September 10, 2018
Administrator's Corner

Homecoming week is September 17-22.  A big part of Homecoming this year is the St. Jude Fundraising Campaign. To show how committed students are to reaching our goal of raising $20,000, TJ Student Leadership has pledged to donated all Homecoming ticket sales proceeds to St. Jude!  Please consider donating to help us reach our goal.  Click here to donate.
 
ALL WEEK - St. Jude Donation Drive
Monday - Silent Movie (Black and White day)
Tuesday - Inside out Day (think the movie- emotions)
Wednesday - Hollywood Star day (Royalty announced)
Thursday - Back to the Future Day (decades day)
Friday - TJ Day
 
Other Activities:
Wednesday: Powder Puff game 6pm
Wednesday: Bonfire 7pm
Friday: Pep Assembly 2pm
Friday: Football game at All-City Field 4pm vs. Northfield
Saturday: Dance 8-11pm Royal Gala

La semana de bienvenida es del 17 al 22 de septiembre. Una gran parte de Homecoming este año es la Campaña de recaudación de fondos de St. Jude. ¡Para demostrar cuán comprometidos están los estudiantes a alcanzar nuestra meta de recaudar $ 20,000, TJ Student Leadership se ha comprometido a donar todas las recaudaciones de entradas para el Homecoming a St. Jude! Por favor considere donar para ayudarnos a alcanzar nuestra meta. Haga clic aquí para donar.   

TODA LA SEMANA - St. Jude Donation Drive 
Lunes - Película muda (día blanco y negro) 
Martes - Día de adentro hacia afuera (piense en la película - emociones) Miércoles - Día de la estrella de Hollywood (Realeza anunciada) 
Jueves - Regreso al día futuro (décadas) 
Viernes - Día de TJ   

Otras actividades
Miércoles: juego Powder Puff 18:00 
Miércoles: Hoguera a las 7pm 
Viernes: Pep Assembly 2pm 
Viernes: partido de fútbol en All-City Field 4pm vs. Northfield 
Sábado: baile de la gala real de 8 a 11 p. M.

Anne Rice
Athletic Director
Quick Links
Week at a Glance - Week of 9/10-9/14
Monday
  • Please click here (or see the above "Athletics Schedule" quick link) to see athletic events for the week
Tuesday- 
  • PTO Meeting: 6:00-7:00 p.m. (room 111)
Wednesday-
  • Office Hours: 2:14-2:55 p.m.
Thursday -

Friday -
Kudos Korner
  • Shout out to Mr. Palmieri for making phone calls home to invite parents to Back To School. He must have been busy because that's the most parents we've seen at one of these events!
  • Shout out to CSO Aisa Humphries for successfully completing her 75 day probationary period with DPS Safety and Security! 
  • Shout out to Danyelle Charles for picking up dinner for the faculty before Back to School Night!
  • Shout out to Ms. Rice for kicking off the St. Jude's fundraiser!
  • Shout out to everyone for crushing it the first three weeks of school! Keep it up!
Every Penny Helps!
TJ is partnering with St. Jude to end childhood cancer.  The Challenge: If TJ raises $20,000 for St. Jude we will get a new gym floor.  This is a great cause and will also benefit the school.  The kids are already excited about it and it's a meaningful way to involve our TJ community as well. 
 
Why is the prize a new gym floor, you ask?  St. Jude determined the prize.  Our gym floor still has a few years of life left, but if we're able to get it replaced this year it will save us money in the future so we can allocate the money that we would've had to spend on the gym floor to other things at TJ.  PLUS this is such a great cause that we don't really see a downside to participating.  Help kids with cancer and help TJ!
 
We'll be rolling this out on social media, the TJ website, newsletter, and on Spartan Edition.
 
The end goal is to have $20,000 raised by October 22... a big ask but I think we're up for the challenge!
 
If you want to participate, send the link out to your friends and family to donate.  Every penny helps!
 http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Walk/Walk?team_id=226997&pg=team&fr_id=89654
Yearbook News
Price: Get your book at the discounted price of $45 until 9-28-18. The price will eventually increase to $65, so act fast!

Senior Photos & Quotes: Due date: Friday, October 12, 2018 by the end of the school day. Quotes are optional.

All information about the yearbook can found on the journal under the News & Events tab or by clicking here.
Price:
  Get your book at the discounted price of $45 now. The price will increase to $65, so act fast!

Senior Photos & Quotes:   Due date: Friday, October 12, 2018 by the end of the school day. Quotes are optional.

All  information about the yearbook can found on the journal under the News & Events tab or by clicking here.
Free Dinner and Discussion - September 12
Paint Recycling Fundraiser for Gymnastics
multi-paint-cans.jpg

The TJ Gymnastics team will be partnering with Green Sheen to host a paint recycling fundraiser  Saturday September 15th from 10-2 in the North TJ parking lot. Paint recycling is free, however donations benefiting the TJ gymnastics team are greatly appreciated. Bring any unwanted latex/water based paints, stains, and clear finishes in their original containers for recycling. We will not accept oil, alkyd, lacquer, urethane or other chemicals. Come say hi to the TJ gymnasts and get rid of your unwanted paint!

Spring Break Trip Meeting - September 19th
Family and Community Engagement - September 22
Energy Day - Free Festival: September 22
The second annual Energy Day Colorado Festival, which will take place on   Saturday, September 22, 2018, at East High School in Denver, Colorado .  This  FREE,  family festival designed to promote and encourage excitement and interest in energy, environment, sustainability, science, robotics, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) will include:
 
*    More than 50 interactive exhibits and demonstrations geared toward K-12 students and their families showcasing the exciting careers in STEM 
*    Booths & Exhibits demonstrating advances in technology, robotics, alternative ways to power vehicles, Oil and Gas technology, as well as clean-tech and renewable energy sources
*    Opportunities to interact with experts in multiple and diverse industries
*    Music, Food & Games & FIRST Robotics regional competition 
*    Cash awards for winners of STEM competitions held throughout the school year (CEA & CEEF have awarded over $100,000 toward winners)
FREE Travel Fair
Part-Time Custodian Wanted
PTO News
You are invited!  PTO meetings are the second Tuesday of the month from 6-7pm at TJHS in room 111. The first meeting of the year is Tuesday, September 11th Principal Christoff will welcome families and give an overview of the year. The PTO Presidents will give a brief look back and look forward for the PTO and the role it plays. We will also talk about open volunteer positions and the many ways to get involved in the TJ community. PTO meetings are a great source of information so please come if you can. Everyone is welcome!
GT News
TJ Master Calendar 

TJ has a new master calendar! It resides on the main page of the school website,  http://tjhs.dpsk12.org/, under the main articles. The "Upcoming Events" section gives you a glimpse of events and activities, but you can see the monthly view if you click on "More Events." 

If you'd like to keep up with dates and upcoming events more easily, be sure to click on "Subscribe to the TJ Calendar Feed" at the top of the calendar. (Please note, if you have previously subscribed to the calendar, you must re-subscribe to the new one, as the old one will no longer be seen). Be sure to stay informed and stay connected!

New Parent Portal 
We're excited to bring you this new and improved experience on the Parent Portal, and we want to keep you informed about the new features we will be adding to the platform. To create a Parent Portal account, please visit myportal.dpsk12.org and click Getting Started. If you do not remember your username or password, contact our hotline at 720-423-3163 or email  dps_portalteam@dpsk12.org .
 
¡El Portal para padres nuevo y mejorado ya casi está aquí!   

Estamos entusiasmados de brindarle esta experiencia nueva y mejorada en el Portal para padres, y queremos mantenerlo informado sobre las nuevas funciones que agregaremos a la plataforma. Para crear una cuenta del Portal para padres, visite myportal.dpsk12.org y haga clic en Comenzar. Si no recuerda su nombre de usuario o contraseña, comuníquese con nuestra línea directa al 720-423-3163 o envíe un correo electrónico a dps_portalteam@dpsk12.org.
Spartan Spirit Store
The TJ Spirit Store is stocked and ready to sell!  The store inside TJ will be open every lunch hour August 27-31. Show your TJ pride in style and comfort with hoodies, t-shirts, hats, blankets and stadium chairs. After August 31 , the store will be open during events like the Homecoming football game, some volleyball & basketball games and ArtFest. Or, make an appointment to shop with Carrie ( TJHS.Store@gmail.com ). The store accepts cash, credit cards and checks. You can view several items  here , but we are not currently accepting online orders .
Mental Health and Social/Emotional Tips
Did You Know?

Parental involvement in a child's education has been related to multiple positive effects in children's school achievement. "Children whose parents are involved in their education,"
 
* Earn HIGHER grades
* Have BETTER attendance
* COMPLETE more homework
* Are MORE
MOTIVATED 
students
* Have a HIGHER GRADUATION RATE
* Are MORE LIKLEY to attend college
 
AND, here are some behavioral benefits, too:
* IMPROVED BEHAVIOR at school
* LOWER DROP OUT rates
* HIGHER self-esteem
* Higher probability of AVOIDING high-risk behaviors in adolescents

So, What Can I Actually Do?
1)     Talk to your student about the school day. You can reference last week's Mental Health Tip, "Increasing Happiness in Kids" for a set of good discussion questions.
 
2)     Get to know their friends, and their friends' parents. You are doing this because you care about who they are with and what they do. Similarly...
 
3)     Get to know your child's teachers! You can better help them navigate each class/teacher if you are familiar with the teaching style, classroom set-up, expectations, foreseeable challenges/conflicts that may come up, etc.
 
4)     Come to school events, such as: Back to School Night, Parent-Teacher Conferences, sporting events, the school art shows, plays, weekend tournaments/competitions, musical/choir performances; become a member of the PTO; help with volunteer opportunities/events at the school; your presence around school and effort to be a member of the community can have a positive impact on your child.
 
5)     High school is hard, and there is a lot to manage. Help them time-manage and set up routines for completing assignments at home. When possible, be available to help them if they have any questions. Even if you cannot help with the content of the assignment, sit at the kitchen table with them while they do their work. You can spend this time to catch up on some of your responsibilities too! Help model what initiating and completing a task looks like.
 
6)     Continue to ask them about any future or upcoming events they are looking forward to.

Mental Health and Social Emotional "Did You Know":  Compiled by Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW and Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP. Resources:  www.nasponline.org
Help Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse / Misuse
Hey TJ Families! Click here to t ake a look at this short video about quick and simple ways to help keep your child safe!
Food and Nutrition Resources for Families
  • Click here for Food Resource Hotline information
Class News You Can Use
All Classes 
  • Great news! All Class T-Shirts are now available (as well as other TJ gear) in the Spartan Store!

     
  • Supporting our TJ students, classrooms and teacher is as simple as a click of a button. Visit the online store to donate to TJ PTO today: Online Spartan Spirit Store for TJ Gear
Join us for an All-School Fundraiser on Saturday, September 8th! 
 
What: Season Opener Party
Where: At the Aldridge/Sensenbrenner Home: 3710 East Dartmouth Avenue Denver, CO 80210
When: Saturday, September 8th from 6:00pm to 10:00 pm
Why: Meet other parents, celebrate the start of the school year and raise money for the PTO 

Details:
  • $30 per person at the door (unless you purchased tickets through the TJ Auction last spring).  Checks payable to TJHS, with all proceeds going directly to the school and supporting students & teachers.
  • Show your team spirit by coming in your favorite team's attire- TJ, the Broncos or the college of your choice!
  • A variety of stadium food and beverages will be served
Please RSVP to megandperkins@gmail.com if you are able to join!
Class of 2019 - Seniors
The Class of '19 is raising money for senior year activities including After Prom.

How you can support:
Please contact karycramer@msn.com to get involved in fundraising and other activities!
TJ AVID is selling Do it yourself Senior Shirts! 

Join the new TJ tradition!

Tie Dye, paint and decorate to your Style!

Senior DIY Shirts $15 


Class of 2020 - Juniors
The Class of 2020 will raise money throughout the year for senior year activities including After Prom.

How you can support:
  • Host an event and donate the proceeds to the class of 2020!
  • Make a tax deductible financial donation by clicking here.  Be sure to find out if your employer will match our donation!
Please contact Megan Perkins (megandperkins@gmail.com) or Lisa LoJacono (lisalojacono@gmail.com to get involved in fundraising and other activities!

Class of 2021 - Sophomores
  • Class of 2021 Fall Meet & Greet Parent Party - All parents of the Class of 2021 are invited to a party September 15 at 7 pm at the home of Holly and Fred Chione. This is a great opportunity to get to know other 2021 class parents.  Our kiddos will be seniors before we know it so join the fun now and get involved.  Drinks and apps will be served.  Feel free to bring a dessert to share.  Suggested donation of $10 at the door.  All proceeds go towards the 2021 senior year activities including the after-prom party and Mr. TJ.   
Please RSVP  by September 14. 
Looking forward to seeing you!

Class of 2022 - Freshmen
  • Stay tuned for more information!
News from the Future Center
Seniors are encouraged to stop by the Future Center to set up a time to discuss their plans for next year!

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