The Lower School community celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with songs, poetry, and powerful lessons about courage, American history, and our hopes and dreams for a better world.

Read the New York Times story about Gary Coover '00's company, Modify Watches, contracting with Riley Gibson '04's company, Napkin Labs, to turn Facebook followers into online communities and focus groups. Catlin Gabel connects!

Carl's poetry collection, Curses and Wishes (Louisiana State University Press), has been recognized by Literary Arts' annual book award in the Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry category. Winners will be announced April 23.

Carl already won the Walt Whitman Award, one of the most prestigious poetry prizes in the country, for Curses and Wishes.

Link to June Oregonian article about Carl

Carefully review this article, download the emergency medical form posted at the bottom of the page, and register online with Mt. Hood Meadows.

The Catlin Gabel ski bus runs on six Saturdays: February 4, 11, 18, 25, and March 3 and 10.

This Catlin Gabel ski program is supervised by faculty members from all divisions and lessons are taught by Mt. Hood Meadows ski and snowboard instructors. The program is open only to Catlin Gabel students in 5th through 12th grades. The transportation fee for the six week program is $150, payable by check to Catlin Gabel. Lift, lesson, and rental fees are payable to Mt. Hood Meadows through their online registration.

Transportation and supervision

Catlin Gabel buses transport participating students to and from Mt. Hood Meadows. The bus drivers are Catlin Gabel employees. Chaperones ride each bus and are available in the lodge at most but not all times.

Buses leave Catlin Gabel campus at 6:30 a.m. sharp. At the end of the ski day, the buses leave Mt. Hood Meadows at 3:30 p.m., returning to Catlin Gabel by 5:30 p.m.

All students must return via the Catlin Gabel bus unless alternative transportation is prearranged by parents/guardians. Chaperones must receive a note signed by a parent/guardian detailing the alternative transportation arrangements.

Drop-in skier information

Transportation and supervision are available to skiers who can only attend one or two Saturdays. However, we recommend signing up for the full program if you plan to ski more than twice because the unused days on the tickets are good until the end of the ski season.

The drop-in fee is $30 payable in cash or check on the day of attendance. Drop-in skiers must purchase their own lift and/or lesson tickets. Please rent equipment in advance in the Portland area. Beginning and first-season skiers are not permitted to use the drop-in system.

The Catlin Gabel emergency medical form is required for all drop-in skiers. Extra forms are available in each of the division offices and posted at the bottom of this page. The form may be filled out ahead of time or brought with the skier on the day of attendance. We cannot accept phoned in permission.

Registration

Four forms are due to Kathy Sloan inthe Upper School by Friday, January 13: the Catlin Gabel medical release form posted below,  the Mt. Hood Meadows release form, the Mt. Hood Meadows medical form, and, if renting, the Mt. Hood Meadows rental form. The Mt. Hood Meadows forms will be sent after you complete their online registration.

There are two separate components to registration.
You must do both by Friday, January 13!

Complete the Mt. Hood Meadows online registration as follows:

1. Go to www.skihood.com/go
2. Enter the GO code for Catlin Gabel in the GO code Box. Our GO Code is: 1024713.
3. Select the package you wish to purchase. Grades 5-8 are “Trailblazers,” grades 9-12 are “High School.” Trailblazers MUST sign up for lessons. This is a Catlin Gabel requirement.
6. Check out.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email and the Mt. Hood Meadows forms mentioned above.

Complete the Catlin Gabel medical release form at the bottom of this page and return the following in hard copy to Kathy Sloan in the Upper School:

• Mt. Hood Meadows medical form
• Mt. Hood Meadows release form
• Mt. Hood Meadows rental form (if renting)
• Catlin Gabel emergency medical release form (download from this web page)
• Check for $150 made payable to Catlin Gabel.

Financial aid is available directly through the ski bus program for students who need it and are committed to attending all six weeks. This financial aid does not come through the admission and financial aid office. Please contact Kathy Sloan directly to inquire about financial aid. To apply, send an e-mail with your request to sloank@catlin.edu indicating how much financial support it would take to make the program affordable for you.

Program guidelines – read these carefully!

• Be on time. Please arrive at 6:15 a.m. to load skis and get seated on the bus. The bus leaves campus promptly at 6:30 a.m. and returns to Catlin Gabel by 5:30 p.m. Parents/guardians, please be on time to pick up your skier(s) at the end of the day.
• Lessons are required for all participants in 5th through 8th grades. They are optional for high school participants. Lessons are approximately two hours. Prior to and after lessons, participants are “free skiing.” Although program rules require skiing with a partner, participants are not supervised by chaperones while on the slopes.
• Skiers are required to travel both directions on the same bus. There will be chaperones on each bus and in the lodge at most but not all times. In the morning, buses drop students at the lodge, and at the end of the ski day students walk to the buses parked in the parking lot by 3:15 p.m. Failure to return to the bus on time causes worry and delay for everyone. Late skiers could be dropped from the ski program the following week.
• All skiers are expected to honor the rules and regulations governing the use of lifts, slopes, and lodges as posted by Mt. Hood Meadows. Failure to comply will result in dismissal from the program.
• All skiers are expected to honor the rules and regulations of Catlin Gabel School in terms of our drug and alcohol policy. Failure to comply will result in dismissal from the program.and disciplinary action taken at school.
• We strongly encourage all skiers and snowboarders to wear helmets although this is not mandatory. In addition, wrist guards for snowboarders will help prevent wrist injuries.
• Loading and unloading equipment and cleaning the bus at the end of the day is everyone’s responsibility. No one should leave the campus until the buses are empty and cleaned.
• Concern for others is an essential part of the ski program while on our way to and from Mt Hood Meadows and while at the ski area. We have been justifiably proud of the Catlin Gabel students in the past and have had numerous great seasons. We hope you can be a part of the best season yet!

We ask all students and parents to join in our commitment for the safest and most enjoyable ski program possible.

Ski program leaders: Kathy Sloan, Len Carr, Chris Bell, Peggy McDonnell, Bob Sauer, Larry Hurst, Paul Monheimer, Aline Garcia-Rubio, and Spencer White

Catlin Gabel medical release form

Athletic director Sandy Luu came to Catlin Gabel this year from Liberty High School in Hillsboro, where she was AD of their large 5A program. An Oregon native, Sandy previously served as athletic director at Morrison Academy International School in Taichung, Taiwan. Originally a 6th grade language arts and math teacher, she has also taught in Vietnam and China. We caught up with Sandy to find our how things are going for her at Catlin Gabel.

How’s Catlin Gabel treating you?

I have really enjoyed my first few months here. The people are amazing—just as advertised. The faculty and staff really care about the students, and about their colleagues. Everyone is so complimentary of each other’s strengths. They feed off each other in a very positive way. People here told me before I was hired that they love coming to work each and every day. I fully agree.

Tell us about your background and how you became an athletic director.

Sports have shaped my life. Growing up I played as much as I could, even persuading the middle school athletic director to let me participate on the 7th grade team as a 5th grader. In college I played varsity fast pitch softball, basketball, and volleyball, but I love all sports. I have coached basketball, softball, and volleyball. I studied education in college and taught for many years, but started moving toward athletic administration when I was in Taiwan. Coaching coaches and organizing sports really appeals to me. I took classes at Ohio University during summer vacations and earned a master’s in athletics administration.

What is your general philosophy about the role of athletics in schools?

I believe in character-based athletics. Catlin Gabel has a great tradition of winning the right way, and I want to continue this. The character development is paramount; the wins are icing on the cake. Sports are an extension of the classroom and teach lessons about how to be a good teammate and the value of hard work. Athletics builds confidence and self esteem. The skills you learn through sports will help you now and serve you well later in life. Employers look for people who know how to lead as well as people who can be good teammates. They want people who have handled loss and experienced success.

What advice would you offer athletes and their parents who think CG’s high school athletic program is too small for colleges to take notice of a star athlete?

College coaches are looking for one thing: talented athletes. They are not as interested in the size of the school or how well the school team did in recent seasons. They are really looking for potential. Being a talented student-athlete at Catlin Gabel can have a lot of advantages. You can assume a leadership role and have a great chance to earn a starting position. One of the greatest benefits here is personal attention from coaches and teachers.

Is it a disadvantage for outstanding athletes to compete at a small school if they hope for an athletic scholarship?

The advantage you gain at Catlin Gabel is the level of academics. The education you receive here is unmatched. The benefit you will have is in the transcript you provide, along with your athletic résumé. I don’t think people understand how few scholarships are available for Division I and II sports. A fully financed Division I soccer program can offer 9.9 full rides, but they split these up among all of their players (as many as 25 or 30), which leaves some players with very small scholarships. Often, Division III schools are the best places to receive scholarships. These schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, but they routinely give merit awards for academic and other accomplishments. The merit scholarships that private colleges award can be a significant percentage of tuition.

What are some of the differences between being AD at a large school like Liberty HS in Hillsboro and a small school like CG?

Going from nearly 1,400 students to 300 is a big transition. CG’s smaller program is one of the main reasons I applied for this job. I love to work with kids and build relationships with them. In a large school, the athletic director is mainly a scheduler, and most of my time was spent making sure everyone was where they needed to be. At Catlin Gabel, I can get to know the students and make sure all of the coaches are contributing to students’ lives in positive ways. I can have more of an impact.

What have you found most challenging in your new job?

In my past school, I only had high school sports. Here at CG, there are more sports teams at different levels, so have many more balls in the air. Everyone in the PE department and the coaches have been incredibly helpful and supportive. I couldn’t ask for a better group to work with.

How are your sons Trevor (a junior) and Max (a freshman) adjusting?

Catlin Gabel is a great fit for Trevor and Max. They love it here; it reminds them of the school they attended for seven years in Taiwan. They will probably hate me talking about them, but CG has been a huge blessing for my boys. The individualized instruction is unmatched. I just attended my first parent-teacher conferences and was blown away. After just two-and-a-half months their teachers have my boys figured out. I also attended a couple of senior athletes’ conferences, and the general theme from parents was thankfulness. They appreciate the time teachers put into the kids. They know that CG has shaped the people their children have become. I couldn’t ask for more for my own boys.

What have you liked most about Catlin Gabel so far?

The school transforms lives. I have been most impressed by how the faculty treats each student as an individual and how well they know each child’s strengths and weaknesses. Teachers and staff work hard at building relationships with their students daily. I have never seen anything like this at any of the other schools I have worked at. Teachers are interested in many aspects of their student’s lives. It’s impressive to see so many faculty and staff members out watching extracurricular activities. I have also been impressed with the students. They are refreshingly polite, friendly, and selfless. They are always ready to lend a hand and pitch in, whether for service day, or just to help put away sports gear.

» Return to December 2011 All-School News

From the Fall 2011 Caller

By Elizabeth Steiner Hayward

Ideally, this inspiration must be accessible to as many children and families who would benefit from it as possible. Yet economic reality compromises idealism; running a high-quality, progressive, independent school is an expensive proposition, and thus tuition remains beyond the reach of many. To match reality and idealism, Catlin Gabel must have a robust endowment for financial aid, to open our doors to every deserving, qualified student regardless of her family’s means. Without this, our school’s expressed commitment to our ideals and our community becomes hollow and less meaningful.