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NES kids cross country ski

Sara Sandstrom
Posted 1/22/25

NEDERLAND - “Do you hear the swish, swish, swish of your skis?” Ms. T. asked a couple of her first grade students. They said yes, as they increased their speed around the field. 

The students at Nederland Elementary School (NES) have been...

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NES kids cross country ski

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NEDERLAND - “Do you hear the swish, swish, swish of your skis?” Ms. T. asked a couple of her first grade students. They said yes, as they increased their speed around the field. 

The students at Nederland Elementary School (NES) have been participating in a cross country skiing unit in their physical education class. Their teacher, Loren Tillotson, or Ms. T, loves to share her passion for skiing with her students. “I think it is a unique and important opportunity to provide for our students who are growing up in a mountain community.”

Cross country skiing also meets two of the Boulder Valley School District physical education learning standards: students demonstrate the elements of a balanced athletic stance, and participate in activities to improve cardiovascular endurance. 

Ms. T. starts the unit by teaching the kids about the equipment, watching some basic videos, and students watch a clip from the Winter Olympics Classic Cross Country event. Watching a video from the Olympics helps to motivate the students. Direct and individualized instruction is also provided when they are on the snow. 

Since this is the second year that Ms. T. has skied with the students at NES, a number of the students have basic knowledge of cross country skiing. But there are some students who have never participated in this sport before. 

Ms. T. is grateful this semester to have student teacher Matt Gower, as well as parent volunteers, to assist with the lessons. Ms. T. said, “The most difficult part is helping students get the boots and skis on and off. Over the last two weeks, we have put on and taken off almost 1000 pairs of skis!”

Where do the kids ski? There are two soccer fields below NES. Graciously, Josh Harold, president of the Nederland Area Trail Organization (NATO) and local real estate agent (8z), has been using a Snowdog machine to pack and groom those fields. 

“Josh has spent many hours packing and grooming the fields at the elementary school, and it has greatly improved the skiing experience for students. Josh will continue to groom the soccer field at the elementary school after snow events for continued use by the community!” said Tillotson. 

The students really seemed to love cross country skiing. Some go as fast as they can and count their laps, while others have a steady rhythm. Of course, there are always some falls when skiing, which did not seem to deter anyone. The kids learned how to get back up while on skis, and they kept on going. 

NES students will have another opportunity to cross country ski before the winter is over. As part of the NED SHRED program, the students will participate in a cross country ski day at Eldora Mountain Resort. 

A fifth grader who is new to NES this year, and who had never been on cross country skis before this experience, said it all: “Yeah, this is fun!”