An independent school with a public purpose.
Our mission is to celebrate the unique worth of all students, to nurture their strengths, and to challenge them to fulfill their potential.
A supportive community that cares.
At Thetford Academy, students are part of a community that values citizenship and service. Every day, TA encourages students to use their strengths to help make the world a better place.
Dedicated teachers who inspire.
At Thetford Academy, you will find truly excellent teachers, recognized by their peers regionally and nationally for the quality of their instruction and dedication to students.
Students who live what they learn.
For 200 years, Thetford Academy has taught students through thinking and doing. Experiential learning is central to TA's teaching philosophy and curriculum. It's part of our DNA.
The Mountain Day Challenge
Friday, September 18 would have been Thetford Academy's 42nd annual Mountain Day and we are disappointed that we won't be able to climb with our students this year.
Traditionally on Mountain Day, each grade tackles one mountain per year, with the goal of having hiked each of the six peaks by the time they graduate from TA. Beginning in 7th grade, students hike Mt. Cube, Black Mountain, Smarts Mountain, Cardigan Mountain, Mt. Ascutney, … read moreSeptember 17, 2020
September is National Suicide Prevention Month
This summer, the Thetford Academy community was devastated to lose two alumni to suicide. The loss of these young lives has impacted our community deeply, underscoring the important role we can all play in supporting those in crisis. September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and we want to make sure that everyone in our school community is aware of the mental health and crisis support resources available both at TA and in our region.
At … read moreSeptember 17, 2020
Day 1 Welcome!
The start of a new school year is an energized and joyful time for students and teachers alike. That was especially true this year after six months away from campus. Although TA's opening day looked and felt a little different this time around, we are grateful to be back.
Head of School Carrie Brennan (and her dog Lila) shared this welcome back message with students, encouraging us all to find the joy in learning this Fall. … read moreSeptember 8, 2020
Head of School Community Email: Back to School News & Laptop Checkout
Dear Thetford Academy Students & Families,
The start of the school year is just around the corner! Teachers and all staff have been busy working together since last Monday getting ready to welcome students back.
This email outlines important information to help all of us as we launch this unique new year on September 8. As you review the updates below, please take note of which details pertain specifically to your students - high school vs middle school, fully remote vs … read moreSeptember 2, 2020
TA Together Again - First Week of Faculty In-Service
On Monday, Thetford Academy's full faculty returned to campus for the 2020-2021 school year. With a delayed school start date and the COVID-19 pandemic upending everything "usual" about teaching and learning, TA's in-service this year will run two weeks instead of its normal few days. This much-needed additional time is helping TA educators prepare for a positive, safe, and successful reopening for students on Sept. 8.
Training sessions and meetings during the first week of inservice … read moreAugust 29, 2020
TA Shares Reopening Protocols - VIDEO
Thetford Academy's Safety Committee has been working throughout the summer to plan a safe reopening for our entire school community this fall. In addition to an at-home learning option, TA will welcome students back to campus for in-person learning on a revised schedule.
Our top safety priorities this fall will include:
Daily health screeningsRequired face coverings indoorsFrequent hand-washing and sanitizing"Pod" model of small student groupsMaximizing use of TA's outdoor learning resourcesPhysical distancing indoors and outdoors … read moreAugust 26, 2020
Fall Reopening Handbook for Thetford Academy
This resource is available for viewing and downloading - LINK to document. The handbook is a dynamic document and will be updated to reflect further developments in the academic program, changes in Vermont guidance, and/or fluctuations in public health regionally. Please note the date on cover page that indicates latest date of revision.
Handbook introduction from Head of School Carrie Brennan:
Together we move into this new school year cautiously, creatively, and carefully. The COVID crisis has … read moreAugust 15, 2020
Head of School Community Email: Fall 2020 Plan Updates & Option Selection for Students
The following message was sent via email to TA parents and guardians on August 14.
Dear Thetford Academy Parents and Guardians,
I am writing today to share updates on our academic program this fall and to distribute the official form to indicate each student's option.
1. Start & End Times of the On-Campus Experience
The Thetford Academy on-campus experience on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays will be from 9:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.Morning bus runs will arrive at approximately 9:15 and afternoon … read moreAugust 14, 2020
Fall 2020 Athletics Update
Thetford Academy's fall athletics season will be going forward in accordance with the State of Vermont Agency of Education's Fall Sports Guidance. Tryouts and practices will begin Tuesday, September 8, coinciding with the first day of school.
In order to sign up to participate in soccer or cross country this fall, families must read and submit the forms provided in TA's 2020-21 Athletic Handbook before August 31st.
In order to keep our student athletes safe, … read moreAugust 14, 2020
Head of School Community Email: New Start Date, Survey Request, Info Session Recording
This post was originally sent by email to TA families by Head of School Carrie Brennan on July 31, 2020.
Dear Thetford Academy Families,
Here is the latest news as we prepare for the fall semester:1. New Start Date - September 8 Governor Phil Scott issued an executive order this week, expected to be officially published on the AOE website today July 31, requiring all Vermont schools to push back their start date to Tuesday, September 8. The … read moreJuly 31, 2020
COVID Updates and Parent Information Forums
Thetford Academy hosted three parent information sessions this week to help parents and families learn more about TA's plan for the upcoming term and have the opportunity to ask questions. The meeting built upon the information shared with families by email on July 22.
Six faculty and staff members attended each session to help answer parent questions and speak from the perspectives and roles they have played in the planning process.
Teachers Derek Burkins and Melissa Perry … read moreJuly 30, 2020
2020 Graduation in the Books!
On June 12 and 13, 2020, Thetford Academy celebrated this year's class of graduating seniors. On Friday, TA premiered a prerecorded version of its Class Day awards and performances, followed by the formal graduation ceremony. Both were aired on on YouTube and Facebook.
To celebrate in person, the Class of 2020 graduates led a car parade through Thetford, the route lined with alumni, family, neighbors and friends chering, making music, and celebrating from a safe distance. … read moreJuly 14, 2020
TA Deepens Its Commitment to Anti-Racism
The following was sent to the Valley News as a letter to the editor on July 8 and distributed to the TA community via email ...
Two recent graduates of Thetford Academy wrote an op-ed for the Valley News last week (“Vermonters, racism is here in our own backyard” by Raphael Orleck-Jetter and Emma Glazer) about the need for our society, including our school, to be more overtly anti-racist. We applaud them for adding their voices to the urgent call for … read moreJuly 8, 2020
Q4 Report Card Mailing - Letter from Head of School
Final report cards for the school year were mailed to students' homes the week of June 22, with the following cover letter included.
Dear Thetford Academy Parents and Families,
Sunsets are stretching until 8:30 these days and the fireflies are out after dark. Summer has officially begun!
I imagine all of us are welcoming changes in our routines this season, as we take a break from an intense period of remote learning. Thank you again for your … read moreJune 26, 2020
Head of School Community Email: Important Summer Updates
The following information was emailed to families of new and returning students on July 22.
Dear Thetford Academy Families & Students,
I hope you are well and finding time to enjoy some of your favorite summertime activities, despite the travel and activity restrictions we are all dealing with.
Planning for the fall semester continues intensively here at TA, and I am writing with some important updates. Thank you to everyone who completed the recent surveys sent to new … read moreJuly 23, 2020
TA Celebrates Mr. Mellinger & Mr. Chapin with Employee of the Year Award
Thetford Academy honored two retiring faculty with the Peters Family Employee of the Year Award in June. Greg Mellinger and Ray Chapin are co-awardees of the 2020 Peters Family Employee of the Year Award. Both long-serving faculty members at Thetford Academy, Mr. Mellinger and Mr. Chapin are well-known and beloved among TA students and alumni for their engaging and skillful approach as teachers.
The annual award gives special recognition to an employee who demonstrates dedication to … read moreJune 30, 2020
Girls and Boys Track & Field Remain Defending State Champs
Vermont D-3 State Championship in Windsor, June 2019
Tribute to our Track & Field Seniors
Grace Davis
Grace graduates as the most decorated female field athlete in Thetford Academy history. She is the outdoor school record holder in the 100m hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, and decathlon. She holds indoor school records in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump. She also holds the Vermont D-3 state record in the high jump at 5’5” and … read moreJune 11, 2020
June 2020 Student of the Month: Carter Banks
June’s Student of the Month can be described with many positive adjectives: polite, considerate, conscientious, hardworking, tenacious, and many more as you’ll see.
When challenges come his way, he doesn’t let them slow him down, rather, he seems to use them as fuel to drive him to even greater heights.
Tim Renner, an instructor at Hypertherm said: “For me the thing that stuck out most about him was his drive and his tenacity… I was amazed that not once … read moreJune 9, 2020
5 Faculty Voices in Response to Nationwide Protests for Racial Justice
On June 2, a handful of TA faculty and administrators came together swiftly to share their reflections and responses to national outrage over the killing of George Floyd - and the broader topics of racial justice, racism, and civil disobedience, to name a few.
Their recorded message was shared with the TA community - students, parents, and staff - via email on June 2, along with a statement from Head of School Carrie Brennan and TA … read moreJune 4, 2020
Message for the TA Community: Condemning Racism & Intolerance, Standing for Justice
During this challenging spring, as our nation deals with a global pandemic, we are also now reeling from recent acts of intolerance and racism, most notably the horrific death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a uniformed police officer. Protestors crying out against racial injustice are rallying in small and large cities around the country, including in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Although at times some of us might feel removed from the violence … read moreJune 2, 2020
May Students of the Month: Jahirah Thurber and Lilian MacVeagh
Given that TA alternates between recognizing a junior and a senior as Student of the Month, May is the last opportunity to award a member of the Class of 2020. We couldn’t let this chance go by without awarding two particular seniors: JJ Thurber and Lily MacVeagh. Congratulations to both!
Jahirah Thurber, Class of 2020
JJ, Kate Owen, and Ms. Brennan on one of two school visits they made to learn from others in Vermont about advisories
JJ … read moreMay 29, 2020
Letter to Seniors: Siobhan Lopez
Dear Seniors,
I’m writing the first of what will be regular letters from some of the people at Thetford Academy who care about you. So many of us have wished we could let you know that we’re thinking about you and worrying that you might think you are forgotten in the midst of Quarantime (that’s Casey’s term for this period in history). This is how we have decided we can reach out to all of you to … read moreMay 7, 2020
Student of the Month April 2020: Emi Vaughan
The floodgates opened when an email went out soliciting input for April’s Thetford Academy Student of the Month Emi Vaughan. Some common themes quickly emerged and were summarized by Mr. Mann, who writes that Emi Vaughan is “a scholar, a natural leader, and one of the kindest people I have had the privilege of knowing.”
Mr. Deffner writes, “I don't think I have ever witnessed, or know of, Emi Vaughn being unkind to anyone. She accepts … read moreMay 18, 2020
Reflecting on the Thetford Outdoor Program
by Ethan Marshia
It seems like it was just yesterday that we all ventured out on our first journey together. Entering the portal to a seemingly otherworldly dimension. I was just a mere fledgling.
This class has given me everything I could have imagined and more. It has allowed me to see the forest through the trees and the trees through the forest. I am able to view the world through many different layers at this … read moreMay 26, 2020
Update on End-of-Year Celebrations and Milestones
With many of Thetford Academy's traditional end-of-year milestone events on hold as a result of Covid-19, we are working hard to ensure that our students don't miss out and that every student feels valued, supported, and celebrated.
Graduation for the Class of 2020: Though we may not be able mark graduation day in the same way we have in the past, we are developing ideas on how best to make this important event as meaningful … read moreMay 4, 2020
Student of the Month: Frank Loveland
Pictured above: Frank Loveland at the 2017 Mr. TA Pageant, accompanied by Eamon Deffner and Alan Xi. The pageant raises money to support the high school education of students in Rwanda via the non-profit Raise Rwanda. Photo by Dan Grossman.
If there is anyone more upbeat than our March Student of the Month, it’s not clear who that person is. No matter the situation, he always manages to find the good in something or someone. This … read moreApril 13, 2020
Self Care Resources for Remote TA, volume 4
Hi, Panthers,
I don't know about you, but I am grateful that the weather is feeling spring-like (at least on some days) and that we live in a beautiful place with lots of outdoor spaces for hiking, running, walking, etc. It makes this whole "stay at home thing" a little more tolerable. Are you getting outside, too?
Here is this week's installment of resources. If you've found other awesome sites or things to do, let Rebecca know! … read moreApril 9, 2020
Elle Dixon Presents Research at National AJAS Conference
Thetford Academy senior Elle Dixon is a not only a cross country and track athlete, a competitive skier, and a standout writer, she is an up-and-coming scientist. For the last two years, Elle has been studying with the New Hampshire Academy of Science in its intensive summer STEM programs. Each year, her hard work paid off with an invitation to present at the national American Junior Academy of Science's (AJAS) annual meeting –something less than … read moreApril 3, 2020
TA Student Supports COVID-19 Response
Thetford Academy senior Morgan Busby has always had a passion for caring for others. In her junior year at TA, Morgan enrolled at River Bend Career and Technical Center's (RBCTC) Health Sciences program to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. By the end of her junior year, she had earned her license to be an LNA (Licensed Nursing Assistant) and began working at Kendal at Hanover.
This year, as a TA senior, Morgan has … read moreMarch 30, 2020
Head of School Message: Our Remote Learning Plan
Quick link to Thetford Academy's Remote Learning Plan.
Message from Head of School - March 18, 2020
The public health crisis caused by COVID-19 is impacting every facet of our lives in the United States and throughout the world. Each day we tune in to the news, trying to make sense of the rapidly-evolving situation and keep up with the public health recommendations and government responses.
In K-12 education, we find ourselves in a situation wholly unimaginable only … read moreMarch 20, 2020
“Consider that the mind is capable of an endless growth.”—Asa Burton, one of the founders, urging citizens of Thetford to establish TA in 1819We set high expectations. We challenge all members of the school community to reach their highest potential.Our mission is to celebrate the unique worth of all students, to nurture their strengths, and to challenge them to fulfill their potential.
