April 19, 2021
Administrator's Corner
Hello TJ,
We had a very successful week of testing last week as the kids completed the SAT/PSAT. Considering that this year’s tests were optional we had high level of participation highlighted by our Junior class where 90% of the kids came in and crushed it!
As you know, due to the great work by TJ parent Dr. Rebecca Andrick, TJ will be hosting our very own COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic this Saturday, April 24th. Please sign up your student (and yourself) by opening this link:
As of today, we are opening up the opportunity to anyone that is interested in getting the Pfizer vaccination. We want to make sure that all 700 shots that we have reserved are used! Please feel free to share this link with friends and family members, especially if they live in the TJ area!
There are only 5 weeks of school left before Finals! Students - continue to work hard in your classes and parents/students please reach out to your teachers and/or counselor if you need any support as we want to see every student finish the year strong.
Take care everyone, and continue to be safe!
Hola TJ,
tuvimos una semana de pruebas muy exitosa la semana pasada cuando los niños completaron el SAT/PSAT. Teniendo en cuenta que las pruebas de este año fueron opcionales, tuvimos un alto nivel de participación destacado por nuestra clase Junior, donde el 90% de los niños entraron y lo aplastaron.
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Como saben, debido al gran trabajo de la madre de TJ, la Dra. Rebecca Andrick, TJ será la sede de nuestra propia clínica de vacunación COVID-19 este sábado, 24th de abril. Por favor, firme a su estudiante (y a usted mismo) abriendo este enlace: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0F4FACAF2AA7F94-tjhs
A partir de hoy, estamos abriendo la oportunidad a cualquiera que esté interesado en recibir la vacunación de Pfizer. Queremos asegurarnos de que se utilicen todas las 700 fotografías que hemos reservado. Por favor, no dude en compartir este enlace con amigos y familiares, especialmente si viven en la zona de TJ!
¡solo quedan 5 semanas de escuela antes de las finales! Estudiantes - continúe trabajando duro en sus clases y padres/estudiantes por favor, póngase en contacto con sus maestros y/o consejero si necesita algún apoyo, ya que queremos ver a cada estudiante terminar el año fuerte.
¡Cuiden a todos y sigan estando a salvo!
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Monday-
- Regular Remote Monday schedule
- Denver Health Clinic - closed today
- Accuplacer testing for juniors
- Interact Club Hygiene Drive: 2-3:00 p.m. (details below)
- Senior Yard Sign Pick up: 12-2 p.m. - parking lot
- Virtual Career Fair for Youth (details below)
Tuesday-
- Virtual Career Fair for Youth (details below)
Wednesday-
- Webinar for Parents: Preparing your Teen for College - 12:00 p.m. (details below)
- Interact Club Hygiene Drive: 2-3:00 p.m. (details below)
- Virtual Career Fair for Youth (details below)
- Senior Movie Night: 7:00 – 9:30pm (softball field)
Thursday-
- Virtual Career Fair for Youth (details below)
Friday-
- Interact Club Hygiene Drive: 2-3:00 p.m. (details below)
- Senior Showcase: 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. (softball field)
Saturday-
- TJ Vaccine Clinic: 9:30-3:30 pm in TJ parking lot (walk up will be set up in front of school) (details below)
- Interact Club Hygiene Drive: 10-12 (details below)
- Prom: 7:30-11:00 p.m.
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- Here is the link to the story CBS 4 did on us last week if you didn’t catch it:
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Gigantic shout out to TJ Parent Dr. Rebecca Andrick (mom of Jillian Luhman) who reached out to Mr. Christoff with this idea and worked with CDHPE to acquire the vaccines!
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Congratulations to Cece Prime-Morales for meeting the standard and being elected as a SkillsUSA State officer. Cece will serve as an officer for the 2021-2022 school year as Vice President. Cece has been a vital part of SkillsUSA @ TJ in making our CTSO student organization one of the best in the nation.
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- Once again, TJ's SkillsUSA chapter has been named a Model of Excellence chapter! Here is what we received from the national SkillsUSA organization:
Dear Models of Excellence Recipient,
Congratulations on achieving the highest level of the SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Program – Models of Excellence! In its seventh year, Models of Excellence (MOE) celebrates the nation’s top 24 SkillsUSA chapters. Your chapter’s work in applying the SkillsUSA Framework of personal, workplace and technical skills defines the intentional learning we seek for all of our chapters. Through your example, we are able to better quantify the learning that business and industry seeks from career and technical education. Your chapter is a role model for our organization, and we are incredibly proud of you.
Your chapter will have the opportunity to compete for top SkillsUSA honors during the MOE interviews scheduled to take place June 15-17 via Zoom. During the Virtual Awards Celebration on June 24, your chapter will be recognized for outstanding accomplishments and the top three chapters in the nation will be announced live. Additional information will be provided to you in the near future by our Office of Education team.
Much success as you compete for this top honor as a 2021 SkillsUSA national Model of Excellence. Well done!
Way to go, Mr. Esparza and all SkillsUSA students!
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TJ Vaccine Clinic for 16+ - Saturday, April 24 |
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Spartan Families,
In partnership with Governor Polis’ Vaccine for All efforts, we are very excited to announce an opportunity for TJ students (16+) and our TJ families/community to receive the Pfizer vaccine at TJ!
Please note: this opportunity has now been opened up to TJ families/
community and also our wider DPS community
Drive through/Walk up clinic Sat 4/24 from 9:30-3:30 pm in TJ parking lot (walk up will be set up in front of school)
2nd dose clinic on Sat 5/15
Age 16 and up are eligible and a parent must be present to receive the vaccine if under 18.
Feel free to share our sign up with your friends at other schools!
Volunteers needed!
Please click here if you are able to help out with the clinic.
Resources:
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5th Annual Thomas Jefferson High School Auction - Thank You! |
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We look forward to sharing the results of the Auction with everyone in the coming weeks! Due to COVID protocols we are not able to access the building, so item pickup will take place at Megan Perkins' house (3004 South Milwaukee Circle, Denver CO, 80210) from 5:00 pm -7:00 pm on Wednesday, April 21. Please reach out to Megan Perkins (megandperkins@gmail.com) to arrange a different time to pick up your items if April 21 does not work for you.
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Preparing Your Teen for College: Parent Webinar |
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Our next webinar is on April 21, at 12 pm and the topic is: Preparing Your Teen for College: A Expert Panel Presents Key Conversations To Have With Your Child. During the webinar a panel of experts will address strategies for talking with your teen about the health and safety risks of marijuana and alcohol and provide insight on how to help your child find mental health support on campus. Hear from a panel of experts, Chris Lord of CU Boulder, Lynann Butler of Metro State and Dana Kobold of Red Rocks Community College will provide support and strategies to empower parents. Sign up here. (Tambien estamos ofreciendo interpretación en Español.)
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Interact Hygiene Drive This Week |
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The Interact Club is hosting a Hygiene Drive to support the DPS Child Services Department for students facing struggles regarding homelessness. For this drive a TJ Interact Member will be at TJ on 4/19, 4/21, 4/23, and 4/24 from 2-3, as well as 4/24 from 10-12. The items that the club needs are shampoo/conditioner, bar soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, body wash, laundry detergent, and dryer sheets.Thank you! |
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Other DPS Options for Vaccines |
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Important Information about Student Google Account Privacy and Passwords! |
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It has come to the English department's attention that students are hacking into other students' Google accounts to access their classwork/essays and turn them in as their own. This is largely due to students keeping their birthdate as their password. We imagine that this is likely to affect other content areas as well and wanted to share a solution. As Mr. Hanks explained, their birthday is meant to be a temporary password, and they should change it in order to keep their account secure.
Here are the steps students should follow:
2. They will enter their student number, old password, and then a new password. (Password rules are on that page).
3. They should write down or screenshot their password (if they forget their password, it becomes a much more difficult process and they have to contact Mr. Hanks).
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Classroom Grants
The PTO approved classroom grants for a total of $9,396 for the following departments: Special Education, PE, Art, Counseling, JROTC, World Languages.
Step Up as a TJ PTO Officer Next Year
The PTO is a dedicated group of parents who do so much to support the TJ community, but we need leadership to stay on course. Please consider how you can use your skills to help TJ staff and students be the best they can be. We can’t be Spartan Strong without YOU!
We need parents to serve in the following ways…
- Vice President 2020-21: ideally this person will take on the role of President for in 2021-22 school year
- Vice President 2021-22
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Hospitality/Teacher Appreciation Committee Chair
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Virtual Career Fair for Youth |
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Date: April 19-22, 2021
Time: 4:00pm to 6:30pm each evening (4-5p Career Panel, 5-6p Career Panel & 6-6:30p Special Topic Presentation)
Format: via Zoom
No-cost
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD BROADLY!!
This explorative & informative fair for youth will feature career panels representing a wide variety of industries throughout the state. REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for youth attendees, parents, educators, and potential career panelists via the website: www.youthcareerfair.org!
The Colorado Virtual Career Fair is a collaboration between the Colorado State Youth Council, Colorado Workforce Development Council, Colorado Association of Career & Technical Education, other Colorado professional education agencies & organizations; and many Colorado school districts.
The design of this fair has an intention of facilitating access and awareness of career path opportunities to students who may or may not have been able to access the options before. Beyond the barrios of geographic location, beyond zip code, beyond regional location and beyond school district - students & families, youth & individuals of any age or grade level are welcome to attend. Explore more: www.youthcareerfair.org
Panelists will represent diversity of backgrounds, ethnicities and races and are intentionally recruited to help our students ‘see themselves’ in that future career.** If you are interested or know of others (think of your own friend, family and contacts) who would be a perfect fit, please see the attached Panelist Flier AND extend the ‘application’ here: https://forms.gle/6Gf1mFtZ1N64jvfm8
Equity and Mental Health within our youth communities is an investment the design committee wanted to focus on and the Attendee Registration form reflects this.
Follow us on Social Media!
Via Twitter: @career_youth.
Also, hashtags to follow: #OwnMyFuture, #YouthCareerFair, and #ColoradoYouth.
Looking forward to ‘seeing’ you and your students & families there!
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Registration is up for Day of Silence events!!! There are several awesome events happening the week of April 19th. Please share these with your students. Space is limited for the writing workshops on April 19 and 20th, so if you have writers, get them registered.
Our DPS event is Thursday, April 22 from 12-2pm. We will host world renowned slam poet and LGBTQ+ activist Andrea Gibson from 12-1 and then GSA students across our district have planned a beautiful self-care event from 1-2. Please support students to get registered! Registration for all attendees is required and must be done through Google. If you plan to broadcast this from your classroom, you can register your whole GSA. Registration for this event will close on Tuesday, April 20th. GSA leaders are needed to help facilitate the self-care breakout rooms from 1-2. If you are able to support, you can email me or note that in the registration form.
The DPS event is open to all students and staff. This event is open to all ages. Andrea's poetry can be intense. Mental health support staff will be on the call for support if needed.
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We will be working on a new collection of items for an online sale. Please watch the newsletter and School Deets for information. Reach out to TJHS.STORE@GMAIL.COM with any questions!
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Attention: Parents of Juniors! |
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Students, parents, and counselors can sign up to attend any of the panels and College Roundtable sessions. The panels will cover pertinent information juniors and their families will need heading into their college search process, such as: visiting campus (in-person or virtually), basics on the college admissions and financial aid processes, and the various testing options institutions offer.
The College Roundtable sessions will be short introductions to 5 universities per session. These do not overlap so students can sign up for as many as they wish without having to choose between schools. There is one registration form for the Roundtables and students will select their desired session(s) during registration.
You can find more information, and register, on ROAR’s Upcoming Events website.
Our ROAR Events would not be as successful without you and your help in promoting our events. Thank you, in advance, for sharing this information and always being such a great advocate for ROAR.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Kylie Rigdon at krigdon@utk.edu or 865.630.0620.
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College and Career Readiness |
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Our goal is that all students graduate college and career ready. One of the ways we achieve this goal is to support students' career and college exploration through programs that provide opportunities for students to discover how their interests and passions might someday fit into the world of work. There are many resources to help you learn more about career and college programs in DPS, visit collegeandcareer.dpsk12.org to learn more! Handouts: English / Spanish
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Matthew Mason (He/Him/His)
Navigator at Thomas Jefferson High School
DPS Career and College Success
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COVID Funeral Assistance Application |
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Additional information and application:
Mental Health and Social Emotional Tip: Compiled by Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW and Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP. Resources: https://www.fema.gov/
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Información adicional y aplicación:
Consejo sobre salud mental y socioemocional: compilado por Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW y Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP. Recursos: https://www.fema.gov/
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Annual All for One Golf Tournament - Golfers and Advertisers Needed! |
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The Annual All For One Golf Tournament will be held at Wellshire Golf Course on June 12th. Net proceeds from the tournament are awarded equally to TJ High School and three other neighborhood schools each year, totally $20,000 since 2014. You can participate as a golfer or get lots of exposure for your business as an advertiser. All the details can be found at www.allforonegolf.org or call John at 720 232-4554.
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Chromebook and Materials Distribution - By Appointment Only |
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Dear Spartan Families,
TJHS will continue to offer pick up opportunities for Chromebooks and class materials distribution by appointment only.
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To make a request please fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/h381kzTdGeEnXTa46
- We will contact you using the email address provided in the form to arrange a time for pickup.
- If you are returning damaged technology please make sure the power cord is returned with the unit
- We are out of Wifi Hotspots and we don't know when additional units will be made available.
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School Based Health Centers are OPEN! |
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Denver Health School Based Clinic Staff is excited to welcome back students returning for in-person learning! Whether you are staying remote or coming back to school, we are here for you. Give us a call at 720-423-7190 to set up an appointment! #werehereforyou #covid19 #denverpublicschools
Thomas Jefferson School Based Clinic: 720-423-7190
Consent for Thomas Jefferson School Based Clinic:
English:
Spanish:
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In an effort to provide GT students and their families with the resources and supports needed to begin/complete their Advanced Learning Plan (ALP), the TJHS GT Site Team has created a Google Classroom for each GT grade level. The title and code for each grade level is listed below:
TJHS Gifted and Talented 2024 Cohort - doyqstu
TJHS Gifted and Talented 2023 Cohort - b7vpvfn
TJHS Gifted and Talented 2022 Cohort - orzg7to
TJHS Gifted and Talented 2021 Cohort - by7mjwi
The TJHS GT Site Team, working alongside our District GT Partners, has included resources, websites and documents to help you complete your ALP goals. Keep in mind that there are affective as well as academic goals. At this time, students should only focus on the Goals / Advanced Learning Plan section and not worry about the badges right now. We don't want you to get in there and feel overwhelmed.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Tate, our Dean Instruction and GT Point of Contact at adria_tate@dpsk12.org
Our District GT Partner is Brian Beard, brian_beard@dpsk12.org, and you may receive GT newsletters from his office with internship and university opportunities.
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Mental Health and Social/Emotional Tips |
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Did You Know?
Showing gratitude can measurably improve your overall well being, by:
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Gratitude actually rewires our brains, kickstarting the production of
dopamine and serotonin, which are “feel good” neurotransmitters that activate
the “bliss center” of the brain.
Yes, I want that, how can I get it?
⧫ Try a gratitude journal (some questions: Who is someone who lives far a way that you are grateful for?, What was the best part of your day?, Tell about your favorite place outside. Who is someone who helped you today?)
⧫ Celebrate minor accomplishments by celebrating what you have and not dwelling on what you don’t
⧫ Tell those around you that you care about them
⧫ Try a Gratitude Flip- 1) write down something that was challenging for you today, and now 2) Complete the following, “I am grateful for ___________ (challenging situation), because _____________ (how did you learn from it, grow stronger, etc.?)
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News from the Future Center |
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Class of 2021 and Parents,
Be sure to check your college emails several times a week in case they need more information from you. Keep an eye out for enrollment deposit and housing deadlines. The Spring Timeline Grid provides some helpful information about your next steps.
Please do schedule a time for us to meet if you have questions!
Class of 2022 and Parents,
Please visit your TJ Future Center Schoology course for an assignment regarding your college search and Junior Survey completion. At this time, you can find Summer College Prep Program info, start your scholarship search, review essay tips and view Virtual College Tours. Stay tuned for Virtual Rep Visits, Career Panels and other opportunities throughout the remainder of the year!
Upcoming Deadlines and Events:
Emily Webster
College Advisor | Thomas Jefferson High School
Denver Scholarship Foundation | a 501(c)(3) Public Charity
789 Sherman Street, Suite 610 | Denver, CO 80203
emily_webster@dpsk12.net
ewebster@denverscholarship.org
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Class of '21 - SENIORS!
Friday, April 23rd – Senior Showcase!! Location and live stream link will be shared that day. Seniors can view live at TJ. Others can join from home to watch the live stream.
Saturday, April 24 – PROM 7:30 – 11 PM
Sunday, April 25 – After Prom/Senior BBQ – April 25th 1-4 pm
SENIOR Parents! This year we are hosting the day after prom Senior BBQ at TJ. We need volunteers and donation of yard games. We will have large blow up slides and other games, along with food, prize raffle, and more!! We need your help to pull this together. Please label any donated games or equipment with your name.
Filming for Senior Showcase was a huge success!! Thank you to all those who turned out and the parent and admin support. Huge shout out to Two24Media for assisting with the production, to parent John Trujillo for choreography, and Jason Klimczak for providing the music.
Graduation PARADE! Saturday May 22 – Meet at 9:30 AM to decorate
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Junior Parents,
Thank YOU for an incredible year of FUNdraising for our students' senior year activities! We are in good shape heading into next school year. We appreciate everyone's support. Senior year is right around the corner and we'll be planning '22 graduation activities before you know it.
Please reach out to one of us if you'd like to help coordinate future events.
Thank you!
your class party coordinators,
Tiffany Beach, Lisa Chaiken, and Lisa Freedberg
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Class of 2023 - Sophomores |
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Stay Connected, Spartans! |
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