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Dear TJHSST Families:
We are in the final stretch! In two months we’ll honor the Class of 2024, wave goodbye for the summer to the rest of our students, and rejoice in our accomplishments!
This past month has been a busy one on all fronts. We celebrated regional science fair winners and recognized students in our mentorship program. Student and community advisory panels, along with parents at PTSA-sponsored events, continue to give great advice about a range of topics such as grading and assessment, student wellness, and communication. And make no mistake, we are a dance-crazed school at this time of year preparing for Namaste Club’s iNite, the hottest ticket in town tomorrow!
If you haven’t had a chance yet to attend an event at TJ this year, spring provides a great opportunity. Bring a chair, kick back, and enjoy a softball or baseball game. Take in a tennis match, see track and field, or watch sticks clash and head-bumped balls at our lacrosse and soccer contests. Our spring visual and performing arts programs are almost ready for the stage and public displays.
In this edition you will see plenty of information about yearend testing. Please take time to mark your calendars and support your children throughout these final weeks. Find ways to help our students destress during the testing season. Assist with time management and insist on sleep for wellness. Most of all, emphasize that perfection is not necessary. All of our children are amazing, beautiful, and talented just the way they are!
Sincerely,
Dr. Ann N. Bonitatibus
TJHSST Proud Principal
Spring testing will be upon us before we know it! The majority of our students will be taking at least one test, whether it be SOL’s or AP exams. Students need to be ready for exam day and should take care to not schedule appointments during scheduled test dates.
- The AP Exam Schedule is set by College Board.
- There will be no Anchor Days during the two week testing period (May 6-17). We will alternate between Red and Blue days. Class periods will remain the same length.
- Monday, May 6 - Blue Day
- Tuesday, May 7 - Red Day
- Wednesday, May 8 - Blue Day
- Thursday, May 9 - Red Day
- Friday, May 10 - Blue Day
- Monday, May 13 - Red Day
- Tuesday, May 14 - Blue Day
- Wednesday, May 15 - Red Day
- Thursday, May 16 - Blue Day
- Friday, May 17 - Red Day
- End of Course (EOC) English Reading SOL (all 11th graders) will be given on Monday April 15.
- EOC Biology SOL (all 9th graders) will be given through IBEST on Thursday, May 16 and Friday, May 17.
- EOC Algebra 2 SOL (for 9th graders who still need to earn a verified credit and/or meet Federal Participation) will be given on Monday, May 20
- Students who are missing verified credits will be contacted directly by Ms. Broadhead with their specific dates/times of testing.
Students are required to use their FCPSOn device for all SOL testing and digital exams. Please work with your student to ensure their device is properly functioning and is fully up to date. Students should be bringing their device to school regularly.
If a student is going to miss an AP exam due to an academic or athletic competition, the student needs to notify Ms. Broadhead as soon as possible so that the exam can be moved to the make-up date.
If a student is absent from an AP exam due to illness and would like to take the exam during the make-up window, the absence must be listed as excused in SIS and the parent must notify Ms. Broadhead within 24 hours of the student missing the exam indicating the wish for the exam to be moved
Here are a few important notes on the Spring Testing Season from TJ Assessment Coach Lisa Broadhead:
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Students are required to use their FCPSOn device for all SOL testing and digital exams. Please work with your child to ensure their device is properly functioning and is fully up to date. Students should be bringing their device to school regularly.
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If a student is going to miss an AP exam due to an academic or athletic competition, the student needs to notify Ms. Broadhead as soon as possible so that the exam can be moved to the make-up date.
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If a student is absent from an AP exam due to illness and would like to take the exam during the make-up window, the absence must be listed as excused in SIS and the parent/guardian must notify Ms. Broadhead within 24 hours of the student missing the exam indicating the wish for the exam to be moved.
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FCPS will be hosting AP exam review sessions, on selected subjects, for FCPS students. These will be in the weeks leading up to AP Exams. Students will access sessions by joining a Schoology group with embedded Zoom links. We will make every attempt to record sessions and post recordings within 24 hours of conclusion.
HERE is information with the Schoology link, a list of which exams have review sessions, and other pertinent information.
- If you have specific questions about SOL or AP Testing, please reach out to Ms. Broadhead at LKBroadhead@fcps.edu.
Hey TJ Families, as you are probably aware a solar eclipse is happening on April 8, 2024. It's a rare and exciting astronomical phenomenon, and one that requires important safety reminders.
Looking directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, can permanently damage your eyes. At TJ, we have been able to purchase some approved eyewear so that students can safely view the eclipse ONLY while wearing the eyewear.
At TJ, students will be receiving a mini-lesson this week on the science behind solar eclipses and safe methods to directly and indirectly view the eclipse. Students will sign up for an 8B activity period whose club sponsor chooses to go outside during that time. Sponsors will have some eclipse eyewear to share with the students in the club. Additional indirect viewing options will be available with support from our Geosystems, Physics, and Astronomy teachers.
Here are some important reminders:
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Don't look at the sun without approved eyewear. This applies to students and staff, and we encourage you to reinforce it at home.
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Regular sunglasses are not good enough. We will be providing some eyewear that has been approved for viewing. Students will be able to share the eyewear in small groups, as well as having indirect viewing options available.
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Eclipse timing: The eclipse starts around 2:04 p.m., peaks at 3:20 p.m. and ends around 4:32 p.m. If you have concerns about your child walking or riding the bus home, please arrange for alternative transportation.
For more details, visit the FCPS Solar Eclipse webpage.
Parents/Guardians, would you like to have weekly progress reports on your child's grades delivered straight to your inbox? It's actually not that hard and can be done either on the ParentVue website or the App.
Thanks to our School-Based Technology Specialist Dr. Maria Cruz, we have created a step-by-step guide on how to set it up in ParentVue on our website! Please check it out!
4Seniors can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Graduation is only two months away! As a reminder, final exams will be organized and administered based on subject matter rather than following the normal class schedule. See below.
Thursday, May 30 – Math/Computer Science/Science (Blue Day)
Friday, May 31 – Math/Computer Science/Science (Red Day)
Monday, June 3 – Humanities/World Language/Make-ups (Blue Day)
Tuesday, June 4 – Humanities/World Language/Make-ups (Red Day)
As always, you can visit the Class of 2024 FAQ website. It has all the details/dates about, graduation, ANGP, and obligations there. If you have any questions please reach out Senior Class Administrator Assistant Principal Volita Russell.
Below is the final exam schedule for our underclassmen this year. Each day will be a half day that lasts from 8:40-11:55 a.m. (except the final day, Wednesday, June 12, see below). Bus transportation will be provided at the release time. If you transport your own child, please make arrangements to pick them up on time as teachers will be busy grading and we do not have staff available to supervise large groups of students until the end of the work day at 4:00.
Thursday, June 6 – Periods 1 and 2
Friday, June 7 – Periods 3 and 4
Monday June 10 – Periods 5 and 6
Tuesday, June 11 – Periods 7 and makeups
Wednesday, June 12 – 2-hour day (class time - 8:40-10:40 a.m.)
Note: This is part of a monthly series to help families understand TJ's Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) system. To see other articles in the series, please visit previous News You Choose newsletters.
As a parent at TJ there are many different people you can turn to for information and support: teachers, counselors, administrators, and social workers. But sometimes you want to talk to someone who knows first-hand where you’re coming from as a parent. Enter TJ’s very own Family Liaison, Lee-Lin Finkbeiner.
Lee-Lin is a great resource if you are new to the school, or even if you’ve been here a while but still have questions about how things work. Don’t be shy, her entire job is to make families feel welcome! She can answer questions, help get you in touch with resources, or help you schedule interpreters if necessary.
In addition to her other duties, Lee-Lin is also a Mandarin language interpreter and is happy to interpret for TJ Families.
She is on-campus most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and her office is in the Wellness Room on the second floor. Stop in and say hi!
TJ is redoubling efforts to ensure our school climate is safe and welcoming each day. For the past couple weeks our stance has been communicated to students daily via morning announcements and other posts.
We're committed to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment, rejecting all forms of bullying, discrimination, racism, and hate speech.
Additionally, on ION, students can access a link to report acts of Discrimination, Bullying, Racism and Harassment. This information is sent directly to administrators for action.
Thank you for reinforcing our efforts to maintain a positive school climate.
 A couple of the many TJ award winners at the Regional Science Fair!
A total of 35 TJHSST students presented their 26 outstanding research projects March 15-17 at the Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair. We had 16 first place projects, six take second place and one other finish in third place. All first place winners are eligible to compete at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair in April.
In addition to the category prizes, 20 TJHSST projects earned 68 different specialty society prizes from science and engineering organizations totaling in the thousands of dollars in cash and prizes.
Congratulations go to our Grand Prize winners Medha Pappula, Sanchali Banerjee, and the team of Ryan Singh and Surbhi Singla who have earned a spot at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, California, in May.
Our Grand Prize alternates are the team of Deven Hagen and Rohan Kotla, the team of Anant Khandelwal, Sritan Motati, and Siddhant Sood, Ray Zhang, and Anusha Agarwal.
Our other Grand Prize nominees are the team of Anvith Kakkera and Aneesh Kalla, Seoyoung Jun, Ryan Kim, Veda Murthy, and the team of Ashrita Gandhari and Archishma Marrapu.
Here is a complete list of TJ participants and their projects at the Regional Science Fair.
Here is a list of the Specialty Society prize winners.
 TJ's mentorship seniors at the annual Mentorship Showcase
The TJ Mentorship program provides the opportunity for concentrated research or project development in a specialized field under the leadership and direction of experienced scientists, engineers, and other professionals in scientific and technological businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies in the D.C. metropolitan area.
We held our annual TJ Mentorship Showcase on March 16. Our 23 mentorship students got to highlight their research projects and share their appreciation to their mentor partners. Congratulations to all of our TJ Mentorship students!
 Collage of photos from TJ PTSA's Holi Celebration
 Short video of TJ PTSA's Holi Color Festival
On March 15, after school, the TJ PTSA put on its monthly cultural event, this time celebrating Holi. A major Hindu festival, it is often known as the Festival of Colors.
TJ students had the opportunity to showcase their skills with several cultural dance and musical performances. They had the opportunity to eat a good meal and then go outside and partake in the traditional throwing of the colors (a short video highlight of that can be seen above).
Thank you TJ PTSA for putting on such a fun event!
 TJ students hard at work at making sure Innovate TJ runs without a hitch!
Innovate TJ is the flagship event of the TJ LaunchX club. It is a business competition where students come up with an idea/innovation in one day and pitch it to a panel of judges. Over the course of 12 hours, students get a chance to develop entrepreneurial skills by implementing concepts taught by the LaunchX officers into their pitches and get feedback from professional judges that have had years of experience in the business world.
This year LaunchX was proud to announce that nearly doubled the number of participants from last year with over 160 competitors from throughout Northern Virginia. It fundraised over $7,000 in order to keep the event free for everyone, and also provided $700 in seed money for the most promising ideas.
 Collage of photos from TJ Latin's Ides of March performance.
The Ides of March is known as the date that Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, which marked a major turning point in the Roman Empire. Each year TJ Latin recognizes this anniversary on March 15, as they patrol the hallways during lunch proclaiming "Beware the Ides of March!"
Afterwards they perform a reenactment of the assassination of Caesar (Et tu Brute?) for students in Franklin Commons to enjoy and learn.
In each newsletter we want to give some quick shout outs to TJ staff, students, teams, and alumni.
 Senior David Cao with Mr. Mark Hannum at Regeneron Finals Week Competition.
- Congratulations go out to senior David Cao, who finished as one of the top 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) and got to participate in the Finals Week competition in Washington, D.C. March 7-13. His project was called "The Implications of ‘Oumuamua on Panspermia." Take a look at his research on the Regeneron page!
- TJ had five students attend the West Point Leadership and Ethics Conference on March 15. At the event, four of them were nominated to compete as top student delegates from their small groups based on their demonstrated leadership, active participation, willingness to engage, and a firm understanding and application of the conference model. The top student delegates will compete for a total of $10,000 in scholarship monies for providing their analysis based on the concepts learned at the conference of a new ethical and moral vignette.
 TJ Namaste Club receiving the Fairfax County Peace Award
- The TJ Namaste officers, under the sponsorship of Patty Lister, received the Fairfax County Student Peace Award. The recipients chosen by the schools generally have in common a desire to bring kindness into the world around them, whether within their schools, their community, or on a larger scale. They see conflict and injustice and respond with creative problem solving. Our Namaste club was honored for putting together TJ's annual INite performance, which allows our different cultural clubs to showcase their cultures through dance.
 TJ's 4x800 meter team
- Big congratulations goes out to the TJ Winter Track Team for their performance in the New Balance National Meet in Boston on March 9. They qualified in both the 4x800 meter relay and the 800 meter individual race. Great showing everyone!
- Thank you WJLA for doing a story about The Rock and how it was decorated for Holi!
Any student who has failed to return an overdue textbook or library book, did not pay a course fee (Design & Tech, Robotics and Art), activity fee, field trip fee, or owes any other fee is on our TJ Obligation List. All outstanding obligations should be cleared from your child's account as soon as possible.
How do I know if my child has any overdue obligations?
Individual emails will be sent out in the next few weeks to students (sent to their fcpsschools.net accounts) who have any outstanding obligations. Emails will also be sent to parents/guardians. If your child owes more than one obligation, multiple emails (one per overdue item) will be sent. The emails will also explain how to return/pay for the overdue items.
Thank you in advance for helping your child clear all outstanding obligations.
Questions? Please email the TJ Finance Office at TJHSSTFinance@fcps.edu or call (703) 750-8363.
Here a few quick reminders that TJ Families should be aware of:
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From Safety and Security - On Friday, April 12, the lost and found closet will be cleared of all items. Please collect your belongings by Thursday, April 11. All Items left behind will be thrown away or donated.
Get out your planners and save Wednesday, May 29 to get your student’s annual sports physical at TJ.
Medical professionals will perform comprehensive physicals. The screening will check height, weight, vision, posture, vital signs, upper and lower body assessments before seeing the medical professional for clearance. Every athlete needs a new athletic physical EVERY SCHOOL YEAR, so save a trip to the doctor’s office and come out and support TJ Athletics Training. 100% of the $50 fee goes right back to TJ athletics! This is a great way to ensure that the physical is completed before summer out-of-season practices start.
EVERYONE will need a new physical in order to participate after July 1.
We need medical and non-medical parents to help make the sports physicals a successful event! If you are a physician (MD or DO), physician assistant (PA), physical therapist (PT) or nurse practitioner (NP), please consider helping out with physicals on May 29th. We also need non-medical parents who want to help with working a station or check-in/out desk. Your expertise and a few hours of your time will greatly benefit our TJ athletes!
Free advertising for medical professionals that help! Email Dr. Murphy hrmurphy@fcps.edu if you can help.
Be sure to visit Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology On its official social media channels!
Visit our X (Twitter) account @TJHSST_Official for news, upcoming events, reminders of important deadlines, and updates of all the fun activities going on at the school.
Visit our Instagram account @OfficialTJHSST for pictures and highlights of those fun events!
We'd love it if you give us a follow!
April 6: I-Nite Performance at NOVA Alexandria - two shows 1:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
April 9: Religious or Cultural Observance Day (Eid al-Fitr begins at sunset) - school remains in session with normal hours, no afterschool or evening activities
April 10: Religious or Cultural Observance Day (Eid al-Fitr) - no school for students or staff.
April 15: English Reading SOL given to 11th graders
April 22: Fourth quarter Catch-Up Day
April 22: Religious or Cultural Observance Day (Passover begins at sunset) - school remains in session with normal hours, no afterschool or evening activities.
April 23: Religious or Cultural Observance Day (Passover) - school remains in session with normal hours.
April 24: Religious or Cultural Observance Day (Theravada New Year) - school remains in session with normal hours.
April 27: Class of 2024 Senior Prom - Ritz Carlton Arlington 8:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
May 3: Teacher Work Day - No School for Students
May 3: May News You Choose newsletter is released
May 6-17: AP Tests given at TJ (see AP Exam Schedule)
May 16-17: Biology SOL given to ninth graders during their biology class.
May 20: Algebra 2 SOL given to ninth graders who still need to earn a verified credit and/or meet Federal Participation.
May 20: Humanities 10th and 11th grade trip to Washington, D.C.
May 21: tjSTAR held during the school day.
May 22: Band holds Spring Concert in auditorium at 7:00 p.m.
May 24: J-Day held during school
May 27: Memorial Day - No school for students or staff.
May 29: Orchestra holds Spring Concert in auditorium at 7:00 p.m.
May 30-June 4: Senior Exams
June 5: 9th grade symposium held during school day
June 6-11: Underclassman exams (1/2 days of school, dismissal at 11:55 a.m.)
June 12: Last day of school (2 hour day, dismissal at 10:40 a.m.)
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