In this newsletter:
  • Key information for returning to campus
  • COVID-19 strategy update
  • COVID-19 cases on campus 
  • DEI update
  • Celebrating Gould's Academic QuizBowl Team
  • Coffee Chat with History Faculty January 19th
  • Weekend activities
  • As seen on social media
Key Information For Returning To Campus 

Parents and students, you are key players in Gould’s phased approach to a full return to campus activities and deserve praise. We are learning to embrace and value multiple perspectives and to be flexible and graceful if we receive unwelcome news or have to shift plans. None of this is easy or comes naturally. We are all working together to be #gouldstrong! 

Our updated protocols that were released on the eve of 2022 are slightly more robust than other schools, but hold steadfast to the public health guidelines for a campus that thrives on living, learning, and playing together. We review our plans daily and work to communicate swiftly and clearly. 

A full return to campus is in sight for Monday. Please review these key guidelines:

Day Students

  • Continue to avoid crowded indoor events and mask when running errands like going to the grocery store. 
  • This is your last weekend with limited campus access. 
  • If you missed pooled testing on campus on Thursday, January 13, you must take a rapid or PCR COVID test over the weekend and send results to the Health Center before returning to campus on Monday. healthcenter@gouldacademy.org

Boarding Students Arriving 

  • Arrive between 11am - 3pm on Saturday or Sunday.
  • You must have a negative COVID test to return to campus; either a rapid antigen test or a PCR test is acceptable. Results can be emailed to the Health Center in advance or delivered when you arrive.
  • Go directly to the Health Center when you arrive on campus. Do not enter the dorm until you have been to the Health Center. 
  • The Health Center will verify your COVID status with a rapid test, and you will be issued a bracelet to confirm your dorm status. 
  • Bring your KN95 or surgical masks. Cloth masks / buffs are no longer acceptable. 
  • If you have any questions, please call the AOD before returning to campus (207) 824-7778 or (207) 592-4322.

Boarding Students On Campus

  • Continue to avoid crowded indoor events off campus and mask when running errands like going to the grocery store. Check weekend announcements for activities. 


Special Programming on Monday

Gould Academy will pause and celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2022 with film showings on Monday, January 17th from 12:15-3:00. The films will focus on black excellence. Students will watch with their advisory groups and then advisors will lead students through a guided discussion.

Monday’s program is required for boarding students and we invite day students back onto campus on Monday to participate in the program one day in advance of in person classes resuming on Tuesday, January 18th. Caution is encouraged for all day students who choose to participate as a snowstorm is also predicted for Monday.
From Head of School, Tao Smith: COVID-19 Strategy Update

As we monitor current trends among schools and health care regarding COVID-19, we are observing changes in surveillance testing strategies happening in schools and colleges in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. There is still much to learn regarding this current variant as the long-term implications for strategy surrounding mitigation and risk are rapidly evolving. What we do know is that Gould's approach since the beginning of the pandemic has served our community well. We also know that we are living through change in real-time, and our strategy will continue to adapt as necessary. As we remain abreast of new information, data, CDC guidelines, and public health information, we ask Gould students, families, and employees to remain vigilant and nimble. 

When we return in person next week, it will be important that everyone strictly adhere to the Gould masking guidelines in order to continue to be able to do the things that we want to do on campus and off. Remember, we are asking everyone to isolate from the virus, not each other. Other than masking, life at Gould has been pretty normal this year and we will work hard to make sure that this remains so: Assuming all things go as planned, we should be able to go back to what we were doing before break. 

Hold tight we are almost there, and in this transition phase we are staying the course. Thank you to all of our remote learners and faculty who quickly pivoted with skill and empathy. We can and will continue to live a Gould life together, doing what we love in the mountains of Western Maine. As we enter the next phase of this pandemic of learning to live with the virus and without fear, we will remain committed to our mission and living lives of purpose, action, excellence, and compassion.

With sincere gratitude,

Tao Smith '90 P'23
Head of School

COVID-19 Cases on Campus

For the pooled testing that took place on Monday, January 10th at Gould, 240 people participated, and resulted in positive results for three students and one employee. 239 people participated on Thursday, two of the 33 pools were positive, we are currently retesting the people in these two pools. 

Gould Faculty Members Explore Implicit Bias

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are important concepts we align with at Gould Academy. Sometimes abbreviated as DEI or DEIB, we enter into this work with a sense of purpose and intent, and the understanding that this will be an ongoing pursuit. 

Head of School, Tao Smith, says “DEI is not a goal to be achieved, but a state of being and a lifelong commitment. We commit to this work on behalf of those who have felt voiceless, powerless, or forgotten. We commit to this work for the betterment of all individuals here at Gould, for our alumni, and for future generations of Gould students. And, we commit to this work out of love, for only through this embrace may we approach understanding and appreciation for each other.”

This fall, the foundation was set to begin training the Gould community about various concepts under the DEI umbrella. This week, scheduled training and structured conversations began. All faculty members participated in a thirty minute session about implicit bias on Monday. Instructions were to watch a training video, do guided self-reflection, and then discuss in both small and large groups. The goal was to provide a context within which people could operate, and encourage and demonstrate what DEI looks like from an everyday perspective.  

Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Stephanie Montgomery states “We must practice how we, as an institution and as a community, center diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging here and now. This will allow us to expand our knowledge so that we can lean into our awareness and courage." 

In order to continue the conversations started this week, Ms. Montgomery will meet with academic departments as well as operational departments to show how to create the safe spaces necessary for people to begin ongoing dialogues. Learning how to be intentional about giving attention to concepts such as implicit bias in each department meeting is a vital next step for growth and progress. 

Coming up, Ms. Montgomery will facilitate ongoing professional development, reconvene the DEI Task Force, and continue contributing her expertise in various committee meetings that focus on process, mission, vision, and strategy. Stay tuned for opportunities to connect with Ms. Montgomery and to be a part of the impact being made at Gould. 

Updates to the work we’re doing will be published in a variety of ways, including on our website at gouldacademy.org/DEIB
Celebrating Gould's Academic QuizBowl Team

Gould Academy’s Academic QuizBowl Team has qualified for the Small School National Academic Quiz Tournament to be held in Chicago from April 22-24. 

Advisor Mr. Adam Leff says "I am so proud of all our students who practice for these competitions on a weekly basis, who take pride in their academic achievements and are willing to test themselves against students from throughout the country."

In November’s virtual Fall Invitational, Gould had a great showing in a field of schools from throughout New England and amassed enough points to qualify for Nationals as one of the top 48 teams in the country.

Gould is one amongst 4 schools from the Northeast region (Pennsylvania to Maine) that have qualified. Our team will participate in two upcoming tournaments this winter to prepare, the Nationwide Novice Quiz Tournament on January 23rd as well as the MOQT (Maine Online Quiz Tournament) held on February 13th, then it's off to Chicago!! Learn more about the tournament here
Join members of the Gould teaching faculty each month on Wednesdays at 8:00 am EST for a Gould Family Coffee Chat on Zoom. The next one is January 19th. Dr. Brad Clarke will be available to answer any questions you may have. Register here
Weekend activities include board games and hot cocoa in Ordway, a floor hockey tournament, a French film, fly casting lessons, a trip to Luchador Tacos, spectating at a variety of athletic events in the area, and open field house sessions.

More details about the weekend activity schedule can be found on MyGould > Resources > Weekend Schedule. If you need help logging in to MyGould, reach out to your student’s advisor. Instructions to change your notification settings, and other information about how to use MyGould, can be found here
Seen On Social Media
In case you missed it: these exciting moments were shared online recently!
U16 athletes Charlotte Lambert '24 earned Gold and Andrew Hare '25 Bronze within their age class this weekend! The USSA GS Race was held Sunday (1/9/22) at our home mountain Sunday River ! Let’s go Huskies!
Emerson Sistare is in his first year but has already taken on many roles at Gould. He is a history teacher, head coach of the basketball team, and the head of Holden Hall. One senior-level elective he teaches is a course on The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien.

Soon this shimmering sheet of ice will be home to raucous games of pick-up pond hockey and spirited broomball battles. With any luck, the temps will be a bit higher than the balmy zero degrees we experienced today. ❄️ #GouldLife

Shout out to CFO Dave Willis for putting so much energy into making this rink happen for year number two, and thanks to Technology Director Jason Chase for catching Dave in action.
Phenomenal Nordic event this weekend as Gould hosted the Telstar Relays at Pine Hill. It was great to see so many people from the Bethel community come out to volunteer and make this race a huge success. The Gould first team took home the win and the second team placed fifth. Great day! Thank you to everyone who came out! #GouldLife 

Many more event pics on SmugMug here
Cold weekend for the mogul crew up at Sugarloaf! But Eva Contis '25 and Kristen Mailloux '26 earned 3rd place medals for their age group, with strong finishes overall. Taylor Lewis '21 won 2nd place overall both days!
There is a COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster walk-in clinic at Sunday River on Tuesday, January 18 from 10a - 2p, click here for complete information. No appointment is needed!