TA News

Featured photo: The 8th graders took a little time out of their English class today to make some maple sugar snow treats.

Dear TA Families,

I hope students had a good week and are settling into their routines. The start of the new semester is an exciting time of change for high schoolers, as well as a ‘turn a new leaf’ opportunity for middle schoolers. 

Here are some mid-January updates for TA families …

• Semester Report Cards: Report cards Q2 and final semester grades will be distributed to students in advisory on Tuesday 1/24 to bring home to families. Please look for that.
• College Search Process: The Counseling Department hosted the first of a two-part series for juniors and their families last night on preparing for the college search and application timeline. More details and the session recording are here. The next session is on Feb. 16 and features a panel of college representatives.
• TOP Leadership Programs: With a fresh snowfall on the ground today, summer seems a long way off – but it’s a good time to start planning ahead. As TOP Coordinator Scott Ellis outlined in a recent email, registration is now open for summer outdoor programming at TA. All the details are on our website too.
• Robotics Kudos: Congratulations to our TA Robotics Team – all of their groups have qualified for the VT/NH state meet coming up next month! 
• New Employee Introductions: Welcome to Sheila Buzzell, who joins us as a paraprofessional in the special education department, and Jacob Shumate, a long-term substitute teacher in the science and math departments. Additionally, DEI Coordinator Tony Strat-Cortez has expanded his role this semester to take on the mechanical physics class.

Lastly, a quick review of the steps we take to make weather-related decisions. We consult with regional road crews, the bus company, and our closest supervisory union (OESU) to make decisions regarding delays and cancellations. Thetford Elementary School and TA share buses, so our collaboration with OESU is especially important. When there is a delay or cancellation, we use our emergency alert system to notify the TA community via text, calls, and email, with a goal of doing so by 6am.  

Have a good weekend. Enjoy the wintry landscape.

Carrie Brennan, Head of School