January Update
January News!
Letter from the Head Master
Dear Families,
It’s February and we have finally have snow on campus! As the bulk of the country has been immersed in the polar vortex, we have been watching the crazy weather from afar, but now we’re getting our fair share. Yay! We LOVE snow days!
Our campus is a busy place this term, which is very exciting. We have a full roster of academy students and athletes from our international program as they spend time here for meals and occasional training.
If you haven’t heard, we have our accreditation! We are now accredited with the National Council for Private School Accreditation and Accreditation International. This will be pivotal to getting our SEVIS certification that will help with VISAS for our international students. It also means we can issue our own transcripts for those students using the Edgenuity curriculum.
With the accreditation, we are now giving the MAP test, or the Measure of Academic Progress assessment. This assessment is a computerized adaptive assessment given 3 times per year which helps teachers, parents, and administrators improve learning for all students and make informed decisions to promote a child's academic growth. Check here to see what and how the MAP test informs teachers, students, and parents. The assessment also links to the Edgenuity platform to inform those teachers. For those students who are not using Edgenuity, the assessment informs our staff when they help your students in the classroom and to make sure students are at grade level. If your student has taken the test, we will give it again in April.
Students in 10th grade have signed up for the PSAT in late February, and 11th and 12th grade students will have the opportunity to take the SAT later this spring. We are thankful for MEWA for providing this opportunity. I am hopeful next year we will be able to give the tests ourselves.
Our seniors are gearing up for their last term of their senior year. Jostens stopped by and we will be ordering cap and gowns this month. Parents can also order invitations that will have our logo and an engraving of Mt. Hood. I just got confirmation that we have our graduation date and time set for May 2nd at Timberline Lodge. Our graduation ceremony will be from 5:00-7:00 PM in the Raven's Nest, with dinner from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Mt. Hood Room (directly below Raven's Nest). Dinner is included for graduate and 2 parents. Extra people are $33.00 per plate. We will have a special guest speaker who is a former graduate of Windells, whose name will be revealed next month. Student leaders will also be giving speeches.
Our academy now has a summer term and we are open for enrollment! Spring is exceptionally beautiful on the mountain. The spring/summer term begins May 12th and ends August 3, 2019. Personally, it’s my favorite season. The mountain is always crisp white with snow, and flowers are blooming. This is a perfect opportunity for your student athlete to continue their training and get ahead in their academics for next year. Travel will be limited for snow sports but will be in full gear for skate students. Tuition for your student is locked in at the current rate you are presently paying. If you are interested, please let us know by March 1st and submit your deposit by March 15th for the summer term and June 15th for fall/winter term. If you are interested in having your student attend all three terms, we have a reduced tuition for those attending all three. We also offer a discount for students paying in full prior to the start of the term. We believe the summer academy session will be a cornerstone of our programing with huge growth potential. Talk to Dan on the specifics!
Our summer ambassador program will look a bit different this year. Students will attend summer camp and board with campers at a reduced rate. Students will not be taking classes but will be embedded with the campers. The cost for this is $1875 per session for snow sports, and $875 per session for skaters.
We encourage students to attend the academy year-round, but realize some students need to have some down time. Email me or Dan to enroll your student athlete in these cool programs.
Thanks again for trusting us to care for your students.
Sincerely yours,
Ann
Big Mountain
Our winter season is in full effect! We started out the month enjoying the terrain on the big, beautiful volcano that is the pinnacle of our academy with a mix of pow-days at Meadows, and sunny park laps at Timberline. Shortly there after, we hit the road for our first big trip putting over 2,000 miles under our belts with no shortage of incredible snow.
We arrived in Utah just as a big storm hit and we took full advantage of it! This storm gave us the chance to get out in the backcountry, dig some snow pits, learn about the stability of the new snow, pull out our beacons and practice with our companion rescue scenarios. We found that there was a significant amount of snow on top of an unstable layer, which raised some red flags. That being the case, we opted for some good old fashion resort riding! Brighton provided the goods and we couldn’t get enough of it. Just as the storm cycle had come to an end, it was time to hit the road again with Jackson Hole as our destination.
Within 30 minutes of crossing the state line into Wyoming and up the Teton Pass, we decided to get out of the van and explore the snow. It turned out to be a highlight of the trip. Hayley hit a huge benchmark in her snowboarding career by landing her first ever backflips on a backcountry jump! That set the tone for our time in Jackson, as the next day we worked with Brooks Curran, a close friend of Griffin’s, who is a professional photographer. The kids got to see first hand what the dynamic is like to get media content and everyone came away with some amazing shots. A big Thank You goes out to Brooks for giving our team the opportunity to work with a pro.
Our last days in Jackson were spent doing our first IFSA Big Mountain contest where Hayley walked away with a gold medal! Needless to say this first trip far exceeded our expectations and we are looking forward to the month of February.
Student of the Month: Haley Houston
Skateboarding
Back at it for round two! The second semester got off to a great start. We were lucky to have some uncharacteristically dry weather days scattered throughout the month which we used to our advantage getting sessions in at the local parks. We’ve spent the rainy days driving to the sunny corners of the state and hitting up Portland indoors as we eagerly await the completion of the new B.O.B. park. The skaters have also been doing weekly full day trips on Fridays to farther locations such as Seattle, Junction City, and Eugene.
One of the main highlights from the month was being able to have a session in the extremely exclusive Nike SB park, thank you again to all who helped line that up! In addition to all that, the skaters have been actively cross training in the gym and on the ski slope in anticipation for our upcoming trip to Arizona. Stay tuned to the Academy Instagram and Facebook for day to day content updates!
Student of the Month: George Kovchegov
Freeski
It's been a great month on the freeski side of things. We have had ideal weather for training on-hill and have utilized each and every day. The team as a whole is progressing daily, landing new tricks constantly and feeding off one another. We are lucky to have three new Australian students who have brought a nice boost of energy to the team.
Part of our team traveled to New Hampshire for the first Rev Tour where they represented our team well, placing 4th and 1st! Our off-hill training is still in full effect with ample trampoline sessions, partnered with leg and core maintenance. Competition season is here and the team is ready to show off their hard work.
Student of the Month: Tanner Blakely
Snowboard
The snowboard team has been busy with training, competitions and a trip to Whistler in Canada. Whistler was an amazing experience and very progressive. The kids hit some of the largest jumps of their lives and making it look effortless. The Canada trip was also a great cultural experience and a glimpse into international traveling.
Back at home, the kids are focusing on their competition runs and having fun. The next few weeks will be intense with competitions each weekend.
Student of the Month: Max Duffy
Academics
Lots happening in the classroom this month! Students returning from first semester have been busy finishing their first semester courses - turning in projects, portfolios, and completing final exams. We have been so excited with everyone's accomplishments from first semester and with how they have handled the increase in training, travel, and school work as their semester ended. Nice job everyone!
We have also had quite a few additions to our classroom this month. Our new students from Australia, the Netherlands, the US, and Japan are settling in nicely with our returning students and have all started their coursework. With our new students and the international program visiting campus regularly, campus is alive with international energy.
Outside the classroom, the students have been keeping up on school while on the road to Whistler, Utah, Waterville, and Arizona, as travel plans and strong lines of communication between teachers, coaches, and students on the road have helped them stay on track. Our seniors are planning for graduation this spring and prepping for college and trade schools this coming fall. We will miss them dearly!
Student of the Month:
George Kovchegov (Yep, SOM in skating and academics. George is crushin' it!)
