Hello MLC Instructors!
This is the final BIG weekend of programs – where has the season gone! We are looking for extra help on Sunday March 8, so if you haven’t met your commitment shifts or teaching hours, this Sunday is a great day to catch up! The weather looks wintery again this weekend, so come enjoy it before it’s gone! Please read on – there is some great information below …
Weekend Weather Outlook
Friday: Snow. High near 30. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 18 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Friday Night: Snow. Low around 20. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Saturday: Snow showers, mainly before 4pm. High near 27. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. Saturday Night: A chance of snow showers before 10pm, then a slight chance of snow showers after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. Breezy. Sunday: A chance of snow showers, mainly after 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 30.
Sunday Night: A chance of snow showers before 10pm, then a slight chance of snow showers after 4am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 17.
Sunday – Sunday – Sunday – March 8th
We need your help. This is the last BIG Sunday program day with “February Programs” completing their 4th week session on March 8. We need your help. The March Program start on Sunday March 8th, too so we have some overlap on this day, increasing our needs. If you can add this day you’d earn a Work a day Voucher to share with a friend or family member, plus you’re guaranteed to get hours towards your teaching hour goal! Please reply all to this email if you can add Sunday March 8th!
NWABA Coming on March 14th and 15th
The Northwest Association of Blind Athletes is coming on March 14 and 15. They come for the morning lessons from 9am to 12:30pm. If you are able to pick up this shift and work with these athletes on either or both of these dates please email Emily.Hearle@skihood.com and we’ll add you to the roster to work with these athletes. There is a 30 minute meeting/training before the lessons go out that is mandatory for all who are working these lessons to attend, so plan to be there for the training before the actual lesson on these days.
Race & Competitions Crew Help
If you want to pick up some extra hours supporting our race and competitions department they could use your help. Oregon Cancer Ski Out help on Monday March 9; OISA State Championships setup and staging help on March 10-14th; Evergreen Cup Finals setup and stating help March 16-23. If you have availability on any of these days – especially our full time instructors who are looking for hours – this is a great opportunity. No prior racing experience needed, but if you do have some race experience its helpful. If you can help the Race & Competitions crew please email Chris.Olson@skihood.com – the Race & Competitions Manager – and also be sure to get the day off from your MLC shift if you’re scheduled already.
Summer Job Fair and End of Nights PAR-TAY! – Thursday March 12th!
It’s not too early to be thinking about your summer gig – job fair is from 2pm to 5pm on March 12th – opportunities working at Big Winds, Wet Planet rafting, Portland Spirit, Tracker’s Earth and more! Instructors are usually snatched right up by these employers! End of Night PAR-TAY from 4:30pm to 7pm with yummy free food, $2 beer, $3 wine plus the lifts running from 4:30pm to 6pm! It’s a Decades Costume theme with prizes!
Call Your Kids Lesson – This is **NEW**
MLC and Lift Op managers met on Sunday and came up with a new protocol that has the lift operators and instructors working together. We alert the lift operator that there are kids lessons loading. Here’s what you do:
· Instructor to notify lift operator when 2 chair loads ahead of your class are moving towards the loading position, usually after the RFID gates but before the loading point
· Instructor to call out, “Kids lesson loading 3 chairs!” (if lesson will be loading 3 chairs)
· Lift operator to call back, “Kids lesson loading 3 chairs!’ confirming that she/he heard and acknowledges
· Instructor to load last chair of group lesson to insure / observe that all students have loaded
This will bring the Lift Operator’s attention to the kids loading and make them more aware of their position and are now at the ready to assist, slow or stop the lift as needed. The call back to the instructor will help the MLC staff know that they were heard.
Lift Loading & Riding Best Practices – **This is a Reminder**
Let’s revisit some lift loading and riding best practices. I have seen some student / teacher arrangements that look different than the diagrams below. Instructors should have a student on either side of them. If you are riding a quad chairlift and have a third student, the most skilled student should be closest to the lift operator. If you are asking a capable adult to ride with your class of students (if you have a class of more than 3 students) please confirm that the guest is comfortable doing this and can assist with lowering the bar. This “capable adult” should be in the position the farthest from the Lift Operator position.
Capable Adult Scenario
When Riding the Lift
Please lower the bar, this goes for you free skiing/riding and in lessons with your students. Kids should only attempt to lower the bar if they can reach it. On Buttercup and Easy Rider there is a strap attached to the bar to help those who are shorter to be able to reach the bar and lower it. Remember the 3 basics:
SIT STILL, HOLD ON! No horseplay or moving around. Simply hold on to the chair and enjoy the ride to the top.
BACK TO BACK, BOTTOM TO BOTTOM. Keep your back against the backrest on the chair at all times. Do not ever try to lift up off the seat or stand on foot rests.
PACKS IN LAPS, CHECK FOR LOOSE CLOTHING. Before you load, remove your backpack and check for loose clothing. Unremoved packs prevent riders from being safely and fully seated and can also snag when trying to unload.
For more information about riding the lift with kids, see this website: http://www.kidsonlifts.org and for information on loading and riding best practices, including the Triple Load Procedure, please see an excerpt from our instructor manual here: https://mhm.snowproportal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/96/2020/02/Lift-Safety.pdf
Upcoming Clinics – Sign up on the Portal
Check the links below to sign up to attend any of these clinics. If you don’t sign up, we don’t know you’re coming and the clinic can be cancelled. We need at least 3 people signed up for clinics to run!
Alpine Level 1 – Skiing Part 2 – Discipline: Alpine on 03/04/2020
SB Level 1 Steeze Sessions – Discipline: Snowboard on 03/04/2020
Level I – Teaching and Pro Knowledge Part 1, alpine – Discipline: Alpine on 03/05/2020
Yoga and Mobility for Instructors! – Discipline: Just for Fun! on 03/05/2020
All Around Freestyle-ness (Alpine) – Discipline: Freestyle on 03/06/2020
Adaptive Open Gym – Discipline: Adaptive on 03/07/2020
Alpine Level 1 – Skiing Part 1 – Discipline: Alpine on 03/07/2020
Step Up – Lead Your Peers! – Discipline: Alpine on 03/07/2020
COD/TOD Alpine Clinic – Discipline: Alpine on 03/08/2020
Level I – Teaching and Pro Knowledge Part 2, alpine – Discipline: Alpine on 03/08/2020
Welches SB MA – Discipline: Snowboard on 03/09/2020
Hood River Alpine MA – Discipline: Movement Analysis on 03/10/2020
I won’t be here Saturday – so I’ll see you on Sunday!
Tyler
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Tyler Barnes
Learning Center Operations & Training Manager
O: (503) 337-2222 ext.1276
M: (541) 490-4580
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