Administrator's Corner
February 14, 2022
Happy Valentine's Day!
We hope that everyone will enjoy some fun this week! Even though the world is anything but normal, Spartans are committed to carrying on with “normal” fun spirit weeks! Do not miss out on the opportunity to participate in the fun spirit days and activities that our students have planned. See below for details about what to wear for each day.
We are pleased to announce that SAT prep has started! Students can get help Thursday's during lunch, so please take advantage of that opportunity to help you perform as well as possible on the real test later this spring! If you would still like to participate, please sign up here.
We have just wrapped up the first 6 week grading period, so the semester is flying by! Be sure to keep up the strong work and seek out extra help from your teachers on the Wednesdays we have Office Hours. On Friday we will hold the annual Honor Roll Assembly and Smarty Party for those who made the honor roll during the fall semester.
Please remember, there will be no school for students next Monday or Tuesday, so enjoy the break!
Keep up the good work, Spartans!
¡Feliz día de San Valentín!
¡Esperamos que todos disfruten de diversión esta semana! Aunque el mundo no sea normal, los espartanos están comprometidos a seguir con las semanas “normales” de espíritu divertido. No se pierda la oportunidad de participar en los días y actividades de espíritu divertido que nuestros estudiantes han planeado. Consulte a continuación los detalles sobre qué debe llevar cada día.
Nos complace anunciar que la preparación para el SAT ha comenzado. Los estudiantes pueden obtener ayuda los jueves durante el almuerzo, así que por favor aproveche esa oportunidad para ayudarle a realizar tan bien como sea posible en la prueba real más adelante esta primavera! Si aún desea participar, regístrese aquí.
Acabamos de pasar el primer período de calificación de 6 semanas, así que el semestre está volando! Asegúrese de mantener el trabajo fuerte y buscar ayuda adicional de sus maestros los miércoles que tenemos horas de oficina. El viernes tendremos la Asamblea Anual del Cuadro de Honor y el Partido Smarty para aquellos que hicieron el registro de honor durante el semestre de otoño.
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Por favor, recuerde que no habrá escuela para estudiantes el próximo lunes o martes, así que ¡disfrute del descanso!
¡Mantenga el buen trabajo, espartanos!
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Paula Hammel
Assistant Principal
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Monday-
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Spirit Week: Valentine's Day
Tuesday-
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Spirit Week: Disney Day
- February Food Distribution: 3:30-5:00 p.m. (details below)
- Sustainability Club virtual meeting with Councilwoman Kendra Black: 6:00 p.m. (details below)
- Sophomore Class zoom meeting: 7:00 p.m. (details below)
Wednesday-
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Spirit Week: White Lies Day
Thursday-
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Spirit Week: Anything but a Backpack Day
Friday-
Saturday-
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- Kudos to our Leadership students for organizing all of the Spirit Week events!
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- Congratulations to senior Georgia Hartley, who received the 2022 Jim Hartman Award! This award names Georgia an outstanding Senior Athlete in Girls' Swimming and Diving. Congrats, Georgia! Your dedication and hard work continue to pay off!
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Congratulations to our student-athletes who committed to play in college! (From left to right): Randy Yeboah: Football at CSU-Pueblo, Eliana Channell: Volleyball at Occidental College, Jalen Shipp: Lacrosse at CSU-Pueblo, Camdyn Beery: Cheerleading at Western Colorado University.
We are SO proud of you all 🤎💛
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TJ Speech and Debate at the Ocelot Tournament, back and better than ever! Special shout out to two of our captains, Elle Benson and Lucy Adlen, for placing 4th and 2nd in Poetry! Amazing job to everyone who participated. 💛🤎
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Additional TJ Girls’ Swim & Dive team highlights from the A-League meet: (Note: State results will be shared in next week's newsletter!)
Denise Hanselman placed 2nd overall in the 11 dive category and has qualified for All-American Diver honors with her high score and degree of difficulty! Kate Jordan Little placed 2nd in the 50 freestyle and placed 5th in the 11 dive category and both Spartans are individual State Qualifiers in these events. Our Medley Relay placed 4th and qualified for State and the 200 Free Relay placed 5th and also went to State. The Jim Hartman Outstanding Senior Award for exceptional academics, activities and community involvement was presented to our own Georgia Hartley – Big Congratulations!!
Our senior Captains Avery LoJacono, Gabby DeMaria, Georgia Hartley and Denise Hanselman have done an amazing job leading our small team to State in Swim and Dive and worked tirelessly and helped tremendously with the whole team’s success this year!
Congratulations again and Way to Go Spartans!
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TJ Food Bank and Distribution Program |
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The February Food Distribution will take place TOMORROW, Tuesday, February 15 from 3:30 - 5:00 pm at TJ!
La distribución de alimentos de febrero se llevará MAÑANA, martes, el 15 de febrero de 3:30 p. m. a 5:00 p.m. en TJ!
Thank you for your continued support! If you are interested in making a financial contribution to the TJ Food Bank, you can do so HERE.
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TJ Students who have signed up for the Seal of Biliteracy should have received an email from the district about the next steps. TJ is holding testing centers for students needing to complete the test on February 17th and 24th. Students can sign up with their DPS Gmail account to take this test during the school day by using this link to reserve a seat: SEAL OF BILITERACY - AAPPL Testing Center Dates
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Thank you to everyone who joined us for the PTO meeting last week. DPS School Board member, Scott Balderman, joined our meeting and discussed the district's plan for climate action, healthy start times, and school calendars. For the details, please visit the PTO webpage for the meeting minutes, financial report and the meeting recording.
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The 6th Annual TJ Online Auction is coming up the week of April 10-14.
The Auction is TJ's only school-wide fundraiser and proceeds from this year’s Auction will be dedicated to helping those in our TJ community and awarding classrooms grants:
- Supporting our community members in need is a huge priority. Auction proceeds will be available to support our TJ community including, but not limited to, helping those experiencing food insecurity.
- Our Classroom Grant program supports our teachers in their work to deliver an exceptional educational experience for all TJ students.
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In order to reach our goal to raise $20,000 this year, we need your help to acquire auction items! It’s easy—when you are in a business (restaurant, salon, your favorite shops), ask for their support for our auction this year in the form of a gift card or an item to auction! Or reach out to family and friends who own businesses and ask for their support. Anything works, and is appreciated! Print a few copies of the attached letter to have in your car to hand to businesses when you ask for a donation. The letter provides additional details about the event, delivery instructions as well as TJ's tax-id # as all donations are tax deductible. You can also direct donors directly to our Auction management site to enter their business and donation information: https://cbo.io/bidapp/index.php?slug=thomasj
Thank you for your support,
Megan Perkins & Becca Mahoney
Auction Co-Chairs
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Do you know that 75% of the waste that goes to Denver’s landfill is recyclable or compostable?
Do you know that landfills generate methane which is a greenhouse gas more potent that CO2?
Do you know that Denver’s recycling rate is only 26%?
Do you know that most cities in the U.S. do not provide waste services to residents?
Do you know that in most cities, residents must pay a private waste service to pick-up their trash, recycling and composting?
Join the Thomas Jefferson High School Sustainability Club, Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resiliency, and Councilwoman Kendra Black to learn about Denver’s plans to increase composting and recycling while reducing the amount of waste dumped at the landfill.
Tuesday, February 15, 6:00-7:00 PM
Expanded Waste Service Proposal
This presentation will provide a brief overview of a proposal that will improve the waste hauling services provided to Denver residents – weekly recycling and composting for all customers – and also implement a fee for the service. Denver’s Solid Waste Master Plan has called for these service expansions for many years and City staff continue to explore options for how to deliver them. Prior to presenting this proposal for City Council consideration, we would like to share information with residents and hear ideas for how to make it work for Denver households.
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TJ Performing Arts' Musical Theatre Showcase - Auditions This Week! |
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Hey TJ! Calling all Musical Theatre Fans!
We will be holding a Musical Theatre Showcase this Spring and we need talented performers. Please read the requirements and mark the important dates below:
TJ Performing Arts' Musical Theatre Showcase
We will be hosting a night of musical theatre acts from various musicals throughout broadway and film history. Please get an ensemble together, prepare a song and the scene that comes before it, and come to auditions:
Auditions:
Singing Auditions: Tuesday 2/15 at 3PM
Acting Auditions: Wednesday 2/16 at 3PM
Please note:
-The show will showcase 10-12 acts
-You can perform in multiple acts, but each student will be limited to no more than 3 acts
-All scenes and songs should be rated no more than PG-13
-The general guideline is that the act should take around 5 minutes to perform.
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HBCU Invitation Kickoff!! - With NAACP Denver and Local Partners
When: February 19th, 2022
Who is invited: Everyone!
There will be HBCU Special Guests and $100 prizes will be given away to students in attendance!
The purpose of this event is to provide information about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), and their amazing history!
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Paraprofessional Job Openings at TJ |
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There are 3-4 paraprofessional jobs available here at TJ! The job would pay $15 and would be from 7:20 am-2:50 pm. Please contact the main office if you are interested. |
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Mental Health and Social/Emotional Tips |
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Did You Know…?
Self-care is an essential survival skill. Self-care refers to activities and practices that we can engage in on a regular basis to reduce stress and maintain and enhance our short- and longer-term health and well-being.
Self-care is necessary for your effectiveness and success in honoring your professional and personal commitments. It is SO very important, and we often neglect it or minimize our need for it.
Are all of our “self-care skills” the same? Not necessarily! Some people need time alone to “decompress” or “refuel,” while others need quality time with friends, family and/or pets! Some people need a good workout or activity outdoors, while others may need a blanket and a good book, magazine or movie.
We'll go to the doctor when we feel flu-ish or a nagging pain. So why don’t we see a health professional when we feel emotional pain: guilt, stress, loss, loneliness? Too many of us deal with common psychological-health issues on our own, says Guy Winch. But we don’t have to. Why is it important to practice emotional hygiene — taking care of our emotions, our minds, with the same diligence we take care of our bodies? Because what happens when we ignore it…? Often times stress and pressure can be good things- they keep us motivated, they may challenge us to take healthy risks, learn new skills or work harder. However, when we reach a point where our bodies, mind and soul are exhausted, are we really living the best lives that we can, for ourselves and for those we care about? Maybe not. Often times we hear that “there is not enough time” or the common phrase we love “this too shall pass” (one of my favorites!), but sometimes we need to take action and help ourselves!
So… can I have some ideas and resources, please?
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Mental Health and Social Emotional “Did You Know”: Compiled by Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP and Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW. Resources: www.ted.com and www.tinybuddha.com
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News from the Future Center |
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Class of 2022: Congratulations on earning OVER $4.5 MILLION in scholarship dollars so far. Be sure to set aside time for your Institutional Scholarship Applications to earn even more money for college!
Check your email regularly for updates from your colleges and
SHARE YOUR ADMISSIONS WINS! Your college(s) may be asking you for more information in order to award you financial aid. Don’t miss out!
Make note of your institutional scholarship deadlines. These opportunities are one of THE BEST forms of $$$$ for college available to you. Apply to the institutional scholarships for at minimum the top three colleges to which you’ve been admitted! This typically means you need to create your college email address and password. Do this as soon as possible to allow time for any log in delays! Many apps are due March 1st- Start them now!
The DSF Scholarship opened on February 1st.
Important Dates:
February 15: FAFSA/CASFA DUE for some schools←—--------Get this done ASAP!, Delta Sigma Theta Scholarship DUE, MSU Denver Immigrant Services: College for Non-Citizens Virtual Presentation
February 17: Virtual Insight Panel: Careers in Construction and Architecture
February 28- University Hills Rotary STEM Scholarship DUE
March 1: Elevations Foundation Scholarship DUE, CO School of Mines, CSU Pueblo, MSU Denver, UCCS, CU Denver and more Scholarship Applications DUE,
Most institutional scholarship deadlines are in March! Note that some colleges’ deadlines have passed.
Katie Damas
Future Center Advisor CC Fellow
Future Center Phone #: 720-423-7134
Rm 135
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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Senior Class of 2022
With just a few months left, we are starting to get busy planning for the senior activities. We are looking for parents to get involved to make the last semester lots of fun. We’ll be planning a parent meeting soon so stay tuned!
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PARENTS! HOW TO GET CONNECTED:
Next 2023 Parent Meeting: Wednesday, March 2, 2022, 7:00 p.m. to discuss some pre-planning for Senior year and fun spring and summer activities and parent fundraisers that we covered in our January meeting! Details and Zoom link to come.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT of 2023!
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Class of 2024 - Sophomores |
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Thank you to everyone that has participated in class fundraisers! We are well on our way of reaching our goal and your continued commitment to the class is appreciated!
Parent Meeting – Join Us!
Class meetings will be held the third Tuesday of month at 7pm.
Our next meeting details:
Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Meeting ID: 881 3852 6482
Passcode: 546709
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Meeting ID: 881 3852 6482
Passcode: 546709
Class Donations – Every dime counts!
Sophomores are quite possibly the best “10s” out there! Gather those dimes (pennies, quarters, and ten-dollar bills too) and make a donation to the Class of 2024; money raised will be used for the Class of 2024 After Prom.
Please click on the PTO Square link to support the class. Feel free to pass the link onto family and friends! Corporate matching is always appreciated.
Extraordinary parents – come get involved!
Reach out with questions, comments, and ideas. We look forward to a great year!
Rebecca Moore
Tambyr Reed
Robin Morrissey
Dyanna Spicher (parent)
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We had an excellent first meeting to start planning for fundraising and hopefully some events in the Fall. Our next meeting will be in March.
Part of the Thomas Jefferson PTO mission is to build a strong community, but we can't do that without parents’ help. Please take a moment to complete a short survey for the Class Sponsors to let the know how you want to be involved in class activities. The information you provide will help us direct our communication to the people who want to receive it.
We look forward to getting to know you and your student(s)! For any questions, you can reach out to Heather Reeder at hmbdvm@yahoo.com or the PTO at TJHSPTO@gmail.com.
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Stay Connected, Spartans! |
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