Please refer to this page for all your ESSC-related news and information.

Important Student and Volunteer Registration info:

Registering for ESSC is necessary to participate. Parents, please go HERE to register. The code is WINTER23.

Volunteers (WE THANK YOU!): 

• If you are volunteering for the ESSC program for grades 1-6, you’ll also need to register HERE. You will also need to get your background/fingerprinting done (this does not apply to school employees). To schedule your fingerprinting, please go HERE.

• It is required that you attend an outdoor training clinic and watch a video. 

  • To view the outdoor training dates, please go HERE

  Tentative 7the & 8th grade program: If you are volunteering for the 7th & 8th-grade program, you do not need to register for ESSC, but you still need to get your fingerprints done. The volunteer forms for 7th & 8th Grade volunteers are HERE.

Parent Updates:

• Parents, if your student would like to use the terrain park, Cranmore asks that they watch three safety videos. Please go HERE to view the first one. Once they have watched that one, please have them watch THIS ONE. Finally, have them watch THIS ONE.

• Groups that are deemed ready by their instructor will receive the park orientation this coming Thursday.

• Terrain parks are a lot of fun but can be dangerous, so it is critical for the kids to watch these videos and put safety first. Thank you for helping deliver this message.

• Nordic (Cross- Country) Skiers will head to Whittaker Woods for a normal day of ESSC. Parents, if you typically pick up your student from school and drop them off (with their equipment) at Whittaker Woods, that is what you should do this week. If they typically take the van from school, then make sure to drop off their equipment with Jesse Badger (or a helper) after school drop-off on Thursday morning.

• Reminder: Please put a snack in your student’s pocket (the night before or the day of) so they have it ready to go when they get hungry on the slopes. Granola bars are great - something quick and easy.

Volunteer Updates:

• If your students would like to use the park, Cranmore asks that they watch two videos. You should watch them as well. Please see above for the links.

• No Park skiing or riding until the Cranmore Park Staff has given your group the orientation.

• As a reminder, our goal is to have everyone on the snow ready to go by 12:45 and back to Arlberg at 2:45.

• Every group should have a walkie-talkie. Please pick them up from the basket in the white tent.

• ESSC has asked that each day out, we work on at least one tangible, skill-level appropriate skill. This can be as basic as snowplowing or as advanced as you want, but it should be appropriate for the students. Please articulate to them at the beginning of the day what you’ll be working on, and at the end of the day, do a wrap-up where you talk about what you worked on to reinforce it.

• Around halfway through the day, please encourage your students to eat their snacks and ask if they want to take a water break.

• Have FUN!!

Basic ESSC Info: 

• ESSC will begin on Thursday, 1/4/2024, and take place every Thursday (excluding vacation weeks) until March 14th

• Students are dismissed at noon, and the program runs until 2:45. 

• Students are to be picked up at the Arlberg Children’s Center at Cranmore by 3:00 - there is signage for this.

• Transportation is available from school to Cranmore (alpine) and Whittaker Woods (nordic). To sign up for transportation, please visit the BigSis parent portal.

• Once there, please select the aftercare tab

  Your students will be listed as potential participants in various sessions

  Select “View Signups” to the right of “ESSC BUS” Session

  Click the Signup button under Quick Signups

  Click “Confirm Signups”

  Please contact Michelle Schmidt with any questions.

• While skiing, the students will be grouped by ability and instructed by volunteer instructors.

• For additional general information on the Eastern Slope Ski Club, please visit their website HERE.

• Equipment Drop off info: If your student will be taking the school transportation from School to Cranmore, please drop their equipment off with Jesse Badger in the far school parking lot on the morning of ESSC. He will bring it from school to Cranmore.

Rental Update: We will have a rental day on December 8th. That is an early release day and the school will bus children getting rental equipment to Cranmore.

Tentative 7th & 8th Grade Program: The 7th & 8th Grade program is not technically ESSC; it's an agreement with Cranmore and the school. The cost is $65. Please email the ESSC organizers if your student needs rental equipment by emailing Meredith@northeastwoodland.org. To access and print the registration forms for this program, please go HERE. Please return these forms, with payment, to Michelle Schmidt in the school office. Thank you!

Nordic Program: There will be an ESSC cross-country skiing program this winter for students. It will be on the same day as alpine ESSC, at the same time, and will take place at Whittaker Woods. There will be transportation to Whittaker Woods available, as well as rental equipment.