One Piece at a Time, One Connection at a Time
December 23, 2024
Dear TA Community, Near and Far,
Greetings from Thetford Academy! We’ve had an inspired autumn here on Thetford Hill, savoring the colors and mountain views. We hope you, too, have had a beautiful fall and wish for everyone plenty of warmth and light to take us through the winter season.
We welcomed a large ninth grade class this year. As our 33 TA 8th graders moved up to high school in August, they were joined by 41 new classmates. The class of 2028 is 74 students strong with a dozen different Upper Valley towns represented. So many talents, personalities, and dreams! We love the challenge each fall of bringing together a diverse group from many middle schools to coalesce as one cohort – ensuring each student becomes an essential piece of the puzzle, and the group as a whole makes their impact on the TA community for the next four years (and the future beyond!).
Another highlight this fall is making our campus a phone-free zone during the school day. You might have read about us in VTDigger or heard it on the news – the phone-free decision certainly created a buzz! We are proud of this bold move. Students gather at lunch each day – in circles on the grassy quad, around picnic tables under the Anderson tents, and inside the Panther Cafe – in conversation, no phones in hand, enjoying each other’s company. The lunch hour is one of many daily reminders that this big change was worth it.
Going phone-free, fostering a strong ninth grade cohort – these efforts are part of TA’s longstanding commitment to work hard and work smart at creating a connected learning community and a strong sense of belonging among all students.
I reflected in a recent message to families that we might not be able to ignore how divided our country can feel at times, but we can push against this trend, at least in our small corner of the world. Here on Thetford Hill we practice being in community with people who bring a range of perspectives, experiences, resources, and politics to campus everyday. Seeing our diversity as an asset is one of the things that sets Thetford Academy apart.
We work hard to create a common ground at school – a common ground for our common good.
Building and fostering a sense of community is forever work. It can be hard but also joyful – and is always worth it. I invite you to join us. Your tax-deductible annual fund donation is one piece of the puzzle, one part of the larger whole of how we all contribute to the mission and magic of Thetford Academy.
In community – and with gratitude,
Carrie Brennan, Head of School