By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — This winter, students at Claremont Middle School had the chance to hit the slopes every week, thanks to a relationship between the school and the Mount Sunapee Ski Club.
“As a school counselor and a former teacher witnessing the students engage in this club, I can say with certainty it taught the students many things,” said CMS Ski/Snowboard Club organizer Sarah Ferland.
Ferland explained that this is the first time in at least the 12 years that she has worked at the school that there has been a ski and snowboard program. They went to Sunapee every Wednesday for five weeks for an hour-and-a-half lesson followed by a 45-minute free ski, all taking place in the morning so they could have lunch and head back to school to finish out the day.
Ferland said the students “enjoyed it immensely.”
“Many of the students had never skied before and it requires time, effort, the ability to get back up after falls, so it really promotes resilience and having a growth mindset which are paramount to success and sometimes hard to instill,” Ferland said. “I saw them really develop confidence, self-efficacy and self-esteem that was truly heartwarming to see.”
Ferland said there was a sense of camaraderie between the students as they learned together on the hill. They looked out for each other, helping one another along the way. She believes that this will translate to a more positive school community.
“Once you feel the sense of connection with others you want to keep creating it,” Ferland said.
The students also got outside of the classroom for their learning experience, in a spot where they could appreciate nature while doing something fun and active. Ferland said this is invaluable in an era where so many children spend time looking at a screen, whether it be a phone, computer or video games.
“Developmentally we know middle school children need activity, and we also know that outdoor activities have been shown to boost mood and reduce stress,” Ferland said.
The Mount Sunapee Ski Club gave full grants to many of the students to take part in the program, and Ferland said there were many hands on deck to make this program a reality.
“I was able to go to Sunapee and ski and do the fun part but in all honesty, it took a village to make this club happen,” she said. “Frank Romeo, CMS principal, encourages and supports teachers if they have a passion for creating enriching opportunities for students and when I told him I wanted to start this club he offered his full support, along with Chris Pratt.”
She also said the bus drivers, Pamela Mley and Jesse Aiken, provided transportation and were very flexible, especially when make-up days were needed due to weather related cancellations.
She added that Laura Foster, who runs the ski program at Mount Sunapee, was very accommodating, especially as it was Ferland’s first time organizing a club. She admitted there was a bit of a learning curve, but their staff and instructors were friendly and reasonable. Mount Sunapee Ski Club graciously donated financial aid to many students who needed it, which Ferland said was truly appreciated.
Ferland is a former student of CMS, and she said she still has fond memories of her time in the ski program that was in place. She has hopes for the club to continue and be a part of a bigger winter program next winter.
Thanks to this program happening, this year students had the chance to learn new skills, stay active, acquire a new life-long hobby, and build lasting memories on the slopes,” Ferland said.
