November 11, 2019
Administrator's Corner

Hello Spartan families,

Here are a couple of reminders about upcoming events and deadlines:
  • the Fall Play is happening this week, Nov. 12-14th. Come support! Details below.
  • Attention parents of concurrent enrollment students: if a student is currently in a concurrent enrollment course, the paperwork will be coming home for parents to sign. Please have your student return it as soon as possible.
  • Winter Sports Registration is open - the deadline is November 18,  so visit the Spartan Athletics website to register and get more info on the Golden Ticket process.
  • There are only four weeks of classes before Finals! Let's buckle down and work hard toward a strong finish. Click here for the finals schedule.
Hola familias espartanas,

Aquí hay un par de recordatorios sobre los próximos eventos y plazos:
  • el juego de otoño está sucediendo esta semana, del 12 al 14 de noviembre. ¡Vengan a apoyar! Detalles a continuación.
  • Atención padres de estudiantes de inscripción simultánea: si un estudiante está actualmente en un curso de inscripción simultánea, el papeleo regresará a casa para que los padres firmen. Por favor, pida a su estudiante que lo devuelva lo antes posible.
  • Registro Deportivo de Invierno está abierto - la fecha límite es el 18 de noviembre, así que visite el sitio web de Spartan Athletics para registrarse y obtener más información sobre el proceso de Golden Ticket.
  • ¡Sólo hay cuatro semanas de clases antes de las Finales! Vamos a abrocharnos el cinturón y trabajar duro hacia un acabado fuerte. Haga clic aquí­ para ver el calendario de finales.  
Andrew Skari
Assistant Principal
Quick Links
Week at a Glance - Week of 11/11-11/15
Monday- 
  • Please click here (or see the above "Athletics Schedule" quick link) to see athletic events for the week
  • Class of 2022 Fundraiser - Wahoo's (details below): 4pm - close
Tuesday-
  • Screenagers Documentary (South High School - details below): 5:30 p.m.
  • Fall Play - Nooses Off: 7:00 p.m. 
Wednesday -
  • Office Hours - 2:14-2:55 p.m.
  • Fall Play - Nooses Off: 7:00 p.m. 
Thursday-
  • Healing our Youth - STEM School Highlands Ranch (details below): 5:30-9:00 p.m.
  • Fall Play - Nooses Off: 7:00 p.m. 
Friday- 
Kudos Korner
  • Our own  Major Dennis Campbell  received the Senior Army Instructor of the Year Award last week.  Here is a little background about the award: "With more than 4,000 JROTC instructors worldwide the award is very prestigious. The nomination process is very structured; nomination comes from you to our Brigade Commander in Texas for the Brigade Selection Board. Each of the 9 Brigades selects their top candidate and forwards to Cadet Command, which makes the final decision." Please congratulate him when you see him!
  • Special thanks to all of the community and staff volunteers who helped make Challenge Day a huge success. Thanks to  Samanda Davis for all of her organization and to the  mental health team for following up with students.
SchoolMessenger Communication with Families
Message from the district:
Keeping our students safe is our number one priority in DPS. And it's with that in mind that we are updating the way we share emergency messages with our community. As we  recently shared, DPS is transitioning to  SchoolMessenger to send emergency messages to families. We plan to launch the first phase of the transition  Nov. 12, when the Department of Safety and Communications will begin sending messages from SchoolMessenger instead of Infinite Campus (IC) Messenger.
 
On Nov. 12, parent and guardian contacts will receive a welcome message from SchoolMessenger, which will come as a text, phone call or email, based on the preferences they've set in IC.  Families will have the option to opt out of receiving messages from SchoolMessenger -- but please encourage them not to, as this is how they'll receive important updates from the district.
 
This week, we'll be sending messages through IC Messenger letting families know about the switch to SchoolMessenger and what to expect. We've also created a  flier in multiple languages that can be shared with families. Visit  dpsk12.org/schoolmessenger for more information and email  communications@dpsk12.org with questions.
Screenagers Documentary - November 12
SkillsUSA Food Drive for TJ Families

From  November 1st-20th there will be boxes in every classroom in the building. Students can bring non-perishables to contribute to TJ families in need for the holidays. Stay tuned to the Spartan Edition for more information. The class that collects the most food will win their choice of pizza, donuts or ice cream. The goal is to collect enough food to feed 20 families for Thanksgiving. 
Thanks for your support, TJ!
Help Wanted at TJ!
We are in need of two paraprofessionals for our Special Education students. If you are interested, please contact Paula Hammel at paula_hammel@dpsk12.org
PTO News
Wondering how fundraising works at TJ? In the 2018-19 school year, PTO awarded almost $10,000 in classroom grants! While the bulk of the monies raised go toward these grants, PTO support the TJ community in several other ways.
    • Teacher appreciation & staff wellness events
    • Student Leadership sponsored events such as Homecoming and the Backyard BBQ
    • Community events such as the Newcomer Cookout in August
    • Parent education events such as the Screenagers documentary
 
In the last few years, the PTO has simplified fundraising by focusing on the following efforts...
 
ArtFest: Last year, we celebrated 30 years of this event. This is a tradition for the wider community and brings over 80 local artisans and small businesses together. In the 2018-19 school year, ArtFest raised $7,500 that went toward classroom grants.
  • This year, we are taking a break to rethink how we produce ArtFest. Stay tuned for more information.
 
Online Auction: Last year's online auction netted $12,000! This is an easy way to include lots of people in supporting TJ. The auction is critical this year since we don't have any funds from ArtFest. We want to keep the momentum going and need your help collecting donations and promoting this event. This year's auction will be held on March 15-19, 2020.
  • We will start planning for the auction at this month's PTO meeting on November 19th.
 
King Soopers Cards: This is an incredible source of FREE money. All you need to do is register your King Soopers loyalty card number or alternate ID (phone number) to earn money for TJ. After you register for the program,  a percentage of ALL your King Soopers purchases will go to the PTO each month. The PTO grants a portion of these funds to each class at the beginning of the school year to help pay for senior year activities.
 
Amazon Smile: Again, FREE money. When you ramp up for your holiday shopping, go to smile.amazon.com and select Thomas Jefferson High School Partners as your charitable organization to receive donations from your eligible purchases before you begin shopping.  Amazon will remember your choice for future purchases.
 
Class Fundraising Events: Parents serve as Class Sponsors to coordinate raising money for senior year activities. The Student Leadership Class works on raising money for Prom while parents focus on raising money for After Prom. This money is not part of the PTO general fund but is held for each class to use during their senior year.
 
The PTO can't do any of this without parents getting involved so we look forward having your support! The PTO is a 501c3 organization (official name: Thomas Jefferson High School Partners) so donations are tax deductible.

Together we are Spartan Strong!

Questions? Looking for ways to get involved? Email  TJHSPTO@gmail.com  or visit the  PTO page  of the TJ Journal.
Youth Mental Health Educational Event
Join our inspiring presentation and resource fair for parents, teachers, and school employees!
Thursday, November 14, 2019 from 5:30-9:00 p.m. 
STEM School Highlands Ranch
FREE Registration at www.healingouryouth.org

Healing Our Youth: Get Educated! is a mental health educational program that educates schools (teachers, administrative staff, school employees), parents, and community members who work with youth about mental disorders. Each event includes a 2 hour panelist presentation ( click here for more details ) and a resource fair. The presentation is from 6:30pm-8:30pm and the resource fair is from 5:30-6:30pm and 8:30pm-9:00pm. For teachers and other professionals, 2 contact hours are awarded for continuing education. The exhibitors at the resource fair include: local mental health hospitals/clinics/networks, suicide awareness programs, nutritionists, private practice counselors and therapists, nonprofits that provide a variety of therapies for mental health issues, eating disorder clinics, local mental health support groups, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Crisis Intervention Team officers from local sheriff and police departments, and many more valuable community resources and support.
Our goal is to educate the adults who are most involved in the lives of our youth so these adults have the knowledge and tools to identify mental health concerns in youth early, which will then hopefully lead to earlier treatment of mental disorders to improve outcomes for our youth with mental health issues.
Spartan Spirit Store
Our store inventory has been moved upstairs and therefore we'll be selling at various events throughout the year. We'll be out cheering on the Spartans at fall sporting events and hope you'll come and purchase spirit wear from us.

Please email  tjhs.store@gmail.com  if you would like to purchase something & we would be happy to get the spirit wear for you. We can arrange to have items picked up.  
Yearbook News
Yearbook Announcements:

Price: The earlier you buy your book, the more you save! Please see the discount schedule below. Buy your book now for the most savings!

Purchase before:
9-27-19 = $50
11-1-19 = $55
1-31-20 = $60

From February 1st on, the book will be $65 until sold out.

Senior Recognition Ad:  To purchase an ad, please visit the yearbook website.

All information about the yearbook can found on the journal under the News & Events tab or by clicking here.
King Soopers Fundraiser
King Soopers just made FUNDRAISING for TJ even EASIER!
 
All you need to do is register your King Soopers loyalty card number or alternate ID (e.g. phone number) to earn money for TJ. After you register for the program,  a percentage of ALL of your King Soopers purchases will go to TJ.
 
Important: At the point of purchase, you must swipe your loyalty card or type in your alternate ID in order for your purchases to count toward TJ's fundraising.
 
In order to get benefits from the use of your loyalty card/alt id you MUST:
2. Click on Enroll Now
3. You will then see a page where you can choose your organization
4. Search for Thomas Jefferson High School Partners either by name or UT036 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.
 
That's it! You are now enrolled and can help raise EASY MONEY for TJ's classroom grants, student events and staff appreciation.  Thank you!
 
Questions? Email TJHSPTO@gmail.com
News from the Future Center
College Admissions Representatives Visits -
 
University of Nebraska, Lincoln on Monday, November 11th from 10:15-11:19
University of Colorado, Denver on Tuesday, November 12th from 10:15-11:19
Arapahoe Community College on Wednesday, November 13th from 10:03-11:00
 
12th graders - Please sign up in Naviance

Sophie Vogel
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
   
Mental Health and Social/Emotional Tips
Did You Know...?
To sum it up: In both sexes, the more often our teens are checking social media, 
the greater their psychological distress.
 
So, what can you do?
1)    Limit Time à Allow for a certain amount of time per day for your pre-teen and adolescent to use their device. Take the phone at night (it doesn't NEED to be their alarm clock).
 
2)    Monitor Content à Check their phone; get on the apps to see what the content looks like; be friends with them on social media so you can see how they interact; stay savvy on popular lingo, apps, trends to make sure they are engaging in healthy online interactions. And model the appropriate behavior for them.

3)    Explicit Expectations à Make sure to have a direct conversation with your kids about how a device, and especially social media, is expected to be used. Make it clear that if they are not abiding by the expectations, the lose the privilege. And model what the appropriate behavior for them.

4)    Encourage in-person experiences à Provide them with opportunities and support engaging in real-life social interactions: clubs, neighborhood get-togethers, volunteering, faith/spiritual-based activities, family hikes.
 
Help them internalize and understand the emotional connection!
1)  Ask them how they feel after they scroll through a social media session (maybe write it down)  
2)  Ask them how they feel after engaging in a preferred in-person social activity (write it down)
3)   Have a discussion with them about why they think they rated one higher than the other, and what that could mean for their overall mood, self-esteem, health, etc.
Mental Health and Social Emotional "Did You Know":  Compiled by Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW and Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP. Resources:  https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/13/health/social-media-mental-health-trnd/index.html?no-st=1570810046
TJ Laptop Fundraising Opportunity
Transition to Higher Education Course - Apply Now!
Please see information attached and information below about the 2020 spring semester of the  Transition to Higher Education Course.   The application is live now!
 
Help 11th grade and 12th grade students with IEP and 504 Plans get connected to learn the essentials for making a seamless and successful transition from high school to higher education!  The Transition to Higher Education course is a free spring semester course for DPS and Cherry Creek School District taught on Auraria Campus by campus faculty and staff on Wednesday evenings from 4:30-6:30 from January 22nd-April 22nd.  See prerequisites and help students apply at the application linked HERE
 
Your student is perfect for this class if they:
-are in 11th grade, 12th grade with an IEP or 504 plan,
-have the ability, skills, and motivation to access college level coursework upon high school completion
-have a postsecondary goal to attend a 2yr, 4yr, or vocational school after high school and 
-meet requirements as outlined in the application
   
Only 15 spaces are available for DPS students, so support eligible students with applying now to be considered for acceptance into the class. We are looking forward to seeing applicants from your school! The application window closes November 21st.  

Food and Nutrition Resources for Families
  • Click here for Food Resource Hotline information
Class News You Can Use
All Classes 
  • Remember - TJ gear is available in the Spartan Store. If you would like to make a purchase, please contact tjhs.store@gmail.com.
Class of 2020 - Seniors
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Megan Perkins ( megandperkins@gmail.com ) or Lisa LoJacono ( lisalojacono@gmail.com ).  
Class of 2021 - Juniors
If you would like to make a donation to the Class of 2021,  please contact   colley_moe@comcast.net
We're looking for volunteers to host future events for our class parents. If interested, please come to the next PTO meeting, or send an email to thetzel@comcast.net ; or colley_moe@comcast.net to find out more. Class sponsors are Jason Klimczak and Elizabeth Lynch. Parent sponsor is Jen Abram - she can be reached at  jenabram18@gmail.com.

CLASS OF 2021 SHIRTS ON SALE
Long sleeve $15 Short Sleeved $10
See Mrs Lynch in Room 11
Class of 2022 - Sophomores
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Julie Rubin (rubin_j@comcast.net) or Marlene Talavera (TJSpartans2022@gmail.com). 

The class of 2022 has two faculty sponsors,  Jillian Gleason and Maggie Kennedy, but parents are needed to work with the staff to plan fundraising activities. Parent sponsors also plan community building activities for the parents of the class of 2022.  Each  class is expected to raise money needed to host their Prom, After Prom and other activities senior year.  The sooner the fundraiser get started, the more choices there will be for events senior year. The time commitment can be as little or as much you can share.   Your involvement in any capacity is important and appreciated. We are successful because of your behind-the-scenes contributions, large and small. It all adds up to a stronger community. An engaged parent body shows our students that we care about them!
 
If you need more information, contact tjhspto@gmail.com, Julie at rubin_j@comcast.net or Marlene at (TJSpartans2022@gmail.com).
Class of 2023 - Freshmen
 Parents and Students of Class of 2023 -Team '23

Want to be involved? We need your ideas, input and an extra hand! Contact Catherine Poirier - cpoirier@bodybark.com or Christy Jordan christy.jordan@comcast.net to jump in and help our great parent Team '23! Stay tuned for future fundraising and community building opportunities!