The Alta School - Little Cottonwood Canyon’s one-room school for alpine academics.
Alta, by nature, provides education of all forms to those who spend their lives in its territory. Individuals from all walks of life gather to experience rugged adventure in the northern parts of Little Cottonwood Canyon and learn their life lessons, with great tales to follow. While the mountains themselves might be the greatest teacher, the Town of Alta also has a formal education system of its own—the Alta School.
Alpine Academia
The Alta School was established in 2002 when it became evident that local education was needed for the children of those who lived and worked in Little Cottonwood Canyon. At the time, the district could not provide a bus and families received a stipend from the local school district to drive their kids down the canyon for school. When this transportation became impractical, the Jordan School District agreed to start searching for a full-time teacher. Enter Jaeann Tschiffely, who was living in Colorado at the time she applied for the new role. Shortly thereafter, an old storage room at The Goldminer’s Daughter Lodge was being cleared out and remodeled into a one-room school and Jeanne became the first teacher of the Alta School. Her inaugural class consisted of eight students, which quickly grew to 18 by the time snow started to fall. This seasonal growth is commonplace at the Alta School, as the student body typically consists of the children of those who work seasonally at Alta Ski Area, Snowbird Resort, Powderbird Helicopter Skiing, the local lodges, and other businesses in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
At the time of its inception, the Alta School was funded with an innovative grant on a three-year probationary period. The Mayor of the Town of Alta invited the Salt Lake School Board to dinner at the Alta Lodge. They were quickly won over, voting early on to make the school permanent. Jaeann recalled the splendor of that time, stating that this pivotal vote meant “we were able to have a future.” At the time, the Alta School was a part of the Jordan School District. Following a split in 2007, it is now part of the Canyons District.
Jaeann Tschiffely was the primary teacher at the Alta School for nine years, at times assisted by Nicole Lemire. After graduating college with a degree in Elementary and Special Education, Nicole had moved to Alta in 2005. Her sister had been working at the Rustler Lodge and encouraged her to follow, even just for a season. Not surprisingly, Nicole stayed longer than just one season.
Following a few winters of living and working in Alta, Nicole introduced herself to the Alta School. Jaeann offered the opportunity to begin substitute teaching. After leaving Alta, Nicole began teaching first grade in Salt Lake City. Five years later, Nicole bumped into Sara Gibbs, Alta Community Enrichment’s Executive Director, who informed her that the Alta School was looking for a new full-time teacher. Nicole applied and was offered the position, becoming the teacher in the 2012-13 school year.
Nicole would carry on to teach for 10 years at the Alta School, before passing the role back to Jaeann for the 2021-22 school year.
One-Room Classroom
The Alta School is not your typical classroom setting. Nestled in the heart of the Wasatch Mountains, the one-room classroom is located inside the Goldminer’s Daughter Lodge, adjacent to the illustrious Alta Ski Area. Thirteen miles east of the Salt Lake Valley, its location lends itself to magnificent scenery and, at times, treacherous weather conditions.
Given this unique and demanding location, attendance provides a bit of a challenge. The student body fluctuates throughout the year, typically averaging 12 students, but ranging from 5 to 21 students at any given time. These students are from all different grades and educational backgrounds. Many of the children begin their school year at another school before finishing at the Alta School as their parents' employment dictates. While a number of students live in Little Cottonwood Canyon, the majority commute from the Valley with their parents, attending class during work hours.
Little Cottonwood Canyon is known for its frequent road closures due to avalanches, traffic, and inclement weather. This combination has made attendance more difficult through the years. It is safe to assume that the students of the Alta School have a few more snow days than their peers in the valley.
Nicole noted that the onset of the pandemic made virtual learning more commonplace, which was extremely beneficial for the Alta School. On days when the students and teacher could not all gather in the classroom due to weather, they were able to meet online. Virtual learning allowed the Alta School to stay on track with its curriculum and also provided the children with a sense of community, even on days when they didn’t meet. For example, this past winter, Little Cottonwood Canyon experienced a three-day Interlodge. Due to the threat of avalanches, everyone in the Town of Alta was legally required to shelter in place and could not leave their buildings. Nicole explained the value of virtual learning, stating “during that time, as kids got restless, we could have a check-in on Google Meet“.
The term “one-room school” encompasses more than just the physical locality. This means that all of the students must learn together, regardless of age or grade level. When asked what the hardest part of teaching in a one-room school was, Nicole replied: ”Time. I was responsible for covering all of their core subjects, plus the special subjects. You could have everything planned, but then, before you knew it the day was over. I had to look at the curriculum and figure out how you could merge some grades together so they each got what they needed to level to the next grade.”
The World’s Best Playground
The Alta School has the world’s best playground, the mountains, where Physical Education takes on a new meaning. During the winter months, students have the opportunity to ski as a class every Friday, made possible by tickets donated by Alta Ski Area and parent volunteers. In addition to regular alpine ski days, Nicole created a cross-country skiing program with the help of an Alta resident. During the spring and fall, students enjoy hiking, biking, soccer, and a variety of alpine adventures. On top of its incredible recreation program, the Alta School has also established a strong fine arts program.
“One highlight for kids, the community, and I was the school play we put on every spring. The play was very bonding for the kids and gave them an opportunity to work as a group collaboratively and take ownership. The kids choreographed, changed lines, picked music, and did the set design with parent support,” said Nicole. Some of their headlining acts included The Lorax, Charlie and Chocolate Factory, and The Jungle Book.
The Alta School is a Family
Both Jaeann and Nicole emphasized that what makes the Alta School special is that it is more than just a class—it’s family. The students spend each day of the school year gathered together in a compact space, with the unique and powerful influence of their peers of various ages and educational levels. The local community is heavily invested in the livelihood and operation of the Alta School. Local arts and culture-focused non-profit, Alta Community Enrichment, states “ACE will continue and enhance our Alta School Outreach Program by providing arts, music, science, language and dance instruction, as well as field trips to the Salt Lake Valley for the remote Alta school. This program ensures that our local school children have access to art and culture all while nurturing a new generation of artists.“
A remarkable collection of students, parents, businesses, and community members work together to ensure that the Alta School prospers and provides the best possible education to those who reside or work in this unique mountain town. The Alta School is a community working together to build up new generations of influential individuals to protect Little Cottonwood Canyon and the world beyond.
Article Author - Milan Norling
Originally from the Southern Coast of California, Milan Norling has been living and recreating in Utah for 5 years now. As the daughter of a Snowbird ski instructor and avid Alta skier, her Little Cottonwood Canyon roots run as deeply as her love for the place. Milan has devoted her passion for marketing to the ski and outdoor industry, and enjoys using her expertise to create unforgettable experiences in nature for others. On any given day, you can expect to find her skiing, hiking, biking, practicing yoga, and enjoying time outside with others. She holds the Little Cottonwood community dear to her heart and is thrilled to join ACE in their mission of creating opportunities for the people of this community to connect and thrive