Head of School Weekly Email: 2022-23 Calendar, 9th Grade Orientation, ODW & Other School News
April 16, 2022
Dear TA Families,
Yesterday’s sunny skies and warm temps meant an increasing amount of outside activity during the school day. The garden, the quad, the athletic fields, the Anderson picnic tables, the trails, the yurt, and the outdoor classroom all provided outdoor spaces for classes, clubs, and lunchtime gatherings. We look forward to more of this to come!
School Calendar Overview
Spring break for TA is still a week away, April 25-29. Many have inquired why the break is late this year and why school vacations in the Upper Valley don’t all align. Setting and aligning school calendars is a tricky business and one that will never satisfy all stakeholders. We are obligated to coordinate regionally (per VT statute), and for TA that means collaborating with our neighbors to the north, primarily Orange East Supervisory Union which includes the town of Thetford, and other neighboring districts such as Rivendell who share resources such as tech centers and transportation providers. (Why all districts/SUs throughout the state don’t just choose the same week in April, I do not know – but how convenient it would be if they did!)
Looking ahead to next year, TA’s school calendar for 2022-23 is finalized and attached for your review. Main events for next year have been added to our online calendar and we will send home a paper copy with final report cards in June. For those interested in a more indepth look at the calendar process, here is a list of factors – link.
High School Orientation for Next Year’s 9th Grade
On Tuesday April 19, from 5:30-6:30pm, the TA counseling department is hosting an online event for next year’s 9th graders and their families. This session will be an orientation for current TA middle schoolers as well as incoming 9th graders from sending schools regarding the TA high school academic program and provide helpful information in the course registration process. Contact TA Counselor & Enrollment Coordinator Molly Dugan-Sullivan for more information.
New Student Enrollment for 2022-2023
TA continues to enroll new students for Fall 2022, with a few openings remaining in the 7th and 9th grades. We look forward to hosting 8th graders from Waits River Valley School and 6th graders from Thetford Elementary School and showcasing TA at a high school fair at the Weathersfield School, all in the next few weeks. Please encourage families in your networks who are considering TA to complete the enrollment process right away, if they have not yet done so. Resources for next steps include the TA website and TA Counselor & Enrollment Coordinator Molly Dugan-Sullivan.
State Testing Update
Students in 7th, 8th, and 9th grades have now completed the English/Language Arts and Mathematics portions of the Vermont-required SBAC testing. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and participation. Students in 8th and 11th grades will take the science portion of the test next Thursday and Friday. Reminder: Only TA laptops can be used to access the state testing portal. 8th and 11th graders who have a TA-issued chromebook or Macbook must bring it to the science testing next week.
Operation Day’s Work (ODW) Returns
Thetford Academy will once again be participating in an international youth-led initiative to raise funds for children’s causes in the developing world, called ‘Operation Day’s Work’. ODW will take place on May 4. TA students will head out in work crews to sites throughout our community to provide labor for which participating ’employers’ will compensate the students and all proceeds will be directed to ODW charities. The TA ODW student leaders have selected the Kenyan Schoolhouse Project, the Creche Project of India, and the Zimbabwe Greenhouse Project as the recipients of this year’s funds. For more information and to request to hire a team of TA students for ODW, contact faculty advisor Luke Teschner, [email protected], or the student organizers at [email protected].
Wishing those who celebrate Easter or Passover cherished time with family this holiday weekend,
Carrie Brennan, Head of School
Featured photos: Ninth graders took to the quad on Friday to test their group’s catapult designs. Power hour brought many outside, including middle schoolers and Mr. Deffner competing in a mean game of corn hole.
