Administrator's Corner
Happy May!
There's some new important legislation around the reduction of standardized testing that will impact our students moving forward in the next several years. Please click
here to read more details from the Denver Post, and click
here to read a message from Superintendent Tom Boasberg.
Please continue to support us in our high attendance expectations in these final weeks. Our student attendance numbers are directly related to our SPF score, and we want to continue on our path from Good to Great.
This Friday, May 15th, there will be a shortened schedule due to the all school Talent Show and BBQ Bash to celebrate the end of the year. If you'd like to volunteer for the BBQ, please click
here.
Graduation is just around the corner, on May 30th at 3:00 p.m. at DU.
We're almost there! Thanks for your continued support.
Mrs. Suzanne Morris-Sherer
Principal
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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
Jennifer_Sonheim@dpsk12.org
or call: 720-423-7093
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Backyard Bash Celebration - Friday May 15
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We need your support again, this time for the TJ Students!
TJ STUDENT LEADERSHIP, staff and TJ Partners are hosting the second Annual Backyard Bash celebration with fun and games for all to celebrate a great school year of many accomplishments and a continued commitment to academic excellence.
Now it's time for a little FUN! There will be kickball, volleyball, dodge ball, an inflatable obstacle course, and giant tricycle races for students to participate in. They can bring their yearbooks and hang out and enjoy the end of the school year with food, fun and games!
The event will be held on the TJ Campus on Friday, May 15th from 1-3PM.
We need your help to make this a fun day for the students. We are asking for your help by bringing food and drinks or volunteer your time and come join in the fun!
Please drop off any items in the TJ Main office no later than 11 am on Friday, May 15th.
Click here to sign up and get involved!
Please do not hesitate to contact TJ Partners at TJParentPartners@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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Testing Schedule - Week of May 18th
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PARCC EOY
Exams
We will be testing the same students in the same configuration as the last round, 9
th
, 10
th
and 11
th
grade English and Algebra 1, 2, and Geometry. We will use four block days, M-Thursday, May 18-21. Friday will be a regular 8 period day. Monday and Wednesday we will test periods 1,3, and 7 and Tuesday and Thursday periods 2, 4, 6, 8. All students will test with their English or Math teacher. There are two sessions for English and two for Math. Other classes will go on as usual.
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Mr. TJ was a huge hit!
THANK YOU from the Mr TJ crew to everyone who helped bring back Mr TJ. It was a very fun evening of "... Raining Men!" Mr. Laman, Mrs. Stone and Mr. Poole helped lead the judges to the big decision of the night which we know was a tough one because the competition was fierce. We are excited to announce that Ross McNearney, with his poise, talent and grace under pressure in the question round, was named Mr. TJ for the Class of 2015. Dietrich Kuhlmann showed off his skills on the guitar to be named Mr. Talent and who can possibly miss David Peterson's great smile which explains just part of why he was named Mr. Congeniality.... A great big Thank You goes out to the members of the Junior Class who came out to support the event by doing tickets sales, concessions and ushering in parents throughout the evening. And a huge THANK YOU goes out to Mrs. Morris-Sherer for having faith in the Class of 2015 to bring back the long-standing tradition of Mr TJ. The young ladies and gentlemen who put on the show made her proud to be a Spartan. We look forward to another great year of Mr. TJ in 2016. All those Junior boys should start working on their talents now.....
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2015 Asian Education Advisory Council Awards
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Congratulations to Spartans
Roger Nakagawa
(academic)
, Molly O'Neil (special talent), and
Vianita Zakir
(academic), who were nominated for 2015 AEAC awards. These Spartans were honored at a district-wide brunch at the DoubleTree Hotel on Sunday, May 3. Proud families and nominating teachers were in attendance to celebrate the accomplishments of these talented students.
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News from the Health Center
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Attention Parents:
Please be advised that due to a change in DPS policy, the school nurse will be unable to dispense Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen to your student during the 2015-2016 school year. Please consider consenting your students to the Thomas-Jefferson School Based Health Center as an alternative.
Thank you,
Deb Samuels, RN
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Collaborative School Committee (CSC) Update
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If you are interested in becoming a member of the TJ Collaborative School Committee (CSC), act NOW!
Next year there will be 3 open parent seats on the Collaborative School Committee. The committee is accepting nominations (from others or self-nominations) to serve a two year term on the committee.
As stated in the TJ CSC By-Laws: The Thomas Jefferson Collaborative School Committee follows the policies and procedures of Denver Public Schools Board of Education Policy BDFH- Collaborative School Committees as well as the Collaborative School Committee School Leadership Team Roles and Responsibilities document released by Denver Public Schools. It is the goal of the Thomas Jefferson Collaborative School Committee to uphold the mission of TJHS through support of the Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) in improving student achievement, and maintaining a positive school culture both at school and in the community.
The committee meets once per month for about an hour. Depending on the meeting agenda, there is sometimes some reading that must be done in preparation, otherwise the time commitment is relatively low.
Nominations will be accepted until 3:30 pm on Monday, May 18th. Please submit a brief introduction with contact information to Amber_Wilson@dpsk12.org.
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2015 Recipient of Bronfman Fellowship
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Junior Julia Turnbow
was selected as a recipient of The Bronfman Fellowships. This is a significant achievement;
Julia
was chosen as one of 26 Fellows from a pool of 285 applicants. The highly selective Fellowship educates and inspires exceptional young Jews from diverse backgrounds to become active participants in Jewish culture throughout their lives, and to contribute their talents and vision to the Jewish community and to the world at large.
Please click
here
to learn more about this year's winners.
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Whole Foods Supports TJ's Library Renovation Project
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Donate your bag credits to TJ, and continue to support our Bucket Challenge goal!
Dear Thomas Jefferson High School,
We are so excited to partner with you as one of our Spring & Summer 2015 Bag Donation Recipients!
Our donation to you will go towards supporting your school library renovations and continue our partnership with you as one of our Whole Foods Market Tamarac "Adopted Schools"!
Please come by and visit us, and bring your own bag when you shop! (7400 E. Hampden Ave Denver, CO 80231)
Donate your 10 cent bag credit to Thomas Jefferson High School and let's grow great things together in 2015!
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Mark Your Calendars - Staff Appreciation Lunch June 2nd
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The final staff appreciation event of the year will be held on Tuesday, June 2
nd
. A SignUp Genius will be distributed right after the Memorial Day Weekend. STAY TUNED!!! We can't do it without all the great TJ Parent support...
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Colorado Gifted and Talented Distinguished Student Award
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Reminder!
The deadline for student applications for the Colorado Gifted & Talented Distinguished Student Award (ages 13 -18) is May 31. Materials may be found
here.
The winner will receive a $500 Master Grant and be honored at the State Conference this October in Loveland.
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All library books are due!
Books that are overdue will be fined up to $1.50 per book and lost books will incur a $20.00 replacement charge. Seniors will be expected to return all library books and clear all library fines before they can be checked out. Please check Infinite Campus to view your missing books. Fines for books returned late do not appear on IC. Please check with Ms. Jensen to view your fines. Thank you!
Current Check out Totals:
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A Better Way to Reduce Tardies
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Be a Hero!
Ms. Hammel is working to raise some funds to improve the tardy process here at TJ. Click
here to learn more about the
Hero Tardy Tracker, and click
here to donate!
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TJ's Got Spirit, TJ's Got Talent
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With Spirit Week leading up to it, this year's talent show is sure to be a blast.
With such a focus on what happens inside the classroom, both students and teachers alike can forget that incredibly talented students often sit in class, hidden behind a textbook or even falling asleep. On Friday, May 15th, Thomas Jefferson will aim to display these talents to the TJ community in its second annual talent show.
Read More
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Orientation Night for Incoming Freshmen - May 27
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On May 27th from 5:30-7:30 pm we will be hosting an Orientation Night for incoming 9th graders. All students will be tested for correct math placement.
Many TJ groups will be present to talk about various aspects of TJ life:
-PTO will be there to talk about volunteer opportunities
-current students will be there to talk about sports, electives and clubs
-Admininstration will talk about how to be a Spartan (daily expectations)
-Members of the Center for Communication Technology Magnet (CCTM) will be there to talk about the program
Incoming students will get schedules, get a general overview of their upcoming life as Spartans! There will also be an opportunity to sign up for 9th grade academy.
Hope to see you there!
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Signing into a Prosperous Future
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Three TJ seniors have signed letters of intent to participate in college level athletics.
On Wednesday April 22nd, seniors
Josh McNair,
Carmen Hernandez, and
Essence Reece signed letters of intent for the next step in their athletic careers.
Read More
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Opportunity for Grieving Teens/Young Adults
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This year marks the 10 year anniversary for Heroic Journey/Outward Bound Grieving Teens and Young Adults. Hurray! Thank you to the
New York Life Foundation and our growing list of sponsors
, we are able to provide different levels of scholarships to all of our students.
The first expedition had only 7 kids on it. Since then, more than 800 participants have traveled into beautiful wilderness areas across the United States to grieve, mourn, and connect with others that share a similar experience. Most commonly expressed outcomes have been connection and confidence. Confidence to face and overcome the challenges that come with the pain of having a loved one die.
If you know a grieving teen, age 14 to 18, or young adult, age 19 to 25, please tell them about our summer expeditions. A majority of our participants come from your word of mouth. PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD.
This is more than a camp, this is a journey! In addition to backpacking we now offer a list of water based expeditions like rafting, sailing, and canoeing.
Summer of 2015 we have the following courses available:
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Date
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Area and Activity
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6/14/15 - 6/20/15
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Colorado Rockies Alpine Backpacking
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6/17/15 - 6/23/15
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Boundary Waters Canoeing
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6/21/15 - 6/27/15
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Maine Coast Sailing
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6/22/15 - 6/28/15
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Delaware Water Gap Backpacking and Rock Climbing
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7/17/15 - 7/23/15
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Blue Ridge Mountains Backpacking and Rock Climbing
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8/8/15 - 8/14/15
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Colorado Rockies Alpine Backpacking / Young Adults (Ages 19-25)
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8/21/15 - 8/27/15
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Maine Appalachian Backpacking
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8/27/15 - 9/2/15
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Oregon Rafting
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My contact info is below or contact my Outward Bound Teammates at 866-467-7651.
Warm Regards,
Jason Stout
National Outreach Director
Outward Bound USA
910 Jackson Street | Golden, CO 80401
O: 828-239-2304 | M: 720.432.5786
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Community Golf Tournament
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Southmoor Park Golf Tournament to Benefit Schools
Everyone's buzzing about the 2nd Annual "All For One" Community Golf Tournament. And, why not? It's a really fun way to support our school and build a closer neighborhood. The tournament will be held May 30th at JF Kennedy Golf Course with lots of prizes and even an online silent auction. Because this is a community
event, the goal of the tournament is a donation of $1,000 per school (Samuels, Southmoor, Hamilton, and TJ).
Let's keep the trophy for another year!
On the day of the tournament, each team will be asked to declare which school they want to represent. The traveling President's (Principal's) Trophy will be awarded to the school with the winning team. The trophy will be displayed by the winning team's school until next year's tournament. A team representing Thomas Jefferson High School won the trophy last year and there's a rumor that other schools aim to take
it away this year!
"ALL FOR ONE" COMMUNITY GOLF TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Tournament Date: Saturday, May 30th
Shotgun Tee-Time: 7:30am
Golf Course: JF Kennedy Golf Course
10500 E. Hampden Ave., Denver 80014
Registration Fee: $95 per player
Includes: Green fee, cart, gift bag, lunch, prizes, and satisfaction
of supporting schools!
Print Off Sign-up Form here or sign-up by phone: 303-850-9880
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Third Annual TJ Football Golf Classic - June 14th
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Join us!
Our 3rd annual TJ Football Golf Classic will be held at Arrowhead Golf Club on June 14th. The Golf Classic is a charitable event held by the class of 2016 and coaching staff. It is a 100% volunteer organization made up of alumni, parents, and community members. All funds raised will provide the senior class with TJ memorabilia and end of season awards.
Click
here to see the full flyer, and
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Upcoming Community Events
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JOB FAIR: Free Community Event! (Resume Writing)
May 16th: 10-2PM @ Montbello Library
Community Resource Tables welcome!
For more information Contact RON ALLEN: 720-979-5482
KITE FESTIVAL: Free Community Event!
May 30th: 10-2PM @ Evie Dennis Campus (East Field)
Community Resources, Vendors & Event Sponsorship welcome
Please click here for more information about the Kite Festival
KATHY'S KAMP: Affordable Summer Enrichment Camp
June 8th -July 25th (7 Weeks) @ Evie Dennis Campus
Must register online. CCAP is accepted / limited scholarships are available.
Please click here for more information about Kathy's Kamp
JUNETEENTH Kids Zone: Free Community Event!June 20th 9:30-6PM @ 26th and Welton in the 5 Points. FFRC's Healthy Babies, Strong Families Program will sponsor the kids zone this year at Juneteenth. We invite Vendors and Community Partners to set up a booth for the kids zone -$150. Please contact La Toya if interested ASAP. Limited space available.
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Have a Future Spartan in the Family?
Click
here
for information about Ninth Grade Academy, August 10th-14th.
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News from the Future Center
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Dear Students and Families,
I hope you made it through winter's last stand this past Saturday (blizzard in May, really?). I was returning home from great conference at Wesleyan University in Connecticut where it had been 80 degrees, and then, wham, snow storm! Now that we're onto sunnier skies, I have some news for you:
1. As of tomorrow, we will finalize our list of student scholarships for the graduation booklets. If you want to see the scholarships that have been recorded for you, go to your Naviance account, click "colleges," and then scroll down to the link "scholarship applications." If you have received a scholarship that is NOT this list, email me a copy of your award letter by tomorrow at 12pm. This is the deadline for the printers, and I cannot add information after it has been submitted.
2. Seniors, please update where you plan to attend college next year in Naviance, OR, if you're feeling unmotivated (seniors feeling unmotivated? When does that happen?), you can email me. I don't need proof. Send it to me by the end of this week.
3. FAFSA PINS are going away! If you completed your FAFSA application, you may remember creating a PIN to pull your tax information from the IRS and to sign your application. In its place, the Federal Department of Education has shifted to a user name/password system (FSA ID). If you are in the process of completing your FAFSA or updating information, this will affect you right away. If you have completed all the steps of FAFSA, you will not need to worry about this until next year. Click here to read more about this change and to create an FSA ID.
Have a great rest of your week!
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
rmaez@denverscholarship.org
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www.denverscholarship.org
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Helpful Financial Aid Links
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