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The Department of Student Services recently mailed course request verification forms to parents of rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. Because we believe academic planning is a shared responsibility among staff, students and parents, please take time to review the form with your child, sign it, and have your child return it to school. Doing so will help us meet our target of completing the school's master schedule and verifying enrolled schedules by the close of school in June. Thank you!
A gentle reminder to select your bus depot for next year so the FCPS transportation department can plan accordingly. We ask that all returning Fairfax families register online by visiting the site
found here.
The form will be available through March 31, 2018. If you submitted
registration earlier in the process, you may still submit a new updated form as
many times as you like through March 31.
Note: Families of incoming 9th graders in the Class of 2022 will
have their registration period starting at the end of April through
May 2018.
FCPS high schools, including TJ, have seen an uptick in vaping, a potential health risk and a prohibited activity on school property. Information and resources addressing
E-Cigarettes, Vaping, and Juuling are now available on the FCPS Vaping/Juuling public page.
Dr. Brabrand recently sent a message in response to inquiries about students potentially participating in a planned national walkout on March 14. Please
note that FCPS does not oppose, nor endorse, this call to action. Additionally,
school staff also will not encourage or discourage student
participation.
School leadership has been asked to work with students to find peaceful and safe opportunities to facilitate the observance while minimizing the disruption to the instructional day. Our students have indicated an interest to walk out at 10:00 a.m., assemble in the stadium, recognize for 17 minutes the 17 lives lost in the recent Florida tragedy, and return to class immediately thereafter. They may also wear various shirts, wristbands, colors and other school-appropriate attire to express their views.
At TJHSST, we have three goals for March 14:
preserve the integrity of our academic program, ensure
safety, and recognize the rights students can express and the
responsibilities they must uphold. We will go about our business in the most normal manner possible, and with a positive stance.
March 14 is a scheduled Red Day. Due to recent weather-related incidents, we have missed instructional time on this rotation. To balance available time for quality instruction, we have slightly modified our schedule, shaving a few minutes off lunch and break time and adding it to period 6.
We recognize many students will want to remain in class, and teachers will stay with them. We also have administrators and other staff assigned to monitor students who walk out and congregate in areas such as the stadium. As previously noted in our own February 24 NewsYouChoose bulletin, our students have been working respectfully and thoughtfully on how to engage in national movements while preserving our three goals.
Assuming students stay on campus, adhere to the timeframe for the intended observance, and participate without disruption, we will merely log the partial absences from class. If there is inappropriate behavior or ongoing disruption to the normal schedule, students could be subject to discipline as outlined per the FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities document. We believe our TJ students will respect the ideals we have set.
For parents of seniors traveling to Washington, DC for a field trip on March 14, please have a conversation with your child about rights, responsibilities and consequences. We have predictable actions and outcomes for our campus. We cannot ensure what consequences, beyond those associated with FCPS rules and regulations for field trips, could arise for students who choose to exercise their rights off site in a public environment such as the Capitol. Teachers and chaperones are prepared for potential student advocacy, and assistant principal Mr. Frank will also be present during the field trip.
As always, we will stay vigilant for students who may need emotional support. 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.
Thank you for all you are doing to nurture the positive relationships we
share among our students, staff and families.
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