Location: Pila, Aosta Valley, Italy

The last day of the Autumn Term was somewhat different for thirty-five students and 5 members of staff last year as it marked the start of the 2010 Ski Trip. We travelled to the Aosta Valley in Italy for a week’s skiing.

The coach journey to Italy was always going to be a long one and a ferry-miss added an extra few hours onto our drive; however this was no problem as everyone still managed to have enough sleep to witness and appreciate the spectacular views that our arrival in the Alps provided. We managed to arrive in the Valley by late afternoon and get through the ski-fit at the Interski offices. We turned up at the hotel ready for a meal and then had plenty of time to unpack and settle into our rooms.

The hotel was excellent; it was very clean and comfortable and the owners were very welcoming. Throughout the week the meals were to prove exquisite, with a range of pastas and meats available alongside vegetables. Towards the end of the week you could sense that everyone had lost interest in the pasta starters though, and so ate more of the second course instead. The meals suited all tastes.

The ski-ing itself proved hard work and required a good night’s sleep for us to have enough energy on the slopes. Our wake-up call was at 6.40am, and breakfast followed at 7.00am. We were all sure to be up though as the strugglers would be woken by Mr Young armed with his water bottle!

Throughout the week we enjoyed après ski activities; these included ice skating, a visit to a Nike Shop, tubing, a pizza night, a quiz night and, of course, endless snowball fights. We also enjoyed an evening in the town of Aosta, shopping for presents and gifts. On the day before our departure we had our Presentation Evening where we were all awarded with certificates and badges by our instructors.

All of the pupils bonded well and some extremely funny moments occurred both on and off-piste. Overall the trip was superb. All pupils from complete beginners to experienced skiers developed their skills on the slopes. The instructors at Pila were really helpful and we had a huge laugh with them; they helped to make the trip so enjoyable.

Thanks to Mr Bird for organising the trip and to Mr Jones, Mr Campbell, Mr Brough and Mr Young (whose language expertise proved very useful) for giving up their holiday to come away with the school. Your time was much appreciated.

Ryan

Ryan’s report needs to be supplemented to allow reference to the excellent attitude displayed by all of our students during the trip.  Learning to ski is a demanding physical challenge, albeit for some more than others, and the perseverance shown, including by some suffering from minor ailments, was very impressive indeed.  The staff received many compliments about our students’ manners and conduct throughout the trip, and about how well they supported each other and students from other schools too.  They were a credit to themselves and to Handsworth Grammar School.

Mr P Jones

PS: Planning for next year’s trip is already underway, scheduled for the same time of year i.e. the first week of the Christmas holiday.  Mr Bird will circulate information when available. 

The Learning Hub currently hosts a display of books and leaflets to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. Holocaust Memorial Day is held on January 27th. This date was chosen because it was on January 27th 1945 that the largest Nazi death camp – Auschwitz was liberated. People accross the world use the day ro remember the victims of genocide, as an opportunity to remember the past and commit to creating a better future.

All items on the display can be borrowed – please feel free to drop in and have a look.

To learn more about Holocaust Memorial Day please click here.

Year 9 Options Evening was held on Tuesday 25th January 2011 with an excellent turn out of parents and students. There was a short presentation in the hall on the compulsory subjects.  Following this staff were available in their areas to discuss the options in KS4.

You can view a pdf of the presentation here.

There will be a Remembrance Assembly at 8:45am on Thursday 11th November, 2010