Secondary Winter Retreat

The 2025 Winter Retreats took place from February 19th to the 21st. All secondary students traveled to Hakuba, a village located in Nagano Prefecture, where they stayed for two nights and three days. Students had the option to focus on either skiing or snowboarding, participating in small group lessons led by Evergreen International Ski School. 

The retreat began with a long bus ride from school to the hotels in Hakuba, which took approximately six hours, including short breaks along the way. After arriving, students enjoyed free time with friends, playing board games and card games. Afterwards, they had dinner and participated in the evening activity, ‘NIS Time’ where they had the opportunity to spend time with their friends. Depending on their grade level, students engaged in snow activities such as sledding, snow cave making and snow shoeing. Following the snow activities, everyone returned to their hotels for the night.

On Day 2, the students had 2 lessons for their chosen activityーskiing or snowboardingーone in the morning and one in the afternoon. After returning to their hotels, they enjoyed free time, had dinner, and participated in another session of ‘NIS Time,’ experiencing a different snow activity. 

On Day 3, after an early breakfast, the students attended a final two-hour lesson from 8 AM before departing for the return journey to NIS.

The Winter Retreat provided a valuable opportunity for students to experience snow activities. It was certainly an unforgettable and fun experience for all, and I look forward to even more fun next year!