The presentation content from the Community Informational Session regarding the Winter Sports School’s transition to a Utah State Charter School in 2014 can be downloaded by clicking the link below. This content may be shared and distributed.
WSS Charter Informational Session Compressed
Friends of The Winter Sports School,
On Friday, April 5th, 2013, the Utah State Board of Education unanimously approved our application to become a Utah State Charter School in April of 2014. This approval represents an unprecedented opportunity for young winter sports athletes in public education in the history of the United States. We are tremendously grateful to all in the Utah State Office of Education who have helped us get to this point in the process.
But there is still much to do. We will be holding an informational meeting on Thursday, April 18th from 6 to 7pm in the second floor of the Day Lodge at the Utah Olympic Park in order to describe to all interested parties know how we arrived at this point, what we have yet to do, and how we intend to do it. Please join us if you can, bring all of your questions, and we’ll see you there!
The Winter Sports School’s board of trustees has named Dave Kaufman, currently serving as Assistant Head of School, as Head of School. Mr. Kaufman will be taking over for Rob Clayton, who recently accepted the position of Executive Director at the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation.
“The board members and the entire Winter Sports School community are grateful to Rob for his 11 years of leadership,” said Tim Gaylord, WSS Board Chair. “He has been very successful in growing the school, increasing its academic rigor, and refining its policies to best serve and educate young developing winter athletes. We now look to Dave to lead the school through the next phase of its evolution. He has the full support and commitment of the board.”
Part of that “next phase” is the completion of The Winter Sports School’s recent initiative to become a Charter School within the state of Utah. “We’ve cleared the first hurdle,” says Kaufman. “We’ve been recommended for approval by the Utah State Charter Board. We’re now working towards final approval by the Utah State Office of Education in early April, and then raising the funds necessary to build a new facility capable of meeting our anticipated growth as a tuition-free state school. If we, the state of Utah, and the Park City community come together to make those things happen, we’ll create an institution in the public interest the likes of which has never before been seen in The United States. I’m tremendously excited to be a part of that effort.”
Mr. Kaufman has been with the Winter Sports School for the past five years and brings to the role of Headmaster a wealth of knowledge and background in the school’s unique educational model, in business management, and in marketing. He was a marketing manager at Intel Corporation in Santa Clara, CA for ten years prior to moving to the Park City community in 2007. Dave and his wife Melinda have two children; Stephanie, age 11, and Tyler, age 8.
The Winter Sports School will begin its 20th year of classes on April 15th, 2013. “There are spots left for a few more students this year,” says Kaufman. “I’d encourage interested families with dedicated and driven high school winter athletes to apply or get in touch with me. They’ll have the opportunity to raise their athletic game, and we’ll prepare them very well for college. That’s our mission.”
The Winter Sports School in Park City first opened its doors in 1994, and provides a college preparatory academic program for grades 9 through 12. Classes are held mid-April through mid-November, giving its students time during the winter months to train and compete at the highest possible level in winter sports disciplines. Notable alums in athletics include Steven Holcomb ’97, Julia Mancuso ’00, Ted Ligety ’02, Andrew Weibrecht ’03, Bryan Fletcher ’04, Alex Schlopy ’09, and Sarah Hendrickson ’12. Recent graduates have matriculated at such institutions as Stanford University, Dartmouth College, Williams College, and Middlebury College, to name a few. More information about the school is available at www.wintersportsschool.org.
Dave with his two kids in February, 2013
Bryan Fletcher ’04 and his team powered themselves to a bronze medal finish at the FIS Nordic Combined Relay World Championships on February 24th. Please click here to read full coverage from our friends at Team USA.
Think we’re proud of Bryan and the rest of our WSS alums? Put it this way. In the last few weeks, the FIS World Championships have been held for all of the alpine and nordic skiing events. The United States won medals in a total of eight events. Winter Sports School alums won six of ‘em. Six World Championship medals. We are proud of them beyond words. Congrats to all!
Billy Demong, Todd Lodwick, Bryan Fletcher and Taylor Fletcher pose with their bronze medals at the medal ceremony for the Nordic combined team 4x5km at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships on Feb. 24, 2013.
Sarah Hendrickson ’12 is still recovering from last spring’s knee surgery, but she pulled out all the stops last week at the FIS Women’s Ski Jumping World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. In addition to last year’s overall World Cup title, and several World Cup podiums this year, she is now the third World Champion in the history of the sport. Kudos, Sarah! Way to go.
Please click here to read full coverage from our friends at U.S.A. Women’s Ski Jumping.
Ted Ligety ’02 just won his third gold medal of the 2013 FIS Alpine World Championships. He won the Super-G and Super-Combined earlier in the week, and then successfully defended his GS championship today. So in the last two years, he’s tied Bode Miller with four world championship gold medals overall, and he’s the first competitor in 45 years to rack up three gold medals in a single worlds. You can read more details here.
So… think we’re proud of this guy? 
As Askel Lund Svindal recently said, you’re the man, Ted. Good luck in the slalom on Sunday! (No pressure…)
Well, the 2013 FIS Super-G World Championship event is in the books. The United States won two medals — both by WSS alums! Julia Mancuso ’00 took the bronze for the women, and Ted Ligety ’02 took gold for the men. We’re two for two! You can read full coverage here at Powder Magazine. Congrats to Julia and Ted!!
Photos by Mitchell Gunn / ESPA
Please support the Winter Sports School as a part of Park City’s Live PC Give PC event on Friday, November 16th. We’re looking to double the funds raised during last year’s event, and every little bit helps! You can navigate to the WSS Live PC Give PC by clicking this link, and… by the way… you don’t need to wait until the 16th to donate. Many thanks in advance!
Many congratulations to Joss Christensen for his recent nomination to the U.S. National Freeskiing Pro Slopestyle Team. Joss joins his good friend and WSS classmate Alex Schlopy ’09 on the team, and together they are already looking forward to Sochi in 2014. Way to go, Joss!
Joss’s athlete profile page on the U.S. Freeskiing website can be found here.
C A S I N O
R O Y A L E
FUNDRAISER
Please Join us for an evening of GAMBLING and GAMES of CHANCE
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2012
7-10pm – The Legacy Lodge at Park City Mountain Resort
