- On Fridays in January and February classes end early and kids head outside.
- My first- and fifth-graders look forward to school skiing year-round.
- The program teaches kids important lessons about physical and mental wellness.
My first-grader zipped by me on skis, her “French fries” easily overtaking my skis’ cautious “pizza” positioning. Her sister, a fifth grader, was already down the mountain and on the chairlift again, giggling with friends as she went back for another run.
It wasn’t vacation or a weekend, but a Friday afternoon at school for the girls during one of their favorite times of the year. For five weeks during January and February their elementary school cancels classes after 11 a.m. on Fridays and brings kids outside — no matter how frigid the air in our rural region of New Hampshire.
When I first heard about the school’s Winter Activities program soon after I moved to the district and my oldest started kindergarten, I thought it was a cute, novel idea. Six years later, I’m convinced it’s downright brilliant, delivering lessons about health, community building, and nature that go well beyond anything my daughters learn in their classrooms.
Skiing helped us fit it
Growing up outside Boston, I occasionally skied, but the activity was expensive and out-of-reach for a low income family with four kids. When I moved north, skiing felt like a way of life, and I worried that my kids might be left out. We could afford to ski now, but my husband — an Australian — is even less ski savvy than I am.
Luckily, the school stepped in, teaching my girls about a sport that’s essentially part of the local culture here in the mountains. The school subsidizes the program, and the PTO provides scholarships to any families that need them. It’s an opportunity I wish I had as a kid. That first year, as I watched my older daughter gain confidence on the snow, I knew she’d have no trouble fitting in in our new town.
Getting outside helps with mental health during winter
According to the school, the idea behind winter activities is to keep kids active during the long, dreary New Hampshire winter. For families in this area, it’s a critical lifelong skill, when the sun sets at 4 p.m. and temperatures regularly peak in the single digits.
As someone who works from home and could easily not leave the house some days, I know that making an effort to get outside bolsters my own mental health. I volunteer with the program and can confirm that I’m smiling almost constantly on the slopes, even with the stress of managing kids doing a risky sport. Hopefully, learning to be active year round will keep our kids healthy, and maybe even fight seasonal depression.
Downhill skiing is by far the most popular winter activity, but students can also choose cross-country skiing, ice fishing, or ice skating. There are even indoor options like theater or swimming. Each Friday morning, kids on the bus and in the drop-off line are buzzing with excitement, and I’m sure the teachers breathe a sigh of relief knowing they’ll be able to expend all that energy.
I point out all the helpers that make this possible
Bringing more than 100 kids skiing is no small feat. The school buses kids to a local resort, but parents need to drive the 30 or so minutes to pick them up. Behind the scenes are chaperones taking time off work to fit kids into rentals and PTO volunteers making sure everyone has their pass.
Once we’re outside my kids might high-five their music teacher or their assistant principal who are also on the slopes — and who the kids somehow recognize beneath their ski gear. I make sure my girls don’t miss the fact that lots of adults in the community are coming together, pouring time and effort into this tradition. I take a moment to thank them too, because these days I look forward to Friday skiing just as much as my kids do.
