October 2014 - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and
Transcription
October 2014 - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Tech cetera http://www.tjhsst.edu/supportingtj/ptsa/newsletter.htm Hot links to the information for which you are looking… Principal’s Letter President’s Letter I nfo from Other TJ Offices Useful Link s PTSA Update Serving the TJ Com m unity Academ ic New s Class New s New s R ound-up and Aw ards Cam paign for TJ TJ Boosters Notew orthy Dates October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Principal’s Letter Dear Parents/Guardians, Teachers, and Students, We have had an excellent start to our school year. Amidst construction, we have managed to run our schedule and activities smoothly, including an exciting homecoming week filled with pep rallies, class floats, and spirited competitions. Newsweek magazine also recognized TJHSST as the #1 public high school in America, an honor thanks to the exceptional performance of our students and outstanding mentoring of our teachers. The Newsweek article was a nice way to recognize our unique learning environment beyond the metrics they use to determine the ranking. After all, the rankings can be adjusted a few spots each year, however our learning environment continues to focus on inquiry, research, problem solving, intellectual curiosity, and social responsibility. Thanks to the PTSA for providing the whole school a special congratulatory treat – cake for everyone! We have begun our activities program with over 150 options available to students. We are noticing an increase in interest in out-of-school programs run by TJHSST Techcetera students, particularly to neighborhood elementary and middle schools. I encourage those groups to utilize the STEMbassadors network to get started. Through STEMbassadors, parent/teacher liaisons develop relationships with community schools to support after-school and evening STEM programs, including those created by our students. Alternatively, students can use video-conferencing tools during 8th period to interface with classrooms remotely during our 8th period blocks. We are building the Jefferson Collaborative Inquiry and Research (JCIRN) network this year to support this approach. Students should contact me if they would like to explore collaborating with a school in this manner. This month we should start to see completed portions of the construction, such as a new visitors’ parking lot in the front of the school, along with a new main entrance through the dome in a new main office area. We anticipate student services on the 2nd floor will also be completed and then a transition later in the month for the new research wing and geosystems and chemistry addition. Very exciting! With these new spaces, we are striving to expand our innovation and resources available to students. I thank you for your Page 2 contributions to Support the Campaign for TJ, and you can learn more about our vision by attending the TJ Partnership Fund events. During the transfer to new classrooms in October, we anticipate 1 or 2 days for telelearn school days (learning remotely through Blackboard) to enable safe transfer and equipment setup. The date(s) will be issued through Keep In Touch once we receive a permit to occupy the space, which could be as early as mid-October and as late as mid-November. Once we have completed the transfer into newly constructed spaces, we do not anticipate further significant changes during the school year as the unused center courtyards and classrooms are reconstructed. The renovation project will continue through 2016, and a walkthrough video of some of the new spaces is available on our renovation website. I look forward to seeing you at our Back to School Night on October 8. As a result of the renovation and the limited parking, we will have two different shifts. The first shift will be from 4:00-6:00 pm and will be ONLY for the parents of the Classes of 2015 and 2018 (9th and 12th graders). The second shift, ONLY for parents of the Classes of 2016 and 2017 (10th and 11th graders), will be October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index from 7:00-9:00 pm. Obtain your student’s schedule and room numbers in advance of the evening to make your evening run more smoothly. The PTSA meeting will begin at 6:10 pm as an opportunity to speak with both audiences in the auditorium. We realize the restricted times create an inconvenience for some families, and we appreciate your cooperation as we manage our facility under renovation constraints. During the day students will not be coming to the school building but instead will be learning from home in a telelearn anchor day, as activities will be provided via Blackboard. We have developed a FAQ webpage to understand expectations. Don’t hesitate to contact me (emglazer at fcps.edu) with ideas for making TJ an even better place for learning and growing. Have a great October! Sincerely, Evan Glazer Principal, TJHSST FREE MONEY FOR TJ! Last year, TJ earned $15,339.07 from Amazon purchases. We earn 4-15% of your purchase. Just go to the TJ PTSA w ebsite and click on the Am azon icon before you shop. Helpful Tip: After you click on the Am azon icon, save it as a “bookmark” and you can shop directly in the future without going through the TJ PTSA website. * * * * Please Register/Renew Your Cards at Giant Food, Safeway, & 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) TJHSST Techcetera Page 3 October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index President’s Letter I recently attended a meeting of PTA representatives from the Mason District around TJ. One of the many interesting comments was that many families don’t know what the PTA does for their school. On one hand, maybe that reflects a partnership between the school and the PTA that is so close that it is sometimes hard to distinguish between the two. On the other hand, if families aren’t aware of all the things for which the PTA is responsible, it is difficult to gauge the results of one’s contributions of time and money. Many of you know how busy TJ’s PTSA has been over the summer and during the first weeks of school. I hope you know that your PTSA supports you through… • Planners: preparing the content and layout over the summer and distributing copies to all TJ students during the first class meetings. • Back to School “Green” Packets: preparing the content over the summer, coordinating with other groups, distributing hard copies at the Welcome Coffee held before Freshman Orientation, and posting an electronic copy on the PTSA website. • Navigating TJ Panel for New Student Parents: selecting diverse panelists TJHSST Techcetera • • • • • • • • • and key topics, moderating panel and questions. Back to School Bash: organized event, including food vendors, inflatables/games, and giveaways. Teacher Welcome Back Breakfast: food for all staff and gift cards for faculty contests. Student Directories: extensive data collection and update, creating supplementary materials, soliciting advertisers, formatting and proofing entire document (to be distributed at Back to School Night). Budget Advocacy: discussed the impacts of budget cuts with FCPS and School Board staff during the summer. Library Database Subscription: renewed for this school year. Utility (Golf) Cart: contributed to purchase of replacement vehicle used by security, sports, and other TJ staff to move materials across campus. Umbrellas: recently purchased additional umbrellas used by students and staff on campus. Newsletters: In addition to the monthly Techcetera, the PTSA creates the weekly This Week at TJ. Both publications are full of interesting and useful information. TJ #1 Cake: Surprised students to celebrate Newsweek’s ranking of TJ Page 4 • as the best high school in the country. Homecoming Dance: Recruit and organize the many parent volunteers necessary. Most of these activities require the help of volunteers, who all seem to have a good time and get to spend time with others in the TJ community. Please join the PTSA and also consider volunteering – you’ll find yourself getting connected! Back to School Night is coming soon. In addition to visiting your student’s classes, there will be time to join the PTSA, volunteer, and meet with booster group and Partnership Fund representatives. PTSA members can pick up their copy of the 2014-15 Student Directory. We’ll also hold a brief general membership meeting to review and approve our budget and goals for this school year. Look for these materials on the PTSA website. I truly hope you and your family have enjoyed the start of this school year. If there is anything that I or the other wonderful members of the PTSA Executive Committee can do to improve TJ, please let us know at ptsa at tjhsst.edu . Eric Malès TJ PTSA President 2014-15 October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Info from Other TJ Offices Library It’s been exciting helping freshmen, seniors, and everyone in-between, launch their research projects! Please remind your students of the scholarly electronic resources that are available to them 24/7 – databases, e-books, and research guides – at the library website. Research guides are created by the TJ librarians, to guide students in their research, through showcasing specific resources targeted to a student’s project. You’ll find a list of our guides here. Please email us at library at tjhsst.edu if we can help or support your child’s research needs. Useful Links TJ Partnership Fund: TJHSST Home Page: TJ Alumni Association: TJ PTSA website: Other: FCPS Blackboard: TJ Booster Organizations: Academic Boosters: http://www.tjpartnershipfund.org http://www.tjhsst.edu http://www.tjhsstalumni.org www.tjhsst.edu/supportingtj/ptsa http://fcps.blackboard.com http://academics.tjhsst.edu/aboosters/ http://www.fcps.edu/kit www.colonialathletics.org www.fcps.edu/schlbd www.tjbands.org www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/board http://www.tjhsst.edu/curriculum/fa/choir FCPS Keep in Touch (KIT): Athletic Boosters: Band Boosters: FCPS School Board: Fairfax County Supervisors: Choral Boosters: Crew Boosters: www.tjcrew.org/ Orchestra Boosters: http://arts.tjhsst.edu/orchestra/ Theatre Boosters: http://www.tjhsst.edu/parentscommunity/boosters/theatreboosters/ Yearbooks are on sale now! Visit the Yearbook Order Center Site and use order number 13621. If you order before December 31, 2014, your student will receive a free name plate. TJHSST Techcetera Page 5 October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index PTSA Update Landscape Committee The Cultivators of the Earth Club, in conjunction with the TJ Landscaping Committee, had a "Planting Day" to beautify the Weyanoke Learning Cottage area with colorful planters and window boxes. The Club made beautiful arrangements using rescued TJ plant stock that the Club has been nurturing during construction along with flowers and potting soil donated by the PTSA. Club co-presidents Grace Liu and Javed Shaik (pictured) will be organizing members of the Club to adopt a planter for watering and care. school is planned, and the Club is seeking donations of large planters or window boxes. Anyone interested in donating large planters can contact the Club faculty advisor Lona Klein (lcklein at fcps.edu), or PTSA sponsors Shawn Lukas (vslukas at aol.com) and Laura Noble (lauranoble at cox.net). Hospitality Committee On August 28, at freshman orientation, coffee and donuts were served in the earlier morning, and on September 10 before the PTSA meeting, we served refreshments for over 100 parents. TJ was ranked as the No. 1 high school in the nation by Newsweek. The PTSA gave a surprise celebration party and treated the whole school with cake. PTSA hosted breakfast for the teachers on August 26. Our Executive Committee coordinated a nice treat, from cold cuts and cheeses to variety of baked goods, yogurts, fruits, tea, and coffee. The faculty was happy to start the new school year with a smile. We served over 1500 pieces of cake on Wednesday, September 17, in the break between 7th and 8th period (at three locations!). We're proud that we were able to do it within a 15-minute time frame! Cultivators of the Earth Club co-presidents Javed Shaik and Grace Liu A second “Planting Day” to beautify the Learning Cottages located behind the TJHSST Techcetera PTSA hosted breakfast for the teachers. Page 6 Thanks to parents who volunteered to help out at these events, and thanks to the building supervisors, Mrs. Jenny October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Lee and Mr. Junpel Yuan, who gave us their unlimited support. Because of all your help, we had great success! PTA Reflections. Reflections encourages students to explore their talents and express themselves through the arts. It also provides students with the opportunity to create works of art for fun and for recognition. The purpose of Reflections is to celebrate arts learning in the school community. This program supports student success and helps build strong partnerships in the school community. Students enjoying surprise celebration cake – Thanks for making TJ #1! Jane Hsu (tjhospitality2013 at gmail.com), PTSA Hospitality Chair. Reflections Reflections is a program that students can use to convey their feelings for the topic through the arts. This year’s topic is “the world would be a better place if..” There are several benefits when participating in Reflections. Studies show that reading, language, mathematical, thinking, and social skills are improved when students participate in artistic learning experiences such as TJHSST Techcetera The deadline for submission is Friday, October 17, 2014. Submit your entries to the TJ main office with a completed student entry form. Volunteer Coordinators are using to manage the many volunteer needs of the TJ community. It takes less than a minute to fill out. For more information, contact Volunteer Coordinators Sandy Kumar and Robin Hatanpää (ptsa.volunteers at tjhsst.edu). Curious how some of our parent volunteers helped at TJ last month? Without our volunteers, it would not have been possible to hold our Navigating TJ panel, PTSA meeting, cake serving to the entire school, 8th period, JLC, Back to School Bash, and Homecoming. Thank you volunteers! How can you help in October? Read on! For contest rules and forms, check the Virginia PTA website. If you are interested in learning more, or want to get involved please contact Magi Kumar at v.magikumar at gmail.com. Serving the TJ Community Volunteering Made Easy Would you like to be on our list of people to email when we have volunteer needs at the school? Then input your information in to this handy program the Page 7 Back to School Night Volunteers Needed The PTSA will be distributing the 20142015 Student Directories during the break between the Back to School Night shifts. Parents will either collect a free directory (with PTSA membership) or purchase a student directory. We know from experience that extra hands are needed, and it is a great chance to mingle with other parents. If you can help, please send an email to Robin (ptsa.volunteers at tjhsst.edu) with BTSN Directories in the subject line and October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index indicate which session, earlier or later, you will be attending. Help Needed Scoring Freshman Myers-Briggs Each year in October, the Freshman class takes the Myers-Briggs personality questionnaire, and the counselors ask parent volunteers to score the assessments. On Wednesday, October 22, volunteers are needed in the library from 9:00 am-11:45 am to score the tests. Please plan to arrive by 9:00 am so that you won’t miss the short orientation on scoring the tests. Parking is available along the access road after 8:45 am. This is a great way to meet other parents and help out at the school. If you are interested in volunteering, please click here. For more information, please contact Robin Hatanpää or Sandy Kumar (ptsa.volunteers at tjhsst.edu). BigSibs Parent Volunteers Needed During JLC Beginning, October 2, the BigSib program would like to hold large gatherings in Gym 2 during Thursday mornings JLC time from 8:00 am – 9:00 TJHSST Techcetera am. These bonding sessions are dependent on parent volunteers, who are needed to chaperone the students. During the five Thursday mornings in October, please consider volunteering for an hour to help the BigSibs program! Even if you can only assist ONE Thursday in the month, your help is invaluable. To volunteer, send an email to Sandy Kumar (ptsa.volunteers at tjhsst.edu) with BigSibs in the subject line and let her know what Thursday works for you. ingredients whenever possible. We also encourage parents to provide fruit such as bananas, apples, and oranges for bake sales. If you have a good recipe for a healthy snack, please send it to yongqing_lu at yahoo.com. We would like to share with other parents through PTSA website. The following links are to events organized by the United Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County, an organization that works to prevent substance abuse by youth and young adults. Health & Wellness Corner Effective July 1, the USDA published science-based nutrition standards for snacks and beverages sold to students at school during the school day. You can find the standards here. DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day - Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County "Marijuana Harmless? Think Again" Community Event in Spanish Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County Mark Your Calendars When contributing to school bake sales, please make sure you follow the new standards when making or buying goodies. For the benefit of our students’ healthy eating habits, we encourage parents to strive to use healthy Page 8 The final round for senior portraits will take place October 27-30 in the auditorium. Appointment cards should be arriving in the mail in the next couple of weeks. Make-up pictures for underclassmen will be on October 17th. October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index All Night Graduation Party (ANGP) What is ANGP? The All Night Graduation Party is a HUGE celebration in honor of our TJ graduates. ANGP is designed to provide a safe, drug-free, alcohol-free, fun environment for the entire class. It started in 1987 when the National Virginia Graduation Project promoted an after-graduation party model aimed at addressing what had become an annual tragedy: losing our high school graduates following post-graduation celebrations through the deadly mix of drugs, alcohol and driving. Since then, schools in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, and Alexandria have sponsored ANGPs. Essentially an allnight lock-in, the ANGP provides the newly-minted graduates with more than six hours of fun-filled activities, including games, rides, food, entertainment, dancing, raffles, shopping, a casino and more! It is a great opportunity to relax and enjoy time with their fellow graduates, one last time! This year’s ANGP will be held on the night of graduation, Saturday, June 20th, at a still ‘secret’ location, so stay tuned for future announcements! You can find information as it becomes available on our website. Buy Your Tickets NOW! Tickets will be on sale throughout the year but will NOT be available at the door the night of the ANGP. Tickets will be available at a DISCOUNTED price ($100) until October 8 (Back to School Night). Prices will go up to $125 after October 8, so buy early and save! You will need parent and student signatures on the form. We cannot hold the ANGP without 400 volunteer parents from ALL grades. Please sign up NOW to get your first choice of jobs and shifts. We especially need to cover the early shifts when senior parents are at graduation. Besides, it’s FUN! Jobs range from Food, Activities, Casino, Toddler Photos, Concierge, Decorating, Security, Mementos, Tickets, Prizes, Logistics, to Wrap Up. There’s something for everyone to do, so don’t be left out! To sign up, please click here. Please Donate! We need your time and talent AND treasures to make this year's ANGP a success. Due to the renovation, we incur additional costs to hold ANGP offsite. ANY amount is welcome. Please consider a generous donation! Champion ($500 or more) Benefactor ($250) Patron ($100) Friend ($50) Donations Mailing Address: PTSA - 2015ANGP Fundraising Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology 6560 Braddock Road Alexandria, VA 22312 Questions? Contact us at [email protected] Please join us at our first organizational meeting on October 22, 2014, at 6:00 pm (location tbd)! TJHSST Techcetera Page 9 October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Academic News Class News Spanish News 2015 – Seniors With the new school year well underway, the Spanish Honor Society (SHS) has already begun planning a wide variety of activities for our upcoming meetings. Just like last year, we will be organizing the Big Sibs tutoring program, in which members of SHS tutor students that need help in Spanish classes. Additionally, we plan to maintain contact with the Hispanic community in Northern Virginia through various charity projects. Other exciting activities planned include celebrations of Hispanic culture through food, music, and holidays, as well as presentations by guest speakers. We are also thrilled to announce the release of our new website, which will be used by members of SHS to keep track of their attendance and service hours, as well as to view important announcements. Hard to believe but the Class of 2015 are seniors! It’s been a busy month for the students with some starting senior mentorships, others starting their senior research lab projects at school, and of course, everyone super busy working on their college applications. Ahead of us are a few busy months for college application, so it is really important that parents support and be patient with their children during the application process which can be rather stressful. All of the officers, as well as our wonderful sponsors, Sra. Gendive and Sra. Mateo, are excited for the new school year and what it will bring for SHS! Another important event that senior parents have started planning is the All Night Graduation Party (ANGP). The event is funded by ticket sales so we hope that everyone buys their tickets as soon as possible. To do so, go to the ANGP site for details on purchasing tickets as well as how to volunteer for TJHSST Techcetera On the fun side, the seniors had a great time getting ready for their last Homecoming which everyone really enjoyed. The senior float was amazing, Homecoming court and Homecoming King and Queen nominations were exciting, and everyone had a great time at the game and the dance. Page 10 the event. Tickets are $100 if purchased by October 8 (Back to School Night) and $125 if purchased after. Everyone always wants to go, so best to purchase your ticket now. More details on the ANGP will follow in the next months, but we really need to have volunteers lined up so planning can be done in advance. Please look through the site for other details about the ANGP. 2016 – Juniors Sending out a big thank you to all the parents who volunteered to chaperone at the homecoming dance! 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 2016 Parent Liaison JamiekorelitzTJ2016 at gmail.com October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index 2017 – Sophomores 2018 - Freshmen What a whirlwind September was! Classes started, the students had lots of fun at the Back to School Bash, cake was served in celebration of TJ being ranked number one, and Homecoming Week was a spirited, fun time. Thanks to all who helped at the Homecoming Dance coat check. Thank you to all the freshman parents who helped with the Back to School Bash, which was fun and well-attended. Thank you as well to the parents who helped with Homecoming festivities, another enjoyable event for the students. We look forward to seeing all parents on October 8 at Back to School Night. The PTSA annual general meeting starts at 6:10 pm, and 2017 classroom visits begin at 7:00 pm. The 8th is a telelearn day for students. Students will be released at noon on the following Wednesday, October 15. Sophomores will take a practice PSAT that morning. Look for an announcement soon about an additional telelearn days that will occur during the move into new facilities, including the chemistry labs. Please plan to attend Back to School Night (also known as B2SN) on October 8. Due to space and parking constraints, there are specific times allotted to each class year. Parents with 9th or 12th grade students are to attend from 4:00 – 6:00 pm. (10th and 11th grade parents come from 7:00 – 9:00 pm). As part of B2SN, please plan to attend the PTSA meeting, which will be held in the auditorium, from 6:15 – 6:45 pm. We also encourage you to join the PTSA if you have not done so already. Nancy Yang & Silvija Strikis 2018 Parent Liaisons chaonanyang at gmail.com sstrikis at yahoo.com Thanks for your support! Ann Carr and Lan Fan 2017 Parent Liaisons mandacarr at msn.com fanlan at hotmail.com TJHSST Techcetera Page 11 News Round-Up and Awards 129 TJ Students Named National Merit Semifinalists The following 129 TJHSST students have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists: Tara Abrishami, Arielle Ampeh, Ganesh Arvapalli, Sreya Atluri, Pranav Balan, Matthew Barbano, Jacob Benheim, Samantha Cadd, Tim Cha, Pooja Chandrashekar, Amanda Chao, Lily Chaw, Austin Chen, Zhongnan Cheng, Jiwon Choi, Eduard Danalache, Corwin de Boor, Joseph Doran, Emmett Dorlester, Quynh Duong, Saroja Erabelli, Jennifer Fang, Sean Foley, Remy Freire, Quintin Frerichs, Sairisheel Gabbireddy, Anshula Gandhi, Azman Garcha, Ashvarya Garg, Shreyas Garg, Hannah Gaudet, June Ge, Conrad Gehrki, Alexis Gillmore, Noemi Glaeser, Jacopo Gliozzi, Grant Guan, Jessica Guo, Raewyn Haines, David Harris, Hanna Hatanpää, Caroline Heilbrun, Isabel Ho, David Hu, Danial Hussain, Alexis Jenkins, Alec Jessar, Ellen Kan, Jooyoung October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Kang, Nolan Kataoka, Annika Kim, Kiwan Kim, Leon Kim, Peter Kim, Shilpa Kunnappillil, David Lanman, Sang Lee, Kali Liang, Amanda Lim, Lucas Lin, Grace Liu, William Liu, William Long, Ethan Lowman, Austin Ly, Billie Malès, Neha Manu, Nidhi Manu, Daniel McKinney, Rebecca Merriman-Goldring, Faazilah Mohamed, Callan Monette, John Morris, Claire Murphy, Hariank Muthakana, Seanna Nam, Michelle Namkung, Robert O’Connell, Janice Ong, Winston Ou, Didi Park, John Park, Matthew Park, Ranjani Parthasarathy, Melanie Piller, Mary Pollin, Sraavya Poonuganti, Yuvraj Puri, Ramya Radhakrishnan, Sushma Reddy, Sushrutha Reddy, Theodore Richardson, Emily Rogers, Zane Rossi, Anusha Saga, Katherine Salamido, Matthew Savage, Bobbie Sheng, Naini Shiswawala, Connor Simpson, Siva Somayyajula, Eric Sun, Peter Suzuki, Arianna Sze, Kayvon Tabrizi, Sudhamsh Tippireddy, Anna Tursi, Sai Uttla, Anna Venetianer, Jonathon Vogel, Nathan Vollbrecht, Zachary Wade, Renee Wah, Gerry Wan, Kevin Wan, Steven Wang, Zoe Wang, Anna Weidman, Alexis Williams, Lilly Wittle, Jessica Wu, Melissa Wu, Christopher Yeung, Justin Yum, TJHSST Techcetera Parsa Zand, Ben Zhang, Zeming Zheng, Derek Zhou, and Kyle Zhou. TJ Researcher Named Google Science Fair Regional Finalist Junior Jake Cui, together with his research partner John Han from James Madison HS, was among the 90 Regional Finalists selected around the world for the 2014 Google Science Fair. His project aimed to improve Raloxifene, a breast cancer prevention medication, and its anti-carcinogenic effects by synthesizing a combination treatment with S-Equol, a compound found in soy, to increase efficiency and overall effectiveness. Jake has been conducting research to improve cancer treatments by reducing side effects for two years. He was an Intel ISEF finalist for his research in 2013. Six TJ Students Named 2015 National Achievement Semifinalists Six TJHSST students have been named 2015 National Achievement Scholarship program semifinalists in an academic competition for Black American high school students conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC): Azeez Abdikarim, Arielle Ampeh, Rebecca Clark-Callender, Theodore Richardson, and Rollin Woodford. Chemistry Team Junior Jake Cui and partner named Google Science Fair Regional Finalists Page 12 The Chemistry Team ended the 2013/2014 school year with a bang. On May 8, 2014, 22 dedicated TJ student chemists took the Chem 13 News Exam sponsored by the University of Waterloo, Canada. Of the 2,455 students across Canada and the United States that took the test, six TJ students scored in the top 5% and received recognition from the University as well October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index as a T-shirt. These students are Sayan Paul (rank 11), Shrey Gupta (rank 11), Matthew Barbano (rank 20), William Zhang (rank 30), Winston Ou (rank 49), and Rohan Pandit (rank 103). project in future summers, as well as through the new Underclassmen Independent Research Lab at TJ. This school year, the Chem Team welcomes Dr. Omar Acio as the teacher sponsor. The officers, Matthew Barbano and Jeremy Nathan (cocaptains), Grant Guan and Nandan Srinivasa (teaching coordinators), Pranav Balan and Rohan Pandit (activities director) and Kaushik Murali (webmaster), are anticipating another great school year. The Techniques Yearbook staff at TJHSST is now accepting orders for personal ads in the 2015 yearbook, so it’s time to choose photos and start working on your message of congratulations, pride, and love. 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. TJ SEAP Intern Wins First Place Junior Patrick Ryan won first place at the SEAP (Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program) research presentation for the Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering Division this summer. As an intern at the Naval Research Laboratory, Patrick tested low-cost methods of explosive detection in complex soil and surface matrices for both human and autonomous use. In addition, he developed an entirely 3Dprinted and spring-loaded soil collection device to provide his research with a means of implementation. Patrick hopes to continue making headway with his TJHSST Techcetera ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to show your son or daughter how much you care! Sample yearbook personal ad For more instructions and to see more samples, contact Ms. Harris at EHarris1 at fcps.edu. Page 13 October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Campaign for TJ // Leading the Future The Best Time to Support the Campaign for TJ is NOW! Pledge or Donate at Back-toSchool Night Why is now the best time to donate? • MOVE IN has just been scheduled for mid-October. This is THE most exciting time at TJ in over 25 years. • Thanks to our community’s generous donations, specialized equipment and technology worth over $1M has already been ordered, but without additional funds the Research Labs will not be fully outfitted. • If you pledge this fall, you can pay off your pledge over 4 years. For example, if you pledge at the Capstone Partner Level ($1,000), you can pay just $250/year. Pledges must be TJHSST Techcetera completed by December 2017. • If you pledge or donate at the Capstone Partner Level at (or before) Back-to-School Night, not only will you be able to place your name(s) on an auditorium seat plaque when the auditorium is renovated, but you will also receive a Limited Edition Jefferson pennant that evening. • Those of you considering a larger gift will want to make your pledge now while a variety of Recognition Opportunities are still available. Here’s what the Campaign will provide for TJ’s research labs: • Cutting edge equipment, which opens up new areas for research and makes our students’ work more meaningful and more valuable. • Newer models, industrial-sized versions, and duplicates of existing equipment, which allow more efficient use of class time. • Upgraded computers, software, printers, and scanners to speed up processes and improve quality and functionality. Here’s what the Campaign will provide for TJ beyond the labs: • A new collaborative research network (JCIRN) that will dramatically increase connections between TJ students, university researchers, and younger Page 14 students throughout the region; • New technology in every classroom and throughout the school; • Furniture for the school’s many new common areas, which will promote collaboration and socializing; • Turf fields for our athletic program, including one for community use to make us a better neighbor (the county is partially funding the fields, but a significant private contribution is needed); • An athletic pavilion with bathrooms to replace the inconvenient port-apotties; • A fund to support major humanities and arts purchases; and • “Green building” improvements, some of which may lead to research projects. Questions? Visit our website. Read the latest edition of our quarterly newsletter, Newsworthy. Contact our Development Director, Aristia (Tia) Kinis at akinis at fcps.edu or 703.750.8317. Consider joining others like you who are passionate about TJ and want to help make the Campaign for TJ a success. We hope your family’s school year is off to a great start. Thank you for your support. October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index TJ Boosters Academic Boosters Please mark your calendars for two important events on October 22. At 6:30 pm, we will have a brief General Membership meeting in the auditorium. That will be followed promptly at 7:00 pm by the Annual Academic Team Funding Request meeting. We invite all Academic Boosters donors, members, and team parent liaisons to attend the general membership meeting on October 22nd in the auditorium. We hope you’ll stay after that meeting for the Team Funding Request meeting! This is the first time we’re opening the Team Funding Request meeting to members and donors. It’s a remarkable opportunity to hear from our students about their accomplishments last year and their plans for this year. The Team Funding Request meeting is an impressive display of our students’ interests, talents, and ingenuity, and we’d love you to join us! If you haven’t joined Academic Boosters for this year, please join or TJHSST Techcetera renew your membership now! Your contributions may be tax-deductible, 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! We’ll be doing a critical round of funding allocations just two weeks after this meeting, so please show your support now!! This month, we continue to present the leadership for 2014-2015 for TJ’s academic teams. We also have some results from early competitions. Stay tuned – we’re just getting started! Botball Botball Co-Presidents: Harschal Jariwala and Steven Wang Chess Co-Captains: Jeevan Karamsetty and Brian Li Teacher Sponsor: Dr. Gabor Want the perfect way to end your week of school? Come join chess club Friday 8th period B Block - players of all levels are welcome! Page 15 Congressional Debate Captains: Victoria Bevard and Virginia Sun Congressional Debate, commonly known as Student Congress, is a form of debate that models the U.S. Congress. Students prepare and debate legislation on current affairs in a congressional chamber of 12-24 students. This form of debate is highly respected and recognized by all of the debate leagues, including NFL, NCFL, and VHSL. The TJHSST Congressional Debate team is new at TJ, and we welcome new members! Both Victoria Bevard and Virginia Sun qualified to VHSL States last year. Victoria Bevard qualified to the NCFL Grand Nationals last year, breaking to the semifinals, and also qualified to the NFL National Tournament. This year both Victoria and Virginia competed at the Wake Forest Earlybird Tournament. Congratulations to Victoria Bevard who broke to the Finals round at Wake! Congressional Debate meets Fridays, 8th period. The sponsor for Congressional Debate is Marie Bakke, who also coaches the Forensics Speech Team. October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Forensics Speech Future Problem Solvers Congratulations to Matthew Sun who placed 6th in the nation in original oratory at the NCFL Grand Nationals Tournament in Chicago last May which qualifies Matthew for the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions (NIETOC) held in May 2015. FPS is a timed competition in which participants develop thoroughly researched, creative solutions to problems faced by society today while simultaneously envisioning how those problems may take new shape in the future. It is an enjoyable competition for students who enjoy futuristic thinking about technology solutions as well as civic involvements since the solutions often involve multiple groups across society: business, government, private individuals, scientists, educators, and others. th Matthew Sun placed 6 at the NCFL Grand Nationals Tournament. The Forensics Team is busy getting ready for our 2014-2015 season and welcomes new members! Come by a practice, Fridays, A & B blocks. We also have a new website. Visit us! TJHSST Techcetera In June 2014, TJ's Future Problem Solving teams advanced to the International Bowl in Iowa. International Bowl participants were Raquel Sequeira, Jessica Wang, Pegah Moradi, Coco Chen, Jessica Kim, Sania Ali, Vivian Dong, and Christina Zhao. All the participants gave great efforts and represented TJ and the Commonwealth of Virginia fantastically. FPS is accepting new members to form teams for this competition. With a deadline of October 30th, we invite interested students to come to Wednesday B-block meetings to learn more and register their 4-person team! Page 16 After the International Bowl and the election of our new officers last spring, our efforts turned towards fundraising and outreach. We held a car wash in McLean and had a great time bonding while raising money for the club. This summer, we have also been working on outreach to other schools in the area. With the help of Outreach Officers Christopher Hoang and Jessica Wang and our dedicated members, we have continued outreach efforts in Kilmer Middle School, Marshall High School, and Chantilly High School. TJFPS thanks all of its members and supporters, including the Academic Boosters! More information about FPS and club updates can be found at our website. Lincoln Douglas The Lincoln Douglas team kicked off the 2014-2015 season with our most successful tournament ever. At the highly competitive national Wake Forest Earlybird Tournament, four debaters in Junior Varsity broke to octafinals (the round of 16), while two Varsity debaters broke to double octafinals (round of 20). Of these, Allen Cheng made it to finals, placing 2nd overall in LD Junior Varsity, and Shreyas Garg made it to semifinals, placing 3rd overall in LD Varsity. October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index This level of success by a debate team at TJ at a national tournament is unprecedented. At a tournament with more than 100 of the best LD debaters in the country present, more than half of the 11 competitors we sent advanced to elimination rounds, and we came quite close to winning the entire tournament in both JV and Varsity. The other competitors who advanced to elimination rounds were Kevin Livingstone, Sahith Malyala, and Aakash Shukla in JV, as well as Jay Gupta in Varsity. Vishal Tandale and Ashwin Sivakumar also competed in JV, and Aneesh Reddy, Kunal Shroff, and Kaushik Venkatesh also competed in Varsity. Almost everyone finished with at least a 3-3 record; we are proud of our entire team. We are excited about our success at Wake Forest and hope to achieve similar results in approaching tournaments such as WACFL 1, the Walt Whitman Capital Beltway Fall Classic, and the George Mason University Patriot Games Classic. Model United Nations TJMUN is excited to announce its leadership for the 2014-2015 school year! Secretary-General: Sreya Atluri Under-Secretaries-General: Aidan Hennessey-Niland and Becca Merriman-Goldring Senator: Cheryl Mensah Arbitrator: Shohini Gupta Activities Coordinators: Nora Thompson, Giancarlo Valdetaro, and Patrick Ryan Crisis Czars: Will Frank, Vikram Sardana Fundraising Coordinators: Kritika Singh, Shreya Bhatia, Abhi Mogili General Meetings Coordinator: Abhi Chadha Historian: Claire Scoggins Official Photographer: Will Ryu Secretary/Mock Coordinator: Laura Chu Treasurer: Noah Shin Webmaster: Sudhamsh Tippireddy Nations (WMHSMUN) conference in Williamsburg from November 14-16. Public Forum Debate The Public Forum Debate team started its 2014-2015 season at the Wake Forest Invitational, a national tournament hosted by Wake Forest University. Over 130 Public Forum teams participated, with 32 teams breaking to elimination rounds. Two TJ teams, Jeffrey Xia/Danny Wang and Sudhamsh Tippireddy/Deepanshu Singh were able to achieve winning records, at 4-2 each. Three other teams -- Dhruv Gupta/Srijith Poduval, Joe Karaki/Jake Cui, and Shiraz Chokshi/Rohan Suri -- also competed. We hope to have a successful year in other local and national tournaments. We will compete in all five WACFLs and in national tournaments such as the Capital Beltway Classic at Walt Whitman in October and the GMU Patriot Classic in December. TJMUN will be kicking off its national circuit of conferences by traveling to attend the William and Mary High School Model United TJHSST Techcetera Page 17 October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Band Boosters The TJ Band program is in full swing. We encourage you to attend concerts and support our musicians through our fundraisers such as license plate frames, 2014 White House ornaments, spirit wear, and grocery Scrip. Find out more and support the Band Programs by going to our website. Go Colonials! Colonial Athletic Boosters (CAB) Freshman Football: The latest step in the great TJHSST football tradition is in place! After much hard work, commitment, and a slow start, the new Colonials have recently established enough players to begin their season. Five future stars joined the varsity players for summer workouts, beginning conditioning and weight lifting in early July. Approximately ten freshmen began August 4th, enduring the two-a-day practices in part through the leadership of the upper class players and due to their commitment to continue the tradition. While the initial group was too small to fully execute plays, the dedicated few focused on the key fundamentals of football to improve the TJHSST Techcetera ever critical technique they would need for blocking, tackling, and pass routes. Coach Auerbach, the Head Freshman Football Coach, back for his 12th year, said “we started small, but as school kicked off, the passion and excitement of our team caught fire, and we were able to recruit ten more athletes – and now we have enough critical mass to begin our season. I’m excited for the potential they show – with their passion, dedication to hard work and love for the game, I have every confidence that the freshmen will complete the season with pride, fun, and a strong sense of accomplishment – and continue the great TJHSST football tradition.” Varsity Football: Being part of a football team provides many lessons. Among these are the importance of teamwork, discipline, and getting up after you’ve been knocked down. The TJ football team has been knocked down a few times this year. Already a smaller team in numbers than most of their rivals, injuries have caused key players to miss multiple games or to play at less than full capacity. As a result, many younger and less experienced players have been pressed into action on the varsity sooner than ideal. Some teams might buckle under Page 18 this adversity, but TJ hasn’t. The team continues to improve and while the final scores of the first two regular season games were disappointing, they were highlighted by strong team and individual play that will be built upon during the rest of the season. The strength of this team is with their senior class, many of whom rarely leave the field. One such senior, Donny Waymire, played at least three positions on offense, was all over the field on defense as a linebacker, and also punted and returned kicks. He scored a touchdown in the game against Stuart and would have had two if not for an official inadvertently stepping in front of him. Unfortunately, Donny suffered an injury in the Falls Church game that will cause him to miss the rest of the season. His presence on the field will be missed greatly and our best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to him. Jackson Dubro is another do-everything senior who rarely leaves the field except to catch his breath. Jackson is the placekicker, the starting running back, a kick returner and a key member of the defensive secondary - leading the team in tackles in the Stuart game. When on offense he runs behind a very talented offensive line anchored by three seniors: Conrad Gehrki, David Lanman, and Parsa Zand. All three are also two way October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index starters on the defensive line. Conrad, David and Parsa are joined on the offensive line by Matt Heninger and Ryan Bolton. Edward Zhou ably filled in for Conrad when he had to miss the Falls Church game due to injury. The Colonial’s quarterback, junior Nick Lemanski has already had several highlight reel plays and scored at least one touchdown in each of the first two games. In the Stuart game he ran for over 100 yards and in the Falls Church game he led the offense on a superb 65 yard “two minute drill” drive at the end of the first half scoring a touchdown as time wound down to almost zero. Freshman Volleyball: The freshman volleyball team is off to a great start. Having practiced together in the summer, these 11 players had a great opportunity to bond and start the school year already having friends the first day of school. Coach Kinnary Shah is so proud to have this team as her first ever as a head coach. Captains, Simra Ali, Rachel Li and Renee Li lead the team. The team consists of Louise Hicks, Chloe Anderson, Vanshika Nerala, Sam Dasari, Aishani Pal, Jahnavi Prabhala, Alicia Wang, and Shivani Mullapudi. Other performances of note include that of junior Matt Conway who led the team in both receptions in the Falls Church game and tied fellow junior Vikram Gupta for tackles in that same game. September games played after the deadline for this article include the Wakefield and Marshall games. October games include a rare Thursday (Oct 2nd) home game against Fairfax, away games against South Lakes and James Madison the following two Fridays, a home game against Langley on Oct 24th and a Halloween night treat at McLean. Please come out to cheer on your Colonials!! TJHSST Techcetera victory in both. The regular season began with two away games, losing 0 to 2 to Stonebridge and winning 2 to 1 against West Potomac. On September 10th won their first home game against Langley High. The freshman team is practicing hard for six more home games and five away games. Please come out and watch the freshman team at TJ! Your cheers are greatly needed! JV Volleyball: In the August 21st scrimmage against Annandale High School, the JV team earned $60 for the ALS Association (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) with 19 aces, 8 kills, and 3 blocks. On September 8th, the team traveled to West Potomac High where they won the match 2 to 1. Next, they played two home matches. During the first match, they lost to Langley High School 1 to 2, and then on September 15th the team lost to Madison High 1 to 2. Freshman Volleyball Team 2014 The team started out the season with two scrimmages against Hayfield Secondary and Annandale HS with a Page 19 The official JV team roster is as follow: Sophomores Jessica Wang, Kiersten Paul, Tamara Drpic, Rachel Sequeira, Sarah Hoback, Ana Sharma, Brittney Fogg, Sania Ali, Meghna Sil and juniors Wendy Wang and Katie Pruitt October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index The team elected Team Captains, sophomores Tamara Drpic and Katie Pruitt. JV Volleyball Team 2014 The team’s intense 5 days a week practices under Head Coach’s Katharine Genton direction have been working hard on conditioning and fundamentals in preparation of strong skills and team work for the next home game vs. Fairfax High School. JV Field Hockey: JV Field Hockey has been hitting the field with determination, lots of team spirit, and ready to take on whatever challenge is ahead. Starting out with an inspirational pep-talk from team Captains Angela Goyal and Gabby Huckabee gets the team TJHSST Techcetera encouraged and excited to take the field! We started our season off with a loss and two ties, but the team has developed great sportsmanship skills and positive attitudes. At J.E.B Stuart High, the team kicked off the game with the first goal of the season made by MyLinh Budzien and tying 2-2 in the end. They then made a comeback against Lee High School, winning 3-0 and had great offense lined up in corner formations. The JV Field Hockey team is made up of 11 new freshman players, including two new freshman goalies, Masha Goykhberg and Caroline Hatcher. Our aggressive offense is made up of forwards: Ausha Samant, Ramya Ravi, Sneha Ravi, and Lucia Gomez. Our midfields know exactly when to step up and to block the opposing team’s passes, which starts the game off at a fast pace! Richa Gupta, Caelen Barranta, Neha Khandelwal, and Tishani Patel make up the midfield positions, providing back up for forwards and sure know how to carry the ball down the field! Defense is made up of My- Linh Budzien, Alexandra SoccioMallon, Meron Girma, Mahati Malladi, as well as team captains Gabby Huckabee and Angela Goyal. Page 20 JV Field Hockey Team 2014 Photo credit: Martin Gomez This team is full of TJ spirit and energy, and had a great start to the season! Let’s go Colonials! Girls’ and Boys’ Cross Country: Cross Country Teams opened the season at the PR Kickoff Invitational. The Freshman Girls, Sophomore Boys, Junior/Senior Boys and Girls all took third place as teams. Individual highlights include Saurav Valeteth winning the Boys’ Sophomore race, Sherry Xie with a strong 6th place finish in the Girls Freshman race, and Haley Stumvoll taking 3rd overall in the Junior/Senior Girls race. Other top ten individual finishers for TJ included sophomore Will Baxley, senior Katrina Junta, and junior Nathan Riopelle. October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index and the DC XC Invitational on September 27th. Seniors Haley Stumvoll and Katrina Junta at Monroe Parker The following week, at the Monroe Parker Invitational, the Varsity Boys, led by the strong trio of Christopher Blagg (20th), Nate Foss (21st) and Nathan Riopelle (31st) who all completed this three-mile race in under 16:25, tied for fourth place out of 30 teams. In the Boys JV race sophomore Will Baxley ran away from the field in winning the race by 40 seconds. In the Girls JV race Nikita Sawant took ninth place and her teammate Violet Felt was close behind in eleventh place. The Girls’ Varsity took fourteenth overall out of 28 teams, with Haley Stumvoll’s strong eighteenth place individual finish. Cross Country team members and parents, please send an email to TJRunLiaisons at gmail.com if you are not yet receiving team newsletters and announcements. Check the Athletics website and use the Cross Country team link to see the current schedule. Senior Christopher Blagg and Junior Nate Foss at Monroe Parker Do you want to be part of our nationally recognized rowing program? Do you want to improve your physical endurance, muscular strength, and get in top physical shape? If so, join one of the most competitive public schools programs in the Nation - our TJ Crew Team! No prior experience is needed to row with us. Every year we sign up approximately 120 co-ed members in our team, which include returning boys and girls rowers and also a significant number of first-time rowers to row in our freshman and novice boats. We invite all freshmen and upper class novices and their parents to come to the TJ Boathouse Open House at Sandy Run Regional Park on Saturday, October 11, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. This is 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 After this strong start to the season the teams are hoping to improve on this start in the coming weeks, including the Oatlands Invitational on September 20th TJHSST Techcetera Crew Boosters Page 21 October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index rowing with our returning rowers in one of our racing shells. We are very proud of Sandy Run and look forward to showing it off to all interested rowers and parents. Please check our website for details and directions to our boathouse. travel, fundraisers, communications, and much more. Details for this event will be posted on the team’s website. 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, on the Occoquan. Our rowers will race this fall in four regattas: the Occoquan Challenge, the Occoquan Chase, the Head of the Occoquan, and the Head of the Schuylkill regatta in Philadelphia. One boat of girls (eight) and two boats of boys (eight and four) will be selected to row in the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. 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 October Board meeting will be held on October 15 at 7:00 pm at TJ, Trailer #10. TJ Crew Practice Site at Sandy Run The second event of the season is the Crew Family Interest Night, which will be held on Tuesday, October 21, at 7:00 pm at the Weyanoke Elementary School Cafeteria. Weyanoke is walking distance from TJ and across Braddock Road from the Baptist Church. Parking is available at the Weyanoke School. Mark your calendars now for this important event! A lot of valuable information will be discussed, so it is vital that anyone who will be participating in this year’s TJ Crew Program, students AND parents, be present. We will talk about schedules, TJHSST Techcetera The official TJ Crew team training begins on Monday, November 20, with our winter conditioning program. In late February, when the spring season arrives, our team rows daily on the beautiful Occoquan River at Sandy Run Regional Park under the guidance of our top coaches. For regattas pictures and videos check out our webpage. 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, Page 22 Did You Know???? It’s so easy! All you have to do is shop at Amazon.com using this special Amazon.com link, and the PTSA earns 4-15% of most purchases! Questions? Email helenia.pan at gmail.com. October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Orchestra Boosters Early autumn is always a busy time at TJ and is especially so in the music wing with students transitioning to a new school year and a number of students preparing for Senior Regional Orchestra auditions. All orchestra students are getting ready for the first concert of the season, too. We encourage all families to come out and enjoy the music provided by TJ’s Philharmonia and Symphonic Orchestras at the free concert on Friday, October 17, at 7:00 pm in the TJ auditorium. We look forward to seeing you there! Looking further ahead, usher in the winter season with the orchestra’s grandest event of the year, the Viennese Ball! This year’s ball will take place on Friday evening, November 21, at TJ; watch for more details as we get closer to the date. Elegantly dressed in finery, students (and interested parents) waltz and polka to live music provided by the TJ orchestra. Swing dance is also featured! The admission charge includes not only the dance floor, but the delicious food and refreshments provided by orchestra members. Orchestra parents, watch for further announcements on how you can volunteer to help make this a memorable evening. TJHSST Techcetera Orchestra Boosters help support these and other events during the year. Learn more about Boosters in your orchestra student’s classroom at Back to School Night, at our membership table during concert night, or by going to our webpage and clicking on the “Booster membership form” link. Many thanks to families who have already joined! 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. Other Club News Drone Club Theatre Boosters Parents, please join TJ Theatre Boosters and support the students participating in drama. TJ Drama produces 2-3 plays and/or musicals each year, including student directed one-act plays titled "The Annual Knight of One Axe,” now in its 28th year. The first meeting of the TJ Theatre Boosters is Monday, October 6th, at 6:00 pm in the Choral Room. New members are being sought for volunteer positions. Come and help support your student in TJ Drama. Drone Club starting at TJ! Arthur Tisseront, Junior, started a new "Drone Club" this year. The Drone Club will teach all aspects of the positive use of drone technology, drone safety, how to build a drone, avionics, and more. Guest speakers from the FAA and AMA, as well as Kashmir World Foundation are expected. Watch for announcements! Students should email Arthur at randommized at gmail.com** to indicate their interest in the club! ** email address was misspelled in the September Techcetera. The first production this year is the play "Front Page.” It will be performed November 14 and 15 at 7:00 pm at TJ. 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 Page 23 October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Marketplace Band Boosters Show your TJ pride with a red, white and blue license plate frame for your car. Also, check out the Fundraisers button at tjbands.org for more opportunities to help TJ’s great band program. In addition to license plates, the Band Boosters also offer the 2014 White House ornament, Spirit Wear, Scrip and Citrus for sale. (Citrus starts in November.) Come see us at BTSN! 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! Frames can include the TJ class year alone (as pictured above), or for the same great price of $20 you can custom order your frame with additional class years (for multiple children), school name, team, club or slogan! 2014 White House Ornaments See the License Plate Frames Order Form for more details. TJHSST Techcetera Page 24 October 2014 Click Here to Return to Index Noteworthy Dates October 2014 4 6 8 8 8 13 15 17 17 17 21 22 27-30 31 TJ Boathouse Open House, Sandy Run Regional Park, 1:00 – 4:00 pm Theatre Boosters Meeting 6:00 pm in Choral Rm Telelearn Day Back to School Night 4:00 – 6:00 pm Grades 9 and 12 6:10 – 6:50 pm PTSA Meeting in Auditorium 7:00 – 9:00 pm Grades 10 and 11 Crew Boosters Board Meeting 7:00 pm in T10 Columbus Day – School Holiday PSAT – Early Release Reflections Submissions Deadline Make-up Photos for Underclassmen Orchestra Concert 7:00 pm in Auditorium Crew Family Interest Night 7:00 pm at Weyanoke Elementary School Cafeteria Academic Boosters General Meeting 6:30 pm in Auditorium Final Round for Senior Portraits in Auditorium First Grading Period Ends – Early Release 3 4 11 14-15 November 2014 Student Holiday (staff development day) Student Holiday (teacher workday) Veteran’s Day – NO STUDENT HOLIDAY “Front Page,” Theatre Production, 7:00 pm in Auditorium 21 Principal’s Coffee 9:00 – 11:00 am 21 Viennese Ball 26 Early Release 27- 28 Thanksgiving Break Don’t Forget! 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Sign up for (or update) the Student Directory Become a PTSA Member Get involved & join the fun – Volunteer! Start earning FREE Money for TJ Stay informed- Sign up for KIT and Blackboard 6) Sign up to receive “This Week at TJ” by clicking on link on the TJ PTSA Home Page. TJHSST Techcetera Page 25 October 2014
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