About: Callie

Callie Morgigno
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As a New River Academy literature teacher and relative newcomer to the whitewater kayaking scene, Callie spends her time exchanging essay tips and new vocabulary words for lessons in the art of confident kayaking.

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    The Countdown Begins

    Friday, May 14th, 2010

    ” And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives, where we gonna be when we turn 25.  I keep thinking times will never change, keep on thinking things will always be the same. But when we leave this year we won’t be coming back, no more hanging out cause we’re on a different track.  As we go on, we remember, all the times we had together. And as our lives change, from what ever, we will still be, friends forever … Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now? Can we survive it out there? Can we make it somehow? I guess I thought that this would never end, and now it’s like we’re women and men. Will the past be a shadow that will follow us  ’round? Will these memories fade when I leave this town? I keep, I keep thinking that it’s not goodbye.  Keep on thinking it’s a time to fly.” – Macy Gray.

    Graduation day reminds me of sappy songs, tears, hugs, and hopes for the future.  I am so happy to have passed a semester playing, exploring and learning with all our students and staff. I am especially proud of my seniors, Chase, Matti, Stephen and Tracy. They all have respective plans for next year, scurrying off to various universities across the map. I know that they will use what they have learned here at New River Academy, while adjusting to “regular” academic life. I anticipate hearing from them during their first weeks at COLLEGE! (hint, hint, guys! )

    As for the rest of these youngsters, well, I hope that we’re all back here together again come August. I am excited for this upcoming weekend, where all of us, and all of you, will play and reminisce together.  Personally, I expect teary speeches and farewells. But perhaps that’s just me, perhaps the students have a tougher sort of skin. They are, after all, serious athletes…. we’ll see.

    It is Friday morning and students are turning in their final projects. Taylor just handed me a beautiful, artistic, poster board rendition of the characters (or rather, inanimate objects), from the novel Skinny Legs and All. I can hear Lorenzo’s Spanish class working on their final dialogues, and the seniors practicing their graduation speeches. Finality is in the air.  But, finality is always coupled with new beginnings, with endless possibilities.

    We are all so grateful to all of you, who have helped make this possible. See you all tomorrow!

    Callie

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    Almost there…

    Friday, May 14th, 2010

    This update is from a few days ago, but I was having trouble uploading it. Enjoy!

    The look on my AP English students’ faces as they finished their AP tests brought me zooming back to my last moments of high school. As they wrote that final word and triumphantly set their pencils down, their faces showed relief, pride, anticipation and ecstasy. I recall all of these feelings so well: relief at finishing a test I’d prepared an entire year for, pride at having done my best, anticipation for what’s coming next, and ecstasy to be DONE! Congratulations, seniors, you did it!!!

    While the seniors are basking in their glory at completing the AP courses, the younger students are faithfully plodding along. With one week left, they are busy churning out research papers, essays and exams. Summer is in sight for all of us, although the predictably unpredictable New England weather would have us believe otherwise. Although the the cold weather is not exactly stellar for kayaking, the strong winds have made our camping experience more interesting. Just ask Zoe Ross, whose tent has proven its ability to fly across the yard! Yesterday we all took advantage of the stormy weather and took a group field trip to see the movie Iron Man 2. Action flicks aren’t my forte, but the kids were all thrilled.

    Tomorrow morning we will rise with the sun, and journey south, hopefully to friendlier skies! I  am sure that our last week is going to fly by; before I know it, you will all be here to help us celebrate the end of the year! See you all soon!

    Callie

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    Niagara Falls

    Friday, May 7th, 2010

      To the Droujko family- thank you, thank you, thank you for everything!! We had an amazing time in Niagara Falls. Our stay was brief, but jam-packed with fun activities. The definite highlight was a helicopter ride, courtesy of Jessica’s family’s Niagara Helicopters. All of the students got to experience an exciting ride high above the falls! Gazing down from our vantage inside the helicopter, we were able to take in all of the falls, from the white, airy foam twirling off the tops to the spectacular splashing on the rocks beneath. After our helicopter rides, we were given free passes to some of the attractions on Clifton Hill, the touristy section of Niagara. We wandered through Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum, the wax museum and the moving theater. Many of the kids were happy to be in a city, around people, sights, activities, and places to fill their bellies with tasty treats.

     Now we are with Tino’s family in western Massachusetts. It is so beautiful here- spring has arrived and the twisty dirt roads are canopied by trees that are so, so vibrantly green! The group will be running the Deerfield River, and Tino is especially excited to be taking the kids out on his home turf.

     AP exams we will be held this week, in the quiet sanctuary of a local school. Other than that, kids are preparing their brains for finals and finishing up projects. In five days, we will head back to West Virginia for the final stretch.

     Callie

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    From the picturesque banks of the Ottawa

    Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

    Keenerville- a place that feels like home to many of our students, a new corner of the world for me, a peaceful lot facing the wide expanse of the Ottawa River, and host to New River Academy for the next week! After fourteen hours driving up the interstate, our sojourn in the States is over. It is exciting to be out of the country again, even if it is only our friendly northern neighbor. Everyone is excited for a week of playboating; Cornerwave, in view just opposite our houses, is at the perfect level and beckons students to come play. Coach Tino says that the students will be mastering their blunt and helix techniques this week. For those of you who are non kayak-lingo savvy, a helix is an upside-down aerial 360 and a blunt is a 180-degree rotation.

    Last week, back in West Virginia, we entertained ourselves with a variety of activities, kayaking and non-kayaking alike. Our first day back in Fayetteville, Tino took the kids to run out their energy, sprinting around playing Freeze Tag and Capture the Flag. On Tuesday, the gang headed to the New River, where some hung out at Upper Railroad, surfing the near-perfect wave, while others paddled down the entire New River run. On Wednesday, we took the group to the New River Gorge for a rock climbing mentor activity. There were not that many super easy climbs, so we settled on a nice 5.10 (intermediate level) climb. Andy Kirby and Clay Whitaker conquered the scary part by leading the climb and setting up the top rope for the rest of us to have some fun.

    Another cool aspect of our time in North America is our mentor group shopping trips. On a rotating basis, each teacher takes the two students from their mentor group to shop and then out for dinner. It is an awesome way to get closer as a mentor group and to really spend time in good conversation with each other. Away from the craziness that can sometimes be our school, we are able to relax and talk as a trio. I love it!

    A few of our current academic projects deserve mention as well. Tino’s history students, Taylor Cote and Eric Bartl, were given free reign to research and report on any historical event or topic. Taylor chose the Beatles, and Eric decided on the progression and change of water travel. In my English classes, Zoe Ross is creating a complicated love tragedy in the spirit of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Clay Whitaker, Alex Anderson and Eric Bartl have put together brief parodies of the novel Siddhartha, incorporating photos taken around Dave’s house in Fayetteville.

    Back to this moment- from the window I can see the sun sinking onto the murmuring silver-blue of the Ottawa River. The slight breeze of the day has died down, and the evening is beautifully shining and still. Chase Simmons is talking to his girlfriend on the phone as he gazes out at the spectacular view that we are so lucky to have at our front door. Andy Kirby is out shopping (and possibly eating junk food!) with his mentor group, Alex Anderson and Matti Hill. Tino Specht, Stephen Forster and Zoe Ross are in the communal cabin, tastefully mixing together rice and veggies for this evening’s stir-fry. And I am loving this peaceful moment while I recall last week’s news.

    We have some exciting trips planned for this week! On Thursday, we will travel to the Lachine for some big-wave surfing! We are also planning on visiting Matti Hill’s cabin in Muskoka, Canada (a few hours west of here) to have fun with his family’s ski boats. Finally, on our last days in Canada, we will stay with Jessica Droujko’s family and ride in a helicopter! Also, be sure to check out Tracy D’Arbeloff’s awesome student report!

    Callie Morgigno

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    NOC Shoot-out Freestyle Competition

    Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

    As usual, New River Academy gave a stellar performance at last weekend’s freestyle competition. The feature was very flushy, which made sticking tricks more difficult, but the students managed to show off their skills anyway! The ladies were magnificent- Taylor Cote placed second, followed by Jessica Droujko in third. All five of our chicas made it to finals, winning sweet prizes like new spray skirts, dry tops and throw bags.

    The boys also impressed the crowd with their freestyle skills; both Matti Hill and Eric Bartl made it into the final round, where they met stiff competition but were still looking good on the water. Eric Bartl placed third in the junior men’s division. Each student competed and it was super fun to watch their training pay off.

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    Fourth Quarter Literature

    Monday, April 19th, 2010

    It seems that when the weather is happy, students are happy; we have had an amazingly bright, sunny, warm week, and I think the students’ schoolwork reflects the weather. Everyone is doing a great job, not letting the end of the year slump catch up with them. My literature students are no exception and are working hard on various exciting, challenging projects. My creative writing class, which consists of me and Taylor Cote, are reading Dante’s “Inferno”, while creating a parody of his work. Taylor dreamt up an insane asylum where inmates are punished or healed according to their crime or affliction. For example, pyro-maniacs are shut up in a cold, dark room away from their obsessions of fire, light and warmth. I wrote a parody about Mother Earth taking her revenge on us wicked humans who so carelessly destroy all that was given us. One of Mother Earth’s punishments for those who waste fossil fuels is exiling the humans to an icy, endless pool where giant chunks of ice fall periodically from the glaciers above, knocking them on the head. If this all seems a little harsh and strange to you, remember that Dante’s “Inferno” details various circles of hell and the punishments that await specific sins.

    AP English students just finished  reading and analyzing Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Each student researched and gave a mini-presentation about imperialism and colonialism in an African country. We discussed the dual meaning of the title, “Heart of Darkness”, and how the darkness pertains to both the dark, African continent and the darkness that is in men’s hearts. Now, we are embarking on discussions of crime and the human mind as we read Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. We are also continuing AP practice exams and essays; I feel like Tracy, Stephen and Matti are well prepared for the AP exam in May.

    Eric, Alex and Clay are peacefully and meditatively exploring the concepts in Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha. We are writing essays about the river in the novel as a symbol for the unity of life and of the importance of living in this present moment. Next up is an action-packed novel that follows three United Nations peace-keeping troops through various missions in Haiti, Somalia and Cambodia. The boys will prepare presentations on how and why the conflicts occured in these countries. We have also been doing some creative writing, incorporating vocabulary words into short, connected stories.

    In freshman composition, Zoe Ross is reading Romeo and Juliet while writing her own scripted version of select scenes. Putting the text into her own words has really helped her decipher Shakespeare’s hard-to-follow, old English writing style. Next up, Zoe will begin putting together her own tragic love story. In between these larger projects, we have been spending time on new vocabulary and fun creative writing assignments.

    On the opposite end of the spectrum from love stories, my British Literature class is studying Gothic literature and reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. We are comparing themes from Frankenstein to themes in poetry, such as “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and “The Raven”. Chase and Jessica are working on some artsy projects as well, designing Frankenstein-related bulletins and picture collages.

    With all of the insightful novels, plays, poems and news articles we are deciphering this quarter, I am confident that my students are learning more about the world around them and understanding the impact that literature has on cultures and worldviews.

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    Nantahala Outdoor Center

    Friday, April 16th, 2010

     The Nantahala Outdoor Center is a bustling place with restaurants, whitewater rafting, equipment rentals, picnic tables right at the playhole for boater viewing and a whole plethora of cabins and campsites. Good thing it’s still the off-season! Much of the time, we have this whitewater Disneyland to ourselves. We are camped at a more remote location which is about a five-minute walk from Base Camp, where we have classes, meals and heated showers. The Base Camp facilities are pretty awesome- the biggest kitchen we’ve seen yet and many shower stalls flowing with endless piping-hot water! Not that steamy showers are a huge neccessity this week because the weather is tricking me into believing that we are actuallly in the middle of July. It is downright HOT. Luckily, the icy Nantahala River is a five-minute stroll, tops. This week’s location is a bit unusual for us as we are normally in more remote areas. It is almost a special treat for the students to be able to interact with other kids, boaters, Appalachian Trail hikers and vacationers, not to mention having the ability to buy a pizza for lunch! Our campsite is just right for us, 7 wooden platforms and canvas tents surrounding a fire-pit. Tino made excellent use of the fire-pit for his mentor activity last night. The group grilled out over an open fire, letting tasty meats and veggies cook slowly on a bed of coals, then building the fire back up to roast s’mores!

    As previously mentioned, this week is focused solely on playboating. The students will be competing in the NOC Shoot-out this weekend, up against all the playboating superstars. (I’ll be sure to post the results!) After many hours of practice on the NOC wave this week, I’m confident that they will do great! The wave here is a bit special – it is a man made wave, formed by a collective effort of throwing rocks into the river. There is even a sign posted which reads, “Please do not change the wave!” There will also be an attainment (upriver) race, which some of the staff are competing in.

    The group is getting along great. We are taking advantage of this excellent group space to play evening games of Catan and Scrabble. Last night we celebrated Alex Anderson’s 16th birthday with a German chocolate cake. All the students are upbeat and excited about this weekend’s competition.

    Our base here is somewhat of a traveling-teacher’s dream, with tables and quiet study space galore. Several students are working on cool projects to break up the monotony of indoor work, such as Tino’s survival class, which is stirring up some fresh, country apple jam!

    I hope everyone is doing well back home, and be sure to check back after the weekend for competition results.

    Callie

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    Our First Week Back

    Sunday, April 11th, 2010
    Our first week back is rolling right along; we all returned well-rested and excited to be back among our friends. We spent the first four days at Dave’s place in Fayetteville, getting back into the groove while some kids scurried to finish up those homework assignments that never got done over break.
     
    Perhaps our biggest change this quarter is that we are again cooking for ourselves! Each cooking team consists of a teacher and two students, who are responsible for three meals on rotation. I must say that my favorite meal of last week was my own teriyaki chicken and twice-baked cheesy potatoes, but it’s possible that I’m a bit biased. Andy Kirby, Alex Anderson and Matti Hill also did an awesome job on their homemade, grilled pizza. Although this is my first quarter cooking with the staff, I have already heard rumors of Tino’s famous “mancakes” – apparently it’s the only thing he makes for breakfast. But, they are delicious, and as Tino says, “at least they’re consistent!”
     
    Aside from food, the kids had a blast playboating on the New. There are two playwaves, one is a wave, one is more of a hole. The students were able to spend a lot of time on both, throwing loops and other tricks from their seemingly endless bags. Many of the students are thrilled to be back in a quarter mostly dominated by playboating.
     
    This weekend is certainly going to be the highlight of this week- we are currently in Suwanee, Georgia, staying at Ken Cote’s house. We are so thankful to Taylor and her dad for letting us crash here, it is super relaxing to be able to stay in a comfortable house while on the road. Everyone is out running the Tallulah today. This is an extra special event, because the Tallulah runs only by scheduled release five or six times a year. The Tallulah Gorge is a unique feature in the Southeast because of the impressively deep gorge and granite riverbed. Many claim it to be the most strikingly beautiful whitewater run in North America. The put-in is accessible solely via 500 Forest Service-constructed stairs.
     
    Tomorrow, after back-to-back runs on the Tallulah, we will head north to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where we will set up camp for a week. The highlight of our stay at NOC will be perfecting our moves for an upcoming freestyle competition.
     
    Callie.
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    Clothing Drive

    Monday, March 15th, 2010

    As you know, we are in a country that experienced a national disaster. Lucky for us, we were too far south to notice much, but the story is different for many Chileans. In Santiago alone, over 600 people have been displaced. Imagine losing your home, wondering about the location of loved ones, and on top of that, having nothing to wear or eat. We all want to do what we can to contribute to disaster relief; we discussed taking the entire school north to help out with some serious projects, such as rubble removal. But after careful consideration, due to continuing aftershocks and travel conditions from road damage, staff decided that it would be unwise to bring our students directly into a disaster zone. So this is what we did instead!

    On our first day back in Pucon, we all headed into town, to the local Red Cross, to assemble care packages for the victims of the earthquake. We put together boxes stuffed with clothes and bags bursting with food to be shipped up north. We were given giant sacks of random clothing and divided the clothes into individual outfits to be bagged and distributed. It was actually fun to sift through the clothing, some of it outdated and outrageous, and piece together whole ensembles. It was a lovely group activity that further helped us acknowledge how grateful we are that the earthquake did not affect us personally. I am thrilled that we managed to give back even just a tiny bit to a country that has given us so much.

    Tomorrow is our last day of school!!! Time has whipped past us… we will all be seeing you soon!

    Callie

    Alex Anderson wonders if this is donation-appropriate

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    Finishing First on the Futaleufu!

    Sunday, March 7th, 2010

    (c) Matt Smink; Chase and Taylor on the Futa

    (c) Matt Smink; on the ferry

    We have had an exciting past couple of days down here at the Futa! We are in the midst of Futa Fest, a three-day event involving boaters and rafters from all over the globe. New River Academy is dominating! The first event yesterday was a downriver race, in the Puente a Puente, or bridge to bridge, section. Eric came in first in the playboat category, and Katie won the ladies playboat category. Then, to the dismay of the Peruvian National Team who came in second, Lorenzo, Andy, Tino, Stephen and David won the raft race! Our team, complete with two guys who have never been in a raft, beat the best of Peru! Pretty exciting. Needless to say, we are so proud of everyone. The kids are out ‘throwing down’ in the freestyle competition right now.

     School, while not as exciting as winning races, is going well. We are gearing up for finals week, which will begin in Pucon. Tomorrow is the last day at our incredible campsite on the Futa, then we embark on the long haul north! Until then, we will soak up this experience – sleeping in hammocks so close to the Futa that we practically get our toes wet, waking to the sound of cows and horses promenading past, and reading our favorite books beneath the endless rolling hills.

     I can´t believe that we are flying back to the states in 10 days – all the kids can’t wait to tear into some real American pizza…

    Callie

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New River Academy
Rt. 2 Box 245
Fayetteville, WV 25484
(304)- 574-0403
Fax: (304) 513-2247
New River Academy

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