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TECHCETERA
MARCH 2015
Principal’s Letter
President’s Letter
Dear parents/guardians, teachers, and students,
In February, I had the opportunity to accompany 14
TJ students to Richmond to meet with legislators
and their staffs to remind them about Virginia’s
“governor’s schools” and to show them how TJ
excels. In last month’s Techcetera, I wrote about
some of the ways that TJ is so special, but during the
Richmond visit, I found a new way to summarize a
well-rounded, “normal” four-year high school with a
commitment to world class STEM education and
research merely by introducing one of our football
players who already holds a patent!
Over the last two years we have been focusing on
our culture of integrity as part of our school goals.
Integrity is always an important value to promote,
rather than a problem to fix, and we want to ensure
students have tools available to support them in
their decision making and resolution efforts.
Students are sometimes conflicted to make difficult
decisions regarding the rigor of their course
selections, managing time, studying for assessments,
and completing homework as they pursue highly
competitive colleges, a well-balanced array of
activities, and an appropriate amount of sleep.
Managing these interests is not easy, and we need
all facets of the community to support these efforts.
Midyear we issued a survey to the community
surrounding our culture of integrity. Overall,
community perceptions are increasing since May
continued on page 2
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 Committee Updates
Serving the TJ Community
Campaign for TJ
Class News
News Round-Up and
Awards
TJ Boosters
Other Student News
Marketplace
Useful Links
Noteworthy Dates
There are many different groups and individuals that
contribute to TJ’s success. Without taking anything
away from our committed and hard-working
students and staff, I’d like to reiterate how the PTSA
helps provide ingredients for the “frosting” used in
TJ’s “cake” – frosting that helps hold the base layers
together, as well as to provide extra sweetness on
top of the core. I’m hoping that you will indulge this
review of PTSA activities, because we’re currently
working on creating the PTSA network for next
school year, which won’t happen without a new
roster of parents willing to volunteer. I truly believe
that most of our volunteer positions are more
doable and more rewarding than most parents
think. Allow me to illustrate some of the ways that
the PTSA helps to make the school special and ask
you to think about how volunteers are involved.
The PTSA supports the school:
•
•
•
Operations (front desk, JLC, AP proctors,
CCC)
Morale (teacher/staff lunches, the Back-toSchool Bash)
Extracurriculars (hospitality during events
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Principal’s Letter continued from page 1
2014. The average increase in "agree" and "strongly
agree" responses in the midyear survey was 10.3%
among students, 8.9% among parents, and 10.8%
among staff. I’d like to focus on those survey topics
where we can still make positive strides with parent
involvement, namely the advocacy policy,
discussions about integrity, and where to find more
information.
The advocacy guidelines are intended to support the
relationship between students and teachers so there
are clear and reasonable expectations. They are
intended to offer suggestions to students on how
they can resolve academic conflicts and whom they
should address their concerns. 29% of parent
respondents felt they help students maintain a
manageable workload, and 46% are still unsure.
Please read over the guidelines, discuss them at
home, and role play a student-teacher conversation
to help students practice these advocacy skills.
Discussions about integrity are valuable at both
home and school. 86% of parent respondents stated
they hold conversations with their student about
school integrity issues. That’s actually a 9% drop
from last May. If you are new to TJ this year or have
not had these discussions, please inquire with your
student: Do they understand when collaboration is
acceptable by the teacher and when it’s considered
cheating? How have they dealt with situations
involving cheating at school? As parents, you serve
as valuable role models who can guide students
through ethical decision making by sharing your past
experiences, lessons learned, and tips to sort
through difficult situations.
32% of parent respondents are unsure where to find
more information about TJ’s honor code and
integrity policy on our website. Follow this link if you
are reading online, or search the Internet for “TJ
integrity policy” to read about the policy,
consequences, a process for online reporting, and a
video overview of the honor council. You are also
welcome to contact your student’s administrator to
answer specific questions regarding our policies and
procedures, which are intended to be fair with due
March 2015
process and consistent to follow Students Rights and
Responsibilities.
During the second semester we are working on
improving the implementation of student advocacy
guidelines, and plan to hold focus group meetings
with students, parents, and faculty to discuss areas
where we can improve. You should anticipate seeing
a presentation at the March PTSA meeting on this
topic. In addition, teachers, parents, administrators,
and students have been brainstorming
recommendations surrounding homework
expectations with the intent to reduce some
academic ethical conflicts. The anticipated outcome
of the committee work will be reviewed by the TJ
leadership team with anticipated implementation
the following school year.
Integrity is a pretty important topic to shape the
lives of our youth, and this month’s column just
scratches the surface of the work we have been
doing over the past two years. I hope the tips
provided will help you get more engaged with us in
educating your student about integrity. Please don’t
hesitate to offer additional ideas with me directly at
Evan.Glazer at fcps.edu to join us in our efforts to
prepare our students to make good ethical decisions.
Sincerely Yours,
Evan Glazer
Principal
Mark Your Calendar
PTSA Meetings
(Tentatively scheduled in the library)
Friday, March 13 –9:00-11:00am –
Principal’s Coffee
Thursday, April 9 – 7:00-9:00 pm
Wednesday, May 6 – 7:00-9:00 pm
Wednesday, June 10 – 7:00-9:00 pm
Refreshments served at 7:00 pm and meeting begins at 7:30 pm
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Useful Links
TJHSST Home Page:
http://www.tjhsst.edu
TJ PTSA website:
www.tjhsst.edu/supportingtj/ptsa
TJ Booster Organizations:
Academic Boosters:
http://academics.tjhsst.edu/aboosters/
Athletic Boosters:
www.colonialathletics.org
Band Boosters:
www.tjbands.org
Choral Boosters:
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
Other:
FCPS Blackboard:
http://fcps.blackboard.com
FCPS Keep in Touch (KIT):
http://www.fcps.edu/kit
•
•
such as Science Fair & tjSTAR)
Staff development (faculty allocations)
Advocacy (budget and staffing – from local
to State)
The PTSA supports parents:
• Introduction to TJ (spring cluster meetings,
Freshman Orientation & green packet)
• Networking (cluster communications, the
Student Directory)
• Information and support (PTSA website,
weekly & monthly newsletters, Navigating
TJ panel, Health & Wellness)
• Advocacy (Homework Expectations, School
Improvement Plan)
The PTSA supports students:
• Health and Wellness
• Morale
• Planners
• Advocacy
Many of these tasks directly involve parent
volunteers and all of them require volunteers to
oversee and organize our efforts. Without
volunteers, these contributions won’t happen next
year.
We’ve already had some parents step forward, and
we’re starting their training by showing them how
those jobs work this year. We’re also creating this
year’s Nominating Committee that will recruit,
interview, and nominate candidates for next year’s
Executive Committee (i.e., officers). If you’re
interested in learning more, please contact our
volunteer coordinator, Robin Hatanpää
(ptsa.volunteers at tjhsst.edu) or any of the officers.
Eric Malès
TJ PTSA President 2014-15
FCPS School Board:
www.fcps.edu/schlbd
Fairfax County Supervisors:
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/board
March 2015
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Renovation Update
Phase 2 of the renovation continues as significant construction takes place in the center of the building. With
increased construction coupled with slick road conditions, vehicles on campus must drive slowly (15 mph). In
order to avoid major traffic backups and to promote safety in the mornings, please remember to drop students
off only at the kiss and ride area on the access road. After dropping students off, proceed up the access road and
turn right on to Little River Turnpike.
Please direct any questions regarding the renovation to Assistant Principal Shawn Frank: sjfrank at fcps.edu.
March 2015
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Academic News
PTSA Committee Updates
Spanish Honor Society
Health and Wellness
The month of February saw the return of Bulería,
the Latin dance hosted by Spanish Honor Society
(SHS). On Friday the 13th, the night before
Valentine’s Day, students danced various Latin styles
with help from dance instructor Carlos, dined on
delicious Latin treats such as arroz con pollo and
empanadas, and had a great time all around. The
event was a success and SHS is looking forward to
hosting Bulería in the coming years as well.
Students salsa dance with partners at Bulería on February 13.
We are now looking forward to welcoming new
members into SHS in the spring. Interested
Sophomores (and Juniors that aren’t already
members) received applications for the honor
society from their Spanish teachers, and they are
currently being reviewed by the SHS officers and
sponsors. Accepted students and their parents will
be notified as soon as possible, and the induction
ceremony is currently set for Wednesday, April 8,
2015, during 8th period in the auditorium. More
information will be coming out soon.
March 2015
Highlights of Discussion on TJ Youth Survey
Results
At the February PTSA meeting, TJ psychologist Greg
Myers reviewed the Jefferson survey results. The
two main areas of concern were:
• About 20% overall of 10th and 12th grade
students surveyed felt sad for consecutive days
during the past school year.
• Only about 10% of students surveyed at TJ sleep
8+ hours, compared to more than 30% in FCPS
overall. This trend has been consistent from
2010 to 2013.
It was noted that the 20% difference is alarming
since other FCPS high schools are also among the
top tier schools of the region.
Six assets, pointed out by Greg, can drastically
reduce key risks, especially depressive symptoms,
suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide rates, and other
risks including cigarette use, alcohol and drug use,
and bullying. The more assets a student has, the
lower the risks. These six assets are:
• High personal integrity
• Performing community service
• Having community adults to talk to
• Participating in extracurricular activities
• Having teachers recognize good work
• Having parents available for help
We all know that sleep deprivation can have long
term health effects. Greg suggested that we parents
do the following simple things to help our children
get more sleep.
• Set firm rules at home on bedtime
• Set firmer rules not to break bedtime rules in
consecutive days
• Remove electronics from bedrooms, such as cell
phones and computers, and put them in the
hallway outside of the bedroom
• No caffeine in the evening
• Take a short walk for fresh air in the evening
Here is the link to the Jefferson Youth Survey
Results.
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Youth Mental Health First Aid Course at TJ
Greg Myers, TJ psychologist, has received many
responses from parents interested in taking the
course. He will soon work on setting up the date for it.
Anybody interested can still contact Greg. Please see
the PTSA Health and Wellness website for details.
FCPS Webinars for Parents Address Student
Mental Health Issues
As part of FCPS’s continuing focus on student mental
health and wellness, several activities are planned for
parents. Two parent webinars are planned, along with
the second Community Conversation on Teen Stress,
scheduled for May 9.
The first webinar was on February 23. The second one
is scheduled for March 23 at 4:00 pm. The topic is
Helping Children Recover from Tragic Losses. The
webinars feature Dr. Scott Poland, a nationally
recognized expert on school crisis, suicide
intervention, self-injury, parenting, and the delivery of
psychological services in schools. He will be joined by
Richard Lieberman, the lead consultant for the
CalMHSA Student Mental Health Initiative for the Los
Angeles County Office of Education and author of
articles on youth suicide prevention, crisis
intervention, and responding to self-injurious students
in the schools. Find more details about the webinars
here.
More information about the upcoming Community
Conversation on Teen Stress is available here.
Article on Parenting
“Parents, Let Harvard Go”
Recommended Reading
“Excellent Sheep” by Bill Deresiewicz
This book is a groundbreaking manifesto for people
searching for the kind of insight on leading, thinking,
and living that elite schools should be—but aren’t—
providing. As a professor at Yale, Bill Deresiewicz saw
something that troubled him deeply. His students,
some of the nation’s brightest minds, were adrift
when it came to the big questions: how to think
critically and creatively and how to find a sense of
purpose.
March 2015
Serving the TJ Community
Volunteer Opportunities
A big shout out of
thanks to all the
volunteers who
contributed food and
helped judge the
successful Science Fair
in February.
The cold weather shouldn’t discourage anyone from
getting out of the house and office to VOLUNTEER
at TJ! Hopefully, one of the below opportunities will
fit into your schedule and if you can’t find a way to
serve the school, please reach out to Robin
Hatanpää, Volunteer Coordinator (hatanpaa6 at
gmail.com).
Thursdays, JLC, 8-9am: We Need You!
With the school year half over, we still need parents
to monitor the student areas during Thursday
morning JLC time, from 8:00am – 9:00am. The
school has recently resorted to using counselors and
substitute teachers to assist during JLC. Let’s free up
our staff, so they can meet with students during this
planning time instead of monitoring students. We
are not asking for a weekly commitment but even if
you can volunteer once a month, we would
appreciate it. Consider volunteering by contacting
the JLC coordinator, Kiran Pothapragada (gkraksha
at yahoo.com)
Participants Needed for TJ FLOW Day, March 20,
2:20-3:50 pm
It's EASY - all you need to do is talk about what rocks
your world; what gives meaning to your life; what
you daydream about when you're grading papers, or
doing laundry, or mowing the lawn; what you do . . .
just because . . . What gives you FLOW?
Have we got your attention? Then consider being a
speaker. You will be assigned a room, students will
come to you in groups of 4-34, you will talk for three
20-minute sessions and encourage, inspire, and
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stimulate the minds of TJ students by sharing what
gives you FLOW.
Sessions may be structured any way you like--share
physical examples of what you do, give a slide show,
activity, or just sit in a circle and share stories! Join the
fun. RSVP!
News Round-Up and Awards
Reflections
Volunteer Call for ANGP
It takes a team of volunteers to produce TJ's All Night
Grad Party. The big night is June 20, and we need
help...starting now! Parents, give the Class of 2015 a
stellar sendoff by volunteering.
Sign up here and join us in planning this once-in-alifetime event for our graduating Seniors. Junior
parents are especially needed so you can prepare for
next year's event.
Hospitality News
Hello to our TJ community! On February 4, we
successfully hosted refreshments and a light dinner
for the Science Fair’s judges in the library. Many
treats were contributed by you all, the wonderful
parents, to both the students and the judges. They
really enjoyed them--we have received many
compliments from the judges!
The Valentine’s Day luncheon for teachers was
cancelled twice because of the cold, chilly weather. It
was rescheduled for the third time on February 27.
I’m sorry for all the inconveniences! There were over
50 parents stepping in for the originally scheduled
luncheon.
Please know that you are appreciated and your
continuous support is the only way we keep our
mission moving forward. Thank you!
Best regards,
Jane Hsu

Check out the Marketplace page
for great items!
Proceeds benefit TJ programs.
Congrats to our students who won Outstanding
Interpretation Award in NOVA district for Reflections
and went to State.
Rebecca Merriman-Goldring for Photography
Kyle Gatesman for Music Composition
The award ceremony is on March 18.
Scholastic Writing Awards
Congratulations to all the Scholastic Writing Awards
regional winners announced this week by Writopia
Lab DC. These students were sponsored by the
following members of the Humanities/English
Department: Jill Burdick-Zupancic, Denise Castaldo,
Maria Gilbert, Nancy Glover, Mary Beth Kochman,
Kate Lewis, Mike Miller, Emily Orser, Vincent Pollet,
Jennifer Seavey, and Sherwood Williams. The
students below will be lauded on March 8 at the Gala
Theatre in DC, and all Gold Key recipients have been
sent to national competition for consideration. For the
second year in a row, TJ had the most recognized
students in the region!
Gold Keys: Joyce Hong, Mei Baek (2), Tara Abrishami,
Jonathan Zheng, Suzie Bae, Pooja Chandrashekar (3),
Richa Gupta, Ahnaf Khan, and Anna Weidman.

March 2015
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The Busboys and Poets $1,000 Senior Portfolio
Scholarship was awarded to Senior Pooja
Chandrashekar for her collection “The Road to
Discovery.” Every year graduating seniors are invited
to submit of portfolio of work, and this year, Pooja’s
was selected by Busboys and Poets Director of Poetry
Events Bomani Armah as the most outstanding out of
a very competitive pool of portfolios. He described her
portfolio as “absolutely amazing writing.”
Silver Keys: Shreya Nandi, Megan Do, Katherine Ahn,
Victoria Yang (2), Jonathan Zheng, Zara Batalvi (2),
Shani Cave, Caroline Heilbrun, Katrina Junta, Ellen
Kan, Caitlyn Ling, and Thinh Tu.
Honorable Mentions: Katherine Ahn, Aliana Gungor,
Tara Abrishami, Debi Das, Jennifer Lee, Jonathan
Zheng, Shadin Ahmed, Pranav Baderdinni, Pooja
Chandrashekar, Joyce Choi, Deepshika Dhansekar,
Jana El-Sayed, Ed Fortunato, Quintin Frerichs, Hriday
Kamshatti, Caitlyn Ling, Christian Tae, Anna
Weidman, Michael Woon, Justin Yum, Maddy Zug,
and Rebecca Merriman-Goldring.
Other Student News
A section for articles on achievements outside of
TJHSST, submitted on behalf of students.
TJ Senior’s Drawing on Exhibit at
Smithsonian Institution
Senior Maya Chung is one of 56 artists—and the only
one under 18—featured in the Artists at Work exhibit
now open at the Smithsonian Institution’s Ripley
Center on the National Mall in Washington.
This juried show, the Smithsonian Community
Committee’s fourth, pan-Institutional art exhibition, is
designed to highlight the often hidden talents within
the Smithsonian community.
Maya’s black ink drawing entitled Redbay (Persea
borbonia) was inspired by a botanical sample
collected in the museum’s butterfly garden, and is in
the style of a scientific drawing.
Are You Wondering What to Do
for Dinner Tonight?
Here are 3 easy solutions that also raise funds
for ANGP:
 GLORY DAYS GRILL – through April 1,
simply ask your server for a copy of your
check and drop it in the box in the Aud
Lob and 10% or your order will be
donated.
 TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ – on
March 4 from 4 to 7, turn in this flyer
when you order and 20% of your order
will be donated.
 FIREHOUSE SUBS – on March 4 from
4 to 7, mention TJ when you place your
order and 20% of your order will be
donated.
During two summers as an intern at the museum—
one mounting botanical specimens and another
working with invertebrates collected from
hydrothermal vents—Chung was inspired to sketch
the samples she was preparing.
More than 170 entries were submitted for the
exhibition which runs through May 1.
Now that’s a win-win solution!
March 2015
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THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
CAMPAIGN FOR TJ // LEADING THE FUTURE
SUPPORT TJ AND BUILD COMMUNITY SPIRIT AT THE SAME TIME
Come celebrate Lunar New Year with the whole TJ
community! Enjoy Dim Sum and Cantonese dishes,
informative panels, entertainment, and prizes at our
second annual Lunar New Year Celebration on Sunday,
March 8th at Rosslyn’s famous China Garden restaurant.
Over 200 parents, students, siblings, and friends have
already signed up. Register soon!
Come out for the second annual Campaign for TJ Golf
Tournament and have a great time for a good cause! This year’s
tournament will be held on April 6, 2015, at Reston’s Hidden
Creek Country Club. Colonial Athletic Boosters and the
Partnership Fund co-host the tournament, bringing parents,
corporate partners, and alumni together for a fabulous day of
friendly competition.
The tournament features an excellent 18-hole course with
complimentary carts, breakfast, snacks and sodas on the course,
and a buffet dinner. Members of TJ’s champion Varsity Golf
Team will be available for putting and Par-3 contests. Raffles,
prizes, and a silent auction round out the fun. Register online (or
by check/mail using sponsorship link).
Corporations and small businesses are encouraged to sponsor
this well-attended gathering of the extended TJ family.
March 2015
We look forward to seeing you at one
or both of these fantastic events.
– The Partnership Fund, TJ’s non-profit
foundation
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ALL NIGHT GRADUATION PARTY
Saturday, June 20, 2015
VOLUNTEERS!
Not a Senior Parent This Year? The 2015 ANGP
Needs You! We are in urgent need of junior,
sophomore, and freshman parents to pitch in and
make the 2015 ANGP a safe, fun celebration for our
seniors who have worked so hard. Undergraduate
volunteers are especially needed for all the set-up
and decoration activities that happen when senior
parents are busiest -- on graduation day! Please sign
up now!
We have an urgent need for an undergraduate
Volunteer Chair to replace the one who recently
had to step down. The work is straightforward, and
up until the party, most of it can be done at home:
•
•
•
•
•
Communicate with other committee chairs
and make sure the Sign-Up Genius form lists
the volunteers they need.
Monitor the volunteer Sign-Up Genius form
and keep committee chairs informed of the
volunteers for their committees.
Work with ANGP Committee on recruitment
messages for volunteers for This Week at TJ
and Tech cetera.
Create badges for volunteers.
Check volunteers in and out during the
party.
The ANGP Committee is also seeking a Fundraising
Chair to relieve the person who is filling in as Acting
Chair. You won’t be starting from scratch; several
fundraisers are already in full swing, and there are
ideas in the pipeline just waiting for a little
enthusiastic leadership!
If you are willing to take on either of these Chair
positions, please contact Lisa Savage at tj2015angp
at gmail.com. There is plenty of information for
volunteers on the ANGP website.
March 2015
MARCH 4 FUNDRAISERS AT FIREHOUSE SUBS AND
TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ (4-7 PM)
Going to the winter sports banquet? Eat dinner
before you go! Mention TJ when you place your
order at Firehouse or turn in this flyer when you
order at Tropical Smoothie and 20% of your order
will be donated to support the ANGP.
TAKE A CHANCE ON THE TJ ALL-NIGHT GRAD
PARTY RAFFLE...NOT ON THE ROADS!
Parents of All Grades: Support ANGP by purchasing
raffle tickets for a chance to win a $499 Complete
Virginia Behind-the-Wheel Training Package with “I
Drive Smart.” Even if you do not win, hold onto and
use your raffle ticket to receive a $50 discount on
any IDS package purchased by June 30! You have
two years to use your package once you are
registered. Only one ticket can be redeemed per
package, by entering the promotion code that we
will share at the completion of the raffle.
Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 raffle tickets for $20.
Ticket forms are online or you can purchase via
PayPal by visiting this page. Tickets will also be
available at the Partner for Safe Teen Driving
Assemblies on March 20 and May 5. The drawing
will be held May 13.
This package consists of a total of seven (7) 100minute behind-the-wheel training sessions that
meets and exceeds Virginia DMV requirements. I
Drive Smart is the only company where police
officers provide 100% of the instruction. Each
session consists of 50 minutes of driving time and
50 minutes of observation of another student
driver. Virginia law requires that each session
involve two students in the vehicle, alternating
driving and observing. Expiration: Certificate
provided to winner must be redeemed by June 30,
2016 (so freshman parents can use it too!). Once
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registered, you have two years to complete the
course. For more information, here’s the website,
or call 855-IDS-COPS.
WHO NEEDS A DRESS?
Does your daughter need a dress for the next TJ
dance or prom? The Senior Class and ANGP are
jointly sponsoring a gently used dress sale. We’ll be
accepting dress donations through April 24. Please
bring your dresses to the donation bin in the aud
lob. All dresses should be dry-cleaned before they
are donated. The dress sale will be held during 8th
period on April 29 and JLC on April 30. All dresses
will be sold for $10. If you have any questions,
contact Robin Hatanpää at hatanpaa6 at gmail.com.
TODDLER PICTURES
Senior parents: We'd like a picture of each senior
from when he/she was between 2 and 4 years old
for the ANGP. You can email digital/scanned
pictures to tjbabypics at gmail.com. Please include
your son or daughter's full name and nickname in
your email. PLEASE get your son or daughter's
approval for the picture you send. Prints can be
mailed to TJHSST ANGP – Baby Pics, 6560 Braddock
Road, Alexandria VA 22312. Prints cannot be
returned.
TICKETS
It’s not too late to buy tickets! $125/student. Even if
you are not sure if your child wants to attend ANGP,
please purchase a ticket to support this event!
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.
Arlington Magazine
Extraordinary Teen Awards
Do you know an extraordinary teen who lives in
Arlington, Falls Church, or McLean?
Arlington Magazine is seeking nominations for
students who are talented, creative, well rounded,
passionate, compassionate and academically driven
for its second annual Extraordinary Teen Awards
competition.
To be eligible, students must be in high school
(public, private, or home school) and live in
Arlington, Falls Church or McLean as of June 1,
2015.
Click here to read about last year's amazing
winners!
Nominations may be submitted by anyone who
knows the student well, including school principals,
counselors, teachers, coaches, parents, relatives,
peers, and friends. All nominations must be
submitted via our online nomination form, which
you can find here.
The deadline for nominations is March 17, 2015.
Winners will be notified in April and profiled in the
July/August 2015 issue of Arlington Magazine.
Do You Need to Buy
Something Green?
Shop and Earn Free Money for
TJHSST!
LAWN SIGNS
Senior Parents: Congratulations Graduate Lawn
Signs for $20. Click here to find the order forms or
purchase one via PayPal.
March 2015
Shop at Amazon.com and earn free money for TJ. Please
bookmark this site on your browser and use it every time
you shop! Questions? Email Helenia Pan at helenia.pan at
gmail.com.
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Class News
2015 – Seniors
Just four months left until graduation!! And there
are many events and activities that both parents and
seniors should know about. Senior Night was a
success and parents got information on very
important things to students and parents. All the
details can be found here.
SENIOR DUES: Dues will be paying for many
important upcoming events including graduation
and prom. Each Class of 2015 family should have
received an email regarding the (mandatory) class
dues. If you have not paid already, please submit a
check for $100 made out to TJHSST and put ‘Class of
2015 Dues’ along with the student’s name in the
“For” line. Students can drop them off in Dr.
Osborne’s trailer (32).
ALL NIGHT GRAD PARTY (ANGP): VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED: Please help! Sign up to volunteer at ANGP.
Questions? Email the ANGP co-chairs Lisa Savage
and Ginger Bugaighis at tj2015angp at gmail.com.
Non-senior parent volunteers needed also - ask your
friends or family to volunteer a shift with you. Our
students deserve a fun-filled event with all their
fellow TJ seniors.
CAPS AND GOWNS: Balfour, the company that
handles class rings and graduation
announcements/invitations for TJ, must have the
student’s order as soon as possible, otherwise the
personalized graduation announcements with the
TJHSST official crest may no longer be available.
PICTURES: Don't let your senior be left out of the
fun! We'd like a picture of each senior from when
he/she was between 2 and 4 years old for the ANGP
'Guess the TJ Senior Contest'. You can email
digital/scanned pictures to tjbabypics at gmail.com.
Please include your son or daughter's full name and
nickname in your email. Please send in photos as
soon as possible.
DRESS SALE: The Senior Class and ANGP are jointly
sponsoring a gently used dress sale. We’ll be
accepting dress donations through May 1. Please
bring your dresses to the parent volunteer or Mrs.
West at the front desk. The dress sale will be held in
May during 8th period on April 29 and JLC on April
30, and all dresses will be sold for $10. If you have
any questions, contact Robin Hatanpää at
hatanpaa6 at gmail.com.
Good luck to all our students as they begin to hear
back from colleges.
Ginger Bugaighis
gingerreich at yahoo.com
2016 – Juniors
The TJHSST Pi-Miler is just a month away (March 14,
2015), and the Class of 2016 needs your help!
TJStar: June 9th
This year, the TJHSST Pi-Miler is being sponsored
solely by the Class of 2016. Not only is it going to be
a great event for the community, but also a big
fundraiser for the class. The students have been
working hard to get corporate sponsors – and they
have done a great job! Now it’s your turn to get
involved. As parents and family members of the
class, please consider becoming a sponsor of the
event. Click on this link to learn more about
sponsorship.
SENIOR PICNIC: June 18th or 19th (date not yet
confirmed) right after the mandatory graduation
rehearsal.
Have you registered to run in the Pi-Miler? It is sure
to be a fun-filled event! Don’t miss it, register
today!
GRADUATION: June 20th: Patriot Center, George
Mason University, 7:00.
Event Details
When: Saturday March 14th, 2015. 9:00 A.M.
Where: Burke Lake Park, 7315 Ox Road, Fairfax
Station, VA 22039
Course: 5k (~3.14159 Miles)
PROM: May 30th at the National Building Museum.
BACCALAUREATE: Date TBD. An optional inclusive,
non-denominational service to celebrate graduation
March 2015
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Questions about the event? Please contact
[email protected]
If you haven’t sent in your $35 class dues donation,
we’ll still take it! Checks must be made payable to
“TJHSST Class of 2016” in order to be properly
credited to the class fund. Please write your
student’s name in the memo line of the check. If
submitting cash please label the envelope with your
student’s name. All dues should be turned in to
Mrs. Rosenblum in Room 136.
If you prefer to mail your $35 dues, please send to:
TJHSST
Mrs. Rosenblum - Class of 2016
6560 Braddock Rd
Alexandria, VA 22312
Jamie Korelitz
JamiekorelitzTJ2016 at gmail.com
you would like to receive a copy.
We will be announcing lockout plans soon. We will
be happy to hear from anyone who would like to
help with this fun freshman event.
Remember to sign up for the TJ celebration of Lunar
New Year sponsored by the TJ Partnership Fund on
Sunday, March 8, 2015, at China Garden. You won’t
want to miss this exciting event which will include
great food and entertainment. See your emailed
invitation for details.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any
questions. We will try our best to help with
answers.
Nancy Yang & Silvija Strikis
Class of 2018 Parent Liaisons
chaonanyang at gmail.com
sstrikis at yahoo.com
2017 – Sophomores
Hello Sophomore families! We hope that you and
your students enjoyed February’s snow days.
Thanks to those who have mailed class dues in. If
you have not, it is not too late! In addition to dues,
the Sophomore class has been raising funds by
selling 2017 spirit wear, hot chocolate on JLC
mornings, and Valentine’s Day carnations. We are
also putting on a pre-Mr. Colonial mixer after school
on March 27.
Thanks for your support of the class of 2017!
Ann Carr and Lan Fan
mandacarr at msn.com
fanlan at hotmail.com
2018 – Freshmen
We hope that all parents and students had the
chance to review the information sent to the PTSA
and parents about important health information
during Mental Wellness week. Some summary
information can be found on the PTSA website. TJ
counselor Greg Myers sent more detailed
information to class email lists, please let us know if
March 2015
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Parent Information Relating to Special Education
All these opportunities are free unless noted.
Register and Go to the FCPS Special
Education Conference
March 7, 8:00 am - 2:30 pm, Hayfield Secondary
School, 7630 Telegraph Rd, Alexandria
Parents can chose from over 45 workshops and
attend 80 exhibits to learn about special education
services, strategies, and community resources for
students with disabilities. Information and
registration can be found here.
FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC)
The PRC helps parents of students with disabilities.
It sponsors workshops, has a lending library, and
has Parent Liaisons to help solve problems. This
month the “2e Twice-Exceptional Newsletter”
focuses on building on the strengths of gifted
children with disabilities. Find more information
here; English: 703-204-3941; Español: 703-2043955.
NAMI Basics
Saturdays, March 7, 14, 21, 28, & April 11, 1:00 3:30 pm, Arlington
This 5-session class is for parents and caregivers of
children who have a behavioral, emotional, or
mental health condition. Curriculum is by the
National Alliance for Mental Illness.
Registration required: contact Sheila at 703-5242914 or jimsheilamack at yahoo.com
Self-Propelled: Promoting Self-Motivation in
Kids with Social and Self-Regulatory
Difficulties
Wednesday, March 11, 7:30 pm, The Auburn
School, 13525 Dulles Technology Dr., Ste 101,
Herndon
Clinical neuropsychologist Dr. William Stixrud will
be speaking. Registration required.
Dude, Where’s My Transition Plan?
March 10, 6:30 pm, Formed Families Forward, 4031
University Dr., Fairfax
This workshop will guide parents in how to talk with
their students about their future, including high
school and beyond. Free workbook provided.
Register here or 703-539-2904.
March 2015
Safety & Community Inclusion
Thursday, March 19, 7:00 - 9:00 pm, JCCNV, 8900
Little River Turnpike, Fairfax
An overview of various strategies to help disabled
individuals stay safe in the community. RSVP to
Carey Alford at calford at financialguide.com or 703865-6502.
Youth and Young Adults: Stronger Together
Alternate Thursdays at 6:30 - 8:00 pm in Fairfax
Sponsored by Formed Families Forward, this peerto-peer support group for youth ages 14 - 22 meets
twice a month through May. Parents, caregivers,
and guardians have their own meeting at the same
time in the same building. Light dinner of pizza and
salad will be served. Register here or 703-539-2904
CHADD: Children and Adults with Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Support Group for High School Students with ADHD
meets the first Sunday of each month, 3:30 - 5:00
pm, 4031 University Drive, Fairfax. Enter on South
Strett. No parents!
Call 703-403-3335 to enter the building. Contact:
coach at BrainRelief.org, 703-641-8940
Support Group for Parents of Teens and
Young Adults with ADHD
Monday, March 23, 7:30 pm, Fairfax Circle Church,
3110 Chichester Lane, Fairfax
For more information phone/text 703-489-4626 or
ocgreulich at aol.com
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness works
to build better lives for those affected by mental
illness.
Oakton Family Support Group meets on the 1st
Thursday of each month, 7:30-9:00 pm in Room 9 of
the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax,
2709 Hunter Mill Rd. Contact: Joanna Walker at
703-620-2633 or joanna.walker at gmail.com
For other Family Support Groups visit this
website.
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TJ Boosters
ACADEMIC BOOSTERS
Academic Boosters needs you!! We need your
memberships to help us fund the sponsors’ travel to
key competitions and help us support student
registration fees. Your contributions are taxdeductible, and may be matched by your employer.
Click here to join today.
Certamen
TJ Certamen attended the infamous Flint Hill Certamen,
the first Certamen of the New Year. The Latin I’s were
outstanding, accumulating 520 points in the
preliminaries and making it to the final round, where
they claimed first place, a feat all the more impressive
when considering this is only their second Certamen.
The team consisted of Kevin Le, John Kim, Minyoung
Hwang, Henna Nam, Stephan Seo, and Katherine Yang.
players and finished with 70 points. The A team
performed extremely well during preliminaries, taking
520 points, before falling in the finals and taking third
place. The A team consisted of June Ge, Ryan Golant,
Junyoung Hwang, and Peter Kim. The B team
consisted of Bill Tang and Hyungju “Hector” Moon.
Congratulations!
Future Problem Solving
With the arrival of the winter holidays and a new
year, TJ Future Problem Solving has been bustling
with activity. Right after winter break, students were
preparing for the Qualifying Problem (QP), which took
place on January 28 at TJ. Some students have
volunteered to present their research to the club, and
many others are being proactive by completing
practice packets.
In addition, results from Practice Problem 2 in
December came in, and they were fantastic -- three
senior division teams and one middle division team
placed first in their sample groups.
Aside from the competitions, FPS is also preparing for
club's upcoming hot cocoa sale, the first sale of the
2014-2015 school year. Numerous students are
involved in the sale, volunteering to bring in supplies,
serve drinks, and advertising across social media.
The Latin II’s sent three teams to Flint Hill, where they
had the unfortunate occurrence of all having to play
each other in the first round. The A team finished with
210 points and placed 5th, the B team ended with 130,
and the C team with 280 and a 4th place finish. The A
team consisted of John Erskine, Katherine Barbano,
Joseph Park, and Milana Wolff. The B team consisted of
Anna Lulushi, Vanshika Narala, Anirban Mahanty, and
Prodyuta Padmanabhan. The C team had Rohan
Valluri, Militsa Sotirova, Medhini Rachamallu, Supriya
Savaram, and Adithi Ramakrishnan.
TJ Model United Nations had many remarkable
performances at the thirty-first annual Ivy League
Model United Nations Conference (ILMUNC), held by
the University of Pennsylvania’s International Affairs
Association.
Two Latin III teams competed at Flint Hill. The B team
finished 4th overall, with 115 points. The A team claimed
445 points in the preliminaries and qualified for finals,
where they took second place. The A team consisted of
Arjun Guidroz, Rebecca Mays, Sanjeevani “Sanji”
Bhavsar, and Adam Kim. The B team consisted of
Kristin Myers, Katie Tam and LeeYung Chang
Novice Committee
Two Upper teams also competed at Flint Hill. The B
team did not fare very well as they were missing two
March 2015
Model United Nations
TJMUN is proud to have earned the Secretary
General’s Best Large Delegation Award, the Franklin
Cup!! This was the best TJMUN performance at the
ILMUNC conference in recent memory, and we look
forward to the remaining conferences of the year.
United Nations Development Programme
Honorable - Ishaan Dey (USA)
Honorable - Ian Moritz (Ethiopia)
Verbal - Millen Welman (Thailand)
Verbal- Niharika Vattikonda (Dominican Republic)
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General Assembly Committees
Honorable - Stav Nachum (Dominican Republic)
Legal
Verbal - Arthur Browne and Bailey Knight
(Dominican Republic)
Peace of Westphalia
Gavel - Sage Teasley and David Hu (Swedish
Empire)
Outstanding - Shreya Mandava and Geetika
Mahajan (Duchy of Cleves)
World Bank
Outstanding - Sreya Atluri (USA)
Economic and Social Council
United Nations Commission on the Status of
Women
Outstanding - Cheryl Mensah and Jake Gonzalez
(USA)
Verbal - Holly Frank and Jeewoo Kim (Thailand)
Social, Humanitarian, and Culture Committee
Honorable - Sahana Ramani and Shreya Bhatia
(USA)
Verbal - Akash Raju and Nikhil Patla (Togo)
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Verbal - Shruti Anant and Subul Malik (Ethiopia)
Verbal - Juliana Bain and Rahul Batra (Comoros)
Verbal - Chris Cao and Dan Qi (Togo)
Special Political and Decolonization Committee
Verbal - Richa Gupta and Roma Chitko (USA)
Verbal - Alex Lewis and Sachin Jain (Togo)
Verbal - Aidan San and Colin Murphy (Comoros)
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin
America
Gavel - Will Frank (USA)
Verbal - Giancarlo Valdetaro (Dominican Republic)
Specialized Agencies and Regional Bodies
Organization of American States
Outstanding - Suzie Bae and Mara Casebeer
(Dominican Republic)
Verbal - Azeez Abdikarim and Rohin Dewan (USA)
Third Plenum
Outstanding - Vikram Sardana (Ye Jianying)
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Outstanding - Patrick Ryan (Ethiopia)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Gavel - Chitra Kokkirala and Rushi Shah (USA)
Outstanding - Will Ryu and Kritika Singh (Ethiopia)
World Health Organization
Gavel - Abhi Chadha (USA)
Outstanding - Swetha Prabakaran (Togo)
Honorable - Nora Thompson (Ethiopia)
Verbal - Frank Sammartino (Dominican Republic)
TJ’s ILMUNC Delegation
March 2015
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Crisis Simulation Committees
ADHOC
Gavel - Andrew Howard (Sushma Swaraj)
JCC: Apple
Gavel - Shohini Gupta (Dan Riccio)
JCC: Google
Gavel - Spencer Weiss (Lazlo Bock)
Knights Templar
Gavel - Becca Merriman-Goldring (Master of Antioch)
National Football League Team Owners
Gavel - Aidan Hennessey-Niland (Dan Snyder)
United Nations Security Council 2060
Honorable - Noah Shin (USA)
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Ocean Bowl
After many months of hard work, the two TJ Ocean
Bowl teams coached by Ms. Lisa Wu competed in
the 18th Annual Chesapeake Bay Bowl on February
7th at George Mason University. Team A members
Jared Nirenberg, Emily Sun, Virginia Pan, Jennifer
Baily, and Katherine Barbano placed 1st and will
advance to the 2015 National Ocean Sciences Bowl
in late April in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Team B
members Mohammed Ihssan, Lowrey Peyton,
Emma Cuddy, Stephen Seo, and Richard Pan were
undefeated in the round robin games.
Congratulations to all the members!
Science Bowl
On February 7, the TJ Science Bowl Team of Janice
Ong, Ross Demsey, Franklyn Wang, Tiger Zhang, and
Matthew Barbano competed in the Virginia Regional
High School Science Bowl at the Jefferson Lab in
Newport News. The team, led by their coach, Ms.
Donohue, placed 1st in the state and won an allexpense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the 2015
U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl in
late April. In addition to the first place trophy, the
team was awarded $750.00 for TJ.
BAND BOOSTERS
Congratulations to TJ Students selected to perform
with the District Band! TJ was fortunate to have a
large number of students performing at this year’s
District Band concert, which was held on 5 February,
2015. These students participated in a rigorous
audition process to be selected.
Symphonic Band performers were: Orchi Banerjee
(Flute), Bradford Case (Bassoon), Sam Cho
(Clarinet), Maya Chung (Clarinet), Linda Diaz (Flute),
Aaron Geldert (Bass Trombone), Peter Gunnarson
(Oboe), Arthur He (Clarinet), Brian Junttila
(Trombone), Minjoo Kang (Flute), Christine Li
(Clarinet), Ethan Lowman (Oboe), Michael Mace
(Trumpet), Wassim Omais (Clarinet), Bobbie Sheng
(Clarinet), Kai Smith (Tuba), Jasper Treakle
(Percussion), and Sara Warrington (Clarinet).
Concert Band performers were: Habeen Chang
March 2015
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(Trombone), Kevin Chaplin (French Horn), Nina Chung
(Trumpet), Noemi Glaeser (Flute), Juliana Gruver
(Flute), Emily He (Clarinet), Catherine Im (Oboe), Jean
Kim (Oboe), Rachel Lee (Clarinet), Andrew Li (Clarinet),
Elizabeth Li (Flute), Lucy Li (Clarinet), Olivia
Marcantonio (Clarinet), Alex Rudin (Trumpet), Kody
Stremick (Clarinet), Kevin Wen (Alto Sax), Grace Yang
(Bass Clarinet), and Sarah Zhou (Clarinet).
Congratulations to all of these outstanding musicians!
Joe Broom Runner Up in the “President’s Own”
United States Marine Band Concerto Competition:
High school students from all over the country applied
to the Marine Band’s 2015 Concerto Competition, and
TJ student Joe Broom (Euphomium) was one of six
applicants chosen to compete in the final round, which
was presented as a recital open to the public on 14
February. As the runner up winner of the competition,
Joe will also receive a cash prize from the Marine Corps
Heritage Foundation. Well Done Joe!
Many Thanks to all who attended and volunteered
in the TJ Bands “Winter Showcase”: Many thanks to
all of the wonderful volunteers who made Winter
Showcase a success!
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.
TJ THEATRE BOOSTERS
Susan Hodges of the Marine Corps
Heritage Foundation presenting award
to Joe Broom.
Winter Drum Line and Color Guard Competitive
Season off to a great start! After an arduous winter
spent rehearsing and learning new routines, the TJDL
and TJWG completed their first competitions in
February. Their first Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA)
competition was held on February 14th at Mount
Vernon High School where both units performed very
well. Two weeks later, the Drum Line performed at our
own “Winter Showcase” while the Winter Guard left
for Pittsburgh to perform in a Winter Guard
International (WGI) Regional competition. Both units
are gearing up for a busy March full of competitions;
culminating in the “World” competitions in April.
March 2015
The 28th Annual Knight of One Axe was presented
on Feb. 6 and 7. One of the plays was also
performed before the Virginia High School League
(VHSL) in Fairfax County and featured seniors Misha
Ryjik and Kira Becker in "I Dream Before I Take the
Stand" by Arlene Hutton. These students took 2nd
place in this competition and advanced to the
regional VHSL competition where the One-Act was
flawlessly performed. Congratulations to these
seniors and to their director, Vincent Pollet.
Misha Ryjik and Kira Becker
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The next TJ Theatre production is “Fiddler on the
Roof” with performances on April 30, May 1, and
May 2. Jennifer Lowery will musically and
theatrically direct a cast of more than 50 students
in this timeless story. This is a large production,
and we will need the support of many parents.
TJ Theatre Boosters will meet on Thursday, March
5, at 6:30 pm in the Band Room. We desperately
need non-senior parents to become involved NOW
for a smooth transition into the next year. Please
plan on attending if your student is new or has
already participated in TJ Theatre.
COLONIAL ATHLETIC
BOOSTERS (CAB)
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball
The JV Girls Basketball team finished their season
with two final away games.
ORCHESTRA BOOSTERS
Moving into March, students in both TJ Orchestras
continue to prepare for District Assessment,
scheduled for Saturday, March 21 at Centreville
High School. Philharmonia will perform at 12:40
pm; Symphonic will perform at 4:50 pm. While
there will not be a pre-Assessment concert at TJ as
in the past, family and friends are encouraged to
attend the Assessment performances (free of
charge).
Looking further into the semester, the TJ
Orchestras’ Spring Concert will be on Friday, June
12, at 7:00 pm in the TJ auditorium. Save the date
and join us for this final concert of the year!
Orchestra Boosters is a group of friends and
families of students who are interested in
promoting orchestral music at TJ. Boosters
volunteer their time and energy throughout the
year, and monetary donations go toward the
needs of the program. Currently, Booster funds
are being used to cover much-needed repairs to
the school’s cellos and basses. If you have not yet
joined and would like to, or would just like more
information, check out our website; or contact
Barb Malès, President, at tjorchboosters at
gmail.com. It’s never too late to join!
March 2015
Pictured here after the game against Mount Vernon are
(Back L-R) Christine Wang, Rachel Ma, Shweta Mohanty,
Coach Chet Bracuto, Maya Parker, Isha Ghodgaonkar,
and Sunny Truslow. (Front L-R) Bailey Knight and Ruchi
Maniar. (Not Pictured: Jo Lee)
Varsity Girls Basketball
The Varsity Lady Colonials finished the 2014-2015
basketball season strong, with close games against
Mt. Vernon and Jeb Stuart.
The team demonstrated aggressive defense, strong
rebounding and focused free throw shooting.
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As the season concludes, the team would like to
thank Tom Connally for his home game announcing,
and all our parents, grandparents, siblings and fans
that supported and cheered for the team each
week. We wish our seniors Rebecca ClarkCallender, Julia Dunbar, Michelle Namkung, and
Adrian Robertson (aka best manager ever) success
in college and look forward to the return of our
underclassmen next year.
Chase Brown ready to shoot.
Chase Brown showed his three-point shooting
prowess knocking down 6 three pointers in a high
scoring game against Lee. This in part, led to the team
reaching its highest season scoring total of 80 points.
High Five! Reserve Jashan “Jeetman” Matharoo
knocked down a clutch three pointer before the end
of the third quarter against Marshall to secure a win
against their rivals. This game was especially great, as
Marshall had beaten the boys earlier in the year. Even
a loss to a super tough Mount Vernon squad could not
dampen their enthusiasm. Lead by the superb
shooting of Matt Jennings with 35 points, the boys
put in a great effort against an excellent team. Matt
Jennings was 9 for 11 at the 3-point line, possibly a
new TJ basketball record.
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball
After a series of disheartening losses mid-season,
the JV boys basketball team rallied and finished the
season strong with 9 wins and 7 losses, a high for
any TJHSST JV squad in recent years. Wins against
Wakefield, Lee, Falls Church, and rival Marshall
boosted their confidence and gave them belief that
they could finish the season on a strong note. Or
could it have been those team outings to Jukebox
Diner after weekend practices for some burgers and
fries? Either way, the boys have truly bonded and
become a better team over the past four months.
Matt Jennings muscles through traffic to the basket.
March 2015
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The squad finished out the season with an exciting
win against JEB Stuart. The team played well
together. Their hard work and skill development at
practice over the past four months showed. Great
Success!
Varsity Boys Basketball
Varsity Boys Basketball is looking to do promising
things as they move into their post-season games. In
the conference they have won two games against
George C. Marshall High School as well as a crushing
defeat against J.E.B. Stuart! Although it was Stuart’s
senior night, Jefferson came out with an intensity
that silenced their home crowd and crushed them
56 to 38! Seth Jaffe, Ryan Morris, and Sharan
Arkalgud, all three-year veteran varsity players,
combined to score 50 points! Ryan Morris scored 18
points, Seth Jaffe scored 18 points, and Sharan
Arkalgud scored 20 points. Parth Desai, Nikhil
Gupta, Sean Lee, and Addison Dunn came across
very strong. The team showed some very good team
work and defense to contain the opponent. The TJ
crowd on hand were treated to Seth Jaffe’s repeat
of mid-court throw to make a goal a second before
half time. In the last one minute the juniors added
to the lead with very good play. This game is the
perfect springboard into the postseason where they
first play Edison High School. In their last matchup,
Jefferson fought hard against Edison but ended up
losing by a small margin. This time, the boys of the
Jefferson Basketball team expect to go at them with
the energy, technique, and class that they beat J.E.B
Stuart with
Wishing all the Seniors good luck in their future
adventures and welcoming a new team for the next
season. Go Colonials!!
Junior Varsity Wrestling
Junior Varsity wrestlers closed out their season with
the Regional Tournament at Annandale High School.
Conditions were a little crazy with power (and heat)
out and only backup generators. Freshman
Matthew Bergman (106) was the top performer,
winning to the semi-finals before taking a loss, but
then wrestling back through the consolation bracket
March 2015
to take 3rd place. Antioch Sanders and David Cho
also competed in the tournament.
Varsity Wrestling
Varsity Wrestlers competed in the very tough Joe
Versigilio Tournament at Chantilly High School. This
tournament featured some of the toughest
competition in Northern Virginia. This tournament
featured pool wresting followed by four man minitournaments for the highest placing wrestlers.
Junior Vikram Gupta (152) had the best result with
a 4th place finish. Senior Charlie Maier (106) took 6th
place. Freshman Matthew Bergman, moving up a
weight class to 113, took an excellent 7th place.
Senior (but first year wrestler) Parsa Zand (182)
took 8th in a fine performance.
Snow cancelled the North Stafford Duals, but TJ
Varsity finished the season with dual meets against
George C. Marshall, Thomas Edison, Wakefield, JEB
Stuart, and Robert E. Lee. TJ lost the Marshall and
Edison meets, squeaked out a one point victory
against Wakefield, lost to Falls Church, and won
over Robert E. Lee.
Sophomore Andrew Yoder (120), Vikram Gupta,
and Donnie Waymire (160) notched wins by a pin in
the Wakefield meet.
At the end of the dual meet season the Varsity team
competed at the 5A Conference 13 championship.
Charlie Maier and Donnie Waymire got the best
results with 2nd places. Vikram Gupta and Parsa
Zand took 3rd places at 152 and 182 lbs respectively.
Andrew Yoder took 4th at 120 and Freshman Owen
Barnett got 5th place and advanced to the Regional
Championship. Senior Jafr Kazmi is an alternate for
Regionals with a 6th place finish.
Swim and Dive
The TJ Swim and Dive (TJSD) team swept the
remaining regular meets beating Marshall, Stone
Bridge, McLean and Fairfax to end the regular
season dual meet schedule at 7-0 for the boys and
5-2 for the girls. Starting off the post season, both
the boys and the girls were crowned Conference 13
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Champions for the second year in row. Continuing
their success, the boys won the Region 5A
Northwest Championship and the girls took third.
included Seliskar (200 IM, 100 fly), Harrington (100
fly), Thorsell (100 free), Heilbrun (100 free), boys 200
medley relay (Thorsell, Doran, Seliskar, Pollock), boys
200 free relay (Pollock, Quintin Frerichs, Sison,
Thorsell), boys 400 free relay (Frerichs, Gerry Wan,
Sison, Seliskar), and girls 400 free relay (Heilbrun,
Grace Liu, Lertlumprasert, Harrington). The dive
team cruised through regions and advanced 4
swimmers to the State Dive meet including Wilson
9th, Lohr 2nd, Chen 3rd, and Monette 4th.
TJSD Girls – 2015 Capitol Conference Swim/Dive
Champions
Event champions at the Conference 13 Meet
included Sydney Harrington (200 free, 100 fly),
Emilio Sison (200 IM), Carrie Heilbrun (200 IM),
Jonathan Pollock (50 free), Jared Nirenberg (500
free), Sophie Bennett (500 free), Luke Thorsell (100
back), boys 200 medley relay (Thorsell, Andrew
Seliskar, Joe Doran, Tai Kao-Sowa), girls 200 medley
relay (Heilbrun, Bennett, Harrington, Charlie
Lertlumprasert), boys 200 free relay (Seliskar,
Thorsell, Sison, Pollock), boys 400 free relay (Sison,
Thorsell, Seliskar, Pollock), and girls 400 free relay
(Harrington, Bennett, Heilbrun, Lertlumprasert). The
dive team has a successful conference meet as well
placing CJ Wilson 7th, Valentina Lohr 2nd, Callan
Monette 3rd, and Gloria Chen 4th.
TJSD Boys – 2015 Region 5A North Swim/Dive Champions
For the state meet on February 21, TJSD is preparing
for more success and the conclusion of another
fantastic swim/dive season.
Gymnastics
The TJ Gymnastics team placed 3rd out of 8 teams at
the Conference 13 Gymnastics Championships with a
score of 118.45.
TJSD Boys – 2015 Capitol Conference Swim/Dive
Champions
Event champions at the Region 5A Northwest Meet
March 2015
Amanda Chao
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CREW BOOSTERS
The registration for TJ Crew 2015 Spring Season was
again a success - 115 novice and returning
rowers/coxes registered. A big Thank You to our
dedicated coaches and enthusiastic Booster Board
members for putting together an organized,
informative, and successful Family Sign-up Night!
Lilly Ko
Emily Everhart
Amanda Chao placed 8th on beam. Emily Everhart
placed 6th on beam, bars, and floor. Carolyn Wang
placed 7th on beam and bars. Great job Colonials!
March 2015
The annual Million Meter Ergathon fundraiser was
held on Thursday, February 12 – our rowers rowed 1
million meters to raise money for the team. It’s not
too late to support your favorite TJ rower or
coxswain. Simply note the student-athlete’s name
on your check and mail it to: TJHSST Crew Boosters,
Inc., Attn: Ergathon Chair, 6560 Braddock Road,
Alexandria, VA 22312. TJ Crew is not funded by
FCPS, so your tax-deductible donation is greatly
appreciated!
Spring rowing season opened late February; our
athletes are traveling daily after school, including
Saturdays mornings, to Sandy Run Regional Park to
practice on the Occoquan River. The first regatta of
the season is the Polar Bear Regatta at Sandy Run
on March 21. The full regatta schedule and
directions to racing venues are posted on the TJ
Crew website. Parents, don’t forget to volunteer at
least once at an Occoquan regatta at
http://www.tjcrew.org – “SignUp Genius” now for
best volunteer slots.
Congratulations to our athletes who got an early
acceptance to colleges and committed to row/cox
for their universities: Sara Mueller was accepted to
Wellesley College, where she will be on the crew
team; Lily Wittle signed a National Letter of Intent
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with University of Miami, where she will be coxing
next fall; and Peter Zablocki was recruited to row
for Yale University.
Peter Zablocki (pictured with Coach Bill Randall) was
recruited to row for Yale University heavyweight team.
For questions about TJ Crew, 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 March Board meeting will be held
on March 11 at 7 pm at TJ Trailer #10.
Sara Mueller and Coach Matt Shoop celebrate Sara's
acceptance to Wellesley College.
Going to the Winter Sports
Awards Ceremony?
Eat dinner before you go! Mention TJ when
Lily Wittle (pictured with Coach Matt Shoop) signed a
National Letter of Intent with University of Miami.
you place your order at Firehouse Subs or
turn in this flyer when you order at Tropical
Smoothie Café and 20% of your order will be
donated to support the ANGP.
March 2015
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Marketplace
WHO NEEDS A DRESS?
Does your daughter need a dress
for the next TJ dance or prom?
The Senior Class and ANGP are
jointly sponsoring a gently-used
dress sale. We’ll be accepting
dress donations through April
24. Please bring your dresses to
the donation bin in the Aud Lob.
All dresses should be cleaned
before they are donated. The
dress sale
will be held during 8th period on April 29 and JLC on
April 30. All dresses will be sold for $10. If you have
any questions, contact Robin Hatanpää at hatanpaa6
at gmail.com.
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.
Take a Chance on the TJ
All-Night Grad Party Raffle
...Not on the Roads!
Parents of All Grades: Support ANGP by
purchasing raffle tickets for a chance to win
a $499 Complete Virginia Behind-the-Wheel
Training Package with “I Drive Smart.” Even
if you do not win, hold onto and use your
raffle ticket to receive a $50 discount on any
IDS package purchased by June 30! Only one
ticket can be redeemed per package by
entering the promotion code that we will
share at the completion of the raffle. Tickets
are available for $5 each or 5 for $20. The
drawing will be held on May 13. Additional
details can be found on the ANGP
Fundraising webpage.
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.
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!
March 2015
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Noteworthy Dates
March 2015
1-31
4
5
6
7
7
8
8
11
13
14
14
16
20
21
28
30-31
March 2015
ANGP fundraiser at Glory Days Grill (see page
13)
ANGP fundraisers at Firehouse Subs and
Tropical Smoothie Café, 4:00-7:00pm (see
page 8)
Theater Boosters, 6:30pm, Band Room
VBODA Symphonic Band Concert, West
Springfield HS; 7:00pm, free/open to the
public.
Citrus Pick-up, 10:00 am, TJ Band Room
VBODA Symphonic Band Concert, West
Springfield HS; 4:00pm, free/open to the
public.
Lunar New Year, China Garden restaurant,
(see page 8)
Daylight Savings Time Begins
Crew Booster Board Meeting, Trailer #10,
7:00 – 10:00pm
Principal’s Coffee, Library, 9:00-11:00am
TJHSST Pi-Miler, 9:00 am, Burke Lake Park,
7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Station (see page 12)
Winter Drum Line Competition, Powhatan
High School, Richmond
Student Holiday
Strategic Planning Day for Staff
TJ FLOW Day, March 20, 2:20-3:50 pm (see
pages 6-7)
Winter Drum Line/Color Guard Competition,
Broad Run High School, Ashburn
Winter Drum Line Competition, Robinson
High School, Fairfax
Spring Break
April 2015
1-3
Spring Break
6
Campaign for TJ Golf Tournament (see
page 9)
9
PTSA Meeting, Library, 7:00-9:00 pm
16-19
Color Guard Winter Guard International
Championship Competition, Dayton, OH
24-25
Pride and Prejudice, 7:00 – 11:00pm,
Auditorium
29-30
ANGP fundraiser Gently-Used Dress Sale
(see page 11 and 25)
30-2
“Fiddler on the Roof,” Auditorium
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