TA News

Dear TA Families,

In keeping with the season of giving, our assembly this week featured a variety of clubs and classes generously raising funds and awareness for community needs on both the local and global levels. It was inspiring to have so many student groups modeling our school values of Care, Cooperation, and Diversity! 

• On behalf of the Social Justice Club, Aiden Otterman ’27 and Caroline Watts ’25, promoted an upcoming bake sale fundraiser for the Thetford Food Shelf.
• Culinary Arts Teacher Jennifer Gernhard congratulated the ceramics and cooking for health classes for their success with this year’s ‘Empty Bowl’ project. She announced (‘drumroll, please …’) the amount of money they raised during the TAAA craft fair: $1003! All funds to go toward helping battle food insecurity in our state. Mrs. Gernhard shared the statistic that 2 out of 5 Vermonters are experiencing food insecurity.
• The Operation Day’s Work club announced the school’s selection of the international nonprofit we will support with this year’s service day in May: The Alpha Teens Drop-In Center in Zimbabwe, which focuses on helping teens who are HIV+. (Learn more.) 
• Lastly, Teacher & Club Adviser Stephanie Joyce, along with Ruby Cushman ’29, announced the Upcycle Club’s can tab collection competition, culminating on Founders’ Day in early February. Can tabs will go to David’s House, helping the nonprofit raise funds and keeping aluminum waste out of landfills. 

While these student groups were headlining assembly on Monday, the following individuals were making the news with some impressive accomplishments in recent weeks. Congrats to all three for embodying the school values of Commitment and Excellence! 

• Uly Junker-Boyce ’25 broke a state record in the 55-meter dash at the opening meet of the indoor track season! https://thetfordacademy.org/2024/12/tas-indoor-track-season-opens-at-uvm-uly-junker-boyce-25-sets-state-record/
• Elijah Renner ’26 is the Vermont winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge! His invention, Lymely, which has a public health focus on Lyme disease safety, will be featured at the U.S. Capitol. https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=376
• Nick Smallwood ’27 and his team won the Go for Launch science camp contest and will have their experiment blasted into space to be conducted on the International Space Station! https://www.facebook.com/higherorbits/videos/554320047577891/

During this season of giving, we invite you to participate in Thetford Academy’s annual fund. Our community’s generosity helps to support our diversity of programming. Visit the TA website for more details – and please share the panther spirit with family and friends who might want to participate as well! 

Wishing everyone a wonderful solstice today and a joyful holiday break. We will see everyone back at school on Jan. 2 to welcome in the new year!

p.s. For a look-ahead at special January dates and the end of 1st semester, visit the calendar page on our website. We will follow up with more info in early January.