38 excited students from Carisbrooke College, Medina College and The Island VI Form set off on the Fishbourne ferry at the start of the Easter break for an action-packed week of skiing and snowboarding.
Accompanied by Miss Caddick, Mr Rock, Mrs Mackett and Mr Jones, the students embarked on the 22-hour coach journey to Alpendorf, Austria.
On arrival, the weather was amazing with blue skies and warm temperatures to complement the ample snow conditions. 5 hours of lessons for 5 days produced some outstanding progress on the snow. By the last day, most were out and about exploring the mountain with their instructors and taking in the views, not to forget racing each other down the speed trap before it melted too much.
Trip Leader and Medina College PE Teacher, Miss Caddick, said:
“Learning to ski and snowboard is extremely challenging. There were some inspirational students who faced that challenge head on, and all of them found new skills in the form of resilience and determination. They were a fantastic mix of students who entertained each other, and the staff, all week.”
Medina College Student, Lennon Stone said:
“Learning how to snowboard was very challenging, but was one of the best experiences of my life. It was my first time and I fell over a lot, but I loved every moment. I especially enjoyed snowboarding down the whole mountain, because the views were amazing and it was a satisfying experience to see how far I progressed throughout the week.”
IWEF Deputy Executive Headteacher and Head of Carisbrooke College, Karen Begley, said:
“International trips like this broaden our students’ horizons and help them to gain confidence and independence, amongst many other skills. It was amazing to see this go ahead after the difficult time we have all had through the pandemic. The students made new friendships and memories which will last them a lifetime.”
