Letter from Head of School

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Hello Alumni and Friends,

WE ARE OFFICIALLY celebrating Foxcroft Academy’s Bicentennial. FA staff and faculty are already planning events that will have students participating in the yearlong celebration ranging from things like weekly “#200yeartuesdays” history lessons to larger organized events such as a masquerade ball featuring students dressed in garb from the date of our founding in 1823. This year promises to be fun and educational as we share

Foxcroft Academy’s birthday with the community! We are in the early stages of the new school year and school is going very well. One can notice that another year removed from the pandemic, students are now returning to a more productive educational routine. With this semester’s increases in both local and boarding enrollment, Foxcroft Academy’s total enrollment is currently hovering around 420.

Anticipating a number of new applications for the spring semester, it is expected that we will add twenty more boarding students, bringing the total number of students in the dormitories to 75. We are mask optional with no COVID-19 restrictions, and everyone is breathing a sigh of relief to Ride on be able to once again follow a more normal school Ponies! routine. The “Knowledge in Partnership’’ mentoring program was a huge success! Close to sixty-five percent of the class of 2022 reached out to a Foxcroft Academy alum for help with their senior portfolios. A few of the students were able to develop relationships leading to student internships and other valuable work experiences. If you remember, this project was started by Monica Miles Stevens ’13. Knowing that Foxcroft Academy’s alumni had a wealth of knowledge and a wide range of work experiences, she thought it would be helpful if a pool of alumni Arnold Shorey could speak with current students at FA. The alumni response was overwhelmingly positive, and provided graduating seniors with a great deal of helpful advice and guidance. Thank you to all students and alumni who participated in our Knowledge in Partnership mentoring program, and a special thank you to Monica, who is completing her graduate work in medicine, for initiating this great idea at Foxcroft Academy.

The Bicentennial celebration is now fully underway. Toby Nelson, FA’s Chief Communications Officer, is preparing weekly segments of “#200yeartuesdays” with recent pieces focusing on FA’s founder James S. Holmes, tuition in 1852, the downtown Academy building near the Congregational Church, and a scene from a Foxcroft Academy chemistry lab in 1892. The Student Council is also joining in the celebration by looking into the history of Foxcroft Academy dances over the past 200 years. Bicentennial plans call for students to come to the masquerade ball dressed in appropriate attire for periods covering the 1820s, 1900s, 1950s, 1960s, etc. While the faculty continues to brainstorm various activities and ideas, some early considerations include costume days, athletic events and games played in the 1820s, student presentations on Foxcroft Academy’s history, a Lego replica of Foxcroft Academy, and homecoming floats reflecting our bicentennial themes. Whatever your interests may be, this year promises to deliver on something for everyone in celebration of the Academy’s 200th

FA ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2022 4