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Go to child profileThetford Academy’s campus is 295 acres of field and forest, with stunning views of the highest peaks of the Connecticut River Valley. The historic White Building, built in 1949 after the original building burned in the Great Fire of 1942, is the centerpiece and hub of Thetford Academy. Sitting at the head of the quad, it is flanked by the the Arts and Science Building, the Vaughan Alumni Gymnasium, and Anderson Hall. Thetford Academy has an extensive trail network for hiking, walking, running, and Nordic skiing.
What learning looks like now: Thetford Academy, like many schools across the country and the world, made a unprecedented pivot in March from a traditional classroom learning experience to a fully remote educational model. Now, we are taking what we learned from that experience--building on what worked, identifying areas for improvement--to create a high-quality, inclusive, and supportive hybrid learning model for our students this fall. TA's mission to "celebrate the unique worth of all students, to nurture their strengths, and challenge them to fulfill their potential" guides our work every day. For fall 2020, Thetford Academy has chosen to provide our families with both on-campus and remote learning options, with built-in flexibility to move between these options as needed. In order to maintain equity among these choices, all coursework will be delivered through Google classroom with opportunities for both "live" sessions at set times each week and coursework that can be accessed and completed asynchronously. Our faculty and student support team will provide social-emotional support, as well as the academic support, that every student needs to succeed. Thetford Academy's Safety Committee has been working all summer to ensure that upon school reopening, every student and every adult is safe. Daily health screenings, indoor masking (and outdoors when safe distancing cannot be achieved), and social distancing will be required for all students and staff on campus.
Curriculum delivery for 2020/21:
Grades | Living Arrangement | Delivery Model | Frequency |
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Day | Gr. 7 - Gr. 12 | Hybrid/blended | Full-time |
What Thetford Academy says: This fall, Thetford Academy will offer students and families choice and flexibility. Students can choose among a 2-day or 4-day on-campus experience or a fully remote academic experience. All students will be assigned to a pod of 10-12 students with a designated faculty member support. Coursework will be delivered through Google classroom and accessible both remotely and during on-campus school hours. Every course will provide opportunities for both synchronous (live) and asynchronous learning, as well as one-to-one support from faculty as needed. On-campus pods will be structured to include time for group work, outdoor learning experiences, and independent study.
View recent COVID-19 updates from Thetford AcademyThetford Academy offers bus transferring. Service options offered are regular rider, occasional rider.
The regions Thetford Academy offers busing from are:
One of two soccer fields.
Baseball and softball fields with timber framed dugouts.
5K cross country running trail on campus.
Design Technology shop.
The Martha Jane Rich Theater.
Visual Arts classroom.
Outdoor classroom
Campus greenhouse.
Hoop house for overwintering gardens.
Maple sugaring shack.
Thetford Academy is delightful in so many ways it’s hard to know quite where to start. Founded in 1819, it’s the oldest secondary school in Vermont, and has been coed since it first opened its doors. The location, charmingly, was chosen in order to allow students a chance to study in a location described at the time as “remarkably healthy, and free from business, excitement, and every temptation.” While finding a place apart from the real world is certainly no longer a goal—the school is very much an international one in light of its curricular gaze and student population—many of the founding values remain. That includes a dedication to the liberal arts, a rigorous delivery, and a commitment to diversity of thought, perspective, and experience. Instruction today reflects the best practices or our time, with experiential learning, cross-curricular investigation, and a focus on relationships (peer to peer; instructor to student) as the basis of instruction. The campus is extensive, and with a recent purchase of an additional parcel of land adjacent to the main property, has direct access to State Forest. Much, rightly, is made of those outdoor resources, including recreation, physical education, and outdoor instruction. There’s also a maple sugar shack. Again, it’s a stellar setting that hosts a world-class program, just as it’s been doing for more than two centuries.
Parent/Student Q&A Roundtable
Hear from current parents and recent alumni at Thetford Academy as they field questions including: why they chose this school, what they wish were different, and what perspective families should know before enrolling.
Focus |
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Academic |
Subject | offered |
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Evolution as consensus theory | |
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
Evolution is not taught |
Subject | offered |
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Biology | |
Chemistry | |
Ecology | |
Geology | |
Meteorology | |
Physics | |
Physiology | |
Zoology |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Acting | |
Dance | |
Drama/Theatre | |
Graphic Design | |
Music | |
Visual Arts |
Expressive | |
Disciplined |
Subject | offered |
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Computer science | |
Robotics | |
Web design |
Flexible pacing style | offered |
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Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
Differentiated assessment |
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
Subject Type | offered |
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Accommodations | |
Modifications | |
Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
Program | offered |
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Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school) | |
Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class) |
Curriculum delivery: Enrichment (The main focus is on enrichment. This means that while students may work at a marginally quicker pace than public school peers, the primary aim is to study subject in broader and deeper ways.)
Program | offered |
---|---|
Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
Lettered or numbered grades | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 |
Prose (narrative)-based feedback | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 |
Academic achievement reporting | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 |
Habits and behaviour reporting | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 |
Parent-teacher meetings | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 |
Competitive sports: 7
Recreational sports: 3
Thetford Academy offers 6 clubs and extracurricular programs.
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
Day | US $17,998 | |||||
Homestay | US $46,891 |
Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrolment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 | Coed | Homestay | 2 |
Group 2 | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 | Coed | Day | 298 |
Total enrolment | 300 |
Average class size | 14 |
% of international students (total enrolment) | 1% |
Number of different nationalities within student population | 2 |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
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Day Enrollment | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Homestay Enrollment | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 | 1 | N/A |
Assessment | Required | Grades |
---|---|---|
Interview | 9 - 12 | |
SSAT | ||
SSAT (out of province) | ||
Entrance Exam(s) | ||
Entrance Essay | 9 - 12 |
Day students: Rolling
Homestay students: Rolling
Offer mid-year entry:
Yes
Application fee: N/A
Registration fee: N/A
Deposit:
5000%
International Student Application Requirements
Submit as soon as possible after November 1st. |
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2. Additional Documents |
Mail, fax, or email as soon as possible after your online application is submitted. |
International Application Essays
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International Physical Examination Report
** Please note that proof of United States Medical Insurance will be required upon enrollment |
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3. International Applicant Recommendation Forms |
Referees must mail, fax, or email recommendations as soon as possible after online application is submitted. |
4. Official School Transcripts |
Records must be sent directly from your current school to Thetford Academy in a sealed envelope. |
All documents must be mailed, faxed, or emailed to: Susan Essex Luce International Student Program Coordinator Thetford Academy 304 Academy Road Thetford Center, VT 05075 USA |
Fax: 011-802-785-4805 |
This is the percentage of applicants typically accepted into the school. So if 50 students are admitted out of 100 applicants, the school has an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
Student Entry Points
This shows approximately how many openings there are likely to be in each grade in a typical year, as well as the estimated acceptance rate for each grade level.
Student Type | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Homestay Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Average graduating class size | 60 |
Students accepted into post-secondary studies upon graduation | N/A |
Percentage of students who attend post-secondary institutions outside of Canada | N/A |
Students who attended a Ivy+ school Number of students in the past 5 years that that attended one of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, University of Chicago, Oxford or Cambridge (UK) | N/A |
Thetford Academy Graduates’ Post-Secondary Studies:
This information is not currently available.Aggregate of All Schools’ Post-Secondary Studies:
Career planning | |
Internships |
Mentorship Program | |
University counseling |
What Thetford Academy says:
Carrie Brennan joined Thetford Academy as Head of School in July 2019. With a new, five-year strategic plan in place, and with the school on the cusp of its third century, Carrie Brennan is focused on TA’s future: “I am awed by the rich history of Thetford Academy—and inspired by what a vibrant and dynamic 21st-century school TA is today!” Knowing that she would be leading a team of such dedicated and skilled faculty and staff, sold Carrie on the leadership position. “With this team we can accomplish anything for students.”
Formerly the executive director and co-founder of CITY Center for Collaborative Learning in Tucson, Arizona, Carrie’s work in education and education leadership has been widely recognized. In March 2019, she was named one of Tucson’s “Women of Influence,” an award honoring the region’s most impressive female professionals.
December 4, 2020
Thetford Academy Drama Releases Virtual Fall Thriller
Thetford Academy's first-ever virtual fall play, the 1943 murder mystery “Sorry, Wrong Number," available now for online viewing.
Read full article
November 13, 2020
TA Students Join “Regeneration Corps”
Last month, eight Thetford Academy students participated in the pilot launch of a new Vermont-based learning movement.
Read full article
October 3, 2020
High Praise for Thetford Academy
Outdoor adventurer Willem Lange, host of NHPTV's award-winning WINDOWS TO THE WILD outdoor series, visits Thetford Academy.
Read full article
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