September 24, 2015
Administrator's Corner   
I t is really hard to believe that we are fully in the fall of the year!

Our world at TJ has been full of Homecomings, dances, football, soccer, volleyball, golf and gymnastic competitions! The level of spirit this year is incredible, thanks to the newly formed Legion of Sparta. This is a new group,  spearheaded by new Activities Director, Ms. Sara Andolsek, which leads the charge of building spirit for athletic and social events this year at TJ. This group gets messages to the student populace as to what color to wear to show spirit at the games and helps to keep the crowds engaged by helping to lead cheers for our teams. It is quite an experience to be a part of the sporting events at TJ this fall!  As October is right around the corner, there are a number of events that you will not want to miss!
 
October 1, 6:00-8:00 p.m. - All school Open House and TJ garden produce sale. At 7:00 p.m. there is also a band/orchestra concert, so stay for the entertainment too!
October 7 and 8, 3:30-7:30 p.m. - Parent Teacher conferences
October 19 and 20 - No school for students
October 30- 3rd Annual Trick or Treat Street for our feeder elementary schools and for our neighbors

Suzanne Morris-Sherer
Principal 
Quick Links
Wanna Get Away?
airplane-takeoff-sun-sm.jpg
Interested in traveling to Germany and the Alps in 2016? Please come to room 217 or click here for more details! You can also e-mail [email protected]

or call: 720-423-7093
Math Tutoring
Need help with math?
Math tutoring is available in the Library Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Bring your math materials and any questions....Great way to stay on top of your class!
Dare to Excel at the Mock ACT on Thursday, September 24
TJ's juniors prepare for the Mock ACT to help prepare for the ACT.
On September 24th, TJ's juniors will take the Mock ACT to help prepare for the actual test in April of 2016. The test will take place at TJ, beginning at 7:30 a.m. and running until 12:00 p.m.. Due to testing, there will be no school for the rest of the students and juniors will be the only students in the building. Read More
Superintendent Forum Information - September 24 (deadline extended)

Superintendent Forums (continued)
Click here for flyer in Amharic                                 Click here for flyer in Arabic
Click here for flyer in Burmese                                 Click here for flyer in French
Click here for flyer in Karen                                      Click here for flyer in Nepali
Click here for flyer in Russian                                   Click here for flyer in Somali
Click here for flyer in Spanish                                  Click here for flyer in Tigringa
Click here for flyer in Vietnamese
The Share Fair Nation's STEMosphere is Coming Back to Denver this Saturday
This interactive exposition is coming to Denver for one day only. 
The Share Fair Nation (SFN) was originated by John and Carrie Morgridge , philanthropists that lead the Morgridge Family Foundation. The Family Foundation believes in using technology to advance students' learning. The SFN is an event that provides preK-12 teachers the opportunity to come together to learn the newest technologies and teaching strategies. The STEMosphere is a SFN sponsored event that anyone can come to learn and experience the latest and greatest inventions.
This will be a one day event held at the University of Denver on Saturday, September 26th, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is free and open to anyone who registers for the event online at sharefairnation.com. Read More 
Saturday School is Back: This Saturday, 8-11:30 a.m.
We are going to have Saturday School on Saturday the  26 th from 8am to 11:30am. Students and parents should have be notified by the 23 rd if they are on the list. Please look in the parent/student portal in IC if you are unaware of your student's attendance, and encourage them to keep a percentage of 90% attendance or higher. Please have your student here every day on time as October 1 st is our student count day.
TJ Aristocrat Yearbook News
2016 Yearbook!

We are using a new company that allows you to be directly involved in the creation of the book. You can upload all of your awesome photos from TJ events, and they might end up getting published in the yearbook! In order to do this, you simply need to go to treering.com, make an account, and begin to upload your photos.
Other than that, if you have an interest in helping design the yearbook, please see Mr. Forrester room 110 about the weekly meetings during lunch.

Finally, for more info on the yearbook, like when senior photos are due and how to buy the book, visit tjjournal.com, and click on the Aristocrat Yearbook link on right side of the home page.
Tryouts on Monday!

PSAT October 14
Oct. 14 is the PSAT at TJ at 7:30 am in Room 111.  Only punctual students may test and "track down" service will not be available this year on the day of the test (one proctor runs around looking for missing registrants). 
The test is primarily for Grade 11, and academically prodigious 10th-Graders are also encouraged take this test which can trigger the National Merit Scholarship.  
Registration is first come, first-served and completed only by payment of $20 to the Treasurer's Office Monique Alexander by a hard deadline of Sept. 30 in all cases.  Ms. Alexander keeps record of payments, which doubles as registration, so your receipt is your test ticket.
TJ Robotics Prepares for Competition Season
TJ's Robotics classes gear up for this year's challenges.
Upon entering one of TJ's two robotics classrooms, visitors are greeted by robots spinning in circles, students rummaging in tool kits, and the whirring of motors. TJ's robotics classes are preparing for two major competitions this year, the First Tech Challenge (FTC),  and First Robotics Challenge (FRC), and it's no easy task.
Read More
Schmoop: Successful Standardized Test Preparation for Students
Hey, Shmooperstars,

Once upon a time, the PSAT/NMSQT® exam included sentence completion questions, penalized students for guessing, and required test-takers to choose between five answer choices.
Those days of yore (a.k.a. 2014) are long gone.

In 2015, the College Board decided it was time for an extreme PSAT makeover-and not of the reality TV variety. In addition to ditching sentence completion, letting students guess to their hearts' desire, and removing that pesky fifth answer choice, the new exam is 35 minutes longer, the critical reading and writing skills sections are combined, and test scores are now out of a whopping 1520.

Keeping track of all the changes can feel like a grueling standardized test in itself, but we've got your back. Our revised  PSAT prep includes all the study tools and inside tips students need to ace the new exam.
  • Four full-length practice exams that are completely aligned to the redesigned PSAT. And when the College Board redesigns the exam again fifteen minutes from now, we'll be on top of that, too. Every item includes an answer explanation with a step-by-step breakdown that will kick students' brains into gear by giving them all the details they need.
  • Diagnostic exams that assess student strengths and...not-so-strengths. Shmoop analytics allow students to create personalized review plans with targeted drills and our Math Shack feature. Fancy yourself a visual learner? Our 500+ video answer explanations have you covered.
  • Review topics that cover key skills and concepts on the exam. Testing shouldn't occur in a vacuum, and our narratives provide real-world contexts and other applications for what students are learning. As it turns out, Mean Girls is a pretty good metaphor for just about everything.
  • Virtual classrooms that provide teachers and students with a digital classroom experience. Teachers can create assignments, contact students, and track student progress with our interactive Gradebook. Paper airplanes optional.
Denver is Bringing Back the Arts
A local foundation is restoring art programs one student at a time.
The Bringing Back the Arts (BBTA) Foundation is on a mission with Denver's first lady Mary Louise Lee to restore DPS arts programs and give Denver residents better access to cultural institutions all throughout the city. Through this organization, there is a highly-selective internship program in which two Spartans, junior Jordan Prochnow and senior Thomas Silverstein , were among thirteen selected recipients. Read More
Special Movie Screening and Conversation on Race

Math in Motion
Elizabeth McMahon's honors precalculus students used the unit circles on the ground to walk/count around and find reference angles and coterminal angles.
Special Parent Presentation - Mental Health Awareness
October 13th, 2015 - 6:00pm
Mental Health Awareness
Suicide and Depression Prevention
 
Who: Samanda Davis- School Social Worker and Natalie Koncz- School Psychologist   + YOU!
What: Parent and community member suicide & depression prevention. As a parent and community member, you play a crucial role in our students' safety. Please join us for this training and discussion.
When: Tuesday, October 13th, 2015 @ 6:00pm
Where: Thomas Jefferson High School, Room 111
 
Please click here for additional information.
Thomas Jefferson NHS Members at Southmoor BBQ
Thomas Jefferson's NHS is off to another great year. We are happy to say we have already put together and volunteered at two community events, the Southmoor HOA Barbecue, and the Thomas Jefferson Newcomers barbecue. At the Southmoor Barbecue, were excited to support the neighborhood and community around TJ. At the Newcomers Barbecue, TJ's NHS had the opportunity to welcome a new class of Spartans and their families into our wonderful community. TJ's NHS is looking forward to another amazing year of in school improvements and out of school volunteering!
~ Julia Turnbow- NHS Officer
Gear Up: Spartan Gear for Sale
Get your Spartan gear ready for all events!
Support your TJ Spartans today by getting your TJ gear from TJ Partners.   We have new styles and colors of TJ gear for you to show your Spartan pride around town.   Get yours today.  T-shirts are $15, Hoodies are $30, TJ Decals are $3.  Get yours today! TJ gear will be available for sale at TJ Partners meetings each month, at various TJ activities around campus, or you can get yours by contacting us at [email protected].
Infinite Campus Access for Students
Students should know that they can access their grades, attendance, test scores and most of the other information that is in Infinite Campus. Go to https://myportal.dpsk12.org and click on Student Portal. Your login is your six-digit student number and your password was set to your eight-digit birthdate. All passwords were reset over the summer and you can change your password once you log in to the portal by clicking on "Preferences". If this is the first time that you have logged in to the portal, you will be asked three questions. Those answers can help you recover your password if you should forget it. If you forget your password, go to https://iforgot.dpsk12.org
Once you log in to the portal check to see if your photo is showing up in the upper left hand corner. If not, click on Dashboard. You may have to do that two or three times to get it to reset.
The best way to see your grades is to click on Schedules/Assignments and then click on the small text icon next to the name of each class.
Your login and password are the same login and password that you need to log in to any PC computer at TJ. It is also the login and password that you need to access your school Google account. Go to googlemail.dpsk12.net   Notice that it is .net and not .org! Use your login and password to access your account. You can access all your content from any device, 24/7. Your content may be text docs, presentations, spreadsheets, surveys and drawings. Upload any document that you are working on to your account so that you can have access to it anytime, anywhere.
There is an Infinite Campus app that you can download to your handheld device. It will ask for a district ID which is DXFSLP. You should never have an excuse for not knowing exactly how you are doing in each of your classes, what your grade is, what assignments are missing, which ones you are not doing well on, etc. Good students are in the know!
If you, or your parents, are having any problems with your Portal account, please contact Marshall Hanks at 29-423-7064 or email him at [email protected]
Announcement from Denver Housing Authority
News from the Future Center
The Future Center is now located across from the main office in room 135.  Stop by to visit.
Seniors, stop by the Future Center to talk about your plans for next year.  Ms. Maez would love to understand how she can support you this year.
 
Early Applications:
Students have been asking lots of questions about the early college applications they've been receiving. Most likely, these are not binding, and they're just a way for the college to get you to apply earlier. Perks of using these applications may include not having to submit recommendation letters, not needing to write an essay, and/or not having to pay application fees.  
 
If you are satisfied with your grades and your test scores, go ahead and apply. If your grades and test scores are not strong enough for the college, you can wait until you have new test scores. Just make sure that you don't miss the application's deadline (the freebie applications have a limited shelf life). Even though they're not required, letters of recommendation or personal essays could still be sent in to improve your chances of getting in.
 
As a reminder:
Early action= not binding, allows you an earlier response
Early decision= binding...meaning you have to go there regardless. You can only apply early decision to one college and cannot apply early action anywhere else.
Regular decision= last possible date by when you can submit an application.
 
For the best chance of college acceptance, strive to have all your application documents (including recommendations and transcripts) turned in by December 1st.
 
Here are your updates:
 
Upcoming September College Visits to TJ (Juniors and Seniors Only):
 
College
Date/Time
University of Northern Colorado
9/23/2015 9:00
Western State Colorado University
9/23/2015 12:00
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
9/23/2015 1:30
Colorado State University
9/28/2015 8:30
Colorado State University Pueblo
9/29/2015 10:00
Community College of Denver
9/29/2015 1:00
 
Usually, the college admission representative will be the first person to read your application. Attending college visits will connect you directly to a person who most likely will have significant feedback in your application status.
 
If you have Naviance questions, click here to be directed to a helpful PowerPoint (slides 6-10).
 
University of Colorado, Boulder, Presidents Leadership Class
PLC is a four-year intensive academic and experiential program which prides itself upon the professional development of students through focused curriculum and enrichment opportunities. Upon graduation, PLC students will have traveled around to Colorado's communities, participated in internships and other career developing experiences, and completed the academic Minor in Leadership Studies. Click here for more information.
 
Scholarship Opportunities:
Students interested in applying to the Gates Millennium Scholarship should come to the Future Center on Wednesday, September 30 th, during office hours to learn important facts about applying. This scholarship requires a SIGNIFICANT amount of time. You are eligible to apply if you...
  • Are African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian & Pacific Islander American, or Hispanic American
  • Are a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States
  • Have attained a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale
  • Are a senior in high school
  • Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular or other activities
  • Meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria.
Ms. Maez provided important information about the Daniels Fund scholarship on Wednesday, 9/23, during office hours. If you would like support from the Future Center, please stop by ASAP.
 
The Daniels Fund can cover a significant portion of the cost of attendance. You are eligible to apply for the Daniels Fund scholarship if you meet the following conditions:
  1. Senior in high school.
  2. Your family has financial need.
  3. You scored a 17 or higher on all ACT subject tests.
  4. You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Other scholarships:
 
 
Check your email and Naviance accounts
 
Rena Maez 
College Advisor, Thomas Jefferson High School
Denver Scholarship Foundation | a 501(c)(3) Public Charity

3950 S. Holly Street  |  Denver, CO 80237
O 720.423.7134   F 720.423.7098
   
[email protected] |   www.denverscholarship.org