Summer in Stowe

Things are winding down here at MMWA--most of the students are back and catching up after a very busy race schedule this season. Graduation is next Thursday 3/29, classes finish next Friday 3/30, and the crazy warm weather has everyone in happy spirits. It's like August out there!

 

Nonetheless, there is still some skiing to be had. Don't forget to join us on Saturday for the Homecoming and Club Championships at MMSC! The GS duals event will start at 10 a.m., followed by a fun bbq. $10 covers the entry fee and bbq, and $26 buys you a lift ticket if you need one. MMWA/MMSC alumni should stick around and stop by MMWA's yurt for a casual après-ski gathering 4-6 p.m. Hope to see you there!

J3 States

I just happened to be at Sugarbush yesterday (volunteering with the Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports Program) and got to see the VARA J3 State Championships taking place at Mt. Ellen. It was deceivingly cold out there! Big props to any parents or fans who stood out there and supported the racers, not to mention AWESOME JOB to the MMSC racers! Grant Gutstein was the top MMSC/MMWA finisher who placed 9th overall--see the entire results here. Here are a few shots from the Inverness Chairlift that I managed to get before my hand froze.

In like a lion

Check out our snowstorm today!! It's finally looking like a winter wonderland around here:

I totally wiped out in the driveway trying to take this!

Lori's hydrangea bush.

 

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful in the pines.

March is looking good so far! Finally. Finally in the past week we've had great snow in Stowe. We have about a month left here at MMWA and things are going really well. Today is pizza day for lunch and everyone is in very happy spirits thanks to powder + pizza. Here's to happy skiing out there!

A photographer in our midst

Photo by Molly Danzig, who is a junior at MMWA.

Valentine's follow-up

Despite a doozy of a week at school (that nasty norovirus finally made it to our neck of the woods), the boarding students rallied for their annual Valentine's Day dinner. Nothing like pink crepe paper and heart candles to set a romantic mood. Many thanks to Mary Stewart, our head dorm parent, for snapping these shots.

Mary Stewart, center, with Sam and Neza

Happy Valentine's Day!

And Happy Birthday to Hayley!!

[That's not actually Hayley holding the cake. That's her little sister Caroline who is in 10th grade here at MMWA.]

MMWA Day Visits

February break is forthcoming....But not for us here at MMWA! Our students continue to train, race, and attend classes here the Academy. For students who are interested in attending MMWA, this is a great time to come and check it out.

We would love to meet any new athletes and show them around our home here on the Mountain Road. Prospective students can shadow classes, meet MMWA students and teachers, enjoy one of Chef Jeff's awesome lunches, and train with the appropriate age group and MMSC coaches up at Stowe Mountain Resort.

Call our office at (802) 243-7209 or email to set up a time. No weekend visits available.
Spread the word!

Snow! Finally.

It's a beautiful scene outside.
As I was eating lunch today (thank you Jeff for the delicious soup and salad), I found myself looking outside the windows over to the Topnotch meadow and finally being able to think, "Wow what a pretty scene" instead of "Wow what a dreary scene."
It actually looks like winter. Who knows what tomorrow will bring--rain?--but for today it's snow and there are no complaints about that around here.

Clutter

Sometimes things get a little....Crazy around here. Students are here, then they're gone, then the race was canceled, then they are back, they are sick, etc. Amidst the chaos (or normalcy depending on who you talk to--we're used to it around here!), some things remain a reliable constant.
We always have a yummy lunch from Jeff, our new cook.
The internet loves to fritz out in the English classrooms.
Be nice to Lori because she has a secret stash of chocolate.
And kids can be messy.
Case in point: the cubbies in the student lounge meant to help "organize" their stuff. So much for that when said stuff can be tossed in a pile on the ground. Classic, right?

A visit to the pottery studio

I love the pottery studio at MMWA. It's in the basement and is the old sauna (our building used to be a ski inn!). It's a unique space in the school that manages to be funky and relaxing at the same time. When I visited a few days ago, art teacher Matt Moore mixed up some new glazes while eclectic tunes from the local radio station filled the space. Senior Colleen Cataldo seemed totally absorbed in painting a piece of her fired pottery as I snapped a few photos to share of our pottery studio.

Anyone have an extra 3.795 million dollars?

While the HGTV Dream Home 2011 tours may seem like a dream from the distant past here at MMWA, the house continues to attract attention up at Spruce Peak. The new owners "collected the keys" last spring and claimed to want to keep the house, according to an article in The Stowe Reporter.

Then, it was announced that the house was available to rent for $2,000 - $5,000 per night. Perhaps the new owners, Eric and Katie Makstenieks from Hinsdale, Ill., were hoping to make a dent in the sizable property taxes looming ahead of them? Yet this fall they were extremely generous and allowed a stay at the Dream House to be raffled off for a Stowe High School Ski Team benefit.

And now, after much speculation, the Dream House is FOR SALE! For a mere $3,795,000. Check out the details and dream away.

Back from Break

Greetings!
We are back in the thick of things with the races picking up and school is in full swing. Thankfully we have a enough snow here for training and to keep everyone in upbeat spirits. Stowe seems to be in some sort of magic pocket and has more snow than other local regions.
I wanted to quickly post a few photos of classes in action:

As you can see, most of our classes are actually one-on-one so students get individualized attention. It makes for a very unique learning experience and, as a former English teacher here at MMWA, I can honestly say we really get to know our students. We really hope to bring out the best in them academically. We also do our best to remain understanding of their training priorities and crazy race schedules!