Congratulations to the girls varsity hockey team on its victory over Tilton School at the Valicenti Cup. For a photo gallery, click here. | | |
The Calendar at a Glance
- Monday, Feb. 16: Presidents Day (No School)
- Tuesday, Feb. 17: Upper School Conferences (No School for the Upper School only)
- Thursday, Feb. 19: Global Speaker Series — An Evening With Peter Capozzoli ’91 (6:30 p.m. in the Forum)
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Friday, Feb. 20 & Saturday, Feb. 21: Upper School production of Pride and Prejudice (7 p.m. in Hale Theater)
- Monday, Feb. 23: Global Speaker Series — An Evening With Loretta J. Ross (6:30 p.m. in the Forum)
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Thursday, Feb. 26: Middle School production of The Odyssey (7 p.m. in Thompson Hall)
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Dear Thayer families,
The 26th annual Winter Wars begins Monday, Feb. 9, and continues through Friday, Feb 13, in the Upper School. Each day next week the classes will gather in Memorial Gym for an hour of highly energized games and spirited fun. This event has been running continuously for the past 26 years, and it has created amazing memories and brought so much energy and school pride to Thayer. It truly is one of the major highlights of the year. The four grades meet in the gym each day to earn points through various activities, and on Feb 13, one grade will be crowned the champion!
For more info on next week’s Winter Wars, click here. This flyer details what’s happening and what students should wear and bring to school each day. For the Upper School class schedule for the week, click here.
Each Winter Wars day has a theme. Monday is Class Colors. On Tuesday, each class chooses its own fun theme. Wednesday is either a Black Out or a White Out. Thursday is a July 4th Cookout, and Friday is a giant Beach Party. The classes earn points in a variety of ways, including competing in events such as Tugs of War, Relay Races, Minute 2 Win It, Group Jump Rope, Olympic Relays, All Class All Aboard, Waiter Wars, and Buddy Walks. In addition, each year organizers add one big mystery event.
Classes also earn points with the community service component of Winter Wars. Each day students are asked to donate one or two items (or more) to a local charity. Monday is Canned Goods; Tuesday is Toiletries; Wednesday is Winter Hats/Gloves; and Thursday is New Socks. The more items a class brings in (up to 200 max), the more points that class earns. New this year: Winter Wars organizers are also collecting used baseball and softball gear the week before the games — all of which will be delivered to the Dominican Republic by Thayer students on a service trip this March.
The third way classes can earn points is when students bring their spirit in the form of their gym decorations, their dress, and their competitiveness (Each day faculty and staff members vote on the students’ creativity, spirit, and energy.). At the end of the week, a champion is crowned and awarded the Winter Wars Cup, and everyone is energized to make it through to Spring Recess.
If you would like to see the games in action, organizers livestream the events; for a livestream link, click here. The times on the Winter Wars flyer link above let you know when the games will take place each day. Organizers would LOVE to have you tune in! (If you click the livestream link now, you can select reminder notifications so you won’t miss any of the action.)
All of the collected items are donated to local nonprofits such as the Braintree Food Pantry, the South Boston Neighborhood House, and the Wiley Project as well as a local animal shelter. These organizations are grateful for the support that Thayer Academy provides, and Thayer considers itself fortunate to be able to support the work of these wonderful institutions.
Please help your child to remember their donations (Organizers want every class to get max donation points every day this year.), to dress in the day's theme, and, as always, to check Thayer’s website and social media for daily scoring updates.
Looking forward to a great week,
Skip Schneider P ’20, ’22
Upper School Science Faculty
Sustainability Coordinator
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Save the Date: Pener Conference Is April 13
The fourth annual James Tufts Pener Environmental Stewardship Conference will take place Monday, April 13, on campus. The conference celebrates the spirit and legacy of James Tufts Pener ’23, who tragically lost his life just before his senior year at Thayer. In keeping with Pener’s passion for the environment and sustainability, the conference focuses on what students can do about the important issues facing the environment.
Pete Malinowski, co-founder and CEO of the Billion Oyster Project out of New York City, will be this year’s keynote speaker. Conference organizers have reached out to all of Thayer’s Upper School students in addition to inviting students from 24 surrounding private and public high schools to attend, give a presentation, or lead a workshop.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Upper School Science Faculty Skip Schneider P ’20, ’22.
In Case You Missed It
Be sure to check out Thayer’s news page to see what’s happening at Thayer, including a visit from Krissie Kelleher ’93, CEO of Team IMPACT.
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Mahjong Meetups; RSVP for Feb. 9 Potluck
Interested in learning to play mahjong or just practicing your mahjong skills? Join Upper School Math & Computer Science Faculty Leeanne Dillmann and your fellow parents/guardians on the second Monday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. in Southworth Library.
Please note: As a special event, organizers invite parents/guardians to the next meetup Monday, Feb. 9, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in Southworth Library for a Mahjong Potluck to celebrate the Lunar New Year. All levels and styles of mahjong are welcome, and students from the Mahjong Club will be joining as well. Click here to RSVP.
After the Feb. 9 potluck, meetups will be held on the following dates:
- Monday, April 13
- Monday, May 11
Beginners are welcome. Contact Ms. Dillmann with questions at ldillmann@thayer.org.
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| Upper School Announcements | | |
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Virtual College Counseling Workshop Is Feb. 12
Once again, the Pulsifer College Counseling Center is partnering with College Money Method to offer finance and financial aid workshops. The next virtual workshop, Evaluating Loans and Borrowing for Your College Investment, will take place Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. The workshop examines how to determine your borrowing needs and compare loan options. While it targets 11th and 12th grade families, anyone is welcome to join. To register, click here.
Diploma Verification Due Feb. 13
Attention, senior parents and guardians: In just a few short months, members of the Class of 2026 will cross the stage at Commencement to receive their diplomas. Part of the graduation process is ordering diplomas. To do so, Thayer will need confirmation of the way the graduating student's name should appear on the diploma itself. Families should log in to MySchoolApp to complete the Diploma Name Verification Form. Families may include the full middle name or just the middle initial as well as any suffix, if applicable. Because the diploma is an official document, please be aware that Thayer cannot include nicknames. To allow time for production, please complete this form by Friday, Feb. 13.
Driver’s Education for Thayer Students
Attention, Thayer students and parents/guardians: Drivers Edge Academy will hold a Spring Recess driver's education class exclusively for Thayer students. The class for Thayer students will be held from March 9 until March 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This class will be at the driving school’s location at 169 North Franklin St., Holbrook. If interested, visit the driving school’s website to register. If you have questions, email info@driversedgeacademy.com.
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| Middle School Announcements | | |
Community Time Recap
This week at community time, the Middle School celebrated National Girls & Women in Sports with a visit from Athletic Director Bobbi Moran and her friend and Thayer alum Krissie Kelleher '93. Kelleher talked about her experience as a student-athlete at Thayer as well as her current work as CEO of Team IMPACT. This was followed by a TA Talk from the Upper School’s Ana Sullivan. Sullivan shared her own personal journey with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with candor and humor. Eighth grade students will begin to workshop future TA Talks in the March Intersession. Next week at community time, the Middle School will celebrate Lunar New Year.
Middle School Play Is Feb. 26
The Middle School production of The Odyssey by R.N. Sandberg will take place Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. in Thompson Hall. Admission is free, and no ticket is required.
Directed by Middle School Drama Faculty Sofia Lindgren Galloway, the play offers all Thayer students and families a view into one of ancient Greece’s most epic adventures. After the battle at Troy, Odysseus must find his way home, battling monsters and surviving vicious storms. Meanwhile, his son Telemechus is on a journey of his own, guided by Athena, to find his father and his place in the world. For more information, contact Ms. Galloway.
Middle School Book Challenge
The fourth annual Massachusetts Children’s Book Award (MCBA) Book Challenge at the Middle School officially starts this week. Fifth and sixth grade students will challenge themselves to read as many of the nominated books on the MCBA 2025-26 nominee list by mid-April. Three of the books on the list were selected by the Middle School’s Book Critics Book Club last spring: Wrecker; The Secret Language of Birds; and Hidden Truths. The MCBA is an annual award chosen by fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students from across the state. The books on the list are selected by student book clubs and librarians throughout Massachusetts. The MCBA is sponsored by Salem State University. Past winners of the Middle School’s book challenge are:
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2023: Bridget Kelly ’30 and Calvin Jacobs ’29
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2024: Shivani Anand ’30, Bridget Kelly ’30, and Lily Bonina ’31
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2025: Soumaya Fort ’31, Ethan Hunt ’31, and Karun Bhaskaran ’31
This year’s winners will be announced in April.
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Class Parents/Guardians
TAPA has filled the class parents/guardians roles for all grades and thanks all who volunteered. Keep an eye out for updates from your class representatives.
LGBTQ+ Parent/Guardian Affinity Group
The LGBTQ+ Parent/Guardian Affinity Group welcomes any parent or guardian who identifies as LGBTQ+ or any parent/guardian of a student who identifies as LGBTQ+ or their allies. Please email Caroline Kuhlman P ’25, ’28 if you have any questions or would like to be involved in this group.
Parents of Color Affinity Group
Join the Parents of Color Affinity Group for meaningful conversations and community building. This group is intended for any parent or guardian who identifies as a person of color as well as parents or guardians of students who identify as people of color. Organizers look forward to affinity group members connecting and supporting one another. To access the Zoom link for these meetings, click here. For more information, contact Sandra Joseph P ’27, ’30 and/or Cindy Theodore P ’26, the group's facilitators. The affinity group’s remaining meeting schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, March 5
- Thursday, April 16 (Internship / Job Fair Event)
- Friday, May 8
- Monday, June 1 (End-Of-Year Celebration)
Christian Affinity Group
The Christian Affinity Group welcomes all parents and guardians who identify as Christian as well as those who have children who identify as Christian. The group is a supportive community where members can share their faith, connect with one another, and participate in meaningful discussions and events. Please email the group’s facilitator, Annie Pratt P ’26, ’27, if you would like more information. The affinity group looks forward to welcoming families into its community.
Jewish Parent/Guardian Affinity Group
The Jewish Parent/Guardian Affinity Group is intended for any parent/guardian who identifies as Jewish as well as any parent/guardian of a student who identifies as Jewish. Questions? Contact Hilary Waxman P ’26, the group's facilitator.
Invitation To Volunteer
TAPA welcomes all new and returning families to the 2025-26 school year. TAPA’s goal is to support the school through sponsoring various social events and programs, thereby enhancing the school experience for all. TAPA is busy planning and preparing a variety of great events this year. A list of volunteer opportunities throughout the year is available for review.
Here To Help
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at tapa@thayer.org or contact any member of this year’s executive board. For more info and helpful resources, visit the TAPA page on Thayer’s website.
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What Thayer Is Reading Now
Just in time for the Upper School's winter play, Benelli Writing Center Director Karen Jersild is reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
| | | Thayer Academy | 745 Washington St. | Braintree, MA 02184 US | | | | |
