Day 5 Bulletin

Hi Everyone

It's snowing!! Thoughts of skiing were temporarily abandoned this morning for the new sport of catching snowflakes with one's tongue. Meanwhile, up on the mountains visibility is much reduced, making for some truly wintry scenery.

Skiing continues apace though, with most children having now attempted the 'Turin' slope. This is a red slope, one below a black! Who'd have thought it on the first day, when most of the children were struggling to get their skis on! The more experienced skiers are flying down slopes at a speed which makes me wince, but they obviously know what they're doing so I just smile and wave as they swoosh past.

St Christopher's prides itself on offering a rounded education, so you will be interested to learn that last night's activity was a session of 'Stock Exchange'. This is a Viamonde speciality, where the counsellors set up imaginary companies in which the children are invited to invest (with pretend money before you start worrying about them phoning you for more funds!). Clearly there are some budding entrepeneurs amongst the tour party as you will see from today's photos...

I hope you will forgive a few words about the staff. The ski trip to Switzerland is considered one of the best assignments of the school year, but it is - as you can imagine - extremely hard work! The teachers have been brilliant - enthusiastic, kind and patient, spending every minute of each day with the children. I think you can tell from the photos on the blog that the children are very happy, and this is largely due to the unstinting way the teachers have taken up the responsibility of being in loco parentis. Of course, you learn as much about your colleagues as the children on a trip like this... I have discovered that Mrs Ellerby, for instance, has clearly missed her metier as a hairdresser. Each evening sees a line of children outside her room to have their hair expertly washed and brushed, although for some reason the group think I won't be needing her services.

Miss Anderson and Mrs Fergusson have proved to be the expert skiiers amongst the staff, although Mrs Fergusson provided us with our only moment of panic in the week when she dropped a ski and decided to jump off a T-bar lift to retrieve it. After a lengthy walk through waist deep snow, she was more than ready for her hot chocolate. Mrs Lodwig and Mrs Hunter are surely our most improved skiiers, although I must dispel the distressing rumours which are apparently circulating that Mrs Hunter beat me at sledding. As in most sports, a good little 'un will usually lose out to a good big 'un, and with the excellent food we have here I think I shall be needing two seats on the way home. It was no contest, folks!

Whilst thanking the staff, a HUGE thank you too to Mr Rae for organising our fleeces. They're much appreciated - it can be quite chilly here!

Hope you're all well and not missing us too much!

Mr M