KICKING OFF THE SCHOOL YEAR:

CONVOCATION 23-24

The 2023-24 academic year is officially underway. Head of School Peter Becker ’95 delivered his inaugural Convocation address to the Taft community to kick off the school year on Thursday, September 7.

In his address, Becker identified three shifts each student should embrace during their time at Taft: a shift from xenophobia to philoxenia; from serving self to serving others; and from drive to healthy drive. Each, he notes, requires “intention and conscious work,” which may be facilitated by five “moves” or mindset shifts: learning how to learn; developing tools and skills to manage stress; unlocking the wisdom of our community; using screens and technology well; and taking good risks.

A MESSAGE FROM

THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD

EMILY ISRAEL PLUHAR ’96 

NAMED TO BOARD

The Taft School is pleased to announce the appointment of Emily Israel Pluhar ’96 to the Board of Trustees.

Dr. Pluhar’s career has been dedicated to helping support the mental and physical health of adolescents and their families through direct patient care, education, research, and program development.

ALUMNI NEWS

Jessica Matzkin ’90 Earns National Recognition

Jessica Matzkin ’90 was recently honored with the prestigious Burch Ford Kaleidoscope Award for Excellence in Student & Residential Life. Matzkin is currently the dean of student life and wellness at The Loomis Chaffee School.

Each year, The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) presents the award to three professionals from their 250 member schools nationwide who have exemplified commitment, creativity, and excellence in student and residential life.

Diante Vines ’20 Scores First College Touchdown

Diante Vines ’20, the Taft football career record holder for catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns, now a junior at the University of Iowa, scored his first touchdown as a Hawkeye against Western Michigan on September 16.

Follow Taft Athletics on our website to stay current with sports news on campus and in our alumni community.

TAFT ON THE ROAD

SAVE THE DATE: UPCOMING EVENTS

Art from the Heart: A Chamber Music Soiree with Taft Instrumental Music Teachers

November 12, 2023, Woodward Chapel, 5:00 PM.

With Lisa Lacquidara, violin; George Kroqi, cello; Fred Krug, guitar; Ray Pierpont, piano; and Daniel Scifo, organ.

Join Us for Some Holiday Cheer (Details to Follow!)

November 29, 2023, Boston

December 5, 2023, New York City

December 6, 2023, Washington, D.C.

Taft's 87th Service of Lessons and Carols

December 12, 2023, Woodward Chapel, 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM.

Featuring Collegium Musicum, Chamber Ensemble, Woodward Brass Ensemble, organ, and piano.

ON CAMPUS

Cum Laude Society Induction: Excellence, Justice, Honor

Fifteen students in the class of 2024 became members of the Cum Laude Society during Taft's annual October induction ceremony. “Cum Laude is an extraordinary achievement,” noted Head of School Peter Becker ’95 in opening the annual October Cum Laude Society induction ceremony. “I’ve always thought that what we recognize isn’t necessarily getting to this point—winning this prize, as it were—but all the effort that it takes to get there and what it signifies, not just about the students who are here on the stage, but the nature of academic pursuit and engagement at Taft more generally: a spirit of inquiry and a spirit of effort and determination in that pursuit that I hope is true of every student at this school.”

Summer Journeys:

Profiles of Taft Students’ Summer Experiences

The arrival of fall always inspires the classic back-to-school question: What did you do with your summer? From service and travel to immersion in academics and the arts, Taft students embraced the possibilities of summer with extraordinary experiences across the globe.

Grace Qudeen ’25, Coastal Conservation in Africa

Logan Marku ’24, For the Children

Isabella Nascimento Silva Pinto ’25, The Value of Language

Fiona Chou ’24, A Deeper Dive into Medical Education

Jasmine Pun ’24, Perspectives on Effecting Change

Molly Wynne ’24, Dedicated to Dreams

Charlotte Hay ’24, Building Bonds through Service

Maya Lewis ’24, Where Service Meets Culture

Julian Prentice ’24, Building National Pride

Maggie Zeng ’24, Research at the Highest Level

Faith Graziano ’24, A Passion for Primates

Botswanan Ties

Sara Takanabe ’24, A Passion for Acting

Isabel Yang ’24 at the New York Botanical Garden

Vincent Chen ’24, EMT

Where Can a Taft Education Lead?

By supporting the Taft Fund, you help generations of Tafties forge their own paths, create their own futures, and define their own successes. Gifts of any amount make a difference.

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