8 Flag, Cloverleaf Barrels, Keyhole, Ribbon Race, Ring Spearing, Rescue Race, Hurry Scurry, Diamond Hitch Packing Race, and Silver Dollar Pick-Up.
1. Honor Code
Honor, fairness, kindness, and truth: Our Honor Code isn’t just words; it’s a way of living. Juniors and seniors take exams unproctored; doors aren’t locked. It’s cherished by both students and faculty and central to all areas of life at Thacher. For graduates it becomes the code they live by. 2. The Chambered Nautilus
For over one hundred years, our Head of School has begun the year’s first Assembly with a reading of Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.’s poem The Chambered Nautilus. The chambered nautilus is the spiral shell of a sea creature that symbolizes every student’s mission to grow intellectually and personally. 3. Silver Dollar Club
The culminating athletic challenge of a student’s first year is the chance to join the Silver Dollar Club at Big Gymkhana. You join the club if you can scoop a silver dollar off the ground from a loping horse. How many members are there? 392 so far. 4. Big Gymkhana
The centerpiece of spring Family Weekend, Gymkhana is a series of athletic events on horseback with such names as: California Poles, Figure
5. Orange and Green
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*With special thanks to our students, faculty, and alumni for helping to put together this little guide within a guide: Cecelia, Dallas, Emma, Finn, Greg, Hayley, Jane, Jeffrey, Kaja, Kara, Laura, May, Molly, Owen, Sam, Shin, Skylar, Stella, Wesley, and Yosephina.
There is a reason our school colors are orange and green. Orange and olive groves have been here since the School was founded. A favorite for those living on campus is the fragrance of orange blossoms on dewy mornings as the sun comes up. 6. Diverse Cultures and Ideas
As alumna Maria Hernandez CdeP 2013 says, “The diverse cultures, personalities, and ideas enmeshed in the Ojai Valley at Thacher make the School irreplaceable.” 7. Unrivaled Support
“Academics at Thacher are very challenging, but the small class size and the high level of support from teachers create an environment where you can really excel,” says Dallas. 8. Camping and Why
At Thacher, we retreat to the woods and mountains for many different reasons. We go to learn that nothing will get done unless we do it ourselves, that there is no one else responsible for our welfare. We learn that working together is ultimately better and easier than the purely individual endeavor. We learn that preparation is critical for
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