Squaw Valley Academy

Squaw Valley Academy was an international, college-prep boarding school located in Olympic Valley, California, United States, near Lake Tahoe. It offered rigorous academics coupled with outdoor sports and activities, to give students a foundation for academic and personal success. SVA was fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). 100% of Squaw Valley Academy graduates earn college acceptance. The name is controversial because squaw is an ethnic and sexual slur, historically used for indigenous North American women.[1][2][3][4]

Squaw Valley Academy
Location
Olympic Valley, California

United States
Information
TypeIndependent, coeducational, boarding school and college preparatory school
Established1978
FounderDonald Rees
Closed2020
Campus3 dormitory buildings on 2.8 acres
Color(s)Navy and gold
MascotBlack bear
WebsiteSquaw Valley Academy

About

Squaw Valley Academy was founded in 1978 by Donald Rees, who also founded the Yosemite Institute in Yosemite National Park, and the Headlands Institute in the Marin Headlands near Sausalito, California. For over thirty years, Squaw Valley Academy was a staple at Lake Tahoe and has enrolled students from all over the world. In 2020, Squaw Valley Academy became Lake Tahoe Preparatory School.

The school was located on 2.8 acres and has five on-campus buildings; students have access to four. Three buildings have ground level classrooms and offices, while the second and third levels are dormitory rooms. The fourth is the administrative building, with offices and the dining hall on the ground level, and offices and classrooms on the second level. The fifth building, located at the rear of the property, is the maintenance building. Adjacent to the school is a county-owned recreational park, which includes a full-size AstroTurf soccer field, children's playground, tennis courts and picnic area.

Located less than two miles from campus is the world-renowned Squaw Valley Ski Resort, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Less than five miles from campus is another, smaller resort, Alpine Meadows. Lake Tahoe is less than ten miles from campus is.

Academics

The Academy's primary focus was on college preparation for high school students. SVA was fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

SVA provides students with rigorous academics as well as Advanced Placement (AP) courses, ESL for international students, an Academic Learning Center for struggling students, college counseling throughout the whole college application process and SAT prep. SVA is also a Certified SAT testing location.

Students eat breakfast before attending morning classes Monday through Friday, eat lunch, and depart campus for supervised afternoon activities. They return to campus for dinner, and after a brief rest, they gather for mandatory, two-hour study hall, Sunday through Thursday nights. Students use study hall to finish their coursework from the day, prepare for the coming class the following day, write and research reports, and gain further instruction on course topics from teachers.

100% of graduates of Squaw Valley Academy earn college acceptance.

Athletics

The school mascot is the brown bear. Squaw Valley Academy offers a wide range of sports. Male students may participate in intramural soccer and basketball. Students who wish to compete on a recreational level may enjoy other athletics during the spring, summer and fall seasons including tennis, disc golf, ultimate, road cycling, mountain biking, skateboarding, rock climbing, hiking, rafting, kayaking and dry-land training for competitive ski and snowboard racers.

Due to the location of Squaw Valley Academy, students who meet or exceed set academic standards may ski or snowboard daily at Squaw Valley USA ski resort. Announced in September 2011,[5] Squaw Valley Ski Resort and Alpine Meadows came to an agreement[6] to merge mountain access to their customers. Ticket holders may now choose two ski resorts at which to ski or snowboard, and Squaw Valley Academy students now have access to two resorts located less than ten minutes away from campus. Squaw Valley Academy encourages students to "ride" (ski or snowboard) at the resort of their choice, and makes arrangements to transport and supervise students.

References
  1. National Museum of the American Indian (2007). Do All Indians Live in Tipis?. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-115301-3.
  2. Schulman, Susan (16 Jan 2015). "Squaw Island to be renamed 'Deyowenoguhdoh'". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 14 April 2019. The proposed name change comes at the request of Native Americans, who say the word "squaw" is a racist, sexist term
  3. Arlene B. Hirschfelder; Paulette Fairbanks Molin (2012). The Extraordinary Book of Native American Lists. Scarecrow. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-8108-7709-2.
  4. King, C. Richard, "De/Scribing Squ*w: Indigenous Women and Imperial Idioms in the United States" in the American Indian Culture and Research Journal, v27 n2 p1-16 2003. Accessed Oct. 9, 2015
  5. Sierra Sun Newspaper. Shueh, Josh. "Tahoe resorts Squaw Valley USA, Alpine Meadows to join forces". Written 2011-09-27. Last accessed 2012-03-12. http://www.sierrasun.com/article/20110927/NEWS/110929926
  6. "Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Merger Completed" (Press Release). JMA Ventures, LLC. November 16, 2011. Accessed 2012-03-12. Archive Copy available through JMA Ventures, LLC.
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