Saturday, 15 February 2014

On uk soil!!

Running an hour and half early!! Back and on way to humphreys!! 

Mrs perry will start marking the calls home to confirm arrival time in the next hour or so, though we estimate about 4 hours depending on traffic, so looking at approx midday arrival in leicester.

This is where Mr Machin, Miss Walding and I say goodbye as we get off at the services in Folkestone and wait for the coaches from the army cadets to arrive later this afternoon as we are heading straight back out to Italy with a party of 102 cadets and staff for another week of skiing!

Thank you to all the pupils for making this such a memorable week and I hope all have a great half term week off. I will be back sometime next Sunday just in time to start work again on Monday!!!(remember pupils are not back until Tuesday!!!)

Thanks to the drivers.. Michael and Tony.. They have been excellent all week and the kids had a little collection of loose euros for their next trip which the lads were really taken by.

Thank you to all the blog followers and supporters too... For those who have been checking up on us regularly you be able to get some work done next week now and I can give my tired iPhone a little rest.. May drop a little line on the blog next week if I get a chance.

Safe journey home too all under the watchful supervision of Mrs Perry and mr Evans, I will update with an eta from the staff on the bus when closer to home 

Bye for now... Right, off for a good English breakfast and to find a shower and prep for choppy ferry crossing and another 20 hours on a coach!! 

Kris Cross :-)

Friday, 14 February 2014

Making good time

We've already passed through Austria and nearly though Switzerland too! France is about an hour away and then is the long slog to Calais... My estimate to the euro tunnel is about 7ish hours, if conditions remain clear!! We're still booked on to a train due to arrive at 0930h uk time but will advise if we make it any earlier... or later!

The coach is dark and quiet!! Pretty much everyone is asleep which is not surprising... (and quietly pleasant!) Will read out messages at next stop so thanks for sending and thank you for all the messages of gratitude toe and the team.

Will keep you up to date as we head north west across Europe.

All done and homeward bound

A great days skiing today.. It was a real pleasure to see the kids skiing so well when I recall many if them eating snow on the nursery slopes on the first day. I didn't get too many pics today as the groups hit the mountain and were gone before I could fasten my bindings.. I did manage to catch the advanced group but they left me and the staff behind in no time!






Highest point... Advanced group with Ski Instructor Bernie

Dinner on the piste 

Mr Cross & a Cross.. Well the kids thought it was funny :-/

Unfortunately we had one injury this afternoon, Ed H took a tumble and fractured his wrist but was fixed up in no time and is quite comfortable showing off his blue cast. Unfortunate on the last day or any day to have an injury but accidents do happen whilst skiing and the team on the mountain, Mrs Perry and ski instructors were great in sorting Ed out really quickly... Good job too otherwise we would have left him there!! (Kidding ;-))



So that's it.. All done! What a great week with a lovely bunch of youngsters... I'd be lying if I didn't say there was an occasional disagreement here and there but I can say that this has been one of the best ski trips I've taken kids away on... A real mix of characters and everyday they have had the staff in stitches at some point.  My team and I are incredibly proud, as I known parents are, of our pupils who have been real ambassadors for the school throughout this trip.

We're on the road now after a final meal at the hotel, waved goodbye to felix who has been collected by his dad at the hotel to go on to another holiday!  It's great listening to the kids chatting away about their skiing today and throughout the week... Fingers crossed they will all be asleep in a while and not wake until we pop out of the Chunnel Uk end!!! (I won't hold my breath!!)

I will read out the messages from home later and Present the twonk of the week award en-route, so please feel free to send any last messages before we return.

I would like to say a few words about my team this week.. Mrs Perry, Mr Evans, Miss Walding and Mr Machin... They have been instrumental in supervising, supporting  and caring for the kids this week... I couldn't of asked for a more committed group of people to work with...  although presently look more tired than the kids!  Thanks also to Mrs Clarkson at HPS who has been a fantastic support on the admin side back in leicester.

Finally a big thank you to the parents and readers of this blog.. I didn't think we would have such a response to it and the comments back and forth between parents and the bloggers had been awesome! Thank you for all of your kind words and thanks for the blog and to me and the team for helping make this week work for the kids... You are most welcome, it was a pleasure (nearly all of the time!!)... Rest assured we have had a great week away too :-)

I will keep you updated of our progress throughout the night and expect to cross the channel between 9-10am.

Kindest Regards

K.Cross

Last day :-(

Well today was nearly a disaster... The whole day could have been canceled... I nearly got trapped in my room because of the hundreds of valentines cards blocking my door!!!! ;-)

What can I say... Not a cloud in the sky and doesn't seem to any wind... Perfect conditions for our last day and I am looking forward to seeing our competent skiers enjoying everything they have learnt in wonderful surroundings with good company.

Will update later with final few photos :-)

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Thats Thursday Done... home stretch now!

Hi all,

Well what a great day again, conditions great this morning, light was a bit flat this afternoon but the races were awesome.  Mrs Perry has kindly put a few words together for the blog tonight again:

Mrs Perry
What another amazing day. RACE DAY!

Every one has been progressing so well in their ski lessons and today those skills were put to the test. 

They were all given a numbered vest, Lily Morgan was number one which ment she was first down, very brave. The course was marked out with red and blue flags, which they had to guide themselves around as fast as they could.

Nearly everyone made it down without a fall, a couple fell but they did not give up and completed the course.

I was so proud of them all it brought a lump to my throat. They all cheered each other on and were so complementary to each other.

The students have been working in groups of the same ability, so they competed against at the same level. The boys competed against each other and the girls competed against each other.
The instructors did a presentation ceremony and the results are as follows: 

Instructor Martin

Boys
1st Tom Pretty
2nd Joshua King
3rd Alex Marshall
4th Joshua Houston 

Girls
1st Mia Roe 
2nd Abby Bailey
3rd Jade Mugglestone
4th Hannah Williams
5th Shraya Brahmbhatt
6th Daisy Bordoli-Edwards
7th Darcy Halliday
8th Pippa Hathaway 

Instructor Shevan 

Boys
1st Harrison Lighthowler 
2nd Joshua Roulston
3rd Sam Pilley
4th Ethan O'Reiley
5th Jarrod Carr
6th Edward Dunton
7th Jack Cawthorn

Girls
1st Georgina Wallin
2nd Lily Morgan
3rd Olivia Morrison
4th Florence Wallis-Petris

Instructor Peter

Boys
1st Harry Allen
2nd Will Gorman
3rd Ollie Thorpe
4th Hugo Jessop
5th Edward Hefferman
6th Felix Wild

Girls
1st Eve Cooper
2nd Martha Reynolds
3rd Chloe Perrot
4th Lucy Frampton

Instructor Bernie
1st Alex Haines 
2nd Ollie Johnson 
3rd Ellis pole 
4th George Longton 
5th Matthew Longton 

Looking forward to the last day ;-)

Mrs Perry

Twonk
After numerous votes from pupils and staff alike, the Twonk for the final day will be.......

.....Abby Bailey! for her button lift dismount dramas today and keeping us entertained during the week (when we could get a word in!!!)



I think i have now managed to get all the blog dodgers on here, hopefully all pupils have managed to leave a message and i am trying my best to ensure all have been captured in a photo somewhere in the blogs over the past week... Please see the final pupil blog messages below:

Florence:
Hi mum,gabe,scar and dolly hope you are having a nice time with me out of the way I have my tumbles but im alive I finished the race at 47.47sec Im missing u lots cant wait to see u soon lots of love flo

Jade:
hello mum and dad hope you are all well, having a fab time came 3rd in my group race and finished in 35.20 , have lots of bruise but still standing love and miss you lots see you soon jade xox

Edward Hefferman
Hi, Mum & Alice, hope you are having a great time alone in the house. The views are beautiful as we are in the middle of a valley. We had a race day today, and I did quite well. See you on Saturday,say hi to Dad when he gets home.

Josh King
Hi mum, Patrick & dad! Hope your all having a good time at home! It's amazing here! The views are great! We had our race today and I came second in mine :) See u all soon. :)
  
Harry Allen
Hi mum,dad oh and Jack I miss you but am having the time of my life today we had a slalom and I won my race I did it in 27.17 bet that's better than Jack by brother and beet Will Gourmand in second place by 00.03 of a second.Today was really fun and wish we had a other week!  

Mia:
hi guys! I went down my frost black slope today! That's the most difficult of slopes! We did the slalom race today and I came forts from all the girls in my group! I have a gold medal and a certificate! Can't wait to see you on Saturday. We are leaving Friday at 6pm so we will probably be back at barrow by the same time the next day! Got snacks for the journey home! See you in a few days love from Mia! Xx

Tom:
hi mum hi dad how's the family doing  and u I'm having A lovely time I won a gold medal in the race I got 1st place miss u only Saturday then I will be there

Alexander
Did a ski race today, and as I have been in the top group we went last and I won at at time of 23.67. Thank you for letting me go skiing I have had a great time. See you Saturday Alex

Alex Marshall
Hi mum, dad, ben, josh, and mo. I'm having a really fun time, the hotel is nice and the views are amazing. We had a race today and I came third. Tomorrow we are going on red slopes, and I hope you are having fun at home. Just say to Ben and Josh for me 'hahahahaha how's school...lol'
Bye can't wait to get home.

Felix
Thank you for the great ski trip mum and dad. I have had such a good time the hole time and all.

 Jarrod
Hi I went down a red slope today and learned how to do parallel turns, I also came 5th in the slalom race and it was fun.
  
Sam
Today we went skiing at fugen , and we did a red slope , and now I can parallel . I came 3rd in the slalom race , we also went shopping ( got loads of chocolate ) .
Hugo
Today we went skiing at fugen I've learnt to ski properly now and want to persuade you to let us go skiing again sometime as a family.Also I would like to thank you for allowing me to go on the ski trip it was my best sporting experience so far.  


So the final night in the hotel... the kids are mostly packed up and ready for the last day of skiing tomorrow before we head back to old blighty where i understand the weather conditions have been 'changeable'!

I have conveyed your thanks to the instructors and staff and I am on my way to purchase the team a small token of my appreciation!!... hot chocolate of course!! Wont be long to bed as we have a big day tomorrow and are all shattered!!

Will blog again tomorrow and keep you updated on our last day skiing and journey home.  Thank you again for your support and following us... it really has added to the adventure and the kids really appreciate your comments.

Bye for now

KC and the Austrian Band!


Ski School Race and Presentation Pictures

Pics of the pupils getting their presentations and medals from the Ski School Staff


































Full Stats and results breakdown will be listed in the full blog shortly.

Race pictures

Fingers crossed I managed to get everyone on the race... there are few blurred ones... i will comment that that is not camera operator error, the kids were just too fast!!!! (honest)!!










































Presentation Pics to follow, then will post the blog of the final night... and of course the TWONK!