JackRabbit Calendar & Contact Information

Parent Information for 2011/12

• Ski lessons will start at 13:30 every Sunday.
• Lessons for Bunnyrabbits (most kids aged 4 and 5) will only be 1 hour long, from 13:30 to 14:30.
• Lessons for everyone else will be 2 hours long.
• All the children should have their equipment ready and on at 13:30 sharp, to ensure a punctual start. If your child has waxable skis, ensure your child’s skis are prepared with the proper kick-wax prior to the 13:30 start.
• Ensure your child is wearing the appropriate clothing. Cold feet or hands can turn any fun activity into a nightmare.
• Please do your part as a parent and sign up on the snack-sheet in the hut. Sliced apples and oranges will be supplied by the program every Sunday, as well as hot chocolate and iced tea. We would like to also have two snacks/week supplied by parents. Generally 2 different parents sign up for each weekend, so with enough volunteers, you will only need to supply snacks for all the kids on 1 Sunday during the whole season. Please make these snacks peanut-free, and try to make them as healthy as possible. Your help in this much-loved part of the Jackrabbit program would be appreciated.
• Children will be divided into groups by age and skill level. The groups are meant to rotate through the hut at various times for their snack, to avoid overcrowding issues. The first snack-breaks will begin with the Bunnyrabbits at the end of their lessons.
• The Bunnyrabbits, Jackrabbits, and Track Attack kids will all receive booklets at the beginning of the course. Please read through this with your child to see what goals your child should try to achieve for this year. Please keep track of the goals obtained and ensure your leader knows what you have achieved. Achievement stickers for the booklets will be available for anything your child completes. Talk to your child’s leader if you have not received a booklet. If you received one the year before, you are meant to use it for the following years until your child graduates from Bunnies to Jackrabbit, and from Jackrabbit to Track Attack.
• The older kids in the program (aged 9-12 or so) who are part of the Track Attack Program have also been meeting on Tuesday nights for regular lessons. These run from 18:00 to 19:30. If you want your child to join us, please let me know, but be prepared to stay/ski with your child for this lesson, as we will be catering to the faster skiers that night. These kids will also be encouraged to attend the BC Midget Championships in Kelowna, March 3^th -4^th. I am planning to take a group to this event, and possibly to another earlier in the season. All kids who enter any sanctioned race will not need to pay for their entry. Other costs for transportation and accommodation will still be determined. We hope that the Jackrabbit program will subsidize these costs.
• Parents are encouraged to get involved in volunteering, but we would like to see parents not ski with their own children. Children will often ski better, and take instructions better, from a non-parent. Even in the Bunnyrabbit group, we would like to see no more than 1 parent with each leader.
• When the temperature at the trails are < -15 degrees Celsius at 13:00 that day, then the outdoor activity is cancelled, and we will meet at the Anglican Church in Kimberley (520 Wallinger Ave.) for fun games and exercises.
• Please ensure that you have given us your email address so that the leaders can get in touch with your child in case there are any changes in the lesson plan/venue.
• One quick note about equipment. The right equipment can make a world of difference for most kids. I strongly discourage the use of 3-pin bindings, and encourage the use of Salomon boots/bindings, mainly to increase uniformity amongst this group and aid in the future resale of some of your equipment in the group.
• We now have a limited number of skis/poles available as rentals. Parents will be required to sign a rental agreement.
• There is more in-depth info for parents regarding equipment/clothing/waxing/etc for Jackrabbits at the KNC website (www.kimberleynordic.org).
• The Kimberley Nordic Club is allowing your child to ski for free during the time of the lessons, but if you choose to ski on other days -- which we strongly encourage -- then you will need to purchase a pass from the KNC.
• The more your kids ski during the winter, the more fun it is for them.  It isn’t necessary to go to the Nordic Club – you can ski on golf courses, school yards, Lois Creek, and your own back yard.

Kimberley Jackrabbits:

The Kimberley Nordic Club Jackrabbits

The Skills Development Program for young skiers

Kids will learn the basics of cross-country skiing through games and structured coaching. The emphasis is on encouraging children to enjoy this wonderful sport and to pursue it as a lifetime activity, recreationally or competitively.

Older skiers (aged 9-12) are encouraged to join the Track Attack program, which will start in September. Prior to snow, these sessions will consist of various activities including hiking, roller-skiing, team games, as well as agility and strength exercises.

NEW this year:
The Program is purchasing 10 pairs of skis + poles to rent out for the season to parents who don't want to spend too much money on their child's new adventure. First come, first served (deposit required).

When?
Younger kids (aged 4-9): every Sunday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., starting December 4th, 2011, (except Dec 25th and Jan 1st) until March 4th, 2012 inclusive.
Track Attack program (aged 9-12): lessons will include the Sunday on-snow sessions, as well as Tuesday evening sessions from 18:00 to 19:30 weekly starting September 29th. Weekend sessions prior to the snow will be Saturday or Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 12:00 (depending on the activity).

Where?
The Kimberley Nordic Ski Trails.

How do I register?
Download and print the registration form from the website. Have your parent complete the form and send it to: Jackrabbit Program, c/o Frank Ackermann, 25 Sunrise Cres., Kimberley, BC, V1A 3E8. You can also pay in person at the Kimberley Nordic Ski Hut on the first 2 Sunday lessons (December 4th and 11th, 2011), but the higher fees will apply. Bring your child's healthcare card. There will be no registrations accepted after December 18th, 2011.

What's the cost?
$55/child, with a family maximum of $135 prior to September 30th, 2011. For any mail postmarked after September 30th, or if you sign up after that date, the cost will be $65/child, with a family maximum of $160.

For more info, please contact Frank Ackermann @ (250) 427-4278 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.kimberleynordic.org

Come on out to enjoy the winter snow and sun. Get the whole family fit and have some winter fun.

What's the Agenda for each Season?

To have fun skiing of course! Kids also get a prize from Cross Country BC each year. This past year the Jackrabbit Kids received a beautiful Wham-O frisbee, and the Track Attack Kids received their own beginner waxing set for classic skiing. We encourage the kids to also enter our local Kootenay Cup races (all entry fees for Jackrabbit Kids are covered by the program for any races they decide to enter). The calendar of our expected activities will be posted early in the fall. We expect to have events such as Hot-Dog Roasts, winter Orienteering, and our annual Bavarian Relay and Costume contest.

Look at what we did last year!!

For a pictorial summary (via slide show) of the fun the Jackrabbit and Track Attack kids had during the March 2011 Bavarian Relays click on this YouTube link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h20pcN4-WNE

For more info please contact Frank Ackermann @ (250) 427-4278 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jackrabbit Parents:
For a very comprehensive guide to all things Jackrabbit, including how to dress your child for x/c skiing, how to wax their skis, and in general, how to make your child's Jackrabbit experience the best it can be, all parents are encouraged to check out JR Parents Guide provided by Frank Ackermann. Clicking on this link will open the guide in a new window in pdf format, where it can be read online or printed for future reference. There is also more info provided by Cross Country Canada at Tips for Parents

If by some chance this does not answer all of your Jackrabbit parenting questions, Jackrabbit leader Frank can be reached at 427-4278 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A Sport Parent's Guide
Sport Canada/Canadian Sport Centres has produced a small booklet for the purpose of educating parents about LTAD and providing some guidance as to what they can do to improve the physical activity and sporting experiences of their children.
This document can be viewed or downloaded at the Canadian Sport for Life website .