TA News

Dear TA Families & Students,

Semester 2 is humming along. Here are some key highlights to share, as we reflect back to the first few weeks of February and look ahead to the month of March.

• ACADEMICS: When we return from break on Monday, March 1, we will fully implement our new schedule with classes meeting in person, one block per day throughout the school week on pod days. We have gone over this change and students should know what to expect, but please reach out to your pod leader or Dean of Students Siobhan Lopez with any lingering questions. For a refresher, you might look back at my weekly email on January 21 that included an informational video (HOS weekly emails are archived on our website: www.thetfordacademy.org/remote-ta/fall-2020). Or check out this new shorter video students viewed yesterday: March 1 – Here we go!

• ATHLETICS: We have had a slow, steady and COVID-compliant start to our winter sports season. The nordic club is having a super year with over 10% of TA students participating in the program. Students are out on the well-groomed TA trails skiing three days a week. The alpine team trains hard each week at Pico Mountain and Storrs Hill. They had their first meet at Suicide Six on February 9 and turned out some strong performances. Competitions just started for basketball, with our teams’ first games earlier this week. The varsity girls are 2-0, while the varsity boys lost their first match-up in a close, well-played game. No audiences are allowed, so check out livestream game coverage on the TA YouTube page.

• THE ARTS: With our ‘despite COVID / yes we can!’ Panther spirit, TA continued its tradition of participating in the national Poetry Out Loud competition. A group of 9 high schoolers performed their poems at the outdoor classroom on Feb. 11 in chilly temps before an audience of community volunteer judges. Seniors Eloise Silver VanMeter and Dylan Moody A’Ness took top honors. On the visual arts front, congratulations to all 11 TA student artists whose work was selected for AVA Gallery’s annual high school exhibition. The show is open through Feb. 26. Lastly, check out our student musicians in this beautiful virtual winter concert, assembled by Instrumental Music Teacher Whit VanMeter: link to concert video.

For more photos and updates on these highlights and more, visit the TA Today page on our website and follow TA on Facebook and Instagram! 

Next week is February break for Thetford Academy and most Vermont schools. We hope everyone gets some down time, family time, snow time – whatever kind of time you need to recharge. Please remember to follow Vermont state COVID guidelines and prevention practices over break. We need to continue to be disciplined and dedicated to minimizing community spread, so that our schools can continue to be safe places for students and educators.

Be safe. Have fun.

Carrie Brennan, Head of School