JumpStarters!

If you're not familiar with our JumpStart program, here's a short introduction:

It's a short, three-week program in December that MMWA offers for students would like to get an intensive start to the racing season with full-time MMSC training and academic support. It's open to J3 athletes and is a fantastic way for younger students to jump into the Academy family and see if they would like to continue on as a Session 1 or 2 student in the future.

Introducing our 2011 JumpStart students:

Today is the last day for Quinn, Phil, Maggie, Julianne, Elly, and Evelyn (L-R). We sincerely hope you will come back and visit us this year! Sorry the snow hasn't been better for you while here in Stowe but best of luck in the forthcoming season.

The holiday spirit

Our students are back from Vail and classes are charging full steam ahead. We have a couple of more weeks until holiday break and lots of work to do! Thankfully the tree has not been neglected and the decorations around the school are fabulous this year. 

 Here's a shot of Alita (L) and Linley, two of our J2 boarding students, with the tree in our living room. And a reminder to our parents that the last day of classes before winter break is Friday, December 22nd (for both Jumpstart and Session 1).

Our new yurt!

Greetings friends! Introducing our new yurt at MMWA:

Isn't she a beauty? It's from the Colorado Yurt Company and will provide us with five classroom spaces as well as a general assembly spot. It went up last weekend with the help of many super amazing volunteers. Students, staff, parents, and coaches all showed up to pitch in and lend a hand. Thank you. We couldn't have done this without you.

Check out the Facebook photo album for more shots of the yurt raising. Interior pics are forthcoming, as we still need to put in the flooring, heating, and electricity.

Our opening day of classes is just around the corner on November 14th, and it's exciting to be seeing all returning students and staff as well as meeting new students and staff soon. Expect that with school in session, the blog posts will be a bit more frequent and I promise to do my best to keep the photos and news coming.

In the meanwhile, think snow!

-Cassie

Registration for the Stowe Road Rally is open!

Here's the updated event poster:

Download the entry form and mail to MMWA, PO Box 3269 Stowe, VT 05672. Email info@mmwa.org for further information, directions, or general questions.

Time to start training

Get ready folks--you have about two months to start putting some miles on your bikes and hitting the hills in preparation for the Stowe Road Rally on Sunday, September 4th. The Road Rally is an annual fundraiser for MMWA and loads of fun for cycling enthusiasts. We offer three stunning cycling options in the Stowe region of varying mileages, as well as aid stations, van support for Notch riders, and a hearty post-race meal. Oh and a tech shirt too! Check out last year's event pics to see just how much fun can be had:

By the way if you want one of those super awesome MMSC cycling kits, you can buy them at Edgewise.

Save the date: September 4th Stowe Road Rally!

Happy Summer and so much more

Hi friends of MMWA,
The blog is back in action!! I apologize for the absence but summer vacation is in full swing and things have relaxed around the Academy. We have great news to report: the new boiler is IN! We are so happy to have an energy-efficient furnace in the building and recognize the huge improvements it will make in terms of energy conservation and energy bills.
Even though the halls of MMWA are silent and empty, we will continue to post updates and news here so keep checking from time and time and reach out to us if you have any questions.
Best,
Cassie and the MMWA crew

The art of the mask

The end of the academic year at MMWA concluded with some incredible projects. Because we get to teach one-on-one and are given a great amount of flexibility in designing our curricula/schedules, we have the advantage of creativity and freedom with our students. Plainly put, if we get the work done than we get to have fun. Our students can help push the studies in directions based on their own interests, so it's extremely rewarding as a teacher to have such involvement with our students. We really get to know them and do our best to tailor the studies to their learning styles, ideas, strengths, etc. Spanish teacher Christine Colangeli recently put this theory into practice with her Spanish 2 and 3 students. As they were are extremely artistic and love creative projects, they made clay masks based on ancient Inca motifs. Here are some photographs of the beautiful masks. Que bueno!

Alita (L) and Sloane (R) with their masks.

Cochran's

Here are a few shots from the Cochran's race last week. Due to almost all of the students being gone for the race, it was incredibly quiet around MMWA. Meanwhile, they got to enjoy a beautiful day on the slopes. Senior Jordan Leach took these photos and I hope you enjoy. These photos remind me to get outside, do what I love, laugh with my friends, and soak up the sunshine when it finally comes out in Vermont. Life is good.

Snow Forts 2011

Talk about dedication.
A handful of students spent last weekend building a spectacular snow fort. They planned, plotted, shoveled, dug, hauled, and built bricks.
Big snow banks = big snow forts.

As you will see, these are seriously awesome! Note the craftsmanship and the "throne" at the top of the mound for the king of the MMWA winter kingdom.

Even though signs of spring and warm weather are welcome around here, we're all sad to see the snow forts melt away.

Tie-Dye Night

The boarding students recently got to put some pizazz into plain old white t-shirts. For MMWA tie-dye night, they experimented with various bright colors and patterns. The result? Some wild and colorful t-shirts being worn around school these days. Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure, taken by dorm parent Colleen Pruss.

Seniors

Have I mentioned lately how much we love our seniors?
They are AMAZING!
They helped Shelly stuff, label, and seal up their graduation invitations. Here they are, being their happy awesome helper selves:

And here they are just being, well, happy:

By the way, the graduation is going to be on April 1, 6 pm at the Stowe Community Church. RSVP to MMWA (802-253-7209) and there is $5 per person donation for dinner.

Learning Happens Here

When MMWA students are not skiing or snowboarding, they are in English class:

Or baking bread for a health and nutrition class with Shelly:

Or holding a mock trial for a criminal justice class with Beth:

  

Above all, they are learning to balance rich academic experiences with outstanding athletic achievements. I could not be more impressed and proud of our students.

Just another weekend at the Dream House

We had another fantastic weekend at the HGTV Dream House and the tours continue to sell out. No doubt, this is an absolutely incredible opportunity for MMWA! Thanks to our phenomenal volunteers of parents, staff, alumni, and friends, we are close to completing three months of fundraising tours. There are only six days left to tour the house--see www.stowe.com/hgtv for details on how to purchase tickets. And remember, if you want to volunteer in the house you get to see it up close for free! Email Cassie for information if you are interested in helping out the last couple weekends.

Finally I remembered to bring my camera and take some pics of the tours in action. Enjoy!

Jody and Deb welcome guests at the Spruce Camp check-in desk.

Jody walking the group up.

Navigating the snowbanks and heading inside.

Marsha and Lisa show the group around upstairs.

Katarina chatting with a couple downstairs.

Yayyy!!! The Dream House is lots of fun!

Alumni Duals UPDATE

Mark your calendars: The Alumni Duals ski race and MMWA/MMSC fundraiser is now on two weeks later on Saturday, March 19th. The only thing that changes is the date--so this gives you a couple more weeks to get your team together and register! Otherwise same place, same time, same awesome fun on the Slalom Hill. Don't forget about the après-ski party and bbq at the MMSC clubhouse too.

The Alumni Duals Saturday, March 19th, 2011 What: GS Duals Alpine & Snowboard When: Saturday, March 19th, 2011 Registration 8:00 a.m. - Noon at the Mt. Mansfield Ski Club Race Start: 1:00 p.m. 2 Runs GS Where: Slalom Hill, Spruce Peak Who: 4-Person Teams (must have a female racer on each team) Entry Fees: Team entry $180 / individ. $45    (+ $20 lift ticket fee) *Includes barbecue! -For those aged 23 years or younger, team entry $160 / individ. $40 (+$20 lift ticket fee)! -For those aged 10 years or younger, individ. $25 (+ $20 lift ticket fee) *Entry fee includes barbecue! Prizes: Awards following race at the Mt. Mansfield Ski Club. Traditional age categories plus awards for Alumni teams, Current Athlete teams, and Family teams.  Après-ski Party and Live Auction  at MMSC 4-6 P.M. To pre-register, mail this form with payment to: MMWA, P.O. Box 3269, Stowe, VT 05672 or email smartin@mmwa.org Phone: 802.253.7409 x105 Fax: 802.253.2708 Email: smartin@mmwa.org For more information contact: Shelly Martin at MMWA 802.253.7409 x105 Brought to you by: Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy, Mt. Mansfield Ski Club & Stowe Mountain Resort

Happy belated Valentine's Day!

MMWA celebrated Valentine's Day with plenty of candy and by sprucing up for a special dinner. Thanks to our dorm parents, the boarding students got to celebrate in style:

Hurray for pink plates and pretty flowers at MMWA!

Snow Day!

We finally had a snow day here at the Academy! Classes were canceled on Wednesday, February 2 and students enjoyed a full day in the 18+ inches of powder. Here are a few shots of the beautiful bluebird day after the storm.

Dorm Parent Mary Steward has her work cut out for her. She finally cleaned off her car so she could go skiing at Trapp's!

Chalet 3: Home to a few Math, English, and Spanish classes. The lower level is the tuning room.

Academy Duals

Join us for the second annual Academy Duals, Saturday, March 5, 2011! Come to Stowe early and enjoy the Eastern Cup Championships (Monday, 2/28/11 through Friday, 3/04/11) or stay late for the NCAA Championships (Wednesday, 3/09/11 through Saturday, 3/12/11)! Catch up with old friends and learn what the Academy and Club have been up to.  We would like to gather photos for a slideshow, so dust off your old photo albums and email any pictures to smartin@mmwa.org. Please be sure to include a caption!   More on the Duals... What: GS Duals (Alpine & Snowboard) When: Saturday, March 5th, 2011 Where: Slalom Hill at Spruce Peak and Mt. Mansfield Ski Club Who: 4-Person Teams (must have a female racer on each team) Entry Fees: Team entry $120 / individual $30 (+ $20 lift ticket fee) *For those aged 23 years or younger, team entry $100 / individual $25 (+$20 lift ticket fee) *For those aged 10 years or younger, individual $10 (+ $20 lift ticket fee) Prizes: Awards following race at the Mt. Mansfield Ski Club. Traditional age categories plus awards for Alumni teams, Current Athlete teams, and Family teams. Après-ski party at MMSC from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.!   To pre-register, mail the entry form with payment to: MMWA, P.O. Box 3269, Stowe, VT 05672 or contact Shelly Martin at (802) 253-7409 x105. Brought to you by: Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy, Mt. Mansfield Ski Club, and Stowe Mountain Resort.

Annual Fund Update

We are off to a great start with our Annual Fund Campaign!  As you may know, we are seeking 80% participation in six different groups: Present Parents, Present Students, Staff, Student Alumnae, Parents of Alumnae, and Friends of the Academy. When 80% participation in a category is achieved, a $5,000 core donation is awarded.  As you can see below, the Present Parents and Alumni Parents are leading the way in terms of participation with 18% participation each!

 

Remember - any size donation counts and every gift puts us that much closer to the goal!   
 

Please note, we accept checks and securities transfers only, as we are not set-up to receive credit card payments.  Donations are accepted from now until our new fiscal year-end, April 30, 2011.  Please mail donations to MMWA, P.O. Box 3269, Stowe, VT 05672.
 

Just another day at MMWA

The calm after the lunch rush storm.

Tenth grade class photo outtake.

We love Sue! And her chocolate cookies too.

Holiday Card Photos

We are back in the swing of things at MMWA after the holiday break. With busy race and competition schedules, it's inspiring to see the students traveling so much while staying on top of their coursework. I love our holiday card photos and want to share the images that I took up on the mountain outside the Clubhouse.

J1/2 Outtake

J1/2 Group

J3/Freeride/Snowboard Group

J3/Freeride/Snowboard Outtake

Please email me if you want a high resolution copy of any photos, I'm happy to share!