Administrator's Corner
TJ Family,
Please be looking for the "Choice of Studies" form to come home with your student(s) on February 20th as we will be sending home a form with them. You can sit with your student(s) and go through which courses they would like to take in the 2017-2018 school year here at Thomas Jefferson. Counselors will be meeting with Freshmen on March 1st to have them actually register for their classes while here at school. On March 8th, counselors will meet with the Sophomores to do the same. We hear from Juniors that they understand the process, so they will be able to do that on their own. However, if they do need help, please have them meet with their counselor individually. The Choice of Studies forms and the directions for choosing courses can be found on TJ's website under the "Academics & Programs" tab, or
click here.
Thank you.
Familia TJ,
Por favor, busque el formulario de "Choice of Studies"(Elección de Estudios) que sera mandado a la casa con su(s) estudiante(s) el 20 de febrero, ya que enviaremos a casa un formulario con ellos. Puede sentarse con su(s) alumno(s) e ir a través de los cursos que les gustaría tomar en el año escolar 2017-2018 aquí en Thomas Jefferson. Los consejeros se reunirán con estudiantes de primer año (freshman) el 1 de marzo para que se inscriban en sus clases mientras estén aquí en la escuela. El 8 de marzo, los consejeros se reunirán con los estudiantes de segundo año (sophomore) para hacer lo mismo. Escuchamos de los del tercer ano (juniors) que entienden el proceso, y lo pueden hacer sin nuestra ayuda. Sin embargo, si necesitan ayuda, pídales que se reúnan con su consejero individualmente. Los formularios de elección de estudios y las direcciones para elegir cursos se pueden encontrar en nuestra pagina de TJ bajo "Academics & Programs" (Académicos y Programas) o haga clic aquí.
Gracias.
Paula Hammel
Assistant Principal
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TJ's Tardy/Truancy Policy
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Thank you for your su
pport in keeping our attendance at its best!
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9
th
graders will be doing CMAS testing on March 23
rd-24th
. Please make spring break plans accordingly so that students are here to test.
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- Congrats to the students who participated in the SkillsUSA Photography competition 2017! Contestants for photography were required to submit 5 photos that represented each of the following genres: Action, Landscape, Portrait, Reflection, Still Life, and a set of 50 photo shots. Photos were judged by 3 experience photographer who looked at the composition, lighting, resolution, and creativity of each photo.
- 1st place - Ema Leveque
- 2nd place - Andrew Seidenstat
- 3rd place - Avery Hericks
- 4th place - Robbie Lewen
These 4 students qualify for Colorado SkillsUSA State competition in Colorado Springs in April. Way to go, Spartans!
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- The DPS League Championships for Girls Swimming and Diving concluded tlast week and TJ took third place!! Below is a picture of as many members of the team as could be gathered after the meet. Full meet results can be found here. The team had two relays qualify for the State Meet this Friday and Saturday in Thornton and the following athletes have also qualified for State in individual events: Megan George, Morgan George, Phoebe Briney, Halie Hall (DSA student) and Molly Little (diving). Great job, ladies!
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Week at a Glance - Week of 2/13-2/17
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- Please click here (or see the above "Athletics Schedule" quick link) to see athletic events for the week
- Spirit Week - Scrub Day
- LGBTQ Meet-up at Denver Health - 4:00 p.m.
- Cheerleading Mini-Camp Fundraiser - 5:00-7:00 p.m.
- PTO meeting - 6:00 p.m. in room 111
Tuesday-
- Spirit Week - Cupid Day
- Cheerleading Mini-Camp Fundraiser - 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Wednesday-
- Spirit Week - Celebrity Day
- TJ Clothing Exchange at lunch
- Office Hours/early release
- All class t-shirts for sale during 8th period and after school (during Office Hours) in the lobby.
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Thursday-
- PTO Teacher Appreciation Lunch
- Spirit Week - Color Splash Day
- Yearbook Advertisement Deadline
- Class of 2018 will be selling delicious Bundtlets from Nothing Bundt Cakes at 2:45 in the main lobby for $5.00 each. Beautifully decorated. Multiple flavors available.
- Screenagers Documentary - 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium
Friday
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- Spirit Week - TJ Day
- Winter Sports Pep Assembly
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Youth LGBTQ Meet-Up at Denver Health - Today!
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The next PTO meeting has been moved to Monday, February 13 at 6 pm in room 111. Please join us to find one way you can plug in to the many needs we have! We will be discussing TJ's first online auction to be held this spring, Mr. TJ, a screening of the documentary Screenagers and committee updates. Hope to see you there! Questions? Email us at
TJHSPTO@gmail.com
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Spirit Week and Sadie Hawkins Dance - week of Feb. 13th
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The Sadie Hawkins style dance will be
February 18th from 8-11 pm @ TJHS Gym. Tickets are $6 for individuals, $10 per couple. I
t is also Spirit Week that week to celebrate our winter sports.
There will be a pep assembly Friday afternoon, and a double header basketball game TJ/South at South.
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Cheerleading Mini Camp and Fundraiser
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Who: Girls and boys kindergarten through 6th grade
What: Learn and practice basic cheer skills, basic stunting, cheers, and a routine!
(All based on age)
When: February 13th and 14th from 5:00-7:00
Where: Thomas Jefferson High School- Dance room
Why: To raise money for the Thomas Jefferson Cheerleading team
Cost: $35 early bird (before February 6th) $40 after
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Hi TJ families!
Tons of great things coming up this winter/spring and we need tons of help to pull it off!
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February 16--PTO hosts our winter teacher appreciation luncheon
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February 18--TJ leadership brings back the February Sadie Hawkins dance, a decades-long tradition at TJ. The theme this year is retro/ 1990's.
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April 14--Mr. TJ, the legendary, hilarious, often-imitated-never-duplicated beauty pageant spoof starring TJ seniors
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April 16 - 20--TJ's Inaugural Online Auction to raise money to meet classroom needs, help fund student competitions at the state/regional/national level, and build a positive school culture at TJ that continues to enhance the learning environment for our students
These great traditions and events help make TJ special, and ensure continued growth and success.
Please take a careful look at the
sign up genius
and pick at least ONE thing you can commit to over the next few months. It will take a village--and we need you! Thanks for making TJ a special place to be!
If you would like to make a donation and PTO will purchase what is needed,
click here.
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Final Week for Yearbook Ads
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Don't put it off - recognitions ads are due in just a few days!
Yearbook recognition ads are a great way for parents, families and friends to commemorate student achievements and important milestones. In addition, revenues from recognition ads help our school to create a better yearbook. Jostens is managing your school's yearbook ad sales so please do not contact or send materials to the school.
Please take into account our school's ad content guidelines on the bottom of this form during the creation of your ad online. Because these recognition ads can take some time to design and create, we wanted to give families plenty of notice.
All ad orders must be placed online by 2/16/2017.
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Screenagers Documentary Comes to TJ (You're Invited!)
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Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age
Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 6:00 p.m.
TJ Auditorium
Free and open to the public
Run time 68 minutes
Directed by Delany Ruston, M.D.
Are you watching kids scroll through life with their rapid-fire thumbs and a six-second attention span?
TJ is hosting a special *free* presentation of "SCREENAGERS: Growing Up in the Digital Age," a documentary that addresses some of the biggest parenting issues in society.
Physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston saw a trend happening with her own kids, and began a quest to uncover how it might impact their development. As with her other two award-winning documentaries on mental health, Ruston takes a deeply personal approach as she probes into the vulnerable corners of family life - including her own - to explore struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. Through poignant, and unexpectedly funny stories - along with surprising insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists - SCREENAGERS reveals how technology time impacts kids' development, and also offers solutions on how adults can empower their kids to best navigate the digital world to find balance.
Featured on "PBS NewsHour," "Dr. Oz," "Good Morning America," "The New York Times," SCREENAGERS also depicts teen struggles over social media, video games and internet addiction. The film empowers kids to best navigate the digital world, and provides practical resources to help them do it.
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Important Attendance Reminders
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Parents and Guardians,
As a reminder, the key to your student's academic success is coming to school on time and attending every class. Please note that we will not be accepting excused absences for students who are in school and want to miss one class to study or hang out. This is not acceptable. Also, we will require that students have a 90% attendance rate to attend the Sadie Hawkins Dance on February 18th, and a 92% attendance rate for all seniors to attend prom and participate in commencement ceremonies. (Seniors can connect with Mr. Skari for how to fix their attendance.)
If your student is struggling and needing academic support, please remember that we have tutoring after school in the library on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Office hours on Wednesday is from 2:15pm-3pm and every student should be connecting with at least one teacher during that time.
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Spartan Discount at Jim' N Nick's
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Our neighborhood BBQ restaurant is offering students and staff 20% off at the restaurant with a school ID. Please go support our Community Partner!
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Science Tutoring - Every Tuesday
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Ms. Bromley has coordinated with Mr. Weaver to get a science tutor! Starting tomorrow, February 14, 2017, there will be a science tutor in room 134 after school to work with ANY student that needs extra help with science. Thanks!
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The Thomas Jefferson High School Choral Music department is on the rise and doing great things! They have diligently grown their program through good citizenship, showing kindness, and above all becoming outstanding young musicians.
Two of TJ's finest, the Advanced Choir and Monticello will be competing in the 2017 Cavalcade of Music in Colorado Springs, CO. It will be hosted at the Pike's Peak Center and the performances take place on the stage of the El Pomar Great Hall. Students from various states will be competing here from across the area such as: Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, Texas and many more.
The students have continually worked hard be an exemplary model of excellence, now they need assistance paying for the excursion. With 50 students going, costs can rise quickly. Transportation and room and board are our biggest obstacles. For some students, this may be one of the nicest trips they get to take. Please help give them the opportunity to make lifelong memories and forge bonds through music. Donate today!
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- Chess will continue to meet Thursdays after school as always.
- We scored 3.34/8 possible points against RVA taking 4.66/8 at our last meet.
- We need a parent volunteer chaperone on Thursdays after school Parents please contact Mr. Weaver.
- Any player wishing to commit to the state championships on President's Day weekend at Auraria Campus Feb. 18/19 must tell Mr. Weaver immediately so we can secure your USCF membership and CSCA registration.
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Click here to learn more about Legislative Day -
Feb. 23! Now is the time for students to apply, and it is strictly a GT program!
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TJ's ski and snowboard club has once again hit the slopes at Winter Park with a new club sponsor.
TJ's ski and snowboard club (also known as TJ Shred Club), is back once again for another season of hitting the slopes. Sunday, January 8th and Sunday, January 22nd were the club's first two trips to Winter Park, with new and old members driving up to join the fun. With inches of fresh powder covering the mountain, the skiers and snowboarders had a fantastic start to the season and are looking forward to more trips in the future. Read more
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Leadership is doing a sports/TJ memorabilia project. TJ families, alumni, or community members do you have any TJ gear that you no longer want? Please bring them into the main office labelled Leadership.
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TJ's 2017 Inaugural Online Auction
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We're excited to announce TJ's Inaugural Online Auction to be held
April 16-20, 2017. Proceeds from this effort directly benefit our staff and students by helping to pay for valuable programs such as classroom grants and much-needed upgrades for improved working and learning environments. We want this to become TJ's biggest fundraiser on an annual basis.
We need your help to make this fundraiser a success! Here's what you can do:
1. Reach out to businesses and request donations such as restaurant certificates, merchandise, vacation and travel opportunities, spa packages, professional services, and tickets to entertainment, cultural and sporting events. Donation information can be submitted directly at
https://tjhs.ptapal.com. Ask at the places you already know, love and frequent...they rarely say no to a donation for a public school! Let them know we give lots of recognition to businesses that support us. Plus, donations to TJ are tax-deductible! The
TJHS 2017 Auction Letter provides additional information on the Auction and has the TJ Tax ID #. This can be printed out and given to businesses when requesting a donation.
2.
When the auction goes live on April 16th, share the link with friends, families, neighbors, co-workers--anyone in the SE Denver community and beyond--who would enjoy supporting our neighborhood high school and walking away with some pretty awesome stuff as a result. When you bid and win, so does TJ!
We need an army of families contributing each in their way to make this successful. It's an online process and we've streamlined to the extent possible. Will you please help?
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Cold Weather Care Guide and Sheltering Options for Families
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As cold weather approaches, many families need extra assistance and sheltering options. Please
click here to see the comprehensive guide.
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Communications Protocol for District Weather Closures and Delays
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As we prepare for winter weather conditions, the Communications and Transportation Services teams want to ensure we're aligned with how we're sharing news about districtwide closures, dismissals and delays:
- When districtwide school closures or early dismissals occur, information will be provided by Communications to students, families and educators.Additionally, messaging will be shared through area radio, television and print media, as well as through district websites and social media tools. We also encourage you to share this information on your school websites and social media tools.
- Communications will use Infinite Campus to send out districtwide school closure or early dismissals messages.
- Please note that the Transportation Services team will share information with students, families and educators about any delayed openings using its notification system called Bus Bulletin.
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Special Olympics Winter Games Volunteer Opportunity
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5 Mar 2017 @ 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Volunteer with Special Olympics at the Colorado Winter Games at Copper Mountain! Help participants in various activities from skiing to snowshoeing! No prior training required, and you don't have to ski or ride if you're volunteering with snowshoeing! Just sign up with Special Olympics and then email Jessica to get on the CYL group list!
Step 1: Sign up to volunteer
here
Step 2: Email
jessica@coloradoyoungleaders.org to get on the CYL group list. We'll meet up at the beginning and at lunch to share stories and meet new CYL members!
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Mental Health and Social/Emotional Tips
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~ Health and Nutrition ~
Parents and caregivers play a key role in not only making healthy choices for children and teaching children to make healthy choices for themselves. But in today's busy world, this isn't always easy.
Often times when we think of the word "healthy" we think of only the food we put in to our body or the way someone looks on the outside. But what about overall physical health, mental health, social and relational health? "Health" is encompassing and may be overwhelming to tackle. Let's break it down:
Why should I Care About...?
NUTRITION: We can look at what we put in our body (food, drinks, supplements, etc.) as a way to keep our body fueled. There is quite a bit of information on who should be eating what. Checking out
what the FDA recommends regarding nutrition may help clarify:
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One tip:
Plan, Purchase and Prepare; this will help with healthier, more balanced meals, spending less on food, and can also be used as an opportunity for a family activity. To help with this, try a meal-planning app (such as Mealtime, Meal Planner Pal, MealBoard, etc.) or by using one of
these templates.
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Need some new, healthy recipe inspiration? Try some of these.
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What about our students? You can utilize some of these
resources with your kids.
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The food we consume can directly impact our mood, sleep, concentration, learning, emotional regulation and livelihood.
PHYSICAL HEALTH: This may include your levels and frequency of exercise, your immune system functioning, energy and sleep, and overall optimal well-being. Whew. So how can this be supported?
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Regular doctor's visits to make sure your body is able to function optimally, so you can carry out the tasks and activities you need to on a daily basis. If you feel like someone is "off," perhaps start tracking your concerns in a journal or on your phone calendar; this may help you understand your body a little bit more, and will be helpful information for your doctor.
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Kids and teens between the ages of 6 and 17 need 60 minutes of
exercise a day, at least 5 days of the week. Young adults and adults 18 years and older need to be active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week.
Check out these resources.
MENTAL HEALTH*: This can be described as a person's level of psychological well-being. Adolescents impacted by mental health conditions may be at risk for school drop-out, becoming involved in the juvenile justice system, homelessness, as well as other social, familial, financial impact.
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20% if youth ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition.
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Mental health conditions can be treated, and it is important to seek support if you are worried about yourself or someone you know. Colorado/Denver resources:
*There will be more on this topic in a future newsletter.
SOCIAL HEALTH:
This is the manner in which a person interacts and relates to others in a positive manner. A person's social health also impacts his ability to build friendships and form intimate relationships, and studies also show that positive social interactions can enhance a person's physical and mental health. So how can we do this? Have your teen:
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Make plans with people; this will hold them accountable (so it is harder to back- out/cancel)
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Get to know your neighbors by bringing a card or small gift to their house and introducing themselves.
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Mental Health and Social Emotional Tip:
Compiled by Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW and Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP
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Great news!
All Class T-Shirts are now available in the
Spartan Store and during 8th period and after school (during Office Hours) on Wednesdays in the lobby. (Pictures of 2018 and 2020 shirts coming soon!)
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SENIOR T-Shirts - Get Yours Now
We still have some of the original Class of 2017 T-Shirts available. Y
ou can purchase online and pickup at school OR
see Julie Thibodeau in the office
to buy your shirt.
Profits from these shirts support After-Prom Event for 2017.
So please support our Seniors and a safe, fun Prom 2017.
Purchase online here!
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Thanks for helping to make TJ and the Class of 2017 Great!
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- Class of 2018 Parents: Mr. TJ is on the horizon. This male talent/variety show is a TJ tradition for Senior Boys and will be held Friday, April 14th. Junior parents run the concession sales during the event. We are in need of parents who want to volunteer to help with concessions and help coordinate the show. This is a fun way to get involved. Volunteer commitments vary; anyone interested should email: Sara_andolsek@dpsk12.org.
- Please look for more opportunities this school year for parents to socialize, get connected and contribute to the Class of 2018 fundraising efforts. Please email karycramer@msn.com if you're interested in helping out at any point this year. We need you!
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Class of 2019 - Sophomores
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We are excited to introduce the Class of '19 retro t-shirt for sale (picture above)! T-shirts are $15 each and proceeds will help fund Class of '19 Senior Year activities, including After Prom. Shirts can be purchased directly from Julie Thibodeau, online at the Spartan Store, during Office Hours in the lobby, or at various school events. Parents will be selling the t-shirts in the lobby on February 8th and 15th as well.
THANK YOU for supporting the Class of '19!
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If you have an idea for fundraising, community building event or volunteer opportunity, please contact Jane Bulger:
janeebulger@gmail.com
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- Thank-you to Megan Perkins and Lisa LoJacono who have agreed to be parent representatives for the Class of 2020. Please look for important information to come. If you are interested in getting involved please email Megan at: megandperkins@gmail.com or Lisa at: lisalojacono@gmail.com.
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News from the Future Center
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Seniors and families, we are approaching financial aid deadlines. To receive priority financial aid and institutional scholarships, students must complete FAFSA and institutional scholarship applications before the colleges' deadlines. Even if you think you have too much income to be considered for need-based aid, some colleges may still require the FAFSA to apply for their scholarships. Click
here
to see a list of deadlines for Colorado colleges and universities.
Seniors who are interested in applying to a community college should attend the Community College Application Workshop on 2/15, at 2pm. During this workshop, representatives from Arapahoe Community College, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, and Red Rocks Community College will be present to help students complete their applications. If you would like to attend this workshop, please sign up in Naviance or see Ms. Maez.
For upcoming events, college visits, financial aid workshops, scholarships, and much more, visit the Future Center
wikipage
!
Rena Maez
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
rmaez@denverscholarship.org
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www.denverscholarship.org
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