We know kids and mom’s who ride and who muck stalls and still remain high and mighty. Actually used to be a joke in our town that some wore riding clothes ( and dirty boots) to vote in town elections. It used to make some folks who had to clean the gym a little upset. Our neighbor had two horses and thought nothing of making a mess on the sidewalk.
Honestly, I’d never heard of Thacher til CC but I’d guess that the riding makes for fun times. Kids getting together in the morning sounds great. Especially with the good weather there. I’d be very doubtful about it weeding out the high faultin’ ones though. The ones we know who ride all get up at the crack of dawn and ride. They all seem to take care of their own horses too. They start the kids about 4-8 with a small horse and go from there. It seemed to be a signal in our area that if you rode especially if you did dressage that you could afford the horse and the care. Apparently, it’s quite an expensive sport.
@Happtimes2001 I think there is a big difference between being wealthy enough to own your own horse and compete in English-style dressage… and taking care of a horse you’ve been assigned at school (having never been on a horse before) and learning to ride Western style so you can go off into the hills on horsepacking camping trips and then compete in crazy cowboy style races during Big Gymkhana. There’s nothing prissy or refined about riding at Thacher, lol! (There is a separate equestrian team that rides English style, but only a small number of kids participate.)
We know several kids who did not apply to Thacher because although they were curious about learning to ride, they were turned off by the idea of working in the horse barns every single dawn freshman year… The mandatory horse and outdoor programs (everyone camps for at least two weeks each year) really DO rule out a lot of kids.
Actually, cleaning the stall of an Olympic show jumper and cleaning the stall of a humble pack horse is pretty much the same exercise. It involves a pitchfork, a wheelbarrow, and an acknowledgement that you’ll be doing it again very soon. And that there will be no tip left for you.
Interestingly enough, lots of kids on the show circuit would happily do more for their horses – it’s generally their parents who put them on the princess program so they’ll have more time for school and such (and not have to be at the barn morning and evening). And there are those who do their own care too.
Imo, it’s a great way to start the day, and I think Thacher is giving its students a lifelong gift from this experience. It’s not a sacrifice, it’s a privilege. But I’ll get off my high horse…
?
Throughout the year our school has students waiting tables, working dish crew, etc…most kids think it’s fun th
For graduation weekend, each student is part of a crew to help with serving-waiting tables for the family meals and setting up, breaking down event sites.
Think it’s great that each grade is involved and helping with graduation.
Do most schools do this?
@Golfgr8
DS’s school gives all kids, boarding and day, a work/job for one trimester a year. Tour guides are exempt as they give tours all year long. Jobs could be waiting tables, set up and take down for music/band/theater, wiping down and cleaning up the gym equipment, etc.
If your students are interested in working on a farm, learning about agriculture & environmentalism, xeriscape designing - combined with community service - feel free to DM me about a 4 week overseas summer program for students entering 10th -11th-12th grades (credit given for community service).
All kids at George have jobs all year, and all freshmen have to work in the dining hall. Funny, @golfgr8, those dining hall jobs end up being pretty enjoyable (based on the number of kids who could choose another job but pick that one.) I get the sense that the staff who supervise them are good folks and that is part of the appeal.
For graduation, there are some formal roles for juniors, but not every student is involved.
Yes @gardenstategal - dining hall crew is fun - for many of us these experiences served as solid training for future employment?, as well as parenthood! I am willing to bet that many of us worked as servers or bartenders later on in college or after. We didn’t have Barista’s back then.
At Thacher, all students have morning jobs. If you aren’t a freshman mucking at the horse barns, you are sweeping classrooms or doing other chores.
Freshmen are servers at the end of year All School Banquet and awards ceremony, but are not there for graduation. Freshmen and sophomores depart early. Only juniors and seniors are on campus for graduation.
There are some student employment opportunities at PEA, but kids can choose to participate or not. Many kids volunteer their time throughout the year though. Our daughter worked weekly in the child care center on campus and tutored a local family’s kids weekly. She also devoted countless hours as editor of the yearbook. There are many ways to get involved. I have always found it a little odd that all lower classmen are off campus before prom/ graduation, so they aren’t part of the ceremony. The school does a great job of catering lunch for all graduation attendees.
Cate does its graduation the week before everyone else has finals. I think the non-seniors have jobs re: setting up for the ceremony, etc.
Hello@gardenstategal.I want to DM @Golfgr8 but have forgotten how to do it on this forum. Yes, I definitely need assistance.
Use the little inbox icon at the bottom of the page.
Hello @gardenstategal, @Golfgr8 helped get me on the right track.
I think all kids should have jobs as it prepares them for life. The trick is, the kid has to want to work and thengo out and get the job. While I was secretly thinking boy I would love it if kiddo would think about a Summer job back in January I hadn’t said anything. When kiddo said a Summer job would be nice, I smiled ( a lot). Happy that my kids want to work and also be productive in the Summer.
Sometimes it takes a little bit of prodding to get mine to volunteer but we do, sometimes as a family ( since they were tots) and more often now they think up their own stuff. They also know we always buy three things at the supermarket and put it in the box for the food bank. My grandmother always did this when I was a kid.
It’s great that BS encourage kids to live a life of service. Helping out in any way matters. Not for any college apps, but to be a real member of your city, town or village.
Does anyone know if there are student jobs at Andover and what kind they are?
Check the school’s website. I remember there is a section that lists job openings for Andover Summer.
My kiddos are back from school. Last night, they had met up with friends from school in SOHO for dinner. They had just left school last Thursday from seeing each other every day. Go figure they want to see each other again right away after the school year is over.
My name is mommy taxi driver again. My son is having me drive him to NYC to see a play today with another Andover buddy. I will have bags under my eyes before the summer is out. ( Smile)
Kiddo got home early last night. Upon arrival, we sat in the living room and chatted for a marathon couple of hours about how his first year was, and how none of us have any regrets. BS was the right decision at the right time. We heard all about the friends, the stress, the great and not so great things that happened this year, in a level of detail we hadn’t gotten before. It was a thorough debriefing. 
After dinner, he was back to his video games for the rest of the night and he is sound asleep as I write this. Yup, he is the same kid we dropped off 9 months ago. Could definitely use a haircut, though!
Is anyone scheduling driving lessons for their kids this summer? OK - I know someone will jump on this, but just wondering…It seems that most of the kids we know at BS in no hurry to learn to drive. In our region, kids get their license at age 16, permit at age 15. Do most BS kids wait to learn to drive? Does anyone have their kid take driving lessons while at BS? It would be nice for kiddo to learn (from someone else) how to drive in winter next year?