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October Thoughts from Head of School Peter Becker '95
With the excitement (and adjustment) of September behind us, October finds our community settling into familiar, productive, and comfortable rhythms and routines. Hear more about what that means from Head of School Peter Becker '95.
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Meet Edie Traina
Assistant Head of School for Faculty & Academics
Taft students interact with our faculty members on every corner of our campus: in the classrooms, in the dormitories, on the playing field, through clubs and service organizations, as advisors, mentors, and guides. As Assistant Head of School for Faculty and Academics, Edit Traina has helped build an exceptional faculty team.
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Meet Academic Dean Jennifer Kenerson
Through her work as Taft’s Academic Dean, Jennifer Kenerson gets to know each student in our community by guiding them through course selections as they map out a fulfilling academic path that will span their Taft careers. She is also tuned in to the broader issues impacting academic life at Taft and beyond. From artificial intelligence to the impact of cell phones on learning, Mrs. Kenerson keeps students informed about rapidly changing technologies, academic requirements, and educational best practices.
Hear more from Mrs. Kenerson in the video below.
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Academic Life: Intermediate Painting and Drawing
Taft offers more than 50 academic courses in the arts. Students are required to complete at least one semester of study in the arts each year, though most students engage with the arts well beyond those requirements through courses at the advanced levels, independent tutorials, formal afternoon programs, and arts-centric clubs. The arts not only broaden and enhance learning at Taft, they bring energy, culture, creativity, and balance to our community.
Students in John O’Reilly’s Intermediate Painting and Drawing class recently spent time learning about “sight-size” drawing, a method of drawing an object exactly as it appears to the artist on a one-to-one scale. Artists begin by establishing their vantage point or position from which they will make their visual measurements. From that spot, they will see their subject and drawing side by side with both appearing to be the same size. Developed in the 19th century, sight-size drawing builds the artist’s ability to see, replicate, and render objects from direct observation.
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Summer Journeys: Making an Impact Across the Globe
Over the summer, many Taft students engage in service projects and learning activities across the globe. Opportunities abound, and partial funding is often available through a variety of grants and fellowships. This year, Tafties traveled to Thailand, Zimbabwe, Zanzibar, Bali and Sumatra, Argentina, France, Botswana, Costa Rica, and more; they also spent time in classrooms, on stages, and in research laboratories from New York to California. The impact of their work is deeply meaningful, and their stories always fascinating.
Student travel funding opportunities:
William H. Hatfield '32 Grants celebrate the ideals of Horace Dutton Taft—service above self—and are awarded to students whose commitment to volunteerism brings to life the message behind Taft's motto: Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret—Not to be served but to serve.
The Kilbourne Summer Enrichment Fund, established by John Kilbourne, Class of 1958, in memory of his parents, Samuel W. and Evelyn S. Kilbourne, provides students with opportunities in the summer to participate in enriching programs in the arts.
Meg Page '74 Fellowships honor Page's commitment to compassionate health care, and are awarded to students who wish to explore an experience or course of study devoted to public health, family planning, medical research, mental health, and non-Western practices of healing.
Robert Keyes Poole '50 Fellowships honor Poole, a Taft teacher from 1956 to 1962, and enable Tafties to engage in travel or in projects consistent with Mr. Poole's lifetime interest in wildlife and the environment.
Background Image: Thailand, courtesy Logan Marku '24
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Arts at Taft: Matilda Takes the Stage
One of the highlights of Fall Family Weekend is always the fall musical, and this year will be no exception. Student actors, dancers, musicians, stage-crafters, light and sound engineers, costumers, make-up artists, and stage managers are hard at work preparing to bring Roald Dahl’s Matilda to the Bingham Auditorium stage. Join us for what is sure to be a fantastic show! Hear more from Director Helena Fifer:
Showtimes for Matilda:
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Living the Taft School Motto
Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret; Not to be served, but to serve.
Taft students don’t just talk about the school motto, they live it. It is part of the fabric of our community, and a piece of Taft life that every student carries with them long after graduation. Our motto is a lifetime commitment: Not to be served but to serve. And that commitment begins the moment they arrive on campus.
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Important Information for Parents from the Martin Health Center
Together, We Can Take a Bite Out of Flu Season
Flu season can be a difficult time of year; the flu is highly contagious, and can spread quickly in residential settings like ours. Fortunately, the flu vaccine can limit the transmission and severity of the infection.
This year, the Martin Health Center will be offering three on-site flu vaccine clinics for students and employees. If your child is under the age of 18, they need your permission to be vaccinated. You can grant that permission by completing this form. Students 18 and older may complete the form themselves.
The clinics will be held October 13th, 17th, and 19th. Once we have received your completed form, the Health Center and the Office of Student Life will work together to schedule students to receive their vaccines, ideally during their free blocks; students will be notified of their scheduled appointment time.
Questions? Contact Kira Lent, director of health services, at klent@taftschool.org.
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Meet the Hentemanns and the Parents' Committee
Jane and Chris Hentemann will once again lead the Parents' Fund with the help from the Parents’ Committee. As the parents of three Tafties--Henry '19, Emma '21, and Patrick '24--Jane and Chris are keenly aware of the importance of parent involvement at Taft. They have been part of the Taft community for nine years, and members of the Parents' Committee for the past seven.
You will surely see them at events both on and off campus, including the upcoming Fall Family Weekend on October 27 and 28, the first family event on campus this year. The Friday evening of Family Weekend will include a welcome reception, hosted by the Parents' Committee, in Mac Quad for families and their Tafties. There will be drinks and appetizers, as well as lawn games and the opportunity to gather with other families, faculty and administrators. A buffet dinner will follow in nearby Moorhead Wing.
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Join us!
Two big events are coming up for parents and families: Our annual Taft Today program for new families, and Fall Family Weekend. We hope to see you on campus at the end of the month, Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28.
And speaking of events, Head of School Peter Becker '95 will be on the road from time to time throughout the school year, and is looking forward to meeting you at regional events. He's heading west to San Francisco and LA next week, then on to several cities across Asia in November. You can find his travel schedule on the parents page of the Taft School website. The calendar fills the far right column of the page; click on any event to access the event registration links.
Taft's school calendar is both full and dynamic. From our Music for a While Concert Series to dance performances, special schedules and more, you'll want to bookmark the school calendar page of our website and visit it often.