Seven Hills Crotched Mountain School and Village continues to make progress in rebuilding enrollment, programming, and campus infrastructure, according to Deborah Tighe, director of development.
After reaching a significant benchmark of 50 students earlier this year, the school is now on track to record an enrollment of 63 students, Tighe said.
The staff and students recently participated in the Flutie 5K, raising $18,000 for the school. The event was the school’s first official fundraiser since coming under Seven Hills’ ownership.
“This event jump-started the rebuilding of our donor base and renewed community investment in our mission,” Tighe stated. “A very special thank you to Ray Cilley and Spring Pond Farm for generously sponsoring our on-campus race for the kids. Your support brought joy, excitement, and an unforgettable day to our students.”
Crotched Mountain School, also known as the Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center, was founded in 1953 by philanthropist Harry Gregg, who was descended from one of the first Colonial families to settle Greenfield, and Dr. Ezra Jones, an orthopedic surgeon who specialized in treating children with polio. The school has gone through many iterations, including years as a school for the deaf.
Along with its long history, the campus also inherited a complicated name. After nearly 80 years, locals continue to refer to the Greenfield institution simply as Crotched Mountain School. While the former Crotched Mountain Foundation, which operated the campus until 2020, still owns much of the surrounding acreage, the foundation is now based in Manchester.
The school and foundation are not affiliated with the Crotched Mountain Ski Area — officially Crotched Ski & Ride — now owned by Vail Resorts. Locals also still refer to the former Crotched Mountain Inn, now operating as the Blue Bear Inn.
Today, Seven Hills CMSV serves children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder and other complex needs.
A few weeks ago, a delegation of New Hampshire legislators visited the campus to learn about recent progress and program development. One initiative is the planned return of the adaptive skiing program. Local skiers remember the CMARS program that ran for decades at Crotched Mountain Ski & Ride. According to Tighe, Seven Hills is looking to launch a program with either Crotched Mountain Ski & Ride or Pat’s Peak in Henniker.
The school also will start hosting recreational therapy interns from UNH to strengthen the pipeline for future therapists while expanding therapeutic support for students, Tighe said. The campus also recently hosted the Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy, a UNH-affiliated program, and will be evaluating the possibility of bringing equine therapy to Seven Hills students.
In October, Seven Hills students had a visit from Francestown’s Morphs and Milestones, a nonprofit that uses rescued and rehabilitated reptiles in education and therapies for individuals with special needs. According to Morphs and Milestones founder Nate Monty, the reptiles seem to have a special bond with children who, like reptiles, cannot easily express themselves or communicate in ways that other people can readily understand.
Seven Hills students also competed in the Special Olympics this fall. Now that the campus bowling alley is operational again, Seven Hills students were able to practice on site and had a strong showing in the competition.
According to Tighe, when Seven Hills purchased the 70-year-old mountaintop campus from Gersh Autism, the previous owner, it was in disrepair. Seven Hills has spent millions of dollars on repairs and renovations. Some buildings, including the former daycare center, could not be saved and were burned by the Greenfield Fire Department for training.
The school is still working to get the olympic-sized swimming pool — the only indoor pool in the region — open to the public.
Recent upgrades include installation of streetlights on Terrian Way, improving visibility and safety in the residential area where students live, and a new, campus-wide heating system. HVAC improvements are also underway in the main building for better air quality and climate control.
Most recently, Santa came to Seven Hills to visit with students and staff.
For information, visit sevenhills.org/crotched-mountain-school.
