Dear TJHSST Families,
Welcome to October where the air is brisk, the colors grand, and TJ spirit high! The opening months of school have been joyous and rewarding.
Among our treasured traditions have been TJ Homecoming (HoCo) and family events. We thank our SGA, class leaders, and faculty sponsors for celebrating HoCo traditions and bringing new events. See the HoCo highlight video and photo gallery below.
Speaking of relationships, we continue to emphasize a culture of belonging at TJ. Our teachers have worked hard in the opening weeks to cultivate positive learning communities that are personalized for individual student needs. All students, with recognition of their diverse backgrounds and interests, are affirmed and accepted each day. We commit ourselves to protecting students from discrimination, harassment, bullying, or other unsafe conditions that could jeopardize their well-being.
Within the coming month our annual School Improvement and Innovation Plan (SIIP) should be finalized and published with our desired outcomes for the year. The SIIP will be aligned with the FCPS Strategic Plan. Student learning is at the forefront as we ask ourselves what our students need to know, how we know they have learned, and how we respond when they do or do not demonstrate mastery. We will continue to prioritize having a healthy and safe learning environment with an academic focus. And woven into the fabric of all that we do are the Challenge Success priorities we established during the past several years: decoupling workload and rigor (more does not mean better), managing expectations, and the importance of sleep.
I continue to have deep gratitude for the support and partnership that all TJ families bring to our school. Working together, we create a vibrant learning community that is healthy in mind, body and spirit!
Sincerely,
Dr. Ann N. Bonitatibus
Proud Principal, TJHSST
Note: Parents/Guardians were sent a class specific E-Notify about the Oct. 9 PSAT/NMSQT and SAT day on Sept. 20. Please refer to that message for full details. Below is a basic summary of what each class will be doing.
On Wednesday, Oct. 9, the PSAT/NMSQT (10th and 11th grades) and SAT (12th grades) will be administered at TJ. We will have an early release schedule with school ending at 1:00 p.m. for those who are coming into the building. What your child will be doing that day depends on what grade they are in.
Freshmen – Since most staff will be needed to administer the PSAT and SAT freshmen will have an unscheduled school day and will not report to the building. They are encouraged to complete any missing work or assignments that need to be completed prior to the end of the first quarter.
Sophomores and Juniors - Sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT/NMSQT unless a student’s family specifically communicates a desire to refuse this assessment opportunity.
Seniors – Seniors who have registered will be taking the SAT. All other seniors will not attend school that day and are encouraged to complete any missing work/assignments or use this time to work on college applications.”
Students who attend school this day should report by the normal 8:40 a.m. start time. Testing will begin at 9:00 a.m. It will conclude between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. with an advisory lesson to follow.
TJ will conclude the day with a lunch period from 12:15-1:00 p.m. with dismissal happening immediately afterwards.
If you have any questions about testing, please contact our Assessment Coach Lisa Broadhead at LKBroadhead@fcps.edu.
Please Note (Very Important): Students are required to use their FCPS issued device for PSAT and SAT School Day testing. If your student has not yet picked up their device from the tech office or is experiencing technical issues with their device, please have them visit the tech office before Wednesday, October 9.
AP Out-Out forms were handed out in Advisory this past Monday, September 30. If your child wishes to opt out of one of their scheduled AP exams, please complete the form and return it to Lisa Broadhead by November 1, 2024.
Self-Study exams do not appear on the opt-out forms, this is only for courses students are enrolled in. If your student was absent on Monday, or did not receive their opt-our form, have them see their advisory teacher.
Class of 2025 parents/guardians - The TJ Counseling staff will be holding virtual office hours on Friday, Oct. 11 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. This is your chance to ask general questions about the college application process.
These office hours will be held over Zoom. A link was included in the E-Notify sent to you by Communications Specialist Mike Roth on Oct. 2. If you need it resent, please email him at mbroth@fcps.edu.
Free/Reduced Application information and forms for qualified families (Online Submission)
FCPS offers nutritious meals every school day. Your child may qualify for free meals or reduced-price meals at TJHSST. Students who qualify for reduced-price meals receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. For information on how to apply for Free and Reduced-price meals, please visit the link above. The online free and reduced-price meals application is available in 8 languages and can be completed on mobile devices. It needs to re-apply annually.
Consent to Share Form: https://www.fcps.edu/system/files/forms/2024-08/Food-Services-Consent-to-Share-Form-24-25-English.pdf
If you have children eligible for the Free and Reduced-price meals program, they may also be eligible to participate in other FCPS fee-based programs without paying a fee or by paying a reduced fee.
This would include things that are specified in FCPS Notice 5922. Those are:
- Musical Instrument fees
- Driver Education fees
- Student Parking fees
- Career and Technical Education Certification fees
- Fine Arts fees
- Technology and Engineering Education Material fees
- Online Campus fees
- Advanced Placement fees (after six exams)
- Returned Check fees
You are also eligible to receive information about scholarships, classes and services that are provided by agencies and organizations other than FCPS.
In order to receive the benefits, you have to fill out the Consent to Share Form (please visit the link above), a written agreement allowing FCPS staff to share information about your children's meal eligibility status.
When considering the supports outside of the classroom that you can offer your students, know that TJ is home to multiple opportunities for students during 8th period!
The TJ Writing Center (which opened in Spring 2012) boasts an energetic pool of tutors who have been vetted and trained by the Writing Center sponsors and board members. Tutors are available to work with tutees on any part of the writing process and on pieces that are for classes, applications, or just for themselves. The Writing Center is not an editing service – instead, tutors guide the tutees by asking questions and leading them in the right direction while not rewriting or editing papers for them. It’s all about the conversation around writing! We match tutors with tutees considering their grade levels and what type of writing the tutee is working on. The Writing Center is open every 8th period block.
The TJ Math Center (which opened this Fall!) is the newest of our community resources. Tutors, who have been vetted and trained by Math Center sponsors, work with tutees in a variety of math topics and levels, ranging from RS1 to AB Calculus. As with the Writing Center, the Math Center tutors are not there to do the work for the tutees – they discuss where the difficulties lie and focus on improving how to think and learn about math topics. The Math Center is open every 8th period block.
TJ has many students who are non-native speakers of English. Our Multilingual Learners (formerly ESOL) are able to sign up for Academic Language, which meets every 8th period block, for one-on-one help from Ms. Stephanie Glotfelty, TJ’s Multilingual Learner teacher. Students with a need for more support are part of anchor-day rotations, where they meet in small groups to work on a variety of English-language topics including grammar, vocabulary, usage, idioms, pronunciation, and discourse style. If you know of a student who could use this type of support, please email slglotfelty@fcps.edu.
As partners in your student’s education, we want to make sure you are familiar with some of the important tools we use to support learning.
Schoology is the main learning management system used at TJ. All of your student’s teachers use this platform to house important course information. You can log-in to this platform using your same credentials as your SIS Parent VUE account.
TalkingPoints is an easy and safe way families can communicate in their home languages with their student’s teachers for free. School and teacher messages will come directly to the phone number that is registered in our system as a SMS text or through the TalkingPoints Parent App. Families will receive messages in the language they have listed as their correspondence language. You can read and reply in any language, and the message can be translated.
On September 25, we hosted a webinar where we went over both tools and explained how they benefit both students and families. To watch a replay of the webinar, please click on the photo above.
Dear 9th Grade Parents/Guardians,
Greetings! We had 2 wonderful and engaging sessions of the "How to Raise an Adult" book club so far. If you have missed the last 2 sessions, there is a 3rd and final session coming up. Our third session will be held in-person on Friday 10/18 from 9-10:30am at Franklin Commons. Session 3 will cover chapter 12-22 of the book. You don't need to read the book in order to join the book club. We just love to see parents connect with each other.
If you are interested in attending the 3rd session, please fill out the google form so that we can adequately prepare for our next session.
 
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year. TJ recognizes and celebrates the histories and cultures of the members of our community who trace their heritage to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
TJ's Hispanic Community Club has put up flags throughout the school celebrating the various countries that our community can trace their heritage to. With those flags are QR codes that lead to information and trivia about those countries.
While slightly after the conclusion of the month, the Hispanic Culture Club will also be hosting a celebration of Hispanic culture with regional food, live music and dancing, Día de los Muertos-themed face painting and cultural artifacts afterschool on Oct. 18.
Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month.
During the final week of September, TJ held its beloved Homecoming Week festivities. Featuring Pep Rallies each day and a dance on Saturday, TJ festivities brought us together as a community, created a lot of fun, showed off our artistic skills, and inspired friendly competition.
While the Class of 2025 won the overall points crown, each class contributed to this amazing event. Check out some pictures and video highlights of each day via Instagram.
Also be sure to check out the full highlight video by clicking on the picture above!
We also want to acknowledge the great attendance numbers during homecoming! The class with the best attendance that week was awarded points in the overall competition. The winner was the Class of 2028, but every class had over 96 percent attendance every single day!
Remember that regular school attendance is one of the keys for students success at TJ!
FCPS Release
Commended Scholar Breakfast Oct. 1 via Instagram
Semifinalist Breakfast Oct. 2 via Instagram
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recently named both its National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and National Merit Commended Scholars. TJ was proud to lead Fairfax County Public Schools in both categories!
On Tuesday, October 1, TJ held a breakfast celebration before school to honor the Commended Scholars. We followed with another breakfast on Wednesday, October 2 for the Semifinalists. Commended Scholars who missed their recognition due to traffic issues were able to join the second breakfast.
Congratulations to all of the scholars, and good luck to our Semifinalists as they continue along in the competition!
It was great to see so many of our students and staff in blue on Monday September 23 to kick off Blue Star Week.
Above are some pictures of our military-connected students picking up sweet treats and posing for pictures. TJ has over 40 families that are active or reserve duty. We would also like to connect with families that have retired! Please send an email to Dr Murphy (hrmurphy@fcps.edu) to add you to our database. Lots more opportunities to recognize the military child in the coming future.
TJ is one of the most culturally diverse schools in the Northern Virginia region. The Class of 2025 wants to celebrate that diversity with delicious food at the first Taste of TJ event on Friday, October 25 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. inside Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
For only $15 there will be an All-You-Can-Eat buffet of foods representative of the many cultures of our students. TJ Cultural Clubs will also be around to showcase their cultures and give performances.
Tickets are on sale right now on MySchoolBucks. Money raised goes to benefit the Class of 2025.
We unfortunately missed out on the Back to School Bash this year. You can look at this event as a sort of replacement! Don't miss this one of a kind event!
TJ will be conducting vision and hearing screenings from Oct. 15-17. These screenings are for all 10th graders, as well as 9th graders who are new to Fairfax County Public Schools this year. Screening will take place during either their PE/Health Class (including online PE students) or their English class. The location for screening is to be determined.
It takes 2-3 minutes to be screened. Students who wear glasses/contacts need to bring/wear them on the day they will be screened.
Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine. A spine affected by scoliosis has a sideways curve, making it appear more like an “S” or a “C” than a straight line. Untreated scoliosis can lead to limited motion, back pain, deformity, and in extreme cases, impaired function of the heart and lungs. Early detection and treatment may prevent scoliosis from progressing.
Please check out this Scoliosis Fact Sheet courtesy of FCPS.
In each newsletter we want to give some quick shout outs to TJ staff, students, teams, and alumni.
- TJHSST was named by the College Board to the Advanced Placement Program (AP) School Honor Roll, earning Platinum distinction. The highest honor possible. This award was based on the recently graduated Class of 2024's participation in AP programs the past four years. During that time 100% of them took at least one AP Exam during high school, 100% of them scored at least a 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam, and 85% of them took five or more AP Exams during the four years! Each of criteria well exceed the College Board's standards for earning Platinum status. Way to go TJ!
- Congratulations to the TJ Rocketry Team for being selected to the NASA Student Launch Challenge for the 2024-25 School Year!
- The TJ Student Government Association (SGA) wanted to extend its deepest gratitude to the TJ parents who contributed to making the 2024 Homecoming dance such a success. Events like the Homecoming dance, run entirely by our students, would not be possible without the generosity of parents who donated food and gave their valuable time to chaperone. Your support is truly appreciated, and we are grateful for the role you played in creating a memorable night for our students. Pictured above are our SGA Officers (from left to right): Jaydon Sun (Secretary), Jocelyn Huie (Vice President), Gabby Licayan (Treasurer), Andrew Wang (President)
- Congratulations to the TJ Boys' Golf Team on their 2024 National District Title. TJ will compete in the Occoquan Region Finals on Monday October 7 at Twin Lakes Golf Course. The TJ cheer team will compete in Districts Tuesday October 8 at Home, and the finals are October 14 at Hayfield. Field Hockey starts district playoffs on October. 21. Girls & Boys Volleyball start district playoffs on October 28. Cross Country Districts are October 30 at Burke Lake. Go TJ!!!
 Photo Credit - Devansh Kukreja
- Big Congrats to TJ grad Pratika Katiyar ('21) for being named one of Glamour Magazine's College Women of the Year! She is currently a senior at Northeastern in Boston and the magazine called her "the future of STEM with a side of soul!"
This is a new section that covers general information and reminders that will remain important throughout the 2024-25 school year.
TJ Writing and Math Centers Now Open
The centers are now open for tutoring!
Student-tutors offer all kinds of help, from writing scientific papers and creative writing/personal narratives, to helping students at all levels of mathematics. The tutors are excited to work with their peers!.
Testing Information
Looking for information related to testing? You can find it all on Schoology in the All Parents/Guardians course! Once in the course, you will find a folder labeled “Testing”, click on that and then you can navigate to the specific test information you are looking for. Information will be updated as it comes in, so check back often.
Student Food Deliveries to TJ
As a reminder, per FCPS safety and security protocol, students may not have food and drinks delivered to the school campus during the academic day. Allowing external deliveries can create potential security risks and disrupt the learning environment. Our primary goal is to maintain a safe and orderly atmosphere for all students and staff.
Need to get ahold of someone at TJ? Here is some commonly requested contact information:
Main Office - 703-750-8300
Attendance Office - thomasjeffersonhigh.attendance@fcps.edu
Student Services - 703-750-8340
Student Activities - 703-750-8333
Security - 703-750-8331
Administration Contact Information
Dr. Ann Bonitatibus - Principal
Mr. Shawn Frank - Assistant Principal (oversees Class of 2025 and World Language, Art, Music, and Physical Education Division)
Ms. Yaara Crane - Assistant Principal (oversees Class of 2026 Science and Technology Division)
Ms. Chrystal Benson - Assistant Principal (oversees Class of 2027 and Mathematics and Computer Science Division)
Ms. Volita Russell - Assistant Principal (oversees Class of 2028 and Humanities Division)
Ms. Sara Genetin - Director of Student Services (oversees Counselors, Social Worker, School Psychologist and other staff providing student support)
Mr. Dylan Forshay - Director of Student Activities (oversees Activities Office, 8th Period, Athletic Office, Building Maintenance, Custodians, Food Services)
Mr. Leo Resquin - Director of Technology (oversees Technology Team, Testing Tech Support, tjSTAR, Safety and Security/Transportation)
Mr. Mike Roth - Communications Specialist (oversees NewsYouChoose and eNotify, Event promotions, print/digital text, photo, video, Social Media accounts, TJHSST Webmaster and Visitors US & International (TJPF)
For another specific staff member, please use our Staff Directory to find contact information.
Be sure to visit Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology On its official social media channel on Instagram @OfficialTJHSST for pictures and highlights of all the fun events and activities going on at TJ! (Please note that we have discontinued use of our X/Twitter account).
We'd love it if you give us a follow!
TJ Anchor/Blue/Red Day Calendar
Oct. 9: PSAT (10th and 11th grade) SAT (12th grade)
Oct. 11: Religious or Cultural Observance Day (Yom Kippur begins in evening) - school remains in session with normal hours, no activities in evening.
Oct. 14: Staff Development Day - No school for students.
Oct. 16: Fall Band Concert - 7:00 p.m. in auditorium
Oct. 21: First Quarter Catch-Up Day at TJ
Oct. 23: Fall Orchestra Concert - 7:00 p.m. in auditorium
Oct. 25: Taste of TJ International food event held afterschool
Oct. 31: End of first quarter - Modified Red Day with 2-hour early release
Nov. 1: No School for students or staff (Diwali)
Nov. 4: School Planning Day - No school for students
Nov. 5: Teacher Work Day - No school for students
Nov. 6: This Wednesday will be an Anchor Day for students.
Nov. 8: November News You Choose newsletter will be released.
Nov. 11: Veterans Day Holiday - No school for students and staff
Nov. 16: This is a modified Anchor Day - there will be a 60 minute advisory and no JLC.
Nov. 27-29: Thanksgiving Holiday - No school for students and staff
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