Thayer Academy
| Thayer Academy | |
|---|---|
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| Established | 1877 |
| Type | private co-educational |
| Headmaster | Ted Koskores |
| Students | 670 |
| Grades | 6–12 |
| Location | Braintree, Massachusetts, USA |
| Coordinates | 42°12′30″N 71°0′20″W / 42.20833°N 71.00556°WCoordinates: 42°12′30″N 71°0′20″W / 42.20833°N 71.00556°W |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Black & Orange |
| Mascot | Tiger |
| Website | Thayer.org |
Thayer Academy (TA) is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory day school located in Braintree, Massachusetts. The academy, conceived in 1871 at the bequest of General Sylvanus Thayer, the father of the United States Military Academy, was founded in 1877. Thayer currently enrolls 462 students in the Upper School (grades 9–12) and an additional 218 students in the Middle School (grades 6–8). The 25-acre (10 ha) campus is situated in the heart of Braintree and consists of eight buildings. Students are drawn primarily from Boston's MetroWest and South Shore communities.
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[edit] History
General Thayer, born in Braintree, Massachusetts, graduated as valedictorian from both Dartmouth College and the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. General Thayer was dedicated to hard work, and at the age of 17 he taught in the local schools of Washington, D.C. to earn money to pay for college, an early sign of the importance he attached to teaching and education. He was Superintendent of the Military Academy at West Point from 1817-1833. General Thayer's 1871 will provided for the creation of Thayer Academy, and on September 12, 1877, the academy opened its doors to 30 students in what is now Main Building. Glover opened sometime later in 1894. The junior school (grades 5-8), Thayerlands, opened in 1924 and quickly grew to include eight grades as well as kindergarten and nursery school. In 1969, it began eliminating the lower grades to become Thayer Academy Middle School. Thayer has been a co-educational institution since its founding.
[edit] Academic program, students and faculty
Thayer recently completed two state-of-the-art biology labs, a two-story strength and conditioning facility, a new Middle School Resource Center, and four synthetic grass playing fields. In addition, a new Center for the Arts opened its doors in the fall of 2008 and includes a 550-seat theater, dance studios, and art classrooms. Tuition is $31,650 (2009–2010). The school provides $4 million in financial aid and is easily accessible from the major surrounding highways: routes 3, I-93, and I-95, and is within walking distance of the Braintree MBTA Red Line rapid transit station.
Total enrollment at Thayer is about 680 between the Upper School and the Middle School. The Thayer faculty consists of over 100 teachers, and the average class size is between 13 and 16 students. Colleges and universities popular among Thayer graduates include Bates, Cornell, Boston College, Boston University, Bucknell University, Hamilton, Harvard, Holy Cross, Fairfield, George Washington, Middlebury, Trinity, Franklin and Marshall College and Tufts.
100% of Thayer graduates matriculate to 4-year colleges and universities. Over 90% of students taking AP exams earn scores of 3 or better and over 60 % of Thayer graduates attend colleges and universities listed as "more selective" or "most selective" by Peterson's guide.
[edit] Academic highlights
[edit] Mathletes
The Thayer Traveling Mathletes has had its most successful year in its history.[citation needed] After winning their division, they were invited to the regional play-offs and then continued on to the Massachusetts State Competition, where they placed in the top 3 and qualified for the New England Meet. The math team consists of 15 students of all levels who meet for practice and travel to area high schools for competitions.
[edit] Voice
Thayer Academy’s student magazine Voice, published four times per year, was named best scholastic magazine for a school of any size in all of New England by the New England Scholastic Press Association (NEPSA).[citation needed]
In addition, eight Thayer students won Individual Achievement (IA) awards. Over 1,300 entries were received for various IA categories and typically, 10% or fewer entries in any category win recognition.[1]
Voice has two faculty advisors who help students with production questions and ideas. Students are encouraged and expected to display professional journalistic standards and make decisions on their own regarding writing, editing and publishing.
The basic guideline for Voice is that no topic is off-limits. The school administration doesn’t censor the content and all content and editorials are written by students. There is a staff of 18-20 and no single editor.
[edit] Green Projects: Grease Lightning
In 2007, with the support of faculty, parents, trustees, and local restaurants, the Advanced Placement Environmental Science (APES) class converted a 1981 Mercedes Benz 300D (diesel) to an environmentally friendly 'green car' that runs on filtered waste vegetable oil.
The class spent a semester installing the conversion kit from Greasecar. The students were divided into teams, some focusing on the build and install, others focusing on the wiring and still another group in charge of the marketing and advertising. "...when Mr. Schneider asked us all if we were interested in making a grease car, ...we thought it would be really, really fun," said Liz Tillotson, a student from Milton, Massachusetts. "We eventually decided to do something that would really stand out and make an impact in the community," said Skip Schneider, the science teacher who supervised the project.[2]
[edit] Athletics
Thayer's athletic teams participate in the competitive Independent School League (ISL), the oldest independent school athletic association in the United States. Thayer has long had a reputation as an ice hockey powerhouse,[3] and additionally offers these interscholastic sports at the High School varsity level:
- Fall
- Boys: Intramural Crew, Soccer, Football, Cross Country
- Girls: Intramural Crew, Soccer, Field Hockey, Cross Country
- Winter
- Boys: Basketball, Ice Hockey, Swimming and Diving, Skiing, Wrestling
- Girls: Basketball, Ice Hockey, Swimming and Diving, Skiing, Wrestling, Gymnastics
- Spring
- Girls: Lacrosse, Crew, Track and Field, Tennis, Golf, Softball
- Boys: Lacrosse, Crew, Track and Field, Tennis, Golf, Baseball
Thayer also offers interscholastic sports in the Middle School.
As a general rule, Middle School Students are required to participate in interscholastic activities or Health and Wellness (a program consisting of intramural and fitness activities), year-round. High School students are required to participate in 11 terms of interscholastic sports or Health and Wellness classes in order to graduate.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Tony Amonte, former hockey player
- Kelly Amonte Hiller, lacrosse player, coach
- John Cheever, Pulitzer Prize winning author (did not graduate) [4]
- William D. Delahunt, U.S. Representative, 10th District (MA-D)
- John Curtis Gowan, psychologist
- David Grossack, attorney
- Mike Jones, basketball player, University of Maryland Terrapins
- Amanda Kelly, Miss Massachusetts 2009
- Tiffany Kelly, Miss Massachusetts USA 2006
- Asa S. Knowles, educator and president of Northeastern University from 1959–1975
- Mike Mottau, hockey player, Hobey Baker Award winner
- Brooks Orpik, hockey player, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Jeremy Roenick, hockey player, San Jose Sharks
- Dave Silk, hockey player, 1980 Olympic Games "Miracle on Ice"
- Kelley Tuthill, WCVB-TV Boston reporter
- James Joseph Bulger, Jr, Businessman
- Ryan Whitney, hockey player, Anaheim Ducks
- Charlie Coyle, San Jose Shark First Round Draft Pick-2010, hockey
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes
- ^ [1] Gatehouse News Service, May 29, 2007]
- ^ Trust, Dick (2007-06-15), "A Wesson Lesson: Thayer students convert Mercedes into a model of energy efficiency", The Patriot Ledger, Quincy MA, http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2007/06/15/business/biz01.txt, retrieved 2007-02-21
- ^ "It was another fine year for South Shore hockey", The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA (available via ProQuest, document id 824511771, or from Highbeam), 2005-04-16
- ^ Wentworth, Lillian, Thayer Academy archivist. Interview with Patriot Ledger, Braintree, MA (26 January 2009), accessed 12 February 2009
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