Gould Academy

Gould Academy
Location
Bethel, Maine, United States
Information
Type	Independent School, boarding
Religious affiliation(s)	none
Established	1836
Head of School	Matthew Ruby
Enrollment	240
Average class size	10-12 students
Mascot	Huskies
Annual tuition	$49,500
Website	www.gouldacademy.org

Gould Academy is a private, co-ed, college preparatory boarding and day school founded in 1835 and located in the small town of Bethel, Maine, United States. The school offers competitive skiing and snowboarding programs, although unlike specialized "ski academies" it remains first and foremost a college-prep school.

History

The Original Could Hall c. 1890 - Hanscom Hall now stands where this building once was.

In 1835 the citizens of Bethel, Maine formed an organization as trustees of the Bethel High School. A hall was fitted up for a school-room and N. T. True was employed as principal. Encouraged by their success, the trustees reorganized and obtained a charter for an Academy, which by act of the Legislature on January 27, 1836, was incorporated as Bethel Academy. A building was erected, Isaac Randall was the first instructor, and the school opened for its first term on the second Wednesday of September, 1836.^[1]

Bethel Academy accepted its first tuition-paying students in 1836, both locals and boarders. Reverend Daniel Gould, the town's first pastor who settled in 1799^[2] from Cape Cod,^[3] left his $842 fortune to the school when he died in 1843. Gould, who left no children, stipulated that the school be named for him; from then on it was known as Gould's Academy and eventually Gould Academy.^[4]

In 1921, plans to build the Bingham Gymnasium were announced by then president Frank E. Hanscom.^[5] In 1933, construction began on Hanscom Hall. In 1936, the Academy earned accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.^[6]

William Bingham II,^[7] who came to Bethel from Cleveland for John George Gehring's medical care,^[8] was a major school benefactor from the 1930s to his death in 1955 and thereafter via the Bingham Betterment Fund.^[4] Since the town of Bethel lacked a public high school, all local children were educated at Gould until 1969, when Telstar High School opened.^[4]

Academics

Hanscom Hall contains the library, classrooms, and administrative offices

Core departments include English, History, Math, Science, Computer Science & Technology, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and World Languages. Gould offers honors and AP classes.

Gould operates on a trimester system, and students typically enroll in five to six courses per trimester. Class periods are affectionately known as "dots" (periods), and rotate on an irregular weekly pattern with four dots of each class per week. The fall and spring term schedules include a half day every week on Wednesday, a late start every Thursday, and occasional Saturday classes. The Winter term schedule is based on half days Tuesday through Friday to make time for athletics, mainly the On-Snow Competition programs.^[9]

The Academic Skills Center is a special academic support program where students work closely with a learning specialist to develop learning strategies and skills.

Programming

Athletics

Gould's high school teams compete in the MAISAD league of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council. Most sports also branch outside of the league and conference. Fall Sports include Cross Country Running, Dance, Equestrian, Field Hockey, Golf, Mountain Biking, and Soccer. Winter Sports include Basketball, Dance, Snowboarding, Alpine Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, Freeride Skiing, and Nordic Skiing. Spring sports are Baseball, Equestrian, Lacrosse, Rock Climbing, Road Cycling, Skateboarding, Softball, and Tennis.^[10]

On-Snow Competition Program

The On-Snow Competition Program includes Alpine, Snowboard, Freestyle, and Nordic Skiing. The program is designed to prepare athletes to compete at the highest levels in every age group. A winter term is available for 8th grade students, from Thanksgiving through March.

Special class schedules and flexibility are available for students competing in the program, especially during the winter.^[11]

Four Point

At the end of the winter trimester, each Class pursues a week-long assignment called Four Point, designed to emphasize experiential learning outside of the classroom. Ninth grade students travel abroad as a class, Tenth grade students engage in community service on or near campus, Eleventh grade students take a class winter camping trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and Twelfth grade students take on an independent project.^[12]

Campus

Sanborn Family Library inside Hanscom Hall, newly renovated in 2011

Gould's 436 acre campus is located in the town of Bethel, Maine, just on the Western edge of "Bethel Village".^[13] Bethel sits in the Androscoggin River Valley, with the Sunday River Ski Resort 6 miles up the road and New Hampshire's White Mountains about 20 miles to the west.

Academic facilities

Major academic buildings include the 18,000 SF McLaughlin Science Center built in 2002, Hanscom Hall built in 1935 with the newly renovated Sanborn Family library, the cottage-like Owen Art Gallery building, and Bingham Hall Auditorium for Performing Arts. Gehring Hall is the Girls' Dorm renovated extensively in 1998, Holden and Davidson are the Boys' dorms, and Ordway Hall is where Gould's dining facility is located. There is also a working farm on campus.

Athletic facilities

Ordway Hall, Dining Hall at Gould Academy, Built in 1998

The Farnsworth Field House is a multi-purpose complex that his home to Lombard Basketball Court, a fitness and weight-training center, an athletic training room, a trampoline room, an indoor skate park, two tennis courts, and a team room. Outdoors are four tennis courts, four full-sized athletic fields, an artificial turf field, a baseball and softball diamond, and an 18-hole golf course at the Bethel Inn Resort.^[10]

The on-snow competition programs utilize Sunday River for training. There are 40 km of trails connecting directly to campus utilized for running, mountain biking, and groomed for Nordic Skiing in the winter.

Gould people

Students

About 240 students attend Gould. 45% of the student body come from Maine; 22% of the student body are local day-students. 26% of Gould’s student body is international, while 15% of students come from New England states other than Maine and 14% come from US States outside of New England. Domestic students of color represent 5% of the community. About 30% of students compete in the On-Snow Competition program.

In the Class of 2011, 43 students (63% of the class) took 134 AP exams by the end of their junior and senior years combined. 56% earned a 3 or better, and 34% earned a 4 or 5. 99% of the graduating class matriculates at four-year colleges and universities.^[9]

Administration

Headmasters of the School

Notable alumni

References

External links

• Gould Academy