THETFORD ACADEMY'S
PARENT, FAMILY & COMMUNITY CALENDAR
January 30 - February 5, 2012
EVENTS THIS WEEK
Tuesday, 1/31 Junior College Night- 6:00 pm
Assembly: ODW
Founder’s Day
Wednesday, 2/1 Guest Speaker: Eric Rwabuhihi ~ 20th Century History
Faculty Office Hours
Friday, 2/3 Spirit Day – True Blue Panthers Feed the Hungry
Menu-at-a-glance
Breakfast Menu served in the Café daily during morning break.
Monday: Chicken or Veggie Burgers, Spicy or Sweet Potato Fries
Tuesday: Mac & Cheese w/ Ham or Not, Peas and Carrots
Wednesday: Chili w/ Cornbread
Thursday: Jambalaya
Friday: Pizza
Monday: Make Your Own Tortilla
TA SPORTS - GO PANTHERS!
Week Ahead in Athletics 1/30/12 – 2/5/12
The Winter seasons are approaching the half way mark. The month of February is packed with events and action from all of our teams. If
you have not seen a game or a race yet this season you have one more
month to catch TA Teams in action during the regular season. Don't
miss the chance to show your Panther Pride this season; find an event
and step out in support of our teams. Below is the schedule for the
week ahead.
Ski team refer to the Team Calendar for changes and updates by Coach Severson
https://sites.google.com/a/thet.net/ta-ski-team/
Monday, January 30
JVG/VG vs Lyndon 5:30/7:00 Breast Cancer Awareness Night – Playing for a cure
Please come out and support the Girls Basketball program while also supporting the fight against Breast Cancer
MSG/MSB @ Blue Mtn 5:30/6:30 Parent Cars per coaches
VB practice 2:15-3:30
JVB Practice 3:30-4:30
Ski Team 2:05 depart for Skiway
Tuesday, January 31
Ski Team 2:05 depart for Skiway
VB Practice 2:15-3:30
JVB Practice 3:30-4:30
JVG/VG Share court 5:00-6:30
6:00 Junior College Night -If players need to leave practice early
please inform your coaches on Monday
MSB 6:00-7:00 @ TES
MSG 7:00-8:15 @ TES
Wednesday, February 1
JVB/VB @ Lamoille 5:30/7:00 Bus @ 2:45
MSG/MSB vs Rivendell 5:30/6:30
VG 3:00-4:30
JVG @ TES for Practice 6:00-7:30
Thursday, February 2
Ski Team race Suicide 6 2:00 Leave at 12:00
JVG/VG @ Montpelier 6:00/7:30 bus @ 3:45
VB-2:15-4:00
JVB 4:00-5:30
MSG 5:30-6:45 @ TA gym Longer Practice from original schedule
MSB 6:45-8:00 @ TA gym Longer practice from original schedule
Friday, February 3
VB-2:15-3:45
JVB 3:45-5:00
VG 5:00-6:30
JVG 6:30-8:00
Ski Team Depart for Skiway 2:05
Saturday, February 4
JVB/VB @ U-32 1:00/2:30 Bus @ 10:45
JVG/VG vs Harwood 1:00/2:30
News and Developments
The Girls Basketball program has designated January 30 vs Lyndon as the game to focus on the fight and awareness towards Breast Cancer. All donations received through out the evening will be donated to a designated cancer research center. Cancer is an ominous opponent and sadly, we all know someone, somewhere, that has been forced to take on the battle of their life. Let’s all step up in a show of support on January 30 to do our part in helping to eliminate this dreadful opposition in thousands of people’s lives. Please stay tuned for more information and we hope to see a huge crowd that night to support our teams and to support the fight against Breast Cancer.
Please mark your calendars for a change of date on the winter sports
awards night: Winter Sports Awards Night will now be Tuesday, March 20 in Vaughan Alumni Gymnasium starting at 6:00pm. This change allows for the completion of all winter sports teams prior to the awards night.
The administrative team is still working on a plan for the weight room to be opened to the community. Progress has been made in many areas but not all issues have been resolved at this time. We are
continuing the effort to make the space available as soon as is safely
and reasonably possible with all factors being considered. Please
stay tuned.
Go Panthers!
Jade Huntington
Dean of Students and Director of Athletics
Thetford Academy
802-785-4805 ext.218
802-222-7615 cell
jade.huntington@thet.net
From the Student Council: Spirit Day!
TA School Spirit Day. . .Friday, February 3rd!! It's TA Day, so show your school spirit by dressing in TA blue and white or clothing with the Thetford logo. Student Council will donate $1.00 to the Vermont Food Bank for every person who dresses up; and if an entire Advisory group dresses up, the donation jumps to $5.00 per person. Advisors, that includes you!
The Vermont Food Bank serves over 86,000 Vermonters in need of food assistance each year. For every $1.00 dollar donated, the Food Bank provides enough food for six meals.
So do the math. . .wearing one TA shirt or jacket or hat on Friday, February 3rd, equals six meals for someone in need; if two of you dress up, that's twelve meals, and on and on! Just imagine if it's an entire Advisory group!
Don't miss this opportunity to show your school spirit and support a great cause--plus you'll be all dressed for the home basketball game that night! Panther on, TA!
Junior College Night
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31: JUNIOR COLLEGE NIGHT FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS
The Counseling Department will host a program at 6:00 p.m. in the Martha Jane Rich Theater for juniors and their families, with information about planning for college and other options after high school. This program will feature representatives from college admissions offices, as well as counselors Marceny Bourne and Mark Pichette. We hope you can come to learn more about the important decisions ahead and ways to get started on your own plans. Families of sophomores are welcome to attend if you wish to get a head start on planning. (Snow date, February 7)
SAT/ACT Prep Course
TA is offering a SAT/ACT prep course to juniors. The class will start Saturday, February 11 at 8:00 a.m. with a pretest, and run Saturday mornings from 9:00-12:00 for 6 weeks through April 7. Students who have taken this course report they feel better prepared for taking the SAT (May or June 2012). The cost is $100.00. Fee waivers are available. Contact Mary, 785-4805 ext. 202 or mary.daum@thet.net, in the Counseling Department for information requests and registration.
ACADEMY NEWS & NOTES:
Please send inquiries or items for the “Academy News & Notes” section to Head of School, Torrelee Fisher-Sass, at torrelee.fisher-sass@thet.net .If you’d like your news included in that week’s Monday edition, please submit no later than the preceding Friday at 2:00 pm.
Guest Speaker at TA This Week
On Wednesday, February 1, Eric Rwabuhihi will return to TA's 20th
Century World History classes to share his insights about the Rwandan genocide, and the connection between that atrocity and Rwanda's colonial past. Mr. Rwabuhihi has become a great friend of our school community, most recently inspiring students in the fall 20th Century classes to raise scholarship funds that are helping to support the education of 11 Rwandan students this spring. We are delighted to welcome Mr. Rwabuhihi back to Thetford Academy.
~ Kelly Ellis, Teacher
UVM Math Contest in March
The annual UVM math contest will be 3/14. Time: TBD
Students will receive their permission forms after February break.
~ Cathy Estes, Math Dept. chair
ISP Host Families Sought for 2012-13
Hello Thetford Academy families!
This coming school year, TA will continue to host several students as part of its International Student Program (ISP). This program provides an exciting opportunity for cultural and academic growth for both Thetford Academy and the community. This year, TA welcomed six students to campus and we look forward to welcoming these students back next year.
How can your family get involved?
Volunteer to host a student during the 2012-2013 school year. Host families and support families will provide students with a wide variety of landscapes, activities, and lifestyles. Host families are flexible, open-minded, come in all sizes, and represent the diversity of American culture. A stipend is provided to families in order to cover students' living costs.
If your family is interested in hosting an international student, or would like more information, please contact TA International Student Program Coordinator Laura Fernandez at laura.fernandez@thet.net.
Laura Fernandez
International Student Program Coordinator
Thetford Academy
laura.fernandez@thet.net
international@thet.net
(802)785-4805 x267
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TEACHING AND LEARNING AT TA:
In this section of the PFC Calendar we offer highlights of the school at work: what’s going on in classrooms, profiles of teachers, descriptions of student projects, and other views of the Academy community engaged in its main business—helping minds to grow.
In and around TA classrooms last week as the new semester began…
The legendary pianist and band leader Duke Ellington once commented that the most important quality he looks for in a musician is someone who knows how to listen. In this spirit, second semester band students with Greg Mellinger have been working hard on developing discriminating listening skills so that they understand intonation, timbre and rhythm as well as what their particular instruments role is in the overall sound of the ensemble. The 52 eager young musicians are beginning to develop a repertoire of music of various styles. The Stage Band is rehearsing musical literature to be played at our upcoming Founders' Day celebration. The band room continues to be a very busy place throughout each and every day as eager young musicians explore the world of music making.
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The Algebra 2 class with Dawn Deibler spent the week reviewing writing and graphing linear equations. They studied this family of equations by discussing what causes graphs to shift up/down, left/right, and change steepness. What is the difference between a graph with a slope of zero and a line with no slope? What is a function? This work will serve students well when they discuss more mathematical families like quadratics, cubics, root functions, exponentials, logarithms, and conics.
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Integrated Math 3 is studying the mathematics of fairness. How can estates be fairly divided between heirs? If a school has a set number of computers to distribute, what do they do if a fair division doesn't come out evenly? How does the government assign congressional delegate numbers to states? Why do some states prefer one division method to another? What does "fair" mean, anyway? Ms. Deibler says, “During this study we will use our calculators, spreadsheets, and of course our math brains.
*****
This past week, Steve Niederhauser's students in The Making of Western Civilization were grappling with the question, what is the West? Like the many ninth graders before them, most found this fundamental of today's cultural and political geography difficult to grasp, but mapping the West and non-West, reading about their differences and origins, and writing about some aspects of this elusive concept helped get them closer to a useful definition.
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COMMUNITY NEWS AND NOTES
To have your community event listed here, please send announcement to Head of School, Torrelee Fisher-Sass, at torrelee.fisher-sass@thet.net . If you’d like your news included in that week’s Monday edition, please submit no later than the preceding Friday at 2:00 p.m
Mud Season Madness
It's that time of year again! Well, almost! Mud Season Madness will be upon us before we know it! This is an early cry out for course volunteers and or general helpers. The March 2012 Mud Season Madness classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays this year. I hope knowing the days in advance will help folks to plan ahead.
Questions? Concerns? Wondering what Mud Season Madness is all about? Please feel free to contact Kendra Waterbury at kwaterbury@thetfordeschool.org for more information.
*Classes already in the works: Pysanky Eggs, Hair Accessories, Pop-up Books, Indoor Soccer
What can YOU bring to Mud Season Madness?!
SERG Movie Nights
Upcoming films include:
Sunday, February 12: "A Sea Change". It’s a frightening premise, and it’s happening right now. A Sea Change follows the journey of retired history teacher Sven Huseby on his quest to discover how excess carbon dioxide dissolving in our world's oceans is changing sea water chemistry and life within.
Flashlights on Thetford Hill
Recently the Thetford Hill Village Improvement Society authorized $1000 for a flashlight system to improve safety on the path for TA students and patrons of Parish Players. Boxes have been installed at Latham Library, Parish Players, and at Thetford Academy.
Many parents of T.A. students have expressed a desire for path lighting. At this time, students may collect one of the new trail lights in the T.A. Office.
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End PFC 1-29-2012