By Peyton Hicks

Based in Montpelier, Vermont, the New School provides a specialized education to 28 young individuals with disabilities. The school is a member of the National Association of Private Special Education and arranges both indoor and outdoor learning opportunities for any enrolled student. A fan favorite amongst the group: skiing and snowboarding. 

On Fridays, these 28 ambitious students peruse the slopes of Bolton Valley with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. The passion of skiing and riding shines through the eyes of all of these athletes, as they spend all day on the hill learning to their full potential. 

Jasmine Wells is a volunteer at Vermont Adaptive’s Bolton Valley location and also is the Special Programs teacher at the New School. She shared her wisdom and values about the community on and off the slopes. 

“The previous teacher retired, but he loved skiing and wanted to see our students out here learning and enjoying the sport he loves so much, “ said Wells. “He started this whole thing. He retired this past year, so I stepped in and wanted to keep this going.” 

The school works closely with Vermont Adaptive and provides individualized lessons for every student. For students with forms of Autism, the athlete is tethered by an instructor, while following another instructor. The athlete has a different color duct tape on each arm to signify what leg they should put each hand on. The individual listens for color signals to switch arms on each leg, which then naturally shifts pressure between each ski. 

The New School has a 3:1 student to teacher ratio for kids in grades 4 through 12. The curriculum is designed to provide unique learning experiences and challenges to promote, “…independence, communication, social/emotional skills and academic growth, all within a culture of safety and belonging” (NSM). The school is available for enrollment for students with any disability category or health impairment, Speech or Language Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Intellectual Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emotional Disturbance, Developmental Delay, Multiple Disabilities, and Traumatic Brain Injury. 

There are three different learning groups; ‘Bridge’, ‘Radio Flyers’, and ‘Summit’, which allows the learning gaps between the grades to become more inclusive and more community-based. The New School provides not only a sense of community, but also highly engaged and successful learning experiences for everyone, and everyBODY.