Youth Enrichment

Afton Alps lift tickets and rentals must be prepaid four days prior to the scheduled trip. 

Participants must be registered by Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. the week for the Friday night trip. No late registrations will be accepted after the 12:00 p.m. Tuesday deadline as we need to send in our ticket order, rental order, organize rosters and confirm bus capacities at each school. We are not able to re-do this process to accommodate late registrations. 

Sick or injured? Email warriorskiclub@isd197.org as soon as possible. We can work to move your registration to a future date for a $10 processing fee.  

My student has a season pass to Afton Alps, do I need to pay? Yes, you can select the $44 registration option, which covers transportation and staff supervision. 

Can I get a scholarship for Ski Club?  If your family is enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program, we can waive $20 off the registration fee. All other lift ticket and rental fees are hard costs which cannot be discounted further. You will need to register over the phone for scholarships at 651-403-8520. 

I registered my participant for the wrong school.  Please email warriorskiclub@isd197.org and request to switch the registration. 

Why do I have to answer so many questions to register? Roster information such as names, rental equipment, emergency phone numbers, allergies/special needs, and injury waivers are not saved  in our system. You will need to answer those questions for reach registration. 

What happens when the students arrive?

When students arrive they receive tickets/rental equipment as needed. A shared spot will be selected in the Chalet for students to store items under the tables. Ski club advisors and chaperones will be out skiing or in the chalet. Afton Alps and School District 197 are not responsible for lost or stolen items. Bringing valuables is discouraged. 

How much money should I give my child for dinner at Afton Alps? It is recommended to provide $10-15 for dinner or you can pack a dinner or snack to send along with them.

Where does my participant store their equipment at school?

Please drop off equipment in the morning at the following locations:

Two Rivers: Mr. Whalen's Classroom #E020 Tech Ed.

Heritage: TBD

Friendly Hills: TBD

Rental package includes, skis or snowboard, boots, poles (ski), helmet, registration fee and lift ticket. Goggles are not included in rentals but are recommended. 

Helmets are highly recommended. Helmets are included for those renting equipment. You can rent one during registration for $10 if needed. 

Have someone else’s equipment by mistake? Email us with details (equipment, brand, size, color etc.) and we can send an email to the families that attended the same trip.  

Lost items on the bus? We are using coach buses, not district transportation. Email us and we can provide contact information for our transportation service

Left an item at Afton? Reach out to Afton Alps directly.

What if my participant is injured? In the event of an injury, the participant will be taken to the First Aid Room at Afton and met by an ISD 197 Chaperone, Ski Club Advisor and Afton Alps first aid staff. Parents will be called and notified of the injury. Depending on the nature of the injury and the parent’s preference, the participant may:

• Ride the bus back at the regular time, where he or she will be met by parents

• Be picked up at the resort by the parent

• Be taken by ambulance to the nearest emergency room.  ISD 197 Chaperone or Ski Club Advisor will go with the participant. Parents must meet their participant at the hospital.      

Ski Club Advisors will check in with First Aid throughout the night. Ski Club Advisors cell phone numbers are left with the main office/first aid office at Afton. Afton does not have a PA system to page your child to the chalet, they will call the advisor. 

Cell service is sketchy on the hills and in the chalet. If you need to get ahold of your child, the main office number at Afton is 651-436-5245. 

Students should meet at the following locations to load buses after school:  

Heritage: Check in with Ms. Danner/Mr. Kenefick in the cafeteria by 3:30 p.m. for attendance and loading. 

Friendly Hills: Check in with Mr. Reddy by the main bus doors by 3:30 p.m. for attendance and loading. 

Two Rivers: Check in with Mr. Whalen in his room by 3:20 p.m. for attendance and loading. School backpacks will be left in Mr. Whalen's room to be retrieved after ski club.  

Buses depart schools at 3:40 p.m., arriving at Afton around 4:30 p.m. Lift tickets are distributed on the bus. Those needing rentals will head to the rental chalet upon arrival. 

What to bring? Students may bring one small bag on the bus. It must fit under their seat or on their lap. Please refrain from bringing valuables. Afton Alps and School District 197 are not responsible for lost or stolen items on the bus or at Afton. 

Does my child have to ride the bus both ways? YES! Students MUST ride the bus to and from Afton. Kids can't be dropped off later or leave early with friends, this is too much for the advisors to keep track of and how kids are left behind. Thank you for following this safety procedure. 

Buses depart Afton Alps at 9:00 p.m. Students with rentals need to return to the chalet by 8:30 p.m. to turn in equipment. At 8:45 p.m. all students should be in the chalet boarding the buses.  

 

Ski Club pick up Locations: 

Friendly Hills: Main parking lot; unloading at gym doors. 

Heritage: Main parking lot; unloading at gym doors. 

Two Rivers: Aquatic Center parking lot. 

 

Sibling Pick Up: If you have siblings at two different schools and you want to pick up from one location at the end of the night, email us.  We can note on the rosters to show the adjustment for sibling drop offs. This must be done ahead of time, not the day of as it is noted on the rosters. 

Be prompt at pick up. Sign up for the Remind App included in your confirmation email for departure and arrival updates via text. A $15 late fee will be assessed to families for late pickups over 20 minutes. 

Ski and board in control and safely. Click HERE for Mountain Safety at Afton. 

Always have a ski buddy. Pick a meeting place with your friends if you get split up—example, upstairs in the Chalet on the hour.

Be kind and respectful to all employees at Afton and fellow slop users. Represent our school community with pride.  

Can I chaperone? We love to have chaperones! You are welcome to come with your participant to Afton and receive a complimentary lift ticket. SEE BELOW FOR REQUIREMENTS. 

ISD 197 requires a background check (at your expense) completed through ISD 197 in order to chaperone. The cost is $25.00 and is valid for one year. This must be submitted 48 business hours prior to the applicable ski club date.

Email humanresources@isd197.org to start the process. Include your name, email address and note you are requesting a background check in order to chaperone for 2023 Ski Club. They will let us know once you are approved. You cannot chaperone until we get notice of the completed background check and have verified with you we have you on our approved list.

What happens if the ski trip is canceled?

When ISD 197 schools are closed or have an early release due to weather, all community education classes and activities are canceled including Ski and Snowboard Club.  If inclement weather (road conditions, severe cold, etc.) forces school or after-school activities to be canceled,  announcements will be made at schools and emails sent to the email provided upon registration. If the trip is canceled during school hours, students will be sent home per their usual means of transportation.

If a trip is canceled due to weather a full refund will be issued. 

We will try to cancel trips and make decisions as early as possible. Due to a multitude of different factors, there is not a specific temperature in which we will cancel a trip. 

If you don’t see your questions answered here, email warriorskiclub@isd197.org.

What is Warrior Ski & Snowboard Club? The Ski & Snowboard Club is an after-school activity available for District 197 students in grades 5-12. Ski & Snowboard Club occurs on select Friday nights at Afton Alps. School District 197  Warrior Ski & Snowboard Club is not open for students not enrolled in our schools. 

Ski Club Advisors: Ski Club Advisors are  School District 197 teachers who accompany students to and from Afton Alps. 

Advisors: Brian Whelan (TRHS), Scott Reddy (FHMS), Connor Kenefick & Leigh Danner (HMS)

2023 Dates: Jan 6 & 20, Feb 3, 10, 24

Registration Options/Costs 

Option 1: $44 ~ Transportation* Only (Students with an Afton season pass and their own equipment)

Option 2: $80 ~ Ticket & Transportation* (Students who have equipment, but not a season pass)

Option 3: $112 ~ Rental, Ticket & Transportation* (Students who do not have equipment or season passes)  

Helmets are available as a stand-alone rental for $10

*We are unable to use School District 197 transportation this year due to after-school bus routes not being completed until 4:30 p.m. Using district buses helped keep our costs down. We will be using Richfield Coach Buses with storage below for ski equipment. While this has increased the cost, it will allow us to run the program. 

Two Easy Ways to Register

Online
tridistrict.ce.eleyo.com
This secure site is available 24/7 and accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

By Phone
651-403-8520

Youth Enrichment Community Education is dedicated to providing learning opportunities to all youth in our district. We have a limited amount of scholarship money for families to use towards enrichment classes. 

If your family is on Free/Reduced Lunch an option for a 25% discount is now available online for certain enrichment classes. Not all classes are eligible for scholarships, if you don’t see an alternative price listed it does not qualify for discounts. Call 651-403-8520 with scholarship questions or requests.
 

Our program isn't complete without you!

Do you have a special skill, interest, knowledge or hobby you'd like to share with students? We are always looking for new ideas and enthusiastic teachers that help meet the needs of students in our district. 

You can fill out a course proposal form by clicking here and submitting the google form. 

Or print, fill out and mail in this form. 

Community Education District 197

Two Rivers High School Aquatic Center

1897 Delaware Avenue

Mendota Heights, MN 55118

 

A submitted proposal is not an approval for a class. You will be contacted if we are able to offer the class. Please note classes are planned months ahead of time for publication. You will need to pay for and submit a background check with District 197 Human Resources prior to teaching any class. We will not accept background checks from other districts or companies.