February Updates

School Safety

Dear TJ Families:

The tragedy that occurred recently in Florida at Parkland High School impacted all of us in ways that are both professional and personal.  I would like to publicly and sincerely thank our TJ Colonials staff for the strength, compassion and good judgment they have exercised as they adopted reassuring stances with students, parents and peers.  We also know that all of our parents hugged their children a little closer and engaged in important conversations about safety in public places.

Our superintendent Dr. Brabrand is working earnestly to support all of us as he and his leadership team are conducting a comprehensive review of security policies, protocols and practices.  At the school level, we are being particularly mindful of perimeter security and safety.  

Our student leaders have expressed an interest in honoring the Florida victims and emphasizing the importance of school safety.  They are thoughtfully considering ways to engage in local, state and national conversations in a manner that is respectful to, and mindful of, our positive and safe learning environment. I am very proud of our students' maturity and agency.

During times of unspeakable events, our nerves and emotions can be raw.  As educators and parents, we often have to steel our resolve, offer broad shoulders, and be public pillars of strength.  I appreciate the difficult roles we all enact as we keep our children physically and emotionally secure.

If you need resources about how to speak with your child or otherwise cope with the wide variety of feelings being experienced, the National Association of School Psychologists offers these tips for parents

On behalf of the entire TJ administrative team, thank you for all you are doing to nurture the positive relationships we share among our students, staff and families.  In every sense, we are a caring Colonial Family. 

Sincerely,

Ann N. Bonitatibus

Principal

Course Verifications for Next Year

Course verifications for parents are being mailed home next week for the Classes of 2019 and 2010 – current juniors and sophomores. We ask parents to please review their child’s course selections and return the signed Course Request Verification Form to the Student Services department by March 9th.  

Remember that good first choices and alternates determine 1) which courses will be offered at TJ next year and 2) how we will make staffing determinations.  This in turn limits schedule changes to potential course conflicts and misplacements by sequence or level.

Please contact your child's counselor with any questions.    

AP Test Fees

On April 2, 2018, FCPS will bill those students who need to pay for an AP test for a course in which they are currently enrolled. Please refrain from attempting to pay until FCPS has an opportunity to upload the fees.

If student are interested in taking an AP test for a course in which they are not currently enrolled, they need to contact Mr. Wong at awong1@fcps.edu before March 1st so the test can be ordered with payment correctly processed.

Summer School Registration

TJHSST Academic Summer School registration will begin March 5, 2018 and will be available until April 27, 2018 through the FCPS Adult and Community Education website. General information about all of the TJHSST Summer Programs to include dates, hours, and course offerings is available here

FCPS School Health Services Survey

The Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) employs school health aides and public health nurses who provide school health services to the students in Fairfax County Public Schools. To determine the quality of these services, a survey has been developed by the FCHD to be shared with all parents or guardians who interact with the school health rooms.  The survey takes less than five minutes to complete and will provide the FCHD with valuable information.  Thank you for accessing the survey link below:  

          Parent Survey (English)                        Parent Survey (Spanish)

FCPS Principal Evaluation Process

FCPS administers surveys annually to gather feedback about a principal's performance.  This year all TJ staff members and a random sample of TJ parents will receive a message with a link to an online feedback form.  The link to the form will come from FCPS Surveys and will be active from March 5-16.  We encourage all who receive the link to complete the survey.  Thank you!