Ski & Snowboard School

Skiing and snowboarding at Ski Butternut in Great Barrington, MA has been a Hawk Meadow tradition since the first year we opened in 2008.

We ski for eight Fridays in a row in winter, beginning in January and ending in March. The ski bus departs the school at 7:15 a.m. and arrives back to the school at 5:30 p.m. The children receive two lessons each Friday, along with time to “free ski” with their friends. The cost of skiing is included in tuition, with the exception of ski rentals, which are very affordable. Our ski trips are not optional, but rather an intentional part of our physical education curriculum. It’s important that your child attends, barring any illness.

Why do we Ski?

We teach to the whole child, challenging their physical and mental abilities. We encourage children to have goals, to reach their potential. We nourish their sense of independence and self confidence. Skiing is a powerful way to reinforce and extend many of the essential values we develop the rest of the year by taking advantage of winters in the Northeast. In addition to the physical benefits of participating in an outdoor winter sport, the process of learning to ski encourages peer-to-peer learning and working together. It builds the kind of self confidence that comes with mastering and/or improving upon a skill. The efforts and achievements encountered on the mountain translate into the classroom. The excitement, the overcoming of fears, and the sheer joy of learning to ski or snowboard drives academic work.