Ski Club / FAQ
Everything in one place
Frequently asked questions
Dates, cost, eligibility, chaperoning, rentals, lessons, weather, and what to pack. If your question isn't here, email us — the answer will probably end up on this page.
Does my child need to know how to ski?
No — and most don't. Last season roughly three-quarters of our participants had never skied before. Lessons cover the fundamentals from the very start.
What grades are eligible?
Grades 2 through 8. Preschool, kindergarten, and first grade are not eligible this season.
When are the trips?
Five Fridays between January and February. The specific dates are being finalized with Whitetail and will be posted here as soon as they're confirmed. Email us to be on the list that gets them first.
What does it cost?
Two parts. Estimated $300–$350 per student to Ski Club, covering the charter bus for all five Fridays, pizza on the way up, and cookies and snacks on the way home. The final figure depends on enrollment and bus pricing — the bus is split across the group, so more participants means a lower price per family.
Separately, families register and pay Whitetail directly for its Slope Days package, which covers a lift ticket for each trip, rental equipment, and the hour-long lesson at a group rate. We'll publish that figure once the resort confirms our group.
Does anyone make money on this?
No. Ski Club is not-for-profit and organized on a volunteer basis by parents. Nobody is paid, nobody takes a commission, and there is no markup on anything.
Your payment to Ski Club covers the charter bus, the pizza, and the snacks — that is all it covers. The Whitetail fee goes to the resort at a group rate. If money is left over at the end of the season, it goes back to families or into the following year.
I registered with Whitetail. Is that everything?
No, and this is the step families most often miss. Whitetail's booking system and Ski Club's bus are separate, and the resort does not send us a list of who registered.
Email us as soon as you complete Whitetail's registration, with your child's name and grade. If we do not hear from you, we have no way of knowing your child is coming, and the bus seat will go to another family.
How do I sign up?
Sign-ups aren't open yet — we're locking in the dates first. The registration form will go live on this site for registration, ski-or-snowboard preference, ability level, rental needs, and chaperone date selection. Email us now and you'll get the link the day it opens.
Where do you ski, and how do students get there?
Whitetail Mountain Resort near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania — roughly ninety minutes from campus. Students travel together by charter bus and return the same evening.
What time will my child get home?
Students must be at the bus by 8:00 PM and it departs at 8:15. Arrival back at St. Bart's is usually between 9:30 and 10:00 PM, traffic depending. Parents receive an emailed ETA as the bus leaves the mountain.
What time are the lessons?
Lessons run 6:00 to 7:00 PM, grouped by ability. An optional free ski period follows from 7:00 to 8:00. Instructors assign lesson groups, not parents, and adjustments are made weekly.
Is food provided?
Yes. Pizza is served on the bus on the way to the mountain, and snacks are provided during the trip. Eating on the road means the students spend their time at Whitetail skiing rather than sitting in the lodge.
Does my child need to own skis?
No. Rental equipment is available and many students rent for the entire season. Rental details and pricing will be published with the season information.
Can my child snowboard instead?
Yes. Both skiing and snowboarding are accommodated. Indicate a preference on the registration form.
What happens if the weather is bad?
We evaluate road conditions, transportation, the mountain forecast, and overall safety before each trip. Ski Club does not automatically follow MCPS weather decisions. A snowy forecast can force a postponement because the drive becomes unsafe even when the skiing would be excellent. Rain alone does not cancel a trip.
Families are notified directly if a trip is postponed or rescheduled.
What if my child is sick that day?
Please keep your child home if they're contagious or not well enough for an active outdoor evening, and let us know as early as you can.
What if my child leaves something behind?
Contact us as soon as possible — we coordinate with the bus company and the resort to recover items. Please label helmets, gloves, bags, and clothing. Gear gets left on buses; labels get it back.
Is chaperoning required?
It is highly encouraged, and we mean that sincerely — we cannot do this without parents. Ski Club has no paid staff and no budget for supervision. Every adult on the mountain is a volunteer parent.
Here is the arithmetic. Each trip needs about five chaperones, and there are five trips. That is upwards of twenty-five chaperone spots to fill across the season. If only a handful of families volunteer, those same people carry all five Fridays, and the program stops being sustainable.
So please plan on taking at least one trip. It is the single most useful thing you can do for Ski Club, and most parents who do it end up glad they came.
How do I pick which trip I chaperone?
Once the five Fridays are confirmed, chaperone dates are claimed on SignUpGenius — first come, first served. Two parents from the same family can split a trip, and every parent who wants to come along will get the chance.
Do I need to be a strong skier to chaperone?
No. Many of the most important chaperone responsibilities — bus loading, headcounts, rentals, boots, lesson transitions, getting everyone back on the bus — don't require advanced skiing at all. Some chaperones never put on skis.
Is a waiver required?
Yes. Every participating student must have a completed Ski Club waiver on file before their first trip. The waiver is separate from registration, and the link will be posted here once it's available for this season.
Is Ski Club run by St. Bartholomew School?
No. Ski Club is an independent, parent-organized activity and is not sponsored, operated, or administered by St. Bartholomew School. School facilities or administrative processes may assist with certain logistics, such as early dismissal where applicable, but Ski Club itself is independently organized. All participants come from the St. Bart's community.
Didn't find it? Email us — questions that come up more than once get added here.