Volunteer / Supervisor Help Sheet

The following are areas in which your parent and teacher volunteers can be very helpful in assisting your students get on the slopes quickly and safely in order to make their day at Mount Pakenham a most enjoyable and safe experience.

• Handing out on the bus: the ski wires and pre-printed lift tickets with the student's name and pre-assigned ski and boot number. Please demonstrate how to put on the lift ticket and assist students with this procedure.


• Assist the students in the lodge to put away knapsacks & to ensure students are dressed warmly with mitts/hats/neck warmer. (Please keep valuables with student or in coin lockers). Backpacks are prohibited on the lifts


• Assist students in the Rental Shop with helmets and to locate and put on the pre-assigned boots - check lift ticket for information and take only the boots that are assigned. (Please keep expensive shoes in a coin locker). If equipment changes are needed; please speak to a rental shop employee.


• Assist Instructors outside rentals with first time skiers/boarders.


• Check: with Ski/Board Pro at Station #7 near the Polar Quad chairlift for students needing assistance to ride the chair. (10am to 1pm)


• Easy Runs We have easy runs (marked as 'green' circle) from the top of both the Mika and Polar Quad Chairlifts. Trail Maps are available in the Main Lodge.


• Students may need extra instruction in our Beginner Centre on gentle slopes before progressing to more difficult runs. Please understand that for safety reasons these students must demonstrate controlled turns and stops before access to any chairlift is granted. Mount Pakenham Station Teaching ensures students are given extra lesson time in order to achieve their goals. Time in lesson may vary between 1-3 hours. Please allow the professionals to do their jobs. On first visits, some students may not progress enough to graduate to the chairlifts and should continue to practice at the Handle Tow or Rope Tow or Carpet Lift.


• When in chairlift lines please assist in checking student lift passes for validation (usually a star) that allows access to chairlifts to ensure their safety and the safety of others on the hill.


• We issue warnings (mark a 'W' on the lift ticket) if a student disobeys the Alpine Responsibilty Code. Second offences will be brought to the attention of the school supervisor.

Students with Special Needs in Group Ski and Snowboard Lessons
We often receive requests from schools and families to accommodate children with various challenges in group lessons.
Although schools now routinely include students with significant behavioral or emotional problems that occasionally render them disruptive, special needs students may not do well in a group ski lesson.
Students with intellectual, emotional, or behavioral challenges learn better one-on-one in a private lesson setting.
Students with physical challenges, requiring an instructor with special adaptive training should consider booking private lessons with a CADS (Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers) certified instructor. These bookings must be done at least 3 weeks in advance of your Skiing-in-Schools trip. Please contact our Skiing in Schools coordinator at sis@mountpakenham.com or call 613-624-5290 ext 240 to see if there will be CADS instructors available this year.


Following strict guidelines set out by Ontario Snow Resorts Association and Ontario School Board Insurance Exchange, our Skiing in Schools programs provide a fun and safe learning opportunity.