FAQ

All registered students must have medical insurance which covers snowsports. If student does not have coverage, many school districts offer inexpensive insurance covering sport activities including Bellevue Ski School. Bellevue School District students specifically may use  the Student Medical Insurance Application Form.

Bellevue Ski School has an excellent safety program with a dedicated staff of experienced safety volunteers. Multiple teams of safety volunteers are on hand throughout the day to assist injured or sick students.

If your child is hurt or becomes ill they should go to the Chaperone Hut where the safety staff will assess your child’s condition and determine a course of action.

Members of the of the National Ski Patrol are stationed at The Summit At Snoqualmie. If your child is injured and unable to get themselves to the Chaperone Hut, the Ski Patrol will transport them to the Ski Patrol Infirmary. Our safety team will be notified and, in conjunction with the Ski Patrol, determine a course of action.

Students with minor injures are transported from the mountain by members of the safety team. You will be notified if your child is being transported from the mountain and you will be instructed to meet the transport team in the lobby of the emergency room at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue (see map). Safety drivers will remain with your child until you, or an authorized guardian, arrives to assume responsibility for the student.

At the direction of the Ski Patrol, students with more serious injures will be transported by ambulance.

IMPORTANT: Please do not allow a sick child to attend ski school. The parents of children arriving sick will be instructed to come up the mountain and pick up the child immediately. If your child is sick, please keep them at home.

Your child needs to let a chaperone know right away. For students with a season pass, the area will issue them a one day lift ticket. This is a one-time-only courtesy, so it is important that your child keep the pass in their ski coat at all times.

If conditions warrant an early return or cause us to be delayed coming home, you will receive either a call from your student via cell phone or a call from an automated service letting you know the time we are expected to leave the ski area as well as the estimated time of our arrival at the loading zone.

Information regarding changes in our schedule or last minute cancellations will be posted on our web site and Facebook page.

• Skis, ski boots and poles
  (please have a strap to keep the skis together) or…
• Snowboard and snowboard boots
• Ski and/or snowboard bags are ok, but leave them in the Bus cargo hold
• Please LABEL all equipment (write on packing tape with a sharpie)
• Food: Sack lunch and a snack and/or money (MS and HS only) for lunch.
• Season pass lift ticket
• Bellevue Ski School Bus ID
• Bellevue Ski School Safety Tag attached to pants
• Small backpacks are OK — NO suitcases or boot bags

See Equipment for a list of recommended gear and sources.

Helmets are required for all students enrolled in Bellevue Ski School. For more information about the importance of helmets for children participating in snow sports, please visit https://answers.childrenshospital.org/ski-snowboard-helmet-guide/

One informative site is maintained by the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/youthsports/index.html

Instruct your child to go to the chaperone hut. Bellevue Ski School has a chaperone hut in the top level of the Ski Patrol building  between the Central Express and Reggie’s Chair ski lifts. The  entrance is the tall staircase  on the outside the building, facing Reggie’s Chair.

Our job is to be there for your child to make sure they have a fun and safe day. Please tell your children to come to the hut for any reason they feel they need to, including: when they are feeling sick, are hurt (Ski Patrol will be called), have lost a ticket, broken equipment, wet gloves, or forgot their lunch.

Only if this is pre-arranged. Prior to your child boarding the bus in the morning, you must complete an Early Release Form specifying the person (21 or older) picking up the student. Early Release Forms are available every Saturday at the table in the loading area or on our website. Early Release Form can be downloaded from our forms page.

Give the Early Release Form to your child’s bus chaperone. Follow instructions on form regarding time and where to meet your student. Please note that if you are late (or change your mind about the early pickup) the student will ride down the hill on the bus with us.

Person picking up student must show photo ID to the chaperone hut desk worker and sign before being allowed to leave with your child. The hut chairperson will give you your child’s ID card and you can then take your child to the bus to pick up belongings.

If a child is not checked out at least 20 minutes before the buses depart then they will ride the bus home.

PLEASE! NEVER PICK UP A CHILD WITHOUT CHECKING THEM OUT WITH THE HUT DESK! We will stay on the mountain looking for your child until we locate them or hear from you. This could result in all buses being delayed hours at MAJOR inconvenience to hundreds of parents while we needlessly search for a ‘lost’ child whom you removed without our knowledge.

Your child MUST ride the bus to the ski area. Our program requires all students to ride the bus in order to participate in classes.

See Prices.

Please remember that the tuition you pay the Bellevue Ski School is for the lessons and transportation ONLY! You need to purchase or rent your equipment, provide proper snow clothing (especially ski/snowboard gloves and you must also purchase an LTD season pass (we will provide access to purchase an LTD pass even if sold out).

Unfortunately, as an all-volunteer, non-profit organization trying to keep prices as low as possible for all, we simply do not have the resources to offer discounts or scholarships.

See Volunteer for more information.

Arrive at the bus loading area a minimum of 15 minutes before the bus is scheduled to leave. Have your child place their equipment neatly beside the bus they will ride on. Being on time, between 15 and 30 minutes before the bus is scheduled to leave helps us to load students and equipment quickly and efficiently.

Elementary students will keep their lunch box and extra clothing in their backpack on the bus. They will have access to the bus during the lunch hour where can have their lunch, warm-up and use the restrooms.

Middle School and High School students will not have access to the bus during the day. If they want access to their clothing, lunch, etc., they can rent a locker in the lodge to store belongings safely.

We also strongly recommend that you purchase the Ski and Bag Check service for Middle School and High School students, a $15 add-on to their season pass. This is the best way to prevent the theft of your student’s equipment although you have to convince your student to actually use it!

Elementary students will eat their lunches in the bus. They will have access to the bus during the lunch hour. They can leave their lunch box and their bag on bus while on the slopes.

Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers will eat lunch on their own. The Summit has space for students to eat packed lunches as well as a full service cafeteria. Middle and High students will not have access to buses at lunch time, so students will need to carry packed food, find a rental locker at the lodge or use the ski/bag check.

On the first day of class, all students will be assessed to assure that they are placed correctly.

If your child feels that they should be in a different class, please have them discuss this with their instructor. If your child is not comfortable doing this, please have them come to the chaperone hut. We will have them talk with one of the Vice Presidents and have the situation assessed.

All items left on the bus the previous week are available at the loading area during the morning loading time. Ask a chaperone or someone working at the sign-in table at the loading zone.