NOVEMBER E-SPILLWAY NEWSLETTER |
|
WINTER TERM REGISTRATION DAY |
|
On October 30th, CVA welcomed new and returning Winter Term students. Thirty-four student-athletes, across all five disciplines (alpine, freestyle, snowboard, ski cross, and backcountry) joined the CVA community. The new arrivals and their families were welcomed by CVA peer mentors and staff before rotating through various registration stations, ensuring that all students were ready and prepared for the busy Winter Term. |
|
After the boarding students moved into their dorm rooms, all students and their families broke out into discipline-specific groups to meet with their coaches to discuss the upcoming season. The students finished their group session with a gratitude exercise, writing thank you notes to parents/guardians, some of which were then shared at the traditional CVA Registration Day Gratitude Ceremony in the Academic Center atrium.
The students then spent the afternoon participating in various orientation activities, giving them an opportunity to get to know each other and to become familiar with the CVA community.
|
|
The Podium Project on Competition Hill is nearing completion. The surface lift towers have been installed, with the cable spliced and in place. The footings for the terminal buildings are in position and the lift houses will soon be completed. Doppelmayr is scheduled to commission the T-Bar the week of December 5th and we are hoping for a December 10th opening day.
All seven SMI PoleCat Fan snow guns are in place atop the SMI towers. HKD is currently working on the automation system for the HKD snow guns. Once temperatures get down to 20-26 degrees, snowmaking may be completed in 24 hours with a two-foot depth across the trail.
CVA would like to thank the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center and the Town of Carrabassett Valley for their generous support in making this project possible.
|
|
A Big Dog thank you to the Jones Family from Jones & Jones Watermelons for supporting "Team Rehab!" Jones and Jones recently donated a virtual reality (VR) system that will be used in rehabilitation, providing cutting-edge methods to add neurocognitive and perceptual perturbations, especially for lower extremity injuries. The system also allows for dual-task and reaction time exercises following concussion and adds a little fun to coming back from injury!
Since 2019, the Jones family has been making generous donations to "Team Rehab" at CVA. These donations have allowed athletes who are sidelined with injuries for a significant amount of time to remain involved in "team" activities, go on fun day trips, and have breaks to get away from the grind of rehabilitation. The ability to do this is invaluable to CVA athletes recovering from injury, improving their mental health and overall well-being.
|
|
Another Big Dog thank you to the Klemperer family, who donated a Skier's Edge. This piece of equipment provides great sport-specific training for athletes who are making the transition back to snow following injury. This lateral trainer also helps increase performance by perfecting weight transfer, balance, quick movements and muscle memory.
Many of the training room modalities have been as a result of PSO donations. All of the donations make a huge difference in the quality of care and experience of the student-athletes at CVA. Thank you to everyone for your generosity!
|
|
Caleb is succeeding academically in all of his classes. The focus that Caleb puts into his studies is unparalleled. He always puts forth his best effort in class and he asks thoughtful questions which provide great insight into each topic he is studying. Thank you, Caleb, for your continued effort and for raising the caliber of class conversations. |
|
Sully has had a strong progression as an athlete this year. He worked diligently to overcome setbacks and came back stronger than ever, which was evident by his great showing at physical testing. Sully has embraced his independence this year as well, taking his first solo international trip. His independence and effective communication was also clear at The Ski Swap & Sale at The Rack where he represented the school, and all of our athletes in a positive light. Sully, we are so proud of your growth this year. Keep up the great work! |
|
Community Member of the Month |
|
Francois exemplifies what it means to be a "Big Dog" community member. He is always there to lend-a-hand, whether it be to a staff member or student. He is a leader in the World Cultures Club, which has already made such a positive impact in the CVA community. He is warm and welcoming to students and staff alike and mentors new students to help them acclimate to CVA. Thank you, Francois, we are so lucky to have you at CVA. |
|
The Academic Success Program at CVA |
|
At CVA, we recognize that students have different learning styles and capabilities. That is why we offer the Academic Success Program (ASP) to help CVA students succeed academically.
ASP is an individualized program offering academic support services beyond the extra help available in our regular academic program. ASP sessions are slated throughout the day as part of the student’s daily class schedule.
Whether a student needs extra support with study skills, wants to improve their writing technique, needs content-specific support in a certain subject, or has a diagnosed learning difference, ASP provides the academic support necessary to assist the student in meeting their personal goals and the goals of the CVA curriculum.
|
|
Quill Hill Photography Field Trip |
|
CVA art students attended the annual Quill Hill Field Trip. The trip is a part of the Landscape Photography unit. Students learned about the framing and characteristics of landscape photography.
Many students were introduced to tripods and the use of slower shutter speeds to determine how moving objects look. The use of a tripod and different shutter speeds allows the photographer to creatively blur anything that moves in a static landscape. The results were amazing!
|
|
CVA's Environmental Science class went to the Wire Bridge in New Portland to help the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stock fish into the local rivers. The students released brook trout that were raised in the Emden Fish Hatchery.
Stocking is done twice a year, with almost year-old fish released in the fall and baby fish fry released in the spring. Later in the year, the class will tour the Emden Fish Hatchery to see the progress of the larval fish and fry.
|
|
As a U.S. Ski and Snowboard (USSS) High Performance Center, CVA athletes participate in physical and mobility testing each year. This Skillsquest Fitness Assessment is a great way to learn about an athlete’s strengths and weaknesses, and helps coaches and trainers develop appropriate goals for each athlete.
This year seven of our students achieved qualifying scores for the USSS! Josie Alexander '23 set new school records for the triple hop and box jumps for females and Calvin Punderson '23 set a new school record for the beep test.
|
|
The top three female and male athletes who achieved the highest Skillsquest "score" received CVA's Top Dog award. Congratulations to (from left to right in the photo) Boden Gerry '24, Caleb Stefanakos '24, Javier Lorrain-Beaucage '24, Josie Alexander '23, Althea Noyes '23, and Mia Bruno '25!
A Big Dog thank you to Joe Colotti, the High Performance Director at Stratton Mountain School, who came to ensure the test was carried out in accordance with the USSS protocols.
|
|
A group of CVA Action Sports athletes recently returned from a training trip to Big SNOW American Dream - an indoor, year-round ski and snowboard resort in New Jersey. This indoor venue gives our athletes necessary pre-season time on snow to get a jump start on skills for the upcoming competition season.
|
|
CVA athletes Alex Bateman ‘26 and Shire Cosby ‘25 returned from their recent pre-season training trip to Saas-Fee, Switzerland. The two weeks of high-level training at The Stomping Grounds park allowed them to train at a venue where Olympians from far and wide come to display and expand their tricks.
|
|
|
|
|
The CVA Freestyle Mogul athletes had a very productive early-season training camp in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, which features a top-to-bottom FIS mogul course and good conditions.
"It was a short training camp, but the athletes skied well and met their daily goals, performing at a consistent pace," Coach Nate McKenzie reported.
|
|
CVA U18 and U16 alpine athletes traveled to Loveland, CO for pre-season training, hitting the slopes during the day and the books at night. Athletes took full advantage of their two 2-hour training blocks each day and spent evenings in proctored study halls completing their schoolwork.
Alpine Director Kirk Dwyer reported that the conditions were "Colorado-perfect," with a fairly firm surface and moderate pitch. Athletes were able to maximize their training with private lane time and convenient chairlift access, allowing for a high number of quality runs per training session.
|
|
Thirty-three U14 Academy and Weekend Program athletes traveled to Colorado, skiing at A-basin and Loveland, where they worked hard on fundamentals, mastering drills on body position and balance. The crew headed to Winter Park to finish with two days of GS and SL gate training.
The technical and tactical skills the kids learned and practiced at this camp will set them up correctly for this upcoming season. The life skills that they learned were also a huge bonus: getting up early, making their own breakfast and lunch, packing their ski gear for the day, being on time, and working hard on the slopes.
A Big Dog thank you to all the CVA Weekend Program and Academy families! The parents were helpful and encouraging, supporting this camp in any way they could. Thank you to everyone who worked to make this camp successful, including the local ski shops, boot fitters, teachers, and the CVA staff.
|
|
The CVA World Cultures Club (WCC) has been conducting snack-time takeovers this past month, introducing their fellow students with delectable treats from around the world.
The first official snack-time takeover featured crêpes made by WCC members from a recipe shared by CVA student Francios Meloni '23. The WCC students spent two hours making the crêpes from scratch and served with fresh strawberries, Nutella, and many other indulgent toppings. The students enjoyed the special snack time treat, which was gone in under 5 minutes!
|
|
CVA student-athlete Baran Tatlidede ‘23 helped coordinate the second WCC snack-time takeover featuring a tradition from his home country - Turkish Tea. Turkish Tea is a term that not only means the actual tea drink - it also means “snack time.” This Turkish Tea featured a special hot tea, Baklava, and Turkish Delights.
Thank you to all the WCC students who put in a great effort to make our first two snack-time takeovers a success!
|
|
CVA hosted a Masquerade Ball in October that featured a night of music, dancing, and desserts for our hard-working student-athletes. The dance was held in the yurt at the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center.
A big thank you to the CVA Parent Support Organization (PSO) for their support of this event and for providing a fantastic assortment of desserts. The treats were out of this world, and the students danced the night away!
|
|
NOVEMBER 29 IS GIVING TUESDAY |
|
Please consider making a gift to CVA on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 for Giving Tuesday - a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity. Established in 2012 to encourage people to do good, Giving Tuesday has grown into a year-round, global movement, that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
|
|
The idea of giving back to this special place, an academy that means so much to all of us, has been an integral part of what keeps us going. Gifts allow CVA to continue providing exceptional classroom instruction and a world-class winter sports experience to students who want to pursue their dreams with us. |
|
If you have already made your annual donation to CVA, we thank you for your generosity.
Haven't yet donated? Please consider donating by one of the 5 ways below:
- Online at gocva.com/give
- Venmo: @CarrabassettValleyAcademy
- Paypal: paypal.me/gocva
- Mail a check payable to: CVA Annual Fund, 3197 Carrabassett Drive, Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
- Contact Melissa Fogg at mfogg@gocva.com, or 207-237-4505, for more information or to make a donation by phone.
Thank you for your support! If you'd like to donate in advance of Giving Tuesday, please use the link below.
|
|
It’s never been easier to give back to CVA! When you shop on Amazon this holiday season, you can support CVA using AmazonSmile.
Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
It’s so simple to use:
-
Sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser
- From your desktop, go to Your Account and select the option to “Change your Charity”
- Or, from your mobile browser, select “Change your Charity” from the options at the bottom of the page and select to support “Carrabassett Valley Academy.”
Happiest holiday shopping, and thanks so much for your support!
|
|
The CVA Alumni Holiday Party
Sunday, January 1, 2023
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
at the Bill and Joan
Alfond Competition Center
Details coming soon!
|
|
3197 Carrabassett Drive
Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
Phone: (207) 237-2250
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
