Academics

Academics at The Winter Sports School are rigorous. Our primary academic goal is to prepare students for college, and we make every attempt to instill in each student a driving curiosity and life-long love of learning.

The Winter Sports School is fully accredited by Cognia/AdvancED.

Our students are held to high academic standards and supported appropriately throughout their academic journies, such that they not only acquire foundational knowledge and skills to prepare for college but also the critical competencies and habits of mind that ensure personal growth and their highest level of achievement in school and in life.

Download the 2023 Academic Calendar

Academic Calendar

Winter Sports School students start their academic year in April in order to complete the academic year in November. This innovative schedule provides an uncompromised academic experience while allowing the winter sports athlete to pursue the rigorous travel and training required to compete at the national and international level.

2023 Academic Calendar

    SPRING SEMESTER - Q1
  • APRIL 17 - MAY 19
    • SPRING CONFERENCES
  • MAY 19
    • HOLIDAY - NO SCHOOL
  • MAY 29 (MEMORIAL DAY)
    • SPRING SEMESTER - Q2
  • MAY 22 - JUNE 23
    • VACATION
  • JUNE 26 - JULY 3
    • SUMMER SEMESTER - Q3
  • JULY 5 - AUGUST 11
    • SUMMER SEMESTER - Q4
  • AUGUST 11 - SEPTEMBER 1
    • SUMMER CONFERENCES
  • AUGUST 11
    • VACATION
  • SEPTEMBER 4-8
    • FALL SEMESTER - Q5
  • SEPTEMBER 11 - OCTOBER 18
    • VACATION
  • OCTOBER 19-20
    • FALL SEMESTER - Q6
  • OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 17
    • LAST DAY OF SCHOOL/GRADUATION
  • NOVEMBER 17

Curriculum

The Winter Sports School curriculum is rigorous and falls within a compressed academic calendar. Areas of instruction are held to the core requirements for Utah high school graduation and for college admissions: English, Math, Science, Foreign Language, Social Studies, Health, Art, and CTE(Career and Technical Education). Physical Education credits and progress towards the Winter Sports School’s graduation requirements are earned by virtue of the hours our athletes spend training and competing with the teams and coaches of their choice; an eligible coach or athletic director must sign off on those hours.

Honors coursework is available in English, Foreign Language, Social Studies, Math, and Science. In order to receive the honors designation, a student must be invited to participate in honors-level work by the teacher and must complete a research-based project in addition to the college preparatory curriculum of that particular course.

Students who earn ten or more credits in honors coursework and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above are eligible to receive a WSS Honors Diploma and will be recognized at graduation.

Utah Statewide Online Education Program: For information regarding Utah’s Statewide Online Education Program,
please visit: The Utah State Board of Education Online Program

View the current Winter Sports School Course Catalog

Faculty and Staff

The Winter Sports School in Park City provides an educational opportunity that is unparalleled anywhere in the world. Our schedule allows student athletes to focus all of their attention on academics when they are in school and on their chosen sport when the season is underway.

BFA Art, Brigham Young University MFA Art, University of Utah
Eric Christiansen
ART
BA English Lit. & Cultural Anthropology, CSU Fullerton M.Ed Secondary Education, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Alison Moore
ENGLISH | SOCIAL STUDIES
BS Education, Northern Illinois University MA Mathematics Education, DePaul University
Maureen Bickner
MATH
BS Mathematics  - Michigan State University
Alex Burlacu
MATH | SCIENCE
BS  - Biomedical Engineering Duke University M.Ed  - Secondary Education Texas Christian University
Mary Carlson
MATH
Rosie Hanek BA - International Studies - Latin America University of Oregon BA - Spanish University of Utah
Rosie Hanek
SOCIAL STUDIES | SPANISH
AB History, Middlebury College MA History, U. of Mass. M.Ed, Plymouth State U. Psych.Ed, Rivier College
Scott Hendrickson
COLLEGE COUNSELOR|CTE|SOCIAL STUDIES
BA - English Wells College, Aurora NY MA - British & American Literature University of Utah  
Tess Miner Farra
HEAD OF SCHOOL
BA - Psychology San Diego State University MS - School Counseling National University
Rebecca Turco
DIR of GUIDANCE
BA - Theology & Ethics Boston College
Molly Sugrue
Social Studies | Service Learning Coordinator
BA - Art History and Business Florida State University
Megan Altman
DIR of OPERATIONS
Stephanie Carter BA - English Western Washington University BA - Secondary Education Western Washington University MA - Education/Curriculum & Instruction Grand Canyon University
Stephanie Carter
DIR of COLLEGE COUNSELING
Allison Jaycox Coffman BA - Biology Iowa State University, MA - Science Education Iowa State University.  
Allison Jaycox Coffman
Science
Joy Walden
US GOVERNMENT | SPANISH AIDE
Jessie Levesque
ENGLISH | DIR OF CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
Jeremy Jakob
MATH

Our school dogs

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Sheriff
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Pig
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Oso
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Brutus

College Counseling

The Winter Sports School takes great care in guiding each student and his/her parents through the college preparation and application process. Our counseling process encompasses grades 9 through 12, but intensifies during Junior and Senior years, during which each student and his/her parents have the opportunity to meet with our staff counselor regularly to ensure a smooth process and fully informed choices. We take great pride in finding the ideal higher education match for each of our graduates.

Please read through our College Counseling Four-Year Plan for more details.

download
college counseling
four-year plan
ACT & SAT Dates

park city, Utah

The Winter Sports School is situated in what is arguably the most conveniently accessible mountain locale in the United States. We’re 3 miles off of I-80; about 20 miles from the eastern edge of Salt Lake City and about 35 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport. Our location is:

4251 Shadow Mountain Dr.

Park City, UT 84098

435.649.8760

Get Directions