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Claremont High School Academy

The queens and kings of the slopes

Ms Smith leads an intrepid group of staff and students to a winter wonderland 

Last December, forty-four students and five members of staff from Claremont High School travelled to the Italian ski resort of Sestriere, staying at the four-star Villaggio Olimpico Hotel, conveniently located directly opposite the slopes. The conditions were perfect with lots of sunshine followed by heavy snowfall towards the end of the week, making for ideal skiing on the last day. The pupils attended daily ski lessons and, according to trip leader Ms Smith, made ‘fantastic progress’. 

‘It was amazing to witness how our students faced their fears head-on, overcoming them to become confident and accomplished queens and kings of the slopes,’ says Mr Makanji. 

‘The views on the slopes were absolutely breathtaking, showing just how beautiful nature can be,’ comments Year 12 student, Dannio Cao. ‘Skiing downhill was scary but also peaceful in my mind. That week will always be a treasured memory for me.’ 

Evening activities included: sledging or ‘bum-boarding’ on the slopes near the hotel; eating crepes and delicious Italian ice-cream at a local restaurant; a ‘quiz night’ organized by Mr Sewell; plus a private disco, allowing students to showcase their impressive dancefloor moves! 

‘I didn’t know most of the people there at the beginning of the week,’ admits Khushal Patel in Year 8, ‘but skiing with them and eating dinner together afterwards helped us to become friends. I didn’t just bond with other pupils, but teachers as well. They all managed to help me with my ski journey. It was amazing!’ 

Dannio agrees: ‘Bonding with the lower-school students and the teachers was such a great experience, and the people of Italy were really welcoming.’ 

The highlights of the trip for Ms Smith included: seeing students across the year groups making friends with each other; witnessing the beginner group’s progress throughout the week, becoming more confident on the slopes each day. 

‘The development of the relationship between the advanced group and their instructor over the week was really nice to observe,’ adds Mr Sewell. ‘All the students were extremely respectful towards the staff and other members of the public and represented the school very well.’ 

‘It was another great ski trip for 2024,’ concludes Ms Smith, ‘and we’re already looking forward to the next one this coming December!’