Campus Life

Outside the Classroom

Work hard. Play hard! 

At Vermont Academy, there are several traditions that students and faculty look forward to after working hard in the classroom, on the field, and under the spotlight of performing arts. Competing in team-building games, sharing food, and having fun together brings us even closer as a community.

Traditions

List of 10 items.

  • Wildcat Games

    What better way to get to know your classmates and bond than by participating in the Wildcat Games--a "mini" Olympics that pits class against class in a variety of comical and fast-paced events. Advisors and class deans serve as official judges and each class is separated by color--the freshman often with the power of pink on their side.

  • Mountain Day

    As soon as the leaves start turning, Vermont Academy students start speculating when the Dean of Student Life will proclaim it Mountain Day. When they hear the ringing of the bell by four-year seniors, classes come to a halt and students and faculty alike are whisked to a secret location for a day of sun, food, and fun.

  • Pumpkin Run

    In late October, Vermont Academy holds its annual Pumpkin Run for the entire VA Community--a 5k fun run over campus trails to support a local food shelter. The entry fee is a non-perishable food item, and the top runners win a pumpkin pie baked by VA's amazing dining hall staff.

  • Spirit Week

    Soon after the Pumpkin Run, VA students and faculty enjoy a mischievous and jam-packed week to celebrate Wildcat Spirit, culminating with a Halloween celebration. Theme days include Fashion Disaster, Twin Day, Pajama Day, and Costume Day.

  • Kurn Hattin Holiday Dinner

    Vermont Academy is honored to host students and faculty from Kurn Hattin for an annual Holiday celebration. Since 1894, Kurn Hattin has helped thousands of disadvantaged children and their families by offering a safe home and quality education. VA students shop for and select gifts that are presented by Santa and his elves to Kurn Hattin students.

  • Fall, 24 Hour, Spring Play

    Vermont Academy’s theater department is always hard at work entertaining our community. We have two large scale productions in the Fall and Spring- Shows have varied from The Addams Family, to musicals, to student written originals. One of the most popular productions is the annual 24 Hour Play Festival, where our students serve as writers, directors, producers, and actors to create and perform a play in under 24 hours.

  • Winter Carnival

    Vermont Academy is proud to host the oldest Winter Carnival in the country--founded by former VA faculty member and assistant headmaster James P. Taylor in 1909. Held each year in February, the Winter Carnival includes such favorite events as the polar bear run, tandem skiing, dodge ball, VA’s Got Talent, Broomball, and Arm Wrestling.

  • Casino Night

    Once a year, Shepardson dining hall is transformed in to a fully operational Casino. We have all the classic games from Poker to Roulette. Students win chips which can be converted to raffle tickets for prizes as small as headphones to as big as TV’s. Or the most coveted, the Get Out of Jail Free Card, where you can have any absence excused!

  • Earth Day

    Every April, Vermont Academy students and faculty celebrate Earth Day with community service projects on campus and the surrounding areas. Following a picnic of locally grown food, the Saxtons River Elementary School joins VA for an afternoon of activities, music, and crafts.

  • Spring Fling

    To celebrate the final weekend of the year, Vermont Academy hosts its annual Spring Fling. A fun filled day with live music, Moonbounces, Knockerballs, Dunk Tank, BBQ, Ice Cream trucks, and a massive Slip N slide down our Ski Hill. Not a bad way to end the year.  

Clubs

Each student has the opportunity to start and/or lead an extracurricular club. Many clubs have become staples at Vermont Academy with others being added in recent years. Some clubs utilize the Clubs and Activities period in our weekly schedule and others meet during an independently scheduled time throughout the year. 

Student-led clubs include ….
  • American Sign Language Club
  • Art Club
  • Bread Club
  • Chess Club
  • Coffee Club
  • Debate Club
  • Gay-Straight Alliance
  • Math Club
  • Math Team
  • Music League
  • PawPrint (literary magazine)
  • Robotics Club
  • Sustainablity Club
  • Yearbook

Weekend Activities

The Vermont Academy experience extends well beyond the classroom. Our evening and weekend activities may include …

  • Skiing or snowboarding at Okemo
  • Zumba in the Dance Studio
  • Outdoor fires at the Nick Grout ’03 Memorial Fire Pit
  • Free skate in the Michael Choukas Arena
  • Ping pong in the student center
  • Movie trips to local cinemas
  • Hiking in the Green Mountains
  • Shopping trips to Keene or Holyoke

VA weekends are packed with activities for everyone. Students are encouraged to speak with the Student Life Office about ideas and opportunities.

Student Leadership

List of 3 items.

  • VASA

    Vermont Academy Student Association (VASA) is a group of student government leaders who meet to discuss overall matters of importance to the school-wide community. The group focuses on providing leadership for fundraising, activities, and discussions related to campus-wide issues. 

    VASA meets weekly to provide updates on both long term and short term goals, usually the meetings last between thirty and forty-five minutes. VASA works in conjunction with the Student Life Office in order to promote campus activities and achieve school-wide goals.

  • Proctors

    Proctors (Student Leaders) most important responsibility is to be a positive role model in all aspects of school life. In the dorm, they act as a liaison between students and dorm parents and assist younger/new students with the transition to boarding school life. Proctors serve the community during Orientation, dorm meetings, winter carnival, and other dorm-related events. They are expected to uphold the Vermont Academy Honor Code and Core Beliefs.

  • Orange Key Society

    The Orange Key Society is made up of a select group of students who represent Vermont Academy in welcoming campus visitors. This can be seen through tours to prospective families, hosting our alumni and welcoming honored guests. Outstanding citizenship, academic achievements, ability to consistently communicate professionally and a willingness to lead and serve in extracurricular areas are the basis for selection. 

    Each spring students can apply for entrance, one prerequisite for inductees into the Orange Key Society is proven service to the school as a tour guide for Admissions.
10 Long Walk, PO Box 500
Saxtons River, VT 05154
802-869-6200
Vermont Academy is a coed college preparatory boarding and day school in southern Vermont, serving grades 9-12 plus a postgraduate year.