Happy Homecoming Week, TJ! 

Tradition is a hallmark of what makes TJ the amazing school that it is. While TJ was founded in 1960, the first Homecoming Dance was in 1962. I dug through the old yearbooks and found a picture of TJ's first Homecoming Queen (see pic)! While the traditions continue...they have evolved over the years. This week we have our Annual Bonfire tonight, different themed days throughout the week, capped off by your Spirit Week assembly on Thursday, Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday followed by a tailgate in the parking lot and football game at All-City Field at 4 p.m.. To top everything off we have our Homecoming Dance on Saturday Night in the TJ gym. It's a fun week and brings us all together to celebrate as Spartans. You can find more details here in the Newsletter so please read down and make sure to participate! It's what we Spartans do! 

Monday-

• Homecoming Spirit Week: Movie Night In/PJ Day

• Food Bank Distribution: 4:00-5:30 p.m.

• Homecoming Bonfire: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Tuesday-

• Homecoming Spirit Week: Favorite Celebrity

Wednesday- 

• Homecoming Spirit Week: Pop vs. Rap

• Youth Substance Use Webinar (details below)

Thursday-

• Homecoming Spirit Week: TJ Day

• TJ Shadows: 8:00-11:00 a.m.

• Assembly Schedule - Pep Assembly

• Picture Retakes

Friday-

• No school for students

• Tailgate: 2:30 p.m.

• Homecoming Football Game, Royalty, and Hall of Fame Halftime Show: 4:00 p.m. (All City Stadium)

Saturday-

• AP Music Theory: 9 a.m.-12:00 p.m. in room 148

• Set Construction Build Day: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

• Homecoming Dance: 8:00-11:00 p.m.

• On Friday, September 27th at 1:30pm we are holding the TJ Hall of Fame induction ceremony and recognition in the auditorium and back lobby (near teacher lot). It is open to all who want to come by and watch and/or say congratulations to the Hall of Fame inductees. One of which is a current teacher and coach.... Grant Laman!

  TJ has a long history of successful, accomplished, and impactful alumni and distinguished Spartans, and I am proud to announce the 2024 TJ Hall of Fame recipients who are very deserving of this elite honor:

  David Black, Class of '78, Jessica Chase, Class of '02,

  Daniel Graham, Class of '97,

  Josh Graham, Class of '97,

  Joe Hornback, Class of '85,

  Lovell Houston, Class of '98,

  Kathryn Kindle, Distinguished Spartan,

  Grant Laman, Class of '91,

  Rick Stearns, Class of '71.

  There will be a short ceremony in the auditorium followed by a reception in the lobby. The recipients are then invited to the parking lot tailgate at 3pm, followed by the 4pm football game at All City Stadium where they will be recognized again at halftime. 

• Cue the confetti!  Congratulations to Ambrose Stevens!  Last year, as a freshman, Ambrose sculpted a stunning octopus titled “Motion in the Ocean” in his ceramics class.  He entered his sculpture in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in January.  After winning a Regional Gold Key in March, Ambrose’s octopus went on to win a NATIONAL MEDAL in June.  Congratulations, Ambrose! Click here for more information about the award and to see more pictures!

TJ fans! We are here with your favorite merch and have some new designs that you will love. If you are in need of gear, 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. You will also find us at the Homecoming football game.  Feel free to email us with any questions. 

Youth Substance Use:
Why Youth Use, How to Prevent Use, and How to Intervene If Your Child Is Using

September 25 at noon

Participants of this webinar will gain understanding about why youth might experiment with substances, such as nicotine and cannabis, learn how adults can prevent adolescent substance use, and how to intervene when a loved one is using.

Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a developmental psychologist, will share her knowledge about youth substance use. Dr. Halpern-Felsher is the founder and director of the Tobacco Prevention Toolkit, an online curriculum aimed at reducing and preventing youth tobacco use. Her research has focused on understanding and reducing health risk behaviors such as tobacco use, alcohol and marijuana use, risky driving, and risky sexual behavior.

Spanish interpretation will be available. Register here.

Mr. Behling is looking for students who'd like to film a short spot on the SPARTAN Edition to promote our upcoming Voter Registration Drive here at TJ.

Mr. Laman's staff will have the following info on the screen and/or give it to the volunteers as a script:

1. TJ will be hosting another Voter Registration Drive on Thursday, October 3rd in the main lobby during 5th period lunch

2. In the state of Colorado, anyone who is a citizen and is 16 years old can pre-register to vote

3. Make sure you have some form of ID number

4. Once you turn 18 and are registered you can cast your vote

5. It's a Presidential Election year so make sure to get registered so you can have your voice heard this November! (This is where a student may add a brief statement)

If you know any students who would be interested?  If so, please ask them to stop by Mr. Laman's classroom during 1st or 2nd period beginning today!

OCTOBER MEETING - SAVE THE DATE: 

Next month's PTO meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 1 at 6pm in Room 111. Our guest speaker will be Becca Norris, volunteer with the DPS Bond Oversight Committee to discuss the upcoming bond measure on the November ballot. 

Thank you to everyone who attended September’s meeting! You can find our meeting minutes here.

TJ HoCo is September 28!
Homecoming is fast approaching and we could use your help! The theme this year is TJ Goes Hollywood and we are matching that theme with movie theater snacks. Please look at the Sign Up List for Snacks and if you are able to donate, please drop them off at the main office with Mr. Poole before the end of school on 9/26. Thank you so much for your help!

It is a tradition here at TJ to provide dinner for the teachers/staff during parent teacher conferences. In-person conferences will be held this year on Tuesday, October 8th (virtual conferences will be held on Wednesday, October 9), and our staff will be at school all day on the 8th. Please use this link to sign up to bring something for the staff dinner. We could not do it without you! Thanks so much for helping. If you have any questions, please reach out via text or phone call to Susan Dolson 303-358-6655.

Questions? Want to get involved? Join our e-mail list: TJHSPTO@gmail.com

Join us for an adventure to South America to visit the country of Peru! On this 9 day tour we will see the ancient ruins of the Inca Empire while we visit the world famous site of Machu Picchu. Additionally, we will be exploring the beautiful cities of Lima & Cuzco to experience even more of the rich Peruvian culture. This trip is set for the middle of June 2025. Mr. Long is opening enrollment for this trip the week of Homecoming. He has 35 slots available for students looking to travel & experience a different part of the world. Contact Nic Long (nicholas_long@dpsk12.net) for all of the details! Don't hesitate on this once in a lifetime opportunity!

The first monthly Food Bank distribution of the school year will take place on Monday, September 23 from 3:30-5:00 pm.  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 Saturday, 21 September for us to have food available for you at the distribution. 

La primera distribución mensual del Banco de Alimentos del año escolar es lunes 23 de septiembre de 3:30-5:00 de la tarde.  Cualquier familia que necesite apoyo alimentario es bienvenida y alentada a inscribirse AQUI. DEBE inscribirse a más tardar el sábado 21 de septiembre para que tengamos comida disponible para usted en la distribución.

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.

Could your child benefit from some extra support? Consider signing them up for Denver Kids!  https://www.denverkids.org/

Denver Kids is a nonprofit organization that has been supporting the youth of Denver for over 75 years, and this year we are excited  to expand our presence at Thomas Jefferson High School! Our program offers personalized, one-on-one meetings during school hours, focusing on academic support, social-emotional learning, skill development, career & college exploration, and much more. Each meeting is thoughtfully tailored to meet your child's unique needs, interests, and experiences.

If you are interested in learning more or signing up your child, you can contact me directly at Justin_Protentis@dpsk12.net or via text at 720-255-5210.

Spartan Seniors and Families,

Click here to learn more about the Denver Scholarship Foundation and the DSF Scholarship for students with financial need. We’ve enjoyed seeing so many of you in the Future Center this year. If you have not stopped by yet, please do so soon! (Room 135, across from the Main Office)

Seniors: In your TJ Future Center: TJFC2025 schoology course, you will find many resources to help you with your college process. Please review the course updates and calendar at least weekly with your family. 

College planning tasks from your Future Center schoology to work on now:

• Link your Common App to MAIA Learning (required) and start completing your application. Be sure to check for Supplemental Essay requirements.

• Complete your Brag Sheet and request Letters of Recommendation.   

• Start your Scholarship Search and continue this process all year long!  

Upcoming Events: For more information, please visit the Future Center schoology course calendar 

Wednesday, September 25th - College Rep Visit in the TJFC:Willamette U, Miami U- Oxford

Thursday, September 26th- College Rep Visit in the TJFC: Community College of Aurora, QuestBridge Scholarship application DUE

Out of State College Fair at South High School- 5:30pm Registration REQUIRED! 

October 15-17- CO Free Application Days Prepare your apps now to submit on FREE Days!  

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

Mental Health and Social Emotional “Did You Know”: Compiled by Natalie Koncz, Ed.S., NCSP and Samanda Davis, LCSW, MSW.  Resources: The New York Times- How Walking In Nature Changes the Brain, July 22nd, 2015; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169204615000286

Here we are at Senior year and it is finally time to start planning for After Prom!! If you have venue ideas we’d love to hear them, especially if you can call and get an estimate of costs to rent. Places we have info on from last year are: Dave and Buster’s, Boondocks and The Island. If you can help with After Prom please email Heather Reeder @ hmbdvm@yahoo.com

Class of 2026 Parents-we STILL need your help!  Please see the sign up genius for volunteer opportunities and donations needed for the TJ Bonfire BBQ taking place tonight from 5:00-8:30 p.m.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084CADA72FA31-48024883-tjbonfire

Thank you to those parents who have already signed up.  See you tonight!

Happy Homecoming week,

Sheila and Carrie

It's time to give $27 to the Class of '27 

Give $27 to the Class of '27 and help cultivate community for our students!
The Class of 2027 Class Fund supports class activities each year. If each family gives $27 we get close to our fundraising goals.

Give $27 to The Class of '27 through the PTO’s Online Square Account:
https://tjhsstore.square.site/product/2027-class-donations/112

Sophomore Parents - want to connect? Contact Committee Co-Chair Kendal Mullins at
kendalbmullins@gmail.com.

Welcome! Stay tuned for Class of 2028 news! Questions? Want to get involved? Email TJHSPTO@gmail.com