Students at Dellwood Middle School are fundraising for a chance to 'hit the slopes' on their first ski trip next month.

The group of 16 M3 students, eight boys and eight girls, will travel to Killington, Vermont, next month from February 10 to February 15 with eight staff and two parents chaperoning.

Though the students have been busy fundraising, the group still needs help with just $1,000 more to help pay for outdoor activities such as ice skating and snowshoeing.

Kimberley Tucker, the Visual Arts Teacher and group leader, said she hoped they would be able to find the funds because the experience would help the children expand their horizons.

She said: "I wanted to do something with winter to introduce them to a sport I enjoy and to get more involved in it.

"We chose the M3 students because they are the oldest students and would be their last trip. They're really looking forward to it. They always do football and cricket so this is an opportunity to let them know there are other sports out there."

A fund-raising concert by Eddie Ming, games and movie nights, and lunches were organised with the help of staff members William Caulder and Vernita Paynter.

But the groups remains $1,000 short to participate in other outdoor activities.

The students will be enrolled in a ski camp and will be skiing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily for four days.

Other outdoor activities will include ice skating, snowshoeing and maybe a sleigh ride.

Miss Tucker said: "If this trip goes well, I'd like to plan another ski trip next year for a new group of M3 students. Hopefully this group will handle the cold weather well. Plenty of pictures and video will be taken and shown to school during a school wide assembly when we return.

"Everyone will be interested to see how their classmates and teachers make out with skis on.

"I'm sure they'll get a good laugh seeing us floundering about in the snow."

If you would like to help the M3 students fully appreciate their time in Vermont you can contact Miss Tucker at 799-1743 or send cheques to Dellwood School made out to the school and indicating it is to help with the ski trip.