TA News

Dear TA Families,

This week had some twists and turns we weren’t expecting. Boy, how we have all had to learn how to be adaptable over the last two years! I hope today’s snow day brought everyone a little extra something special: joy • rest • fun • free time • ski time • fill in the blank • all of the above.

Community Day Recap

The weather cooperated on Wednesday to allow for lots of winter outdoor activities. Spending time outside was one of our goals for Community Days this year, as part of our larger intention to maintain some of the positive routines we created in pods last year. Spending time outside during the pandemic has brought us closer together as a community, helped us prioritize our health and well-being, and reminded us that having fun and enjoying one another’s company should be an integral part of the school experience.

Another major goal of Community Days this year was to provide extended time in advisory for students to work on their portfolios and personalized learning plans (PLP). On Wednesday students continued to document and reflect on high points of their learning this school year by adding pieces of evidence to their portfolio. Students also started to plan ahead to present their portfolios on April 6 in a roundtable format. Parents will be invited to attend; more details to come. For now, check out the portfolio checklist for February and/or the instructional video created by faculty member Rebecca Walter to get a deeper sense of what students are doing.

Clubs & Activities for 2nd Semester

• Coming right up on Feb. 16 is Poetry Out Loud. This is a recitation contest for students in grades 9-12. Pick a favorite poem (from those listed on this website) and recite/perform it. All students who are interested in participating should send Mr. Deffner or Ms. Silver an email by Tuesday, Feb. 8 to sign up. The event will take place after school in the MJR Theater on Feb. 16.
• The 2nd Semester Club Fair will take place during both halves of Power Hour on Tuesday, Feb. 8 in the gym. Come check out what clubs at TA are accomplishing, creating, doing, leading. There is something for everyone and dedicated time for clubs every Friday during Power Hour.

Community Event Invitations
Here are two upcoming events shared with us by TA alumni parents that might be of interest to some of you:

• Invitation from Dave Chapman: Participate in part 2 of the Real Organic Symposium (virtual event) this Sunday, February 6, 3-5PM EST. The session this week, called “Protecting Organic,” brings together the farmers and eaters who are building a saner agriculture for a better future. More details and registration link.
• Invitation from Sarah Martel: Attend the Thetford Housing Committee’s next forum on Wednesday, February 9 at 7pm via Zoom. The theme is “Why Housing Matters” and the speakers are Anya Gendel from The Family Place and Joann Erenhouse from Senior Solutions. More details and zoom link available on the Thetford town website.

Calendar Reminders

• TA will be on break Feb. 21-25
• Founders Day was postponed from Feb. 4 to March 11; as part of the rescheduling, the half day in March will move from March 2 to March 9 and serve as a Founders’ Day prep day.

Enjoy the snowy expanse outside this weekend!

Carrie Brennan, Head of School

Featured photos: The agenda for Community Day on Feb. 2 included time for work and time for play – all in community with classmates.