Student Life – Gutenberg
Student Life
A Robust Student Life Program
We believe in cultivating community.
Athletics
Middle and Upper School students enjoy the opportunity to participate in the wide array of athletics offered by the Teton County School District. These include a rich array of both team and individual sports. Mountain Academy also partners with Alpine and Nordic competition organizations -JHSC and TVSEF – on both sides of Teton Pass to support winter athletes in their pursuit of snow sport endeavors.
After School Programs
After an academically demanding day at school, Mountain Academy’s after-school activities offer plenty of time for friends, fun, and relaxation in an engaging environment designed to help children learn and grow. Students are given the opportunity to deepen their already-existing passions while also trying out new experiences to discover what sparks inspiration. Some recent offerings include drama, Lego engineering, and robotics.
Daily Meetings and Activities
Community Meetings
Community Meetings are a time for the campus community to come together to collaborate, celebrate success, solve problems, practice mindfulness, and sing. We gather once a month on each campus and once a month as a full school community, providing ample opportunities for student leadership, reflection, and community building.
Closing Circle
Mountain Academy’s day ends with a closing circle within each division to share about our day, ourselves, and each other. These circles include an element of sharing gratitude for ourselves, each other, and our place.
Morning Meetings
Morning Meetings and Daily Practice are community-building activities that bring students together to incorporate mindfulness and character-building practices within the school day. Teachers lead students in various activities, such as taking a mindful moment to recenter, expressing gratitude, noticing the natural world around them, or simply sharing some light-hearted goofiness.
Student Leadership
Student Leadership on both Mountain Academy campuses is an opportunity for students to engage in the democratic process. Through a robust nomination process, students are able to declare candidacy for a variety of leadership offices. After elections are held and a cabinet is seated, opportunities are presented for any student in our community to come and engage in student leadership. This group of students takes charge of planning events, making decisions regarding school policy, and representing the will of the entire student body.
Hands to Work
Hands to Work is a period near the end of every school day when students across the campuses participate in cleaning and organizational duties. Students gain independence and responsibilities through these activities. Faculty also perform Hands to Work duties, modeling community care for their student teams.
Family Groups
Family groups value the experience of students engaging in both older and younger sibling relationships. We build family closeness with these groups by providing opportunities for competition, collaborative artistic expression, challenge task completion, and a variety of other activities designed to help students build memories.
Dining Program
Mountain Academy serves lunch five days a week in our Dining Lodge on the Jackson Campus.This midday break from academics is an opportunity to come together and strengthen relationships. We are intentional about providing students with coaching on making strong decisions about nutrition as well as about the way we interact with each other in large-group social settings.
Transportation
Mountain Academy is committed to supporting the transportation needs of its students. While some students are driven to and from school by car, there are many students who ride the START bus and the Mountain Academy bus to school each day. Our families enjoy access to an online family directory that enables them to identify other MA families for the purpose of carpooling.
About the Campuses
Jackson Campus
The Mountain Academy Jackson Campus is situated on 900 acres on the main campus of Teton Science Schools. The school is nestled in Coyote Canyon, providing ample opportunities for students to use the outdoors as a classroom. Students on the Jackson Campus start each morning with a quarter-mile walk up the canyon to their classrooms and spend a significant part of the day outside.
Teton Valley Campus
The Mountain Academy Teton Valley Campus is located just a few blocks from Main Street in downtown Victor, Idaho. The 10-acre campus includes houses for different grade levels, outdoor space, a library yurt, and space for the farm and garden program. Students spend a significant amount of time outside in the play yard, which is specifically designed for open-ended play.