November 2014 - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and

TECHCETERA
NOVEMBER 2014
Principal’s Letter
President’s Letter
This November brings us the reward of the opening of
our new building additions. At the completion of the
first phase of the renovation, we will utilize new spaces
for science and technology electives and
research, geosystems, chemistry, and a new student
services and administration wing. The new additions
provide larger lab spaces, a black box theater,
commons area work spaces outside of classrooms, and
a new research space for non-seniors to work on
projects (called the JUMP lab). The community will
have an opportunity to attend a ribbon cutting
ceremony and tour the labs on November 14, starting
at 2:30pm in the auditorium.
Congratulations on making it to the end of the first
quarter! For every class it is a different
milestone/experience: Freshmen are learning
through IBET collaborations. Sophomores are taking
drivers ed and starting on electives and just took the
PSAT. Many Juniors are being challenged by calculus
and physics. And many Seniors have completed early
decision/early action college applications.
Outside of the building, there are a few changes in
parking. The new visitors’ lot is in front of the building
and the kiss-and-ride remains in the same
location. Since the interior of the dome requires
additional work, visitors will need to cross to the front
sidewalk and enter in the same location (door 8) where
the main office will remain until completion of the
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HOT LINKS TO THE
INFORMATION FOR WHICH
Y O U A R E L O O K I N G ….
Info from Other TJ Offices
Academic News
PTSA Update
Serving the TJ Community
Campaign for TJ
Class News
News Round-Up and
Awards
TJ Boosters
Other Student News
Marketplace
Useful Links
Noteworthy Dates
Thank you to everyone who made the time to attend
the PTSA General Membership meeting on Back-toSchool-Night. We appreciate your support in
approving our business items and setting us on
course for the rest of the school year. For those
unable to attend, the presentation slides and
meeting materials are available on the agendas and
minutes page of the PTSA website.
One of our agenda items was PTSA goals/priorities.
From our broader set of goals, we plan to place
extra emphasis on the following areas:
1. Supporting TJ teachers and staff to
acknowledge the challenges of working at TJ
during the renovation.
2. Advocating on two key issues: budget &
homework policy.
3. Improving awareness of the PTSA’s activities
and increasing our volunteer base.
4. Improving PTSA databases, website, and
directory processes.
We talked about the importance of PTSA
membership both to the PTSA budget and to our
advocacy. I am pleased to report that about 35% of
TJ families have joined for this year. We can do
better. Membership is only $25 per adult ($40 for
couples); $15 per student; and $10 per faculty
member/staff. It’s easy to join and pay on-line using
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dome. The new bus depot replaces the old visitors’
lot, so please do not park there during school hours
(with exception to handicapped parking). The bus
depot lot, however, can be used for athletic practice
pick-up or event parking in the evening when buses
are not parked overnight.
In academics, I would like to congratulate our
students for completing one-fourth of the school
year. Due to our interest in student advocacy,
parents should speak with students about their
grades prior to a conversation with their counselor
or teachers. However, the school will be proactive to
address grades lower than a C by placing students in
intervention blocks or holding conversations around
changing course load. Our system of support
intervention specialist, Mr. Forgash, will reach out to
students and families in the event we need to
develop an individual plan to improve performance.
I would like to recognize 18 students as Siemens
Science regional finalists and semi-finalists for their
research conducted this summer. This competition
involves an evaluation of research papers from
scientists in their respective field, where
approximately 300 students are recognized
nationwide. For students interested in this
competition next year, we plan to provide an 8th
period orientation about summer research
opportunities, including an experience at TJ in our
new research labs.
We are also in pursuit of advanced research
instrumentation. The Campaign for TJ, sponsored by
the TJ Partnership Fund, currently needs support in
order to inspire continual growth and innovation in
our research program. More information is available
at the Partnership website. The campaign is also
pursuing resources for athletics, such as a turf field
and external restrooms, as well as advanced
technology and multi-purpose furniture to
supplement other areas of the building.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me (Evan.Glazer at
fcps.edu) with ideas on making TJ an even better
place for learning and growing.
Have a great fall season. Goooooooo Colonials!
Sincerely,
Evan Glazer
November 2014
Info from Other TJ Offices
Library
To help our students effectively organize their
research, record, and correctly cite their sources,
and generate bibliographies in APA or MLA Style, the
TJ Library subscribes to NoodleTools, located on the
library’s database page under Utilities.
NoodleTools is a great research tool: students can
record information on electronic notecards linked to
their sources, thus avoiding inadvertent plagiarism.
Students can tag and annotate information on the
cards, then organize the cards to build an outline
and write a paper. NoodleTools provides menudriven prompts for students to record their sources
and provides correct citations so students can spend
more time thinking and creating. If your student
needs help in citing sources or using NoodleTools,
please tell them to visit the library. Email us at
library at tjhsst.edu if we can help or support your
child’s research needs.
Renovation Information
Exciting update – many students have moved into
the newly-completed science and research wings of
the school and will continue to do so for the next
couple of weeks. Parents who are interested in
seeing the new spaces and hearing about future
renovation projects are invited to attend a
presentation on November 14 at 2:30 pm. You
should have received an RSVP invite to this event.
The new visitor parking lot has opened in the front
of the building. Short-term parking signage has been
placed around the appropriate parking areas in
order to direct visitors and reduce confusion.
The interior of the front dome should be opening in
the next 2 -3 months. Until it opens, entrance 8 on
the side of the building will continue to serve as the
main entrance to the school.
Lastly, in order to maintain a smooth traffic flow in
the morning, a reminder not to park on the access
road between 7:00 – 9:00 am.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to
contact Assistant Principal Shawn Frank (SJFrank at
fcps.edu).
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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
the PTSA website. Please support the PTSA’s
partnership with this amazing school.
Please let me reiterate my view on volunteering:
Volunteer time, energy, cooking, and creativity are
unique contributions that flow through the PTSA
and help energize TJ. For my family, volunteering
has been the primary way we have become
connected to this wonderful community. It has
required effort, but it has also been fun and
rewarding. There are many, many different ways to
volunteer that can be matched to your interests,
skills, and availability. Just take a look at the PTSA
volunteer page or contact our volunteer
coordinators at ptsa.volunteers at tjhsst.edu.
Eric Malès
TJ PTSA President 2014-15
Choral Boosters:
http://www.tjhsst.edu/curriculum/fa/choir
Crew Boosters:
www.tjcrew.org/
Orchestra Boosters:
http://arts.tjhsst.edu/orchestra/
Theatre Boosters:
http://www.tjhsst.edu/parentscommunity/boosters/theatreboosters/
TJ Partnership Fund:
http://www.tjpartnershipfund.org
TJ Alumni Association:
http://www.tjhsstalumni.org
Elizabeth Sierra-Murphy
1956 - 2014
It is with great sorrow that we share the news that
Elizabeth Sierra-Murphy passed away on October
14th after a 10-month struggle with cancer. The TJ
community was well represented at the services
held on October 20th to celebrate her life including
faculty, staff, parents, students, and alumni.
FCPS School Board:
www.fcps.edu/schlbd
Being a TJ parent (Kennan 2010, Malaika 2013) for
over 8 years and an alumnus, Elizabeth found ways
to work with and encourage our students, by
volunteering in 8th period, drama, band, Diversity
Committee, PTSA events – the list is endless. Her
eyes would sparkle with delight as she took on any
task set before her, always greeting you with her
warm, beaming smile. Her giving nature and caring
heart will be missed by all.
Fairfax County Supervisors:
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/board
Condolences may be sent to the family at their
home at 1740 East Avenue, McLean, VA 22101.
Other:
FCPS Blackboard:
http://fcps.blackboard.com
FCPS Keep in Touch (KIT):
http://www.fcps.edu/kit
November 2014
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Academic News
Spanish News
As the first quarter comes to a close, Spanish Honor
Society (SHS) has had a successful start to the year.
The revamped Big Sibs tutoring program is already
well underway. Members of SHS that elected to be
tutors have been paired with their tutees, and some
pairings have already begun to meet. The program
proves extremely beneficial for students in lower
levels of Spanish, and is a way for members of SHS
to earn service hours.
classmates on specific monuments throughout the
city. Some students went bowling on Saturday,
October 18th. The Americans and French concluded
this year’s program with a week of shadowing the TJ
students in their classes and spending quality time
with the host families.
SHS also has a number of exciting events planned
for the coming weeks. One of these is a holidaythemed charity event that will support McLean
Bible Church. Members will be filling bags with
items such as gloves and hats, which will be
donated to Herndon Title I schools to keep needy
Hispanic children warm during the cold winter
months. Additionally, guest speakers and a holiday
party are lined up to close out 2014.
Finally, SHS will be hosting Bulería again this year,
which was not possible last year due to construction
constraints. Bulería is a dance to celebrate Hispanic
culture with music, food, dancing, and more. It is
currently scheduled for Friday, February 13, 2015,
7:00 – 9:30 pm in Gym 2. Mark your calendar; more
details to come soon!
French News
TJ’s French program hosted students from Lycée
Roosevelt in Reims, France, once again this year,
from October 13 to the 26. Madame Delfosse and
Madame van de Kamp did a phenomenal job
organizing the exchange, pairing students, and
coordinating transportation. TJ students from every
grade participated in the exchange, which has been
a wonderful way of building friendships and cultural
knowledge for both the Americans and the French.
This year, the students went to the Udvar-Hazy Air
and Space Museum on October 14th and visited the
Tysons Corner Mall on October 15th, TJ’s PSAT day.
They went into D.C. three times, and many of the
French students gave presentations to their
November 2014
American and French students participate in an egg drop
challenge in the Active Science Alliance meeting on
Friday, October 17th.
PTSA Update
Hospitality News
On November 11th, the PTSA will
be hosting an annual harvest
luncheon for our teachers. They like
parents' homemade food. We
appreciate your support in making
this luncheon successful. Please
click here to view the online sign-up sheet for food
donations.
Any questions? Please feel free to contact me at
dogstar3 at msn.com. Thank you in advance!
Jane Hsu
Hospitality Chair
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Health and Wellness
Parents are encouraged to attend with their middle
school and high school students one of Unified
Prevention Coalition's two upcoming "PROTECT
Against Substance Abuse" programs. At this forum,
open to anyone in Fairfax County, discover the signs
and symptoms of teenage drug abuse, what actions
parents can take, and where to find supportive
resources. Learn from hearing the personal stories of
parents, young adults in recovery, and professionals
about the dangers of substance abuse.
• Monday, November 10, at 7:00 pm at South
County High School (Silver Box Theatre), 8501
Silverbrook Road, Lorton (Hosted by the South
County High School PTSO)
• Tuesday, November 18, at 7:00 pm at Fairfax
High School (Choral Room)
TJ students and parents are invited to attend two
workshops on responding to depression and
resiliency for teens and parents on Sunday,
November 16, from 2:30 to 5:00 pm. The two
concurrent workshops are “Survival Skills for You
and Your Friends” (for teens 9th to 12th grades) and
“Building Resilience in Our Teens” (for parents). The
parent workshop presenter is Dr. Doug Lipp, a
Fairfax County Public School psychologist, and the
teen workshop presenter is Ms. Julia Burgos, a
Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board
Prevention Specialist. The event is sponsored by
Ravensworth Baptist Church and is free. Preregistration is open through November 10. To
register, call 703-941-4113 or email cathy at
ravensworthbaptist.org.
For those who did not get to attend Dr. Brad Sachs
presentation “Building Resiliency: Working Towards
Authentic Success in Our Youth” on September 30 in
the Alden Theater, you can find his slides on the Safe
Community Coalition (SCC) website. Just scroll down
to the section under “Material to Assist in Building
Resiliency in Your Child” to find it. The presentation
offers thought-provoking parenting advice.
On the SCC website, there are upcoming community
events and other useful resources on building
resilience. Virginia Girls Summit “You are enough”
hosted by GMU and Gender Students Program is
November 2014
held on November 15, 2014, at Johnson Center at
GMU. Registration is open now on this website.
Here is the link to another interesting article
reflecting on our parenting strategies “Harvard,
Schmarvard: Why Getting Your Kids into College
Should be the Least of Your Concerns.”
On healthy habits, parents please remind your kids
to take advantage of this mild weather to get
outdoors. Lunch time at school can be an
opportunity to go outside. Even with construction, it
is still possible to find an area to walk around.
Sleep is so important to teenagers, not
only for their physical and mental
development but also for the
unprecedented academic, social, and
emotional challenges many of them
face today. Studies show that adolescents who
don’t get enough sleep often suffer physical and
mental health problems, an increased risk of
automobile accidents, and a decline in academic
performance. Parents can help your kids balancing
academics, extracurricular activities, and
leisure/family time. Our kids have their entire life
ahead of them. There’s no rush to reach
achievements now that they can do later on in life.
Serving the TJ Community
Volunteer Opportunities
THANK YOU wonderful volunteers for stepping
forward last month to help us at Back to School
Night and scoring the Myers-Briggs questionnaire.
Did you know when the PTSA has a need for
volunteers we list them in the weekly This Week at
TJ eblast newsletter? We want to make sure
everyone is given the opportunity to volunteer and
make a difference at TJ.
SignUp Genius is a valuable tool to PTSA
coordinators and class liaisons because it keeps
track of volunteers and comments and sends out
automatic reminders. You do not need to have a
SignUp Genius account to participate; you may elect
to log on as a Guest instead. We don’t want any
parents deterred from volunteering because they
are wary of Signup Genius!
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Open Letter from Mr. Foreman to Band Students:
Look Out for Each Other and Yourself
Good afternoon,
I intended on doing this talk in person, but even doing the shortened condensed version with the Symphonic Band was
nearly impossible for me to get through. ...I received the sad news that the case of the missing UVA student who was a
former student of mine at West Potomac [Hannah Graham] had come to a solemn close. Her brother was also a TJ
student in the band program, so I was fortunate enough to have multiple connections with their wonderful family. I
decided...that I would talk to everyone about some things that they can do to possibly help with prevention of such
tragedies. It is fairly simple in the overall idea - look out for each other and yourself.
You are fortunate enough to go to school and mostly live in areas that are populated with great people whom you can
trust. The sad truth is that this is not true everywhere, and even in those great areas there could always be an outsider
who comes in that has bad intentions. I do not mean this to scare you and make you distrust people - I simply want you
to be aware of your surroundings and always have people you trust around you. Be especially alert and aware when you
are in an unfamiliar area, particularly at night.
When you go to college - continue to look out for each other. If someone wants to walk themselves home but you do
not think they should (it's late, it's dark, they seem disoriented, etc.) then insist you walk them. They may get mad at
you at the time, but they will thank you later. Or maybe they won't - but it's still the right thing to do. Always keep an
eye out for those who may look like they are in trouble or who seem disoriented or lost. A simple "are you ok?" can go a
long way.
The fact that these incidents are very rare combined with the feeling of invincibility that youth provides makes everyone
think this could never happen to them or their friends. Don't let these things deter you from looking out for each other
and yourself. No one ever thinks it will happen to them.
It is my heartfelt hope that you never encounter anything like this in your life, but it is my larger hope that you will be
prepared in that situation to help someone out and possibly prevent something similar from happening.
I care about each and every student that I have ever taught, and your well-being is always my highest priority. Thank you
for being the wonderful young people you are.
Mr. Foreman
If you have thought about volunteering but need
more information, then contact Volunteer
Coordinators Robin Hatanpää and Sandy Kumar at
ptsa.volunteers at tjhsst.edu.
Looking Ahead
We know it is early, but we are looking far ahead to
our need for two lead volunteers in June for tjSTAR.
We would like a Senior parent to handle the
coordination of the Senior Luncheon and another
parent to handle the coordination of the Hospitality
Suite for visiting presenters and guests. If you would
like more information, contact Robin Hatanpää
(hatanpaa6 at gmail.com)
November 2014
Are TJ Students
Great Kids or What!?
As discussed in October’s Techcetera, the PTSA
surprised students with cake on September 17 to
celebrate the school’s #1 ranking. Here’s an example
of the wonderful mature reactions from your
students:
“To be notified that your school is regarded by
others as a high ranking school across the
nation makes you feel even more privileged
and thankful for TJ. PTSA providing cake to
treat us was even sweeter.”
See more at TJ Today.
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TJ PTSA Fee Waivers/Subsidies for
Families Eligible for
“Free or Reduced Lunch (FRL)
Program”
Like other school districts, FCPS provides special
support for families with limited incomes. This
classification is sometimes referred to as the FRL
Program. In addition to lunch subsidies, families are
eligible to request support from FCPS for other
school-related fees, including the following:
To request partial or full support for any of the
items above, please contact your student’s
counselor at TJ. Your student’s counselor will
confirm your eligibility and forward your
confidential support request to the PTSA President.
PTSA to Support
Student Service Projects
TJ’s renovation has created opportunities for
student service projects to supplement FCPS
construction. In response to several project
proposals, the school has asked whether the PTSA
could provide funding. Although the PTSA budget is
constrained this year, we were able to include
$1,500 to support such projects. The PTSA will
provide $300 or 50 percent of the project cost
(whichever is less), for projects approved by the
school. Assistant Principal Shawn Frank (SJFrank at
fcps.edu) is the school’s point of contact.
Click here for the source document.
These subsidies are provided by the school system
and do not include PTSA-related activities. To help
bridge this gap, TJ’s PTSA offers additional support
for families that are eligible for the Free or Reduced
Lunch Program. The PTSA is happy to provide
support for the following expenses on request:
•
•
•
One family PTSA membership for each FRL
family each year
One copy of the Student Directory published
by the PTSA
The PTSA may be able to provide partial or
full support for other school-related
expenses not covered above, as
circumstances and finances permit.
November 2014
Mark Your Calendar
PTSA Meetings
All meetings are tentatively scheduled to be in the
TJ library and include refreshments prior to the
meeting from 7:00 – 7:30 pm. Draft agendas will
be available on the PTSA Website.
Friday November 21 – 9-11AM – Principal’s Coffee
Wednesday December 10 – 7:30-9PM
Wednesday January 14 – 7:30-9PM
Wednesday February 11 – 7:30-9PM
Friday March 13 –9-11AM – Principal’s Coffee
Thursday April 9 – 7:30-9PM
Wednesday May 6 – 7:30-9PM
Thursday June 11 – 7:30-9PM
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THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
CAMPAIGN FOR TJ // LEADING THE FUTURE
Thank You for a Wonderful BTS Night of Giving and
a Great Start to TJ’s BTS Appeal:
• WOW. In just one evening, parents donated
over $35,000 to the Campaign for TJ!
• We are approaching $90,000 in Campaign
donations from parents, grandparents, and
friends this school year!
Our BTS Night Campaign student and parent
volunteers made sure all parents received
information on the importance of contributing.
Dr. Glazer shows his appreciation for the Back-to-School Night
Campaign volunteers who worked hard all night handing out
information and pledge forms. From left to right, Mary Ann
Cotton, Parent ’16; Megha Chokshi, Parent ’17, TJPF Event
Chair; Ashok Anant, Parent ’17, TJPF Volunteer Chair; Emma
Zhang, TJ ’17; Jillian Khoo, TJ ’17; Evan Glazer, TJ Principal;
Tiffany Sun, TJ ’17, and Alexa Nguonly, TJ ’18.
Volunteers not pictured above include: Floortje BlindenbachDriessen, Parent ’16, ’18, TJPF Board Secretary; Warren Chen,
TJ ’17; Heather Erskine, Parent ’18; John Erskine, TJ ’18; Bob
Erskine, Grandparent ’18; Yolanda Gruendel, Parent ’18;
Vivian Hu, TJ ’17; Hilde Kahn, Parent ’12, ’14, ’17, TJPF
Communications; Rajini Kopparapu, Parent ’18; Shawn Lukas,
Parent ’15; Ellen Ranard, Parent ’07, ’10; Sally Stumvoll,
Parent ’15; Jessica Wu, TJ ’15; Jerri Xu, Parent ’17, TJPF Parent
Advisory Board Chair; Ying Zheng, Parent ’17.
Last Year’s Campaign Donations Are Already
Outfitting TJ’s New Research Labs With:
• Cutting edge- equipment, such as the 3D sonar
mapping system for coastal topography studies
in the Oceanography Lab, and the nuclear
magnetic resonance tomograph, a two-state
quantum measurement system for the Quantum
Physics Lab.
• Newer models of existing equipment, such as
the programmable incubation chamber and the
lab-grade aquaria systems for the Oceanography
Lab, and incubators for the Biotechnology Lab.
November 2014
•
Industrial-sized versions of existing equipment,
such as the CNC router system for the
Prototyping Lab.
• Specialized lab furniture for welding, soldering,
and other technical work in the Robotics, Energy
Systems, Prototyping, Oceanography, and
Engineering Design Labs; and optical tables for
vibration-free work in the Quantum Physics Lab;
• New technology such as the Android phones
and tablets for the new Mobile App & Web
Design Lab; Surface Pro 3 computers for the
Energy Systems Lab; bioinformatics software
package for the Biotechnology Lab’s genome
machine; and the SeeMeCNC printer for Energy
Systems.
• Funds for training on several new spectrometers
in the Chemical Analysis Lab.
Give NOW to Spread Your Pledge Over 4 years
• Pledges made NOW can be paid over 4 years
(for example, a $1,000 pledge can be paid in 4
installments of $250 each, made in December of
2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017).
• There are still plenty of auditorium seat plaques
available for pledges of $1,000 or more.
• A variety of Recognition Opportunities are still
available.
Your Next Steps:
• Pledge or donate . . . online or by check!
• Visit our website, tjpartnershipfund.org.
• Read the latest edition of our quarterly
newsletter, Newsworthy.
• Contact Development Director Aristia (Tia) Kinis
at akinis at fcps.edu with questions about
getting your company involved with TJ.
• Contact our Development Manager, Samantha
(Sam) Courtney at scourtney at fcps.edu or
703.750.8317 with questions about matching
gifts, workplace donations, and more or less
anything else.
• Consider joining others like you who are
passionate about TJ and want to help make the
Campaign for TJ a success.
TJ could not be TJ without you.
–TJ Partnership Fund, the School’s non-profit
foundation
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Class News
2015 – Seniors
The Class of 2015 has been very busy this month.
Students have been finishing up essays in
preparation for Early Action/Early Decision
application deadlines, making sure their teachers
have submitted their recommendations, as well as
completing regular class assignments.
On the fun side, tickets are still on sale for the All
Night Graduation party (ANGP) for $125 as well as
sales of TJ graduation lawn signs and TJ picture
frames. While graduation is still many months away,
purchase of tickets and other items are needed to
help fund the event. Help in fundraising from other
sources as well as more volunteers are essential so
please go to the ANGP website for more details and
click here to sign up.
The Class Council and the Prom Committee continue
to be busy finalizing contracts for prom. The Class is
finalizing designs for the Class of 2015 Spirit Pack
items.
Thanks to parents for their support of the Class of
2015 events!
2017 – Sophomores
Happy November! We hope that you all are
enjoying the long weekend. It was good to see so
many of you at Back to School Night.
You should have received an email request for this
year’s class dues recently. Thanks to those who have
already mailed them in. If you have not, please write
a check for $25 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
Our students will be seniors in just two years, and
graduation will soon be here. We would love to
have sophomore parents “shadow” different roles
of the All Night Grad Party this year so that the
institutional knowledge about running the event is
not lost. Please click here for more information and
to sign up.
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

2016 – Juniors
This year, TJ2016 will be sponsoring weekend
Kaplan/C2 test prep classes as well as sponsoring
the TJ Pi-Miler again in March – both very big
fundraising opportunities. The class will again be
collecting ‘class dues’ from each family, details to
follow. It is my job to keep you apprised of all
fundraising plans as they unfold, and I will do so
here monthly as well as via dedicated emails, as
needed. Stay tuned for parent volunteer
opportunities as well – every event requires your
help to be successful.
Thank you!
Jamie Korelitz
JamiekorelitzTJ2016 at gmail.com
November 2014
Check out the Marketplace page for many great
items (and gift ideas)!
Proceeds benefit TJ programs.

2018 – Freshmen
There is no specific news for Freshmen this month,
but please know that we are here to help find
answers to questions if you have any. We also
encourage you to join the PTSA if you have not done
so already.
Nancy Yang & Silvija Strikis
Class of 2018 Parent Liaisons
chaonanyang at gmail.com
sstrikis at yahoo.com
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ALL NIGHT GRADUATION PARTY
It’s not just a party. It’s not just a celebration of our children’s success. It’s a way to keep them alive.
ANGP makes sure students have a safe, alcohol-free way to connect with their friends and celebrate an
important milestone. The party is bigger than any bar or bat mitzvah party or sweet sixteen you have
ever seen! Imagine over 400 teenagers partying all night (and your house is still clean when it’s all over!).
Check out the ANGP website for more information.
TICKETS
$125 per student. Even if you are not sure if your child wants to attend ANGP, please purchase a ticket!
Your contribution helps us make the necessary deposits to reserve the location, vendors and supplies.
Ticket forms are available here. Please remember that BOTH the student and one parent need to sign
the form.
The TJ PTSA is committed to ensuring that all students can attend. If you need financial assistance, please
contact your guidance counselor. All requests are kept confidential.
VOLUNTEERS
Thank you to all the volunteers who came out for the October 22 meeting. We need parents to help with
party planning, decorations, food, fundraising, and chaperoning. We traditionally ask parents of ALL
students to help (since seniors do not want see their parents during the party). Interested? Please email
the ANGP co-chairs Lisa Savage and Ginger Bugaighis at tj2015angp at gmail.com.
DONATIONS AND FUNDRAISING
An undertaking this huge has a budget to match. Some parents choose to honor their graduate with a
donation and a personal dedication, which will be displayed on the ANGP website dedication page. We
are also seeking donations from local businesses and friends of TJ. Perhaps your company, your family,
or your student's grandparents are interested in making a tax deductible donation to the Class of 2015
ANGP. Click here to donate. All donations will be recognized on the Class of 2015 ANGP Donor
Recognition Page and on the Donor Wall at the ANGP in June.
Our ongoing fundraising includes the Congratulations Graduate Lawn Signs for $20.00 and the Jefferson
Picture Frames for $85.00. Click here to find the order forms for these Gifts for Grads.
Our next ANGP meeting is scheduled for November 19 at 6:00 pm in the Career Center. Please check the
website for updates.
November 2014
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News Round-Up and Awards
National Merit Recognition Ceremony
November 10
A Recognition Ceremony will be held on November
10, from 3:00-4:00pm (during 8th period) to honor
the National Achievement Scholars, National
Hispanic Scholars, and National Merit Semi-Finalists.
The DSS and PTSA would appreciate help in making
this celebration special by asking parents of these
students to contribute treats or drinks to the event.
You may either send the donation in with your
student in the morning to be placed on a cart next to
the Front Desk in the Audlob or you may bring it with
you to the ceremony.
By last name, please contribute:
A-N Treats (sweet or savory)
P-T Drinks (water, juice or soft drinks – single
serving containers)
U-Z Paper goods (napkins or small plates)
TJ Boosters
Academic Boosters
By the time you receive this newsletter, TJ’s
academic teams will have presented their funding
requests for 2014-2015. The Academic Boosters
board will be meeting quite soon to evaluate these
requests. We need your help to meet these teams’
requests. Please help us help TJ’s terrific academic
teams!!
This is the time to join Academic Boosters or renew
your membership!! Your contributions may be taxdeductible, and will be recognized on the Academic
Boosters website. Also check whether the
companies you work for match donations – you can
double the power of your donation if they do!
Happy Thanksgiving
from the
TJHSST PTSA
Don’t forget that
November 26
is a
Tele-Learn/Early Release Day
and
November 27 & 28
are Student Holidays
November 2014
TJ Academic Teams present their team funding requests to the TJ
Academic Boosters Board
In the September and October issues of Techcetera,
we’ve printed the officers for many academic teams:
Botball, Chess, Congressional Debate, Forensics
Speech, Future Problem Solvers, Lincoln Douglas,
Model United Nations, Public Forum Debate,
Quizbowl, and Varsity Math Team. This month, we
add National Japan Bowl, Policy Debate, and Student
Congress. We’ll print the remaining teams’ leaders
as we receive them.
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Forensics Speech
The Forensics Speech Team is launching our season
as this issue goes to press, competing at the WACFL
1 tournament. We currently have 44 students on
our roster.
We would like to thank our 2014-2015 Academic
Booster Parent Liaison, Michelle Sun, for helping us
this year.
Future Problem Solving
Future Problem Solving is off to a fantastic start this
year with over 180 students attending our fall
interest meetings. We already broke all previous
records in submitting practice problems to the State
Organization, VAFPS, so that we can get valuable
feedback to hone our skills. Our outreach effort to
get Kilmer Middle School involved in FPS last year
has brought some experienced FPS-ers to TJ this
year to strengthen our team while also spreading
the word of FPS to more schools in Fairfax County.
And TJ also sent three students to the Kilmer
Activity Fair to spark interest in their club this
month.
By the time this issue appears, we’ll have TJ Global
Issues Problem Solving (GIPS) students sorted into
four-person teams, and we will have held our
interest meeting for Scenario Writing (available to
creative writers, separate from the four-person GIPS
operation—registration is open till the end of
November). For FPS’s registration process, students
require an Emergency Care Form and registration
fees (which are reduced if families have joined
Academic Boosters). We urge all of the families that
our FPS club serves to become members of
Academic Boosters, because the organization helps
underwrite our program and takes stress off the
sponsors so that they can focus on organization and
instruction rather than fundraising.
Our state organization is seeking parents who are
willing to make a multi-year commitment to the
amazing FPS organization that provides such
valuable challenge to gifted and talented students
throughout the world. We need adults who are
November 2014
willing to learn how to evaluate FPS competitive
packets. Could you help? If so, please contact team
co-sponsor Margaret Carpenter at mjcarpenter at
fcps.edu and you’ll get workshop/training options as
well as the gratitude of FPS-ers throughout the
state. (With recent retirements in the organization,
we need to re-build our capacity to evaluate each of
the three rounds of FPS competition that occur each
year. The work is largely done from home—in bursts
in October, December, and February.) Find details
about the FPS competition as well as instructional
materials, and messaging to our FPS parents here.
National Japan Bowl
National Japan Bowl is pleased to announce its
leadership for 2014-2015: Co-captains: Katie Shen
and An Zeal.
Physics Team
Physics Team is a collaborative environment for
everyone: from novices to the experienced. People
can join one of three teams based on their
knowledge/ability: 1) A team, where students
rigorously train for the USAPHO (US Physics
Olympiad), 2) B team, where students receive
supplements to their AP Physics classes, or 3) C
team, where students learn the fundamental
concepts of physics and prepare for the Physics SAT
Subject Test.
The officers for the 2014-2015 school year are:
Captain: Shankar Balasubramanian
Co-Captains: Ross Dempsey and Arun Kannan
Secretary: Akhil Waghmare
Treasurer: Ray Liu
Policy Debate
Co-Captains: Jessica Covan and Lucas Lin
Teaching Coordinators: Aneesh Susarla and Grant
Guan
Treasurer: Rishab Negi
Publicist/ Webmaster: Alison Li
Policy debate opened this year’s season with WACFL
1, with two out of five teams placing in the top six in
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their divisions. In JV, freshmen Gulnaz
Sayed/Nikarika Vattikonda were first place with an
undefeated record of 4-0, qualifying them for the JV
Metrofinals tournament in March 2015. In addition,
juniors Christine Li/Alison Li placed third in Varsity
with a 3-1 record. We are proud of all the teams
who went, and are now preparing for four more
WACFLs, as well as upcoming national invitationals
at GMU and Walt Whitman Fall Classic. Novices and
interested students are encouraged to attend
Monday B-block meetings and compete in the
upcoming competitions.
Student Congress
Co-Captains: Victoria Bevard and Virginia Sun
This is the first year that we have a Student Congress
Team at TJ, and we are encouraged to report we
already have 16 students preparing to compete.
Our co-captains gained experience in Student
Congress last year by working through the Forensics
Speech and Debate teams, and already competed at
the Wake Forest Invitational Tournament in
September 2014. Congratulations to Victoria
Bevard, who advanced to the Super Session at
Wake, placing 10th overall.
Free Money!!!
Band Boosters
TJ Bands selected to perform at the Virginia Music
Educators Association (VMEA) annual conference:
VMEA invites ensembles from among the best band
programs in the state to perform at its annual
conference and the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and
Percussion Ensemble are honored to be
representing TJ at this important venue. This is the
first time that the TJ Wind Ensemble has been
selected to perform at this event. Only three high
school bands in Virginia are invited after they send in
a recording and applied the previous spring. It is a
chance for the students to be featured as one of the
top groups in the state in front of all the other music
educators. The group will be featuring
predominately new music in an effort to share this
new literature with the rest of the state. The Wind
Ensemble will preview their entire VMEA concert at
the Fall Band Concert on November 9th, which is free
and open to the public. The VMEA performance will
be held on November 21st in Norfolk, VA.
Congratulations TJ Bands!
Army Honors TJ Musicians: At a special ceremony
on October 22, the U.S. Army Band notified TJ
students Theo Richardson and Noemi Glaeser of
their selections to perform with the Army AllAmerican Marching Band at the national AllAmerican football game in San Antonio, TX, on
January 1. The All-American Band features the best
high school marching band students from across the
nation who are chosen following a rigorous
nomination, application, and audition process.
Shop at Amazon.com and earn free money for TJ.
Please bookmark this site on your browser and use it
every time you shop! This link can also be found on
the Support the PTSA web page.
Questions? Email Helenia Pan at helenia.pan at
gmail.com.
November 2014
Noemi Glaeser and Theo Richardson will perform with the
Army All-American Band in San Antonio on January 1.
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Marching Colonials Completes an Outstanding
Season! It has been a busy season for TJ's Marching
Colonials (TJMC) led by Drum Majors Maya Chung ,
Brian Junttila, and Bradford Case and Guard
Captains Coco Chen and Natalie Diaz. In addition to
their half-time shows at home football games, TJMC
has performed its show, "The Transcontinental
Railroad,” featuring the music of Aaron Copeland, in
"Bands of America" and "US Bands" regional and
national competitions where they have earned 1st
place scores at every show thus far. TJMC also
earned Superior scores in every category at the
Virginia Band and Orchestra Director's Association
(VBODA) Marching Band assessment, which is a step
toward TJ earning State Honor Band status.
TJMC performs Transcontinental Railroad
The highlight of the season so far was TJMC’s 1st
place finish at the James Madison University (JMU)
Parade of Champions, where they earned the top
score and brought home trophies for best overall
performance, best color guard, and best visual
effect. TJ’s Band Director, Mr. Adam Foreman
received a personal note from Mr. Scott Rikkers,
Director of JMU’s Marching Royal Dukes,
congratulating TJMC on their performance.
Senior Night was also a special occasion for TJMC,
where the program honored TJMCs graduating
seniors, Marie Anderson, Justin Bui, Coco Chen,
Austin Chen, Sam Cho, Maya Chung, Edi Danalache,
Natalie Diaz, Marisa Duong, David Everhart, June
Ge, Noemi Glaeser, Joe Gonzales, David Harris,
Arthur He, Jason Hu, Brian Juntilla, Andrew Liang,
Billie Malès, Theo Richardson, Emily Rogers, Zane
Rossi, Bobbie Shen, Kai Smith, Sage Teasley, Renee
Wah, and Carson Wishard. Best wishes to our
seniors!
November 2014
Color Guard during the Homecoming Show
The season would not have been possible without
the assistance of the booster parent volunteers,
most especially TJMC Coordinator Mr. Glen Teasley.
TJMC's final performance is on November 1 at the
"US Bands" competition at Navy Stadium in
Annapolis, MD. TJMC will celebrate the end of the
season with a banquet on November 11.
Fall Band Concert Sunday, November 9: Due to the
renovation, band concerts will be held on weekends
this year. The concert begins at 2:00 pm on Sunday
November 9 and will feature performances by all
curricular bands – the Symphonic Band, the
Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Jazz Band, and the
Percussion Ensemble. The Symphonic Wind
Ensemble will perform the original pieces prepared
for the VMEA. The concert will be followed by a
reception. The band boosters will have information
on SCRIP and Fall Citrus sales, and will also have
band spirit wear, TJ License Plates, and White House
Ornaments available for sale.
TJWG following competition last winter
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Winter DrumLine (TJDL) and Color Guard (TJWG)
Interest Meeting November 13 6:30 pm: Originally
established to provide off-season conditioning for
marching band ensembles, the Winter Guard and
DrumLine programs offer a robust winter season
with competitions sponsored by the Atlantic Indoor
Association (AIA) and Winter Guard International
(WGI). Last season, TJDL earned top honors at the
WGI Worlds competition in Dayton, OH, where they
competed in the "Open Class" category, which is the
top level for high school competition. The interest
meeting will provide information on auditions and
requirements for season participation.
DrumLine warms up prior to VBODA Assessment
Volunteers Needed for Winter Showcase! Band
boosters need your help! The band needs a parent
to lead and coordinate Winter Showcase. TJ Bands
will be hosting, once again, the Winter DrumLine
and Guard Showcase, on February 28 at South
County High School. TJ will be hosting over 50
ensembles at this AIA competition that is a favorite
across Northern Virginia. A parent is needed to lead
the planning committee and coordinate event
preparation and logistics. Proceeds from this event
benefit ALL of TJ’s band programs. Please contact
president at tjbands.org for more information.
Additional coordinators are needed for the 2015
TJMC Season, Uniforms, and End of Year Banquet.
Many band functions are only possible with the
assistance of parent volunteers. These volunteers
allow the music program Director and staff to focus
on the development of your students' musical
abilities. Thanks for being an important part of your
child’s band experience.
November 2014
CONTRATHON 2014! The TJ Band Boosters have
kicked-off their Fall Fundraiser – CONTRA-THON
2014! This year, Mr. Foreman has identified the
need for contrabass bugles or “contras” for the
band program. They are his highest priority, since
we are currently borrowing 4 contras from other
schools and we need to return them! TJ Band
Boosters would like to raise $9,000 to buy 2 contras
this year. CONTRA-THON will run from November 1
through December 31, 2014. All donations are TAX
DEDUCTIBLE! All donors will be recognized on our
fundraiser web page, on the CONTRA-THON banner
hanging at TJ, and in the Techcetera. For more
information or to donate please click here.
Questions? Email tjcontrathon14 at gmail.com.
THANK YOU!
About Band Boosters: The band boosters support
TJ's wonderful curricular bands (Symphonic Band,
Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble,
and Jazz Band) and extra-curricular ensembles
(Marching Band, Drumline, and Color Guard)
through volunteer and fundraising activities that
help provide student scholarships, purchase
equipment and supply uniforms. For more
information on how to support TJ's band programs,
please see our website.
Please register or renew your cards
at Giant Food, Safeway, and Harris
Teeter. We really need to increase
our contributions from local grocery
stores. It’s free!
Giant Food at www.giantfood.com/aplus
(ID #02307)
Safeway* thru e-Scrip at www.escrip.com
(ID #154534149)
Harris Teeter at www.harristeeter.com/tie
(select TJHSST from the drop-down menu)
* Please note that Safeway only gives TJ
contributions if you pay with a check, debit card or
cash (not credit card).
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Orchestra Boosters
Colonial Athletic Boosters (CAB)
TJ's orchestras performed in their first concert of
the year on October 17, under the direction of
Varsity Football
Ms. Allison Bailey. Save the date for their next
concert on January 9, 2015.
Football is not a sport you automatically think would
be associated with TJ, but in many ways it’s the
most representative.
You'll have another opportunity to hear the TJ
orchestra as they perform at the annual Viennese
Ball on Friday, November 21. Meet in Gym 2 for a
night of waltzes, polkas, and yes, even some
jitterbug, all accompanied by wonderful
refreshments. Waltz lessons will begin at 7:00 pm,
with the Ball at 7:30-10:00 pm. Tickets will be on
sale for $10 at lunchtimes during the week before
the event and again on sale at the door for $15 on
the night of the Ball. Start making your plans to
attend!
Orchestra parents, you can volunteer to help at the
Viennese Ball by going to this link or by contacting
Barbara Steele directly at barbarasteele99 at
gmail.com. Jobs include ticket sales the night of the
Ball, refreshment set-up, serving, and clean-up.
As always, if you have any questions or comments
feel free to contact the Orchestra Boosters anytime
at tjorchboosters at gmail.com.
TJ Theatre Boosters
The boosters are proud to support the first drama
production of the year, the play "Front Page.”
Written by Ben Hecht and Charles
MacArthur, "Front Page" is a play that defined the
modern stereotype of a reporter as a hard-drinking,
hard-boiled journalist intent on uncovering truth
even in the face of danger. The comedy was a smash
hit from its premiere in Broadway's Times Square
Theatre on August 14, 1928.
“Front Page” will be performed Friday, November
14, and Saturday, November 15, at 7:00 pm in the
auditorium. Tickets are $10 and $5 for students.
November 2014
“Football is like life - it requires perseverance, selfdenial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect
for authority.” - Vince Lombardi
For TJ football players 25 percent of their year
includes football and if you include off season
workouts that number grows much higher. Football
is the ultimate team sport and while individual
battles can be won and lost throughout a game,
otherwise perfectly run plays can fail because of one
individual. As a result, being part of the football
family at TJ requires a mental and physical
toughness unique in comparison to other sports.
Facing teams with greater resources, players in
greater number and size, is not easy – particularly
when you have to prepare for these teams at the
same time you’re dealing with TJ level coursework
and the longer days and sometimes higher stress
levels associated with meeting the expectations of
this school. As a football player you must do this
while nursing post-game exhaustion and
recuperating from the bruises and muscle strains of
a physical, contact sport. Some might be surprised
that despite these challenges, 42 percent of the TJ
football team senior class were named 2015
National Merit semi-finalists – well above the 30
percent rate of the overall TJ class of 2015.
This year has asked even more from the TJ football
team than normal. After two straight playoff
seasons and the graduation of several key players,
this year’s team – already small in numbers – has
had to deal with the loss of several starters due to
injury. As a result, many younger and less
experienced players have been asked to step up and
contribute sooner than in years past and the
leadership of the senior class has been even more
important. During this time, the teams’ love and
enjoyment of the game has not wavered and the
camaraderie and friendships have only deepened
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even as the lessons learned from dealing with
adversity have been accentuated. In answer to the
question “Why I play football”:
“To support my teammates” – Conrad Gehrki
“I love my teammates and I enjoy the sport” –
Dennis Kim
“The camaraderie.. and the love of the game” –
Donny Waymire
“The family between the entire program is like
nothing else” – Jackson Dubro
“For the love of the game” – Josh Levy
“TJ football is family” – Matt Gibbs
As we near the finish line of the 2014 football
season, I’d like to recognize all the senior members
of the TJ Football Family and for the examples they
continue to set in perseverance, self-denial, hard
work, sacrifice, and dedication.
Players: Adrian Robertson, Conrad Gehrki, David
Lanman, Dennis Kim, Donny Waymire, Jackson
Dubro, Jafr Jazmi, Josh Levy, Matthew Gibbs, Peter
Kim, Parsa Zand, Wilson Zhou
Managers: Annie Thomas, Audrey Brown, Jessie
Heise, Jim Henris
Statistician: Matthew Savage
Varsity Field Hockey
The Lady Colonials Varsity Field Hockey team jumpstarted the season with 6:00 am practices on the
Mason District turf fields and continued their
morning regime two times a week in September and
October. Under the watchful eyes of head coach
Amanda Kelly, JV coach Aubrey Lear, and TJ grad
Priya Seetharaman, this varsity team has had a
commanding presence on field, winning games
against Conference 13 competitors Jeb Stuart, Lee
High, Falls Church, South Lakes, and Wakefield.
Managers for the team are Rhea Sahai and Wills
Song.
The offense this season has been led by the
combined efforts of Raewyn Haines (Sr, CoCaptain), Jenny Kim (Sr), Sydney Miller (Jr), Stella
Sotos (Jr), and Maddie Min (Fr). Outstanding
support in the midfield was led by team members
Kate Eisert (So), Alexis Jenkins (Sr), Sofia Kruszka
(So), Dana Sheetz (So), Bayliss Wagner (So), Katie
Zechman (Jr) and Maddie Zug (Sr, CoCaptain). Strong defensive work on the field was led
by Maaike Blindenbach (Jr, Co-Captain), ably
assisted by Carolina Hatanpää (Sr), Rebecca Linick
(Jr), Rhea Sharma (Sr), and Stephanie Zablocki
(So). Impressive saves by goalie Sunny Truslow (So)
held other teams in check and her commands to
teammates are loud and clear. Also getting some
experience in goal for Varsity, freshman Caroline
Hatcher.
Our Lady Colonials are TOUGH! Just ask Jenny Kim
(Sr) who took a hit to the face by a stick and
fractured her nose and cheekbone and required
stitches. And quick to improvise, the team led the
singing of the national anthem when the sound
system failed to kick in at a home game.
Varsity Cheerleading
The last football game of the year will be November
7th at home against Stone Bridge. Please come out
to cheer on your Colonials!!
November 2014
The Varsity Cheerleading squad traveled to
Wakefield High School on Monday, October 13, for
semifinal competition for Conference 13. Despite a
challenging first round, TJ came back with a
vengeance, performing well for a 4th place
finish. Please congratulate the 2014 Varsity cheer
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squad: Seniors Gwen Blasco, Alyssa Herbst, Ariana
Herbst, Isabel Ho, Daniel Suh, Christina Zhao,
Juniors Kenny Chen, Anjali Khanna, Aly Luckett,
Aazrin Mir, Rachel Vasta, Sophomores Tatiana
Bennett, Immalla Chen, Elizabeth Hu, Bailey Knight,
and Freshman Andreea Foarce.
As four teams advance out of conference to region
competition, they were in a good position going into
the conference finals on Monday, October 20. The
TJ cheer squad appreciates the teachers, JV
cheerleaders, football players, and alumni who
cheered for us at competition. Let’s keep up the TJ
school spirit! The cheerleaders would love to see
more Colonial faces in the stands on Friday nights,
so come on out to help us cheer on the TJ football
team!
Breast Cancer Awareness Month by selling baked
goods after school and during their match against
Lee High with the TJ victory of 2-0. This was
followed by another win game against Edison on
October 13 with a score of 2-0. On October 16, the
team traveled to Chantilly where TJ won match 0 to
2. The end of the season games were played at
home against Stuart and Mount Vernon followed by
the last away game of the season against Marshall.
TJ JV Volleyball Team at their Dig Pink Match
CREW BOOSTERS
Let’s go, Colonials!
JV Volleyball
On September 23, the TJ JV volleyball team traveled
to Fairfax HS to win the game 2-1. On September
30, TJ won 2-0 against Wakefield. Starting in
October and with daily practice, each player
improved their skills individually and as a result of
hard work and determination as a very consistent
team. On October 6, the JV team played against
McLean HS winning the match 2-0, the following
day, October 7 they also won 2-0 against Falls
Church HS.
At the traditional Dig Pink matches, the JV team
raised over $425 for Breast Cancer Research during
November 2014
Registration has started for the 2015 rowing
season! No prior experience is needed to row with
us. Every year we sign up approximately 120 co-ed
members, which include returning boys and girls
rowers and also a significant number of first time
rowers to row in our freshmen and novice boats.
Please check our website registration page to
register online. If you have questions about the
registration process, please contact the TJ Crew
Membership Chair, Terri Allworth, at terri121 at
hotmail.com.
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We welcomed many of our prospective rowers and
their parents at the TJ Boathouse Open House at
Sandy Run Regional Park, on October 11. It was a
great opportunity for all potential rowers and their
families to come see our facilities, visit with
coaches, veteran rowers, and crew parents, and
experience on-water rowing with our returning
rowers in one of our racing shells. To see pictures
from this event, as well as all our crew events, visit
the TJ Crew Picture Sharing Website.
Trophy – TJ rowers William Randolph, SunLee Stechuk, Peter
Zablocki, Nick Zugris, and Ray Yang win Men’s Upper Junior
Eight trophy at the first regatta of the fall season.
Open House – Prospective rowers visit the TJ Boathouse at
Sandy Run Regional Park
The official TJ Crew team training begins on
November 20 with our winter conditioning program,
held at TJ every day after school. Participants in the
winter training program must have VHSL physical
forms filed with TJHSST and must give an FCPS
emergency care form to the TJ Crew Captains before
Winter Training begins. Please check our website
registration page to download the forms,
http://www.tjcrew.org/join/registration.
Rowing is a spring sport. However, many of our
rowers (both boys and girls) have already started
rowing in competitive/developmental teams with
the Resilient Rowing Club.
The first regatta of the fall 2014 rowing season, the
Occoquan Challenge, was a big success for TJ
rowers. Men’s rowers achieved a clean sweep in the
Junior Men’s Upper and Lower 8+ categories as well
as Junior Men’s Upper and Lower 4+ categories,
finishing 1st and 2nd in the 8+ category, and 1st
through 3rd in the 4+ category. The top 8
competitive women’s rowers placed 2nd and 3rd in
the Junior Women’s 8+ category, and 1st and 3rd in
the Junior Women’s 4+ category. Women’s Lower
Junior 8+ and 4+ placed 1st in their respective
categories. Also, Men’s Quad boat finished 1st and
Women’s Quad boats finished 1st and 2nd. In
addition, our coaches Bill Randall and Daniel
Zimmerman placed 1st in the Men’s Master Four
competition. Congratulations to all!
November 2014
RRC TJ Girls – TJ rowers Lily Wittle, Edith Zhang, and Mollie
st
Passacantando placed 1 in the Women’s Upper Junior Four
category at the Occoquan Challenge Regatta.
For questions, students should contact the Crew
Captains at TJMensCaptains at gmail.com and
TJWomensCaptains at gmail.com. Questions may
also be emailed to our team’s head coach Kim
Ehrman at kimehrman at gmail.com, and/or TJ Crew
President Lee Wittle at TJCrewpresident at
gmail.com. Parents are always welcome at the Crew
Booster Board Meetings, which are held at TJ on the
second Wednesday of each month. The November
Board meeting will be held on November 12 at 7:00
pm at TJ, Trailer #10.
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Other Student News
A section for articles on achievements outside of JH SST,
submitted on behalf of students
nd
Sophomore Wins 2 Place in Writing
Contest
Sophomore Megan Do second place for poetry in
the Second Annual Student Writing Contest, a
competition sponsored by the Writers of Chantilly.
The Writers of Chantilly, a nonprofit organization of
local professional and aspiring writers, received
more than 175 stories, essays and poems from
Fairfax County middle- and high-school students.
The six winning entries — three each in poetry and
prose — will be published later this year in an
upcoming anthology called “Unfinished Business.”
nurses, and Spanish interpreters. Many local
residents came for an assessment of vital signs,
body mass index, cholesterol and blood sugar
checks, as well as free medical advice and free
printed medical literature.
Minh-Quan Nguyen’s successful Eagle Scout Project – free
health assessment clinic in Springfield
Freshman Pianist Opens Symphony
Season
Sophomore Megan Do
Sophomore Earns Eagle Scout
Sophomore Minh-Quan Nguyen earned the rank of
Eagle Scout, the highest rank of the Boy Scouts of
America, at age fourteen. Minh-Quan belongs to Boy
Scouts Troop 881, sponsored by St. Mark’s Lutheran
Church. He started Scouting at age five and has held
different troop positions throughout the years:
Librarian, Den Chief, and Senior Patrol Leader.
Currently, he serves as Troop Order of the Arrow
Representative, Troop Guide, and Instructor.
For his Eagle Scout Project, Minh-Quan organized
and coordinated a free health assessment for a lowincome community in Springfield, VA. He raised
funds for the projects by seeking donations from
physicians’ offices, pharmacy stores, grocery stores,
and restaurants. He also recruited local doctors,
November 2014
As the winner of the 2014 Ylda Novik Memorial
Concerto Competition, Freshman Eric Lin opened
the Capital City Symphony’s 2014-2015 season by
playing Sergei Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 3.”
The Capital City Symphony presents at least one
Young Artist Concerto every season.
Eric has won several piano competitions around the
nation, including a June 2014 first place finish at the
Lee University Piano Competition in Cleveland,
Tennessee and a first place finish at the 2014
International Young Pianist Competition in
Washington. He’s also performed at the Kennedy
Center and the Chicago Cultural Center.
TJ’s Head Drum Major Wins
Competition in Colorado
Senior Maya Chung, the Marching Colonials head
drum major, earned the top award at the George N.
Parks Drum Major Academy this past June. More
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than 80 top high school band student leaders from
across the country attended this elite 5-day training
and leadership camp. Maya accumulated the most
points for leadership, musical conducting, and
precision marching to secure the award. She won 3
out of 4 daily march-offs--in which marchers execute
a series of tricky rapid fire commands. Maya is
considered one of the top drum majors in the
country.
Seavey submitted their work for consideration. The
students read their work at the NVWP annual Fall
for the Book event in September.
• Maya Chung, "Those Blue-Green Eyes" (Class of
2015)
• Megan Man, "Winged" (Class of 2014)
• Ricky Hage, "Undecided" (Class of 2016)
• Pooja Chandrashekar, "A Thousand Dresses"
(Class of 2015)
• Wendy Sun, "I am not a Writer" (Class of 2014)
• Dillan Chang, "The Cicada Effect" (Class of 2014)
• Shankar Balasubramanian, "A Grueling
Meditation" (Class of 2015)
• Raquel Sequeira, "The Heart of a Hero" (Class of
2017)
• Sydney Zheng, "Once Before" (Class of 2017)
Senior Ad Sales
It’s amazing how quickly they grow up...
Maya Chung conducts the Thomas Jefferson Marching Colonials
to their first win of the season, US Bands Gaithersburg MD.
Maya was first selected as a drum major at the end
of her freshman year. This is unusual; almost all
high school drum majors are seniors or juniors. The
Marching Colonials have an excellent record of
enthusiastic student leadership, musicianship, and
helping rally support for the football team. Maya is
proud to be part of that tradition for a third year as
drum major, and her fourth in the Marching
Colonials.
TJ Students Published in Northern
Virginia Writing Project Anthology
Congratulations to the following graduates and
current students whose writing was chosen by the
Northern Virginia Writing Project for publication in
its annual anthology, Falling for the Story. Teacher
consultants Mary Beth Kochman and Jennifer
November 2014
The Techniques Yearbook staff at TJHSST is
accepting orders for senior ads in the 2015
yearbook, so it’s time to choose photos and start
working on your message of congratulations, pride,
and love.
Ads are available in five sizes: full page (12 units),
half page (6 units), four units, two units, and one
unit. We have extended our sales prices until
November 1st; order by November 1 and you will
save up to $50 on your purchase.
Group ads are also available for purchase at the half
page and full page size. Consider joining with other
parents and/or booster parents to create ads that
honor your senior’s involvement in school activities
like band or tennis or to commemorate a special
group of senior friends. Perhaps your child is still
close with the kids they went to kindergarten with or
they have a special bond with their youth group.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to show your son
or daughter how much you care. For more
information on sales and prices, or to request an
order form, email Erinn Harris (EHarris1 at fcps.edu).
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Marketplace
TJ BANDS CITRUS AND PECAN SALE! Order our
fresh citrus and pecan halves now through Nov 8,
for pick-up in the TJ Band Room on Nov
15. November selections include: ruby red
f
(h lf
$
f ll
$ )
l
The Band Boosters
are also offering the
2014 White House
ornament.
What is TJ’s Band Scrip Program?
Scrip is a fundraising program where you buy gift
cards to use at your favorite stores, gas stations,
and restaurants. You pay face value for the gift
cards, and a percentage of your purchase goes to
support the TJ Marching Colonials, Curricular
Bands, and Winter Drum Line and Guard.
How important is Scrip to TJ Bands?
VERY important! TJ Bands can earn thousands of
dollars in Scrip rebates to help defray the cost of
uniforms, instruments, competition fees,
instruction, and trips. The key is for ALL of our
families to participate. If you buy groceries, you
can help!
POST A YARD SIGN
Show your pride and support of your
student’s accomplishments and hard work.
Orders are being taken for yard signs
congratulating the Class of 2015 for $20.
Click here to download an order form.
BUY A TJHSST PICTURE FRAME
Order a TJHSST Frame now! The frames are
a wonderful keepsake for your student’s
favorite TJ photos and a great idea for their
college dorm. Act quickly as there are only
six available. Download an order form here.
November 2014
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Noteworthy Dates
November 2014
3
Student Holiday (staff development day)
4
Student Holiday (teacher workday)
5
Academic Boosters Meeting 7:00-9:00 pm
in Trailer 25
9
10
11
11
13
14
14-15
Band Concert 2:00 pm in Auditorium
National Merit Recognition Ceremony,
3:00-4:00 pm, Auditorium
Veterans’ Day – NO STUDENT HOLIDAY
Marching Colonials End of Season
Banquet
Winter Color Guard and Winter Drum
Line Interest Meeting 6:30 pm in Band
Room
Renovation Ribbon Cutting 2:30 pm in
Auditorium
“Front Page,” Theatre Production,
7:00 pm in Auditorium
19
ANGP Meeting 6:00 pm in Career Center
21
Principal’s Coffee 9:00 – 11:00 am
Viennese Ball in Gym 2, 7:00 pm Waltz
lesson, 7:30-10:00 pm Ball
Early Release
21
26
27- 28
Thanksgiving Break
December 2014
10
PTSA Meeting 7:00-9:00 pm in Library
10
ANGP Meeting 6:00 pm in Career Center
Jazz Band Winter Pops Concert 8th Period
B Block
Symphonic Band Winter Pops Concert 8th
Period A Block
Wind Ensemble Winter Pops Concert 8th
Period B Block
12
15
15
19
22 –
Jan. 2
2 hour Early Release
Membership
Thank you to all who have already joined and
donated to the PTSA. The PTSA relies primarily on
memberships and the Free Money programs to fund
all our activities so we count on participation from all
TJ families. With approximately 1850 students and
their families, these membership dues really add up!
At this point, less than half of all TJ families have
joined the PTSA. Please take a moment to review the
PTSA Membership flyer to learn about all the PTSAsponsored activities. Memberships are $25 for a
single parent (or $40 for a couple) and include the
2014-2015 directory. You can join on-line by clicking
here. It’s simple, fast, and appreciated!
Not sure if you have already joined? Check the PTSA
website.
Yearbook Sales
Yearbooks are on sale! There are less than 900 copies
left and over 1500 students that still haven’t purchased
a publications package. Will you get yours in time?
Your student’s nationally-recognized, award-winning
yearbook captures all of their once-in-a-lifetime
memories in a single place. Guarantee that you will
never forget them by purchasing your copy NOW! A
limited number of books will be ordered and once they
are gone, that’s it. Don’t miss out. Order yours today!
Log onto our secure website or call toll free at 1-866287-3096, and use order number 13621.
If you order before December 31st, your student will
receive a FREE NAME PLATE with purchase.
If you have any questions, email Erinn Harris (EHarris1
at fcps.edu).
Don’t wait – order today!
Winter Break
November 2014
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