Northfield Skating School

Each session, NSS honors the staff member with the highest student retention, that is, the coach who has the highest percentage of skaters from their classes sign up to continue skating lessons. A high retention rate is a symbol of the commitment and quality of teaching, which greatly impacts our program. This session’s retention winner was coach Laura Mansell, with an astounding 100% of her skaters signing up to continue lessons! Read on to learn Laura’s “secrets:”

Each session, I do my best to be not only a coach but a role model and friend to my students. Finding a balance between the authority figure and the friend is key; I bring both a sense of humor and element of fun to my classes but retain the learning environment so the skaters can advance their skills. I make sure to always encourage the skater and let them know what they have improved on while also providing constructive criticism. Most importantly, it is up to the skater to not only have the desire to learn the skills for a certain level but the desire to continue skating and learning! To all of my students and their parents, I thank you all for being enthusiastic about skating and for signing up for the next session. I look forward to seeing you all next year! Good luck in Session Two!

Congratulations, Laura, for your achievement - 100% is a first in NSS history - and your contributions to our school!

Check out our documentary (produced by NSS Coach Kristen Asp) to see clips of Laura in action.

Wed 1/14, 6:00 - 9:00pm

Depot Ice Rink, 225 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis

Hosted by Carleton Alumni Affairs & Northfield Skating School


Join the Northfield Skating School, Carleton community, and friends for a private night of skating at The Depot Ice Rink in downtown Minneapolis.

The Depot has been named one of the top 10 best places to skate by USA Today and MSNBC. Enjoy an exclusive night of open skating with lights and music, free informal lessons, and demonstrations by Northfield Skating School staff and skaters. Everyone is welcome - alumni, skaters, family, community members, friends, etc

Price: $15 for adults, $12 for kids under 18; includes three hours of skating and skate rental if needed. You may also bring your own skates. Concessions will be available. Please note: this is the same cost as skating at the depot during a public session, but we will have the rink to ourselves.

Please make your reservation before January 12th by contacting the Carleton Alumni Affairs office at 507-222-4205 or alumni-office@carleton.edu. Feel free to contact Carey Tinkelenberg (’05), Event Coordinator, with additional questions

When: 6:30-7:45pm, Tuesday 1/6 (meeting 6:30-7:30, brief volunteer orientation to follow)

Where: Emmaus Church, 712 N Linden St. Northfield.

What: For new parents and returning parents. Directors and coaches will go over finding and fitting proper equipment, new policies and programs, Q & A, and more. We will also distribute Parent and Skater Handbooks. We feel strongly that this type of communication is important before beginning lessons with NSS and we have found that staying informed by attending the meeting contributes to skating families’ overall experience. Coffee will be provided and NSS gear will be available for purchase.

See you there!

When: 3:30pm -5:30pm Sunday, 1/4/09. Please arrive early to check in and receive your group assignment

Where: Norhfield Ice Arena, 1280 Bollenbacher Drive

What: On the ice, girls will participate in a skating lesson geared toward their age and ability (beginners and adults welcome!), have free time, and play games. Off the ice, we will view different types of performances, learn about types of skating sports, skating safety and attire, taking care of our bodies and equipment, and what you can get out skating. An arts and crafts project will end our off-ice activities. Snacks will be provided and all girls will earn a badge for their participation. To register please contact Steph Helkenn at the Girl Scout office

Please Note: Skaters must provide their own skates

The Session 2 registration deadline is this Friday, Dec 19th. There are still spots available in all group and specialized classes. Reminder: All registrations completed after the deadline are subject to a $15 late fee per skater, including online registrations for which the check is not postmarked by the deadline.

Browse the site or contact us for more info about our classes and events, or Click here to register online!

Please join us for Northfield’s first annual Holiday Skate:

When: Sunday Dec 21, 2:15 - 3:45pm
Where: Northfield Ice Arena, 1280 Bollenbacher Drive
Who Can Attend: EVERYONE! Please note: rental skates are not available at the Northfield Arena
Attractions:
- Holiday music and free skate with Santa
- Arts and crafts table featuring make-your-own hats and pjs
- Concessions available
- Northfield Skating School instructors available for tips
- Admission of $1 per skater or a donation of a non-perishable food item. Donations benefit the Northfield Food Shelf

Co-Sponsored by the City of Northfield, Northfield School District, Northfield Skating School, and PJs Fabric and Crafts

Please contact us or call the arena at 645-6556 with questions. We hope to see you there!

Out of over 800 Basic Skills programs nationwide, the Northfield Skating School was named “Model Program” by the editors of SKATING magazine, the official publication of U.S. Figure Skating!

Earlier this year, Northfield Skating School Director Carey Tinkelenberg was invited by USFS’s Basic Skills Program Manager to write a series of articles for SKATING magazine. The content included various management topics centered around what Tinkelenberg believes are the building blocks of quality programs: Parent Education and Communication, Staff Training, Customer Service, Strategic Planning and Marketing, and Civic Engagement. Her Parent Education article was reprinted in Professional Skater Magazine, the official publication of the international Professional Skaters Association. Earlier this month, U.S. Figure Skating’ s Senior Membership Director asked Tinkelenberg to compile her articles into a “One Stop Management Guide” to be featured in Rink Magazine and distributed to arena owners and operators nationwide in January 2009. It was in the September issue of SKATING that editors named NSS “Model Program.”

According to Tinkelenberg, “This honor is exciting affirmation that NSS is both community-based and nationally recognized. I am so proud of our staff and skaters for their continuing dedication and helping us become a leader in our industry!”

To view Carey’s articles, see our In the News page. These pdfs are large take a while to download - stay tuned for smaller versions.

Skating Instructor Kristen Asp, a junior Cinema and Media Studies major at Carleton College, put together a 3-minute piece about the Northfield Skating School for her final project this term. Click below to view the documentary, featuring Session 1 skaters, parents, directors, and coaches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeXSL-Iny5w

Thanks Kristen, for using your final project to illustrate what we do

Thanks to all who attended our first Spirit Night at Beef O’Brady’s last Wednesday! We had a great time eating, coloring, doing skating trivia, and raising money for future scholarships. Check out our photos page to view photos from the event (look under Special Events 2008-09)