Eastlink Park shows its appreciation for school staff members with a special night of fun

It was all about appreciating those who make schools awesome on Friday, February 28 at Eastlink Park. School staff members, bus drivers, volunteers, division staff and their families were all invited out to enjoy discounted tubing as a way of saying thank you for making the park a part of the school year. For those who don’t know, both local and out-of-town schools utilize Eastlink Park as a destination to take students for a field trip.

In fact, earlier that day, staff at the park welcomed their youngest school group ever when Edson’s Mary Bergeron Elementary School brought their 60 kindergarten children to Whitecourt to take on the longest tube run in the province! Staff also had older kids from École St. Joseph School on the hill, too, as they skied and took lessons.

Marketing & Guest Services Manager Jessica Leis said they see hundreds of children during school visits each year. “Last year we saw 1,200 children for school visits and this year I would say we will probably see about 1,400 or so. Next week we have three days of school visits coming and we will see over 360 kids over those days.”

She said school visits happen on Fridays and Wednesdays and that they have a group of about 10 volunteers and instructors who help with school visits and make the day fun for the kids and chaperones. “Some schools require mandatory lessons. On Monday, March 16, we will have 90 lessons for a school group. That will be our biggest group for lessons, ever!”

Five school divisions were invited to take part in the appreciation night and Leis said they just wanted to show them how much they are appreciated. “We gratefully appreciate the teachers and support staff who come to the school trips and those who don’t get to come out for the trip but are a big part behind the scenes with booking the trip and getting the forms together. They still play a big role. Even the boards for allowing the schools to come, we thank them all. It’s nice to give a teacher a break from the classroom. Screaming down a tube run is fun,” she said with a laugh.

Aside from the local schools, school groups come from all over to visit the park including Sangudo, Fox Creek, Edson, and Swan Hills. “With the expansion of the T-bar we are hoping to see more of the high school and junior high schools coming, too.” Depending on their ages, children utilize different elements of the park from tubing to skiing. 

This is the fifth year for having the schools at the hill and Leis said the numbers grow each year. “I believe this year we’re having 24 school bookings and last year we had 16. Schools are booking earlier and earlier, too. Last year we had about 10 schools booked in by June for the following year. If kids aren’t coming to the hill with their schools, then parents can go to the school board and suggest it. We have packages available for the schools that parents can pick up and bring to the schools.”

She said the children love it and that it can be even more beneficial than just a great energy release. “Kids who really struggle in the classroom are able to learn a new skill in one day with learning how to ski, and it boosts their confidence so much. That’s just awesome to see when we have kids tell us that this was the best day ever and the best school trip ever. They leave with a happy face and we love it, too. They want to come back!”