Experience Gould...The Countdown to Giving Tuesday 2022

#1. Junior Four Point 🧭

“I learned that it’s not just about being the loudest or who takes charge first. It’s also about leading by example...It’s so much more than a camping trip, it is an experience we will never forget.” 

– Abbie DeMello ’23

Every March, Gould Eleventh-Graders venture into the woods of Maine and New Hampshire for the eight-night winter camping excursion known as Junior Four Point.

Leading up to the big day, lots of students are filled with anxiety about the trip. By design, there are a lot of unknowns. Who will be in their group? Who will their trip leaders be? Where will they go? How cold will it get?

Read the full story of Navigating Junior Four Point

#2. Ski & Snowboard Building ⛷ 🏂

Ski & Snowboard Building is quickly becoming one of the most popular classes at Gould. The high-performance center in the basement of Ordway features the new classroom and workshop, complete with a ski & snowboard press. More than 40 students have handmade their own skis and snowboards over the past few years, from tip to tail and start to finish. What would your design look like? 

#3. The Gould Outing Club 🧗

The Gould Outing Club is a co-curricular activity that does everything from paddling the Androscoggin River to learning Wilderness First Aid. The day we caught them they were out climbing rocks at Square Ledge in Pinkham Notch.

This was the first outing of its kind for a few of the students. Read their quotes below to see how transformative the experience was for them.

“I thought rock climbing was going to be hard and scary, but it ended up being really fun. My confidence level went through the roof when I slayed the first climb. The outing club group is really supportive.” - Bjorn ’27

“I was scared that I wasn’t going to be able to do it and it would be embarrassing. I ended up crushing it and learned a lot in the process.” - Maeve ’27

“I didn't think I’d make it up the climb...when I started I felt like I was struggling. People cheered me on which gave me a confidence boost and motivation.” - Liz ’27

#4. E-Bikes in the Marlon Family IDEAS Center ⚡🚲

Students in the Robotics and Engineering class are learning to build e-bikes. The hands-on learning, critical thinking, and collaboration that goes on in the IDEAS Center empower students to solve problems in creative ways, and it fosters entrepreneurship.

“I’ve learned so much. Mostly about the iterative process. When something doesn’t work, or the math doesn’t come out right, you just start over and try again. Also, learning how to use the tools: the laser cutter, the 3D printer. I feel like I can come down here now and create anything I want. It’s wide open.”

– Zach Garfield ’27

#5. Service Opportunities with Maine Refugees 🌎 📚

For the past 15 years or so, World Language Department Chair Adam Leff has been bringing Gould students to Maine Immigrant & Refugee Services in Lewiston, Maine to work one-on-one with adults and children from Somalia and Afghanistan. Mentoring in English and helping them along the pathway to citizenship and community engagement gives Gould students a deepened understanding of the world around them, and teaches them about cultures and communities beyond their own.

#6. Advisory Dish Duty! 🍽 🧽

Dish duty at Gould is a rite of passage. As you're cleaning up around the table with your family today, we hope you’ll give thanks to Gould for all the extraordinary opportunities we provide, even the ones that don't seem that extraordinary at the moment. 

“At Gould, all advisee groups take part in dish duty. This is a really great community moment...It grounds our students and they can do service for the school. It's just another piece of Gould life!”

– Director of Advising & Wellness Katie Stack

Happy Thanksgiving from Gould! 🦃

#7. Mountain Day ⛰ 🥾 🥪

“Mountain day is such an important tradition because it is something unique to Gould and a great way to connect with others in the community outside of school while releasing some academic stress!” – Fiona Keough ’25

Mountain Day is a cherished Gould tradition, and the entire community recognizes the grandeur and gravity of the day.

Read more on Mountain Day and see photos from Mountain Day 2022 here.

#8. U18 Alpine Training Camp in Austria ⛷ 🪂 🏔

“The farmer next door is taking his cows out for his daily morning walk as the sun breaks over the peaks, which means it’s time for our drive up to the mountain. I’m traveling with a group of alpine skiers and coaches from Gould in Austria, at Stubai glacier, on our annual training trip for the upcoming ski racing season.”

Alpine training trips are about much more than finding off-season snow. Enjoy this play-by-play look at Gould's recent U18 training trip to Austria by Hannah Smick ’23. Full story here. Photos by Gould fellow and ski coach Megan Ahearn.

#9. Earth Day at Gould 🌎 🌲

“Learning about the natural world—and not incidentally falling in love with it—is unavoidable at Gould. It’s not just a one-off, Earth Day thing. In a broad sense, and in almost too many ways to list, developing a deep connection with the environment is an irreducible component of Gould Academy.”

While there is a robust day of programming and a break from regular classes each year on Earth Day at Gould, we know that for our students to become stewards of the environment the lessons and outdoor education have to be both frequent and consistent.

Read the full story from Kim Siebert MacPhail ’73, P’07, T’92-09, and discover why at Gould we celebrate Earth Day Every Day.

#10. Ski Patrol ⛑

“There’s something about helping others and being involved in the behind-the-scenes at Sunday River that is exciting and makes me feel like a part of a community. From running the green pack with the oxygen tanks to cleaning off a snowy trail sign, every job is important.” - Chelsea Duclos ’23

The Ski Patrol program at Gould is one-of-a-kind. The only high school program recognized by the National Ski Patrol, Gould students train with seasoned Sunday River patrollers and have the opportunity to become “jacketed” ski patrollers themselves after 80+ hours of work and testing at the mountain.

#11. The Bethel Community Band 🎻 🎹 🎺

“The collaboration has been a huge success, the community members and the students really enjoy rehearsing together. They are learning a lot from each other.” – Jim McLaughlin, Head of Performing Arts at Gould

Earlier this year the Mahoosuc Community Band joined forces with Gould's Concert Band! The orchestra now rehearses weekly in the Gould band room, and Jim McLaughlin has taken on the role of conductor. They will hold performances in Gould’s Bingham Auditorium, the first of which will be the group’s Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 11 at 4:00 p.m.

“It's an opportunity to connect with people in Bethel that I wouldn't otherwise. They’re all very good musicians, so it’s also an opportunity to play really fun music. It has helped me better understand my instrument. It’s very gratifying.” – Nyla Scott ’24

#12. The Ninth Grade Ropes Course

Every fall Gould ninth graders leave their classes behind for a day to bond as a group at the high and low ropes course at Camp Kawanhee in Weld, Maine.

Watch the slideshow above to witness the joy students feel pushing their boundaries, trying new things, and learning to trust in each other. It's one of the first steps they take in forming an identity as a class at Gould Academy.

#13. Farm & Forest 🥞 🍁

The Farm & Forest program is in the process of building a timber frame sugar shack at the Gould barn. The post and beam structure is being built using traditional joinery techniques and wooden pegs. All of the lumber and beams for the project have been milled using hemlock and maple from the Gould property on Pine Hill. Pretty sweet!

Jackie Yang is a senior from Shenzhen China:

“It’s my first year [in] farm and forest, and I’m really enjoying doing this because I love building things. I’m used to working in the IDEAS Center, where it’s very precise work. There you do many iterations and start over as much as you want. This is bigger…the stakes are higher at the barn. You need to be really careful because one mistake will cost you.”

#14. Eighth Grade Science: Field Research 🦀

Recently eighth grade science students traveled to Harpswell neck on the coast of Maine for a field study on invasive crab species put forth by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

“Not only are hands-on experiences like this lab fun and engaging for students, but it’s also crucial for them to learn the skills for carrying out investigations, and then analyzing and interpreting the data they collect.”

– Eighth Grade Science Teacher Sarah Crockett

Get more of the story here, and see more stunning photos from the day here.

Over the next two weeks, we'll be counting down some of our favorite examples of experiential learning at Gould. Be sure to check in every day to follow the countdown and get a glimpse at what your gift will support!

Without further ado, we give you #15.

#15. Orientation Trips 🛶 🥾

“We all have that shared experience to reflect on. Looking back you’re like, ‘Wow, I got out of my comfort zone and survived. I thought this was going to be impossible, but I actually did it.’ It gives you a confidence boost going into the school year.” – Molly ’24

Visit the Gould website to read more about an intangible piece of Gould magic we call New Student Orientation, and see lots of photos from this year's trips here.