Welcome to the first issue of The Taft School e-newsletter. At a school where hardly a week goes by without exciting news about student and faculty endeavors (be they artistic, athletic, academic, or altruistic in nature), it seems fitting to share with you some of the top stories from Taft this semester. We hope you enjoy reading these brief news updates and viewing photos from Taft! If you have comments or suggestions, please let us know


79th Service of Lessons and Carols

Luminarias lit a festive path from the main campus to Woodward Chapel, where the service included readings by faculty, staff, and students, with seasonal music by Collegium Musicum, the Taft Chamber Ensemble, and the Woodward Chapel Brass Ensemble. Read more. View photos. Watch the video

The End of an Era - Maryann Laska Retires  
In her 30 years at Taft, Laska has made her mark as an industry pioneer: She initiated a preseason screening program for all students; lobbied to bring a neurocognitive concussion testing program to Taft; and led efforts to strengthen communications among private school athletic trainers. She established an internship program for college students, and mentored them during their time at Taft. Read more...
 
Lessons in Leadership and Respectful Debate 
In the wake of recent grand jury decisions involving the cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, students at Taft organized a demonstration to create awareness and encourage discussion on issues of race, law enforcement, and the judicial process. "It won't surprise anyone that on a campus of really smart, engaged, and principled students and faculty we have had a robust and informed dialogue about the recent grand jury decisions - or that there has been great diversity of perspectives," says Headmaster Willy MacMullen '78. Read more...
 
Hotchkiss Day 2014 
Following the traditional Red Rally and bonfire on Saturday evening, Taft Rhinos crashed the campus in droves on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to support our teams on Hotchkiss Day. Students, alumni, parents, and friends got their rally on in celebration of this longstanding Taft tradition. View photos of 
Red Rally and Hotchkiss Day and read about game results on Taft's website. 
Community Service Day Reaches a Milestone
Close to 700 Taft students, faculty, and staff donated their time and talents to local nonprofit organizations, schools, and civic outreach organizations on October 20, 2014, as part of Taft's 20th annual Community Service Day. Tafties spread across campus, town, and the region to make a meaningful difference at nearly forty different sites. View photos and read more about this year's Community Service Day.

Taft E-Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1
December 2014

January 31

Alumni Games

(Details and registration

 

February 12

Campaign Reception and Dinner, St. Louis


February 20-21

Winter Parents' Weekend 

 

For more information:
logo
Campaign for the Second Century

Our goal is to be a school marked by excellence in teaching, and so it follows that we must invest deeply in teachers. In order to have a world-class faculty, we need to ensure that we can recruit, retain, and grow brilliant and passionate teachers. That means we need to provide competitive compensation and benefits, high quality housing, and professional growth opportunities. 

 

We ask you to think about the role that Taft faculty members have played in your life (or the life of your child) and to consider supporting Taft's capital campaign goal of building and sustaining a distinguished and dedicated faculty.   

 

Who was the Taft faculty member who made a difference in your life?  

"I'm particularly close with Ms. Saarnijoki, who I had for my sophomore English class. I love her enthusiasm. I love that she teaches every book and talks about every book like it's her favorite thing in the world. She really encourages you to love reading and think about literature as much as she does."

-Charlotte Anrig '14

 

For more information about Taft's Campaign for the Second Century, visit www.taftschool/campaign/ 

 

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New to Taft this year is an online photo gallery. Visit www.taftphotos.com to see images of arts, athletics, and volunteer activities. Most photos are available for immediate download at no cost. Just right click on the image and save it to your desktop.
The Taft School | 860-945-7777 | info@taftschool.org | Update email address
110 Woodbury Road
Watertown, CT 06795