TNN • Tiger News Network • 17 September 2021

Dear parents and guardians,

Welcome to the new school year! One of the hallmarks of the Thayer experience is the connection our community establishes year to year. Whenever a new school year begins, we have many new students (and parents/guardians!) and a handful of new teachers and staff who enter our community, and it always takes a little while for everyone to acclimate to our culture and establish that feeling of connection. 

However, in just a very short time, I can already sense the development of a very positive, supportive, and strong connection on campus. During our class kickoff events, in our school meetings, in our classrooms, on the stage, and on our fields, our community is already gelling in ways that were more difficult to do over the past 18 months. Seeing students engaging in schoolwork, hanging out with each other on the Teardrop or in the Student Commons, rehearsing for the fall musical Newsies, and competing with their teams has been incredibly uplifting!

The next week will provide additional ways for our community to bond and to celebrate. On Thursday, Upper School students will be able to learn about the many clubs and activities that we offer during our Club Fair. I strongly encourage all students — but especially new students — to find a club or two that interests them so they can continue to make connections with each other. Then, on Saturday, Thayer will celebrate its 2021 Homecoming, when the entire community can join together with Thayer pride. I hope to connect with you there!   

All the best,

Highley Thompson P ’20 ‘23
Upper School Director

To access a specific section in the TNN, click below:

The Upper School boys cross country team hosts Belmont Hill tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 18) at 11:30 a.m. on the Harold B. Hatch Cross Country Course. Come cheer on our harriers to victory! 

See all upcoming games and meets for Thayer teams in the Athletics section. 

Homecoming Info
Homecoming is Saturday, Sept. 25! Homecoming is a time-honored tradition when our entire community — Middle and Upper School students, alumni, parents and guardians, siblings, grandparents, faculty and staff, and friends — displays its Tiger Pride! It's a spirited day filled with fun for all ages: Upper School student-athletes will compete, and there will be carnival games, Barn Babies Traveling Petting Zoo, airbrush tattoo artists, Thayer merchandise sales, complimentary concessions, food truck fare, and a bake sale. Please click here for the complete Homecoming schedule. 

Homecoming Volunteer Opportunities: The Homecoming Committee needs your help to make this fun-filled community event a success. Please sign up for a volunteer shift on Saturday, Sept. 25. To volunteer, please click here.

Cornhole Tournament: Back by popular demand, it's Thayer's Homecoming Cornhole Tournament! Do not miss your chance to compete; the event sold out in 2019, and this year's tournament has only a handful of spots left!

The tournament begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, and registered teams must arrive between 10:30 to 10:45 a.m. Whether you're a self-proclaimed Cornhole Champ or a Cornhole Rookie, you are welcome and encouraged to participate! The goal of the tournament is to generate school spirit and camaraderie on this day dedicated to Tiger pride. Teams may consist of Middle or Upper School students, parents/guardians, siblings, alumni, faculty, grandparents, or a combination of any of these or other options. The tournament is limited to 32 teams, and teams must register in advance of Homecoming. For more information and to register, please click here. If you have any questions, please reach out to this year's tournament co-chairs: Michael Want P '22, Adam Gondelman P '22, '24, and Barbara Wipf P '21, '23. 

Bake Sale: If you're a baker (or know someone who is!), sweet confections are needed for the Homecoming Bake Sale. Please click here if you're willing to contribute your favorite treat. We need large quantities of baked goods (cookies, cupcakes, cakes, breads, etc.) as well as nut-free and gluten-free treats. Note: Please plan to package your items for individual sale and label items that contain nuts. Please contact either Diane Farmer P '23 or Mary Michel P '23, '26 with any questions. 

Merchandise: TAPA will be selling limited-edition Thayer merchandise under the Big Tent again this year! Stock up on Champion, Under Armour, Nike, and North Face items that you can only get at Homecoming. You can preview the collection before you shop by clicking here. 

Sign up for SEED
Do you want an opportunity to meet other Thayer parents/guardians and gain tools to help you in discussing identity and social justice with your children? Then come join our SEED group at Thayer!

Joining a Thayer SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) group can help you connect with others in our community, broaden your understanding of the varied experiences of the people around you, and help us build a culture of inclusion and equity at Thayer and beyond. 

SEED is open to all Thayer parents. We’ll meet once a month, and we ask that you commit to the full school year of sessions. Please click here for the dates and for more details about SEED at Thayer.

Click here to sign up. Sign up today!

Watch this video to get an idea of what the SEED experience is like.

Parent/Guardian Socials
Please watch your email for invitations to join Head of School Chris Fortunato P '26, '28 on campus and in person! The parent/guardian socials are great opportunities to meet with the parents and guardians of your child’s classmates, teammates, and friends. Come and relax with other parents/guardians from 6 to 7:30 p.m. over a bite to eat and a drink under the tent. Chris and other school leaders will share a few words about the school year so far and what you and your students can look forward to. Please note the new dates:

  • Tuesday, Oct. 5: Grade 9 & 10 Parents/Guardians
  • Wednesday, Oct. 13: All Middle School Parents/Guardians
  • Thursday, Oct. 14: Grade 11 & 12 Parents/Guardians

Please RSVP by Friday, Oct. 1. To RSVP, please click here. 

HLC Open House is Sept. 30
The Upper School Hale Learning Center will hold a Virtual Open House Thursday, Sept. 30 from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. More details to follow next week. 

Admissions Coffees
The Admissions Office will hold a Middle School Coffee Friday, Sept. 24, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the CFA lobby. 

An Upper School Coffee will be held Friday, Oct. 1, also from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and also in the CFA lobby. 

Subscribe to Calendar Feeds and News Alerts
Subscribe to receive automated calendar feeds and News Alert texts and emails.

Subscribe to the Calendar feeds (the “grey RSS button”) to pull All School Events, Upper and Middle School Events, Athletics Events for your child(s) teams, TAPA Events, etc., directly into your phone’s calendar. 

Subscribe to News Alert texts/emails (the “orange bell”) for Athletics Schedule changes for your child(s) teams, for the Daily Announcements students receive, and for other News Alerts. Please note: if you had already subscribed to News Alerts but are no longer receiving them, click the related link in this brief to resubscribe. 

Bookmark the Parents Section
As a parent/guardian, everything you need is under the Parents section of Thayer’s website. For easy access throughout the year, bookmark this page. 

Music Private Lesson Sign-up
Sign-ups for the 2021-22 music lesson program have begun, but it’s not too late to register. If you're interested in starting an instrument or continuing the study of one, please click here to access our private lesson page and complete the lesson sign-up form. We plan to provide in-person lessons this year starting Oct. 1. For lessons not scheduled during the school day (including makeup lessons) there is still the option of using Zoom.

Lessons are available on voice, piano, guitar, bass, strings, wind instruments, and drums. Lessons meet weekly during a student’s free period/study hall throughout the year. 

If you have questions about the program, please click here for pricing and lesson policies. For other questions, please contact Steve Skop, Coordinator of Thayer Music Lesson Program.

A Father's Kaddish Screening is Oct. 6
The first live, in-person screening of A Father's Kaddish will take place Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. in the CFA. The event is open to all members of the Thayer community. RSVP is required for attendance; more information, including the link to RSVP, will be provided in the coming weeks.

A Father's Kaddish is a documentary film which chronicles longtime Pottery Instructor Steven Branfman P '00, '02 in the year following the passing of his son, Jared Branfman '00. It premiered (virtually, because of the pandemic) at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival in October 2020 and has since appeared at more than 20 film festivals with more on the calendar scheduled into 2022. Jen Kaplan served as director/producer and Rachel Clark served as editor for the 31-minute film. 

Five years in the making, A Father's Kaddish stems from Branfman's 2015 pottery exhibition of the same name. That exhibition displayed the chawans (Japanese-style tea bowls) thrown by Branfman for one year straight as part of his personal (and his family's) healing process. In Judaism, "kaddish" is described as "a prayer of mourning said for a parent, sibling, spouse, or child upon their death. It is said every day for a year and then on the anniversary on the Hebrew calendar of the death." 

The Oct. 6 screening will feature an exhibition of the remaining Kaddish chawans in the CFA lobby. The event will also include a Q&A featuring Branfman, Kaplan, and Clark and moderated by Wheaton College faculty member Linette Liebling.

Branfman said many faculty and staff attended the 2015 exhibition as well as virtual screenings of the documentary. That said, he expressed thanks that the first in-person screening would occur at Thayer. 

A three-sport athlete and honor roll student during his time at Thayer, Jared Branfman died in September of 2005 after a battle with cancer. The Jared Branfman Sculpture Garden just outside Southworth Library honors his legacy. 

To learn more about the film and watch a trailer, please click here. 

Recording of Fall Athletics Update
Couldn't make the Fall (Virtual) Athletics Update or want to view it for a second time? Please click here for a recording of the Sept. 8 event. 

Monday is Assembly Dress Day
Please note: Because yearbook photos will be taken that day, Monday, Sept. 20, is an Assembly Dress Day for Upper School students. 

Picture Day is Sept. 20
Upper School Picture Day for students in grades 9-11 — as well as for faculty and staff — is Monday, Sept. 20. 

Sept. 24 Deadline to Add a Course
Please note: the deadline for ADDING a course is next Friday, Sept. 24. 

College Visits
Please click here to see the colleges visiting Thayer next week. Please note: Sign-up for all visits is through Scoir. 

College Fair is Oct. 3
The NEACAC (New England Association for College Admission Counseling) College Fair will be held Sunday, Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. until 1pm at Worcester State University at its Wellness Center, 486 Chandler St, Worcester. Over 100 colleges and universities will be in attendance (please click here for a detailed list). 

The event is free and open to the public. In addition, there is on-site parking. Facial coverings must be worn at all times while indoors.

Grade 11 Field Trip Canceled
The Grade 11 History Freedom Trail Field Trip, initially scheduled for Sept. 28, has been canceled. 

Grade 9 Orientation is Sept. 28
The Grade 9 Orientation at Camp Bournedale, initially scheduled for earlier in the year, will take place Tuesday, Sept. 28, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

Club & Activity Fair is Sept. 23
The Student Government is pleased to host its annual Club and Activity Fair Thursday, Sept. 23, during the school meeting time (10:05-10:45 a.m.) Please encourage your children to visit the various tables and sign up for the clubs and activities that are of interest to them. The Upper School has approximately 40 clubs that are active on campus. There is something for everyone. Questions or concerns? Please contact Upper School World Languages Faculty Terri Lukens P '24, '27 at tlukens@thayer.org. 

Upper School Virtual Back to School Night is Sept. 30
Save the date: The Upper School will hold its Back to School Night Thursday, Sept. 30, from 7 to 8 p.m. via Zoom. More details to follow. 

Updated Glover Traffic Flow
To view a campus map detailing the Academy's updated traffic flow patterns for the Glover Building parking lot, please click here. 

Back to School Night for Grades 7 and 8 
Back to School Night for the parents/guardians of 7th and 8th grade students will be held via Zoom next Tuesday, Sept. 21, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. More information and Zoom links will be emailed next week. Hope to see you there!

MS Picture Day is Sept. 20
Middle School Picture Day is Monday, Sept. 20. Please come to school with your best smile and in Assembly Dress. You should bring your athletic clothing; we will be changing before sports.

Assembly Dress:

  • A dress with a full back and that covers the shoulders, or a nice skirt or dress pants with an appropriate shirt.
  • A shirt, tie, and dress pants (long pants only).
  • Students choosing either of the above options may, when cold, add an appropriate sweater or jacket.
  • The following are NOT acceptable on Assembly Dress Days: shorts or sweatshirts of any kind.

To order photos: Please go to www.smile-pro.com and then select "view/order your images." On the new page, choose "2021-2022 Thayer" and select Thayer Middle School. To pre-order, please click here. 

Revised Policy Re US Drivers Driving MS Students
We have had a few instances of Upper School students being worried about being late and dropping students off in the street or at Tenney Street — both practices we want to avoid for safety reasons. As a result, we are changing our policy regarding Upper School drivers.   

Upper School drivers with Middle School siblings should park in their regular CFA spot by 7:40 a.m. Middle School students should then walk from the CFA to the bus lane in front of Middle School campus to check in with Ms. Tenney and board the bus to 850 Washington St.

If you have a child who will be driven by an Upper School sibling or in an Upper School carpool, please email Karen Bosworth to put them on the permission list to walk from the CFA to Hobart Avenue. This will help us know who to expect.

Students should never walk from Main Campus to the 850 Washington St. Campus.

Thank you for your support in keeping all students safe!   

5th/6th Grade Trips Canceled
After attempting to reschedule 5th and 6th grade trips several times, we have decided to cancel them altogether to allow for students and teachers to get into a daily routine. We will look for other trips and activities for class bonding and fun as the year goes along.  

Homecoming Social is Sept. 24
We are delighted to announce there will be a Middle School Social on the evening of Friday, Sept. 24, on the main lawn. This event replaces the online social previously on the school calendar. 

From 6 to 7:30 p.m., Middle School students can join their friends for some pizza and shaved ice on the main lawn under the Tower.  We will have lawn games, music, and a special end-of-the-evening surprise. Students should bring their own camp chair or blanket as they will be eating on the lawn. Drop-off and pickup will be in the Glover lots. Permission slips will be sent out next week. 

Yearbook Ads Available
Attention, Grade 8 Parents and Guardians: Don't miss out on placing an ad in your child's 8th grade yearbook! Click here for information regarding how to make, place, and pay for your ad. The deadline for all ads and payments is Nov. 1.

Please help to make this year's Evergreen yearbook one to remember. This is always a favorite section of the yearbook for our departing 8th graders!

Any questions or concerns? Please feel free to contact the yearbook's advisor, Middle School Science Faculty Natalie Young. 

MS Snack & Study is Sept. 27
The MS Hale Learning Center will present the first Snack & Study of the year Monday, Sept. 27, on the Upper School campus. This session's theme is "Get Organized and Stay Organized!" This is an excellent opportunity for Middle School students to learn how to keep backpacks and lockers organized as well as routines for making daily life smoother and stress-free. We will meet at 3:45 p.m., immediately following sports, and will finish at approximately 4:30 p.m. Students should be picked up in the Glover Building loop on Hobart Avenue. A snack will be provided during the session. The location for the session will be emailed to students when they sign up. Please reserve your spot by emailing MS HLC Learning Specialist Maryann Shafter P '15.

Parent/Guardian Permission Needed for Walking to/from School
If any Middle School students will be walking to or from school, the Middle School office needs an email granting permission from a parent or guardian before students are allowed to do so. Please email kbosworth@thayer.org granting permission for your child to walk. Please specify if they are allowed to walk from (or to, or both from and to) 850 Washington St. and/or Main Campus. Please also specify if this is blanket permission for the school year, certain days, or particular dates. Please note that students may only walk to their homes. The Middle School cannot grant permission for students to walk to any other off-campus locations.

Drop-Off Reminders
The following are reminders for Middle School breakfast drop-off at Main Campus from 7 to 7:40 a.m. and 850 Washington St. drop-off: 

  • All students should be checking in with Mrs. Tenney at the bus loop prior to going to breakfast. They will also be checking back in prior to getting on the bus to go to 850 Washington St. at 7:40 a.m.
  • Middle School students who take the bus from home to Thayer Academy should not be departing the bus on Main Campus; they should remain on the bus for the ride to 850 Washington St.
  • Students should not be dropped off on Hobart Avenue; they should be dropped in the bus loop for their safety.
  • When dropping off at 850 Washington St., you must use the parking lot in the rear of the building, NOT Washington St.
  • Thayer Academy siblings who are dropping off Middle School students MUST drop them at the bus loop at Main Campus by 7:40 a.m. 

After-School Study Hall
If your child needs to stay past 3:50 p.m., they must go to after-school study hall. This year, those study halls will be held in The Tiger's Den. Pickup will be in the Glover parking lot. At 5 p.m. Middle School students will join Upper School students in the Commons. All students must be picked up by 6 p.m. 

Middle School Fall Musical Info
For details on the Middle School's upcoming fall musical, please click here. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Corcoran.  

Middle School Virtual Coffee is Sept. 22
All Middle School parents and guardians are invited to join Middle School Director Galen Hamann for virtual coffee and conversation next Wednesday, Sept. 22, from 8:30  to 9:15 a.m. The theme of the event will be "A Return to Fully In-Person Schooling: Keeping Our Students Healthy and Happy." Watch your email for the Zoom link to join the meeting. 

Information for a Healthy School Year
Thayer’s Health Services team is delighted to see everyone back on campus.

Please welcome two new part-time nurses to our team for this year:

Kristin Haskell RN, BSN P ‘29 
Mariclaire Buckley RN, BA

For parents and guardians, the most efficient way to reach out to the nurses is via nurse@thayer.org, an email account that we all share. However, there will be times when you receive communication from our individual email accounts.

As the year begins, we offer a few important reminders and highlights to keep us all on the right track.

Masks
Please make sure that students have well-fitting masks to wear for the full school day inside. Masks should cover the nose and mouth completely and reliably without the need to manually adjust them frequently.

Disposable masks are available throughout the campus as a backup supply for students, faculty, and staff.

COVID-19 Testing and Reporting
For the testing that has been conducted at Thayer to date, there have been no reported COVID-19 cases, nor have there been any other positive COVID-19 cases on campus.

Information about COVID-19 testing and Thayer’s Athletics program was provided in an email sent Sept. 15 from Athletics Director Rick Foresteire P ‘19, ‘21.

As an added measure of protection and consistent with the guidance of our consultants, Thayer will be conducting additional weekly testing for unvaccinated students participating in wind instrument and singing activities. 

At this time, at-school COVID-19 PCR pooled testing is only for students who are ineligible for vaccination or partially vaccinated students. They will be notified by email (along with their parents/guardians) about the specific schedule of testing which will typically be on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

However, in case there is a need for all-school surveillance pooled testing in the future, each student needs to have an account set up at this time, whether or not they are part of the current testing protocol. One parent or guardian will receive an email over the next few days with instructions to activate the account for the student. 

(“Partially vaccinated” means those who have not reached two weeks after receiving the second vaccine of the Pfizer 2-dose series or after receiving the 1-dose J&J/Janssen vaccine.)

Upper School Virtual Coffee is Sept. 29
Save the date: TAPA will hold a virtual coffee with Upper School Director Highley Thompson P '20, '23 Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. Watch your email for the Zoom link to join the meeting. 

TAPA Volunteer Opportunities
TAPA activities are returning, and we have plenty of opportunities available for parents and guardians to help out. We encourage you to review the link below and sign up for those activities that interest you. Participating in or running an event is a fantastic way to meet your fellow parents and guardians and a wonderful way to support the school and its community. If you have volunteered in the past, look again as we have many new opportunities for parents/guardians. You will find the addition of affinity groups and the return of the biennial spring fundraiser.

To sign up, please click here.

Fall Speaker Series 
TAPA will host its fall speaker event Thursday, Oct. 21, virtually via Zoom from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Parents, guardians, faculty, and staff are invited to attend.

TAPA is excited to welcome Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins from the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital. The Clay Center is dedicated to promoting and supporting the mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being of children, teens, and young adults. When the pandemic forced most of us to stay at home and altered our busy schedules, it highlighted the stressors in our lives—e.g., hectic work, travel, school, and activity schedules. These stressors are returning along with new stressors related to the transition back to a more typical school year.

The goal of this event is to provide parents and guardians with tools and resources to not only reduce stress and foster resiliency in their children but also discuss what to look for and where to seek help when needed. The presentation will be followed by Q&A. 

Keep an eye out for an invitation as we get closer to the date.

Homecoming
Homecoming is back! Join us Saturday, Sept. 25, for our largest community event of the year. There is something for everyone — food, sports, shopping, games, and even baby animals! Come to cheer on the Tigers and visit with friends old and new! Please click here to review the detailed schedule of events. 

We also encourage you to sign up to volunteer. We are always looking for people to assist, especially towards the end of the day. Please click here to become a Homecoming volunteer. 

TAPA Book Club
The first TAPA Book Club meeting of the 2021-22 school year will be held virtually next Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m.

The club will discuss its summer selection, The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah. If you would like to join this meeting or be added to the list for future meetings, please email Mary Ellen Kilmer P ’99, ’06. 

Here to Help 
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at tapa@thayer.org. 

  • Martha McNally P ’21, ‘24, ‘27 — President
  • Cyndi Kester P ’22, ‘25 — Vice President
  • Lee Sentnor P ’21, ‘24, ‘26 — Treasurer
  • Nicole Arnold P ’24, ‘25 — Secretary
  • Nicole Horne P ’26, ‘29 — MS President
  • Heidi Barry P ’26, ‘28 — MS Vice President
  • Colleen Hernandez ‘90 P '26, '28 — MS Secretary
  • Sharisse Cail Perry P ’24, ‘24 — DEI Coordinator
  • Michelle LaMattina P ’24 — Volunteer Coordinator
  • Mary Michel P ’23, ‘26 — Volunteer Coordinator
  • Katie Williamson P ’24 — Parent Athletics Coordinator (PAC)
  • Maureen Hayes P ’21, ‘24 — Advisor to the Board

Don't forget to follow us on social! You don't need to download any apps to see pictures and videos of what's happening all over campus every day. Simply click on the icons below to access Thayer's official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click on the book or article titles for the book review or full article.

Associate Director of Admissions Jessica Leaver ‘00 is reading Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

Upper School World Languages Faculty Terri Lukens P '24, '27 is reading The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. 
 

Questions about TNN? Suggestions? Please email TNN@thayer.org.

For a complete listing of current events, visit the online calendar.