OCTOBER E-SPILLWAY NEWSLETTER |
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Photo courtesy of Maine Drone Imaging |
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CVA's recent Fall Family Weekend and Sugarloaf Homecoming was a great opportunity to live our mission of Academics, Athletics, and Community. On Friday, we opened our doors to families for parent-teacher and parent-coach conferences. Parents and staff discussed how best to support each student, while sharing stories of student excellence and areas of growth. Later that evening, the Capricorn became host to our Harvest Dinner. Students, families, and staff sat across the table from one another, shared stories, and relaxed while enjoying a wonderful meal. |
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On Saturday afternoon parents and students alike celebrated the season at the Parent Support Organization's (PSO) Oktoberfest social. It was such a pleasure to reconnect and meet new friends under sunny skies and brilliant fall foliage. Many thanks to the Folger-David family for hosting.
The sense of CVA community could be felt around the mountain as well. The PSO set up at The Rack for the annual Tailgate Ski Swap & Sale. With just a CVA van, a few racks of apparel, and some donated gear, our parents sparked conversations with patrons looking to learn more about CVA and get a good deal in the process.
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Up on the Beach, the Enrollment and Marketing team, along with the help of PSO and student volunteers, hosted an information table. CVA students, their families, weekend program athletes, and alumni all stopped by to say hi and check out the new swag. The booth was a buzz with the greater CVA community.
Inside the Narrow Gauge Doors, the buzz continued, quite literally, with a buzzer sound coming from the table set up by the Environmental Club. CVA students designed a game show to test the community’s knowledge of recycling and to educate about climate change.
And what is better than bonding over some outdoor recreation? On Sunday, CVA hosted a hike up to the Jean Luce Building for a venue tour of The Podium Project.
Participating in these community activities, both on and off campus, helps strengthen our students’ connection to Sugarloaf, Carrabassett Valley and each other. As members of this community, they learn life lessons including the importance of responsibility, generosity, kindness, and inclusion - helping them to grow into well-rounded, confident adults capable of achieving their goals.
Regards,
Kate Webber Punderson '89
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There are some exciting updates regarding The Podium Project!
The new snowmaking pipe, to support the higher-density snowmaking, has been set in place. The concrete for the bottom terminal has been poured, and the bottom bullwheel for the T-Bar has been installed. Next week, the high-efficiency fan snow guns will be installed. After that, the concrete will be poured for the lift towers, with the towers being installed shortly after.
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CVA would like to thank the organizations and individuals who have helped to make this project possible, including the Killington World Cup Foundation (KWCF), who recently awarded CVA with a $25,000 grant toward construction of the surface lift. |
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Early College Courses at CVA |
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CVA has recently added Honors Chemistry to the list of Early College offerings. Early College classes offer dual enrollment, where students earn one CVA credit and 4 college credits from the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) or the University of Maine Fort Kent (UMFK) per course.
For a course to qualify as Early College, the course curriculum and teacher credentials go through a rigorous application process to be considered a 100-level course at UMF or UMFK. The credits earned by taking these courses can be used directly on enrollment at any University of Maine college, and can sometimes be transferred to other institutions. They can also be used to show a more robust academic transcription in the college application process.
Other Early College courses offered at CVA include Honors Biology II, Honors Physics, and Honors English IV. CVA teachers approved to be Early College teachers are Karen Lanoue-Egan, BS Zoology, MS Biology; Shelley Koenig, MS Geochemistry-Petrology; and, Kristen Davis, Ph.D. English. Currently, CVA has 17 students enrolled in these college credit-earning courses, getting a head start on their college education. Some students may earn up to 16 college credits with our current Early College offerings.
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Student Council Elections |
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The CVA Student Council acts as the voice of the student body. Representatives on the council work in partnership with CVA teachers and administrators for the benefit of the school, and in the process, engage students in learning about democracy and leadership. They share students' ideas, interests, and concerns, and plan student activities such as prom, spirit weeks, and dances.
Congratulations to the newly elected officers for the
2022-2023 CVA Student Council:
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Josie Alexander '23
President
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Summer Saifee '23
Vice President
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Jackson Knobloch '23
Senior Class Rep.
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Sasha Janusjwicz '23
Senior Class Rep.
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Dory Michaud '23
Senior Class Rep.
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Dahlia Saifee '23
Senior Class Rep.
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Chase Littlefield '24
Junior Class Rep.
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Maggie Swain '24
Junior Class Rep.
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Luna de la Vega '25
Sophomore Class Rep.
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Jake Wagner '25
Sophomore Class Rep.
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Ali Bruno '26
Freshman Class Rep.
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Kenadie Dickey '26
Freshman Class Rep.
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CVA Environmental Club Promotes Environmental Awareness |
The CVA Environmental Club participated in Homecoming Weekend at Sugarloaf by hosting a booth to promote recycling education and environmental awareness about the climate crisis. The club worked in partnership with Sugarloaf's Sustainability Coordinator, Bea Johnson, and the Forever Project which aims to prevent global warming from destroying our winters.
The booth, spearheaded by CVA students Ruby Poland ‘23 and Maggie Swain ‘24, featured a game show, where people were questioned about their knowledge of recycling. Most of the environmental club members worked the booth over the weekend. The club displayed a student-created art installation produced by CVA student, Amy Latendresse ‘24, and dorm parent, Teagan Mellor, with guidance provided by CVA art teacher, Waylon Wolfe P’23 & ‘26. CVA students Kai Glidden ‘23 and Skye Folger-David ‘25 spearheaded a video project that focused on interviewing students about climate change and how it impacts their lives and sport. The video was also on display behind the booth.
The booth was a great success with Sugarloafers of all ages joining in on the fun and learning more about recycling!
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CVA Freeski athletes Alex Bateman ‘26 and Shire Cosby ‘25 recently departed for Saas-Fee, Switzerland for about two weeks of high-level, pre-season training. This experience will give them unmatched training during this time of the year. Olympians from far and wide come to display and expand their tricks.
In addition to a well maintained park, the venue of Stomping Grounds Park has amazing additional perks including professional filming/photography throughout the park and access around the mountain town for athletic recovery and day-off activities. Through this training, Shire and Alex's view of the sport will broaden, and it will carry them into new phases of their training while at CVA.
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The CVA Snowboard Team is making great strides in the gym. Many athletes have hit personal records for squatting and deadlifting already this year. The team is now transitioning their focus to strength training through functional movement lifting patterns, which will help the athletes by increasing their strength and efficiency, while decreasing their risk of injury.
Snowboard Park athlete, Sullivan Platte ‘25, is traveling to Hintertux, Austria to ride one of the world's best early-season parks, featuring jumps ranging from 30 -80 feet, where double and triple corks are possible. He will be training with student-athletes from all across America and Canada. He will also spend a few days at the Banger Park, the world's best airbag facility, with 3 landing bags ranging in size. Having access to both venues in one trip will allow Sully to take his new tricks from the airbag in the morning to the snow in the afternoon.
The Development Team will also have an exciting trip coming up. Following physical testing, the younger riders will be going to Big Snow American Dream, North America’s first and only indoor year-round ski and snow resort in New Jersey, to get on snow for the first time this year and have some fun!
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The CVA Backcountry team ventured out in early October for their first team trip of the year. Day one included biking the incredible trails at Kingdom Trails in East Burke, VT where they enjoyed great weather and some early fall foliage.
On day two the team had a great opportunity to continuously lap the trails at the downhill mountain bike park at Burke Mountain to improve their riding skills. Along with biking, the team also worked on camping skills, backcountry meal preparation, fire building, teamwork, and leadership.
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In late September, CVA Alpine athletes returned from a 10-day training trip to SnowWorld - Landgraaf in Holland where they focused on conditioning through increased training volume.
In the indoor training facility, student-athletes trained slalom twice a day, for 2 hours per session. With an average of 12 runs per session, athletes were able to net 24 runs daily, challenging their endurance and strength.
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Grant Recipients for the 2022/2023 SYNC Athlete Fund |
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Congratulations to CVA Alpine athlete Mia Bruno '25 and alumnus Sam Morse '13 on their receipt of the 2022/2023 SYNC Athlete Fund grants. For the fourth year, SYNC Performance has selected 35 deserving athletes to receive $51,500 in grants, supporting their dreams to pursue ski racing at the highest level and push towards their goals. The athletes were selected by a committee based mainly on speed, financial need, quality of responses to questions, and their letter of recommendation. |
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Alpine vs. Action Sports/Backcountry Soccer Game |
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On Saturday, September 17th CVA held their 2nd annual Alpine vs. Action Sports/Backcountry soccer game. The student-athletes played with heart, putting their all into the game. A healthy sense of competition was met with a strong sense of community.
Congratulations to the Action Sports/Backcountry team for their 7-1 victory and a big thank you to all players, announcers, ball boys & girls, staff, and family for such a fun day!
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Peer Mentor Bowling Night |
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CVA Peer Mentors hosted fellow students for a night of bowling, food, and friendship for their first organized event of the school year.
At CVA, students entering grades 10-12 can apply each spring to become a Peer Mentor. The role of a Peer Mentor is to guide and support other students at CVA, helping to create a safe, supportive, and productive environment for all students. Peer Mentors become certified in Mental Health First Aid or Suicide Prevention, and serve as the link between students and staff to address student concerns and promote a positive culture.
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Amy's teachers are proud to recognize her high achievements this month. She puts in consistent effort in all her classes, raises the level of conversation in class discussions, and asks insightful and meaningful questions from a unique perspective. She also took the lead on the art project for the Environmental Club booth at Homecoming Weekend. |
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As a Post-Graduate, Haley is a wonderful athletic role model for all Big Dogs. She has worked through the adversity of injury, worked extremely hard over the summer, and continues to work hard at practice everyday. She's not afraid of learning new sports, including mountain biking and rollerblading, and does so with a positive attitude and perseverance. |
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Community Member of the Month |
Josie has embraced her role as a student leader this month. We are grateful for the way she helps to create a positive school culture, supports other students, runs the daily school meeting, and the dozens of little things she does each week to generate an inclusive school community.
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Say "Hello" to Our Newest Board Members |
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Sarah Fossett ’13
Sarah is currently an Investor and Founding Member of L Catterton’s Impact Investing Fund. Prior to joining the Impact team, Sarah was an Investor in L Catterton’s Flagship Private Equity Fund. Prior to joining L Catterton, Sarah was Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy at Hanna Andersson, an L Catterton portfolio company, and an Investment Banking Analyst in the Healthcare Group at Credit Suisse.
Sarah graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Global Health. Sarah is also a 2013 graduate of Carrabassett Valley Academy, where she was a member of the women’s alpine team.
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Greg Tobias ’87
Greg is a Principal for Ocean Atlantic Companies and Schell Brothers and is responsible for acquisitions, market expansion, project development and financing for residential land development, home building, multifamily, build to rent and senior housing projects.
Prior to relocating to Delaware, he co-founded Ocean Atlantic International in 2004 to develop residential and commercial property in Eastern Europe. Prior to founding Ocean Atlantic International, he worked at Clark Realty Capital in Washington DC as a Development Executive acquiring and developing in-fill mixed-use projects in Washington DC and Northern Virginia valued at over $800 million.
Greg served on the Board of Trustees for Carrabassett Valley Academy from 2001-2002, and the Community Resource Center since 2020. He received a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Alaska (1995) and an MBA from Harvard Business School (2002). Mr. Tobias resides in Lewes, DE with his wife Sandra and two sons, Lucca and Andrei.
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Save the date: November 29th - 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.
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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. |
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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.
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3197 Carrabassett Drive
Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
Phone: (207) 237-2250
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