Advanced Courses

Dartmouth College’s Community High School Program is open to area high school seniors (during fall, winter, and spring terms) and juniors (during winter and spring terms) who have exhausted all possible classes within their field of interest at their high school. All students are recommended by a high school principal, guidance counselor, or other school official with responsibility for the program at their school.

Challenge Courses give Thetford Academy students the opportunity to dive deeply into a topic of interest. Any topic not currently offered in TA’s curriculum will be considered for credit approval. In a Challenge Course, students design and plan their own course of study, and gain experience in time and task management, project planning, self-direction, and effective communication. All Challenge Course Students are required to give a final presentation about their project. For more information, and to begin the process of writing a Challenge Course Proposal, students should see their school counselor.

Honors courses are offered at the high school level across the curriculum. Designed to challenge advanced learners, these courses prepare students for college-level work. Students can also pursue embedded honors in a variety of other core classes. Students contract with their teachers to complete a rigorous program of study that supplements the standard curriculum. Upon successful completion, the honors credit is noted on a student’s transcript.

Recent honors and embedded honors courses can be viewed in the School Profile. Course list is subject to change. Consult with school counselor for the most up-to-date offerings.

Dual enrollment enables juniors and seniors who are Vermont residents to access up to two college courses (including online courses) with participating colleges and universities at no charge. Students are responsible for paying for textbooks, lab fees, and other materials and supplies associated with the course. With approval from the Counseling Office, dual enrollment classes can be taken for high school elective credit.

The Thetford Outdoor Program offers a two part class, taking place over the fall and spring semesters. Each class is a half-day, interdisciplinary course that covers a wide range of topics with an emphasis on outdoor, experiential, self-directed, project-based learning, and recreation. 80% of class time will take place outside, with multiple field trips to enhance learning. The curriculum takes advantage of Thetford Academy’s vast natural resources to educate the mind, body, and soul of each student.

Ecological Literacy and Outdoor Education (Fall Semester)
Students will learn how to read a forest through outdoor exploration, advanced relevant texts and creative writing projects. In addition, students will gain PE and Elective credit through disc golf, teambuilding, trail maintenance, and self reliance including an overnight experience. A variety of fiction and nonfiction texts will be covered.

Students can elect to add an embedded honors credit to the English component of this course. This entails additional and amplified work on selected sections of the English curriculum.

Environmental Science and Outdoor Education (Spring Semester)
Students will learn about wilderness first aid, snow science, forest ecology, carbon sequestration, maple sugaring, disc golf, teambuilding, trail maintenance, fluvial dynamics, and self reliance including an overnight experience.

Students can elect to add an embedded honors credit to the Science component of this course. This entails additional and amplified work on selected sections of the Science curriculum.

Students interested in enrolling in either interdisciplinary course must apply and provide a reference to demonstrate their readiness to take full advantage of the unique learning environment of the class(es) and their ability to be a self-directed learner.

Students interested in spending part of their high school career in another location are invited to explore study abroad and semester away programs. Programs that TA students have pursued include the Mountain School, the Alzar School, AFS, and the Maine Coast Semester at the Chewonki School. Taking advantage of this opportunity requires that students map out a graduation plan that provides room for this kind of experience. Students wishing to pursue study abroad must consult with the Counseling Office.