February 6, 2017
Administrator's Corner

Hello Spartans!

Believe it or not, spring sports start February 27th! TJ spring sports include:

Boys: Baseball, Lacrosse, Swimming, Track
Girls: Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track

Students need to complete registration and payment before receiving a Golden Ticket, which allows them to try out.

Also, students, don't forget to attend tutoring and SAT prep to stay on top of your game!

Hola Spartans!
 
Lo creas o no, los deportes de primavera comienzan el 27 de febrero! Los deportes de la primavera incluyen:

Chicos: Béisbol, Lacrosse, Natación, Pista
Chicas: Golf, Fútbol, Tenis, Pista
 
Los estudiantes necesitan completar el registro y el pago antes de recibir un boleto de oro, lo que les permite ensayar.
 
Además, los estudiantes, no se olvide de asistir a la tutoría y preparación SAT para mantenerse en la cima de su juego!

Anne Rice
Athletic Director
Quick Links
TJ's Tardy/Truancy Policy
Thank you for your su pport in keeping our attendance at its best!
Save the Date -Testing
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.
Kudos Korner
  • Congratulations to junior Leo Busse, who has been selected as a 2016 Colorado Affiliate winner of the NCWIT (National Center for Women in Technology) Award for Aspirations in Computing. Leo is being recognized for her computing-related aspirations and for her demonstrated, outstanding aptitude and interest in information technology/computing; solid leadership ability; good academic history; and plans for post-secondary education. Way to go, Leo!
Week at a Glance - Week of 2/6-2/10
Monday
  • Please click here (or see the above "Athletics Schedule" quick link) to see athletic events for the week
  • Challenge Denver - Cabaret Fundraiser at The Clocktower- 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday

Wednesday
  • TJ Clothing Exchange at lunch
  • Office Hours/early release
Thursday

Friday
Cabaret for a Cause: Benefit for Challenge Denver - Tonight!
TJ Clothing Exchange
TJ Leadership in conjunction with FCA will be holding a TJ clothing exchange at lunch
February 8th.  Please bring in your gently used clothes that you no longer wear that another TJ student may want.
Free SAT Exam!
We will be offering a free SAT exam on February 11, 2017 at 8AM.  The sign up sheet will be on the door of room 134 starting on February 6, 2017.
Spartan Discount at Jim' N Nick's
Our neighborhood BBQ restaurant is offering students and staff 20% off at the restaurant with a school ID. Please go support our Community Partner!

PTO - Save the Date
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
Only 1 Week Remains for Yearbook Ads!
Don't put it off - recognitions ads are due soon!
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.

Crushes are Back
The crush fundraiser will begin Jan. 30th and end on Feb 13. Crushes will be distributed at the end of the day Feb. 14th. They are $2.

We are gladly accepting donations of 12 pks of Crush-all flavors,  to support sending the choirs to competition this May. All proceeds go to the choir department.

Questions? Contact Ms. Reed!
Cheerleading Mini Camp and Fundraiser
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

Screenagers Documentary Comes to TJ (You're Invited!)

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.
Spirit Week and Sadie Hawkins Dance - week of Feb. 13th
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.

The dress for Spirit Week is:
Monday- "Scrub" day (Scrub as in lazy just got out of bed look)
Tuesday- Cupid day (Dress in Valentine's Day colors -red,pink, white) Roses will be for sale
Wednesday- Celebrity Day (dress like your favorite celebrity)- There will also be a Lip sync competition
Thursday - Color Splash day (wear as many colors as you can)
Friday- TJ Spartan gear
Congratulations Inaugural My Brother's Keeper 25
Since the launch of the My Brother's Keeper Initiative by the White House, and the acceptance of the MBK Community Challenge by the City of Denver, the Office of Children's Affairs and City of Denver have recognized that this work has been being done by amazing individuals and organizations in Denver. We felt it was important these individuals and organizations were recognized.
 
In March the Office of Children's Affairs sent out a request to the Denver community for nominations of individuals and/or organizations that have been working to assure that boys and young men of color maximize their potential.  The community responded with nominations from across different sectors of the different community.  The nominations were reviewed and the inaugural MBK 25 was chosen. This past weekend this group was recognized at a luncheon by Mayor Hancock for their work. We would like to congratulate the inaugural MBK 25 (especially our very own head JV football coach  Wendell Smith ) and thank them for their commitment and continuous effort to assure that boys and young men of color are able to maximize their potential.  Congratulations!
GT News
Dear GT, HGT and 2e Parents and Guardians of Thomas Jefferson High School,

Through a series of rigorous proposals, submissions, formal and informal reviews and interdepartmental approvals, our GT department, school and university collaboration has once more proved progressive and fruitful. 
We are proud to provide the following opportunity to your child:
Your child is invited to participate in a research study on characteristics and academic behaviors of gifted and talented high school students. If your child elects to participate, your child will complete a 28-question survey that asks how they feel about various elements of learning and problem-solving. Your student's participation is completely voluntary, and the survey shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes to complete. Students will be compensated for their time with a $5 gift card. A small portion of participants (less than 6%) will be contacted again for a follow-up interview, with additional compensation offered.
If your teenager is interested in helping, and you agree to allow the participation, please complete the attached Parental Permission form below, and give your gifted child the Student Approval Form and Survey, also attached below. Please return all three documents by email to  chays23@du.edu or by mail to 546 Atwood St, Unit 11, Longmont, CO 80501.
Respectfully,
Brian Weaver
Click here for more information.
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!
AP Money
We are now collecting money for students who are taking AP tests this month. Every test is $93. Please know that if your student cannot make the test date, it will be $45 more to change the test date per College Board.
TJ Gear Wanted!
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. 
TJ's 2017 Inaugural Online Auction
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?

Please email Megan Perkins for more information at megandperkins@gmail.com and see the attachment for more information.
AVID News
Welcome to TJ AVID!
AVID is not just another program...at its heart; AVID holds students accountable to the highest standards, provide academic and social support, and they will rise to the challenge.
 
What exactly is AVID?
AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by preparing all students for college and other postsecondary opportunities. Established more than 35 years ago with  one teacher in one classroom, AVID today impacts nearly 
1.5 million students in 46 states and 16 other countries/territories.
 
AVID:
  • Teaches skills and behaviors for academic success
  • Provides intensive support with tutorials and strong student/teacher relationships
  • Develops a sense of hope for personal achievement gained through hard work and determination, making college access and success available to all students. 
For more information about AVID worldwide, visit:  http://www.avid.org
 
AVID @ TJ
 
AVID Coordinator/Teacher:                                              Mr. Eric Perry
AVID Elective Teacher (10 th , 11th , and 12th  grades):     Mrs. Teresa Dwire-Elliott
Number of current TJ AVID students:                              139
% of total TJ students:                                                     12%
Classes offered:                                                               7; (9 (2), 10, 11, 12) AVID classes and AAA-109 (2)
 
For more information about AVID at TJ, contact the AVID Coordinator (Mr. Perry) at 720-423-7094 or  eric_perry@dpsk12.org
"AVID is closing the achievement gap with equitable persistence 
among diverse groups of college students"
Buy Groceries and Benefit TJ!
Buy King Sooper Cards that you can load and use and then a percentage (5%) goes to TJ PTO.
We can make ALOT of money from these when people just do their normal grocery shopping or gasoline purchase. 

Right now we only have 7 people using the cards but we made $2500.00 + ......i magine if at least 1/3 of the school used these cards!

lf 150 families at our school committed to spending $250 with their card each month, our school would earn $22,500 in one year! Anyway...details below and here is one image you can use.

  • Did you know you can earn 5% of every dollar loaded to your re-loadable gift card at King Soopers? 
  • Use your reloadable King Soopers gift card to purchase groceries, gas, and prescriptions!
  • You can get a card from the online store - mkt.com/TJSPartanStore 
...or by sending an email to Kevin Whalen, kevinjwhalen@yahoo.com, or stopping in to see Julie Thibodeau in the main office.

Cards are $5 and can be re-loaded anytime you are in King Soopers and can be used for any purchases including gas!

Thanks in advance for your support with this awesome fundraiser!
Cold Weather Care Guide and Sheltering Options for Families
As cold weather approaches, many families need extra assistance and sheltering options. Please click here to see the comprehensive guide. 
Communications Protocol for District Weather Closures and Delays
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.
NEW Spirit Store Items
The TJ Spartan Spirit Store is a virtual store  which is online. The store also is setup at some school events such as athletic events, concerts, plays and conference nights.

NEW Spirit Store Items!

Check out the new American Apparel soft 100% cotton v-neck t-shirts in dark gray or white with gold TJ on the front and Spartan on the back. Also, get a new gray fleece blanket with gold TJ embroidered in the corner to keep you warm while cheering on the Spartans this winter.

New XXL and XL sizes in men's Under Armour ankle zip sweatpants and new inventory in the Under Armour 1/4 zip long sleeve pull overs in graphite grey stripe with embroidered TJ. XXL hoodies and T-shirts now available.

Order online and pickup at school: mkt.com/TJSpartanStore or contact Laura Whalen to pay by cash or check.
Look for the Spirit Store at all TJ Spartan athletic events this year.
French
Club - Le cercle francais
french_flag_in_wind.jpg
Ms. Janczak has a student teacher this semester who would like to facilitate a French Club meeting Thursday after school and also during lunch on Tuesdays.

All students (NO French needed!!!) are welcome to come to French club or "Le cercle francais" on Tuesdays at lunch OR Thursdays after school in room 9.  We will play games, watch movies, organize bake sales to support  Muanjadi Organization (muanjadi.org) which is an organization that supports girls going to school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Again, you do not have to speak French to come!!!
Mental Health and Social/Emotional Tips
~ Community Valentine's Day ~

Valentine's Day is almost here! (Insert either a "yippee!" or "groan" here). And while this day can often be stressful, maybe hurtful or frustrating, a burden, and possibly leaving your wallet a little less full, there is a lot of good that can come from people focusing their energy on love and kindness. 

Often people talk about Valentine's Day as something that is celebrated with your partner or "the one"; but let's not forget about the impact caring and thoughtful acts can have on your community and family members (in addition to the benefits you will receive!). 

Research indicates that witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin, occasionally referred to as the 'love hormone' which aids in lowering blood pressure and improving our overall heart-health. Oxytocin also increases our self-esteem and optimism. In addition:  

- Energy 
- Lifespan 
- Pleasure 
- Serotonin 

- Pain 
- Stress 
- Anxiety 
- Depression 
- Blood Pressure  

So, what can I do this year? 
* Here are 27 Random Acts of Kindness you can implement: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas 
* Make or buy Valentine's Day cards with positive, warm messages for: your neighbors, the local retirement home, a nearby hospital, a soup kitchen, your local fire-department or police department, etc.  
* Set up a card-making, cookie decorating, face-painting booth at your school (or feeder school) or neighborhood. 
* Head out in the community with your family or friends 
o Denver Botanic Gardens has an Orchid Showcase through Feb. 20th http://www.botanicgardens.org/ 
o Check out what's playing at the DCPA- http://www.denvercenter.org/ 

We challenge you to spread the kindness and love this year!
Mental Health and Social Emotional Tip: Compiled by Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW and Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP   Resources:   https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/   and   http://www.denver.org/things-to-do/fall-winter/valentines-day/   
Class News You Can Use
All Classes 
Class of 2017 - Seniors

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.


Stay CONNECTED - TeamApp - TJ Class of 2017, Twitter @2017tjhs, facebook TJHS 2017 Spartan Support 

Questions:  TJHS2017@gmail.com
Thanks for helping to make TJ and the Class of 2017 Great!
Class of 2018 - Juniors
  • A huge thank-you to Matt and Tonya Bartels for hosting the Class of 2018 Fundraiser at their home January 28th.  The party was a huge success and everyone enjoyed a night of socializing and playing LCR (Left, Center, Right).  All money raised will go toward Prom and After-Prom for the Class of 2018.  These events are designed to encourage parents to feel connected to the TJ Community.   Look for another opportunity to socialize (and raise much needed funds) coming in April!
     
  • 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!
Class of 2019 - Sophomores
  • If you have an idea for fundraising, community building event or volunteer opportunity, please contact Jane Bulger:  janeebulger@gmail.com
Class of 2020 - Freshmen
  • 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.
News from the Future Center
Seniors, there is still time to do FAFSA! You may need to complete FAFSA to be able to apply to scholarships at colleges and universities even if you don't think you will qualify for need based aid. Contact Ms. Maez to set an appointment: rmaez@denverscholarship.org or 720-423-7234.

The class of 2017's scholarship goal is $7 million. At this point, seniors have raised $1,279,941, which means we have a lot of work to do. If a senior has received scholarships at any college or university, please email or bring Ms. Maez a copy of your acceptance letter. FYI- Last year's class raised over $5 million which is the highest amount raised by TJ seniors in over four years.
 
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 |   www.denverscholarship.org