TA Celebrates (Belated) Birthday with 79th Annual Founders’ Day – Link To Photos
March 15, 2022
CLICK HERE FOR FOUNDERS’ DAY PHOTOS!
Last Friday, Thetford Academy celebrated its 203rd birthday. Founders’ Day, now in its 79th year, was postponed from its traditional February date as a Covid precaution. The shift to March had advantages (it was MUCH warmer and the sun even came out!) and disadvantages (snow was scarce for snow sculptures and float races), but in true TA fashion – the community came together to make it work.
On Wednesday and Thursday, every corner of the campus was filled with students planning and creating with their Founders’ Day committees. The theme this year was “decades,” with each class choosing a different decade to represent with their floats, murals, banners, cookies, skits, costumes and crowns, ice sculptures, and centerpieces. Students chose the 1920’s (2024), the 1960’s (2023), 70’s (2025), and 80’s (2022). The middle school took the more recent decades: the 90’s (2027) and the 2010’s (2026).
On Founders’ Day itself, TA hosted the traditional opening ceremony outdoors on the front steps of the White Building. With the whole school gathered on TA’s front lawn, Head of School Carrie Brennan told the story of the Great Fire and the community effort to rebuild. TA celebrated its first Founders’ Day after the reopening and TA’s 125th birthday and the opening ceremony candle lighting tradition begun by Carl Anderson in 1944 remains the same today.
The solemnity of the opening ceremony is an important community moment of reflection that leads into a fun day of celebration, friendly competition, and camaraderie. As for the competition, the final results are below. Big thanks to our esteemed community judges: Liam Gundlach ’15, Sarah Adams ’01, Jane Chambers, Erin Webster-Chambers, Blythe Keane, Liz Ryan Cole, and Karen Martin. Happy Birthday, TA!
RESULTS
Upper Division: Seniors 852, Juniors 757
Middle Division: Sophomores 853, Freshmen 733
Lower Division: Grade 8 737, Grade 7 852