Principal`s Letter President`s Letter

TECHCETERA
APRIL 2016
President’s Letter
Principal’s Letter
Dear Parents/Guardians, Teachers, and Students,
I hope you had a great spring break with family and
friends. This month we start off with INITE (or
International Night), hosted by the student group
Namaste, on Saturday, April 2, at the George Mason
Center for the Performing Arts. Many of our cultural
groups celebrate our school’s diversity with song,
dance, and theatrical performances. Over 700
students perform in numbers associated not only with
their own heritage, but also dance alongside their
friends from different backgrounds. Through INITE,
you really get a chance to see the multicultural
appreciation of our school community.
Parents this month will have an opportunity to review
and approve their student’s proposed course
selections for next year. I hope the curriculum
webinars offered last month were helpful to you. The
recordings are available from the PTSA website, as
well as the additional questions answered at the last
PTSA meeting. In an effort to support mental
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HOT LINKS TO THE
INFORMATION FOR WHICH
Y O U A R E L O O K I N G ….
Noteworthy Dates
Academic News
PTSA Committee Updates
Serving the TJ Community
Campaign for TJ
Class News
TJ Boosters
Useful Links
Marketplace
We hope you had a good Spring Break and are ready for
the end of the year!
With Spring Sports gearing up and all the AP exam,
TJStar and graduation activities coming soon, TJ will be a
very busy place.
It is a great time to volunteer for something that suits
your interests. We need hundreds of volunteers to help
with various end-of-year events – please do your part to
support TJ and its students. You will enjoy the
experience and make some new TJ contacts along the
way.
Among the events coming up are the Teacher
Appreciation Lunch on April 27, sign up to help with
food HERE and with service HERE; AP Exam Support, the
first two weeks in May, sign up to help HERE; TJStar,
June 2, sign up to help HERE; and ANGP, June 18, sign
up to help HERE.
Please also consider carrying your support into next
year. The PTSA Nominating Committee is working to
develop next year’s leadership team. If you would like to
be considered for a position, please contact the PTSA or
let us know at the next PTSA meeting, a Principal’s
Coffee (and PTSA meeting), on Friday, April 8, at
9:00am, in the Franklin Commons. All Executive
Committee positions except President and Treasurer are
open for volunteers and there are many other
committee positions available. We would be happy to
tell you more. Executive Committee nominations will be
presented at the May PTSA meeting, for final approval
at the June meeting.
TJ can always use your help! If the PTSA can help you
with anything, please contact us here ptsa at tjhsst.edu.
Silvija Strikis
TJ PTSA President 2015-16
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Principal’s Letter continued from page 1
wellness, please ensure the course load selected is
manageable based on the student’s readiness to
take on challenging and/or accelerated coursework.
If you are unsure, please contact your counselor who
can offer insight based on lots of experience.
The month of April will be particularly busy for AP
courses. Due to the loss of school during the snow
days, teachers have had to work pretty hard to
restructure classes to ensure the curriculum is
completed before the AP exam. This means the
pacing will likely be a little faster or there will be less
time to review before the exam. We could use
support at home by providing a work environment
with as few distractions as possible, and that might
even require unplugging the Internet or turning off
mobile devices. You might also think of ways in
which study groups can be formed, or take
advantage of our tutoring programs (through peers
or through teachers in 8th period). Later this month
through KIT, parents will be given an opportunity to
request a pre-arranged absence in May during AP
exams. The purpose of the pre-arranged absence is
to provide a little extra study time, particularly if
their student has several consecutive AP exams.
Seniors should be hearing from colleges this month
regarding admissions and scholarships. I know these
decisions are important to our students, and often
they are not easy because the outcome is not always
perfect. That was true for my college acceptance
letters, and ultimately I went to the school that
offered me the greatest financial assistance. I
struggled over my circumstances, but soon came to
realize it’s not the reputation of the institution as
much as the initiative you take with the
opportunities on campus. If a senior is disappointed
by the outcome, offer support by sharing how
setbacks are a natural part of life. While accepting
rejection can be difficult, our greatest learning
experiences are shaped by how we make “lemonade
from lemons.” If your family is faced with financial
challenges, like mine was, ask yourself if it’s worth
taking out loans or instead pursuing a different
college for graduate school (when it can be
subsidized through a graduate assistantship). Our
students tend to perform well in college based on
their foundation of research at TJ, and I believe
there will be another chance for students to pursue
April 2016
their “top choice” in the future.
With potential stress associated with AP exam
studying and college admissions decisions, please be
mindful of the wellness of our students. Stress isn’t
bad; rather, it needs to be managed well with
healthy outlets. We will continue to offer
celebrations and stress reducing activities at our
school. Depression isn’t abnormal, either; in fact, 1
out of 5 TJ students experience significant sadness
over the course of the year. This is not an unusual
number, not for TJ, nor for FCPS, not for the USA.
More important is the care we take to listen to those
in need of help, and to seek out trained staff who
can respond to students proactively. When it doubt,
please refer to hotline information posted to our
school’s website. I’m thankful teachers, students,
and parents have been working together on
addressing mental wellness at our school. Please
don’t hesitate to contact me at principal at
tjhsst.edu if you have any additional ideas to
improve the dialogue on this important issue. Thank
you for your continued support and efforts.
Sincerely,
Evan Glazer
Principal, TJHSST
PTSA Meetings
Mark Your Calendar!
(**in the cafeteria)
April 8, 9:00 – 11:00am
(Principal’s Coffee in the Franklin Commons)
May 10, 7:00 – 8:30pm**
June 14, 7:00 – 8:30pm**
**Refreshments served at 7:00 pm and meeting begins at 7:30pm
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Useful Links
TJHSST Home Page:
http://www.tjhsst.edu
TJ PTSA website:
www.tjhsst.edu/supportingtj/ptsa
TJ Booster Organizations:
Academic Boosters:
http://academics.tjhsst.edu/aboosters/
Athletic Boosters:
www.colonialathletics.org
Band Boosters:
www.tjbands.org
Choral Boosters:
https://www.tjhsst.edu/research-academics/finearts/choir/choir-boosters.html
Crew Boosters:
www.tjcrew.org/
Orchestra Boosters:
http://tjorchestra.org
Theatre Boosters:
https://www.tjhsst.edu/research-academics/finearts/drama/drama-boosters.html
TJ Partnership Fund:
http://www.tjpartnershipfund.org
Student Government
Association (SGA)
In March, SGA kicked off the annual March Mayhem
Volleyball Tournament, a month-long competition
styled after the NCAA March Madness basketball
tournament. Students compete in teams of five for a
chance to win the title of tournament champions,
who will be determined at the final match at the
Winter and Spring Sports Pep Rally. The Winter and
Spring Sports Pep Rally is scheduled for April 8
during 8th period and will celebrate the work and
accomplishments of TJ's winter and spring athletes.
SGA has also been continuing work on the mental
health front and hosted a Youth Mental Health First
Aid Training session in conjunction with TJ Active
Minds on March 28, a teacher workday. This 8-hour
course equipped students with a basic knowledge of
mental illnesses and the skills to provide preliminary
assistance to peers, family members, and others in
the community. This course was offered in response
to significant interest from the student body, and
the SGA looks forward to the possibility of offering
more training sessions in the future.
As always, TJ SGA welcomes any questions or
feedback from the TJ community, and can be
contacted at sga.tjhsst at gmail.com, tjhsst.edu/sga,
or the TJ SGA Facebook page.
TJ Alumni Association:
http://www.tjhsstalumni.org
Other:
FCPS Blackboard:
http://fcps.blackboard.com
FCPS Keep in Touch (KIT):
http://www.fcps.edu/kit
FCPS School Board:
www.fcps.edu/schlbd
Fairfax County Supervisors:
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/board
April 2016
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Academic News
PTSA Committee Updates
Library News
Health and Wellness Committee
As research projects intensify, please let your
students know that they can receive personalized
research help from a librarian during lunch or
8th period if they sign up for “Library Study Hall.” We
also have online research guides that can be
accessed at the library website. Theses guides
contain targeted resources for specific projects in
addition to helpful suggestions on using the
resources and finding relevant information. We can
also help with pesky citation issues too! Contact the
librarians at library at tjhsst.edu for help.
C OMMUNITY E VENT
Important Note: the proxy address that students
use to access the TJ Library digital resources from
off-campus has changed. The new address, with
directions, can be found on the library’s database
page.
Students should make the change to the new proxy
address by spring break.
HOW TO RAISE AN ADULT, May 2
Advice from the former Dean of Freshmen at
Stanford University
The Safe Community Coalition of McLean is hosting
a talk by noted author Julie Lythcott-Haims on May
2 from 7:00-9:00pm at McLean High School
Auditorium. Tickets are $20 and are available
through the SCC website. Her book, How to Raise an
Adult, presents a convincing vision of overprotected,
overparented, overscheduled kids. She then offers a
smart, compassionate alternative approach for
parents who want to foster hearty self-reliance in
their children.
Serving the TJ Community
Spanish Honor Society
The Spanish Honor Society (SHS) hosted its annual
Hispanic dance Bulería on Friday, April 8, after
school. All members of the TJ community were
invited to celebrate Hispanic culture at this lively
fiesta. Attendees ate delicious snacks, learned
Hispanic dance moves, and listened to Spanish
music.
In other news, SHS is proud to announce it
welcomed 32 new members for their first general
meeting. SHS held an ice cream social for new and
old members to mingle and converse in Spanish.
These members are the future of SHS!
April 2016
Volunteer Opportunities
Nominations for TJ PTSA Executive Committee
It is that time of year when the Nominating
Committee seeks nominations for elected positions
on the TJ PTSA Executive Committee for the 2016-17
school year. Do you want to get involved and make a
difference at TJ? Do you want to keep up to date
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with what’s going on and network with others
parents, students and teachers? Then, we have a job
for you!
Per our by-laws, our current President-Elect
automatically becomes President. We welcome
Marilena Barletta as our 2016-17 PTSA President!
Please step forward and volunteer to serve as an
officer on the PTSA Executive Committee. The
positions are: President–Elect (to serve as President
for the 2017-18 year), First Vice President, Second
Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding
Secretary (which includes Volunteer Coordination)
and Treasurer. In order to provide continuity and
experience, we anticipate that perhaps 2-4 of the
current officers will serve another year in some
capacity.
Any PTSA member with the willingness and ability to
serve and provide leadership is welcome to apply.
PTSA members who want to nominate someone else
for an office may do so, with the nominee’s
permission.
Need a little more information about the positions
and responsibilities? Just click here and scroll to
page 9 for more information. If you still have
concerns about joining in, please email ptsa at
tjhsst.edu with your questions and members of the
current Executive Committee will get back to you.
Support the All Night Grad Party
The nomination form can be found here and on the
next page of this newsletter. Please send completed
forms to ptsa.correspondingsecretary at tjhsst.edu.
The nominating committee members are: Ann Carr,
Lan Fan, Jane Hsu, Siobhan Johansson, and Hilde
Kahn.
Parent Volunteers Needed as AP Exam
Proctors
May 2-13 is AP exam time for many TJ students.
PTSA is asked to provide proctors to help administer
these exams. No experience necessary! You will not
be in charge; a school counselor will be responsible.
We request that you help with passing out
materials, passing out tissues, walking around to
monitor any student needs during the exam. Time
commitment is approximately 3-4 hours, depending
upon the particular exam. Reminder that you are
not permitted to proctor an exam for which your
child is sitting. This sign up genius includes the AP
exam schedule as well as the proctoring needs. Any
questions or concerns can be addressed to Siobhan
Johansson at ptsa.correspondingsecretary at
tjhsst.edu.
Support the All Night Grad Party
&
Show Your Pride
Raffle Tickets to win a $499 driver training class –
even losing tickets are worth a $50 discount off the
purchase of the Behind-the-Wheel class (must be
purchased by June 30, 2016)!
Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20.
April 2016
Purchase a Graduation Sign
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Nomination Form for TJHSST PTSA 2016-2017
Executive Committee Positions
The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology is currently seeking candidates for six elected Parent,
Teacher, Student Association offices for the 2016 –2017 school year. Any PTSA member with the willingness and ability
to serve and provide leadership is welcome to apply. PTSA members may nominate someone else for an office with the
nominee’s permission.
Candidates are being sought for the following elected positions:
President Elect (to serve as President the 2017-2018 school year)
First Vice President
Second Vice President
Corresponding Secretary
Recording Secretary
Treasurer (position filled for the 2016-17 school year)
If you have questions about the specific duties of any of these offices, please see the PTSA bylaws
(pp. 9-12) or contact the Nominating Committee Chair at ptsa.correspondingsecretary at tjhsst.edu.
When making a nomination, complete the information below and email to ptsa.correspondingsecretary at tjhsst.edu
DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2016
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Nominee:
First Name:
Last Name:
Hometown:
Telephone Number:
Email address:
Positions you would consider (be sure to mark in order of preference all positions you would consider):
___President-Elect
___First Vice President
___Second Vice President
___Recording Secretary
___Corresponding Secretary
Qualifications, experience, interests:
Are you an officer or board member in any other organizations related to education? If yes, please list the
organization and position you will most likely hold next year:
Nominee’s Student(s) Name(s) and Year(s) of graduation:
Student’s(s’) interests/clubs:
April 2016
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TJ All Night Graduation Party
Dining for Dollars Fundraiser
Every time you eat at any Glory Days Grill location between February 19 and April 15, 2016, Glory Days Grill will
contribute 10% of the total food and beverages purchased to TJ’s 2016 All Night Graduation Party (ANGP)!
That's right! Not just one night at one location, but for 8 golden weeks at any
Glory Days you can find -- and there are a lot of 'em.
Just ask for the itemized copy of your guest check (not the charge card receipt) and drop it off in the collection
box in the main office. Note that the 10% donation will not apply to sales tax or to guest checks that receive any
coupon-specific discount or promotional certificate. Find a convenient location, and get more details on the
Dining for Dollars Rules here.
The ANGP is a HUGE celebration in honor of our TJ graduates. It is designed to provide a safe, fun environment
for the entire class to celebrate their completion of four years of hard work and study. So enjoy some tasty food
with your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers and help give our grads the party of a lifetime! Questions?
Call Marilena Barletta 703-980-2787.
$$ TJ Free Money Program $$
Spring is here! Don’t forget to shop at stores that reward TJPTSA such as Amazon. When you shop at
Amazon.com using this special link TJPTSA earns 4-15% of most purchases! The more books, songs, magazines,
clothes, electronics, groceries, and more bought in a month, the higher the percentage TJPTSA earn. To make this
really easy, set up a bookmark so you can access the link quickly! So don’t miss this opportunity to show your
support for TJ and earn rewards for TJPTSA.
Other participating stores include Target, Office Depot, Verizon, Giant, peapod, Harris Teeter, Safeway. For
details, please visit our TJPTSA website or use this link.
Thank you for your support!
Your Free Money coordinator,
Adriane Assang
adriane_assang at yahoo.com
April 2016
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Parent Information Relating to Special Education
All these opportunities are FREE unless noted.
The FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC) helps parents of students with disabilities. It sponsors workshops, has a
lending library, and has parent liaisons to help parents solve problems. English: 703-204-3941; Español: 703-204-3955.
Adapted Sports and Recreation Guide
List of Special Needs Summer Camps 2016
Vision 2016, April 5, 3:30-6:00pm, Northern Virginia Community College, 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. An
opportunity for students with disabilities to learn about NVCC campuses, including presentations from Disability
Services, a mock NVCC classroom experience, and a current student panel Q&A. Flyer & Registration
FCPS 11th Annual Special Education Conference, Saturday, April 9, 8:00am-2:30pm, Hayfield Secondary School, 7630
Telegraph Rd., Alexandria. Attend this conference to learn the latest in special education. Choose from over 40
workshops and many exhibits. Register now.
iCan Bike After School Program, a week-long program at 10 different FCPS Middle Schools during April, May or June.
Ambulatory students with disabilities (ages 8 and older) learn to ride two-wheel bicycles by using adapted bicycles, a
specialized instructional program, and trained staff. Student volunteers help. More information here.
Youth and Young Adults: Stronger Together, alternate Tuesdays until May 2016 (April 5 & 19), 6:30 - 8:00pm in Fairfax.
Sponsored by Formed Families Forward, this peer-to-peer support group for youth ages 14 - 22 meets twice a month
through May. Parents, caregivers and guardians have their own meeting at the same time in the same building. Light
dinner of pizza and salad will be served. Register here or (703) 539-2904.
2e: Twice exceptional! April 5, 7:00-8:00pm, Carder Rock Swim & Tennis Club, 8200 Hamilton Spring Ct., Bethesda,
MD. Screening of the award winning documentary about highly gifted high school students with learning disabilities as
they overcome significant challenges. $10; purchase tickets.
The Brain and School Success: An Introduction to Executive Functioning Skills, April 6, 7:00-8:30pm, 4031 University
Dr., Fairfax (enter on South St.). This interactive workshop will look at brain development, twelve executive function
skills, and various tools and strategies to compensate for those that are not yet fully developed. Register; $10 for
adults; $0 for teens with paying parent.
Tools for Helping Children with Executive Dysfunction Become More Independent and Effective, April 6, 7:30-9:00pm,
The Lab School, 4759 Reservoir Rd., NW, Washington. This presentation will help you identify when a child is unable,
not just unwilling, to do a task, thus alerting you to provide accommodations, teach new skills, and use alternative
strategies. Register or 202-965-6600.
FCPS 11th Annual Special Education Conference, April 9, 8:00am-2:30pm, Hayfield Secondary School, 7630 Telegraph
Rd., Alexandria. Attend this FREE conference to learn the latest in special education. Choose from over 40 workshops
and many exhibits. Register.
A Day in the Life of a Dyslexic Chef! April 10, 11:00am-1:00pm, Clyde’s at Mark Center, 1700 N. Beauregard St.,
Alexandria. At this MoreThanDyslexics event, Executive Chef Robert McGowan will show us how his team can prepare
and serve 1,000 meals a day. As with all MTD events, adult supervision is required. RSVP by April 6: eve... at
orethandyslexics.com .
Flash Forward! Post-Secondary Education & Employment Options, April 12, 7:00-9:00pm, Woodson High School
Cafeteria, 9525 Main Street, Fairfax. Learn about supported employment, competitive employment, and postsecondary education for students with disabilities. Register here.
Accessibility Summit: A Conference of the Special Needs Community, April 15 & 16, McLean Bible Church, 8925
Leesburg Pike, Vienna. Over 40 workshops and 50 exhibitors on numerous topics, products, and services for those in
the special needs community. $135 + Register.
April 2016
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Parenting For Independence: Realistic Expectations and Tools for Fostering Age Appropriate Autonomy from
Kindergarten through High School, April 20, 7:30-8:30pm, The Auburn School, 3800 Concorde Pkwy., Suite 500,
Chantilly. Learn appropriate expectations for autonomy across different ages, and how to help kids with ASD become
independent. Technology tools will be included. Registration required.
Wings For All, April 23, 8:00am, Dulles International Airport. This airport rehearsal provides families with a child with
a significant disability an opportunity to practice going through security and boarding a plane. Airport personnel also
practice their skills. Register. Questions: 703 208-1119 x112
ABLE Accounts, Special Needs Trusts, & Financial Planning, May 2, 7:30-9:00pm, Community Rm B, McLean Bible
Church, 8925 Leesburg Pk., Vienna. Jessica Pannell, attorney, will present information on long term planning for
individuals with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities. RSVP appreciated but not required:
erin.roundtree at mcleanbible.org or 703-770-2938.
Introduction to Special Education, May 3, 7:00-9:00pm, FCPS Parent Resource Center, 2334 Gallows Rd., Entr. 1, Dunn
Loring. This workshop will help parents understand the special education process, build a network of support,
collaborate with school staff, and develop an understanding of how to help their child. Registration required or 703
941-5788.
Mind in the Making - Self-Directed, Engaged Learning, May 6, 10:00am-12:30pm, Parent Resource Center, 2334
Gallows Rd., Entr. 1, Dunn Loring. Learn strategies for improving this skill, the importance of it in children's lives, and
activities to promote the skill at home. Bring your lunch and stay until 1:30pm to learn more. Registration required or
703 941-5788.
Coping Strategies for Anxious Children Ages 8 – 17: What Parents Need to Know, May 13, 10:00am-noon, Parent
Resource Center, 2334 Gallows Rd., Entr. 1, Dunn Loring. This presentation will cover the science and biological roots
of anxiety, how to change anxious thinking, and current treatment options, including medications and cognitive
behavioral therapy. Register or 703 941-5788.
Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool! Session 4, May 20, 10:00am-noon, Parent Resource Center, 2334 Gallows
Rd., Entr. 1, Dunn Loring. Put your own oxygen mask on first to become the cool, calm, connected parent your child
really needs to develop the mutually respectful, cooperative, and loving relationship that you crave with your child.
Registration required or 703 941-5788.
CHADD: Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Alexandria Parent Support meets the 4th Monday each month, 6:30-7:30pm, Aldersgate UM Church, 1301
Collingwood Rd., Alexandria. Contact: Jenny adhdparentmountvernon at gmail.com.
West Fairfax CHADD Parent Support Group meets each 2nd & last Thursday at 7:30pm (March 10 & 31), Fairfax
Church of Christ, 3901 Rugby Road, Fairfax. Contact: Sharon clintob at aol.com.
Oakton ADHD Parent Group meets on the 4th Tuesday each month at 7:30 pm, Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven
Place. Contact: Maureen Gill maureen at adhdcoachforparents.com
Support Group for High School Students with ADHD meets the first Sunday of each month 3:30-5:00pm, 4031
University Dr., Fairfax, enter on South St. No parents! Call 703-403-3335 to enter the building. Contact: coach at
BrainRelief.org (703) 641-8940.
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness builds better lives for those affected by mental illness.
Family Support Groups
OCD Family Support Group, 1st Monday of each month, 7:30pm, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 4000 Lorcom Lane,
Arlington. Contact: 202-215-5859 or familygroupocd at verizon.net.
April 2016
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THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
CAMPAIGN FOR TJ // LEADING THE FUTURE
Got the Latest TJ News? Get Newsworthy!
Did you know that the Partnership Fund (PF) sends a quarterly newsletter out via Constant Contact to all current parents,
many past parents, and all alumni for whom we have contact information? Gmail labels as “promotional” all Constant Contact
emails, and we don’t want anyone to miss out on the latest TJ news. So in case you missed the March issue of Newsworthy,
here’s recap, with links:
• ’04 Alum Brings Investing to the People: One of the hottest start-ups in Silicon Valley is an alumni-founded company with
an app that aims to shake up Wall Street. Its name says it all: Robinhood.
• Senior & Recent Grad Author (Enormous) Physics Book: In their spare time, a TJ senior and a 2015 alum wrote a 650page book on Mechanics geared toward motivated high-school students that includes over 250 figures and over 200
challenging problems.
• ’01 Alum, TJ Junior Win School Board Seats: Meet Dalia Palchik, TJ '01, Providence District's new representative to the
FCPS School Board, and Laura Chu, TJ '17, the Board's next Student Representative.
• TJ Students Teach Everyone to Code (and a Lot More): Everybody Code Now, Project CODEt, HackTJ, STEMWISE,
STEMbassadors -- many afternoons and most weekends TJ students are teaching, tutoring, and motivating other
students.
• TJPF Hosts School’s First Internship Fair: Great turnout of companies and students shows tremendous promise as an
annual event.
• TJPF Awards Grants to TJ Clubs & Teams: See which clubs and teams were the first Community Grant recipients.
• Greg Myers, School Psychologist, Is this Issue’s “Alum Who Never Left”: Learn about this special alum and how he helps
TJ students take care of themselves and each other.
• Recent Alumni Reunions & Events: Alumni Day, ’00, ’05, ’10 Reunions, Bay Area Meet-up
• School, Students, Alumni in the News: If Newsworthy doesn’t satisfy your need for TJ news, you can read what the
Washington Post has to say about us!
The Partnership Fund invited the entire TJ community to the newly opened Nobel Commons for a joyful celebration of the
completion of Phase Two of TJ’s renovation. Read about the renovation and the March 10 Dome Celebration.
– Happy Spring! From your friends at the Partnership Fund, TJ’s non-profit foundation
April 2016
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April 2016
There are just 11 short weeks left before graduation, and the All Night Graduation Party Committee would like to
highlight some of the ways that you can help support ANGP. We are only half way to our budget goals, so we need
immediate school-wide support if we are going to make this party a memorable and successful event. Click on the
links below to see what you can do:
Senior Parents:
PURCHASE A TICKET Just over 200 students have purchased tickets for ANGP. In past years over 90% of the class
attends, so if you have not already done so, please buy a ticket. Tickets will not be sold the day of the event, so
make sure your child is not left out! Tickets are $125.
SUBMIT YOUR SENIOR”S TODDLER PHOTO Submit your child’s toddler photo to tjbabyphotos2016 at gmail.com.
Please include your son or daughter's full name and nickname in your email. The photos will be used for a contest
during ANGP.
PURCHASE A TJ GRADUATION SIGN to place in your front yard for $25.
All Parents:
I DRIVE SMART RAFFLE Is your child ready for a Behind-the-Wheel driving class? ANGP has partnered with I Drive
Smart to raffle off a Behind-the-Wheel driver training class worth $499. I Drive Smart is the only local driver
education school where 100% of the instructors are active-duty or retired police officers. Tickets are $5 each or 5
for $20. Even losing tickets are worth $50 off the purchase of the Behind-the-Wheel class (must be purchased by
June 30, 2016)!
VOLUNTEER and RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS This is a big event, and we still need over 300 volunteers! The earlier you
pick your volunteer slot, the better the choice of times and volunteer duties. We have recently added Friday, June
17, 5:00pm decorating slots. We are especially in need of underclassmen parents to work the Security detail
during the party.
MAKE A DONATION to the ANGP All donations are tax-deductible and go directly to defray the costs of the party.
All donors will be recognized on the ANGP 2016 website under Donor Recognition and on the Donor Wall of
Recognition at the ANGP in June.
GLORY DAYS GRILL FUNDRAISER Every time you eat at ANY Glory Days Grill location between now and April 15,
2016, Glory Days will contribute 10% of the total food and beverages purchased to ANGP! Just ask for the itemized
copy of your guest check (not the charge card receipt) and drop it off in the collection box in the main office.
GIFT CARD DONATIONS Have extra GIFT CARDS you might not use? We can use them – they are great prizes.
Donations can be left in the ANGP Mailbox in the Main Office.
Questions? Contact Co-Chairs Marilena Barletta or Jane Hsu tj2016angp at gmail.com
April 2016
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Class News
2017 – Juniors
Happy spring, junior families! We hope that you all
had a restful spring break.
Thanks to all who sent in pies and other
contributions and to those who helped at or ran in
the PiMiler Race. It was a very fun event!
As noted in previous years, due to the constraints
that construction places on fundraising, we will be
collecting class dues. A big thank you to those of
you who paid the dues for the past 2 years! (If you
are wondering if you already paid this school year,
you did not – this is the first time we are asking for
dues from the juniors.) As a reminder, our class will
continue to hold small fundraisers – including the
PiMiler – but rather than needing a large donation
from each family at the end of next year, we are
requesting a $25 class dues payment from each
family each school year, and are asking for your
payment for junior year at this time. Additional
donations are welcome!
Please make check payable to TJHSST Class of 2017
and include your student's full name in the subject
line. Please mail payment to:
Thomas Jefferson HS for Science and
Technology
ATTN: Brian Field
6560 Braddock Road
Alexandria, VA 22312
Thank you very much for your dues payment and
again, please make out your check to TJHSST Class
of 2017 so that it can be properly credited to our
class fund. Thanks for your support of the class of
2017!
Ann Carr and Lan Fan
2017 Parent Liaisons
mandacarr at msn.com
fanlan at hotmail.com
April 2016
2018 – Sophomores
Happy Spring, everyone! We hope that everybody
had a relaxing Spring Break and that students are
ready to tackle the fourth quarter.
iNite. We’re very excited to have iNite this coming
Saturday, April 2, at GMU. iNite, which stands for
International Night, is one of TJ’s largest and wellattended events. It’s a great tradition which
showcases TJ’s diverse community, student
creativity, and school spirit. Good luck to the
performers!
Help! All Night Grad Party (ANGP) is a volunteerintensive event, and there are still many spots to be
filled. Senior parents need the help of the Junior,
Sophomore, and Freshman parents to set up the
party while they are at their children’s graduation. In
two years’ time, this will be us, begging for help
from the other parents to come and aid us make
ANGP a memorable night for the TJ graduates. If you
can find time to lend a hand on Saturday, June 18,
here’s the link. Thanks!
Summer school? Summer school registration is
already open. Here’s the link. The big question,
however, is whether or not it’s absolutely necessary
for your child to take summer school. For many
students, it isn’t. But for those who wish to attend
the higher level STEM classes, like those post-AP
math classes, only offered here at TJ, while pursuing
four years of electives, like orchestra and journalism,
summer school may be the only way.
Students graduating from TJ complete 26 credits to
qualify for the TJHSST Diploma. That’s four more
than the total number of credits required for a
Standard Diploma (22). Here’s a link for more info
on the TJ Diploma. And here’s another link to a
YouTube podcast explaining “TJ Four Year Plan for
2015 and Beyond.”
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For your calendars:
Saturday, April 2: iNite, 1:00 and 7:00pm, GMU
Thursday, April 21: 2 Hour Early Release
Friday, April 22: Student Holiday
Your 2018 Class Liaisons,
Nancy Yang and Clarissa Maribojoc
2018 Parent Liaisons
chaonanyang at gmail.com
mom2patmatt at gmail.com
2019 – Freshmen
We hope everybody had a safe and fun Spring Break
and is ready for the last three months of freshman
year!
Last month, our students submitted their course
selections for the 2016-2017 school year. If summer
classes at Woodson High School are part of your
student’s plans, be sure to register here as soon as
possible as summer school spots are on a first come,
first served basis. Registration for online summer
classes is also now available here.
The Class of 2019 is responsible for raising about
$45,000 over the next four years. This money is used
to pay for the graduation ceremony venue (George
Mason University’s Patriot Center), senior prom, and
other graduation expenses. Each class organizes
events throughout the year to help raise funds —
and we need parent support to make these events a
success! How can you help?
• Donate prizes, such as gift cards, electronics,
event tickets, etc., that can be used in raffles or
other contests.
• Reach out to business you know (or maybe your
own company) to see if they are interested in
receiving free promotion in exchange for being
an event sponsor.
• If you own or know a printing company, donate
or provide discounted printing for Class of 2019
Spirit Wear.
• Volunteer at class-organized fundraising events.
The primary Class of 2019 fundraising event for this
year will be the Freshmen Lock-In, an overnight
April 2016
event where students can hang out and bond with
their classmates over games, movies, food, and
other teenage “stuff.” The Freshmen Lock-In will
take place in May, with more details on location,
timing, and tickets to come. However, to make the
Freshmen Lock-In (and other Class of 2019
fundraising events) successful, we’ll need parent
support! Please consider contributing to the event
itself, having your child attend, or sign up to be a
volunteer for the Lock-In (more details and sign-up
information to come).
If you would like to make a donation, have your
student drop it off in Trailer N or with one of the
faculty sponsors — Mr. Carey or Ms. Jirari-Scafotto.
Donations are tax deductible.
The next PTSA meeting will be on Friday, April 8, at
9:00 – 11:00am in the Franklin Commons. Light
refreshments will be available, and the meeting will
start at 9:15am.
Got photos? We’re always collecting photos of the
class of 2019 — both from the school year and over
the summer. Photos over the next four years will
come in handy when we’re preparing for the All
Night Graduation Party and other senior events.
We’ve created a Shutterfly Share site for the class of
2019 (TJ Class of 2019) where you can post and
share photos on a protected site. You’ll need to
create an account (or use an existing one) in order to
access the site — and then feel free to post photos
in either an existing or new folder. If you have any
problems joining the site, email us at TJHSST2019 at
hotmail.com and we’ll add you as a member.
How can you stay connected with the class of 2019
parents? Join the TJ Class of 2019 Parents Facebook
page to ask questions, find out about upcoming
events, and general information about TJ! You can
also email us at TJHSSST2019 at hotmail.com.
Please contact us with questions or if you’d like to
help volunteer or support class fundraising efforts!
The Class of 2019 appreciates your support!
Class of 2019 Class Liaisons Deb Carstoiu, Julie Cox,
and Sylvia Suresh TJHSST2019 at hotmail.com
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TJ Boosters
ACADEMIC BOOSTERS
The election year excitement noticeably picked up in
March, as the results of primaries in numerous states
winnowed down the presidential nominees from both
major parties into establishment and anti-establishment
candidates. As in election years past, however, the
quality of the debates among them appears to be in the
eye of the beholder.
By contrast, the piling successes of TJ’s numerous public
speaking and debate teams show that the performance
of their members is of consistently high quality. See
their many outstanding achievements below! We also
cover the wonderful accomplishments of some
Olympiad teams as well as those of the Chess and
Computer teams.
Want to support our teams so they continue to fulfill
their true potential? It’s not too late to become an
Academic Boosters member; you can join easily online
here! Your contribution may be matched by your
employer, which means that it will be automatically
doubled!
CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD
Early in March, the International Olympiad changed its
location from Pakistan to Georgia. So now there will be
a boot camp in June, and the top four national students
will compete internationally this July. Among the
students who competed in the Local Chemistry
Olympiad Exam on March 4th were Arvind Srinivasan,
Katherine Cheng, Ben Pioso, Millan Welman, Kevin Xu,
and Alex Peng, who were selected to compete last
month because the local chapter expanded its limit of
contestants per school to 20. Congratulations to Aadith
Vittala and Joyce Tian, our top two scorers! They have
progressed to the Chemistry Olympiad National
Examination on April 22 at the Germantown Campus of
Montgomery College!
CHESS TEAM
The TJ Chess Team competed in the Virginia State Chess
and Blitz Chess Championships, which were held at Rock
Ridge HS in Ashburn from March 4 to the 6.
April 2016
The TJ Blitz Team performed well, placing 2nd!
Camden Wiseman, Isuru Attanagoda, and Akhil Goel,
respectively, showed their immense skill by placing
7th, 10th, and 13th overall out of 50 people! The Blitz
team also included Ben Lyons, Pranav Karthik, Perry
Feng, Jesse Cai, Nikhil Ramachandran, Rahil Shah,
Andrew Jiao, and Robin Park. Many seniors came this
year to blitz after not playing for years, showing their
love for chess.
The Main Event lasted two days with four long
matches on Saturday and two on Sunday. Players
competed in games of chess that lasted up to 3.5
hours. As usual, TJ sent more players than any other
school. Thirty-two TJ students played in the Main
Event: Isuru Attanagoda, Camden Wiseman, Ben
Lyons, Aaryan Balu, Perry Feng, Joie Wang, Akshaj
Kadeveru, Andrew Jiao, Akhil Goel, Meredith Lee,
Andrew Song, Jnanadeep Dandu, Maxwell Lee,
Pranav Karthik, James Kuang, Ajith Kemisetti, Rachel
Naidich, Evan Lin, Minwu Kim, Adityasai Koneru,
Rahil Shah, Emerson Berlik, Robin Park, Jeffrey
Wang, Christina Schieble, Edward Sun, Jerry Huang,
Daniel Yang, Akshith Peyyala, Charles Huang, and
Amit Joshi.
The tournament ended with the powerhouse TJ team
taking home their 18th consecutive state
championship! The team’s top scorer was Isuru
Attanagoda, who tied for 2nd place with 5.0/6 points!
Several people from the team tied for 8th place with
4.5/6 points, including Camden Wiseman, Ben Lyons,
Aaryan Balu, Perry Feng, and Joie Wang.
Furthermore, a number of team members received
awards for performing exceptionally well for their
rating. Minwu Kim had the best score (3.0/6 points)
for a person who had never played in a chess
tournament. Andrew Jiao had the best score (4.0/6
points) for a person with less than 1200 rating points.
Overall, we had a great year again at States.
Congratulations to our team for doing so well! And
congratulations to Dr. Peter Gabor, our sponsor, for
receiving the 2016 Virginia Coach of the Year Award
again and for placing 2nd in the Parents and Friends
Section!
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None of this could have been possible without the
generous help of Academic Boosters. They have
supported us for so many years, and we are
extremely grateful! We also would like to thank our
chess parents, especially Yuyan Zhou and Wei Feng,
who have helped us the past few years in all aspects
of planning the trips and supporting us at
tournaments!
COMPUTER TEAM
The Intermediate Computer Team participated in
the 2016 IDT Automated Software Testing Contest
for High School Students. TJHSST Team 1 (Haicheng)
of Charles Zhao (Junior) and Eric Wang (Junior) was
a finalist for the presentation award (top picture)
and won first place overall in the competition
(bottom picture)!
poetry and dramatic performance to
extemporaneous speaking and original oratory.
Congratulations to Thomas Mecherikunnel, 2nd in
Extemporaneous Speaking (Extemp) at the Broad
Run Invitational Tournament. Congratulations to our
WACFL Metrofinals competitors who qualified for
the NCFL Grand Nationals Tournament: Thomas
Mecherikunnel, 3rd in Extemp; Louise Hicks, 2nd in
Declamation; Victoria Bevard, 4th in Extemp; and
Minna Kuriakose, AQ in Declamation. We also
congratulate Victoria Bevard as the 1st place WACFL
Metrofinalist in Impromptu Speaking. Thomas
Jefferson HSST was the VHSL Conference Champion.
Our entire VHSL Team advanced to the Regional
level. Congratulations to Matthew Sun (1st in
Original Oratory), Virginia Sun (2nd in Original
Oratory), Colleen Choi (1st in Prose), Christina Blake
(2nd in Poetry), Deepika Gudavalli (3rd in Poetry),
Sachin Jain (1st in Impromptu Speaking), Thomas
Mecherikunnel (1st in Extemp), and Sai Mada (2nd in
Extemp), as well as our Humorous Duo Teams of
Julie Lee/Tara Prakash (2nd place) and Vikash
Kumar/Siddartha Edara (3rd place). At the VHSL
Regional Tournament, we congratulate the following
students who advanced to the VHSL State
Tournament: Thomas Mecherikunnel, 1st in Extemp;
Virginia Sun, 2nd in Original Oratory; and Christina
Blake, 2nd in Poetry. We also congratulate Sai Mada,
who was 4th place call-up in Extemp.
LINCOLN-DOUGLAS (LD) DEBATE AND
PUBLICE FORUM (PF) DEBATE
FORENSICS SPEECH
The Forensics Speech Team practices and develops
public speaking skills, competing at a variety of local
and national tournaments with events ranging from
April 2016
TJLD and TJPF Debate teams had two important
competitions since the last report.
On February 20, many of our younger debaters went
to the Spartan Invitational Snowzilla Redux
Tournament at Broad Run HS in Ashburn. Freshman
Hana Yu earned 3rd place speaker in JV and
sophomore Amitesh Kotwal was 1st place speaker in
Varsity. In JV, freshmen Shresta Bangaru, Yukta
Chidanadan, and Yu received 3rd, 2nd, and 1st places,
respectively, overall. In Varsity, sophomores Shreya
Chappidi and Kotwal received 3rd and 1st places
overall, respectively. TJ won the Sweepstakes award
for best overall LD team performance.
TJ went to the regional WACFL Metrofinals
competition on March 4 and 5 at Dominion HS in
Sterling, the last of the five WACFL competitions
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after which the top-ranked players move on. We
succeeded in placing three Varsity debaters among
the six who qualified for the NCFL, the national
competition that takes place in Sacramento, CA, in
May. Senior Jay Gupta, senior Aneesh Reddy, and
junior Aakash Shukla placed 4th, 5th, and 6th,
respectively. In JV, Chidanandan placed 3rd and
freshman Grace Qi placed 6th in a highly competitive
JV pool. For their performance all season, TJ debaters
took home the annual Sweepstakes award.
Respectfully submitted,
Naman Baraya, LD Publicist; Srijith Poduval, PF
Publicist; Jennifer Seavey, LD/PF Sponsor
MODEL UNITED NATIONS
TJHSST Model United Nations
VIMUNC III 2016
Conference Awards List
TJ Public Forum also had an impressive performance
in Metrofinals on March 11 and 12 at Loudoun
County HS in Leesburg (see picture above). In JV, TJ
took home the top two spots. The team of
sophomores Ann Mathew and Juhi Gudavalli took
2nd place and the team of sophomores Maddie Min
and Meghana Boojala took 1st place. In Varsity, the
team of seniors Srikar Kosuri and Pranav Gulati
received 6th place; seniors Jeffrey Xia and Sahaj
Sharda took 4th place; and seniors Kiran Girish and
Sahana Ramani took 3rd place. As did the LD teams,
the PF teams took home the annual Sweepstakes
award.
The greatest honor of the season from WACFL is the
All Debate Teams Sweepstakes, and TJ claimed this
very large trophy for the second straight year. This
award honors LD, PF, Policy, and Student Congress
Debate teams for scoring more points than any other
school team. We wish to thank all the parents who
helped judge during the season.
Now, it’s on to the VHSL Conference on March 15,
Regionals on March 19, and States in April. Also, we’ll
be at the Nationals on May 28 and 29 in Sacramento,
CA. It’s been an amazing season for our hard-working
officers and team debaters.
April 2016
TJHSST Model United Nations (TJMUN) had another
distinguished performance at the third annual
Virginia Invitational Model United Nations
Conference, hosted by Langley HS on March 11 and
12. Several student delegates on our team received
individual awards and TJMUN received the
Secretary General’s Award for Best Large
Delegation.
Disarmament and International Security
Committee
● Outstanding: Ally Nakamura & Kiran Ganeshan
(United States of America)
● Honorable: Raghav Saravanan & MiJin Cho
(Belgium)
● Honorable: Jennifer Hernandez & Vikrant
Magadi (Kuwait)
● Verbal: Kathryn Yang & Saagar Sheth (Portugal)
United Nations Children’s Fund
● Honorable: Robert Greene & Mahesh Menon
(Kuwait)
● Verbal: Audrey Huang & Jessica Wang (United
States of America)
● Verbal: Mithra Dhinakaran & Nira Harikrishnan
(Portugal)
Legal Committee
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●
Outstanding: Artemiz Veizi & Otilia Danalache
(United States of America)
● Honorable: Stuthi Iyer & Naman Rai (Belgium)
● Honorable: Shreya Kurdukar & Shreya Vinjamuri
(Kuwait)
● Verbal: Akhil Rekulapelli & Shreyas Angara
(Portugal)
The International Criminal Police Organization
● Honorable: Atharv Gupta & Pari Parajuli (United
States of America)
● Honorable: Annie Wang & Shivam Gandhi (Belgium)
● Honorable: Michelle Liang & Lance Nguyen (Kuwait)
World Leaders Think Tank
● Outstanding: Cheryl Mensah (Barack Obama)
Constitutional Convention 2020
● Gavel: Amritha Justin (Former Secretary of State,
John Kerry)
NBA Board of Executives
● Honorable: Shreya Wadehra (Mark Cuban, Dallas
Mavericks)
European Central Bank
● Gavel: Shivam Kollur (Portugal)
● Outstanding: Gautam Ramanathan (Belgium)
JCC Imperialist Nations: Netherlands
● Gavel: Alex Lewis (Jan Pieterszoon Coen)
JCC Imperialist Nations: Portugal
● Outstanding: Chitra Kokkirala (Head Captain of the
Navy)
● Verbal: Dan Qi (Minister of Indigenous Affairs)
CDC Biological Warfare
● Outstanding: Aidan San (Kevin Karem, Associate
Director for Laboratory Science)
● Verbal: David Yan (Sussan Ley, Australian Minister of
Health and Aged Care)
Falkland Islands
● Gavel: Richa Gupta (Francis Pym, Secretary of State
for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs)
● Outstanding: Rounak Das (Brian Pennicott, Colonel)
United Nations Security Council, 1950
● Gavel: Abhi Chadha (United States of America)
● Verbal: Ishaan Dey (South Africa)
Conclusion
Verbal Commendation: 7
Honorable Mention: 9
Outstanding Delegate: 7
Gavel - Best Delegate: 5
Secretary General’s Award for Best Large Delegation TJMUN
April 2016
SCIENCE OLYMPIAD
TJ Science Olympiad competed in the Virginia
Science Olympiad Regional tournament at Marshall
HS on Saturday, March 12. The three TJ teams won
1st, 2nd, and 4th place, and TJ won 1st place overall.
The TJ team members worked incredibly hard and
earned many medals in their respective events. TJ
Science Olympiad is now looking forward to the
State competition at the University of Virginia!
STUDENT CONGRESS
The Student Congress Team competes in local and
national tournaments in a public speaking
competition modeled after the U.S. Congress.
Students write legislation and debate the pros and
cons of the legislation with a focus on both speaking
and debate skills. Congratulations to Victoria
Bevard, who placed 3rd at the Harvard Invitational
Tournament, and Kaleb Marioghae, who came in 5th
at the Broad Run Invitational Tournament. We also
congratulate Sharon Liu, who advanced to the Broad
Run Supersession. At WACFL 5, Virginia Sun placed
2nd and qualified for the Metrofinals. We
congratulate Victoria Bevard, who placed 1st in the
Arlington Diocese at the WACFL Metrofinals
Tournament, qualified for the NCFL Grand Nationals
Tournament, and took 1st place in the Metrofinals
Supersession. Victoria was awarded the Best
Speaker Gavel for the 2016 Metrofinals. The Team is
now preparing for our VHSL Regional Tournament.
The team practices on Fridays during 8th period and
welcomes new members.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE……VOLUNTEER!
Community Service Trip to the Dominican Republic
after school ends and before summer school
begins. Want a tremendous opportunity to engage
in a meaningful service-learning activity with a
unique cultural experience? Want to walk down the
streets where Spanish Conquerors walked? Then
join Sra. Pou from June 25h through July 3 on a
community service/history trip to the Dominican
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Republic. Every year we conduct a boys and girls
sports camp and perform community service as
needed throughout the area. Come join the hard
work and the fun! For more information contact
Sra. Pou at: alexandra.pou at fcps.edu.
Debbie Dong - Violin, Andrew Nam - Violin, Jason
Zhou - Violin, Jennifer Steele - Viola, Andrew Jiao Cello, and Jayant Subramanian - Cello.
Mark your calendars for the last performance of the
TJ Orchestras, to be held on Friday, June 3, at
7:00pm in Gym1. Senior recognitions take place that
night, and if tradition follows, there will be a slide
show of highlights from the year. This will be a great
time to hear these wonderful musicians and to see
the Seniors take their final TJ orchestra bows. Save
the date and join us for this final concert of the
year! If you have any questions or comments, feel
free to contact the Orchestra Boosters anytime at
tjorchboosters at gmail.com.
TJ THEATRE BOOSTERS
ORCHESTRA BOOSTERS
Both of TJ’s orchestras performed at the State
Orchestra Assessment held on March 17 at
Robinson Secondary. Philharmonia received
Superior ratings for their performances of "Jupiter
from the Planets" by Holst (arr. Monday),
"Bagatelle Op. 47, No. 5" by Dvorak (arr. Sieving),
and America's Cup by Silva. Symphonia received
Superior ratings for their Sight reading as well as
performances of "Octet in Eb Major, Op. 20"
Movements 2, 1 and 4 by Mendelssohn.
Congratulations to Maestro Allison Bailey and the
students for their hard work!
TJ Theatre is staging "Connected," a play for teen
and older audiences in four pieces by Lia Romeo." In
a world where we are all constantly connected to
the internet, and via the internet to one another,
why do so many people still feel so alone?" Explore
these important themes at the TJ Black Box Theatre,
Friday & Saturday, April 29 & 30. Tickets on-sale
here, info posted here. Are you a TJ Theatre fan?
Want to become a Booster? Join us every 4th
Monday of the month, 7:00pm in the Black Box next meeting: April 25.
Congratulations to the students listed below who
made it into All-State Orchestra 2016. Their
concert will be held April 7-9 at George Mason
University.TJ Participants are Jillian Khoo -Violin,
April 2016
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BAND BOOSTERS
SAX-A-THON extended! February & March Citrus
sales are cancelled due to unfavorable weather
conditions in Florida impacting the quality and
availability of citrus. Please help the Band program
offset this loss in revenue by making a donation
online. Thanks for your support!
The TJ Drumline and Winter Guard have launched
into a great season! The drum line had a successful
first performance of their show, "The Portraits of
India" at Mount Vernon, placing second behind
Chantilly HS. They performed in Richmond, VA,
on March 12 at the Virginia Winterguard
International (WGI) Regional competition, the TJ
Winter Showcase at South County HS on March 19,
and will be competing again at Robinson Secondary
School for the Atlantic Indoor Assoc. championships
on April 2, and finally at Wright State Univ. and Univ.
of Dayton in Dayton, OH, from April 14 through
15 for the WGI World Championships.
Showcase was a huge success! Thank you to everyone
who came out and helped out with this very
important night! Both the TJWG and TJDL had a very
successful run of their shows. TJDL performed their
show “The Portraits of India” (photo). TJWG
performed “Magnolia” (photo). The night was an
overall success. Thank you once again!
Color Guard Co-Captains Kevin Chaplin and Bernice
Wu are leading a great Color Guard Season thus
far. Performing their show, "Magnolia," the group
placed second at their first competition at Mount
Vernon High School on February 13. In addition to
local Northern Virginia shows, the group will be
competing in Norfolk, VA, and Dayton, OH, for the
World Guard International (WGI) through the end of
the season on April 9. Be sure to come see the Color
Guard at the TJ-hosted Winter Showcase on March
19 at South Country High School and be on the lookout for the special Color Guard performance at this
year's I-Nite. The group’s show “Magnolia”(photo
attached) has been a huge success so far!
The Jazz Band had a very successful night at Chantilly
Jazz Fest! The group performed superbly and received
an excellent rating!
April 2016
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Both curricular groups, the Symphonic Band and
the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, had a great night
at their assessments. Both groups performed their
programs in front of judges at Centerville High
School and got over all Superiors. The Symphonic
Wind Ensemble got straight Superiors for the whole
program.
Thanks to all the families that donated to the Saxa-thon!
THANK YOU!
Jun Wu & Lan Fan
Andy & Barbara Rudin
Yujin Cummings
Junghyo & Oksana Yoon
The Naide Family
The Capozzi Family
The Etemad Family
The Pasquerella Family
Maria Proestou & Savana Hadjipanteli
The Richardson Family
Hao Traiger
Curtis Young
The Burns Family
The Maskeri Family
The Marcantonio Family
The Diaz Family
The Woglom Family
The Browne Family
The Wu Family
The Cox Family
The Gersony Family
Johanna & Steve Mace
The Zhou Family
The Everhart Family
COLONIAL ATHLETIC
BOOSTERS (CAB)
VARSITY SOFTBALL
Under Head Coach Mike Hrabak and Assistant
Coach Meg Sandstrom the Lady Colonials got their
season off to a great start with a big 20-8 win over
J.E.B. Stuart on March 18. Captain Allie Roush got
the Colonials on the scoreboard early with an RBI
double in the first inning, the first of her four RBIs
on four hits. Lauren Berry swung a big bat with
three hits including a home run, and Marie Jones
flashed power with a triple. Speedsters Ally
Nakamura and Helen Ngov created lots of
opportunities by swiping four bags each and scored
a combined five runs. Holly Frank added to the
strong offense by scoring a run. Diana Zavela
pitched all five innings and helped herself by scoring
three runs. She was backed by a strong defense that
turned two double plays, anchored by infielders
Grace Stewart, Neha Damaraju, and Sarah Crossen.
Mehran Sajjad and Molly Schindler also
contributed on defense. Rounding out the varsity
squad is Ghnana Madeneni. Unfortunately Captain
An Smith was scratched from the lineup with an
injury just before game time, the team hopes for a
speedy recovery in time for a full schedule of
exciting conference play in April.
Pitcher Diana Zavela with shortstop Neha Damaraju and
left fielder Ally Nakamura at the ready.
April 2016
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BASEBALL
VARSITY
If pre-season scrimmages are any indication of the
upcoming season the varsity baseball team is in for
a very good year. TJ racked up big wins over Park
View and Trinity Christian in the pre-season,
outscoring their opponents 37-4. With the team
now playing at the brand-new stadium, Head Coach
Nick Richards and Assistant Coaches Eric Williams
and Austin Morgan have the players making
maximum use of unseasonably warm weather and
working hard on the field.
TJ faired equally as well in their second scrimmage,
winning 14-4 against Trinity Christian School. The
game was the first home game of the year and the
team appreciated the lively student support from
the stands. The game went nine innings with strong
pitching from starting senior Amir McGettrick,
junior Ankush Joshi, freshman Maxwell Lee, junior
Chris Liu, and sophomore Danny McCray. TJ players
put the ball deep in the field with doubles by Alex
Cintron, Frank Sammartino, Patrick Beck and a
triple by Ankush Joshi. Joshi also led the team with
four RBIs in the win.
TJ won the first scrimmage notching a no-hitter
against Park View 23-0. Freshman starter Todd
Hartman, senior Alex Cintron, junior Jenna
Greenwalt, and senior Frank Sammartino took the
mound for the Colonial all hurling for the no-hitter
over eight innings of play. The Colonials belted 16
hits including two each by Cintron, Hartman, junior
Ankush Joshi, senior Patrick Beck, and senior Amir
McGettrick.
Freshman Maxwell Lee makes a play at third.
Both games featured strong defensive plays
including contributions from freshman Zach
Hershey, junior Nakul Dar, junior Quinn Dawkins,
junior Sam Case, senior Hayden Hollenbeck, and
senior Saaketh Anjutgi.
The Colonials invite everyone out to the ballpark as
they continue their regular season play and late
season action against our home Conference 13
opponents. Thank you for your continued support
of TJ Baseball!
Senior Amir McGettrick warms up before starting.
April 2016
JUNIOR VARSITY
The JV Baseball team is off to a solid start for the
2016 season and is looking forward to a good year.
Coach Nate Miller makes his debut as Head Coach
and is being ably assisted by Rob Van Wijngaarden.
Coaches Miller and Wijngaarden are excited to
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welcome back Sophomores Dorian Bloy, John
Erskine, Kevin Le, Michael Li and Sujay Ratna.
Sophomore William Musk also joins the team this
year. The roster is rounded out by the addition of
some promising Freshmen: Karthik Bala, Mark
Dulaney, Amrit Gorle, Eliot Liu, Vikrant Magadi,
Sohail Mohanty, Erick Tian and Arnold Zhang.
JV Baseball started their season with solid
performances in scrimmages against Eastern High
School on March 10 and Snyder Baseball Academy
on March 12. The season began on March 17
against Dominion High School. There were some
notable performances from Freshman Zach Hershey
who pitched five strong innings and Dorian Bloy had
an excellent game catching with 7 putouts. Mark
Dulaney went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI and Kevin Li went 2
for 3 with 2 RBI. The rest of the team fought hard
and performed admirably but in the end they were
edged out by Dominion 13–9.
home games this spring the team looks to excel on
the road and get into post-season play.
Captains for the 2016 Varsity Soccer team are
senior midfielders Fionntan Thinnes and Jackson
Zagurski and junior defender Jake Nash. Joining
Nash on defense include senior Patrick Ryan and
juniors Reilly McLaren, Amit Gupta, Mohh Gupta,
and sophomores Thomas Baron and Brendan
Whalen. Goalkeeping responsibilities fall on senior
Joe Karaki and sophomore Liam Kenefick.
On March 18 the team racked up their first win with
a thrilling come from behind victory in extra innings
over J.E.B. Stuart 13-12. Amrit Gorle started the
game as pitcher with a very strong performance and
was relieved by Mark Dulaney who pitched
beautifully for five innings to secure the win.
Vikrant Magadi went 3 for 4 batting with 4 RBI and
John Erskine also had a strong batting night going 3
for 4 With 1 RBI, which was the tying run to keep
the game alive in the bottom of the seventh.
Most JV Baseball home games are played on
Tuesdays and Fridays starting at 6:30pm. The games
are a great way to relax, enjoy some food, including
hotdogs, and take in a little baseball after a long
day. Our JV Baseball players are off to a great start.
Here’s looking forward to a very successful season.
Go Colonials!
BOYS SOCCER
VARSITY
Once again, the Boys Varsity Soccer team is coached
by Head Coach Sean Burke. The team graduated 10
seniors last year, and the 13 returning varsity
players make for an experienced core on an
otherwise young squad. The team battled against a
tough McLean squad and a scrappy West Springfield
team in two pre-season scrimmages. With only four
April 2016
Thinnes and Zagurski are joined in the midfield by
senior Jack Short and juniors Jason Stranne, Danny
Wu, Deepak Gupta, Jack Schefer, and Philip Cho.
Sophomores Prateek Bardhan and Joel George and
freshman Sri Valluri complete the midfield.
Junior Ben Bae and seniors Kemal Taban and Kunal
Naik all playing forward, will provide this season’s
offensive push. Go Colonials!
GIRLS TENNIS
Tennis experienced the best weather conditions in
years to kick off the season. The Girls Tennis team,
16 strong, is coached by newcomer Brandon Ward.
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Prior to coming to TJ, Coach Ward spent three years
at Fairfax High School as a Health & Physical
Education teacher. He has 12 years of experience as
an assistant varsity coach for multiple schools (Lake
Braddock, Robinson, Fairfax) and sports (Boys and
Girls Soccer, Field Hockey, Girls Tennis) and is very
excited about his first assignment as Head Coach.
This year’s TJ Girls Tennis team is loaded with a ton
of talent; returning a majority of players from last
year’s team with the addition of several very
talented freshmen. The squad of 12 veterans and 4
newcomers, led by senior co-captains, includes
many new promising freshman ladies. All the girls
are fairly strong players, which is certainly good for
the future of the program. The team will try to best
its results of the past three years which was as
semifinalists at the state level. This year the team
hopes to make it to the state finals and of course
bring home the prize.
For the first scrimmage of the year, the team
traveled to Langley, last year’s 6A state runner up,
and came out on top of a close fought battle
winning 5 of the 9 courts. Freshmen newcomers
Siona Prasad and Joyce Liu faced formidable
opponents at their debut on courts 5 and 6
respectively and prevailed. The next scrimmage
was against the Spartans from West Springfield.
Although their number 1 and 2 were top level
players, the team proved no match for TJ, which
only lost one court, winning the match 8-1. The
official season opened with a conference match
against the Stuart Raiders. While not all the
matches were completed due to rain, the Colonials
prevailed in singles winning the match 6-1.
Representing the Colonials on the singles courts and
winning all matches were Freshmen Lauryn Wu on
court 1, Junior Jelena Liu on # 2, Sophomore Keely
Wan on # 3, Junior Stephanie Chen on # 4,
Freshman Nira Nair on # 5, and Senior Co-Captain
Chantal Iosso playing # 6. Playing doubles were the
teams of Liu/Wan, Junior Stephanie Do and Senior
Co-Captain Kritika Singh and Senior Co-Captains
Shirley Wang and Anthara Gnanakumar.
Expectations are high for a great season for this
team with a ton of potential. The goal this year is to
return to the state tournament and bring the
trophy back to Northern Virginia. Goooooooo
April 2016
Colonials!
GIRLS LACROSSE
JUNIOR VARSITY
The JV Girls Lacrosse team had a strong showing in
the first scrimmage of the season, topping
Annandale 7-4. In goal Tina Wang - 4 saves and
Sophia Trissell - 3 saves. Goals by Alice Nolan,
Shambhavi Ramaswamy, Amanda Hsu, Rayyan
Khan, Kayanaat Grewal, Sami Kale, and Sheral
Patel! Anna Lulushi and Katherine Schinella lead
the team in assists and work in the middle of the
field. Louise Hicks, Jade Wang, and Sheral Patel
worked with goalies Tina Wang and Sophia Trissell
to lead the defensive front. Freshmen Annie Wang,
Lizzie Ling, Esther Chin, Jennifer Hernandez, Manna
Haile, Mina Kim, Mishka Philizaire, and Sofie
Subiaur stood out and worked hard in what was, for
many of them, their first ever lacrosse
game. Captains Amanda Hsu, Melanie Le, and
Katherine Schinella brought the energy and
communication that helped lead the team to
victory. Great job ladies!
In the second scrimmage of the season the JV squad
struggled to get started in the first half of the
match, losing at the half 2-8. The lady colonials
finished strong, winning 2-1 in the second half, and
ended the match 4-9. Goals by Kayanaat Grewal
(4). Tina Wang and Sophia Trissell in Goal with 3
saves each. Captain Amanda Hsu lead the mid-field
assisting in transitions and leading the team
through her non-stop hustle and communication.
To officially open the season, TJ took on Marshall at
home in the first official game. The Lady Colonials
came out strong against Marshall gaining an early
lead with goals from Kayanaat Grewal (2), Sami
Kale, and Melanie Le. Marshall fought back scoring
an impressive set of quick goals. Tina Wang had 5
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saves in goal, ending the half 5-10 Marshall. The
Colonials were able to hold Marshall to just 3 more
goals in the second half, goalie Sophia Trissel
recorded 6 saves and had impressive clears helping
Anna Lulushi earn a hat trick scoring 2 goals in the
second half, and one in the first. Lizzie Ling had an
impressive game, playing attack, she set up a nice
assist in the second half. Marshall came out on top
7-13 to finish the game.
Coach Aubrey Lear is proud of the hard work and
hustle each and every player has put into the
season so far, and is excited to see where the
season will go. Noting, “this is a promising and
talented team that is just getting started.” Go
Colonials!
CREW BOOSTERS
Spring rowing season is in full swing! Our athletes
are traveling daily after school, as well as Saturday
mornings, to Sandy Run Regional Park to practice
on the Occoquan River. Our first regatta of the
season will be the Regional Park Regatta on April 2
at Sandy Run. The full regatta schedule, directions
to racing venues, maps, and parking information are
posted on the TJ Crew website. At the grandstands,
TJ families and friends generally sit in the upper left
section as you face the grandstands. We’ll be
cheering the team on with our red, white, and blue
pom-poms – we hope to see you all there! Parents,
remember to volunteer for at least one Occoquan
regatta. Check “SignUp Genius” for all the
volunteer slots.
Parents, mark your calendars for the away regattas
this spring! The first away regatta is St. Andrews on
Saturday, April 23. This is a day event, without
overnight travel. It is a beautiful course and a
highlight of the rowing season. It is a unique
opportunity for all TJ boats and their families to
travel together for the day to an away event. We’ll
cheer on our rowers as we picnic together on the
April 2016
edge of the scenic Noxontown Pond in Middletown,
Delaware. Please mark your calendars and plan to
attend!
The first two-day regatta of the season is the
Stotesbury Cup Regatta (Stotes) on May 20 - 21 in
Philadelphia, PA. Stotes is the world's oldest and
largest high school rowing competition. It is held
annually along the Schuylkill River near Boathouse
Row in Philadelphia. Competing crews come from
schools all over North America, though most hail
from the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United
States. The team usually takes the first, second, and
third eights (boats) on both the boys’ and girls’
teams, as well as the boys’ and girls’ freshman
eight. Coaches will also take a few alternates in case
of illness, injury, etc. For freshman and novice
parents, your child’s coach will be able to predict
whether your child’s boat will be competing in this
race after the spring break, two-a-day practices. The
travel arrangements for the students are made by
the team’s travel coordinators. Parents can check
our website to start making travel arrangements.
Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia, PA
The second two-day regatta is the Scholastic Rowing
Association of America (SRAA) National Regatta on
May 27 - 28 at Lake Dillon in Nashport, Ohio. The
competitors for this race are determined by the
results of the state finals on May 7 for the lower
boats (Ted Phoenix Regatta) and May 14 for the
upper boats (VASRA Championships). The
arrangements for the qualifying rowers, coxswains,
and alternates will be made by the travel
coordinator. Just like Stotes, parents will make
travel arrangements following directions posted on
the TJ website.
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Sophomore Wins NSO Young Soloists
Competition
SPORTS PHYSICALS
Get out your planners and Save The Date for
Wednesday, June 1, to get your student’s annual sports
physical at TJ. Medical professionals will perform the
comprehensive physicals. The screening will check
height, weight, vision, posture, vital signs, upper and
lower body assessments and your student will see the
medical professional for clearance.
Every athlete needs a new athletic physical EVERY
SCHOOL YEAR so, save a trip to the doctor’s office and
come out and support TJ Athletics. This is a great way to
ensure that your physical is completed before summer
out-of-season practices start. EVERYONE will need a
new physical in order to participate after July 1.
Sophomore Eric Lin won the NSO Young Soloists
Competition. The competition started with a field of
32 musicians, including instrumentalists and
National R
pianists, in the preliminary competition. The nine
finalist musicians, including instrumentalists and
For questions,
pianists, competed at Kennedy Center in the
Captains at TJM
evening of March 20. Eric won the competition and
TJWomensCap
was awarded a monetary prize and the opportunity
to perform as soloist with the National Symphonyalso be emaile
Ehrman at kim
Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in June.
Crew Presiden
gmail.com. Pa
Booster Board
TJ on the seco
Got questions? Email heather.murphy at fcps.edu.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
FOR PHYSICALS!
We need medical and non-medical parents to help
make the sports physicals a successful event! If you are
a physician (MD or DO), physician assistant (PA),
physical therapist (PT) or nurse practitioner (NP), please
consider helping out with physicals on June 1.
On March 17, Eric also won the James C. Macdonald
Performing Arts Scholarship Competition held at the
Alden Theater in McLean. This is his second year
winning the first prize in this competition.
TJ All Night Graduation Party
Dining for Dollars Fundraiser
We also need non-medical parents who want to help
with working a station or the check-in/out desk. Your
expertise and a few hours of your time will greatly
benefit our TJ athletes!
Free advertising for medical professionals that help!
Email heather.murphy at fcps.edu if you can help.
April 2016
Enjoy some tasty food with your friends, family,
neighbors, and coworkers and help raise money to
give our grads the party of a lifetime! See page 7 for
all the details.
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Marketplace
April 2016
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April 2016
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TJHSST LICENSE PLATE FRAMES
Show your school pride and spirit with attractive, durable license plate frames. Proceeds benefit the
Thomas Jefferson Band Boosters. These are great gifts for any occasion!
1. Selection
Option A:
Our popular TJHSST class year license frame
1) Select graduation year and note quantity:
__________2019
__________2018
__________2017
__________2016
__________2015
_________ write in the year
2) Frame Style: Verify which of these applies to your vehicle:
Standard _______ (holes and renewal stickers on top)
Reversed _______(holes and stickers on bottom)
Option B:
Customized license frame order
Personalized with any school name, graduation year, team, club or slogan!
1) Circle background color/letter color:
Typical: red/white on top with blue/white on bottom
Or: white/red, white/blue, white/black, red/white, black/white, black/gold, black/grey,
gold/black, dark green/white, dark green/gold, blue/white,
blue/gold, yellow/black, burgundy/white, burgundy/gold
2) Insert your message (include spaces):
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| top
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11
12
13 14 15 16
17 18 19
20
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| bottom
3) Frame Style: Verify which of these applies to your vehicle:
Standard _______(holes and renewal stickers on top)
Reversed _______(holes and renewal stickers on bottom)
2. Payment:
________ x $20.00 each = ______________
Please make check payable to “TJHSST Band Boosters”.
Thank you!
3.Your Information:
Name: ____________________________ Phone: _________________
Provide e-mail address, and you will receive e-mail when your order is available for pickup at the TJ front office:
E-mail Address:________________________________________________________
Student’s name:________________________________________________________
SEND FORM AND CHECK payable to “TJHSST Band Boosters” to:
Therese Chaplin 6027 Bitternut Drive
Alexandria, VA 22310
Questions? Contact tchaplin at verizon.net
or 703-971-3776 (home)
April 2016
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Noteworthy Dates
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APRIL 2016
1
2
8
13
15
21
22
27
27
April Fools’ Day
iNite, 1:00pm and 7:00pm, GMU
Principal’s Coffee, 9:00-11:00am, Franklin Commons
ANGP Planning Meeting, 7:00pm, Franklin Commons
Nomination due for Executive Committee positions, see pages 4-6
End of 3rd Quarter, 2 hour early release, 2:00pm
NO SCHOOL
Teacher Work Day
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Lunch
ANGP Planning Meeting, 7:00pm, Franklin Commons
MAY 2016
2 to 15
2
10
10
February 2016
AP testing – volunteers needed – see page 5
“How to Raise an Adult”, 7:00 – 9:00pm, McLean HS Auditorium, see page 4
PTSA meeting, 7:00-8:30pm, cafeteria
ANGP Planning Meeting, 6:00pm, Franklin Commons
Page 29