Bus crash: schoolchildren recalled ‘mega-cool’ skiing trip on blog

Nine days earlier, they had left for the holiday of their school lives in the
snow-covered Alps of Switzerland, an annual highlight for St. Lambert’s kids.

The week began flawlessly.

“This our first blog posting,” wrote Frank Van Kerckhove, the
teacher who set up the blog.

“The bus trip was very smooth. There was little traffic. We watched the
movie Avatar (and) no one became car sick on the climb” into the Alps,
he added.

In the days that followed, the youngsters posted about their vacation with the
youthful excitement experienced by almost every 11- or 12-year-old away on a
class trip.

“This afternoon we had soup and ravioli, very delicious,” one girl
wrote on March 6.

“The blog was incredible. It had so many great pictures,” said Anne
De Roo, who had three of her children at the school. The fate of a daughter
of her brother was now uncertain.

“He constantly gave us news about what happened, the sked of the day,”
she said of Van Kerckhove. His last words came down to ‘we see you back
soon,'” she said.

The kids would blog under his tutelage.

“Today was totally the best. The adventurous walk was tiring, but
mega-cool,” one girl wrote. “We won first prize for cleanest room.
Tomorrow it’s going to be colder. Byyyeeee!”

Towards the week’s end, the postings revealed early signs of homesickness.

“Dear mama and papa. I like it here a lot, but I miss you. Love you.
Kisses.” And: “Hey, mama, papa … It is super here and the sun
shines the whole day. But I do miss you! XXX.”

The posts came with scores of photos the youngsters made during their trip.

Outside St. Lambert’s school in the town of Heverlee, parents spoke highly of
Van Kerckhove. Teary-eyed, some recalled his last post, dated March 11 – the
eve of the return trip.

“Tomorrow will be a busy day and I do not know if I can write a blog
posting,” Van Kerckhove wrote. “But on Wednesday we’ll be back,
all of us.”

School deacon Dirk De Gendt said Van Kerckhove was a much loved and able
teacher.

“He’ll be badly missed,” De Gendt said. “The ski trips were an
annual tradition.”

On the school gate on Wednesday, staff put up drawings made by students to
honour the teacher. “I’ll never forget you, Teacher Frank,” one
read. “You are the greatest ever!”

Source: AP

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