This week is Wish Week! From Monday to Thursday, we will have a single lunch period. If you're a 9th grader, you will attend your 5th-period class during 4th period and have lunch during 5th period. On Friday, we will follow an assembly schedule.

Additionally, don’t miss the Mardi Gras Winter Dance on March 8th at the TJ Gym! The event will take place from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m.

Please be sure to get out to support your fellow Spartans who have been working hard to prepare the spring musical, Anastasia! See below for showtimes and ticket information.

Have lots of fun, TJ. 

Azadeh Fathi
Principal Resident

Monday-

• Spirit/Wish Week: Mardi Gras Colors

• TJHS Make-A-Wish Fundraiser - Bad Daddy's: 5:00-9:00 p.m. (details below)

Tuesday-

• Spirit/Wish Week: Superhero Day

• TJHS Make-A-Wish Fundraiser - Chipotle: 5:00-9:00 p.m. (details below)

• PTO Meeting: 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Wednesday- 

• Spirit/Wish Week: Jersey Day

• TJHS Make-A-Wish Fundraiser - Red Robin

Thursday-

• Spirit/Wish Week: Throwback Thursday

• Senior Cap & Gown Photos

Friday-

• Spirit/Wish Week: Wish Week Shirts

• Assembly Schedule

• Anastasia: The Musical: 7:00 p.m.

Saturday-

• Saturday School: 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

• AP Music Theory: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

• Anastasia: The Musical: 12:00 p.m.

• Anastasia: The Musical: 5:00 p.m.

• Mardi Gras Dance: 8:00-11:00 p.m.

• Congrats to Jason Klimczak who is working with students on financial literacy, teaching them everything from stocks and investments to credit cards and compound interest. He met with a 9News reporter to highlight the importance of teaching our students these skills. Click here to see the news segment!

• Huge thanks to Marnie Bromby and all faculty and staff who helped with testing last week!

• Thank you to Interact Club Members and Colorado Young Leaders for their hard work with the drive and donations for the homeless shelters!

• From Matt Nicolo: TJ DECA had an amazing run at the 2025 State DECA Conference, and I couldn't be more proud of our Spartans! Over 3,750 people attended the event held at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs from February 22-25, 2025. TJ DECA brought 49 competitors to this year's event, and qualified 17 students in the finals. Finalists and results are shown below and TJ continued our strong leadership tradition of having Ella Storey being elected to replace Tek Tewodros as the District 3 State Representative on the State Officer Team! Please congratulate all of our competitors when you see them in the halls and now we get ready for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Orland, FL in April!

  • Special shout out to my amazing team of chaperones for helping TJ DECA this year: Paula Hammel, Erin Thompson, Brittany Nicolo, & Jeremy Anderson!

  • State Finalists, Event Title, & ICDC Qualifiers:

    * Olivia Osterhaus-Binkert & Sally Wilson - Community Giving Project

    * Avery Fowler, Lilah Sani, & Emelia Talburt - Community Awareness Project

    * Nate Bolinske, Miles Kahn, & Gabe Robert - Integrated Marketing Campaign: 2nd Place ICDC Qualifiers

    * Olivia Osterhaus-Binkert - Business Services Marketing: 2nd Place ICDC Qualifier

     * Sarah Yellen - Marketing Communication Series

    * Leah Franco - Quick Serve Restaurant Management: 4th Place ICDC Qualifier

    * Jonah Smith - Quick Serve Restaurant Management: 5th Place ICDC Qualifier

    * Kota Hoskins - Sports & Entertainment Marketing

    * Olivia Simon - Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling

    * Jackson Nathan - Professional Selling

    * Tek Tewodros - Professional Selling: 2nd Place ICDC Qualifier

    **Macy Whistler - Professional Selling State Champion 1st Place ICDC Qualifier

  • Quick Facts TJ DECA State Conference 2025:

    • 49 Competitors

    • 17 Finalists

    • 1 State Champion (Macy Whistler)

    • 9 ICDC Qualifiers for Orlando, FL in April (13 Total ICDC Qualifying Spots)

    • Gold Certification School Based Enterprise (2 ICDC Qualifying Spots)

    • Community Service Chapter Certification (2 ICDC Qualifying Spots)

    • Outgoing District 3 State Officer Tek Tewodros

    • Newly Elected District 3 State Officer Ella Storey

    • Top 3 Chapter in Colorado - Most Money Raised 10/10/10 Initiative

    • Most Money Raised - District 3 Miracle Minute 

    • Most Food Donated - District 3 

• Big thanks to The Wellness Team (Brittany Nicolo, Natalie Koncz, and Maggie Kennedy) for bringing back the annual staff Chili Cookoff last week! Congrats to our winners!

  • Mark Mallaney- 1st Place

  • Adrieanna Estrada- 2nd Place

  • Jillian Gleason-3rd Place

• TJ was well represented by this All Star team at the 2nd annual DPS Female Athlete Summit Last week. Shout out to Suzanne Meyer, Megan Miccio, and Jessica Popper for everything they do for our Athletics Program!

Concurrent Enrollment students will begin receiving their 1098-T tax document for courses completed through ACC in 2024. The Colorado Community College System prepares and mails IRS Form 1098-T to the student’s home address. In the past, CCCS was able to exclude the printing of 1098Ts if the scholarship amount was equal to or greater than the eligible payment amount. The new process does not allow this printing exclusion. Because of this, you may receive calls from confused students and parents.  I’ve attached a 1098-T FAQ to this correspondence to you to help you field most calls regarding this form. or view the 1098T FAQ online) Although it is mandatory that the Colorado Community College System provide this form to all students, CCCS and Arapahoe Community College are not allowed to offer tax or legal advice to students. Parents and students should be referred to their tax consultant to determine if and how to utilize this form in the preparation and submission of their taxes. Further information can be found here.

Dear DPS Community,

Denver Public Schools is committed to providing equitable and inclusive environments where all our students feel safe and socially and emotionally supported. With the potential change of federal policies, students, families, and staff who are undocumented are experiencing unease and uncertainty regarding potential mass deportation.

While we still do not know exactly what actions the incoming administration may or may not take at this time, it is important that our families have access to resources and information to establish an action plan.

This Family Resource Toolkit is available in English and Spanish and contains information and resources about your rights, current DPS policies, training, mental health support, and a list of community resources. Please read this guide and save it so you can refer back to it whenever necessary.

In addition to reviewing the guide, it is important that families update emergency contacts. Each student should have at least two emergency contacts. These individuals do not need to be family members; they can be any trusted adult known by the family. We also ask that families identify those authorized to pick up their students (including older siblings) from school if a parent or guardian cannot. Please see the directions at the bottom of this email for more information on how to update emergency contacts.

At the time of this communication, our schools are still designated sensitive locations, meaning that they are places where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is restricted from conducting enforcement actions. Our schools are safe, and we want our students here. While our function is to provide education for all students, our responsibility is to provide safe and welcoming environments. That has not changed.

In collaboration,

Dr. Alex Marrero
DPS Superintendent

Updating Emergency Contacts

Follow the step-by-step guide (in English and Spanish) to add, remove or modify emergency contact updates for your child in Infinite Campus. Please read the steps in this guide carefully. If you have questions or need help updating emergency contacts, please contact your child’s school.

Parent Portal Login Support

If you are unable to log into Parent Portal because you forgot your username and/or password, visit the MyPortal Support Contact webpage for links to reset. Note: You will need access to the email address associated with your Parent Portal account.

If you need help:

• Creating an account

• With a failing username or password

• Updating your email address

• With missing a student account

Submit a support ticket or call 720-423-3163.

Tickets are $5 for children, student, TJ Faculty and Staff, senior, and veteran admission, $10 for general adult admission.

Director: André Moss
Vocal Director: Tambyr Reed
Conductor: Robin Morrissey
Technical Director: Gabby Lentini
Audio Engineer: Mark Mallaney

Principal Cast:
Anya: Sony Calhoun
Dmitry: Josh White
Vlad: Will Cordova
Gleb: Quin Sihon
Countess Lily: Rachelle Camilo
The Dowager Empress: Simone DiFalco

Crew Leads:
Stage Manager: Celeste Escobar
Set Designer: Ethan Smolinski
Costume Designer: Amielia Danielson
Hair & Make-Up Designer: Kit Letherman
Lighting Designer: Keagen Figueroa
Sound Designer: Bruno Estala

Link to buy a yearbook:  

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12v4BiS0N1HDYbhNkpQE4hULbMSMztjPmTTh4TCBBbAw/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.3e2qzigqdi5q

Saturday School is back! During the week, (Monday-Wednesday) teachers will provide passes to students and assign them to Saturday School for Math and/or English. Students- if your teacher gives you a pass, you have been assigned to Saturday School due to a low grade in Math and/or English. Parents- you will receive a text message on Thursday if your student has been assigned to Saturday School. Saturday School hours are 8am-12pm. The entrance is located on the north side of the building near the softball field. A small breakfast snack will be provided for students. 

MC2 Program Applications! 

Applications are open for Denver Health’s Medical Career Collaborative (MC²). Current high school sophomores from the Denver metro area are encouraged to apply. 

MC² offers paid internships, mentorship, certification opportunities and career coaching, helping students explore health care careers and build a strong foundation for the future.

To learn more visit the program’s website.

 Application deadline: 5 p.m. on March 5.

You can stop by the DECA store in the cafeteria after school Monday thru Thursday. We sell t-shirts, hoodies, pants, hats, stadium seats, socks, stickers, etc. Feel free to email us with any questions. 

The March 2025 Food Bank distribution will take place Wednesday, March 19, 2025.  Any family that is in need of food support is welcomed and encouraged to sign up HERE. Please note that you MUST sign up no later than Sunday, March 16, 2025 for us to have food available for you at the distribution. 

Thank you to the TJ Community for your continued support of the Food Bank!  If you are interested in making a financial contribution to the TJ Food Bank, you can do so HERE.

Reach out to Megan Perkins (megandperkins@gmail.com), Becca Mahoney (beccaandjoemahoney@gmail.com) or Jillian Krause (jillian.krause@gmail.com) with questions.

Save the date! Our next meeting will be held tomorrow Tuesday March 4 from 6-7 in Room 111. We will be discussing the upcoming online auction and Spartan Grants Program. We hope to see you there! 

We are looking for donations of mini cupcakes for the upcoming Mardi Gras dance on March 8. Please sign up here to donate. Please bring all donated cupcakes to Mr. Poole’s office no later than March 7. Thank you in advance for your support! 

SPARTAN GRANTS PROGRAM APPLICATION IS OPEN! 

We are excited to announce that the PTO's Spartan Grant Program will open on February 20th.  For those of you who aren't familiar with this program, it started several years ago when a group of TJ parents decided to start an online auction to raise money to fund classroom grants. Since 2017, the PTO has granted over $125,000 to the TJ community, funding needs in our classrooms and extracurriculars.  Unfortunately, last year there was not an online auction, which limits our funds significantly. As of now, we can offer $3,000 total. Rest assured, we have an amazing pair of parents who are taking on the online auction so we are hopeful that we will be able to offer more in future years. 

This link takes you to the Spartan Grant application.  TJ Staff who are interested in applying, please fill it out and include all the information requested.  Because of our low funds this year, we ask that your requests are thoughtful, impactful, and need funding via these grants and can’t be funded any other way.

The deadline to apply is March 21st.  The PTO will review all applications at our April meeting. We will provide responses to all applicants by mid-April. Funds are then transferred to the school by May 1, for use in the 2025-26 school year. Since some grants are time sensitive, please let us know if you need your funds prior to those dates.

Thank you for all that you do for our TJ students!

The TJHS PTO Team
Spartan Grant Chairs Christine Casey Perry & Brooke Bolinske

The TJ Together online auction committee is gathering donations.   Do you own a business you want to be included in the auction and recognized in our newsletter?  Would you be willing to host a party to be scheduled late this summer or early next school year?  All ideas considered! Click here to submit your item or idea.

Any students interested in going to Ireland in the summer of 2026? Please contact Amber Wilson for more information - awilso2@dpsk12.net

Spartan Seniors and Families,

Below are a few important college tasks to work on in the coming weeks.

• The DSF Scholarship application is now open and takes about 20 minutes to complete. 

Click here to learn more about eligibility and for the link to apply! 

• Share your Financial Aid Awards/Scholarship Wins by completing this form. 

Upcoming Deadlines and Events:

Friday, March 7th: DSF Scholarship App Workshop in Rm 111, p. 2, 7, + 8. Sign up via MAIA Learning:Events!

Wednesday, March 12th: FAFSA Workshop at Capital One Cafe Downtown

Thursday, March 13th: Howard University Rep Visit in the TJ Future Center

Wednesday, March 19th: Comparing the Cost of Colleges Workshop p. 7+8. Sign up via MAIA Learning: Events!

Emily Webster, M.S. Alyssa Baker, M.Ed.
DSF Lead College Advisor DSF College Advisor
emily_webster@dpsk12.netalyssa_baker@dpsk12.net

Did You Know...?

We are taking a break from tips this week, and you should take a break, too!

Mental Health and Social Emotional “Did You Know”: Compiled by Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW and Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP.

Class of 2025 Parents & Guardians,

Prom will take place on Saturday, May 3, 2025. There will be a fun After Prom party at the Island, free to all seniors. There will be all kinds of games, entertainment, food, and fun. We recognize you all have busy lives and full schedules so there will be many ways to be part of this Class of 2025 signature event. One way is to help secure prizes. You can donate gift cards or purchase items from the Amazon Wishlist. This link can be forwarded to grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors and friends who maywant to contribute to this fun event!

Check out my list on Amazon

Class of 2026 Parent Meeting: Tuesday, April 8th at 7:30 p.m. (immediately following the PTO meeting) Room 111

We will start planning Juniors and Junk Food and discuss the Senior Sleep-Out taking place in August. Hope to see you there!

Please consider making a donation to the Class of 2026. 

Give $26 to The Class of '26 through the PTO’s Online Square Account:

2026 Class Donations | TJHS PTO

Thank you,
Sheila and Carrie

Class of 2027, mark your calendars for an upcoming restaurant fundraiser night at Dough Counter on Tuesday, March 11!!! 

Does your employer match donations? We are looking for an organization to do a match with one of our fundraisers. If you know of an organization willing to make a corporate match, please contact Tiffany or Katie at the emails listed below. Your donation is tax deductible as the TJ Partners PTO is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 

Please also consider making a donation to the Class of 2027’s Class Fund. Donations will support the After Prom (held Senior Year) and other class activities. This can be done through the online square account listed below

https://tjhsstore.square.site/product/2027-class-donations/

Want to get involved and help with ideas and planning for the Class of 2027? Please contact Class of 2027 parent co-chairs Tiffany Berry at broncofantif@hotmail.com or Katie Mousel at katielmousel@gmail.com 

Hello Class of 2028 parents and families! We will be raising money for the next four years (they
go by fast) for year end events and after prom.

The Bottom of the 9th event is coming up in the first or second week of May, during a home baseball game. The kids all come over and tailgate to celebrate the end of the 9 th grade and then watch the game. Please let me know if you are interested in helping. I’ll have a Signup Genius closer to the event, so be on the lookout for that.

Save the date: March 18 from 4-8 pm, we will have a fundraiser at Chipotle, 7350 E Hampden Ave Unit B-2, Denver, CO 80231-4894

There will also be a dine out event in April at Café Palooza. More details to follow.

We are also brainstorming a bigger fundraiser so if you have any ideas, please send them our way (kevkrug@gmail.com or jillkrug@gmail.com).

It’s time to give $28 to the Class of ‘28
It’s time to give $28 to the Class of ‘28 to help cultivate community for our students! If each family gives $28, we get close to our fundraising goals. You can give the $28 for the class of 2028 through the PTO’s Online Square Account: https://tjhsstore.square.site/product/2028-class-donations/151.