On October 29th, Carrabassett Valley Academy welcomed 35 new and returning Winter Term Big Dogs to campus. The students spent the morning moving into the residence halls, taking care of administrative tasks, meeting with their coaches, and becoming better acquainted with the CVA community.

CVA prides itself in being a community that is bound together by four core values: kindness, respect, commitment, and gratitude. Each registration day, the Big Dogs are led through a gratitude exercise – to write down what they are thankful for, to remember the CVA experience and this first day of the Winter Term, with gratitude. Some students are then selected to share their notes with the rest of the CVA community during the Gratitude Ceremony.

Dr. Joel Wong, a professor of counseling psychology at Indiana University’s School of Education said, “The act of writing [notes of gratitude] slows down our thinking process and allows us to ponder more deliberately. By writing, we retain a permanent record of our blessings; we can return to our gratitude… months or years later to recall what we were grateful for.”

After enjoying a special luncheon in the Capricorn with family, friends, teachers, and coaches, the newly arrived Big Dogs spent the afternoon participating in fun bonding activities that included blind-folded tent assembly and other activities.

Each fresh, Maine balsam wreath is made locally. Proceeds from the sale support educational, cultural, and athletic projects at CVA. 

Please share this event with your friends and family via email, text, Facebook and Instagram.

The Big Dog Community would like to congratulate Jeff Rosenberg on his induction into the Maine Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame.

Jeff was one of the first coaches at Carrabassett Valley Academy, and a great friend to the Academy for many years. Most recently, he has played a crucial role, acting as a liaison between CVA and Sugarloaf Mountain on multiple collaborative projects. He has been instrumental to the success of CVA and we are excited he received this honor. Thank you Berger!

The safety and wellness of the Big Dog community is of the utmost importance at CVA. That's why CVA employees maintain certifications in adult and pediatric First Aid, CPR, AED, and Stop-the-Bleed training, among others.

Recently CVA Athletic Trainer, Tristy Wolfe, led an American Red Cross First Aid and CPR Certification Class for coaches, teachers, and staff on campus.

Congratulations to the CVA Student Spotlight award winners for October! Each month CVA teachers and staff nominate students who exemplify what being a Big Dog is all about in each of the three foundational pillars of our mission - academics, athletics, and community.

Thank you to D'Ellies Bakery & Deli for sponsoring our Student Spotlight award recipients. Each month D'Ellies provides gift certificates to our winners and displays their photos proudly on their wall.

Lily is a highly motivated and meticulous student, electing to take honors-level classes and putting in the effort to achieve stellar grades. She always puts forth her best effort, pushes through on difficult content, and consistently does well in her classes. Well done, Lily!

Caleb has shown a true commitment to his dryland training this year. He’s been working hard to improve, getting stronger, and maintaining a positive attitude. This fall he was the overall winner of CVA’s SkillsQuest Fitness Test, a result of his dedication to training. Keep up the good work, Caleb!

Conor exemplifies what being a Big Dog is all about. He is always ready to lend a helping hand whether it’s assisting staff members, helping to clean up, or jumping on dish duty even when it is not his turn. He is kind to others and honest, and takes personal responsibility. Way to be, Conor!

Who doesn't love a movie? Students at CVA can now learn about history through film. Humanities teacher Mel Graham began offering the elective "Lens on History: Exploring the Power of Narrative" this year, where students learn the skills to mindfully view, rather than watch, films. Using movies as their springboard, the class this fall has considered the role Elvis and Eminem played in introducing African-American culture into mainstream discourse, gained an understanding of the 2008 subprime lending collapse, and discovered how the Oakland A's helped change sports recruiting.

"We define our future through the stories we tell about our past," says Graham, "and from social media to Netflix, visual storytelling has become the preferred vehicle of content delivery. For better and worse, we can't look away from the screen."

Designed for flexibility and student input, the class combines student-led discussion with Socratic analysis to interrogate the narratives that frame our understanding of current and past history. Using the Netflix series Fauda, for instance, the class tapped into the complexity of the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. In another unit, Band of Brothers raised many issues central to the CVA experience, such as leadership and camaraderie, while chronicling, in riveting detail, the sacrifices of the greatest generation.

"The possibilities for units are endless," adds Graham, "and the format works well for the athletes at camps and competitions." His favorite assignment this year featured students discussing a film remotely and sending him the video of the discussion with the notes they took. "It's exciting to hear the engagement the kids offer when they've taken ownership of the process."

"Lens on History" offers a chance for CVA students to discover the world of ideas through a medium that they already love in an entertaining, engaging, and thought provoking way. Hit the lights and roll the film!

About the Teacher: Mel Graham earned a Master's degree in Writing and English from DePaul University and Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English, respectively. He began teaching over 25 years ago in his home city of Chicago, and has worked in private schools in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Korea. Mel was recently invited to present at the Maine Council for English Language Arts conference this spring in Portland. His presentation is called "Creating a Mindful Learning Community Using Mobile Technology and Visual Narratives." 

CVA photography students recently headed out to the streets of Portland as part of their street photography unit, capturing some truly amazing images.

Life is fast-paced, and everyone needs a brain break sometimes. Crafting can provide a great way to relax and refocus.

The new Crafting Club at CVA provides students with multiple creative outlets, including jewelry making (friendship bracelets, hemp projects, bead jewelry), cross stitching, rock painting, and more. Projects are student-driven which allows students to teach a class, learn from each other, and have fun while expressing their creativity.

CVA students, teachers, coaches, and staff got into the Halloween Spirit, with a costume contest, pumpkin carving, and of course, lots of treats.

As a U.S. Ski and Snowboard High Performance Center, CVA student-athletes participate in two days of physical and mobility testing each year. This SkillsQuest Fitness Assessment is a great way to learn about an athlete’s strengths and opportunities, and helps coaches and trainers develop appropriate goals for each athlete.

Congratulations to this year's Fall Physical Testing Top Dogs:

Women:

1st: Lily-Jane Sparkes '25, Alpine U19

2nd: Mia Bruno '25, Alpine U19

3rd: Abby Manson '26, Alpine U16

Men: 

1st: Caleb Stefanakos '24, Alpine U19

2nd: Chase Littlefield '24, Freestyle

3rd: Will Trudeau '24, Alpine U19

While we wait for Sugarloaf Mountain to get dressed in her winter white, CVA student-athletes have packed up their gear and their schoolwork and are hitting the road to destinations near and far this fall, in preparation for the upcoming competitive season. 

The Moguls team has been in Idre Fjäll, Sweden to take advantage of the cold temperatures and good conditions to train on their top-to-bottom FIS mogul course. The older Freeski, Snowboard Cross, and Ski Cross athletes are in Austria training at Pitzal, Stubai and Hintertux, while the younger athletes take off to Big Snow American Dream in New Jersey for indoor on-snow training.

The Alpine Big Dogs are on their annual training trip at Arapahoe Basin and Loveland, Colorado and the Backcountry team is on their annual fall trip south to Virginia for some camping, hiking, and climbing. New skills will be learned, on-snow progression will be attained, classwork will be completed, and memories to last a lifetime will be made.

Each month we'll spotlight some of our CVA coaching teams at the Academy. Our coaches work hard to support the athletic dreams of our Big Dogs and we are so proud of them.

The CVA Ski Cross coaching team consists of Head Coach, Michael Phelan, and Brighton Bradford '21, Assistant Coach.

Michael is considered one of the top coaches in the U.S., preparing student-athletes to compete at their best on the national and international stage. He coached the CVA Weekend Program Ski Cross for three seasons before joining the Academy in 2018. His wealth of experience and his commitment to the sport has cultivated one of the most successful youth ski cross training programs in the country.

Brighton attended CVA from Winter Term in the 7th grade through her graduation in the spring of 2021. During her time as a competitive Ski Cross racer she won USASA Nationals in 2019 and 2021. Additionally, she qualified for Junior World Championships in 2020 and 2021, as well as earning enough points to compete at the World Cup level, though she was unable to due to the COVID pandemic. Brighton knows what it's like to be in a CVA student-athlete's shoes, balancing fun and responsibilities, trying your best both on and off the hill, and harnessing the power of speed under control. This is her second year coaching at CVA.

The CVA Snowboard coaching team includes Snowboard Program Manager, Frederick "Freddy" McCarthy '12; Ben Elliot, Snowboard Park Head Coach; Michael "Goldy" Goldschmidt, Development Snowboard Coach; and Chuck Gerry, Snowboard Cross Coach.

Freddy was a dominant SBX racer, earning Junior Worlds nods and a World Cup Start. A well-rounded rider, he won multiple USCSA titles in multiple snowboard disciplines while attending Sierra Nevada College in Tahoe. He has over 14 years experience as a Head Snowboard Coach.

Ben was a Burton Team rider and a member of the Analog and Dragon regional programs, filming, competing, and riding everything from Big Mountain to downtown city streets from Utah to Oregon. Having a full spectrum knowledge of the sport with a focus on Freestyle, Ben works to cultivate a positive environment for our snowboard athletes to reach their best performance.

A graduate of Stratton Mountain School in Vermont, Goldy was named to the US Snowboard Team in his sophomore year. His resume includes a third place finish in the World Cup in Torino in 2005, first place finishes at the Killington Grand Prix in 2007 and the NorAm Cup in 2009, and many other World Cup and FIS Junior World Championship top finishes in Halfpipe, Big Air, Slopestyle, and Snowboardcross. He competed in the X-Games in 2005, 2006, and 2007, placing 7th, 11th, and 7th respectively, and also competed at World Cups, The U.S. Open, World Superpipe Championships, and Junior Worlds during his career. He joined CVA in 2016 and currently serves as the Snowboard Development Coach.

Chuck started snowboarding in 1989 and has been involved with competitive snowboard racing for many years, either coaching, racing, waxing, and as a board member for USASA. You can usually find him in the wax room honing his tuning skills.

Last month we shared the exciting news about our Big Dog athletes named to Team USA for the 2024 Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea. Check out this great article in the Franklin Journal that includes a Q&A with a few of the athletes.

Please consider making a gift to CVA on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 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:

1. Online at gocva.com/give
2. Venmo: @CarrabassettValleyAcademy
3. Paypal: paypal.me/gocva
4. Mail a check payable to: CVA Annual Fund, 3197 Carrabassett Drive, Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
5. 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.

When: Saturday, February 24, 2024

Time: 7PM - 9PM

Where: Bill & Joan Alfond Competition Center

More details coming soon.

Ways to Get Involved:

Buy a Raffle Ticket

Attend the Event

Donate an Auction Item

Sponsor the Event

Raise your Paddle

Volunteer for the Bash Committee

For more information, please contact Melissa Fogg at (207) 237-4505 or mfogg@gocva.com. 

CVA alum, Sam Morse '13, recently shared his intricate process of breaking in new speed skis and transforming them into high-speed marvels in an article published in Ski Racing Media.

Carrabassett Valley Academy has an immediate opening for a Business Manager. This position is responsible for overseeing the Academy’s financial management, accounting procedures, and human resources, with the goal of operating the school in an effective and efficient manner. This is a full-time, year-round position. Visit www.gocva.com/jobs for more information. All interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to Kate Punderson, Head of School at kpunderson@gocva.com.

Save the date! There will be a short meeting on December 2, 2023 at 4 p.m. to recap last year and elect new Directors & Officers. A social with refreshments will follow in the Gondola Room of the Bill & Joan Alfond Competition Center.

Don't forget to renew your membership to the Sugarloaf Ski Club! The mission of the Sugarloaf Ski Club is to provide the opportunity for all youth to participate and excel in skiing and snowboarding, promote community building events, support competition, and preserve the history and heritage of the mountain. To become a member, or to renew your membership, click on the link below.