in branches one and two, during which two scholars would be chosen each day to practice public speaking in front of instructors and other students. Following the speeches, the day would begin with the scholars from the common branch joining the others for the Morning Prayer. Afterward, the preceptor (the principal of the Academy) would talk about morals and the studies of his students. This routine was eliminated after 1846, and the bells were tolled only for the start of the school day. Life as a Bacon student was strict. The attitude of the scholar had to be forthright and that of a gentleman or lady. In or out of classes, each was to behave properly and dress neatly—or risk punishment by means of "reproof, correction, admonition, or expulsion." While in class, all pupils would sit diligently at their desks and study the Greek or Latin classics. At home, students usually studied when not working on their fathers’ farms or doing chores for their boarding masters. After the centennial celebration, the national reputation of the school declined and the Academy drew its students chiefly from Colchester and surrounding towns. In time, Bacon became simply the public high school for the Town of Colchester. By 1962, the students had become too numerous for the then 160-year-old building on Main Street, and they were moved to a new schoolhouse adjacent to the grammar school. A major building spurt in the 1980s again impelled construction of a new high school, less than a mile east; the doors opened at the present site in 1993. Bacon Academy celebrated its bicentennary in 2003, commencing the celebration with a special concert by the Bacon Academy Bands led by director Thomas Kessler. Other events included an all-class reunion, a golf tournament, and an open house at each of the buildings that ever had housed the Academy. Sports The Bacon Academy sports teams are members of the Eastern Connecticut Conference (ECC). The Bobcats have a rivalry with RHAM High School (Hebron, Connecticut) in football. The 2 schools play an annual football game on Thanksgiving Day that cumulates with the handing out of “The Rail”. “The Rail” is a piece of railroad track that symbolizes the Airline Rail that used to run between the towns of Colchester and Hebron. On March 17, 2012, the varsity girls basketball team won the Class L State Championship with a 38-34 victory over