistella picked up the award for "Crab of the Day" for stylishly leaving her ski poles at the bottom of the chairlift.
Michael Bayatti won the "Care Bear" award for his helpfulness within his ski group, especially towards other DESS and DESC students. Congratulations!
A special mention to Mrs Bayatti for guessing that Ben Sparrow was yesterday's Mystery Skier! (The chocolates are on the way!) Can you guess who today's mystery skier is in the gondola? Josephine can't!!!
Mum, Dad can you guess who's giving poor Josephine the evil eye? Answer quickly in the "Guestbook" area of the website or we'll disclose to everyone that you don't know your own child!
Today we also noticed some vast improvement in the quality of the children's skiing, with many of them being promoted to a higher group and showing more confidence on the slopes.
Fondue Anyone? Ice Hockey "Stars" Snow has been forecast for tomorrow, so we've all got our fingers crossed!
IT'S SNOWING!!!! We didn't wake up to find snow on the balcony, but half way through today it finally happened. SNOW!!! (It must have been all those crossed fingers!!!!)
Many of the children are experiencing seeing snow falling for the first time and we all enjoyed some fresh powder on the slopes and are hoping for more overnight to ensure a great day tomorrow!!!
Last night we all competed in a game of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", while today Mrs Hammond and Mrs Shaddick-Brady played "Who Wants to Rub Shoulders with a Millionaire" as they both had a close encounter on the slopes with Richard Branson!!!!
Crab of the Day went to Jayden Beck (beginner skier) for asking' "Can I ski off piste?" after only 1 lesson, and Care Bear of the day went to Emma Britnor for her willingness to trudge back through the snow to help a fallen student!
Ps - Well done to Mrs Prosser for picking that it was her daughter, Florence.
Can anyone pick the three girls on the chairlift? Extra points for his one!!!
Last night we explored the town of Verbier by torchlight, and what an amazing place it is! We saw frozen lakes, giant bulls and beautiful courtyards. Later on we toasted marshmallows by the fire.
Some of the torchlight walkers Today was spent on the slopes making the most of the fresh snow which fell overnight. Numerous thrills and spills were had by all, with almost all the children venturing up the mountain and off the nursery slopes!
Tamsin Ribton-Turner was awarded "Care Bear of the Day" for her willingness to help and encourage her fellow skiers.
Ben Sparrow was awarded "Crab of the Day" for setting the record for most time spent actually lying down in the snow and doing the most push-ups whilst skiing!!
Ben & Tamsin Madhav's Bull The afternoon was spent swimming and shopping, while tonight we are staying in for an evening of 'Girls vs. Boys' games!
The snow continued to fall again today and we're all still having way too much fun!
The Boys vs. Girls evening was an unbelievable contest. With the boys leading the way all night, it was a heroic effort from the girls to come from behind on the balloon game and snatch victory in the last event of the evening!
Boys vs. Girls
Can you guess who's hidden by the card?
Crab of the day was awarded to Linh Moran for needing the chairlift to be stopped after getting her head stuck under the bar, plus a daredevil jump off at the other end!!!
Care Bear of the day was awarded to Georgina McCaig for continually helping other students and showing great manners at the dinner table!
Crab & Bear of the day
Blizzard conditions faced us this morning on the slopes, with many children preferring to seek out a hot chocolate in the restaurant rather than hit the slopes.
We're on top of the world!
The afternoon gave us the best skiing of the week, with foot deep powder snow on most runs. Many of the groups also had the whole run to themselves and were making tracks in fresh snow.
Ben's stuck again!
We're off for a boogie at the disco in town tonight and looking forward to a barbeque, timed slalom races and our final day of skiing tomorrow!!
After dancing the night away at the Disco, we woke up fresh for our last day on the slopes. The most perfect morning of glorious sunshine and snow covered mountains awaited us as we opened our curtains.
Disco Girls
We headed up the mountain and all participated in a timed speed trial down a slalom track. Medals were awarded for the quickest skiers in each group with many students finishing in the top three.
A hearty barbeque lunch on the slopes was followed by our last afternoon of skiing in the sunshine, with many groups heading “off-piste” to enjoy some of the fresh snow which fell this week.
The evening’s theme was a Mexican Fiesta with prawns, chilli and sombrero’s. A presentation then took place to award prizes in several different categories.
All D.E.S.S children however deserve a special mention for their outstanding attitudes and behaviour this week away from home. They have cared for each other, made new friends and their skiing has improved out of sight.
Crab & Bear
Well done to all involved for a fantastic week – See you next year!!!
Updated 10/02/2007
