Academic calendar
First Semester 2026 runs Aug 3, 2026 – Dec 17, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- First Semester 2026Relevant now
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 17 of 17 terms
C
- CPT
- An abbreviation for the Congdon, Prindle, and Tower dormitories which are connected units.
D
- DEIJ
- The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice committee or office.
E
- Echo
- The school's yearbook, frequently used as a shorthand title.
G
- GSA
- The Gender and Sexuality Alliance student organization.
H
- HDT
- Refers to the Horace Dutton Taft building, which contains student dorm rooms as well as administrative offices.
L
- Lowers
- Lower Middlers, referring to students in the 9th grade.
M
- Main
- Short for the Main Dining Room where the majority of daily meals are served.
- Mids
- Middlers, referring to students in the 10th grade.
N
- Non ut sibi
- Derived from the school motto 'Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret', often used to describe the ethos of service.
P
- P-S
- An abbreviation for the Prentice and Skeele dormitories.
S
- Sit-down
- Formal, assigned-seating dinners held in the Main Dining Room to foster community.
- STUCO
- The Taft Student Council, responsible for representing student interests and organizing events.
T
- The Jig
- The Jig Patio, which serves as the school's snack bar and social hub for informal dining.
- The Pap
- Shorthand for The Papyrus, Taft's student-run newspaper founded in 1893.
U
- Uppers
- Upper Middlers, referring to students in the 11th grade.
- USGD
- Acronym for the Upper School Girls' Dorm.
V
- Vogey
- Student shorthand for Vogelstein dormitory.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Bingham
- Bingham Auditorium, the main venue for school meetings, plays, and assemblies.
- Cruik
- The Cruikshank Athletic Center, housing the gymnasium and athletic facilities.
- D-Hall
- Common shorthand used in scheduling or texting for the Dining Hall.
- Late Start
- The modified schedule, typically on Thursday mornings, where classes begin later than the standard time.
- Main
- The Main Building, the historic heart of campus containing classrooms, offices, and the dining hall.
- Sign-in
- The mandatory curfew procedure where students must check in with the faculty member on duty in their dorm.
- The Wu
- The Wu Science and Mathematics Center, the primary facility for STEM classes.
- the_donald_oscarson_jigger_shop_the_jig
- The Donald Oscarson Jigger Shop (The Jig)
- the_servery_moorhead_wing
- The Servery (Moorhead Wing)
- Vespers
- A non-denominational community gathering or spiritual service held in the school chapel.
- Walker
- Walker Hall, a building primarily used for classrooms and academic departments.
- X-Block
- A designated period in the weekly schedule used for club meetings, assemblies, or extra help from teachers.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- First Semester 2026 runs Aug 3, 2026 – Dec 17, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 17 approved campus terms and 12 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.