|
Administrator's Corner
February 5, 2024
Happy Monday, Spartans!
There is a lot happening this week, thanks to the Leadership students who have been working hard to plan spirited events and fundraisers for Wish Week. See below for the detailed schedule, and be sure to participate! High school can be a lot more fun when you stay involved.
Be sure to take advantage of extra supports such as office hours, tutoring, and Saturday school to keep those grades up.
As always, be sure to allow for extra time in the mornings when the weather is bad. We want to keep our attendance rates trending in the right direction. Have a great week!
¡Feliz lunes, espartanos!
Hay muchas cosas sucediendo esta semana, gracias a los estudiantes de Liderazgo que han estado trabajando duro para planificar eventos animados y recaudación de fondos para la Semana de Deseo. Vea a continuación el calendario detallado, y asegúrese de participar! La escuela secundaria puede ser mucho más divertida cuando permaneces involucrado.
Asegúrese de aprovechar los apoyos adicionales, como el horario de oficina, la tutoría y la escuela de los sábados para mantener esas calificaciones altas.
Como siempre, asegúrese de permitir tiempo extra en las mañanas cuando el clima es malo. Queremos mantener nuestras tasas de asistencia en la dirección correcta. ¡que pases una muy buena semana!
| |
|
|
Monday-
-
Spirit Week: Sleeping Beauty
Tuesday-
-
Spirit Week: Tweedledee and Tweedledum
- PTO Meeting: 6-7:30 p.m. in room 111
- Red Robin Fundraiser (see Make-a-Wish Week info below)
Wednesday-
-
Spirit Week: Ohana Day
- Preseason Baseball Meeting: 6:00 p.m. in room 111 and on zoom (details below)
-
Chipotle Fundraiser (TJ Make-a-Wish Week use promo code: zgxracw)
Thursday-
-
Spirit Week: Disney Day
- Extended deadline for Senior Recognition Ads
Friday-
Saturday-
- Saturday School (details below)
- Winter Dance - "Where Dreams Come True" 8-11 p.m.
| |
-
Thanks to Leadership Students and everyone who helped with Make-a-Wish Week!
-
A huge shout out to Danyelle Charles and all of the effort and time she puts into our First Friday celebrations! Due to testing and scheduling issues, last week was the final First Friday of the year. We appreciate Ms. Charles and everyone else who helps with these fun events! This event was particularly special, as it included an assembly around Black History Month. Danyelle Charles, Carla Allen, Bridget Couch, Brazil McNeal, Michael Bennison, Karima Adams, Kyler Jackson, Rico Wint, and Aaron Daniels created an incredibly meaningful event filled with history, poetry, dance, and music. What an amazing celebration to end the week!
| |
Make-a-Wish Week is Here! | |
|
Make-a-Wish week is February 5-10 and Leadership is putting on a “Where Dreams Come True” dance. All proceeds from the dance go to making a little girl’s dreams come true. We’re also doing different restaurant fundraisers over the next month, so keep an eye out for more information. The whole point is community outreach and having the whole community come together to make a little girl’s dreams come true!
Restaurant fundraisers include the following:
- Milk & Cake (from now until Feb. 10 - mention TJ)
- Dutch Bros (details soon)
- Chipotle (Feb. 7th - promo code: zgxracw)
- Red Robin (Feb. 6th all day - mention TJ)
Be sure to check the TJ Instagram for more information as the week gets closer!
Click here to learn more and to donate! Thanks in advance for your support.
| |
Our February PTO Meeting will be held TOMORROW, Tuesday, 2/6 at 6pm in Room 111. Come meet DPS Board Director Kimberlee Sia, share your thoughts and concerns with her and learn more about the Board of Education. This meeting will be in-person only. | | |
|
|
Do you have communications or marketing skills you’d like to
volunteer? The PTO is looking for a parent to help set up an online fund
raising platform this winter to help fund our Spartan Grants program. This
short term volunteer “job” can be done from home on your timeline, with a
completion date of mid-March. Interested? Email TJHSpto@gmail.com for more information.
| |
|
Saturday School will begin this Saturday. We are focusing on students who have F's during Saturday School. If you will be dropping your student off for Saturday School, please be sure that they do have their Chromebook to work on their F, and that you drop them off at door #8 by the softball field. The times are from 8:00 am-11:00 am. The school will provide snacks/drinks.
The dates for Saturday School are 2/10, 2/24, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/4, 5/11, 5/18.
We will begin Saturday School starting this Saturday. The form will always be in the Newsletter and will be open for you to fill out. Our Spring Saturday School sessions will only be focused on students through the semester who have an F.
Thank you for supporting your students to stay on track with their credits!!
| |
|
The February 2024 Food Bank distribution will take place Tuesday, February 20 from 4:00-5:30 pm. Any family that is in need of food support is welcomed and encouraged to sign up HERE. Please note that you MUST sign up no later than Sunday, 18 February for us to have food available for you at the distribution.
La distribución de alimentos de febrero es martes el 18 de ferbero de 4:00-5:30 pm en TJ. Cualquier familia que necesite apoyo alimentario es bienvenida y animada a inscribirse AQUÍ. DEBE registrarse antes del 18 de febrero para que tengamos alimentos disponibles para usted en la distribución.
Thank you to the TJ Community for your continued support of the Food Bank! If you are interested in making a financial contribution to the TJ Food Bank, you can do so HERE.
Reach out to Megan Perkins (megandperkins@gmail.com), Becca Mahoney (beccaandjoemahoney@gmail.com) or Jillian Krause (jillian.krause@gmail.com) with questions.
| |
|
The TJ Baseball program is having a preseason information meeting for all interested parents/players on Wednesday, February 7 at 6 pm in Room 111. This meeting will cover all necessary information for the 2024 season, including registration information, tryouts, practice and game schedules, bus information, uniform/apparel/equipment information, fundraisers, and parent and player behavioral expectations. In-person attendance is highly recommended, but if you absolutely cannot meet in person, you can attend virtually via this link:
Baseball Pre-season Meeting
Wednesday, February 7 · 6:00 – 8:00pm
Time zone: America/Denver
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ecv-gxip-ftj
Please reach out to Coach Baughn with any questions.
| |
Join us for an adventure to Eastern Europe where we will see the ancient Croatian cities of Dubrovnik and Split and the majestic, storybook castles and mountains of Slovenia. This 9 day tour takes off this summer in mid-July with the EF tours. While we have recruited 12 students for this trip, we have room for more! Contact Amber Wilson (amber_wilson@dpsk12.net) for all of the details! But don't wait, enrollment will end the first week of February! | |
DPS Mental Health Resources | |
We are currently in need of additional 9 host families for a group of high school students participating in an exchange program from Chiben Gogo in Japan. The students will be living with and attending school with students here at TJ. They will attend each of their classes but they will have their own work provided from their schools in Japan. These students study English in Japan so, although they are not fluent in English, they have the tools to communicate in the language. They simply need practice and exposure. The students will be with us from March 6th through March 24th when they will return to Japan together. Of the remaining students, there are 8 girls and 1 boy in need of a host. If you are interested and able, please contact Mr. Jackson at kjackso@dpsk12.net for more information. This is a tremendous opportunity because it opens the doors for our students from TJ to travel to Japan and be hosted with families there as well. | | |
|
|
TJHS is excited to announce that Thomas Jefferson High School will be providing CHALLENGE DAY to our Junior class. It will be a one day event broken down by alpha on February 13th and 14th.
Feb 13th-Juniors with last names beginning with A-L will attend
Feb 14th-Juniors with last names beginning with M-z will attend
There is also a $20 participation fee to help offset the cost of the workshop which includes professional facilitators. Lunch will be provided. Please log into my school bucks for payment of fee. If you need assistance, please email Sdavis@dpsk12.net
| |
|
What is Challenge Day?
Imagine a school where everyone feels safe, loved and celebrated. Imagine enemies finding common ground and making peace; friends healing past hurts and making amends; people igniting their passion for service and leadership; adults and youth working together to create a school where everyone is included and thrives. The program addresses issues such as self-esteem, bullying, oppression, violence, etc. It is a cultural building opportunity that creates change makers. This is Challenge Day.
If you are curious of what challenge day looks like you can YouTube it. It premiered on MTV, Chicken Soup for The Souls and OPRAH. Here is a great glimpse at what challenge day does for the community: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdwcJrDDhQ4
Every Junior is asked to participate. Please click on the link and let us know if you're opting out your student: Opt Out Form
If your student opts out, the expectation is that they will be in school participating in their regular schedule.
| |
Denver Health Mobile Health Centers | |
Hi TJ fans! In need of TJ gear? Send us an email. Also, anyone interested in joining the fun and getting to know the TJ community by selling gear, please get in touch at tjhs.store@gmail.com. Thank you TJ community for your school spirit! | |
Mental Health and Social/Emotional Tips | |
|
Did You Know...?
(en español)
“As students transition from middle level to high school, their self-concept gradually grows. Increasing freedom allows adolescents greater opportunities to participate in activities in which they are competent, and increased perspective-taking abilities enable them to garner more support from others by behaving in more socially acceptable ways.”
So let’s get our students involved in activities they love! Take a look at TJ’s extensive list of:
- Clubs and activities HERE, and
- Athletic opportunities HERE
Outside of school, teens can find recreation centers to visit (free with DPS IDs), organized faith-based groups to join, local businesses at which to work or volunteer, museums and parks to visit, book clubs and camps to attend, etc. Give something a try!
| |
Mental Health and Social Emotional “Did You Know”: Compiled by Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP and Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW. Resources: www.NASPonline.org (Self Concept and Self Esteem in Adolescents, 2007). | |
|
Spartan Seniors and Families,
TJ’s Denver Scholarship Foundation FAFSA/CASFA Workshop is on Thursday, February 15th from 3pm-7pm. Students completing the FAFSA and a parent MUST have VERIFIED StudentAid.gov usernames and passwords. These accounts can take many days to verify. If you have not yet created your account, please do so now.
Click here to schedule an appointment if needed! If you have already completed your FAFSA, please complete this!
-
Click here for info on HOW TO answer some FAFSA questions. Student and parent(s) MUST consent to using the IRS (tax info) Data Transfer in order to receive aid, if eligible.
-
For students without documented legal status in the US, the CASFA application is available to provide financial aid in the state of Colorado.
-
The DSF Scholarship is NOW OPEN for application! Apply today!
Thursday, February 15th: DSF TJ FAFSA Workshop 3pm-7pm, Click here to schedule an appointment if needed! If you have already completed your FAFSA, please complete this!
Click here to learn more about the Denver Scholarship Foundation and the DSF Scholarship.
Emily Webster, M.S. Alyssa Baker, M.Ed.
DSF Lead College Advisor DSF College Advisor
emily_webster@dpsk12.net alyssa_baker@dpsk12.net
| |
|
After Prom Planning Committee Update:
After Prom is less than 3 months away! Mark your calendars for a fun night for our seniors, Friday, April 19. The funds have all been raised and the committee is off to a great start, but we are still in need of a parent or pair of parents to take the lead on plans for a Volleyball tournament (held during the event) and another pair to run the Casino Room - an After Prom tradition! If you would like to volunteer, please email Cheri Jones at: jonesoils.co@gmail.com
THANK YOU to the Sub-Committee Chairs for your leadership! We need parents on each sub-committee to help with plans and volunteer at the event. All Senior Parents are welcome to come to our monthly After Prom committee meetings. You can also reach out to the Chairs directly to let them know that you want to help out in their area. Their contact information was sent out in an email last week.
Thanks in advance for your help in making this event happen!
After Prom Committee Meetings - all senior parents are invited to attend:
Thursday, February 15th at 7pm in Room 111
Thursday, March 14th 7pm in Room 111
Thursday, April 11th 7pm in Room 111
After Prom Sub-Committee Chairs:
Welcoming Committee: Carrie Alleman and Kim Tapia
Chill Space: Sheila Tyler and Katie Swats
Volleyball Tournament: Vacant
Casino Room: Vacant
Entertainment and Food: Maria Sadkhi and Andrea F
Senior gifts and prizes: Megan Perkins and Becca Mahoney
Decorations: Franchesca Luistro
Volunteers: Janet Randles and Colley Moe
KEY DATES FOR SENIORS
Thursday, 2/8/24: final deadline to purchase Senior Recognition Ads for the yearbook .
Tuesday, 4/9/24: Senior Class “Panoramic” Photo is taken today
Friday, 5/3/24: Senior Awards Night (by invitation)
Friday, 4/19/24: Prom - at Space Gallery in Denver’s Art District and After Prom. There’s no
school for students on 4/19!
5/20/24: Senior Check Out (last day for Seniors)
5/21/24: Graduation Rehearsal @ TJ; Cap & Gown Distribution
5/28/24: Graduation at 1pm at the University of Denver’s Magness Arena (On-site rehearsal is
held that morning, time TBD)
| |
|
Stay tuned for more info in the next month or two about Teacher Appreciation the first week of May, Juniors and Junk food at the end of the school year and the Senior Sleep Out August 18th!
If you have any comments, suggestions or want to help out with a specific event, please email: hmbdvm@yahoo.com
If you want to help, please consider donating directly to Class of 2025!
| |
Class of 2026 - Sophomores | |
|
Thank you to the parents that came to our meeting last week. We will have another meeting over Zoom in late February. We will do an after school party for the sophomores this Spring. Also, stay tuned for a Sophomore parents social event in late April. Details will be available soon.
Thank you,
Sheila and Carrie
| |
|
Freshmen Parents - want to connect? Contact Committee Co-Chair Kendal Mullins at
kendalbmullins@gmail.com or 303-875-6810.
Please consider making a donation to the Class of 2027’s Class Fund. Donations will
support the After Prom event (held Senior Year) and other class activities that will be planned by
our Parent Committee these next four years. Your donation is tax deductible as the TJ Partners
PTO is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Please reach out to your employer as your donation
may be eligible for matching funds.
| |
Stay Connected, Spartans! | | | | |
