The Academy school year is punctuated by a number of special community days and traditions, most dating back to the school’s earliest years. We hope you enjoy learning a little about the celebrations and fun that make our Academy world go round! 

Community Suppers

Each year, The Academy signs up to help serve community suppers at Trinity Church in Shelburne Falls. These provide a free hot meal to anyone in the community and are the only such suppers in the west county area. Each team signs up to serve a few meals and each member of the team is expected to attend at least one of the suppers over the course of the year, armed with salad fixings and dessert offerings. The Academy provides transportation to community suppers, departing campus at 3:45 PM, with pick up at 6:30 PM. 

Rafting Day

Each September, the school spends a day with Zoar Outdoor rafting down the Deerfield River. Students receive information in advance about what to wear and bring. Rafting Day takes place in teams as a beginning-of-the-year bonding opportunity, and ‘dry boats’ are available to community members not wishing to partake in water-fighting activities! 

Mountain Day 

Mountain Day is an Academy tradition with a moveable (and secret) celebration date each year. During the evening before Mountain Day, students will receive a notification that the next day’s classes and athletics are suspended so that the entire school can climb Mt. Greylock together instead. Layered

clothing, a water bottle, sensible hiking shoes/boots, and a bag lunch are the provisions needed for the day. Students will climb the mountain in small groups, generally by class, supervised by a staff member. The seniors, as usual, help make the day a success for all participants. If a student has an injury or medical condition that would preclude hiking up a mountain, driving to the top with a staff member is an available option. 

Polyglot

Polyglot, so called because of our tradition of singing seasonal songs in many different languages, is The Academy’s annual winter holiday celebration. It includes students scurrying around the campus following clues left for them by their Secret Santa/Snowfriend/Salamander (seniors choose the moniker for the year), sitting down to a big turkey dinner, to which all students contribute, gleefully singing holiday and winter songs together, and preparing for winter vacation. Polyglot is also a day when recent alumni/ae of the school are apt to drop by and reconnect with their former teachers and schoolmates.

Arts Celebrations

Twice yearly, near the end of our fall and spring semesters, our community gathers at a local performance for an evening student concert and visual art showcase to enjoy the fruits of our Studio Block program and foundational art courses. Members of our extended community and the public are invited to attend, and performing students are shuttled to the venue the afternoon prior for a concert rehearsal. 

Grandparents & Family Friends Day

This special day is an annual, cherished opportunity to welcome loved ones to campus for a glimpse of Academy life. The day’s activities typically include a welcome assembly and brief musical performance, the chance for guests to attend classes with their Academy students, an extra-tasty luncheon, and (for grandparents and family friends only) an afternoon high tea with our Co-Heads of School. Our Advancement team shares information on registering guests to attend well in advance of this event. 

Class Trips

When circumstances allow, a highlight for many students is overnight, curriculum-based trips with their grade. More information about these trips, which traditionally take place in the spring, is shared during the year. While excursions vary from year to year, examples of past and frequent trips for each grade level include:

• • 6th & 7th grades: Local camping trip and explorations of the Deerfield and Connecticut River watershed area, reinforcing our Climate Connections curriculum.
  • 8th grade: An exploration of justice and democracy in the New England area, often involving excursions in the Boston area and/or Berkshires. 
  • 9th grade: Marine biology activities on Nantucket Island, in collaboration with the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) and other island institutions. 
• • 10th grade: Modern world history-oriented activities in New York City, including visits to the United Nations, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, MoMA, Chinatown, Little Italy, and other sites. 
  • 11th grade: Recent destinations have included the Boston area and Hudson Valley, NY, with an emphasis on supplementing the junior year American Studies curricula. 
  • 12th grade: A long-standing Academy tradition, seniors retreat to Martha’s Vineyard to reflect and recharge together in their final month as Academy students. Past trips have included beach time, wandering in Edgartown, fishing, clamming, swimming (brrr!), potluck dinners, and recently, community service for the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe. 

Community Service Day

Community Service Day is an opportunity for Aardvarks to divide and conquer in teams, bringing community service efforts to local schools, non-profit farms, senior centers, and other organizations. Traverse the Hilltowns on this Friday in May, and you may just spot us out and about in our matching Community Service Day t-shirts, always designed by an Academy student! 

 

Fling in the Spring

A more recent addition to Academy traditions, fondly named Fling in the Spring, is our field day. Students spend time with their teams (much as they do for Rafting Day), participating in various activities, and enjoy a Roman Banquet (in toga attire) at lunch.

 

 

Commencement

A deeply important end to each school year is our awards ceremony (which is relevant to all grade levels), our recognition of our 8th grade cohort as they transition into high school, and of course, awarding diplomas to our graduating class and hearing their final remarks to their community. Commencement occurs on a weekend day in early June. Similarly to Polyglot, potluck food contributions are assigned to specific grades to supply the reception that follows the ceremony. Attendance at Commencement is mandatory for students, and all families are encouraged to attend.

 

 

Special events for parents, Alumni, and/or other 18+ Academy community members include:

• • Our New Parent/Guardian Reception, which coincides with our New Faces Dance on a Friday in September. While students tear it up on the dance floor, this evening offers a festive night out for new parents, a chance to get to know one another and Academy staff, and enjoy food and beverage at a local establishment of our choosing. 
  • Our Cornucopia Auction, The Academy’s largest fundraiser! This evening in November celebrates the valley’s bounty with an offering of fine locally made art, jewelry, and crafts, artisan farm products, services, memberships, vacation getaways, and more. Locally inspired and produced food and beverages are served.
  • Our Alumni Happy Hour, an opportunity to reconnect during the holiday homecoming season in December! Typically a few days before Christmas, this event is open to Academy alumni and their partners and family members, with food, beverage, and plenty of reminiscing about Academy lives past and opportunities to hear updates on current life on campus!