Meeting the evolving and expanding needs of young people by weaving together
timeless tradition and timely innovation, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Tracy Miller
Assistant Head of School,
Director of Studies
Jeff Berndt P '21, '20
Director of Advancement: Philanthropy, Governance, and Strategy
Brian Smallwood CdeP 1983, P '28, '63
Board Chair, Strategic Plan Committee Chair
Catalina Saenz CdeP 1995, P '26, '23
Trustee, Strategic Plan Committee Chair
LETTER FROM
The Board and Strategic Planning Committee Chairs
As board and leadership team members at Thacher, there is no greater responsibility than the one we have to our students—past, present, and future. We aspire to fulfill this mandate by not only serving as stewards and champions of our mission, but also by helping to build momentum and resources in line with the priorities that will sustain and strengthen our school for years to come.
For the past 18 months, we were honored to join the Board of Trustees and a thoughtful and dedicated committee in a strategic planning process geared
towards doing just that. We welcomed the voices and perspectives of our broader community as we reflected, researched, and designed for the future. We ultimately coalesced on a strategic direction and guiding compass for the next exciting chapter in our school’s long history.
We are proud to share with you the culmination of this work: Thacher’s next Strategic Plan, A Greater Greatest Good. We encourage you to read and learn more about the exciting vision for the future of The Thacher School, and hope you are binspired to join us in bringing its goals and priorities to life as we embark on a bold new path for our school and its students.
Throughout my more than 20-year career at Thacher, I have remained inspired by the wisdom and work of its founder, Sherman Day Thacher. His mandate to train our students “in the art of living for their own greatest good and for the good of their fellow citizens,” is one that I endeavor to sustain each and every day and one that remains at the forefront of our roadmap for Thacher’s future in the pages of this Strategic Plan.
Mr. Thacher believed the most worthwhile education combined a vigorous academic life with rugged outdoor activities that engendered self-reliance, concern for others, and fidelity to four principles: Honor, Fairness, Kindness, and Truth. This timeless philosophy anchors our program as we also embrace the need to remain nimble and dynamic, meeting the ever-changing times with curiosity, creativity, and innovation, just as we have throughout the School’s more than 130-year history.
The success of this work depends on the collective commitment of our entire extended community, which is why we designed a broadly inclusive and thorough, deliberate process. I am grateful for the many who shared their insights and shaped the roadmap laid out before us now.
I am honored to work alongside this remarkable community of students, parents, ambassadors, and dedicated and passionate educators that bring our values and mission to life. As we set out in pursuit of the goals outlined in this plan, we will continue to embrace the mandate of our mission “to inspire and encourage hard work, integrity, self-reliance, a lifelong love of learning and truth, self-knowledge, and a deep concern for the world in which we live.”
Till the best we can do is all done,
Jeff Hooper
Head of School
LETTER FROM
The Head of School
PHILOSOPHY
The philosophy of The Thacher School is rooted in the wisdom and work of its founder, Sherman Day Thacher, who embraced the extraordinary natural venue of his school and sought above all else to train his students “in the art of living for their own greatest good and for the good of their fellow citizens.” He believed the most worthwhile education combined a vigorous academic life with rugged outdoor activities that engendered self-reliance, concern for others, and fidelity to four principles: honor, fairness, kindness, and truth.
MISSION
Thacher trains young people in the art of living for their own greatest good and for the greatest good of their fellow citizens in a diverse and changing world. To that end, the School augments its highly challenging academic program with profound lessons learned from the care of a horse, regular chores around the School, teamwork on playing fields, outstanding instruction in the arts, the give and take of everyday life with schoolmates and teachers, and adventures shared in the wilderness. The aim is to inspire and encourage hard work, integrity, self-reliance, a lifelong love of learning and truth, selfknowledge, and a deep concern for the world in which we live.
Honor
Fairness
Kindness
Truth
VALUES