TJHSST Updates! Back to School Night, Schoology Instructions, and More!

Principal's Message

Dear TJ Families:

Thank you for a spectacular opening week! By day two we had already improved our lunch service and bus dismissal, with nearly flawless execution by the end of the week. We also improved our social distancing at lunchtime and in hallways- we so appreciate our students’ adherance to safety standards. Students are forming friendships and connecting with their teachers each day. Most of all, teaching and learning are happening in earnest. Our students report that they love exercising their brain muscles again!

We look forward to you joining your children’s teachers at our Virtual Back To School Night on September 1. Details are below. We are also planning a streamlined Back-to-School Bash for families on September 10. We may have food trucks and limited games outdoors prior to a home football game. The building may also be open to tour. Details are still being worked out so stay tuned.

Please continue to complete forms needed for the start of the school year. Before we know it, Homecoming will be upon us!

Best,

Dr. Ann N. Bonitatibus

TJHSST Proud Principal


Schoology How-To (Important for Virtual Back-to-School Night)

Schoology will play a big role in our Virtual Back-to-School Night on Sept. 1. Schoology is a learning space that enhances face-to-face and distance learning through communication, collaboration, and personalized learning.

Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a safe forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized and it keeps the class connected.

Before you dive into the information on our Virtual Back-to-School Night, we need to make sure you understand how to use Schoology. FCPS has created this handy step-by-step instruction guide on how to use it:

Welcome FCPS Parents and Guardians to Schoology!

FCPS also has a website with detailed information and translations into several languages:

FCPS Schoology Introduction Website


Virtual Back to School Night is Scheduled for Sept. 1 from 6-8 p.m. - Parent Information

Back-to-School Night is being held virtually this year on Wednesday, Sept. 1 from 6-8 p.m. Parents will log into Schoology and visit their child's courses in order from periods 1-7. This is your opportunity to meet your child's teachers and ask questions. Here is the schedule.

The schedule for Virtual Back to School Night

Now here are step-by-step instructions on how to participate in virtual Back-to-School Night.

Prior to Virtual BTSN 

  1. View these informational videos created by our Administration that contains important updates that are relevant to all students.
  2. Make sure you are familiar with Schoology and how to find each of your child's 7 classes.
  3. By the close of business on Monday, August 30, there will be a link titled "Back to School Night Video" on each teacher's Schoology page. Watch the video, as it will give important background on that teacher's class. If a teacher teaches multiple classes (i.e. Research Statistics 1 and TJ Math 3) they may make multiple videos, but will label them by class name.
  4. By the close business on Monday, August 30, you will see a Back-to-School Night Zoom link in each of your child's courses. Click on it.
  5. It will take you to a registration page. Fill out the requested information.
  6. You will receive an email confirmation with a link to join the meeting. Do not lose that link, as you will need it on Wednesday!
  7. You will need to repeat this process for all 7 of your child's classes (a total of 7 different email confirmations).
  8. If you experience any issues please contact the TJ Technology Team at TJHSSTTechTeam@fcps.edu. 

During Virtual BTSN

  1. Parents are encouraged to begin logging in to their child's first period class between 5:45 and 6 p.m. to make sure there are no tech issues.
  2. If you haven't seen already seen Dr. Bonitatitbus' welcome video (you will receive this in a BTSN reminder email on Tuesday, Aug. 31), you should do so during the five-minute welcome period from 6:00-6:05 p.m.
  3. First period will run from 6:09-6:21 p.m. Once it concludes you should leave that Zoom meeting and return to your email to click on the link to join your child's second period class. We will give you four minutes in between each class period to make that move. Second period will begin at 6:25 p.m.
  4. Repeat that process through all seven of your child's classes.

School Photos for Grades 9, 10, and 11 are August 31 and September 1

Banner Advertisement for TJ Picture Day

School photos for 9th, 10th and 11th grade students will take place August 31 and September 1. Students will have their photos taken during their English class period. We are once again using Lifetouch as our photo partner.  Payment forms were distributed this week during English classes, but they are also available in the links below. (

Picture Day Information from Lifetouch

Online photo order form (Picture Day ID EVTSZ7J99.

Picture Day PDF order form

If you have any questions, please contact Erinn Harris at EHarris1@fcps.edu


Reminder! Parents/Guardians Need to Provide Digital Consent

In order for teachers to have the resources they need to provide engaging instruction, we must have parental consent for your child to use FCPS-approved online tools listed as part of our instructional program. This consent must be provided as soon as possible. Please visit this link to review the list of resources and visit this link to provide your consent.


Required Forms

As a reminder, here are some required forms that parents/guardians will need to fill out at the beginning of the school year.

  • Health Information Form and Emergency Care Form (Online Submission)
    • These are required and provide us with necessary health and emergency contact information for your child. The forms can be filled out via weCare@School, which can found in SIS ParentVUE. Instructions on how to fill them out can be found at the link above. If you need a hard copy of either form please contact Mike Roth at mbroth@fcps.edu.
  • The Residency Verification Form (Online Submission)
    • This online Google Form needs to be filled out at beginning of the year. You will need to use your student's FCPSSchools.net account to access the form.
  • FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities Guide (Hard Copy or Online Submission in ParentVue)
    • All students will receive a hard copy of this guide by the beginning of September. Please review with your child who will return the parent signature sheet once you receive the hard copy.  The parent signature sheet will be due October 29.
  • TJ Honor Code (Online Submission)
    • Once the school year has begun, students need to fill out the above Google Form acknowledging they have read and understood the TJ Honor Code.

Optional Forms

As a reminder, here are some optional forms that parents/guardians can choose to fill out at the beginning of the school year.

  • FLE Opt Out Forms (Hard Copy)
    • These are optional if you want your child to opt out of Family Life Education. Go to the link above and print out the form for your child's grade level. A hard copy of this form must be returned to the main office.
  • The 2021-22 Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out Forms (Hard Copy)
    • These are various forms related to your child's records and privacy that are located on the main FCPS website.
    • The link above provides instruction on how to access and fill out these forms.
    • These forms are good for the 2021-22 school year only. If you filled out these forms in a previous year, you will need to resubmit.
  • Free/Reduced Application information and forms for qualified families (Online Submission)
    • While breakfast and lunch will be provided for free during the 2021-22 school year, we encourage you to sign up for this if eligible as it will make you eligible for other reduced fee programs.
  • Identification of Military Connected Students form (Hard Copy)
    • Please print and turn in a hard copy to the front office if your child has a parent/guardian in the United States uniformed services.
    • Scroll to bottom of form for more resources for military families.As
  • FCPSon Laptop Opt-out form
    • If your family chooses to opt-out of receiving a FCPS laptop this year, please fill out this form. Please note that FCPS has waived the $50 fee for all FCPSon equipment during the 2021-22 school year.

Activities Late Bus Available Beginning September 15

Beginning September 15, FCPS will be offering a late bus on Wednesdays and Thursdays for those who are participating in TJ's afterschool activities. This bus will leave promptly at 6:30 p.m. from Door 12 on those days. As this is being run by FCPS Transportation, this service will only be available for residents of Fairfax County. 


Parent/Guardian Lunchtime Volunteers Needed on Mondays

In maintaining and advancing our standard of excellence at TJ, teachers and administrators have a weekly embedded time in the schedule to have meaningful conversations about instruction. This time is called JLC or Jefferson Learning Community.

In the past, parents/guardians have supported us by volunteering to monitor the halls during JLC which is held on Mondays. We are looking for parent/guardian volunteers for this school year. Those who volunteer will need to commit to Mondays from 12:00 noon to 1:00pm. They must also complete all background check procedures through Fairfax County Public Schools.

If you are interested, complete this JLC Parent Volunteer Form by Wednesday, September 1, 2021. Please email Chrystal Benson at cpbenson@fcps.edu if you have questions. 


Health and Safety Guidance

The health and safety of all TJ students is paramount to everything we do. Here is some information from FCPS that gives tips on how to stop the spread, as well as explains the process we use when there is a positive case.

 

FCPS Health and Safety Guidance Webpage

Our Health and Safety Guidance Webpage has the most current information about our layered prevention strategies, what happens if your child becomes ill at school, and the process when there is a pause in instruction or activities after a positive COVID case.

 

Flow Chart for Notification of a Positive Case

We know the pause process is frustrating and sometimes confusing for families. The flowchart below is posted to the FCPS website and explains the exact process TJ, FCPS, and the Fairfax County Health Department use to identify and notify close contacts after a positive case.

Flowchart outlining process for students identified as a close contact

We appreciate your patience as we process all the information and decipher which communications go to our community and when. Earlier this Friday, August 27, a notice was sent in error to our entire community, and thanks to your vigilance, we immediately sent a correction. We apologize for any confusion or alarm. We will continue to learn and improve! Thank you for your patience and understanding.

COVID Dashboard

All FCPS COVID-19 cases are reported via a dashboard posted to the FCPS website and updated daily. While this does not outline the number of students quarantining, it has tabs showing total number of cases, cases by school and cases by date.

FCPS Covid-19 Dashboard


Important Calendar Reminders

Aug. 30: This Monday will be a Red Day periods 5, 6, 7, and advisory will be held.

Aug. 31-Sept. 1: 9th, 10th, and 11th graders will get their school pictures taken during their English class period.

Sept. 1: Back to School Night will be held virtually in the evening from 6-8 p.m.

Sept. 3-6: Labor Day Holiday. No school on Friday, Sept. 3 or Monday, Sept. 6.

Sept. 10: Back to School Bash - more details to come soon!

Sept. 17: Senior photos in auditorium from 2:30-9 p.m. (by appointment)

Sept. 20-22: Senior photos in auditorium from 2:30-9 p.m. (by appointment)

Sept. 20-24: TJ's annual homecoming week.

Oct. 11: No school, teacher planning day.

Oct. 13: PSAT (10th and 11th grade) SAT (12th grade)