Greeting from the Headmaster

As I enter my first year at TA, I want the community to know how excited I am about this school and its future. TA has a fine 40-plus year history and we are poised to build on this reputation. Perhaps what strikes me most about the school is the sense of community that binds students, parents, faculty and alumni in a common purpose to make TA the best possible educational community – for the sake of our students. For example, on the very mid-summer day I wrote this message you would have noticed: a football practice, summer camps, teachers preparing for the upcoming school year, students earning community service hours, and parent volunteers working in the school.  Indeed TA has been blessed with an array of talented and passionate individuals from Board members to faculty and I am proud to call myself a Knight.

It’s difficult to describe a school in a few words but for TA I might say…Come to TA because it’s a place to…Think, Play, and Belong. The foundation of a great school has to be academics. Extraordinary opportunities and excellent teaching are at the core of a quality academic environment. At TA we are not satisfied with good enough. We certainly teach our students. But more important we teach our students to think. With college placement rates approaching 100% and a significant proportion of students receiving some form of academic scholarship we understand the primary purpose of school.

At TA, we also understand the need to play. TA has an incredible tradition of athletic success, in basketball, football, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, track and field, volleyball and cheering.  Our fine arts program also allows for meaningful opportunities for play. We believe that there are critical life-lessons to be learned on the field, court and stage.

At TA, everybody belongs. Every student is known. Not just known by a mark in math or English class but by their character and interests. We are truly fortunate in this regard and maintaining small class sizes allows for this individual attention and leads to our ability nurture the moral and character development of our students.

Finally, let me say that the healthy functioning of a school depends on honest, open and ongoing conversations. Thus, whether you’re a long-time community member or you’re considering TA for your children, please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the faculty. I welcome forthright and honest dialogue by all.

Warm Regards,

Jeffrey L. Mitchell
Headmaster