Head of School Weekly Email: Awesome Opportunities – Winter, Spring & Summer
January 19, 2024
Dear TA Families,
The start of the new year can be a good time to set new intentions and goals, and consider opportunities to pursue. This week’s email features extracurricular programs for middle school and high school students in the upcoming seasons, including a winter circus camp coming right up over February break, spring sports at TA on the horizon, summer TOP trips, and more.
These programs welcome all levels, from expert to novice, and we encourage students to get involved!
Winter Circus Camp: The Upper Valley Circus Collective is thrilled to bring their Winter Camp to Thetford, VT in February. UVCC programs introduce participants of all ages and abilities to a variety of circus skills while also increasing their confidence, strength, flexibility, individual talents, team building and social skills – and are a lot of FUN! Skills include: acro/tumbling, aerial arts (fabric, lyra, sling, trapeze), juggling, diablo, devil sticks, plate spinning, pyramids, tightwire, rola bola, hula hoops, stilts, unicycle and clowning. The camp runs February 26 – March 1 at Thetford Elementary School. Students ages 8-18 can participate. Learn more and registe HERE.
Spring Film & Media Club @ JAM: Another community partner of ours is sponsoring afterschool programs for students: Junction Arts Media, or JAM, is promoting the spring session of their film and media making club for students in grades 5-9, March 20-May 22. For more info and registration links: uvjam.org/film-club. JAM also has a high school media fellowship program, which students can learn more about here: uvjam.org/jam-high-school-media-fellows.
Spring Sports @ TA: TA Director of Athletics & Activities Bri Barnes sent an early email to students and families on December 28 announcing the opening of spring sports registration and will be in touch again next week with more details.
TOP Summer Leadership Program: It might seem early, with all this snow on the ground and the chilly temps of January, but summer programs start enrolling at this time of year – including TOP leadership trips and activities. A flyer will go home with report cards next week and all of the info is online too: thetfordacademy.org/academics/thetford-outdoor-program/top-summer. TA contact: [email protected]
Continuing with the theme of pursuing opportunities and getting involved, exploring new interests and deepening established ones …
We will resume club time and office hours next week during Power Hour on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Check in with your student about how they used their time during the weekly ‘sign-up’ days last semester and what their intentions are for the new year.
And, congrats & best of luck to those pursuing their passions in current programs right now! Read about the latest triumphs of our robotics team here. Come cheer on our basketball teams at their next home games in the Vaughan Alumni Gymnasium: Boys V/JV tonight, MS on Tuesday 1/23 (boys and girls), and Girls V/JV on Thursday 1/25. Best of luck to the debate team, who head to Burr & Burton Academy on Saturday for a VT/NH meet. The community is invited to AVA Gallery’s high school exhibit opening tonight from 5-7pm, including the work of 10 TA artists. We wish our skiers speed as their season takes off with another meet at Bromley Mountain on Tuesday.
Go, Panthers!
Upcoming dates of note:
- Jan. 22 – College Info Session for Juniors & Families: LINK
- Jan. 22-23 – 8th Grade Overnight @ Hulbert Outdoor Center
- Jan. 23 – Report cards go home with students
- Jan. 26 – Half-day schedule for students; dismissal at 12:10pm
- Jan. 27 – Indoor Track State Meet @ UVM
- Feb. 2 – Founders’ Day
Enjoy the snow. Stay warm.
Wishing everyone a good weekend,
Carrie Brennan, Head of School