TA News

Thetford Academy varsity boys take on Lake Region on September 23, 2024. Photo by Lizzie Brown

Dear TA Families,

Earlier this week we passed the midway mark for Quarter 1. Hard to believe we are already 4+ weeks into the school year! I hope your student is into the flow of the semester and feeling steady in their routines.

Q1 progress and grades

At this point, every student should be comfortable accessing our new student information system to check their grades and sign up weekly for clubs and activities. We routinely use Alma in advisory for these tasks. We encourage students and families to review their grades and progress in classes this weekend as a way to gauge mid-quarter growth and performance. Please reach out to teachers – or encourage your student to – if there are questions about assignments. Students can also sign up to see teachers during office hours on Wednesday and Thursday (every week). 

Approximately a third of our classroom teachers have shifted to proficiency-based grading this year, which is a new approach for many students (and families). Learn more about proficiency-based grading in this post by our Teaching and Learning Coordinator Kristen Downey – and talk with your student to better understand how this is working in their particular classes. 

Completing the registration process

Speaking of Alma, we are still working toward getting 100% of TA families to complete the online registration process for 2024-25. This is an essential step to ensure that the school has all of the information we need for each student, including updated parent/guardian info, emergency contacts, town residency forms, and more. The first step is to log into Alma. Please connect with Office Manager Gloria Konicki, [email protected], if you have questions or need support. Link to Alma: https://thetfordacademy.getalma.com.

Weekend events – all invited!

Join us on campus tomorrow Sept. 28 at 11am for a varsity girls soccer game against Montpelier. Come back next Saturday Oct. 5 for the big Woods Trail Cross-Country Meet. Details about race times are posted here: https://lancertiming.com/thetford/schedule.htm. If you’ve never been to a Woods Trail event, make it a priority this fall! 

Welcome dance tonight!

The 80s-themed dance is hosted by the Class of 2025 and takes place at TA from 7:30-9:30pm. All students are invited, grades 7 through 12. The dance is a fundraiser for the seniors; there is an entrance fee and food for sale. Look for more details sent to students and parents earlier today from Dean of Students Siobhan Lopez.

Europe trip is a go!

A group of TA students and faculty will be traveling to France and Spain over spring break. There is still room for more to join in the fun! Deadline for sign-ups is September 30 to secure the current pricing. These slides explain how to enroll your student through the trip company Explorica. Questions? Contact trip leader and French teacher Karen Heinzmann, [email protected].

Best of luck to our panther athletes competing right now – the boys JV and Varsity soccer teams are up against Montpelier at 4pm and the high school cross-country team traveled to Woodstock for a regional meet this afternoon.

Wishing everyone a beautiful fall weekend,

Carrie Brennan, Head of School

Featured photos this week: A few recent images of activities around campus – clubs, classes, and sports.