October 2025 Recap
Snow started flying on Mount Hood and our students are flying around campus! All of our students had the opportunity to take the PSAT and SAT at the beginning of the month. Our seniors are busy working on their college applications for life beyond Wy’East.
After making the decision to shift our annual fundraiser to the summer, we were all able to focus our attention on the best Parents Weekend ever. Families from all around the world came together on campus for three days of camaraderie across all sports and ages. Parents were able to join athletics and meet with our academic team. Our culinary team kept us well fed with excellent food the whole weekend. We capped off the weekend with a sendoff event at Topgolf. Thank you to everyone who came; it was a great weekend!
We are now turning our attention to future athletic trips and helping students get ahead in academics before they hit the road for a busy season to Paris, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, Canada and beyond. We are looking forward to seeing you all at the Wy'East Classic Golf Tournament Fundraiser in July of 2026!
-Mike Hanley, Head of School
Student life
Fall is in full swing here at Wy’east Mountain Academy! As the leaves turned and the temperatures dropped, our students stayed busy exploring, volunteering, and connecting — both with each other and with the broader Portland community.
This month, our students rolled up their sleeves for not one but two volunteer events — first at Tideman Johnson Park for land tending and restoration, and later at Forest Park, helping with trail maintenance and eliminating invasive ivy. These days in the dirt gave students a hands-on opportunity to learn about local ecosystems and contribute to the preservation of the largest urban forests in the continental U.S.
From karaoke nights that showcased hidden talents to a hike at Tamanawas Falls that rewarded us with breathtaking views, October was full of memorable moments. We also spent some time working on our golf swings — both at the driving range and during a friendly round of mini putt-putt.
Students also explored the arts and sciences with visits to two incredible museums: the Portland Art Museum and the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.
No October would be complete without pumpkin carving, and our community didn’t disappoint with some seriously creative designs! We wrapped up the month by welcoming families for Parents Weekend, a highlight of the season. Together we hit Topgolf, shared great food, and capped off the weekend with a Halloween-themed event in BOB— complete with trivia, dinner, and backyard games.
We also began our student government council meetings. Congratulations to Vivian Frederick, our new student body president, and Boden Johnson, our vice president. Alongside them, we have a great group of representatives to make Wy'East the best it can be. Among the members are Jackson Atkinson, Jackson Newberry, Finley Good, Joe Friese, and Will Difiore.
Academics
One of the academic highlights of the year is PSAT/SAT testing days. We conducted those tests earlier in the month and the students seemed to take the tests pretty seriously. The PSAT is a practice SAT for 8th graders up to sophomores and gives the students a great idea of what it looks like when they move up to the actual SAT test when they become juniors and seniors. Getting this practice shows them their areas of weakness and strength, and gives them some insight into what their mindset should be and allows them to practice test taking skills. While the results weren't quite what we were hoping for, they give us a great evaluation of where we are at so that we can continue to implement new ways to give each student the opportunity to perform to the best of their abilities.
As we approach the halfway point of the semester, another main focus is our academic pacing. We want to make sure that every student is in a great position in their classes so that their stress level remains low and they finish their courses in a timely manner. Potentially adding to that stress is a trip to Finland for the ski and snowboard teams that has them returning back to campus just a few days before the end of the semester. We are doing everything we can to make sure that each student is in a position to be able to enjoy their time in Finland without the worry of needing to stress about whether or not they will finish their classes. The students have understood the assignment and are working to get ahead so that they are in great shape.
Athletics
We love this time of year! Winter starts to creep, the weather is cooler, and the sound of rain puts you to sleep at night, but there are still epic days full of sun. It has been a beautiful October with bright colors and epic trips off campus. The culmination ending with a bang on parents weekend this has been a month full of goodness and pumpkin pies that the kids are more than happy to work off during athletics!
Goal 1: Revisit fall drills and protocol during morning warm ups and in athletics
Goal 2: Final campus drone shoot
Goal 3: Help students prepare for IQP presentations
Goal 4: Show off campus to parents, both by having them join training and presenting IQPs.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH: Watching all students present their personal goals and mantras during IQP presentations over parents weekend. “Don’t wish for it, work for it”
Freeski
Another solid month in the books! The team wants it and it shows in how they are progressing everyday.
FOCUS OF THE WEEK
Week 1: Building consistency; training harder than you compete; train beyond the level of trick priorities planned; continue building body strength
Week 2: Intense focused hour on bag; competition scenario with circle up at the end to talk "how did we go"
Week 3: Develop a social media engagement routine that can be executed daily to grow following
Week 4: Develop signature movements that can be executed on demand (Trick Priorities); Profiling Mental skills and behaviors as an athlete and individual
HIGHLIGHTS
We had 2 gold and 2 bronze medals on the trip to the Netherlands. Highest SAT score of the school from the program! Landing bag progressions continue to inspire hard work in the rest of campus training.
Mountain Bike
We had a great end to the Kamloops trip! Our athletes rode away with lots of new tricks and this was one of the best training camps we’ve ever had.
FOCUS OF THE WEEK
Week 1: Finish Kamloops trip strong and catch up on school.
Week 2: Reflection week: Did I get out of my comfort zone? What else could I have done that I didn't get done on the trip. Work on new tricks to bag and continue to improve on the current bag of tricks.
Week 3: SMART Goal setting revisit.
Week 4: Progression phase. Take advantage of the nice weather and spend time on the outdoor bag while we can. What are some new tricks I want to learn? Are there any tricks I've learned that can be taken to mulch?
HIGHLIGHTS
Everyone is working hard and deserves a shoutout. We are especially stoked to have Wyatt back in the mix - he brings all they hype!
Skate
We had an epic finish to the San Francisco trip with a visit to UC Santa Cruz, 510 Skate Shop, and linking up with SF skate pro Eli Williams. It’s been great weather on and around campus and the team is utilizing training in the PNW.
FOCUS OF THE WEEK
Week 1: San Francisco Trip reflections
Week 2: Mini film video project and contest. This is a good exercise to practice for the sponsored world and making a name for yourself in skating.
Week 3: We have scored some dry weather on campus and are taking advantage of it. This week I’ll be taking the students on campus to Clatskanie to check out a covered wood park with a mini vert ramp.
Week 4: Big academic focus after parents weekend to be ready for the trip to France coming up
HIGHLIGHTS
Watching the kids video parts that they put together. Dinner with my mom while on the SFO trip was also up there ;)
Snowboard
Team camaraderie is at its finest - this team goes hard for each other in the paint and continues to push in training.
FOCUS OF THE WEEK
Week 1: Progression Phase - trick accuisition for comps + executing during team trip.
Week 2: Reflection phase - how did Netherlands trip go va expectations, set goals on campus to reflect results at next event.
Week 3: Progression Phase - push for optimum fundamentals to work into progression.
Week 4:Execution phase going into parents weekend to highlight new learns, team dynamic, peer coaching.
HIGHLIGHTS
Everything has been so good but watching the surf forecast and being able to get out to the coast for some perfect waves that the kids were able to manage was awesome! It was very special to see our kids shine in the ocean.
CULINARY
What a great month October was for the Culinary Team. The team created some great food for the students this past month. Joe L. brought some culture to students with him
making a Filipino dish called Picadillo. Joe S., the morning cook, made Salmon Cakes for lunch one day, another student favorite. Kellen also made his famous Jerk Chicken, Rice and Roasted Vegetables.
One thing that I have noticed in the past two months is that this group of students is eating a lot of parfaits and smoothies. I love to see that they are eating a more balanced meal with snacks in between. After students carved pumpkins for a residential activity, we roasted the seeds. They were gone within a few hours so we’ve put in an order for more.
We were delighted to prepare all the food for Parents Weekend. Everyone in attendance loved the food that was prepared for them. It was nice to talk with all the parents when they came into the café and grab some food or coffee.
Alumni Spotlight
Just before enrolling at Montana State University, Temma Tamai applied for a one-year gap year and is now fully focused on snowboarding and surfing. After moving on from the junior category, he stepped up to the Freeride Qualifier Tour and took 3rd place at the first 3-star event of the season at The Remarkables in New Zealand. He spent the summer there, and before returning to Japan, he’ll head to Dubai’s wave pool and indoor snowboarding, as well as to wave pools and artificial facilities in Korea and China. In the early season he’ll be based in Japan, then follow competitions during winter, including events in Revelstoke, Switzerland, and Austria. His big goal for spring is Alaska. He is still planning to start at MSU next September.
