Free skiing for Rangataua children

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 360, 30 October 1990, Page 7

Free skiing for Rangataua children

The ski field became the classroom for eight Rangataua children last Thursday, thanks to sponsorship from Ruapehu South Business Association members. The eight standard two to form one children were given a ski lesson as part of the activity.

"It's a wonderful response to the Board of Trustees request to the RSBA for help in giving our senior non-skiing children a chance to experience an activity that so many people enjoy," said Rangataua School Principal Marie Milne. She said the idea of school skiing, which Ohakune and Raetihi

children have taken part in for a number of years, is to give the children a chance to experience the mountain and one of its most popular leisure activities. Discounts are offered to all Waimarino Schools as part of their school skiing programmes. Mrs Milne said the experience is more than just skiing, that it is a broad learning experience dealihg with responsibility for their gear, safety, coping with other people, different terrain, weather and other conditions. "Hopefully this winter experience will lead to, other ways to use the mountain and the park as teaching resources," said Mrs Milne. She said she would like to see them learn more about what happens on the mountain, such as with the ski patrol, the lifts and the groomers. The idea is to broaden their views on what the mountain is about, as a place for leisure, for work opportunities and as a national park.

In return for the help the children have offered to do work for their sponsors. The sponsors for the children were: Ruapehu Mountain Tours, Ohakune New World, Moore Construction, the Raetihi Motor Camp, Ruapehu Homestead, the Ruapehu Bulletin, and the RSBA. The Powderhorn provided free ski equipment, Ruapehu Mt Tours provided discounted transport and Turoa provided discounted ski passes for the children and Suzy Couch provided supervision for the day.