October 13, 2016
Administrator's Corner

Hello Spartans!

Thank you to all who participated in parent-teacher conferences on October 5th and 6th. It was a huge success, and seeing so many parents actively involved is just one more reason the community of TJ is so awesome!

Fall sports participation data is in: about 32% of students participated in a fall sport. Athletics is just one avenue of getting involved, which is why we encourage all students to get involved in something extra-curricular. The benefits of being involved in an extra-curricular activity reach far beyond high school years. TJ offers clubs, dramadrumline, band, choir, and much more!

Go Spartans!

¡Hola Spartans!
 
¡Gracias a todos los que participaron en las conferencias de padres y maestros los días 5 y 6 de octubre. Fue un gran éxito, y al ver a tantos padres que participan activamente es una razón más por la cual la comunidad de TJ es tan increíble!
 
Los datos de la participación en deportes del otoño: alrededor del 32% de los estudiantes participaron en un deporte del otoño. El atletismo es sólo una avenida de involucrarse, por lo cual animamos a todos los estudiantes a participar en algo extra-curricular. Los beneficios de estar involucrados en una actividad extra-curricular van más allá de los años de escuela secundaria. ¡TJ ofrece clubs, teatro, fila de tambores, banda, coro, y mucho más!
 
¡Vamos Spartans!

Anne Rice
Athletic Director
Quick Links
Parent/Student Portal 
If you haven't done so already, please sign up!

2. Click the "getting started" tab on the top
3. Fill out the form on the left with your name, e-mail   address, phone number, student name, school ID number (lunch number) and student's 8 digit date of birth. Click "submit."
4. Create your username and password. Click "submit."
5. You will receive an e-mail immediately from the DPS Portal Team with a link to activate your account.
Kudos Korner
  • It takes a village! And this village made the Unity Project an enormous success. Thank you to Samanda DavisMike Kontrelos and Doug Vegas for the incredible ownership and project management of your team. Thanks to CCT for embracing it and promoting it wholeheartedly; to Facilities Manager Tom Conroy for ensuring we didn't blow any gas or sprinkler lines; to Mike Christoff for giving the green light. Thanks to teachers who brought out their students to participate and even helped disentangle frustrating snags. And thanks to parents who searched near and far for berry-colored yarn and served some long hot days making UNITY beautiful. 
 
Those of us who got to work with the many #TJUnity students have all remarked on what a privilege it was to watch them build, manage, support, photograph, video, participate, promote, and share their thoughts on it. 
 
TJ is a special community because of the many kinds of human connections that exist on various levels throughout the school. TJ's got that in spades. 
 
Let's keep building UNITY at TJ long after the berry-colored yarn is taken down. 
 
-The Unity Project Coordinators

Click here  to see the 9News coverage of the project. 
  • Congratulations to the students listed below for being selected to DPS City-Wide Honor Choirs! These groups have been going and performing over 60 years! They will represent us well!
    • City-Wide Women's: Maddi Abram, Malia McDorman, Victoria Lackey 
    • City-Wide Mixed: Zaisy Nagel, Olivia Palizzi, Milan Bartelt, Nick Wilson, Sam Chappell, Chase Vandenham, Donzell Cooper, Nick VanWagner 
SAT Prep
Study sessions will take place every Thursday  from 3-4 p.m. and will run through March. There will be snacks and gift cards given out. We will also offer four FREE Saturday Mock SAT exams (dates TBD soon). To be able to participate in the study sessions students need to bring proof that they completed a practice exam on Khan Academy (print out or screen shot of score is fine). Please see Corielyn Bromley with any questions!
Career Tech Student Organization Fall Leadership Conference 
The (CTSO) Career Tech Student Organization Fall Leadership Conference was held at Johnson and Wales University in Denver on September 30th.  The purpose of the conference was to inspire students to become leaders in their school and communities. SkillsUSA TJ officers attended the conference. Here are some takeaways from the students: 
  • "A key takeaway was to make your biggest weakness your biggest strength. By working on your weakness to change it for the better it allows for personal growth and shows the path taken towards success. Also, "It doesn't matter your wealth, intelligence, or looks. Your DNA came together for a reason: to fulfill a purpose." This resonated with me because it is such an elevated perspective on life. We are defined by and have control over our personalities and actions, not physical characteristics. We all are on this Earth for a reason and it is our job to find our purpose and do it everyday. Through the eye-opening experience at the conference we learned how to grow personally in order to be able to bring these improvements to TJ and the community." - Rachel Sadler
  • "We are in control of our own stories. We control the outcomes and how we get there. we must complete the journey that we set out to do and make it the best that we can."- Tyler Weiskopf 
  • "This taught me that I didn't just join SkillsUSA for the fun of it. I was taught that I joined it for a purpose. I set goals for myself and I am achieving them as I go along." - Stephanie Chavez 
  • "We were taught that character skills are the core to being a great leader. The first big thing we learned is that it's alright to fail, and that fear of failure isn't a reason to not try. Failing is how you learn and how you look for different or better solutions.- Asianae Jackson  
  • "I felt that the lessons about self-confidence and overcoming yourself was very powerful. It made me realize how I should continue on in my life, and how I act and treat myself reflects on the outside and spreads to other people. Most of all, I learned the steps to success and I can't wait to implement it in my everyday life." - Alex Sor  
  • "Take baby steps, it's okay to want to achieve something large, or seemingly impossible, but you won't be able to achieve it if you don't start your journey towards it." - Hunter Holmes
  •  "A big part of the assembly I attended was meeting new people and getting to know others within a short period of time which can be helpful as an officer because throughout the year I will meet with many new people and learning these good communication skills will be helpful." - Katie Schroeck
TJ Kitchen - Now Hiring Students!
TJ kitchen is hiring. We need two student workers to work 1 hour a day during lunch. We pay $10.00 an hour for students. Juniors and seniors only need apply. Positions open until filled.  Go to DPS job board, food service -student worker.
Where Do I Get My Spartan Spirit Gear?
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.

You can see all items for sale and purchase any of the clothing, hats, chairs, blankets  from the online store with a credit card. If you wish to pay in cash or by check, you can contact Laura Whalen via email or phone. Items are not shipped but can be picked up at school, or you can make other arrangements by contacting Laura Whalen  ( lewhalen@gmail.com or  
303-681-7226).

Visit the online store to see all the fun, cool gear we have available to show your Spartan Spirit!

JUST IN!!:
Grey and White Flex-fit baseball hats with TJ logo
2XL TJ T-shirts and Hoodies
Under Armour Men's Ankle Zip Grey sweatpants
Unified Shirts for Sale
Support your Unified Basketball team at TJ!

$10 for adults 

$8 for students

E-mail Mrs. Lynch to purchase: 

Elizabeth_Lynch2@dpsk12.org

Donations Requested
Activities coordinator Sara Andolsek is reaching out to ask for donations to help with monthly games and activities that will take place throughout the year.  Donations are to acknowledge students and the fun, hard work they put into the school year.  Just a simple donation of gift cards (Starbucks, Chipotle, Burger King, McDonalds etc), individually wrapped candy, or school apparel that you are willing to give away would be much appreciated! Donations can be brought to the main office or directly to Sara in room 107. Please email  sara_andolsek@dpsk12.org with any questions!
The Nosemaker's Apprentice
Choir and Theatre News
The choir concert is October 25th!  The Nosemaker's Apprentice will be October 14/15-Tickets pre sale and at the door. CASH/CHECK only! Students with ID $5.00 and Adults $10.00

The Beef King Food truck will be at TJ from 2-7pm on Friday Oct 14th. Come support TJ theatre by eating delish Italian beef, sausages, and much much more! Portions of the proceeds go to TJ choirs. For more information go to:  http://beefkingdenver.com
Students will sell tickets, posters, and T-shirts at this time, too.

Here's our link for the San Antonio Trip on GoFundMe
TJ's Tardy/Truancy Policy
Thank you for your support in keeping our attendance at its best!
Counseling News
The Counselors have started working with 9th and 10th grade students on ICAP.  The counseling team met with both 9th and 10th grades to go over 4 year academic planning, transcripts, credits, GPA, as well as starting to work in Naviance to look at careers, and what colleges they might be interested in applying to.  Also, students were asked to look up a college of their choice to see what the admissions requirements are including GPA, test scores as well as cost of attendance.  The counseling team will continue to meet with all grade levels, and will be meeting with both 9th and 10th grades every month. 
Strengthening Families - Begins October 18th
Beauty Supplies Available
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The social work department received a donation of beauty supplies such as nail polish, hair spray, lotions, etc.  If you are someone who would love any of these items, please stop by the social work office during passing or off period.

Bullying - "Don't Be A Monster!"
"Don't Be A Monster" bullying presentation will be offered to 9 th  and 10 th  graders on October 26, 2016 during office hours.
This is a voluntary assembly that can accommodate up to 300 students.

Mental Health and Social/Emotional Tips
~ Parent Training/Education Opportunities ~

So You're Parenting a Teenager... Well... good luck! Just kidding. Parenting a teen can be challenging. We hear that and we wanted to pass along some resources for you. There are in-person and online opportunities that may fit what you are looking for. We know that accessing resources can be overwhelming. If you need help tracking down specific supports that are not listed below, just let us know! We are happy to help research a topic.

Free Resources:
General Resources: 



Mental and Social-Emotional Health: 

2) Webinars: 

Substance Use and Prevention 
* Parent Resources: 

Toolkit/Resource of The Week: "Navigating The Teen Years: A Parents Handbook For Raising Healthy Kids" It is full of helpful tips and principles for connecting with your teen. 
Mental Health and Social Emotional Tip: Compiled by Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW and Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP
References: Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( http://www.cdc.gov/ ); National Association of School Psychologists ( http://www.nasponline.org
Love Your Library!
Don't forget!
The TJHS Library is open every school day from 7:15 until 3:30pm.  Yes, we are open during lunch.  Yes, we are open during office hours on Wednesday.  Yes, the computers are available during these times.
 
AND...tutoring is offered in the Library on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 3pm until 4pm, with a math and social studies tutors on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. They also offer Science on alternating Tuesdays and Language arts on Thursdays.
 
Also, find the "hidden-in-plain-sight" trivia question in the library, answer it correctly, and if your name is drawn from the correct answers, get a $5.00 gift card to Starbucks, Chipotle, or other teenage friendly place of conspicous consumption (librarian's choice of gift card).
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 Thibideau 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
  • Thank-you to the Class of 2018 parents who joined us for Octoberfest.  It was a fun and successful evening.  A big thank-you to the Aldridge-Sensenbrenner family for hosting the event.  Please look for two 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
  • Join us for appetizers, chili and drinks to raise money for TJ Class of 2019 on Saturday, October 15 from 6-10pm.  We want to make sure our students have a legendary senior year!  Admission is $20.00/person and includes dinner and drinks/cocktails. Please join us to support the Class of 2019!
  • If you are interested in helping with fundraising contact Debi Kelley at  getaholdofdebi@gmail.com
Class of 2020 - Freshmen
  • The class of 2020 is looking for parent liaisons to work with TJ on fundraising, community building, etc.
Town Hall & Visioning Meeting and Workshop
News from the Future Center
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Monthly Scholarship Raffle-$50 Gift Card- 10/26/16
· Enter before 10/26.
· Apply to one scholarship= 1 entry
· Received a scholarship (bring proof)= 5 entries
· Entry forms are in the Future Center.
· All TJ students may enter!

College Applications- Deadline 11/28/16
· Naviance has all documents you need to apply to college.
· Before transcripts can be sent, you must complete a college      checklist with Ms. Maez.
· The first 50 students to complete the check list will receive a Chipotle coupon.

College/Scholarship Essay Help- Wednesdays during Office Hours
· Before Wednesday during office hours, email or bring a copy of your essay to the Future Center.
· Include the prompt and who the essay is for.
· First come, first served!
· For seniors applying to college only.

College Visits:
· Sign up in Naviance and put it on your calendar!
· You're responsible for any missed work in your classes.
· Schools with a star next to the name and in bold are application workshops. Be prepared to submit your application with support from the college representative.

Visits:
Colorado College, 10/12/2016, 8:00
*University of Northern Colorado, 10/12/2016, 2:15
Colorado State University, 10/13/2016, 10:45
Arapahoe Community College, 10/14/2016, 9:00
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 10/24/2016, 1:00
University of Colorado at Denver, 10/27/2016, 9:00
 
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