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Administrator's Corner
We hope that everyone had a good first week of classes and that you're back into the swing of things.
Seniors, please continue connecting with your teachers, counselors and our new Future Center partner, Emily Webster, to make certain that you are on track and close this last semester of high school out successfully!
Juniors, this is a pivotal time for you! Remember the importance of staying focused and planning ahead so that next year will go smoothly. Please engage in the SAT study sessions!
Sophomores and Freshmen, most of you have learned how important it is to be consistent every day at school with your homework and attendance. Continue engaging! Stay ahead of the game!
Thanks,
Esperamos que todos tuvieran una buena primera semana de clases y que vuelvas al swing de las cosas.
Seniors, por favor continúe conectándose con sus maestros, consejeros y nuestra nueva socia del Future Center, Emily Webster, para asegurarse de que está en camino y cerrar este último semestre de la escuela secundaria con éxito!
Juniors, ¡este es un momento crucial para ti! Recuerde la importancia de mantenerse enfocado y planificar con anticipación para que el próximo año transcurra sin problemas. ¡Participe en las sesiones de estudio del SAT!
Sophomores y Freshmen, la mayoría de ustedes han aprendido lo importante que es ser consistente todos los días en la escuela con su tarea y asistencia. ¡Sigue participando! ¡Mantente por delante del juego!
Gracias,
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Week at a Glance - Week of 1/13-1/17
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- Please click here (or see the above "Athletics Schedule" quick link) to see athletic events for the week
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- Big thanks to Ms. Hammel and Ms. Thibodeau for their help with CLEP testing! There was a 100% pass rate, with 27 stduents receiving college credit!
- For the 6th straight year, TJHS has been recognized as an AVID Site of Distinction. Eric Perry and Liz Lynch have worked incredibly hard to maintain this. If you have a moment please congratulate them. Also, there are a handful of other teachers and counselors who are part of our AVID team that deserve recognition too, so to them "thank you" as well.
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TJ Talks - Save the Date!
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Dear SE Denver Community,
Thomas Jefferson High School would like to extend a special invitation to your school community to join us for a conversation around the Teen Vaping epidemic. We are excited to partner with Denver Public Health to provide this unique opportunity for us all to come together to learn, discuss and problem solve how best to support healthy lifestyles for our youth.
Denver Public Health
(DPH) provides training and education specific to youth, parents and trusted adults around the dangers of vaping including the attraction of flavors that are targeted toward youth. During the presentation, we will also discuss resources for youth wanting to quit vaping.
Where: Thomas Jefferson High School - Room 111
When: Tuesday February 18th
Time: 6-7pm
Who: Any parent, community members, trusted adults. Please spread the word!
**Please register at the link below**
For more information please contact Megan Miccio, School Health Professional at
megan_miccio@dpsk12.org
or 720-423-7008
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Countdown to the Online Auction
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Mark your calendars - TJ's 4th Annual Auction is rapidly approaching! The auction, sponsored by the PTO opens on March 15th and runs through March 19th. This is TJ's largest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds from the event directly benefit our staff and students by providing classroom grants and much needed upgrade s for improved working and learning environments. We need many donations to make the auction a success. Here are some ways you can help...
- Do you own a business that can donate goods or services?
- Do you have a subscription to the theater and can donate tickets?
- Do you have season tickets to any local college or professional sports team?
- Can you ask for a gift card donation from your favorite restaurant or any other business you frequent?
TJ PTO is a 501(c)3 organization so all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Attached below is a letter you can give to businesses when asking for a donation as well as a template for emails. If you have any questions please contact Heather Reeder: hmbdvm@yahoo.com
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Medicaid Outreach and Enrollment
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Denver Public Schools Medicaid Department helps families apply for free or low-cost health insurance, as well as SNAP food assistance. We offer one-on-one appointments at any DPS school site. Additionally, we assist families with re-enrollment and utilizing their benefits. If any of your students or anyone you know needs assistance, please contact our Outreach and Enrollment Specialists: 720.423.3661 or
outreach@dpsk12.org
- Appointments are available at your neighborhood school
- You can apply YEAR-ROUND
Some of the benefits are:
- Doctor Visits
- Dental Services - cleanings, fillings, root canals and others
- Preventive care
- Vision
- Hospital stays
- Surgery
- Mental health
- Prescriptions
Our department is committed to helping our families connect with free or low-cost health insurance and food assistance, because we know that healthier kids are better learners!
Sincerely,
DPS/ Medicaid Department
720-423-3661 or
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New Graduation Requirements
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We are in need of two paraprofessionals for our Special Education students. If you are interested, please contact Paula Hammel at paula_hammel@dpsk12.org
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We are looking forward to getting back to work at our next business meeting on
Tuesday, January 14
th
from 6-7pm in room 111. We will discuss the online auction to make sure we are on track for meeting our goals for that event. We will map out our plans for the second semester that include a school wide parent social. Another topic for discussion is how to spend funds to build an even stronger TJ community. Our goal is to include many voices in the process so plan to join us and be part of it!
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Wondering how fundraising works at TJ? In the 2018-19 school year, PTO awarded almost $10,000 in classroom grants! While the bulk of the monies raised go toward these grants, PTO support the TJ community in several other ways.
- Teacher appreciation & staff wellness events
- Student Leadership sponsored events such as Homecoming and the Backyard BBQ
- Community events such as the Newcomer Cookout in August
- Parent education events such as the Screenagers documentary
In the last few years, the PTO has simplified fundraising by focusing on the following efforts...
ArtFest: Last year, we celebrated 30 years of this event. This is a tradition for the wider community and brings over 80 local artisans and small businesses together. In the 2018-19 school year, ArtFest raised $7,500 that went toward classroom grants.
- This year, we are taking a break to rethink how we produce ArtFest. Stay tuned for more information.
Online Auction: Last year's online auction netted $12,000! This is an easy way to include lots of people in supporting TJ. The auction is critical this year since we don't have any funds from ArtFest. We want to keep the momentum going and need your help collecting donations and promoting this event. This year's auction will be held on March 15-19, 2020.
- We will start planning for the auction at this month's PTO meeting on November 19th.
King Soopers Cards: This is an incredible source of FREE money. All you need to do is register your King Soopers loyalty card number or alternate ID (phone number) to earn money for TJ. After you register for the program, a percentage of ALL your King Soopers purchases will go to the PTO each month. The PTO grants a portion of these funds to each class at the beginning of the school year to help pay for senior year activities.
Amazon Smile: Again, FREE money. When you ramp up for your holiday shopping, go to
smile.amazon.com and select Thomas Jefferson High School Partners as your charitable organization to receive donations from your eligible purchases
before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your choice for future purchases.
Class Fundraising Events: Parents serve as Class Sponsors to coordinate raising money for senior year activities. The Student Leadership Class works on raising money for Prom while parents focus on raising money for After Prom. This money is not part of the PTO general fund but is held for each class to use during their senior year.
The PTO can't do any of this without parents getting involved so we look forward having your support! The PTO is a 501c3 organization (official name: Thomas Jefferson High School Partners) so donations are tax deductible.
Together we are Spartan Strong!
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We now have TJ car magnets for $5!!
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Our store inventory has been moved upstairs and therefore we'll be selling at various events throughout the year. We'll be out cheering on the Spartans at fall sporting events and hope you'll come and purchase spirit wear from us.
Please email
tjhs.store@gmail.com
if you would like to purchase something & we would be happy to get the spirit wear for you. We can arrange to have items picked up.
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Yearbook Announcements:
Price:
The earlier you buy your book, the more you save! Please see the discount schedule below. Buy your book now for the most savings!
Purchase before:
9-27-19 = $50
11-1-19 = $55
1-31-20 = $60
From February 1st on, the book will be $65 until sold out.
Senior Recognition Ad:
To purchase an ad, please visit the yearbook website.
All
information about the yearbook can found on the journal under the News & Events tab or by clicking here.
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News from the Future Center
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- For more information about college visits, scholarships, and more, please visit the Future Center!
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Mental Health and Social/Emotional Tips
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Did You Know...
Depression is often described as feeling like you're stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts and beliefs - but new research suggests that a simple technique borrowed from cognitive behavioral therapy, also known as CBT, can help to clear away the mental haze.
A small study found that Socratic questioning can help people with depression to improve their mood by challenging self-destructive thoughts.
Socratic What? Socratic questioning gets its name from the Greek philosopher Socrates, who used series of questions to help his students exercise critical thinking to come to a conclusion on their own, rather than being handed the answer. With the use of this technique, therapists teach clients how to ask themselves questions in order to develop new perspectives and solutions on their own.
So, I am not a therapist... how can I do this with my teen? Here is an example of what it could look like:
Client: I'm a failure.
Therapist: What makes you say that?
Client: Well, I keep missing deadlines for my reports at work.
Therapist: And how does that translate to you being a total failure?
Client: I can't even do my job right. I must be a failure.
Therapist: Are these reports your only responsibility at your job?
Client: Well, no. They are just the summary of my work.
Therapist: How do you perform with your other responsibilities at work?
Client: Actually, I do pretty well with my other responsibilities. It is really the report writing that gets me.
Therapist: OK, and what percent of your job would you say is report writing?
Client: Hmm, I would say probably 5 percent or so.
Therapist: So, your reasoning for being a failure is that you can't do your job right, but when we dig a little deeper it looks like, in fact, you do pretty well with about 95 percent of your responsibilities at work. How does this new information fit in with the idea that you can't even do your job right and are thus a failure?
Client: Well, I guess I was not thinking about it this way. I guess if I am doing 95 percent of my job right I can't be failing.
Therapist: So, how might you rephrase your initial negative beliefs to highlight this new information?
Client: When I look at the bigger picture, I guess I am actually pretty good at my job, but struggle with a very small portion.
Eventually, the student/patient will be able to go through this line of questioning on their own, and challenge their own negative thoughts independently.
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Mental Health and Social Emotional "Did You Know":
Compiled by Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW and Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP.
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Food and Nutrition Resources for Families
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Remember - TJ gear is available
in the Spartan Store. If you would like to make a purchase, please contact tjhs.store@gmail.com.
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We're looking for volunteers to host future events for our class parents. If interested, please come to the next PTO meeting, or send an email to
thetzel@comcast.net
; or
colley_moe@comcast.net
to find out more. Class sponsors are Jason Klimczak and Elizabeth Lynch. Parent sponsor is Jen Abram - she can be reached at
jenabram18@gmail.com.
CLASS OF 2021 SHIRTS ON SALE
Long sleeve $15 Short Sleeved $10
See Mrs Lynch in Room 11
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Class of 2022 - Sophomores
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If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Julie Rubin (rubin_j@comcast.net) or Marlene Talavera (TJSpartans2022@gmail.com).
The class of 2022 has two faculty sponsors,
Jillian Gleason and Maggie Kennedy, but parents are needed to work with the staff to plan fundraising activities. Parent sponsors also plan community building activities for the parents of the class of 2022. Each
class is expected to raise money needed to host their Prom, After Prom and other activities senior year. The sooner the fundraiser get started, the more choices there will be for events senior year. The time commitment can be as little or as much you can share.
Your involvement in any capacity is important and appreciated. We are successful because of your behind-the-scenes contributions, large and small. It all adds up to a stronger community. An engaged parent body shows our students that we care about them!
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CLASS OF 2023 PARENTS & SUPPORTERS!
WAY TO GO TEAM '23! We have already raised almost $2,000 toward our Parent Goal for After-Prom and other Activities for Class of 2023! HUGE thanks to everyone who supported 2023 and participated in our first two successful fundraisers through Click-n-Shop Pampered Chef and Bronco Game Argus Event Staff Volunteers ($600 total) and combined with PTO's generous King Soopers Funds and Starter Money from previous classes we are well on our way! THANK YOU Dyanna Spicher and Eva Madrigal for spearheading those great fundraisers!
We are thrilled that
Ms. Rebecca Taylor, TJ Counselor, has taken the "LEAP" to be the official Class of 2023 Sponsor for the next 4 years! We are so grateful and she already has so many great ideas and enthusiasm! Lucky Class of 2023! THANK YOU
Rebecca_taylor@dpsk12.org.
Can YOU "LEAP IN" and help take us to the next level? Please come to our Class of 2023 parent planning meeting
and social time next month - Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at Citron Bistro 3535 S. Yosemite St. (Hampden & Yosemite back room reserved for TJ '23).
We will work on our next steps and upcoming fundraiser events. Will you join us?
-Team '23
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