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Dear TJHSST Families,
We've hit the final full month of the school year! Things are busy at TJ as we get ready to graduate the Class of 2025, while also welcoming new members of our incoming Class of 2029! There is plenty to accomplish over these final five and a half weeks!
AP Testing begins next week. There are instructions below to help make sure the entire testing season goes smoothly. Make sure your child has plenty of rest and don't forget to encourage them! They've put in the work, so they've got this!
Our students have had some impressive accomplishments this past month. We've had state champions, National Merit Scholars, and even some national awards! Read on throughout this newsletter for more.
We have a couple of big events during May, our annual senior research symposium tjSTAR is on May 21 and the opportunity for everyone to let loose comes during J-Day on May 23.
As always please feel to reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Mike Roth
TJHSST Director of Communications
#OneTJ
With the Spring testing season beginning in earnest next week, we wanted to send a few final reminders.
- Students need to be ready for exam day and should take care to not schedule appointments during scheduled test dates.
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Students are required to use their FCPSOn device for all AP and SOL 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 and restarting it on the school network 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 must notify Ms. Broadhead, by completing a google form, within 24 hours of the student missing the exam to request the make-up. The google form will be posted to Schoology and on the school website by the start of AP exams.
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All questions related to SOL and AP Testing should be directed to our Assessment Coach, Lisa Broadhead.
Good luck to everyone, you put in the work, so we know you've got it!
The majority of our students will be taking at least one test over the next few weeks, whether it be SOLs or AP exams. Here is a reminder of the dates of the tests and our Blue/Red calendar over next two weeks.
- The AP Exam Schedule is set by College Board.
- Monday, May 5 - Blue Day
- Tuesday, May 6 - Red Day
- Wednesday, May 7 - Blue Day
- Thursday, May 8 - Red Day
- Friday, May 9 - Blue Day
- Monday, May 12 - Red Day
- Tuesday, May 13 - Blue Day
- Wednesday, May 14 - Red Day
- Thursday, May 15 - Blue Day
- Friday, May 16 - Red Day
- There will be no Anchor Days during the two-week testing period (May 5-16). We will alternate between Red and Blue days. Class periods will remain the same length.
- We also have a pair of End of Course (EOC) SOL tests to give this month.
- EOC Biology SOL (all 9th graders) will be given through IBEST on Thursday, May 15 and Friday, May 16.
- 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 19
- Students who are missing verified credits will be contacted directly by Ms. Broadhead with their specific dates/times of testing.
We posted this in last month's News You Choose, but wanted to remind you about the Final Exam schedules for both seniors and the underclass (9th, 10th, and 11th grades)
Senior Final Exam Schedule
Monday, June 2 – Sixth Period (Modified Anchor Day, sixth period will be 90 minutes long to accommodate any exams)
Tuesday, June 3 – Fifth and Seventh Periods (Red Day)
Wednesday, June 4 – First and Second Periods (Half Day)
Thursday, June 5 – Third and Fourth Periods (Half Day)
As always, you can visit the Class of 2025 FAQ website. It has all the details/dates about, graduation, and obligations there. If you have any questions please reach out Senior Class Administrator Assistant Principal Volita Russell.
Underclass Final Exam Schedule
Wednesday, June 4 – Periods 1 and 2
Thursday, June 5 – Periods 3 and 4
Friday, June 6 – Periods 5 and 6
Monday, June 9 – Periods 7 and makeups
Tuesday, June 10 – 2-hour day (class time - 8:40-10:40 a.m.)
As you plan your end of the year activities, please note that students will only be allowed to take their final exams as scheduled. They will not be allowed to take final exams early.
If a student cannot take the exam as scheduled, the student will receive a zero (0) for their final exam score, and with an excused absence, the student can make arrangements with their grade-level administrator to take the final exam during the summer. The zero (0) will remain until the teacher grades the final exam in August.
Please contact your student’s grade-level administrator if you have questions concerning the final exam schedule and procedures.
Seniors, we know you have it marked on your calendar! Graduation is scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at 9:30 am. inside Eagle Bank Arena on the campus of George Mason University.
Remember that Thursday, June 5 is the last day of instruction for seniors (and it's a half day). TJ will have a graduation rehearsal on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in the TJHSST main gym. Attendance is mandatory. Seniors should arrive at TJ after 9:00 a.m. and be seated in the TJ Main Gym by 9:25 a.m. for the start of rehearsal. Graduation rehearsal is for students only.
Remember you can visit the Class of 2025 FAQ website. It has all the details/dates about the final days of school, graduation, and obligations there. If you have any questions please reach out Senior Class Administrator Assistant Principal Volita Russell.
Seniors we need to collect your FCPSOn device (either Chromebook or Dell) in the final weeks of school. Here are the dates in which you can turn them in.
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May 27 to June 5: If you are not using your FCPSOn laptop for your final exams/classes, please turn in both the laptop AND charger early in Room 281 during Lunch, JLC, Period 8A, or before school. If you are able to turn in your FCPSOn equipment on or before June 5, please do so.
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Thursday, June 5: FCPSOn Laptop Collection will be near the Art Gallery. This is the last day of instruction for seniors.
- Obligations will be submitted for any items not returned. Obligations will be cleared once equipment is returned.
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Monday, June 9: Last opportunity to return equipment outside of a scheduled appointment with a member of the TJ Tech Team. This will occur from 8:00-9:00 a.m. in the Ghandi Commons.
- You will be unable to participate in graduation rehearsal on Monday, June 9 if you have not returned your FCPSOn laptop & charger or paid your obligation.
Here is information and the dates in which our 9th, 10th, and 11th graders should turn in their FCPSOn laptop. Please note that this end of year collection is for all students not participating in summer school.
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Friday, June 6: If you are not using your FCPSOn laptop for your final exams/classes, please turn in your device AND charger early in Room 281 before and after school.
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Monday, June 9: FCPSOn Laptop collection will be near the Art Gallery.
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Tuesday, June 10: Last opportunity to return equipment near the Art Gallery.
Invitations to the first group of admittees to the Class of 2029 were sent out by TJ Admissions! Congratulations to all of you, we look forward to welcoming you to TJ in the fall!
The Class of 2026 Class Council, who will be your senior class next year, will be hosting the '29 Freshman Summer Social!
The event will happen on Friday, June 13th from 4-6PM at the TJ Football Field. Each non-refundable ticket comes with an exclusive class t-shirt, popsicles, fun games, Q&A and photo opportunities, and a chance to meet your new classmates. Kick off your TJ journey with a bang this June! Parents and siblings of incoming freshmen are also welcome to purchase a ticket and attend, as there will be opportunities for TJ families to connect with each other as well!
Ticket sales close Thursday, May 29th. Please contact tjhsst2026@gmail.com with any questions, and we hope to see you all there!
So please save the date and be on the lookout for information on how to purchase a ticket!
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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.
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How do I know if my child has any overdue obligations?
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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.
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Thank you in advance for helping your child clear all outstanding obligations.
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Questions? Please email the TJ Finance Office at TJHSSTFinance@fcps.edu or call (703) 750-8363.
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Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of March, providing information on their SEL skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
Individual student SEL Screener results are now available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent via postal mail.
For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to our school staff with any questions.
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 (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.
s part of our commitment to creating a safe and focused learning environment for our students, TJ is using a classroom management tool that will help teachers better connect with student devices during classes. We are continuing to expand our use over the coming weeks. This tool will provide teachers with a number of helpful features:
- Easily view student screens in real time from the teacher console to see which students may need guidance or support.
- Focus student attention on a particular website on their device to minimize distractions.
- Pause student access to the internet to focus on other classroom tasks.
We believe this classroom management tool will allow us to maximize class time to support your student’s learning while at school. Please note that student devices will not be monitored outside of school hours. The regular filters remain in place on school devices, but once they are home, teachers cannot monitor students. As parents, we would like to encourage you to sign up for your own Lightspeed reports, which will allow you to see how your child is spending time on the computer during and after school hours.
Virtual therapy sessions are available to FCPS high school students at no cost to provide a safe space to address concerns such as:
- Mood/behavior changes, motivation, grief/loss.
- Anxiety, worry, fears.
- Social skills, bullying, peer and family relationships.
- Academic stress.
Students can be referred by a guardian or designated school staff member. You may refer your child by calling 571-749-2940 or by contacting an FCPS school counselor, social worker, psychologist, or director of Student Services. Visit the FCPS Teletherapy webpage for more information.
The TJ Athletic Trainers will be hosting their annual fundraiser, Sports Physical Night, right after Memorial Day! Come out to TJ on May 27, 2025, and support the TJ Athletic Training Program. The physical is $50 for pre-registered students. All money goes to support TJ Athletic Training. FCPS Athletic Trainers get $0 from the county for supplies.
The link to register for an appointment will be LIVE the first week of May.
We are still looking for medical professionals that can volunteer at our fundraiser. This is a popular at school event benefiting both the athletic training program and our athletes. Please email if you can volunteer. Volunteers (MD, DO, PAC, NP, RN, PT) are needed to run physicals. Your expertise and a few hours of your time will greatly benefit our TJ athletes.
Email Dr. Murphy if you can volunteer or have questions.
There is a NEW VHSL Physical form required for next year. Please make sure you are using the APRIL 2025 version.
The form can be found on our websites. There will also be a new website for Athletic Registration next year. Please make sure you are following our social media accounts so you will know when that link is live to register for next year.
The Virginia State Science Fair (VSSF) took place on April 5, and TJ was once again a big winner! Here are the results:
Grand Prize Winners (and First Place Category Winners) (Advancing to ISEF):
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Anush Devkar and Ansh Malhotra, BrailleSense: A Modular, Low-Cost Solution for Accessible Braille Displays
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Sarah Park, SVM-Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopy for Noninvasive Blood Glucose Monitoring
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Nikhil Krishna and Nived Nandakumar, An Integrated Triple-Model Framework for Space Debris Surveillance
First Place Category Winners
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Justin Kim and Nishka Shah, The Impact of Storm-Driven Hyposalinity Cycles on Coral Thermotolerance
Third Place Category Winners
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Aashritha Penumudi, Exploring the Structural Basis of Ribosome Stalling by Arresting Peptides
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Rushil Kukreja, Photovoltaic Electrochromic Window for Solar Harvesting and Light Pollution
Honorable Mention
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Ryan Singh, FentaNULL: A Behavior-Based Mathematical Model to Prevent Opioid Addiction
Sarah Park was also awarded the Mark Licata Award for Biotechnology, as well as an honorable mention for the Leidos Award for Excellence in Applied Science.
So combined with results from the Fairfax Regional Science and Engineering Fair, we now have six projects advancing to the International Science and Engineering Fair (out of a total of 14 spots that Fairfax was awarded). They are:
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Jaemin Lee, Modeling Risk of Richter Transformation With and Without Chemotherapy Treatment on CLL
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Isaac Leetyn and Danya Prokofev, Interpretable KANs Uncover Novel Targets and Therapeutics in Neurodegeneration
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Oliver Wang, Optimizing Hydrogel Heat Sinks for Enhancing Solar Efficiency and Computing
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Anush Devkar and Ansh Malhotra, BrailleSense: A Modular, Low-Cost Solution for Accessible Braille Displays
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Sarah Park - SVM-Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopy for Noninvasive Blood Glucose Monitoring
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Nikhil Krishna and Nived Nandakumar - A Comprehensive Machine Learning Paradigm for Space Debris Surveillance: An Integrated Triple Model Framework for Identification, Orbital Prediction, and Collision Risk Evaluation
The ISEF takes place May 10-16 in Columbus, Ohio. Good luck everyone!
FCPS Release
We have more good news on the National Merit Scholarship front! Two TJ Students have received National Merit Corporate Scholarships! These are unique scholarships in that they are funded by various corporations rather than the National Merit Scholarship Foundation.
Samarth Bhargav has been awarded the National Merit General Dynamics Corporation Scholarship, and Claire Chen has received the National Merit GEICO Scholarship! These talented students are among an elite group of over 830 National Merit finalists recognized for their exceptional academic promise and selected to receive scholarships funded by esteemed corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations. Well done, Samarth and Claire!
 
The FCPS School Board honored a pair of TJ groups during its monthly meeting on April 24.
- The TJ Quiz Bowl team was recognized for winning the Scholastic Bowl in March as part of the School Board honoring all winter VHSL state championship teams.
- TJ's Wind Symphonic Band was recognized for being selected to perform at the Music for All National Band Concert Festival.
Thank you to the FCPS School Board for recognizing our students for their remarkable achievements!
In each newsletter we want to give some quick shout outs to TJ staff, students, teams, and alumni.
- You may remember a few months ago when we announced that junior Chingiz Bahadur was named the Division I Young Marine of the Year and advanced to the national competition. On April 26, he won that competition and was named the National Young Marine of the Year at their conference in Dallas! He will now travel to units throughout the country to lead, motivate and serve as a role model for other Young Marines. Way to go Chingiz!
- Three TJ seniors, Deven Hagen, Rohan Kotla, and Marina Lin were among 621 who were named semifinalists in the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. They will advance to the final round where the winners will be named in the coming months by US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. Good luck to each of you!
- Results from the USA Mathematical Olympiad are in. We had 10 students take the main exam (USAMO), while three more took the Junior Version (USAJMO). It was a two-day proof based competition. TJ was very successful with several taking home honors.
- USAMO Gold: Calvin Wang
- USAMO Bronze: Justin Ma
- USAMO Honorable Mention: Patrick Du, Arjun Pagidi, Shunyao Yan, Max Zhao
- USAJMO Top Honors: Alex Liu
- USAMO Honors: Anderson Hao
- USAMO Honorable Mentions: Edward Guo
- TJ finished second in the state in the VHSL Creative Writing Competition! Every TJ student who submitted a piece received a superior or excellent score! Junior Rayna Kim (who earned a Superior Rating) finished second in the state in the poetry category! In addition to Kim, earning Superior Ratings were Yanling Lin, Abeni Smith, and Palatin Shaaker. Earning Excellent Ratings were Justin Yu and Grace Yuan.
- The TJ History Bowl team was the National Runner-Up at the 2025 National History Bowl Championship! In addition, senior Vaibhav Janardhan placed third in the US History Bee at the same competition!
- Senior Grace Sharma was named a 2025 Journalism Education Association Journalist of the Year finalist! She was one of only 6 journalism students in the entire country to earn this honor!
- TJ Varsity eSports placed third in States on April 12 at Old Dominion University’s eSports Arena. 16 Virginia High School teams went to states and over 90 schools participated in the sport this season. Congrats to the following Seniors for a great year: Shabeer Manalai, Brian Ho, and John Dimitrov!
- Last year’s edition of Threshold received a Silver Crown Award at the Columbia Scholastic Press Association awards ceremony last month! We can’t wait to see what the kids have put together this year!
- Congratulations to the TJ students who went down to Houston earlier this month to participate in the Conrad Challenge Finalist Summit. They came away with the Pete Conrad Scholar Award! With that comes an all-expenses paid trip to MIT for Rushil Kukreja, Nayel Rehman, and Arhan Menta!
Gallery of I-Nite performances on Instagram
On April 6, the Namaste club held its 22nd I-Nite Performance at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall on the Alexandria campus of NOVA. Several cultural clubs at TJ put on performances of music and dance that awed and inspired the audience!
Thank you to all who attended, it was another reminder of how many different cultures we have represented at TJ, and how talented all of our students are!
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 April 26. Our 46 mentorship students got to highlight their research projects and share their appreciation to their mentor partners. Congratulations to all of our TJ Mentorship students!
Gallery of PTSA Staff Appreciation Lunch on Instagram
The TJ PTSA held their annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon on April 25, and it was a veritable feast of flavors! There was something for everyone as the TJ staff really felt appreciated!
Thank you TJ PTSA for taking such good care of us. Our hearts and bellies were full! It is an honor to work with your children!
Gallery of SGA Appreciation Breakfast on Instagram
Staff Appreciation continued the following Friday! This time it was the Student Government Associations (SGA) turn!
On May 2, the TJ SGA held its annual Staff Appreciation breakfast, providing a huge variety of pastries and other breakfast treats for TJ Staff members to grab before school began.
Thank you SGA for making all of our staff feel very appreciated, and thank you for your work in leading our school this year!
Gallery of Eid Celebration on Instagram
Our monthly cultural celebration for April was run by the Muslim Student Association as they hosted an Eid celebration after school on April 11!
Eid al-Fitr is a 3-day festival to mark the end of Ramadan which occurred late in March.
The MSA had several booths throughout Nobel Commons which allowed students to learn about a wide variety of Muslim cultures and traditions. There was a trivia contest, and of course delicious food to be had!
Thank you MSA and the parents for putting on this wonderful and educational celebration. And thank you again to the PTSA for the generous grant that allowed us to share the many cultures of TJ!
Gallery of Shakespeare Performance Festival on Instagram
IBEST and Shakespeare have gone together for years!
IBEST groups held their annual Shakespeare Performance Festival today April 24-25. Students had the opportunity to participate in 11 different workshops that focused on various parts of Shakespearean style acting!
Members of the Class of 2028 worked on stage presence, how to build a character, how to create a story, improv, and of course the always popular unarmed stage combat (and how to do it safely)!
Thank you to the Educational Theater Company as well as our Theater Arts students for helping put on this annual event, the freshmen had a blast!
Gallery of Taffy Day on Instagram
New tradition at TJ alert! You never know what is going to happen the last day before a break! The day before Spring Break, Mr. Mukai and the TJ Administrative Staff decided it would be "Taffy Day" as they brought in 340 pounds of taffy from Salt Lake City for everyone to enjoy!
Students and staff tried a multitude of unique flavors as everyone tried to figure out your favorite. TJ Students, you will want to make sure not to miss the the last day before a long break, as there will always be a chance that there is a big surprise!
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
Mr. Michael Mukai - Principal
Ms. Volita Russell - Subschool Principal (oversees Class of 2025 and Humanities Division)
Ms. Yaara Crane - Subschool Principal (oversees Class of 2026 Science and Technology Division)
Ms. Chrystal Benson - Subschool Principal (oversees Class of 2027 and Mathematics and Computer Science Division)
Mr. Dylan Forshay - Subschool Principal (oversees Class of 2028 and World Language, Art, Music, and Physical Education Division)
Ms. Sara Wright - Director of Student Services (oversees Counselors, Social Worker, School Psychologist and other staff providing student support)
Mr. Dave Arthur - 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
May 5-16 - AP Testing occurs
May 19 - Humanities Field Trip for 10th and 11th Grade to Smithsonian
May 21 - tjSTAR during school day.
May 21 - Spring Band Concert - 7:00 p.m. in TJ Auditorium
May 23 - J-Day during school day.
May 26 - Memorial Day - no school for students or staff
May 28 - Spring Orchestra Concert - 7:00 p.m. in TJ Auditorium
June 2 - Freshman Symposium during school day - this will be a Modified Anchor Day with no JLC, 6th period final exams for seniors only
June 3 - Fifth and seventh period final exams for seniors only
June 4 - This is a half day - Final Exams for first and second period, all grades.
June 5 - This is a half day - Final Exams for third and fourth period, all grades. This is seniors last day of school.
June 6 - This is a half day - Final Exams for fifth and sixth period, grades 9, 10, and 11.
June 6 - June News You Choose newsletter released.
June 9 - This is a half day - Final Exams for seventh period and makeups, grades 9, 10, and 11.
June 9 - Graduation Rehearsal for Class of 2025 at TJ in morning.
June 10 - This is the 2-hour day school will be dismissed at 10:40 a.m. Last day of school for students.
June 11 - TJ Class of 2025 Graduation at Eagle Bank Arena, 9:30 a.m.
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