DECEMBER E-SPILLWAY NEWSLETTER |
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ANNOUNCING THE PODIUM PROJECT |
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Since the very beginning, CVA, the Sugarloaf Ski Club, and Sugarloaf have partnered to create ski and snowboard competition programs that provide young athletes with more than medals. They serve as an important platform to set and achieve ambitious goals, raise aspirations, and connect with athletes from around the world. Today that commitment deepens, and it is with great excitement that we announce the launching of The Podium Project.
The Podium Project is about “raising the bar” for student athletes by building the country’s best ski and snowboard training venue, right here at Sugarloaf. It takes two excellent training and racing trails, Narrow Gauge and Competition Hill, to the next level, by adding a high-speed surface lift and state-of-the art snowmaking.
CVA Head of School Kate Punderson shares, “Our community has been dreaming about this project for 30 years, and with the support of our partners, and the dedication of the CVA and Sugarloaf communities, I am confident the vision will now become a reality for current and future generations.”
The goal is for T-bar construction to begin in the spring of 2022, with the lift spinning by November 2022. At 1200’ length and 380’ vertical gain, the new T-bar will be located just above the Peavey Crosscut between Narrow Gauge and Comp Hill. Comp Hill will also be widened to accommodate more training space. Installing a high-speed T-bar will optimize athlete’s time on-snow and greatly improve training. Coupled with higher density snowmaking, and trail-widening, this will provide an ideal training environment for our student athletes.
In the words of CVA alumnus and US Ski Team Head Men’s Alpine Coach Forest Carey, “Simply put, we look for quality snow and quick turnaround time to maximize training. With a T-bar between Narrow Gauge and Comp Hill, Sugarloaf will have it all.”
The total project cost is estimated to be $1.6 million. To find out more about becoming a leadership level donor please contact:
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IN THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC NEWS |
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It’s that time of the year, pre-season training time. Pre-season training involves traveling to get more time on snow, practicing skills and drills, and gearing up for the competition season. But what does travel mean for student learning? How do our student-athletes balance a full day on the hill with the demands of being a student?
The answer is collaboration and communication between teachers, coaches, and students. And the way that we structure on-the-go learning at CVA is worth a shout out!
Since our students spend a considerable amount of time away from school, the ability to interact with them academically, from a distance, is crucial. Chromebooks and Google Classroom allow for a completely digital work flow between teachers and students. Teachers have two mirrored curriculums for in-person instruction and travel. The travel curriculum and assignments are posted to Google Classroom for the students to follow and complete, all online, so learning doesn't stop while they're away! Students interact through chatrooms for student-to-student conversations about projects. Teachers use video-based training modules to increase engagement. Interactive learning modules are also used as to make learning fun, and more connected, while on-the-go.
And when it comes to time-on-learning, it's a team effort. One coach is designated as the point of contact for each group of athletes. These coaches communicate to the teachers when assignments aren’t completed, or if a student is struggling. All coaches act as teachers on the road, holding study hours and facilitating tests. Teachers make themselves available to these coaches, as well as students for questions, even outside of normal teaching hours.
The level of forethought and collaboration that goes in to making sure our student-athletes are connected, while on the go, is truly a Big Dog community effort.
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Announcing the Trimester 1 Honor Roll |
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High Honors (All grades 90 (A) or above) |
Middle School
Ali Bruno, LuLu Cushman, Gabe Landry, Logan Macleod, Luise Rueter, Trenton Wadas
High School
Cameron Arner, Patrick Burns, Skye Folger David, Jack Egan, Eli Fournier, Adam Hamblet, Haley Hessinger, Sasha Jansujwicz, Charlie Koenig, Noah Koenig, Nattee McKenzie, Dory Michaud, Dahlia Saifee, Summer Saifee, Caleb Stefanakos, Maggie Swain, Luna de la Vega
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Honors (All grades 85 or above) |
Middle School
Derek Barbie, Kenadie Dickey, Carver Emory, Nick Klemperer, Lucia Littlefield, Ashlyn Poirier
High School
Josie Alexander, Mia Bruno, Abby Byers, Hoku Caroselli, Shire Cosby, Adin Freeman, Boden Gerry, Luca Graham, Drew Hooker, Chase Littlefield, Francois Meloni, Althea Noyes, Ruby Poland, Cassidy Strunk, Baran Tatlidede, Jack Velenchik
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ON THE SLOPES: ATHLETIC NEWS |
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First Day on the Hill at the Loaf! |
This past Monday, November 29th, marked the first day of on-snow training at Sugarloaf. The excitement was in the air. Our student-athletes got to experience being back on snow on their home turf! More trails will open this week, so stay tuned!
For more photos from opening day, go here.
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The Alpine team just got back from their pre-season training trip to Colorado (CO). For as warm as the temps were, the skiing was fantastic. Most athletes were able to ski thirteen days on snow, with excellent conditions. The terrain was ideal for this time of year. The overall work ethic, and approach, of all student-athletes was outstanding. |
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The coaches stressed the importance of developing strong, technical skiers, and how that is done by building on the basics. Drills, body position, turn shape, and free ski milage, were the focus of the trip. Focusing on these key, technical improvements helped the student-athletes realize the tweaks and changes they needed to make, to be more successful in the gates. |
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U12/U14 Academy and Weekend Program |
With several days of fresh snow, most of the mountain was well bumped up, so slalom skills like hop turns, pole touch, jumps, and synchronized pair skiing were a big focus. Skills such as lane changes, partner above & behind, parallel pairs, and coach signals, helped these student-athletes develop visual skills of looking ahead and skiing proactively to the conditions. |
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Celebrity Moments
The CVA Alpine team ran into some of the who’s who of the skiing world, while on their trip.
The U12/U14 Academy and Weekend Program student-athletes had a surprise visitor for dinner – US Ski Team speed skier, and CVA alumnus ‘13, Sam Morse. Sam shared some great stories of his recent successes. He also took time to answer questions and pose for pictures. The student-athletes left dinner feeling energized for more training. A Big Dog thanks goes out to Sam for making their day!
To see pictures of the crew with Sam Morse go here.
The U19 men’s team, while GS training at Copper Mountain, started the day loading the lift with Mikaela Shiffrin, getting to ski alongside her later that day. While free skiing at Loveland, the Swiss World Cup Men's team and other World Cup skiers were skiing the same trails and doing the same drills, alongside the U19 men. It was incredibly inspiring for our student-athletes to see World Cup skiers- Marco Odermatt, Loic Meillard, Justin Murisier, and Ester Ledecka (Czech Women's Team and Olympic Gold Medalist)- doing the same drills that our they were working on.
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From the U19 women hosting a pizza party to the U12/U14 Academy and Weekend Program student-athletes having a townhome dinner tour, sampling dishes at each of the 7 townhomes where the stayed, fun was had by all. A big part of CVA is the community spirit, and this was evident, even on the road.
Check out more photos from the CO trip here.
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Getting Ready for the Wilderness |
One of the things that the CVA Backcountry program prepares its athletes for is emergency situations. Each year, coaches train and certify backcountry student-athletes at the Wilderness First Aid level, with the SOLO Schools curriculum, so they can identify and treat first-aid incidents and create rescue or evacuation plans. The program teaches them the skills to work through an injury or illness in a remote setting. This year, the in-house training was hosted on November 13 and 14, and helped to prepare the group for ski travel later this winter.
For more information about the training go here.
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The CVA Ski Cross team was excited to take a few select members, who were ready to train a technical start that was built for the U.S snowboard cross team, to Copper, Colorado in November. They trained the start section, and pump track, that the U.S Snowboard Team, in conjunction with Copper Mountain, had completed just prior to their arrival to help train for the upcoming Olympics in Bejing.
All athletes staying locally continued to work with coach, Alex Tuttle, on some highly-productive dry land training. All student-athletes are preparing, and excited, to return to FIS racing and/or USASA racing this season.
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CVA full-time athlete, Boden Gerry '24, headed to Europe for pre-season training on the Pitztal Glacier. To start his first Nor-Am season Boden sought out track time and made it happen in Austria. He knocked off the rust quickly, and dialed in new skills on a very large and challenging boardercross course.
He held his own with his peers from all over the world.
Training for athletes at home has focused on revisiting, or introducing, fundamental drills and movement patterns and logging mileage. This sets the stage for a thoughtful transition to discipline-specific features and terrain later in the season.
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Our Alpine snowboard race athletes, Luca Graham '22, Sasha Jansujwicz '23, and Baran Tatlidede '23, are taking off to Steamboat Colorado in early December. There, they will collaborate with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club to make a competitive training environment. Then, they will compete in their first race of the season on December 11th.
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Freestyle Snowboard and Freeski |
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The CVA Freestyle Snowboard and Freeski teams are headed out to Copper Mountain, Colorado to chase large park features in mid-December.
The annual Winter Dew Tour 2021 snowboard and ski competition will be at Copper Mountain while the athletes are there training, and will feature the world’s best male and female skiers and snowboarders competing in individual halfpipe, slopestyle and para snowboard competitions. Our students will be able to observe events, between training, which will be a great learning, and motivating, experience for freestyle snowboarders.
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The CVA Freestyle Moguls student-athletes are headed to Winter Park, Colorado (CO) from December 4th - 22nd. While in CO, they will hone their skills for the competition season through mogul course training, natural mogul training, jump training, and freeskiing.
The U.S. Selections event, to qualify skiers to start in NorAm competitions and possible starts in U.S. World Cups, will run from December 16th -21st, featuring the top 75 male and female skiers in the Nation. Lance Dolan '22, Jack Egan '25, Chase Littlefield '24, Myles McKenzie '22, Dory Michaud '23, and Arden Velenchik '21, will compete. The rest of the team will cheer them on, and get a feel for what high-level mogul skiing is all about.
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CVA Weekend Program Starts Tomorrow!
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The first day of this year’s CVA Weekend Program is tomorrow, December 4th. With 280 athletes, it’s the greatest participation ever! The Weekend Programs offer competitive athletes, ages 7 to 19, an opportunity to train with a coach on weekends and vacation weeks from December to April. With exception of limited availability in the snowboard program, all Weekend Programs are currently full for the 2021/2022 season. We’re so excited to welcome the next season of competitive athletes to Sugarloaf!
For more information about the CVA Weekend Program go here.
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November Student of the Month Awards |
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Join us in giving a hand to these amazing kids! |
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Middle School Student of the Month |
Jamie is a diligent and conscientious student who shows focus and determination in all his classes. He consistently produces high quality work and is a pleasure to have in class. Congratulations, Jamie! |
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High School Student of the Month |
Dory consistently participates at a high-level in class, and is diligent when it comes to her homework. She recently became a peer tutor for biology, and is doing an amazing job! Great work, Dory! |
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High School Athlete of the Month |
Caleb is a workhorse when it comes to athletics. He pushed hard during physical testing, and shows determination in the gym and on the hill. He is also a hard-working team member, from cleaning up teammates' gear, to cleaning the house in CO. Thank you, Caleb, for your hard work! |
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Community Member of the Month |
Drew has taken a lot of the younger students under her wing, helping them acclimate to CVA. She is a role model, and students really look up to her. Drew is also making big contributions in the Environmental Club. We are grateful to have her in the CVA community. Nice job, Drew! |
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Food is Fuel- Learning Fueling Strategies |
Jessica LaRoche, a registered dietitian, and certified specialist in sports dietetics residing in Park City, Utah, serves as a consultant for CVA on diet and nutrition. Jessica has focused most of her career on athletics and nutrition, working as a dietician for US Speedskating, US track cycling, mountain and BMX biking, and triathlon, as well as the Women’s Tennis Association. In 2020, she began working with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard team.
Jessica’s intern, Keresna Hofmeyer, a graduate student in nutrition at the University of Utah., delivered Jessica’s presentation to our students on Tuesday, November 16th, discussing specific fueling strategies for ski and snowboard athletes. She focused on proper nutrition before, during, and after training and competition. She provided our student-athletes with examples of fueling meals and snacks, and when to eat them. She also discussed hydration and micronutrients of concern, specifically iron and calcium. The students asked many questions and left the presentation with a better understanding of how to nourish their bodies.
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WELLNESS FOR ALL: HEALTH NEWS |
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Mental health is important for everyone. And, thanks to our Peer Mentors, we experienced a fiery conclusion to an interactive mental health activity that was already popular on campus.
Last month, the peer mentors installed two boxes in the Academic Center- the "Worry Box" and the "Grateful Box". These simple boxes encouraged students to write down their worries, and what they're grateful for.
At the end of November, CVA held a campus bonfire to burn the Worry Box and celebrate letting go of the things that don't serve us.
The students gave a speech about the importance of mental health, and letting go of negativity. They celebrated the release of their worries with hot cocoa and snacks around the bonfire. It was a truly beautiful night.
Thank you, Peer Mentors, for the healing night, and the CVA community bonding.
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Mental Health Matters with Katie O'Hara |
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As competition season draws near, and travel intensifies for many of out student-athletes, Mental Health Advocate Katie O'Hara wanted to share the importance of managing stress and anxiety.
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CVA alum, Sam Morse ’13, has been selected for the US Ski and Snowboard Team. Please join us in extending congratulations to Sam!
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The CVA Alumni Association invites you to the 2022 CVA Alumni Après Ski Reunion on January 1, 2022 at 3:00 p.m ET at the Bill and Joan Alfond Competition Center and via Zoom.
Help us kick off CVA's 40th year celebration! Reconnect with old friends near and far, and make new Big Dog connections around the globe. We'll have virtual breakout groups as well as an in-person event.
For more information, contact: Melissa Fogg at mfogg@gocva.com or 207-237-4505.
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YOUR SUPPORT IS EVERYTHING TO CVA |
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A Big Dog "Thank You!" for Your Support |
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Giving Tuesday- Together We Gave |
You've made an impact! Because of your generosity, we are able to improve our programming at CVA, and offer scholarships to student-athletes. You allow us to continue to provide exceptional classroom instruction and offer a world-class winter sports experience to students who want to pursue their dreams with us. Thank you, for all that you do, and for the support that you gave this past Tuesday! |
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A Note from the Parent Support Organization |
Thank you to everyone who supported the 2021 CVA Parent Support Organization’s Wreath Sale. A total of 549 wreaths were sold, a record number that passed the goal! Special thanks to Jodi Polchies for leading the effort this year; her energy behind the scenes was fantastic. She and the PSO coordinated volunteers, promoted the sale on social media, collected orders, and picked up wreaths at the plant. Thank you to the volunteers and student-athletes who will deliver the wreaths locally this weekend.
If you missed your chance to purchase a wreath during the sale, don't fret. Wreaths will be available for purchase at Mountainside Grocers and The Rack this weekend, while inventory is available.
See the Parent Support Organization page here for more events and information.
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CVA ornaments now available. |
It's that time of the year. The time when we start adorning our trees. Looking for an ornament for your tree, or to give as a gift? CVA ornaments are on sale now!
Cost: $10 each
Proceeds benefit the CVA Scholarship Fund.
Purchase options:
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Online at gocva.com/parents.
- CVA Capricorn Building on Rt 27 Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm
Limited quantities available. Sale ends when sold out. Sorry, shipping not available.
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Make Your Year-end Annual Fund Gift Today |
Carrabassett Valley Academy was founded on the belief that commitment and passion to academics and athletics can fuel childhood dreams, and turn them into reality. Because of your support every student-athlete who comes to CVA with a big dream will have the opportunity to chase it. Thank you for your year-end Annual Fund gift. |
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2022 CVA Scholarship Bash |
The CVA Scholarship Bash is just around the corner! Stay tuned for raffle ticket sales. This year’s event will be hybrid, virtual and in-person, held on February 26th at the Competition Center.
Only 500 raffle tickets will be sold, for a chance to win $10,000. Raffle tickets support the CVA Scholarship Fund. Those who purchase raffle tickets are also eligible to purchase an in-person event ticket, at $50 each. Only 150 in-person event tickets will be available.
Please contact Melissa Fogg if you’d like to get involved with the event by becoming a sponsor, donating to the auction, selling tickets, joining a committee, or by raising your paddle from away.
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Amazon Smile
t’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:
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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!
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Can we ask one small favor? |
CVA is on Niche, a website that helps families decide which school is best for them – and it’s a site solely built on reviews.
No one knows – and loves – CVA like you do. Do you mind sharing your unique experience and insight on Niche with other families looking to make this important choice? You can do so directly, right here.
Just a few minutes of your time will have a huge positive impact on the future of CVA, and we’re so appreciative of your help. Thank YOU for being the most important part of our CVA story!
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3197 Carrabassett Drive
Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
Phone: (207) 237-2250
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