Kristen Downey - Thetford Academy

Academics News Uncategorized

Proficiency-based Grading: A New Way to Think About Skills, Progress, and Grades

As we transition to a new student information system and grading platform, some of our TA educators are using the opportunity to shift how they track and report student progress in their classes – in other words, how they grade. One important new capability for us in Alma is the…

Kristen DowneySeptember 26, 2024

Academics News Parents

What Are You Reading This Summer? TA Teachers Share Their Picks

In the spirit of continuous growth, learning, and for the simple joy of reading on a summer afternoon, Thetford Academy's faculty members almost always have a book in progress over the summer break. What are they reading this year? The list below reflects the breadth of our teachers' interests and…

Kristen DowneyJune 26, 2024

Academics News Parents Student Life

Students Wrap Up Semester with Culminating Projects

As the year draws to a close, Thetford Academy's teachers continue to design rich learning experiences for students. Culminating projects are designed to bring together the ideas, information, and skills students have learned over the course of the semester and put that learning into practice. For example, in Scott Ellis’s…

Kristen DowneyJune 13, 2024

Academics News Student Life

Eighth Grade Travels to Montreal in Return of TA Tradition

The annual middle school trip is a longstanding TA tradition, designed to build class community and provide students hands-on learning experiences in new places. It's been a few years, though, since our students have had the opportunity to travel together. This year's eighth grade team was determined to bring the…

Kristen DowneyMay 2, 2024

Academics Counseling Head of School News Parents

Portfolios & Roundtables: Students Reflect on Their Learning and Growth

Students have so many experiences over the course of their years at TA – internships, sports, clubs, challenging courses, theater, music, outdoor activities – it’s easy to believe that these experiences alone are enough to foster learning and growth. In Outward Bound’s early days, instructor Rusty Baille famously agreed: “Let the…

Kristen DowneyApril 9, 2024

Academics News Parents

Teaching Students to Have “Good Arguments” Through Debate

Many people visualize debate as contests between loud, dominating players, pushing their own point of view. I used to visualize this myself. But as Bo Seo, former coach of the Harvard College Debating Union, writes in his book, Good Arguments: “...there has never been a better time to debate. The…

Kristen DowneyFebruary 15, 2024

Academics News Outdoor Education Parents

Class of 2028 Heads to Hulbert for Overnight Adventure

It was a cold January morning when the Class of 2028 arrived at TA with stuffed backpacks, snow pants, and gear - some nervous, some excited, all curious. They would soon board the waiting school bus and depart to the Hulbert Outdoor Center in Fairlee, VT, just 20 minutes away,…

Kristen DowneyFebruary 5, 2024

Academics News Parents

Students Reflect on a Semester of Deeper Learning

"We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience," ~ John Dewey It’s January, and although teachers and students alike are eagerly anticipating the change of the semester and all it promises (new classes, new classmates, clean slates), Final Exam and Projects week is an exciting time…

Kristen DowneyJanuary 18, 2024

Academics News

Teachers Assess Writing Skills through Argumentation Exercise

On a cool in-service morning last Friday, English and social studies teachers gathered together with snacks and coffee to read and discuss what ninth graders thought about a potential ban on cell phones at TA. “The idea of banning phone usage throughout the school is ultimately bizarre,” one student wrote.…

Kristen DowneyOctober 12, 2023

Academics News Parents

Faculty In-Service Strengthens Professional Community

The school year, in my mind, is a series of rituals that mark time: the first day of school, Mountain Day, Founders' Day, graduation, to name a few. August teacher in-service is a ritual, too, designed to both mark and make time for socializing with colleagues, learning new skills, getting…

Kristen DowneyAugust 31, 2023

Proficiency-based Grading: A New Way to Think About Skills, Progress, and Grades

What Are You Reading This Summer? TA Teachers Share Their Picks

Students Wrap Up Semester with Culminating Projects

Eighth Grade Travels to Montreal in Return of TA Tradition

Portfolios & Roundtables: Students Reflect on Their Learning and Growth

Teaching Students to Have “Good Arguments” Through Debate

Class of 2028 Heads to Hulbert for Overnight Adventure

Students Reflect on a Semester of Deeper Learning

Teachers Assess Writing Skills through Argumentation Exercise

Faculty In-Service Strengthens Professional Community

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