Administrator's Corner
This year DPS launched a "weather delay" schedule for schools starting at 8:30 a.m. or later. The delay schedule is intended to ensure our students at schools with slightly later start times are not waiting outside for their buses during delays. When we make the call to use the delay schedule, it means we believe our school buses can safely transport students. However, because of the weather, we do expect delays. We want our bus drivers to have time to safely transport students to schools with earlier starting times, then return and safely transport students to schools with slightly later starting times.
The delay schedule affects only those schools starting at 8:30 a.m. or later
(this delayed schedule does not affect TJ!); for a list of these schools,
click here. All other schools operate on their normal schedules. In addition, when the delay schedule is in effect, team members in the affected schools report at the normal operating time and open the school at the usual time, so students may, if necessary, be dropped off during the one-hour delay window. Services, such as breakfast and Kaleidoscope programs, are still offered. Please contact your school leader if you have questions, or visit the district's weather page at
weather.dpsk12.org.
The fastest way to learn if DPS has a weather delay or closure? We strive to post announcements by 5 a.m. on our district homepage at
www.dpsk12.org,
Facebook and
Twitter.
Paula Hammel
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Saturday school will be on Feb 13
th from 8am-11am for students who are habitually truant or tardy, or have any unknown absences.
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- Congrats to the two Spartans who represented TJ at the All City Chess Competition on Saturday, Feb. 6. TJ took 1st (Franz Torres) and 2nd (Willy Schooleman) Places!
- Thank you to everyone for your support in the FAFSA workshop. We had 31 TJ students and families attend, as well as a TJ alumna. I want to shout out Eric Perry for helping families sign into the workshop and Jeremy Anderson for helping students complete the FAFSA. I greatly appreciate the community of TJ for encouraging seniors to take the first step in applying for financial aid! -Rena Maez
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TJ Head Football Coach Jesus Escobedo Steps Down
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Head Football Coach Jesus Escobedo announced his decision to step down during a team meeting last Thursday.
Coach Escobedo made this difficult decision due to health concerns and advice from his doctor. He thanked everyone for their hard work and commitment to the Spartan family. He continued to say he was incredibly proud to have been their coach but that it was time to focus on his health and spend more time with his family.
The faculty, staff and administration would like to thank Coach Escobedo and his staff for their hard work and commitment to the students of Thomas Jefferson over the past three and a half years.
Thomas Jefferson High School has begun a search for a new Head Football Coach. All those interested in the position should email a cover letter, resume and any other related information to the Athletic Director:
[email protected]. A search committee made up of coaches, faculty and alumni will evaluate all interested candidates and choose those who will move forward to the initial round of interviews.
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Robotics Teams Headed to State
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More than 50 students competed on Saturday, Feb. 6, at the First Tech Challenge (FTC) tournament in Highlands Ranch.
Our teams did a great job! We will be sending at least two Spartan teams to the state competition on February 27th. Of our ten teams, five of them made it to the finals, and next Saturday, two more teams have a shot at making State. Thanks to all of the students and parents for their hard work and support!
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Denver Public Library's Flourish Newsletter
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Wondering what the Denver Public Library has to offer you and your families? Read the newest version of DPL's Flourish newsletter, published just for you! There are elementary and secondary newsletter versions, both of which have links to Spanish content.
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TJ Spartans Jabril Jeylani, Aidan Brown and Alex Morales performed with their band, "The SB Rejects" at the Bluebird Theater in Denver on Saturday, January 30th.
The band opened a full show, showcasing an exciting, high energy show of SKA music, complete with brass, guitars and drums. The band includes Jabril Jeylani playing saxophone, with Aidan Brown on drums and Alex Morales on lead guitar.
The 'Rejects' whipped the sold out crowd into a rock and roll frenzy with their mix of a rock- reggae- jazz combination. No doubt we will be seeing a lot of the 'SB Rejects' in the Denver music scene! Jabril Jeylani is also an All Colorado State Concert band member, sharing his tremendous talent in city and state performances as well as TJ school performances.
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Good Morning TJ,
I wanted to let you know/remind everyone that the fees for the AP tests can now be paid. The cost of the test this year is $92 per test (***unless you qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch - more information below***). As you may recall from the letter that was sent home in August, we did provide the incentive for all students that earned the following grades:
| Course Grade |
Discount $ |
| A |
$25 |
| A- |
$20 |
| B+ |
$15 |
| B |
$10 |
| B- |
$5 |
These deductions were calculated per class, for example: if you are taking 2 AP classes and earned an A in both classes for the first semester you would owe ($92 class1 + $92 class2) - ($25 A in class1 + $25 A in class2) = $134
Please see either Mr. Christoff, Ms. Thibodeau, or our treasurer Ms. Alexander to confirm how much you owe for your class!
You can pay our treasurer Ms. Alexander with cash or check made out to Thomas Jefferson High School. All money is
due by
March 18th! We
only order the exams that are paid for by
March 18th. You will get a receipt upon payment, please keep the receipt in the unlikely event there is a discrepancy.
***If you qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch (FRL) - here is what you have to do to qualify for the $12 test fee:
1) You MUST get an ESCAPE Grant form from
either Mr. Christoff or Ms. Thibodeau
2) Once you pick up the ESCAPE Grant form,
fill it out and then RETURN it to Mr. Christoff or Ms. Thibodeau.
3) TJ has to send the completed form to DPS Central Offices and DPS confirms that you receive FRL services
4) DPS then communicates back to TJ whether or not the student receives FRL services
5) TJ communicates back to the student the cost of the AP exam ($12/exam)
***If these steps are not done then you cannot qualify for the ESCAPE Grant fee reduction and you will be charged $92 (minus grade incentive $$). Please follow these instructions as we want to ensure that all students are able to take the AP tests this May!***
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Get your work done! Tutoring is available!
Math: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays in the Library, 3-4 p.m.
Science: Tuesdays in the Library,
3-4 p.m.
Language Arts: Thursdays in the Library, 3-4 p.m.
Social Studies: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays in the Library, 3-4 p.m.
Tutoring is designed to help ALL STUDENTS! Feel free to come use us for daily homework support, or if you just need a quiet area to complete homework.
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Understanding Your Student's 2015 CMAS: PARCC test results
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Your student's 2015 CMAS: PARCC test results in English language arts and math are available to be picked up in the front office.. As many of you know, this new state exam aligns to our new, higher Colorado Academic Standards. Students in grades third through 11th took this exam last spring, instead of our previous TCAP and CSAP exams.
These new assessments provide a clearer picture of how students are performing on higher academic standards, so that we can be sure that when our students graduate, they are ready for college-level work. The new Colorado Academic Standards focus on the development of skills vital to student success, including collaboration, communication and problem-solving, that weren't easily captured by exams in the past.
Click here to read more about the results and to access resources (in multiple languages) that will help
families better understand and use the information from the assessments.
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A Vore-acious Love of Science
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Nelson Vore brings creativity and enthusiasm to his science classes.
Albert Einstein once said, "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."
The teachers that one has in high school play a significant part in a student's life, due to their passion and dedication that they have for teaching. TJ's science teacher
Nelson Vore
is one of these teachers, offering inspiring classes and giving his students the desire to learn about a complex subject matter. Read more
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Duffeyroll Order Pickup - Sweets for your Sweet
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Pick up for your Duffeyroll orders will be on Friday, Feb 12, 2016, from 2-4pm in the
TJ Main Lobby. Thanks for your support! If you have any questions, email
[email protected]
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BBQ, Beer 'n Bourbon 2016
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On Saturday, February 20
th, 15 members of the TJ DECA Chapter will travel to the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs to compete in the 66th DECA State Leadership Conference which runs from Sunday, February 21 through Tuesday, February 23, 2016. More than 2,500 students from all over the state of Colorado will compete to see who qualifies for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) to be held in April in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to the DECA Website, "
As an integral part of the classroom curriculum, DECA's industry-validated competitive events are aligned with the National Curriculum Standards in the career clusters of marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism. DECA's flagship evaluation process involves students in both a written component such as an exam or report and an interactive component with an industry professional serving as a judge. DECA's competitive events directly contribute to every student being college and career ready when they graduate from high school."
The top 3 or 4 students in each category will qualify for the ICDC and represent the State of Colorado against students from around the globe.
DECA Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit student organization with more than 215,000 members in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Canada, China, Germany, Guam, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain. The United States Congress, the United States Department of Education and state, district and international departments of education authorize DECA's programs.
TJ competitors and their event:
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Last Name
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First Name
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DECA Event
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Allen
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Henry
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Principles of Marketing
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Anderson
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Evan
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BLAW & Ethics Team
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Eshkenazi
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Ilan
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Quick Serve Restaurant
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Griffith
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Brandon
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BLAW & Ethics Team
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Gubrud
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Rebecca
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Restaurant and Food Service Management
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Limasalle
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Yohanes
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Innovation Plan Manual
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Lonergan
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Valyntine
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Principles of Hospitality & Tourism
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Pietrs
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Brandon
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Business Services Marketing
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Robbins
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Zoya
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Advertising Campaign Manual
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Stevens
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Jay
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Quick Serve Restaurant
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Sundeen
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Jonny
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Principles of Bus. Mgmt. & Adm.
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VanderMiller
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Dane
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Hospitality Services Team
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Walton
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Kayne
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Retail Services Marketing
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Willson
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Jack
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Sports and Entertainment Promotion Manual
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Wilson
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Nick
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Hospitality Services Team
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Good luck, Spartans!
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August Wilson Troupe NYC Trip
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Hey TJ Community. The August Wilson troupe is raising funds for a dream - NYC trip. We will hit shows on and off Broadway, tour Columbia University in Harlem, the World Trade Center Memorial, and Ellis Island. We are almost halfway to our goal of funding the trip, and would really appreciate all the help we can get from the TJ family.
March 1 is our deadline for funding. You can support us on
Donors Choose and GoFundMe (August Wilson NYC Trip), or by mailing a check made out to Thomas Jefferson High School to:
Michael Palmieri
Thanks for your support!
c/o Thomas Jefferson High School
3950 South Holly Street
Denver, CO 80237
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The Counselors have been very busy this semester!
We met with the Freshmen to discuss their transcripts, graduation expectations, GPA, as well as future success as a Spartan. We just finished ICAP (Individual Career and Academic Planning) with all students at TJ where they logged into their Naviance accounts and completed career assessments and college and scholarship searches. As well as completing the TJ Academic Plan.
Next up we will be looking to start the Choice of Studies process. We will open the IC portal for students to request their classes for next school year the week of March 7th. The counselors will work with all 9th grade students to guide this process, and will be available during office hours for additional assistance for 10th and 11th grade students through the month or March.
We will continue to process all College Applications and transcripts for seniors.
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The Yearbook is back, with Free Personalized Pages!
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With the new school year came the passing of the Aristocrat torch to Mr. Forrester
and the photojournalism classes. We're doing things a little differently this year, and
want all of you to know about it! We have switched production companies and are
now working with TreeRing, and they have some great ideas we are excited about.
One of the biggest changes is that you can now personalize your copy of the Aristocrat by creating two free pages! All
you have to do is make a free account on the website and follow the links we've
provided, and you're on your way to owning a completely unique version of our
yearbook! This lines up perfectly with purchasing your book online through
TreeRing for only $45.00.
Click here to add your personalized pages, and buy your book!
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Feb 9th- Garlic Knot Fundraiser - Eat at Garlic Knot on Colorado Blvd and mention TJ!
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- Rose A Gram Fundraiser - seniors will be selling roses for Prom expenses this week 2/10 Wed thru 2/12 Friday at lunch. See or email Sara Andolsek to order. Roses will be delivered Friday.
Single rose & note- $2.00, 3 roses wrapped in ribbon & note - $5.00, a dozen roses in a vase & note -$20, 2 dozen roses in a vase & note - $35
- Yearbook - Purchase here and personalize a page: Yearbook Link
- Feb 24th, room 111 - CAP AND GOWN picture day. Cap and gowns are provided for picture taking.
- Get your class T_shirt! at: mkt.com/tj2016
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- Pickup Duffeyroll Orders on Feb 12th in the main lobby from 2-4pm
- Get class news instantly - follow '17 class on twitter - @2017tjhs or on FB
- Class of 2017 t-shirts - get yours now at mkt.com/tj2017
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Class of 2018 - Sophomores
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Clothing Donations Needed for WES Program
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While the WES (Work Experience & Study) program is continuing to evolve to help prepare the students in transitioning out of high school, DPS is incorporating a more realistic
introduction to how students can gain active employment. The ACEConnect program sets up job shadows for groups of students, and part of this new process provides an interview section encouraging the students to dress for an interview. We would like to have a selection of clothes for the students who don't have appropriate attire to choose from. If you are able to donate to our cause, we are in need of skirts, blouses, blazers, leggings and accessories for the young ladies. For the young men, khakis, or dress pants and button down shirts, sweaters and belts. Please contact Kerry Black at [email protected], phone 720-423-7129 or bring them to Room 16.
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Attention Parents of Young Ladies!
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If you have not already heard, we would like to introduce you to a new organization called Ladies Of Value (LOVE). We meet bi-weekly at Thomas Jefferson High School.
The mission
is to illuminate the value that is hidden within our young ladies through authentic life skills, one on one mentoring and programs designed to prepare young women for the real world. The objective is to have well rounded women in education, finances, appearances and life experiences, in addition to having a genuine love for self. Self value, the power of words, perception, and dating are just some of the topics we will be covering.
Click here for more information and specific dates!
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Graduation for All Campaign
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Some students don't walk across the graduation stage... and not for the reason you think.
They have the grades.
They have the credits.
They may have even been accepted to college already.
Then they get the order form for the cap, gown and graduation announcements, and that's where it stops.
The basic graduation expenses at one Denver high school start at $46 for just the cap and gown. For many of us $46 is what we spend on coffee for the week. Add in announcements and senior pictures, and the cost is a real burden or even impossible for some families.
The Graduation for All Fund helps those for whom the graduation ceremony is out of reach.
Click here to donate
Thanks to your donations, we can make sure that these kids have the same experience as everyone else in their class. Imagine the pride their families will feel when their senior marches across the stage, gets a diploma and a handshake, and takes the next step in their adult life.
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News from the Future Center
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10th Graders: If you have at least a 3.0 GPA, are enthusiastic and motivated, want to attend a four-year college, and have financial need, you should apply for the Access Opportunity program before March 1 of this year. (If accepted, you get college counseling, leadership workshops, personalized test prep, and $10,000 for college-related expenses, among other benefits). If interested, please talk to Ms. Maez in the Future Center or Mrs. Buffington in room 229. You can also check out Access Opportunity's website at
www.accessopportunity.org.
For upcoming events, college visits, financial aid workshops, scholarships, and much more, visit the Future Center
wikipage!
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]
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www.denverscholarship.org
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