May 2016 - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and

Transcription

TECHCETERA
MAY 2016
President’s Letter
Principal’s Letter
Dear Parents/Guardians, Teachers, and Students,
As we prepare for standardized testing season, “Stress
Less, Laugh More” week began on April 25, offering
students strategies to effective studying, time
management, and dealing with stress. The week
featured upbeat activities as well as offered
“downtime,” including: yoga, movies, “Just Dance,”
Tai Chi, guided relaxation, and, of course the everpopular therapy dogs! Thanks goes out to Greg Myers,
the Active Minds club, and the Student Government
Association for organizing activities that help students
understand the important of self-care and play during
stressful times. I appreciate parents’ efforts to hold
conversations and lead activities at home that nurture
students into a more rested state, organized mindset,
and healthy habits ahead of an exam period.
Advanced Placement (AP) exams will be administered
at TJ from May 2 through May 13, 2016. The
administration and faculty expect students to attend
continued on page 2
HOT LINKS TO THE
INFORMATION FOR WHICH
Y O U A R E L O O K I N G ….
Noteworthy Dates
Academic News
PTSA Committee Updates
Serving the TJ Community
Campaign for TJ
Class News
TJ Boosters
Useful Links
Marketplace
Thank you to all the students and TJ faculty and staff
who helped recognize Stress Less & Laugh More week at
TJ. It is important for the entire TJ community, including
parents, teachers, and students, to have some time to
unwind and reflect on what each of us can do for
ourselves and the people we care about to help ensure
we are ready and able to embrace the future beyond
the next test or project of this year.
When I attended cluster parties to welcome the Class of
2019 last year, I was most impressed by the students
who took time out of their busy schedules, full of endof-the-year tests and projects, to speak to the incoming
families. One theme that resonated throughout every
presentation was that in order to fully experience TJ,
every student should participate in some activity that
has nothing to do with classes, projects, or homework.
As one student put it, when he is older and sitting at
some desk job, thinking about his time at TJ, he won’t
remember that he got a B+ on Math test #13, when he
could have had an A if only he had stayed up later
studying … He will remember how great he felt when
hearing his teammates cheer him on while participating
in a TJ athletics team. The opportunities also include
much more than sports. And although participation has
a cost in time, the chance of getting back more in
psychic benefits is often worth the effort.
This plea to branch out from the usual routine is not just
for students. This time of year, when we are all so busy,
but also a bit buoyed by the warmer weather and
summer in sight, is a wonderful time for parents to
become active in something at TJ. Check out a game.
Proctor an AP exam. Volunteer for the All Night
Graduation Party. Come to the next PTSA meeting. And
there are many more volunteer opportunities discussed
throughout this publication.
continued on page 3
Click H ere to Return to H ot Links on Page 1
Principal’s Letter continued from page 1
all of their classes during exam weeks since teachers
will continue to present new material in their
courses during that time. Class work during AP
weeks tends to be project or lab-based, allowing
flexibility while also maintaining accountability for
results. We recognize that students who are taking
multiple exams or have exams scheduled on back-toback days may need time to prepare for testing
situations; accordingly, we followed a pre-arranged
absence process in April in order to give feedback to
staff and students so they can prepare better. During
AP weeks we will run a slightly modified schedule by
shifting different periods among the days to
accommodate exam start and end times and also to
balance instructional time across classes. Students
who have conflicts with other classwork during AP
exam weeks should approach teachers at least a
week before the AP exam to discuss an extension. If
someone in your household is taking an AP exam(s),
please make sure they obtain plenty of rest and
nourishment before the exam. An alert and rested
mind will do more to improve a score than late night
and last minute studying. The PTSA will also provide
some light snacks during exam break times.
Following AP exams our students will be taking SOL
exams until June 1. Since the SOLs are more
challenging than in the past, we need to take greater
efforts helping students understand the importance
of preparing and doing well on them. Students who
do not score well on a pre-assessment will be asked
to use 8th period time for additional help until they
can demonstrate their new understanding on
another pre-assessment. We will be running a
slightly modified schedule during SOLs which will
sometimes reverse the order of classes, so please
pay careful attention to the schedule.
Following our testing season, we will celebrate our
students’ research at tjSTAR, the Symposium to
Advance Student Research, on June 2 with an all-day
conference with student presentations, design
competitions, tech exhibits, interactions with STEM
professionals, alumni speakers, and more. The
symposium is intended to inspire students and give
them a sense of what they can accomplish at TJ and
beyond and also give our community a sense of the
rigor and innovation in our students’ work. Parents
of presenting students (mostly seniors and
May 2016
Freshmen) should approve the professional attire
that is worn by their student during the day. Parents
of student presenters are welcome to attend their
child’s session but please attend only during that
time period. Parking is extremely limited due to
construction, and as a result, parent parking is
restricted to off-campus in the local neighborhood
or by shuttle service from Immanuel Bible Church
(6911 Braddock Rd). Provide yourself an additional
30-45 minutes to accommodate the offsite parking
arrangements. Parents of non-presenting students
should discuss at home the types of sessions the
student should attend. Look at the offerings
provided on the online registration, reflect on the
topics related to future learning opportunities in
research at TJ, and then locate student and
professional speakers in those fields.
Whether it’s preparing students to do well on tests
or present their research, thank you for helping
students do their best. Students need support and
encouragement from every adult in their life to
propel their success. I know you all work hard to
ensure our students have a positive learning
environment at school and a healthy environment at
home to get them ready for different challenges and
opportunities. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at
Evan.Glazer at fcps.edu with your ideas to make TJ
an even better place for learning and growing.
Sincerely,
Evan Glazer
Principal, TJHSST
PTSA Meetings
Mark Your Calendar!
(**in the Franklin Commons)
May 10, 7:00 – 8:30pm**
June 15, 7:00 – 8:30pm**
**Refreshments served at 7:00 pm and meeting begins at 7:30pm
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Useful Links
TJHSST Home Page:
http://www.tjhsst.edu
TJ PTSA website:
www.tjhsst.edu/supportingtj/ptsa
TJ Booster Organizations:
Academic Boosters:
http://academics.tjhsst.edu/aboosters/
Athletic Boosters:
www.colonialathletics.org
Band Boosters:
www.tjbands.org
Choral Boosters:
https://www.tjhsst.edu/research-academics/finearts/choir/choir-boosters.html
Crew Boosters:
www.tjcrew.org/
Orchestra Boosters:
http://tjorchestra.org
Theatre Boosters:
https://www.tjhsst.edu/research-academics/finearts/drama/drama-boosters.html
TJ Partnership Fund:
http://www.tjpartnershipfund.org
TJ Alumni Association:
http://www.tjhsstalumni.org
Other:
FCPS Blackboard:
http://fcps.blackboard.com
FCPS Keep in Touch (KIT):
http://www.fcps.edu/kit
FCPS School Board:
www.fcps.edu/schlbd
Fairfax County Supervisors:
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/board
May 2016
President’s Letter continued from page 1
And be sure to mark your calendar for tjStar on June
2. Freshman and Senior parents will definitely want
to come see the culmination of so much work and
scholarship by their students. Other parents will be
needed to help support the speakers and
presenters. Please stay tuned for more information
in This Week at TJ.
We look forward to seeing you soon – Class of 2020
parents included! – TJ can always use your help, no
matter what you are most skilled at! If the PTSA can
help you with anything, please contact us here ptsa
at tjhsst.edu.
Silvija Strikis
TJ PTSA President 2015-16
$$ TJ Free Money Program $$
As we approach the end of school year, don’t forget
to shop at stores that reward TJPTSA such as
Amazon. When you shop at Amazon.com using this
special link TJPTSA earns 4-15% of most purchases!
The more books, songs, magazines, clothes,
electronics, groceries, and more bought in a month,
the higher the percentage TJPTSA earn. To make
this really easy, set up a bookmark so you can
access the link quickly! So don’t miss this
opportunity to show your support for TJ and earn
rewards for TJPTSA.
Other participating stores include Target, Office
Depot, Verizon, Giant, peapod, Harris Teeter,
Safeway. For details, please visit our TJPTSA
website or use this link. Thank you for your support!
Your Free Money coordinator,
Adriane Assang
adriane_assang at yahoo.com
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Academic News
PTSA Committee Updates
Library News
Health and Wellness Committee
For Parents of Graduating Seniors: please see the
message below from NoodleTools. Your student has
used NoodleTools for research projects throughout
their four years at TJ. If your student would like to
purchase an individual subscription to use
NoodleTools in college and maintain access to their
TJ projects, NoodleTools is offering the special
below:
“How to Raise an Adult”
Are we readying our children to have normal life
skills when they leave us for college? According to
Julia Lythcott-Heims, a former Dean at Stanford, kids
of 18 year old need to possession these skills:
1. Able to talk to strangers.
2. Able to find his or her way around
3. Able to manage his assignments, workload, and
deadlines
4. Able to contribute to the running of a
household
5. Able to handle interpersonal problems
6. Able to cope with ups and downs
7. Able to earn and manage money
8. Able to take risks.
Here is a link to the article. To hear Julie’s
presentation “How to Raise an Adult” live at McLean
High School on May 2, 7:00-9:00pm, purchase
tickets here.
Many students "grow up" with NoodleTools, and
we look forward to supporting the leap to
college. Ensure continued access to existing
high-school projects, and be prepared for that
first college research paper. For a limited time,
graduating high-schoolers are eligible for a
special promotional rate! Only $15 for access all
the way through September 2017. Students can
sign up themselves, or parents can help out.
As we move towards the end of the year and
research project deadlines loom, please let your
students know that they can receive personalized
research help from a librarian during lunch or 8th
period if they sign up for Library Study Hall. We can
also be reached at library at tjhsst.edu.
Spanish Honor Society
The Spanish Honor Society (SHS) held an
informational session about ways students can
combine Spanish with their career. A representative
from North Carolina State University came to speak
with students about the advantages of knowing a
foreign language. The Spanish Honor Society also
held officer elections to choose new officials for the
2016-2017 school year. New officers were trained
and are in charge of helping the current officers plan
end of year activities such as TJ’s annual J-Day
fundraiser.
May 2016
Parent to Parent
The recent suicide death of a University of
Pennsylvania student has again triggered discussion
about depression and mental health among many
Asian parents. Such discussion heightens the
growing attention on the importance of raising a
happy and healthy child. A Senior parent shares her
thoughts on the subject:
“In recent years, we have seen an alarming trend in
college and in high schools that students have taken
their own lives due to depression. Many of them are
Asian students. No doubt, it is time that we need to
bring this topic to the forefront and remove the
dogmatic impression around it. For years and for
many, mental illness or depression were viewed as
shame and weakness. They are not. For years and
for many, people suffered alone and feared to open
up. This is wrong. Unless we see such illnesses as no
different than other physical illness, we will not be
able to face it or even find a cure.
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It is difficult for parents who are concerned about
their kids, and at the same time, facing rebellion and
rejection from our teenager children. The truth is
that no parenting tricks can replace the growing
pain that our kids have to go through themselves,
and no magic can erase the worries that we parents
have to endure. However, please remember, reach
out for help when in need. Have faith and believe in
our children, that they will come through. If we
don't believe in them, then who else would?!
I always love this quote "our kids will never listen to
what we say, but will mimic what we do.” For many
parents, especially working parents, we are in the
same category as the "sandwich;” pressure from
raising kids, and pressures from work while making a
living.... How to balance such pressure and how to
live a happy positive life, are challenges for all of us.
Yet, if we want our kids to be balanced and happy,
then we need to model it. It we want to see our kids
to be future leaders, then we need to lead the
way.... Our kids are watching us... We need to take
care of ourselves while taking care of our children
and stay strong.”
- A Senior Parent
We welcome parents to share thoughts and
experiences of being a TJ parent with the TJ
community in the form of writing. Please send it to
Yongqing Lu at yongqing_lu at yahoo.com. We will
publish it in our monthly Parent to Parent section.
TJ Active Minds, a student club, built a great
website, TJ Mind Matters, where students publish
blogs and articles on subjects of mental health.
Many tell personal stories and offering advice. Most
articles are updated under the tab ”From TJ to TJ.”
We applaud students’ courage to step up and
actively voice their feelings and issues on the
subject.
Useful Link on Health and Wellness
May 2016
A Message about
the Arts at TJ
from Director of Bands
Adam Foreman
Recently I sent an e-mail to my band program about
the positive impact of staying in band. The catalyst
for it happening now is a video that was made and
posted by a good friend of mine at Great Bridge HS.
Mr. Ross asked for people who are in non-music
professions to talk about how the fine arts helped
them with their current career field and
development as a person. He put this request out
online so he got a large variety of responses,
although mostly from Virginia. The pressure on
students to add more academic courses in lieu of
the arts to bolster their college transcript is
something that is not just a TJ problem - although I
do believe it is strongest here. What is awesome to
me is that the first person on the video is a former TJ
student. You can watch the video and hear what he
has to say, but we found it personally inspiring that
one of our own was a featured speaker and
someone who has such fond memories and valuable
experiences that he took away from the arts.
While that video and my original message were
geared toward the band program that I run here at
TJ, I felt the overall message was one that is
extremely important and involves all of the fine arts.
The abridged version below speaks not just on my
behalf, but also on the behalf of Ms. Bailey, Ms.
Lowery, and Mr. Davis.
We understand the pressure that is TJ. We think
however that the scrutiny and stress that the
students here are put under is more of a reason to
stay involved in the arts if that interests them, not
less. The impact on a student’s transcript from
taking arts courses in terms of GPA is incredibly
small. The impact in terms of a college looking at
perspective students is generally a positive one.
They want to see a student who has something
more to offer and that shows a dedication and
loyalty to a group. It also shows they have learned to
think and approached problems in a different way.
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Transcript aside we personally feel that a student's
quality of life and mental well-being is better when
they are involved in a course that allows them to
explore one of their passions and stretch their minds
in a different way.
If you or your student has no interest in continuing
with the arts because they do not enjoy those
subjects, then that is completely fine. Our feelings
are not hurt by this, and we want students to be
following their passions and interests. Even if you
joined a fine arts course for this year and then
decided you wanted to pursue other interests, that
is at least an informed decision. What will always
concern us are the students who choose to take
another class for which they have little or no
interest, simply to bolster their transcript. It is also
true in many cases that those who would tell you
not to take a fine arts course have never taken one
themselves. So while their path at TJ worked for
them it is not the only one. We would encourage
you to instead talk to those students who did
choose to be involved in the arts to get an accurate
idea of its impact. It is always disheartening to hear
of opinions about our programs and their worth
from those who have never chosen to be involved in
them. We have never heard of a student going off to
college saying that they wish they would have taken
a year off from the arts to take that one course they
felt like they had to take but was not required. We
have also never had a student voice concerns that
they did not get into the college they wanted to
because of their involvement in the arts. We have
however had numerous students regret not taking
an arts course when in the end they realize the
May 2016
course they substituted in had no bearing on their
college and wasn't something they were truly
interested in or passionate about.
We know sometimes there is a perception that
teachers recruit for their own job security, or that
performing arts teachers in particular recruit simply
because they want to have a better ensemble to
compete with. We can assure you that our
motivation behind this message is purely for wellbeing of the students that we love to teach every
day. Our job security is not a motivator, and the
main reason we enjoy having a larger group is
because it enhances the experience for all of the
students involved. There will always be quality fine
arts teachers here to instruct whomever walks
through the door, no matter how many students
that is or what their ability level. We just know firsthand that there are many students in this school
would enjoy walking into a fine arts classroom to
join our group who do not because of pressure to
take another course simply for their transcript.
Thank you for reading and watching the video. We
sincerely appreciate everything that the students do
to make our groups great, and all of the work the
parents do in supporting your students.
Adam Foreman
Director of Bands
Serving the TJ Community
Welcome Class of 2020 – Feel free to volunteer for
any of the following volunteer opportunities.
If you have not already done so, please click this link
and sign up to proctor any remaining AP exams
which need coverage. Reminder: You may not
proctor any exam your child is taking.
If you are not available during the school day, but
Page 6
would like to support the TJ community taking AP
exams, please click here to donate AP snacks for our
hungry test takers.
ANGP volunteers still needed on Saturday, June 18.
Heartfelt
thanks go out to all of the cluster
representatives who are hosting welcome parties
for TJ’s incoming class of 2020 throughout the
month of May. These are wonderful events which
make new families so excited to join our TJ
community.
Thanks to Nancy Deng, Cindy Gersony, Mary Pope,
Jackie Kee, Emily Covey, David and Teresa Trissell,
Meg Pasquerella, Garima Jain, Hardish Nandra,
Usha Gopal, Kate Hartman, Arti Mishra, Sangeeta
Dey, Mamatha Krishnan, Stamo Georgiou, Aparna
Gupta, Pei Lin Chiang, Anne Paris, Amrutha Kachi
,Mamatha Danakanda, & Suzie Bastian.
Time to Pass the PTSA Landscape
Committee Baton
As a Senior mom, these are my final few months as
Landscape Committee Chair, so it's time to seek out
a few parent volunteers who are willing to learn
about the status of current and future landscape
opportunities, how things work, lessons learned,
and where to go from here.
During the construction periods, we have had to put
on hold a wealth of ideas parents have had for
creating pleasant school grounds and collaborating
with teachers to develop outdoor learning resources
related to biology and the environment. Instead, we
have worked with the Cultivators of the Earth Club
on things like campus clean ups and non-permanent
beautification activities such as flower planters. But
the end really is approaching, and it's time to lay the
groundwork for some wonderful projects. I have a
lot of information to pass along that will save future
landscape volunteers some frustration! Contact me,
Laura Noble, at lauranoble at cox.net.
DANCE. MUSIC. ART.
COMMUNITY.
On Saturday, June 4 at Westfield High School, Angel Fund
will host a FREE event celebrating life and community
through the arts. The Cabaret features professional and
up and coming dancers, singers, and comedy sketch
artists from around the DMV and New York. Admission is
FREE but donations are strongly encouraged to benefit
the Reema J. Samaha Memorial Scholarship Fund and
Angel Fund, which supports anti-bullying programs in
Fairfax County Public Schools. There is truly something for
everyone at this event, as it reflects performing arts from
all backgrounds. Along with energized performances there
will be a silent art auction and bake sale, open before the
performance and during intermission.
When: Saturday, June 4; Doors open at 6:00pm for silent art auction and bake sale 7:00pm performance
Where: Westfield High School Auditorium, 4700 Stonecroft Blvd, Chantilly, VA 20151
Why: Enjoy an amazing show, take home some art, and celebrate the arts with your community!
What: Performances by dancers, singers, and comedy sketch artists from the DMV and New York.
Cost: FREE! *Donations are strongly encouraged. For more information about the Reema J. Samaha Memorial
Scholarship and Angel Fund visit: angelfundva.net
May 2016
Page 7
Parent Information Relating to Special Education
All these opportunities are FREE unless noted.
The FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC) helps parents of students with disabilities. It sponsors workshops, has a
lending library, and has Parent Liaisons to help parents solve problems. English: 703-204-3941; Español: 703-204-3955.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Resource Guide
List of Special Needs Summer Camps 2016
Materials from the FCPS 11th Annual Special Education Conference
ABLE Accounts, Special Needs Trusts, & Financial Planning, May 2, 7:30-9:00pm, Community Rm B, McLean Bible
Church, 8925 Leesburg Pk., Vienna. Jessica Pannell, Attorney, will present information on the differences between ABLE
accounts and special needs trusts, including when they should be established. RSVP appreciated but not required:
erin.roundtree at mcleanbible.org or 703-770-2938.
Youth and Young Adults: Stronger Together, alternate Tuesdays through May 2016 (May 3 & 17), 6:30-8:00pm in
Fairfax. Sponsored by Formed Families Forward, this peer-to-peer support group for youth ages 14-22 meets twice a
month through May. Parents, caregivers and guardians have their own meeting at the same time in the same building.
Light dinner of pizza and salad will be served. Register or (703) 539-2904.
Introduction to Special Education, May 3, 7:00-9:00pm, FCPS Parent Resource Center, 2334 Gallows Rd., Entr. 1, Dunn
Loring. This workshop will help parents understand the special education process, build a network of support,
collaborate with school staff, and develop an understanding of how to help their child. Registration required or 703
941-5788.
Webinar: Fun Ahead: Creating Your Family’s Summer Bucket List, May 5, 7:00-8:30pm. Get ready for a healthy, happy
summer with this presentation by kinship expert Dr. Kathy Dial. Register or 703 539-2904.
Diagnosing Decoding Issues in Students of All Ages, May 7, 9:00am-12:15pm, Siena School, 1300 Forest Glen Road,
Silver Spring. Learn about and practice using Really Great Reading's Diagnostic Decoding Survey, which is an easy and
efficient way to detect when students are having word-level reading difficulties and to pinpoint specific decoding
weaknesses. Register.
Beyond Consequences, May 7, 9:00am-3:00pm, Lutheran Ch. of the Abiding Presence, 6304 Lee Chapel Rd., Burke.
Learn how to help a child at his core emotional level during times of defiance, aggression, and disrespect so that you
can connect with even the most difficult and resistant child. Register, $20 includes book.
Medicaid Waiver Redesign: What Does it Mean for Me? May 10, 7:00-9:00pm, Arc of Greater Prince William, 13505
Hillendale Dr., Tr. Rm. 2, Woodbridge. Moms in Motion will explain how changes in the Virginia Medicaid long term
care waivers will affect many families. Child care is available only with registration. Register by email: jrussell at
arcgpw.org.
Coping Strategies for Anxious Children Ages 8 - 17: What Parents Need to Know, May 13, 10:00am-noon, FCPS Parent
Resource Center, 2334 Gallows Rd., Entr. 1, Dunn Loring. This presentation will cover the science and biological roots of
anxiety, how to change anxious thinking, and current treatment options, including medications and cognitive
behavioral therapy. Register or 703 941-5788.
May 2016
Page 8
World of Possibilities Expo, May 14, 11:00am–4:00pm, Holiday Inn Arlington at Ballston, 4610 Fairfax Dr., Arlington.
This Caring Communities Expo will include a wide variety of disability related resources, including local agencies and
support groups, exhibitors, demonstrations, book signings, and repair services.
Learning about SSDI, SSI, Medicare & Medicaid, May 15, 1:00-3:30pm, Trinity Presbyterian Church, 5533 N. 16th St,
Arlington. Learn how SSDI, SSI, Medicare & Medicaid might be helpful to you or a family member. An introduction will
be followed by a panel presentation and Q&A.
Building on Independence through Transportation & Mobility Workshop, May 19, 7:00-9:00pm, JCNV, 8900 Little
River Tnpk., Fairfax. Services in Northern Virginia that help individuals with disabilities navigate various forms of
transportation will be presented. A resource fair with public and private providers is included. RSVP: calford at
financialguide.com or 703 865-6502.
Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool! Session 4, May 20, 10:00am-noon, Parent Resource Center, 2334 Gallows
Rd., Entr. 1, Dunn Loring. Put your own oxygen mask on first to become the cool, calm, connected parent your child
really needs to develop the mutually respectful, cooperative, and loving relationship that you crave with your child.
Registration required or 703 941-5788.
Summer Mindfulness, June 3, 10:00am-noon, Dunn Loring Center, 2334 Gallows Rd., Entr. 1, Dunn Loring. Learn
mindfulness tools that you can teach your children this summer to help them manage stress and difficult emotions,
reduce anxiety, and increase the ability to self-calm, focus, and sustain attention. Register or 703 941-5788.
CHADD: Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Alexandria Parent Support meets the 4th Monday each month 6:30-7:30pm at Aldersgate UM Church, 1301
Collingwood Rd., Alexandria. Contact Jenny: adhdparentmountvernon at gmail.com.
West Fairfax Parent Support Group meets each 2nd & last Thursday at 7:30pm (May 12 & 26), Fairfax Church of Christ,
3901 Rugby Road, Fairfax. Contact Sharon: clintob at aol.com.
Oakton ADHD Parent Group meets on the 4th Tuesday each month at 7:30pm at Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven
Place. Contact Maureen Gill: maureen at adhdcoachforparents.com.
Support Group for High School Students with ADHD meets the first Sunday of each month 3:30-5:00pm, 4031 Univ.
Dr., Fairfax, enter on South St. No parents! Call 703-403-3335 to enter the building. Contact: coach at BrainRelief.org
or (703) 641-8940.
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness builds better lives for those affected by mental illness – Family Support
Groups.
OCD Family Support Group, 1st Monday of each month, 7:30pm, St. Andrew’s Epis. Church, 4000 Lorcom, La.
Arlington. Contact: 202-215-5859 or familygroupocd at verizon.net.
Support the All Night Grad Party
Support the All Night Grad Party
&
Show Your Pride
Raffle Tickets to win a $499 driver training class –
even losing tickets are worth a $50 discount off the
purchase of the Behind-the-Wheel class (must be
purchased by June 30, 2016)!
Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20.
May 2016
Purchase a Graduation Sign
Page 9
THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
CAMPAIGN FOR TJ // LEADING THE FUTURE
Junior Parents Raise $45,000 for TJ’s Labs
Junior year is tough because students take AP tests and worry about college recommendations, but it’s also rewarding
because Juniors can begin to pursue their special interests and prepare for Senior research. By bringing Junior parents
together in support of their students’ Senior Research Labs, the Partnership Fund’s Junior Lab Appeal (JLA) gives parents a
chance to look forward with their Junior to an exciting year in TJ’s brand new state-of-the-art Labs. The JLA also makes an
enormous difference to the work of those Labs by funding the purchase of much-needed pieces of equipment for several labs
and the purchase of Senior project supplies for others.
Thanks to the efforts and enthusiasm of our Class of 2017 JLA Captains, this year’s Junior Lab Appeal raised over $45,000 for
TJ’s Labs. When first informed of the spectacular results, Ms. LeeAnn Hennig, Astronomy Lab Director and Research Lab
Coordinator, said appreciatively “Wow, that is amazing!!”
This year’s JLA Captains were:
Astronomy: Sara Franko, Parent ’17; Jean Schiro-Zavela, Parent ’17
Biotechnology: Ashok Anant, Parent ’17; Carmita Sequiera, Parent ’17, ’19
Chemical Analysis: Kim Do, Parent ’15, ’17; Janet Mays, Parent ’17, ’19
Computer Systems: Lan Fan, Parent ’17, ’18, Yongqing Lu, Parent ’17, ’17; Carleen Wood-Thomas, Parent ’14, ’17, ’19
Energy Systems: Oksana Yoon, Parent ’17
Engineering Design: Stamo Georgiou, Parent ’10, ’12, ’17
Mobile App: Ingrid Constantine, Parent ’17; Bridgette Khoo, Parent ’17; Hong Yan, Parent ’05, ’13, ’17
Neuroscience: Gerry Cox, Parent ’17; Nadia Omais, Parent ’17, ’18; Ravi Nara, Parent ’17, ’18; Nancy Yang, Parent ’17, ’18
Oceanography: Patricia Connally, Parent ’17; Linh Nham, Parent ’17
Prototyping: Suzie Bastian, Parent ‘15, ’17
Quantum Physics: Carrie Cuddy, Parent ’17
Robotics: Manjula Prindiprolu, Parent ’17
Microelectronics Lab Director Mr. Dave Bell explains circuitry to a young visitor during TJ’s Dome Celebration on March 10. Mr. Bell, a Lab
Director since 1988, is a great example of the kind of exceptionally dedicated research faculty who make our students’ unique Senior
experiences possible.
April showers may not always bring May flowers, but this year, at least, March fundraising is definitely bringing May
purchasing! Thank you for making our TJ garden grow.
– The Partnership Fund, TJ’s non-profit foundation
May 2016
Page 10
ALL NIGHT GRADUATION PARTY
Saturday, June 18, 2016
ATTENTION TJ PARENTS! WE URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP!
By the time you read this, June 18 will be 48 days away! Yes indeed, graduation at the Patriot Center will be here
before you know it and so will the All Night Graduation Party!! The dedicated ANGP Steering Committee has been
hard at work all year planning, budgeting, and fundraising for the event to ensure that it will be the most fun ANGP
ever! Lots of activities, games, food, prizes, and surprises are already lined up and finishing touches are being made
on decorations and menus. Almost 300 tickets have been been sold. Everything is nearly in place to make this
special ‘last chance’ opportunity for the Seniors to celebrate together a reality.
But (and you know there had to be one), the ANGP URGENTLY NEEDS VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS to make this
evening possible. We still have almost 300 volunteer spots that have not been filled! If we do not get the
volunteers we need, we will be forced to CANCEL THE EVENT. Although JUNIOR, SOPHOMORE AND FRESHMAN
PARENTS are encouraged to volunteer during any time period, we especially need you during the 6:00pm–
10:00pm time slot. This is the time when Senior parents will be attending graduation. This is an excellent (and nopressure) opportunity to see how the ANGP kicks off before your child’s class participates. We also need SENIOR
PARENT volunteers for the 1:30–5:30am shift on Sunday, June 19. Did you know that volunteering to work the
ANGP is the ONLY way parents will be allowed to be a part of the celebration? That’s right, unless you are a parent
volunteer, you cannot attend the ANGP. Don’t miss out on the fun of celebrating graduation with your son or
daughter (without the tissue box!). CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!
MONETARY DONATIONS
In addition to volunteering, parents can help make the ANGP a success in other ways as well. The ANGP steering
committee is seeking monetary donations for the ANGP. Please consider donating any amount, small or large, to
help us make the party a success. All donations are tax deductible and go directly to help defray the cost of the
party. Your donation will be recognized on the ANGP website as well as on the Donor Wall of Recognition at the
ANGP. Click HERE to donate via PayPal or a credit card.
A $5 RAFFLE = $50 DISCOUNT ON DRIVER’S ED (BEHIND THE WHEEL)!
Support ANGP by purchasing raffle tickets for a chance to win a $499, seven 100-minute sessions, Behind-theWheel Training Package with “I Drive Smart.” Even if you do not win, use your raffle ticket to receive a $50 discount
on any IDS package purchased by June 30! Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 raffle tickets for $20. Buy ticket online
via PayPal by clicking here. Tickets will also be available at the Partner for Safe Teen Driving Assembly on May 13.
The drawing will be held May 16. I Drive Smart is the only company where current or retired police officers provide
100% of the instruction. For more information, go to www.idrivesmart.com or call 855-IDS-COPS.
AND FOR SENIOR PARENTS…
ANGP TICKETS - $125
It’s not too late to buy a ticket: $125/student. Even if you are not sure that your child wants to attend ANGP, please
purchase a ticket to support this event! Tickets will not be available after June 1. Ticket forms are available here.
Please remember that BOTH the student and one parent need to sign the form. The TJ PTSA is committed to
ensuring that all students can attend. If you need financial assistance, please contact your guidance counselor. All
requests are kept confidential.
May 2016
Page 11
LAWN SIGNS - $25
Congratulations Graduate Lawn Signs are available for $25. Click here to purchase one via PayPal.
TODDLER PICTURES
Time is running out... Please send photos by May 30 if you want your Senior's toddler photo to be included in the
‘Guess the TJ Senior contest.’ Provide your Senior student's toddler picture from ages 2 to 4. You can email
digital/scanned pictures to tjbabyphotos2016 at gmail.com. We request that you provide the photo in jpeg format.
Please include your son or daughter's full name and nickname in your email. PLEASE get your son or daughter's
approval for the picture you send. If you would prefer, you can also mail a copy (prints cannot be returned) of the
photo to:
TJHSST ANGP - Baby Photos
6560 Braddock Rd.
Alexandria, VA 22312
PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT ANGP MEETING ON TUESDAY, MAY 10
6:00-7:30PM IN THE COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER, 2nd Floor.
State Budget Update
GREAT NEWS FOR TJ!
The State Budget for school year 2016-17 includes
two key benefits for TJ. First, the budget addresses
the per-pupil funding cap. State Governor’s School
funding is allocated between the Governor’s schools
based on a per-pupil count. This per-pupil allocation
was capped at 1725 students, which short changed
TJ. The State Budget increases the cap to 1800
students. This new cap now covers almost the
entire TJ student population. Second, the State
Budget increases the funding for Governor’s schools
overall for school years 2016-17 and 2017-18. These
two developments mean a net increase in funding
for TJ. Thank you to all the TJ families who
contacted their elected officials in Richmond to
advocate for TJ.
JDAY Request
Tents or Canopies Needed
on June 10!
This year's JDAY is quickly approaching and due to
the limited number of spaces inside, it is likely that
many of our booths and events will need to occur
outdoors. While we have urged student clubs to
find their own canopies or tents, we will still need
extras for performances, a teacher area, as well as
other day-of requirements. If you have a canopy or
tent that you would be willing to donate for the day,
you can drop it off and picked up on June 10 or
earlier for your convenience. Please contact
sga.tjhsst at gmail.com. Thank you so much for the
support!
−TJHSST Student Government Association
What’s next? Our next task is to focus locally to
ensure that the Governor’s school state funding
sent to FCPS is channeled directly to TJ to increase
the funding for TJ over last year as intended by the
Governor and the General Assembly. To this end,
the PTSA has been and will be actively involved in
the local FCPS budget process. Future updates will
be provided as the budget process continues.
May 2016
Page 12
May 2016
Page 13
Class News
2017 – Juniors
Happy May, Junior families!
Good luck to all students on their AP exams. If you
have time over the next two weeks, please consider
proctoring AP exams or helping provide snacks to
test takers. Thanks to those who have already
signed up!
Thanks to all who have sent in their Junior year
dues. If you have not yet paid, please send a $25
check payable to TJHSST Class of 2017 with the
student's full name in the subject line to:
Thomas Jefferson HS for Science and Technology
ATTN: Brian Field
6560 Braddock Road
The Junior class will be going to Kings Dominion on
June 22 to celebrate the end of the school year.
Volunteers are needed to chaperone. Chaperones
will check in at TJ at 10:00am, ride air-conditioned
buses, connect with their assigned students midday, connect again when it is time to leave, and
arrive back at TJ around 10:00pm. Information for
students interested in attending can be found here.
It is time for Juniors to choose teachers who will
write college letters of recommendation. Please
encourage your son or daughter to make the
request in person before June. Students should
report their requests to this confidential intranet
site.
Thanks for your support of the class of 2017. We
are in the home stretch!
Ann Carr and Lan Fan
2017 Parent Liaisons
mandacarr at msn.com
fanlan at hotmail.com
2018 – Sophomores
May is traditionally a big testing month for TJ
students because of AP exams. AP exams are from
May to May 13. The morning exams will start at
May 2016
8:40am so if parents are driving their children to
school, they can help them begin the day right by
arriving at school early. The start time of the
afternoon exams varies from 12:20pm to 1:00pm.
Here, parents can help their students by making
sure they have lunches. It’s a long day to go on an
empty stomach. Here’s the link to the schedule of
AP exams.
Parents can also support their students by
volunteering to either proctor an AP exam or help
out with snacks. Here are the sign-up links for AP
exam proctors and exam snacks. Thank you for
volunteering!
This month can be a stressful time for many
students, so do try to find ways to recharge during
the day and on weekends. Having a family dinner
together, shooting hoops with friends, or even a 15minute walk around the neighborhood can go a long
way to alleviate stress. Our children have been
prepared well for these exams so it’s highly unlikely
that they’ll fail.
The class of 2016 All Night Grad Party is reaching out
to undergraduate parents to take an early shift
while Senior parents are at graduation. ANGP 2016
still needs over 300 volunteers to help make this
event a success. PLEASE VOLUNTEER TODAY!
TJ Summer School registration started on March 8.
Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis, and
courses close when filled. Specific course and
registration information can found here.
Registration ends May 27.
If your student wanted to take the Summer SelfDirected Online Economics and Personal Finance.
Please go to this site for details.
Heads-up: No school on Monday, May 30, Memorial
Day.
tjSTAR this year will be held on June 2. Sophomores
are encouraged to sign up for the demonstrations
and discussions of the Senior Research Lab they are
planning to take in 12th grade. This will give them an
idea of their future research options. The link to
Page 14
register isn’t open yet but they can check their TJ
intranet for updates.
Your 2018 Class Liaisons,
Nancy Yang and Clarissa Maribojoc
chaonanyang at gmail.com
mom2patmatt at gmail.com
2019 – Freshmen
We are almost at the end of Freshman year and
would like to thank all the parents for your
continued support.
The Class of 2019’s Freshmen Lock Out event will
take place at Audrey Moore RECenter on Friday, May
6, starting at 7:00pm, through Saturday, May 7,
ending at 5:00am. Parent volunteers are needed to
make this event a success for the over 200 Freshmen
who are attending! Please consider chaperoning,
driving students to the event, donating food for the
event, or even making a monetary contribution to
help buy supplies — there are lots of ways to
participate, even if your student is not attending!
Interested in helping out? Go to the online Sign Up
Genius. Follow up details for volunteers will be sent
out closer to the event date — and non-perishable
food and event supplies can be dropped off at TJ in
advance of the event. Any tax-deductible monetary
donations are also welcome and can be dropped off
in Trailer N or with one of the faculty sponsors —
Mr. Carey or Ms. Jirari-Scafotto.
Registration for TJ summer school ends on May 27.
Registration is on a first come, first served basis and
still available. Also, registration for other Fairfax
County summer online classes starts on May 14 at
the same website.
The Class of 2016 All Night Graduation Party cannot
happen without a huge number of volunteers,
including parents from Freshman class. The All Night
Graduation Party (ANGP) is still in need of over 300
volunteers — and it’s a great chance to check out
the latest renovations at the school since it will be
the first ANGP held at TJ since reconstruction
started! Please consider paying it forward because in
a few years, we’ll need other classes to help out with
our ANGP! Please click on this link to volunteer.
Got photos? We’re always collecting photos of the
May 2016
class of 2019 — both from the school year and over
the summer. Photos over the next four years will
come in handy when we’re preparing for the All
Night Graduation Party and other Senior events.
We’ve created a Shutterfly Share site for the class of
2019 (TJ Class of 2019) where you can post and
share photos on a protected site. You’ll need to
create an account (or use an existing one) in order to
access the site — and then feel free to post photos
in either an existing or new folder. If you have any
problems joining the site, email us at TJHSST2019 at
hotmail.com, and we’ll add you as a member.
How can you stay connected with the class of 2019
parents? Join the TJ Class of 2019 Parents Facebook
page to ask questions, find out about upcoming
events, and general information about TJ! You can
also email us at TJHSSST2019 at hotmail.com.
Please contact us with questions or if you’d like to
help volunteer or support class fundraising efforts!
The Class of 2019 appreciates your support!
Class of 2019 Class Liaisons Deb Carstoiu, Julie Cox,
and Sylvia Suresh TJHSST2019 at hotmail.com
TJ STEMbassadors Volunteer at
Fox Mill Science Fair
For the second year in a row, TJ students helped by
judging at the Fox Mill Elementary School Science
Fair. Fox Mill students in Grades 1-3 presented
their science research to the judges on April 12.
On April 13, students in grades 4-6 displayed their
science experiment and got valuable feedback
from TJ judges. TJ students who participated in
judging are Sophomores: Tanvi Haldankar, Ashwin
Pathi, and Ashish Tondwalkar; and incoming
Freshman: Atharva Haldankar.
(continued)
Page 15
(continued from previous page)
The judges spent two hours each day at the science
fair asking lots of questions and listening carefully to
evaluate the best entries. They provided valuable
guidance to stimulate further thinking among the
kids. Fox Mill PTA was extremely happy with the
judges for inspiring the love of science among the
younger kids.
Rutzick, Masha Goykhberg, Varun Saraswathula,
Rishitha Anumola, and Nathan Chow volunteered at
the event.
TJ students provided valuable guidance and asked
interesting questions to stimulate further thinking
among the young children. Overall, the Oak Hill PTA is
very happy with the help received from TJ Students.
TJ STEMbassadors Volunteer at
OakHill Family Science Night
On April 7, TJ students helped by demonstrating
experiments at the Oak Hill Elementary School Family
Science Night. More than 100 students participated
and learned the concepts by doing handson activities. Some of the topics discussed include
bio-circuitry and the human body, fingerprint analysis,
math in 3D, and Math in many sizes. TJ Students Josh
TJ Day with the
Washington Nationals!
Come join the TJ Baseball program for
the first-ever "TJ Day with the Nats.”
We're selling discounted tickets to the
May 28 Nats vs. Cardinals night game at
Nationals Stadium. You can choose from
three different ticket prices, all
discounted from the retail price.
This is a fundraiser for TJ's Baseball
program, and our school will be
recognized on the big screen at some
point during the game. It is the perfect
way to spend some of your Memorial
Day Weekend!
May 2016
Page 16
TJ Boosters
ACADEMIC BOOSTERS
Although lingering cold spells (even a bit of snow!)
briefly called forth memories of the frigid weather this
past winter, April saw the magnificent blossoming of
the cherry trees (brought from Japan just over a century
ago as gesture of friendship)—the appreciation of which
is becoming a fast-growing tradition, not only for those
living in the DC area but for visitors from throughout
the country as well.
The spectacle of blooming flowers in the spring brings
to mind the flowering of creativity, which is something
that we could all use more of in a world facing
increasingly complicated issues every day. This month
we feature the accomplishments of some of the
budding MacGyvers at TJ—always up to a challenge
(See Future Problem Solving and Rubik’s Cube below)!
We also report on the performances of several quiz
teams and the inspiring efforts of teams that hosted
competitions for younger students aspiring to be like
them!
If you would like to help nurture creativity in our teams
so they can continue to fulfill their true potential,
consider becoming an Academic Boosters member! You
can join easily online here! As an added benefit, your
contribution may be matched by your employer as well!
Finally, please mark your calendars! From 6:00 to 8:00
p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, we will have our annual
Awards Ceremony to celebrate the amazing
accomplishments of our academic teams and their
members for the 2015-2016 academic year! We invite
all students and their parents, along with the teacher
sponsors and coaches who made everything possible.
We also welcome our new Freshman students and their
parents!
BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD
Please congratulate Neeraj Prasad and Ashwin
Srinivasan for qualifying for the 2016 USA Biology
Olympiad (USABO) National Finals. Ashwin will attend
as one of the 20 Finalists competing at Marymount
University, between May 29 and June 10. The four top
May 2016
students at the Nationals will then advance to
compete in the International Biology Olympiad in
Vietnam this summer.
Neeraj, on the other hand, has accepted an invitation
to attend the Research Science Institute (RSI)
program at MIT. This program is also sponsored by
the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) and no
student may attend both the USABO Finals and RSI.
So, Neeraj will be one of the 80 students attending
classes and conducting research under the
mentorship of MIT scientists.
Finally, Neeraj and Ashwin, along with Tiger Zhang,
achieved the CEE “Recognition of Academic
Excellence” for scoring in the top 50 on the 2016 USA
Biology Olympiad Semifinal.
Neeraj, Ashwin, and Tiger each performed
exceptionally in demonstrating their knowledge of
the biological sciences. Congratulations on your
accomplishments!
BOTBALL (Tech Times Report 2016)
Two TJ Botball Robotics Teams competed in the
Greater DC/Virginia Botball Tournament
(www.botball.org) on Saturday, April 23. Both TJ
teams finished 1-2 in the Double Elimination round.
The Senior Team won 1st Place in the Alliance Round.
The Freshman-Sophomore Team won a Judge’s
Choice award for “Best Use of Sensors.”
The Senior Team members were Risheek Rajolu
(team leader), Nikhil Daga, Chris Jiang, Thomas Lai,
Jaden Lee, Nipun Mallipeddi, Mark Putman, Josh
Rutzick, Suhas Sastry, Arvind Srinivasan, and
Abhilaash Velamati. The Freshman-Sophomore Team
members were Arya Saravanan (team leader), Jun
Chong, Vasil Iakimovitch, Rushil Joshi, Justin Lasker,
Sarkis Ter Martirosyan, Sohail Mohanty, Vinay
Mummareddy, Lance Nguyen, Yash Shekar, Yuki
Oyama, and Rohan Valluri.
Each team had two robots equipped with a CPU and
motors, cameras, and sensors. The game board is
different each year; this year, the robots scored
points by collecting, moving, and sorting colored
poms placed on the surface of the board and on a
Page 17
raised platform. Winning robots were able to
navigate precisely and consistently in tight spaces.
The final scores were determined by points awarded
from all four parts of the competition: project
documentation, an oral presentation about the
teams’ robots and strategy, average score in the
seeding rounds, and final position in the double
elimination tournament.
COMPUTER TEAM
Kollur took 1st and 2nd places, respectively. In PF
Debate, Seniors Jeffrey Xia and Pranav Gulati took
1st place and Juniors Shiraz Chokshi and Prathik
Naidu were the runner-ups. In Policy Debate, Senior
Aneesh Susarla and teammate Junior SungJoon
Won finished 1st in the division. In Student Congress,
Junior Kalab Marioghae took 2nd place. Coaches
Marie Bakke, Alex Lennon, and Jennifer Seavey
couldn’t be any more proud of the entire competing
team.
All four divisions are now moving on to the Grand
Nationals Tournament of the National Catholic
Forensic League (NCFL) over the Memorial Day
weekend.
FORENSICS SPEECH
The annual University of Virginia ACM (Association
for Computing Machinery) High School Computer
Programming Competition was held on Saturday,
April 23rd, 2016. Of the 44 teams participating, the
Senior Computer Team of Nathan Foss, Kevin Geng,
Shwetark Patel, and Haoyuan Sun solved eight
problems to place 1st. The Intermediate Computer
Team of Yashasvi Bolisetty, Srinidhi Krishnamurthy,
Larry Wang, and Charles Zhao solved five problems
to tie for 2nd to 4th on tiebreaks. The Frosh ‘Puter
Team of Shesta Bangaru, Neal Bayya, Caroline Jin,
and Natasha Rao also solved five problems to tie for
2nd to 5th on tiebreaks (the picture above shows
from left to right: Nathan Foss, Haoyuan Sun,
Shwetark Patel, and Kevin Geng).
DEBATE (joint news for LINCOLNDOUGLAS (LD) DEBATE, PUBLICE
FORUM (PF) DEBATE, AND STUDENT
CONGRESS)
To cap off the Virginia High School League (VHSL)
season, TJ Debate teams captured the States
Sweepstakes for the second year in a row. On April
22 and 23, all four debate divisions had top winners.
In LD Debate, Juniors Aakash Shukla and Shivam
May 2016
The Forensics Speech Team practices and develops
public speaking skills, competing at a variety of local
and national tournaments with events ranging from
poetry and dramatic performance to extemporaneous speaking and original oratory. Congratulations
this month to Victoria Bevard, who placed 1st in
Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking at the Virginia
District National Speech and Debate Association
(NSDA) Tournament. We also congratulate Thomas
Mecherikunnel, who placed 4th in Extemporaneous
Speaking at the VHSL State Tournament. Students
are now preparing to compete in the NCFL Grand
Nationals Tournament in May. Members are also
preparing for our Annual SpeechFest on April 29,
when they will demonstrate their skills for the TJ
community.
FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING
Below are the notable achievements of the Future
Problem Solving (FPS) team at the FPS State Bowl,
which took place on April 15 and 16 at Powhatan
High School in Powhatan, VA (see picture above, as
well as photos on the FPS website)!
Page 18
th
J Middle Division (9 grade)
1st place, Global Issues Team Competition: Timothy
Duong, Shehjar Kachru, Anna Xu, and Aaraj Vij;
Honorable Mention, Global Issues Team Competition:
Pari Parajuli, Esha Saini, Yukta Chidanandan, Reena
Medavarapu; Honorable Mention, Action Plan
Presentation (*This is a skit where a team presents
their action plan): Edward Chen, Eric Gan, Palak
Jariwala, Wan Li; Honorable Mention, Action Plan
Presentation: Ruben Ascoli, Farris Ahmad, Dylan Bui,
Sai Embar
Senior Division (10th to 12th grades)
1st place, Global Issues Team Competition: Lulu Ling,
Sophia Koh, Grace Yang, Dean Zhang; 2nd place,
Global Issues Team Competition: Sania Ali, Rayan
Matin, Raquel Sequeira, Jessica Wang; 3rd place,
Global Issues Team Competition: Andrew Li, Melina
Seng, Tina Tarachi, Jenny Zhu; Honorable Mention,
Global Issues Team Competition: Tony Asiamah,
Brandon Kim, Yuki Oyama, Arvind Srinivasan;
Honorable Mention, Action Plan Presentation:
Anusha Samant, Sharmila Roy, Hannah Wang, Lydia
You
Scenario Writing Award (Individuals respond
creatively to future scenarios, the “fuzzies”)
1st place: Ryan Bolton, “God Natt”; 2nd place: Sharon
Liu, “A Lost Cause”
JAPAN BOWL
The Japanese program was busy during the week of
the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The 24th
National Japan Bowl (top picture) was held on April
14 and 15, with over 200 students representing
schools from all around the US. TJ was represented
by 3 teams: Shay Le, Kathy Kang, Joey Kwon (Level
2); Woohyeong Cho, Joshua O’Cain, Hayun Chong
(Level 3); Tanvi Haldankar, Austin Riopelle, Ashwin
Shrinivasan (Level 4). TJ teams performed very well,
May 2016
and the level 2 team won 3rd place! They all worked
together and showed great teamwork. Hayun
Chong and Austin Riopelle also came out the very
next day for a special performance of calligraphy art
at the Cherry Blossom street festival (bottom
picture). Congratulations to all of the members, who
did an exemplary job of representing TJ!
MODEL UNITED NATIONS
TJ’s very own annual Model United Nations (MUN)
Conference, TechMUN, was held on April 15 and 16
at Glasgow Middle School. Over five hundred
delegates attended the event and participated in
middle school and high school committees ranging
from “The Pirates of the Caribbean” to “General
Motors After the 2008 Economic Crisis.” Middle
schoolers experienced committees such as “IAEA
1986” that were more historical than those of
typical General Assemblies. Almost everyone in TJ’s
MUN club was involved in making the conference a
success, with several alumni returning to chair some
of the toughest crisis committees. Kilmer and Rachel
Carson Middle Schools took home the best and
outstanding middle school delegation awards,
respectively; Garfield and Centreville High Schools
received the best and outstanding small high school
delegation awards, respectively; and Langley and
W.T. Woodson High Schools won the best and
outstanding large high school delegation awards,
respectively. Once again, this conference would not
have been possible without the collaborative efforts
of Sra. Pou—the Secretariat, Chief of Staff, and
sponsor of TJMUN.
QUIZBOWL
With the National Academic Quiz Tournaments
(NAQT) Nationals coming up in May, TJ Quizbowl
started the spring season by participating in two
Page 19
major regional and state tournaments: the Battle for MidAtlantic Dominance or BMAD, and the NAQT Virginia
State Championship.
In February, TJ sent two teams to Wilmington, DE, to
participate in BMAD, where they competed in the
toughest field of any tournament this year before the
Nationals. TJ’s A team, comprising Ryan Golant, Michael
Yue, Rohan Hegde, Grant Li, and Alex Howe, returned as
1st place champions! TJ also sent its B team of Aditya
Sarkar, Andrew Wang, Saurav Pattanayak, Ben Xu, and
Kevin Wang. Ryan Golant was the 3rd highest scorer in
the entire tournament!
In March, TJ participated in the NAQT Virginia State
Championships at the University of Virginia, where the A
team consisting of Ryan Golant, Michael Yue, Saurav
Pattanayak, and Alex Howe won 1st place! The B team,
consisting of Ruyan Zhang, Aditya Sarkar, Andrew Wang,
and Fred Zhang came in 2nd! After finishing the
preliminary rounds undefeated, TJ B was tied with
Maggie Walker and Quince Orchard High Schools for a
chance to face TJ’s A team in the finals. TJ B played both
teams and won! It was the first time in the history of the
Virginia State Championships that a school won both first
and second places! Ryan Golant finished as the 2nd
highest scorer of the tournament!
(see picture above)! The team was thrilled to set the
world record and to earn 1st place at the 2016
tournament! We were thrilled with our score, but
during several of our practices, we were able to
solve the 25 cubes in less than one minute!
Ms. Christine Conklin, the coach, is extremely proud
of this team—half of which are Freshmen! The team
even has its first ever girl this year! The team
captains were Eli Lifland, Devin Kim, and David
Zhou (all Seniors and four-year veterans of the
YCDTRC Tournament); the participating team
members were Eli Lifland, Landon Chiu, David Chao,
Frank Ding, Shreya Wadehra, Erick Tian, Andrew
Nam, and Justin Gou.
In addition to achieving two fantastic wins at the state
and regional levels, TJ successfully hosted its own event,
the Thomas Jefferson Invitational Academic Tournament,
in early April. Eighteen volunteers ran a PACE
(Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence) Gold
Level certified tournament in which 19 teams from across
the Mid-Atlantic region competed. Congratulations to
tournament directors Joanna Gerr and Wendy Yin on
organizing TJ’s second tournament this year!
This concludes the first half of our spring season. Be sure
to read the June issue of Techcetera to learn about TJ’s
performances at STORM in Rockville, the John’s Hopkins
Invitational in Baltimore, and the High School National
Championship Tournament in Dallas!
RUBIK’S CUBE
The TJ Rubik's Cube team set a new National and World
RECORD at the recent You Can Do The Rubik's Cube
(YCDTRC) Tournament, held in Linthicum, Maryland, at
the National Electronics Museum on April 7. The
spectacular team of 8 solved 25 Rubik's Cubes in 1:02.71
May 2016
There was also an individual tournament in which TJ
Cubers swept the competition—for the first time
ever! Erick Tian (9th grade) earned 3rd place and
David Chao (11th grade) earned 2nd place, both with
Page 20
fantastic times under 16 seconds. The star of the
day was our very own TJ super-cuber, Eli Lifland.
Eli earned 1st place with a score of 11.152 seconds
(see picture above). Words cannot express the
tremendous impact that Eli has had on our TJ
Cubing program over the past four years.
Congratulations and a special thank you to our
Senior presidents and coaches for their tireless
devotion to TJ Cubing since 9th grade. Each of them
has helped to build the program by personally
mentoring new students and creating a welcoming
cubing climate. Thank you to Eli, Devin, and David;
you will be greatly missed.
meaningful service-learning activity with a unique
cultural experience? Want to walk down the streets
where Spanish Conquerors walked? Then join Sra.
Pou from June 25 through July 3 on a community
service/history trip to the Dominican Republic.
Every year we conduct a boys and girls sports camp
and perform community service as needed
throughout the area. Come join the hard work and
the fun! For more information contact Sra. Pou at:
alexandra.pou at fcps.edu.
Congratulations to TJ Cubing!!!
STUDENT CONGRESS
The Student Congress Team competes in local and
national tournaments in a public speaking
competition modeled after the U.S. Congress.
Students write legislation and debate the pros and
cons of the legislation with a focus on both
speaking and debate skills.
Congratulations to Victoria Bevard who placed 1st
at the Washington Arlington Catholic Forensic
League Metrofinals Tournament, and earned the
Best Speaker Award! She now advances to the
Grand National Tournament in Sacramento this
May. We had 5 competitors at the VHSL Regional
Tournament, and all advanced to the State Level.
Congratulations to our VHSL Regional Competitors:
Sharon Liu, Dany Matar, Kaleb Marioghae, Leela
Ramineni, and Nikhil Shirolkar! The team practices
on Fridays during 8th period and welcomes new
members.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE……VOLUNTEER! Community
Service Trip to the Dominican Republic after
school ends and before summer school begins.
Want a tremendous opportunity to engage in a
May 2016
ORCHESTRA BOOSTERS
As we entered the final semester of the school year,
current TJ Orchestra students were on hand to
answer questions posed by next year’s Freshmen
during “Freshman Preview Night” on April 26.
Placement auditions for incoming Freshmen will
take place Friday and Saturday, May 13-14, at TJ. As
always, we all look forward to welcoming new
musicians into TJ’s wonderful music program this
Fall!
The Orchestra looks forward to this year's
performing arts trip to NYC May 27-30 where they
will perform in a New York Philharmonic masterclass
and experience various performing arts events
throughout the city.
Page 21
The last Orchestra performance of the school year
will be on Friday, June 3, at 7:00pm in Gym 1. We
hope you can join us for this final (free) concert of
the year, as well as see the Seniors take their final TJ
Orchestra bows. If you have any questions or
comments, feel free to contact the Orchestra
Boosters any time at tjorchboosters at gmail.com.
BAND BOOSTERS
The TJ Drumline and Winter Guard have launched
finished a great season!
The drum line had a successful season of their show,
"The Portraits of India.” At Mount Vernon, they
placed second behind Chantilly HS. Their next show
was at John Champe HS. They performed in
Richmond on March 12at the Virginia Winterguard
International (WGI) Regional competition, the TJ
Winter Showcase at South County HS on March 19,
and competed again at Robinson Secondary School
for the Atlantic Indoor Assoc. championships on April
2, and finally at Wright State Univ. and Univ. of
Dayton in Dayton, OH, from April 14 through 15 for
the WGI World Championships where they advanced
to semi-finals.
Color Guard Co-Captains Kevin Chaplin and Bernice
Wu lead a great Color Guard Season this
year. Performing their show, "Magnolia," the group
placed second at their first competition at Mount
Vernon High School on February 13. In addition to
local Northern Virginia shows, the group competed
in Norfolk and Dayton, OH, for the World Guard
International (WGI) through the end of the season
on April 9. We hope you had the opportunity to see
the Color Guard at the TJ-hosted Winter Showcase
on March 19 at South Country High School and the
special Color Guard performance at this year's i-Nite.
The group’s show “Magnolia”has been a huge
success this season!
May 2016
Thanks to all the families that donated to the Sax-athon!
THANK YOU!
Jun Wu & Lan Fan
Andy & Barbara Rudin
Yujin Cummings
Junghyo & Oksana Yoon
The Naide Family
The Capozzi Family
The Etemad Family
The Pasquerella Family
Maria Proestou & Savana Hadjipanteli
The Richardson Family
Hao Traiger
Curtis Young
The Burns Family
The Maskeri Family
The Marcantonio Family
The Diaz Family
The Woglom Family
The Browne Family
The Wu Family
The Cox Family
The Gersony Family
Johanna & Steve Mace
The Zhou Family
The Everhart Family
The Spring Band Concert is almost here! Both the
symphonic band and symphonic wind ensemble will
be a part of this program. The jazz band and jazz two
band will perform at cabaret.
The spring trip to New York is approaching! The music
program will be going to New York City to play with a
clinician and listen to musicals!
Congratulations to all the students who performed at
solo and ensemble! Be sure to congratulate these
students for participating in solo and ensemble.
Page 22
COLONIAL ATHLETIC
BOOSTERS (CAB)
TJ lacrosse—the fastest game on turf—is back! The
TJ squad returned under the tutelage of secondyear head coach Jackson Kibler. The vastly
improved and experienced Colonial team started
the season against perennial powerhouse Marshall
High School. Despite an impressive defensive
performance by Seniors Andrew Howard and
Tristan Oaks and Juniors Brendan Givney and
Varun Iyengar, the talented Statesman team
overpowered the Colonials. Following spring break,
the Colonials faced off against the Generals of
Washington and Lee. With key players “stranded”
overseas, the depleted TJ team remained neck-andneck with the W&L squad. Sophomore goalie
Clayton Reppert playing in his first varsity match,
stymied the W&L offense, allowing the
remaining capping off a dominant 8-goal, 1-assist
game. The TJ squad rode the momentum into an
away match against Wakefield. A strong
performance by Senior goalie Jake Gonzalez and
the balanced attack of Matt Conway, Jack Boyle,
and Nick Lee led to an easy TJ victory. Senior
middie, Dean Gumas was a groundball magnet,
repeatedly gain possession for TJ. The Varsity
squad’s sole Sophomore, Eddie Roll, scored his first
goal as a varsity laxer. The Colonials carried the
momentum into another home match against the
Lee Lancers. Nick Lee continued scoring seemingly
at will and was complemented by Conway and
Boyle. TJ lax enter the second half of the season
with a 3-2 record. Join the team as their make its
quest for post-season play.
A Wakefield player meets the Colonial defense.
BOYS TENNIS
Senior Matt Conway winds up for a Colonial goal.
Colonial offense led by Senior midfielder Matt
Conway and Junior attackman Nick Lee to continue
to threaten the Generals. The game was decided in
favor of the Generals late in the 4th quarter.
Disappointed, but not broken, the Colonials
returned to the field two days later against Falls
Church.
This time, victory would not be denied. Nick Lee
scored the game winning goal with 8 seconds
May 2016
As spring finally blooms in full force, the Boys
Tennis Team is looking to recreate their stellar
2013, 2014, and 2015 seasons by capturing the
state championship once again. Head coach John
Myers and assistant coach Rick Whittenberger,
who will be assuming their roles as this year’s
coaching staff, come into the season with high
expectations on their shoulders. However, with the
mixture of experienced players from previous
seasons and new talent in the Freshman class, it is
safe to say that the TJ Boys Tennis Team will remain
as a formidable force in the competition.
After winning their first two scrimmages against
long-time rival Langley and West Springfield HS, the
boys started the regular season by defeating Jeb
Page 23
Stuart High School 9-0 in a dominant fashion. In
action included Seniors Mark Prettyman, Nikhil
Ramachandran, and Mike Blumenfeld, playing on
courts 1, 2, and 4 respectively. Also playing was
Sophomore Rishit Roy, who took the win on court
3. In the next match, TJ continued to impress by
winning their match against Edison HS 9-0. Junior
Neeraj Prasad and Senior Jay Pan also notched wins
for Thomas Jefferson. As the season continued on,
the Boys Tennis Team battled against teams from
Falls Church, Lee, Wakefield, and Marshall, coming
up with 9-0 wins in each match. Senior captains
George Perry and Abhishek Bhargava as well as
Junior Arun Singh all helped TJ in coming out
victorious.
Not only has the team been dominating the singles
competition, but there has also been lots of success
in doubles as well. TJ’s top doubles team, Mark
Prettyman and Nikhil Ramachandran, have dictated
play and remain undefeated. Other doubles teams
that have stayed without a loss include George
Perry and Abhishek Bhargava, Junior Giancarlo
Valdetaro and Neeraj Prasad, Mike Blumenfeld and
Arun Singh, and Jay Pan and Rishit Roy.
With an incredibly strong start to the season, TJ’s
Boys Tennis Team looks to be on its way for yet
another state title. Keep it up boys!
GIRLS TENNIS
The Girls Varsity Tennis Team has been busy beating
all but one of their opponents thus far this spring.
The weather has been unusually cooperative, and
most matches have gone on as scheduled under
beautiful, sunny skies. With the season at the
midway point, the Colonials are in good position to
once again compete for the Regional title. They
have had very little trouble steamrolling over most
of their opponent and taking all 9 courts.
May 2016
Chantal Iosso mixing it up with a backhand slice.
Only two teams have proven to be a more
challenging opponent. In mid-April, the team faced
their arch rival Marshall HS. The two teams battled
for the Conference title last year. Heading into the
Marshall match, both teams were undefeated. Only
one player in Marshall’s stellar line up graduated,
and she has been replaced by a newcomer, who
doggedly returns every ball. Playing on Court 1,
Freshmen Lauryn Wu turned in an outstanding
victory despite feeling ill. Sophomore Kelly Wan,
defeated her opponent with relative easy, giving TJ
a second wins in singles. Remarkably Wu/Wan
paired and won in doubles with Wu feeling so ill
that she needed to sit between games. Amazing
dedication! Unfortunately these 3 wins were not
enough to stave off Marshall’s advances. Junior
Jelena Liu had a great match, coming back from 6
games to 1 but just ran out of time falling 8-10. Also
playing were Seniors Chantal Iosso and Ankitha
Yanamandra and Freshmen Nira Nair, Joyce Liu and
Siona Prasad. The lady Colonials will have another
opportunity to face off against Marshall before the
regular season concludes.
Page 24
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
Keely Wan preparing an ace.
The out of conference match against Robinson
provided spectators with another opportunity to
enjoy great tennis. Both teams entered the match
with only one loss in the season. Sophomores Keely
Wan and Anita Ho had dominant singles results.
Freshmen Joyce Liu and Nira Nair had close
matches that they successfully pulled out 10-8 and
10-5, respectively. The most exhilarating match
came from Junior Stephanie Do who narrowly won
11-10 in a tiebreaker which secured the victory for
the Colonials. Gooooooo Colonials!
Jelena Liu ready to receive.
May 2016
The TJ girls track team started off the season with a
meet at Leslie Sherman Memorial Invitational
during spring break. Even though school was on
break, many members of the team were able to go
and had some great performances. Despite the very
warm temperature, all of the athletes gave their
best! Ashley Lin placed 2nd in 100 meter hurdles and
also went on to race the 100 meter dash (19th) and
300 meter hurdles (4th). She also threw discus
placing 8th and placed 7th in shot put. Cece Chu also
raced the 100 meter dash, placing 30th and placed
7th in pole vault. Distance girls ran the 1600 meter
run and Abigail Shoemaker placed 11th, Caroline
Cox placed 20th, and Jeewoo Kim placed 28th.
Abigail and Caroline also ran the 800 meter run,
placing 15th and 22nd, respectively. Jennifer Steele
ran the 3200 meter run, placing 7th with a time of
12:52:31.
The next meet was at Edison High School, and TJ
went up against Edison and Lee High school. Claire
Dong and Ashley Lin killed it in the 100 meter
hurdles, placing 2nd and 3rd (respectively) with times
16.54 and 16.78 seconds. Ashley placed 1st in the
300 meter hurdles and Claire placed 2nd. In the 100
meter dash, Rachel Ma placed 7th, Rachel Li placed
10th, and Isabela Huckabee placed 12th-great
performance from the team’s underclassmen
sprinter girls! Both Rachels also ran the 200 meter
dash, and Ma placed 11th and Li placed 12th. Rachel
Ma not only ran two sprint races but also 7th in long
jump. On the distance side: Caroline Cox and
Jennifer Steele swept the 1600 meter run, placing
1st and 2nd, respectively. Clare Connally placed 4th in
the 800, and Freshmen Lilia Qian and Vi Nguyen
placed 6th and 11th. In field events, Ashley Lin placed
1st in discus, Jordan Ganley placed 2nd and Meredith
Lee placed 5th. Ashley Lin, Meredith Lee, and
Jordan Ganley swept shot put placing 1st, 2nd, and
3rd in that order.
Just a week later our team was at Edison High
School again, this time for the Tri-Meet. Claire Dong
placed 2nd and Ashley Lin placed 3rd in the 100
meter hurdles. Ashley also placed 1st in the 300
meter hurdles. We had many girls in the 100 meter
dash: Anna Zhang (6th), Rachel Ma (9th), Renee Li
(12th), Cece Chu (13th), Colleen Choi (15th), and
Rachel Li (17th). Many of those girls also ran the 200
Page 25
meter dash. Anna Zhang placed 4th, Cece Chu
placed 14th, Renee Li placed 16th, and Rachel Li
placed 19th. Our 4x100 meter relay placed 2nd, just
one second behind Edison. In the 1600 meter run
the team placed pretty well: Jennifer Steele placed
2nd, Violet Felt placed 3rd, Irene Song placed 5th,
Jeewoo Kim placed 6th, Lilia Qian placed 7th, Katie
Tam placed 9th, and Sarah Kim placed 12th. In the
800 meter run, MileStat messed up all the names
and times but Mara Casebeer, Shirley Zhan, Maitri
Patel, Vi Nguyen, and Linda Lin all ran great
performances! For field events, Ashley Lin, Jordan
Ganley, Meredith Lee, and Harshit Pasahm swept
discus again placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in that
order. Rachel Ma placed 5th in long jump, Renee Li
placed 7th in long jump and 3rd in pole vault, Anna
Zhang placed 8th in long jump, Isabela Huckabee
placed 2nd in pole vault and Cece Chu placed 1st in
pole vault. Jordan placed 2nd in shot put with Ashley
right behind her in 3rd place. Meredith Lee placed
5th and Harshita Pasham placed 8th.
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
The Boys Spring Outdoor Track team has incredible
depth and has run off to a FAST start on the track
with many runners setting personal records. The
most exciting event so far this season, with already
two runners state qualified, another conference
qualified, four runners on the brink of qualifying for
conferences, and some truly incredible finishing
kicks, has been the 1600 meter race with many
runners having sub-five minute times. In the Leslie
Sherman Invite (LS) Sophomores Sean Clancy and
Nick Begotka ran 4:55.26 and 4:55.82 respectively.
Next, in the NOVA invite, there were three
spectacular performances. In the first heat, All-Met
Saurav Velleleth was third with 400 meters to go,
but then he unleashed an annihilating kick to take
the lead with 200 meters to go, but the second
place runner was right on his heels. Saurav did not
let up and managed to hold on for first place with a
spectacular 61 second last lap and a final time of
4:23.11. In the third heat Sophomore Dylan Klapper
finished first by 5 seconds with a time of 4:43.27.
Then in heat four there was another spectacular run
by Daniel Skeen. With a powerful finishing kick
Skeen pulled ahead of the third place runner in his
final stride, to finish with a time of 4:56.43. Later, in
May 2016
the Freshman mile race, James McHugo had an
excellent performance with a time of 4:54.00. Also
running strong times in the Freshman mile were
Rayaan Malhotra (5:20.05) and Nikhil Bandaru
(5:24.01). Then in the Lake Braddock Hall of Fame
Invite (LB) All-Met runners Saurav Velleleth and
Nate Foss ran truly outstanding races setting
personal records against the most elite runners in
Northern Virginia. Saurav took 3rd with a time of
4:16.25 and a spectacular sub-60 second last lap.
Saurav was closely followed by Nate who ran a
state championship qualifying time of 4:19.2. In
addition to the 1600m race, there were many other
outstanding performances at the LB, LS and NOVA
invitational meets in virtually every event:
• 3200 Meters: Nathan Riopelle ran a state
qualifying time of 9:54.8 at the LB and Will
Baxley ran a conference qualifying time of
10:12.2 at NOVA.
• 800 Meters: Alex Hoganson and Dylan Klapper
ran conference qualifying times: Alex - 2:04.33
at NOVA and Dylan - 2:04.85 at the LB.
• 4*800 Meter Relay: The team comprised of
Max Judish, Sean Clancy, Nick Begotka, and
James McHugo ran an 8:39.05 to finish 4th in
the their section race at the LB.
• 400 Meters Dash: Jesse Cai and Akhil
Madhugiri, ran conference qualifying times of
52.72 (NOVA) and 52.64 (LB) respectively.
Joining them with sub-60 second times were
Jonah Casebeer (57.44), Karthik Maiya (54.78),
Samuel Liu (57.57) and Roman Kasparian
(56.07).
• 200 Meters Dash: More impressive times:
Roman (24.76), Vikrant Mahajan (24.92), Jonah
(25.11), Jesse (22.78), Akhil (22.83), Karthik
(24.35) and Samuel (24.60).
• 100 Meters Dash: Looking to challenge Usain
Bolt were Jacob Adolphe (11.76 seconds),
Roman (11.99), Jesse (11.97), Michael
Rodriguez (12.21), Vikrant (12.24) and
Minyoung Hwang (12.42).
• 110 Meter & 300 Meter Hurdles: All-Met and
school record holder, Charlie Guan, continued
his dominating performances, finishing 1st in
the 110m hurdles with a state qualifying time of
15.33 seconds and 3rd in the 300m hurdles with
a time of 41.80 seconds at NOVA. Also, in the
110, Michael Rodriquez ran a 17.55 and
Page 26
•
Williams Song, 17.80, both conference
qualifying times.
Field Events: Discus - Sean Ji (85-10), Nikolas
Damales (70-11); Pole Vault – Joel Goetz (100), Landon Chu (9-6); Shot Put - Ed Zhou (302.25), Sean Ji (29-3.25); Long Jump – Charlie
Guan (20-3.5), Williams Song (18-4.5).
The boys also competed extremely well at the
March 30 and April 6 league meets with many top 5
finishes:
• Against Edison and Lee on March 30: Andrew Li
(3rd, long jump), Ryan Bolton (4th, shot put and
discus), Andrew Li (3d, 110m hurdles),
Matthew Crotty (4th, 110m hurdles), Jacob
Adolphe (2d, 100m dash), James McHugo (2d,
1600m run), Daniel Skeen (3d, 1600m run),
Michael Rodriguez (4th, 300m hurdles), Nick
Begotka (3rd, 800m run), William Sun (4th,
3200m run).
• The April 6 Tri-Meet: Andrew Li (3rd, long jump
and 4th, triple jump), Edward Zhou (3d, shot
put), Sean Ji (4th , shot put and 3rd ,discus), Ryan
Bolton (4th , discus), Ryan Burns, Alvand Moini
and Naitian Zhou (1st, 2d, and 3d, pole vault),
Michael Rodriguez and Andrew Li (3d and 4th,
110m hurdles), Jacob Adolphe (4th, 110m dash),
William Xu (4th, 1600m run), Michael Rodriguez
(2d, 330m hurdles), and Jayant Subramaman
(3d, 800m run).
In the game against Wakefield, Sophomore
Margaret Covey took the ball up the field to score
two goals. Junior Nikita Sawant put the ball in the
net nice and high for the third goal assisted by a
cross from Senior Maaike Blindenbach for a 3 – 0
victory. As TJ took on Lee HS, they were wellpositioned for a win, in a game with lots of passing
and goals by Sophomore Alynne Cutler, Junior
Rachel Martinka and Senior Kaila Stein for a 3 – 0
victory.
GIRLS SOCCER
VARSITY
The Varsity girls’ soccer team has had a great
season so far, with a record of 4 wins and no losses
in our conference. Our first conference game
against Falls Church had many nearly missed
opportunities for goals, but came out on top with a
goal by Freshman Mallory Brodnik for a 1 – 0 win.
The team has a lot of talent and is working well
together with at least 8 girls scoring goals so far. In
the second conference game, everyone was excited
to beat Marshall HS, who we have met in the postseason finals the last two years. TJ’s team this year
is well balanced among the classes, with 6 Seniors,
10 Juniors, 4 Sophomores and 2 Freshmen players.
May 2016
With a strong start to the season, TJ is looking
forward to the remaining games and post-season
play, with 3 home games in early May. Come out
and cheer them on!
JUNIOR VARSITY
Great win for the girls, to finally get a win is special
for this team and the school as well. The girls have
truly worked hard, and it has shown with a welldeserved victory.
Page 27
BOYS SOCCER
VARSITY
The regular season began with a tough start in an
away loss to Fairfax HS. Head Coach Sean Burke
puts it in perspective: ‘We played some of the best
soccer TJ has played in recent years. It was nice to
see. With some increased health and fitness, we will
be tough to beat – as usual!’ and that proved right
in the next five games.
In front of a loud home crowd the boys tied their
home opener against a tough West Potomac HS
squad. Senior midfielder Jack Short headed the ball
into the net with two minutes remaining in the first
half to tie the game. And then the defense kicked
into high gear. Sophomore goalie Liam Kenefick
tallied 11 saves in a total team defensive effort.
#3 captain Junior Jake Nash directs from midfield.
The next conference game, away at Marshall HS,
was a thriller. Play was evenly matched in the first
half with no goals. Marshall put one in at the start
of the second half. The boys pressed and had some
good chances to even it up. And, true to TJ form,
they continued to battle and didn’t give up. With
only nine seconds remaining Junior midfielder Jack
Schefer found the net from the top of the box off a
Junior captain Jake Nash corner kick. The boys
played hard through overtime for a 1-1 tie.
The second conference win, away at Wakefield, was
another close game. Not until halfway through the
second half did Jake Nash follow-up on his own
shot to put it in for the lone and game-winning goal.
According to Nash, “it wasn’t the prettiest goal,”
but it was good for the 1-0 win.
#23 Senior Kamal Taban charges toward goal.
Another home game, against Falls Church HS, gave
the boys their first victory of the season. Hardcharging Senior forward Kemal Taban found the net
only four minutes into the game off an assist from
Senior captain Fionntan Thinnes. Some last-minute
defense and excellent goal-tending by Liam
Kenefick secured the 1-0 conference win.
May 2016
#6 Junior Jason Stranne goes in for the steal.
The boys found the net twice in a 2-0 shutout
against Lee HS for their third conference win. After
Page 28
playing defense for most of the first half the boys
found their offense only five minutes into the
second half as Jake Nash hit the back of the net on
a free kick from just outside the box. Both teams
had chances but with two minutes remaining Ben
Bae, on a breakaway with the goalie out of the box,
scored his first goal of the season.
When asked to comment about TJ soccer, Senior
captain Jackson Zagurski replied, ‘nobody expects
us to win but we play and we exceed expectations.’
At the halfway mark of the season the boys are 3-12 overall and 3-0-1 in conference play. Good luck in
the second half of the season!
An Smith and Grace Stewart ready on defense.
#14 Senior captain Jackson Zagurski looks for a defensive
take-away.
VARSITY SOFTBALL
The TJ Varsity Softball team has been strong in
conference play this season, with a winning record
through seven games, notching wins against Stuart
(twice), Falls Church and Lee. The Lady Colonials
have shown their grit this season, prevailing in a
three-hour slug-fest against Falls Church to win 2621. In their most dramatic win of the season against
Lee, the Lady Colonials came from behind and
fought through Lee’s bases-loaded-no-outs,
bottom-of-the-seventh-inning effort to win 14-13.
The Lady Colonials’ bats have been hot, scoring runs
early and often. At the plate, An Smith has made a
big impact since returning from an injury, batting
leadoff and scoring six runs in only three games.
Allie Roush leads the team with a .621 batting
average, followed by Ally Nakamura (.607) and
Helen Ngov (.440). Neha Demaraju (13 stolen
bases), Nakamura (12) and Ngov (8) have been
getting on base and stealing bags to put them in
scoring position, setting up power hitters Roush (22
RBIs) and Lauren Berry (11), who each have two
homeruns. The Lady Colonials have scored an
impressive 86 runs in seven conference games.
Helen Ngov makes the play.
May 2016
Page 29
On defense, Diana Zavela has pitched every game,
recording 31 strikeouts so far this season, and
catcher Roush has been stalwart behind the plate.
Centerfielder Berry leads the Lady Colonials’
outfield with her wide range and cannon arm, with
Marie Jones and Gnov patrolling the corners,
tracking fly balls and getting outs. Smith provides a
steady glove and a veteran presence to lead the
infield, with Sarah Crossen, Nakamura, and
Demaraju working well together to defend the
diamond. Grace Stewart, Molly Schindler, Mehran
Sajjad, and Ghnana Madineni have all contributed
to the Lady Colonials’ strong defense in utility roles,
scooping up balls in the infield and outfield. Holly
Frank has been getting it done at the plate (6 RBIs)
and on the infield, but most important to the Lady
Colonials’ success has been her dugout leadership
in motivating the team to play their best in any
situation. The Lady Colonials look forward to
finishing the season strong, aiming for a playoff run.
Frank Sammartino hurls a heater.
BASEBALL
The TJ varsity baseball team notched their first
Conference 13 win of the season with a 7-6 victory
against a very energetic Lee High School team April
8. Senior Frank Sammartino staffed the pitching
mound for five innings for the Colonials, striking out
four and notching the win after being relieved by
Freshman Todd Hartman. Junior Ankush Joshi
pitched for the save striking out the final Lee batter
to seal the win.
TJ jumped out to a first inning lead with a leadoff
single by Joshi followed by Hartman being hit by a
pitch to put two men on base. Both advanced one
base on a wild pitch and crossed the plate after
Senior Patrick Beck lined a hard ball to second,
reaching first on a Lee error. The Colonials added to
their lead in the 3rd making it 3-0 after Junior Quinn
Dawkins reached on a Lee error and Sammartino
belted an RBI double to left to bring Dawkins home.
Junior Chris Liu drew a bases loaded walk in the 4th
inning scoring Freshman Zach Hershey. Beck
followed with a sacrifice fly to left bringing Joshi
home to make it 5-1 Jefferson.
May 2016
Ankush Joshi powers for a hit.
The Colonials added another run in the 5th inning
with an RBI by Hartman bringing Sammartino
across the plate. TJ completed their scoring in the
6th with a Dawkins RBI following a triple by Beck.
The Lee Lancers team didn’t give up, battling back
to get within one. Fine defensive plays by uniors
Jenna Greenwalt and Nakul Dar helped keep the
game in hand finishing with the final score 7-6 in
favor of TJ.
Page 30
The Colonials are led by Head Coach Nick Richards
and Assistant Coaches Eric Williams and Austin
Morgan. Rounding out the roster are Seniors Alex
Cintron, Amir McGettrick, Hayden Hollenbeck and
Saaketh Anjutgi, Junior Sam Case, Sophomore
Danny McCray and Freshman Maxwell Lee.
The Colonials invite everyone out to the ballpark as
they continue their regular season play and late
season action against our home Conference 13
opponents. Thanks to all for your continued support
of TJ Baseball.
CREW BOOSTERS
TJ Crew’s spring racing season started with the
Regional Park Regatta on April 2 at the Occoquan.
Our athletes had a great showing despite the
conflict with I-Night, with four of our boats
capturing first through third place finishes! Four
more of our boats just missed placing third. On April
16, we again competed on the Occoquan at the
Darrell Winslow Regatta. Congratulations to TJ
Men’s First, Second, JV, Third, Fourth and Fifth Eight
and Women’s Freshmen Eight for capturing a mix of
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes in their respective
races!
Darrell Winslow: Women’s 1V
The team rowed at St. Andrews on April 23, a
beautiful course in Delaware and a highlight of the
rowing season. The last regular race of the season
was the Al Urquia Regatta on April 30 on the
Occoquan River.
TJ girls’ and boys’ teams train hard every day for the
upcoming and most competitive regattas of the
spring season: the State Championships on May 7
for the lower boats and May 14 for the upper boats,
on the Occoquan River, the prestigious Stotesbury
Cup Regatta (Stotes) on May 20 & 21 in
Philadelphia, and the Scholastic Rowing Association
of America (SRAA) National Regatta (Nationals) May
27 - 28 at Lake Dillon in Nashport, OH.
For questions, students should contact the Crew
Captains at TJMensCaptains at gmail.com and
TJWomensCaptains at gmail.com. Questions may
also be emailed to our team’s head coach Kim
Ehrman at kimehrman at gmail.com and/or TJ Crew
President Ed McDonald at TJCrewpresident at
gmail.com. Parents are always welcome at the Crew
Booster Board Meetings, which are held at 7:00pm
at TJ on the second Wednesday of each month.
Darrell Winslow: Men’s 1V
May 2016
Page 31
TJ Student Wins First Prize in NSF
Generation Nano Competition
TJ Student Eric Liu was one of three first prize
winners for his "Nanoman," who fights the
malignant crab-monster "Cancer." The Generation
Nano: Small Science, Superheroes competition was
sponsored by NSF and the National
Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). The competition
challenged high school students to think big -- or, in
this case, small -- to create superheroes that
harness their powers from nanotechnology.
"All three finalists immersed themselves in the
worlds of nanotechnology and art, told a great
story, entertained and educated -- all at the same
time," said Lisa Friedersdorf, deputy director of the
National Nanotechnology Coordination Office.
"Their creations will surely motivate additional
students to imagine and learn more about what is
possible with nanotechnology."
Top award winners in this competition show that
with imagination and nanotechnology, possibilities
abound, said Mihail C. Roco, NSF Senior advisor for
science and engineering and a key architect of NNI.
Don’t Forget….
…. to shop at stores that reward TJPTSA such as
Amazon. When you shop at Amazon.com using this
special link TJPTSA earns 4-15% of most purchases!
SPORTS PHYSICALS
Get out your planners and Save The Date for
Wednesday, June 1, to get your student’s annual sports
physical at TJ. Medical professionals will perform the
comprehensive physicals. The screening will check
height, weight, vision, posture, vital signs, upper and
lower body assessments and your student will see 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. This is a great way to
ensure that your physical is completed before summer
out-of-season practices start. EVERYONE will need a
new physical in order to participate after July 1.
Got questions? Email heather.murphy at fcps.edu.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
FOR PHYSICALS!
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 June 1.
We also need non-medical parents who want to help
with working a station or the check-in/out desk. Your
expertise and a few hours of your time will greatly
benefit our TJ athletes!
Other participating stores include Target, Office
Depot, Verizon, Giant, peapod, Harris Teeter,
Safeway. For details, please visit our TJPTSA website
or use this link. Thank you for your support!
May 2016
Free advertising for medical professionals that help!
Email heather.murphy at fcps.edu if you can help.
Page 32
Marketplace
May 2016
Page 33
May 2016
Page 34
TJHSST LICENSE PLATE FRAMES
Show your school pride and spirit with attractive, durable license plate frames. Proceeds benefit the
Thomas Jefferson Band Boosters. These are great gifts for any occasion!
1. Selection
Option A:
Our popular TJHSST class year license frame
1) Select graduation year and note quantity:
__________2019
__________2018
__________2017
__________2016
__________2015
_________ write in the year
2) Frame Style: Verify which of these applies to your vehicle:
Standard _______ (holes and renewal stickers on top)
Reversed _______(holes and stickers on bottom)
Option B:
Customized license frame order
Personalized with any school name, graduation year, team, club or slogan!
1) Circle background color/letter color:
Typical: red/white on top with blue/white on bottom
Or: white/red, white/blue, white/black, red/white, black/white, black/gold, black/grey,
gold/black, dark green/white, dark green/gold, blue/white,
blue/gold, yellow/black, burgundy/white, burgundy/gold
2) Insert your message (include spaces):
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| top
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11
12
13 14 15 16
17 18 19
20
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| bottom
3) Frame Style: Verify which of these applies to your vehicle:
Standard _______(holes and renewal stickers on top)
Reversed _______(holes and renewal stickers on bottom)
2. Payment:
________ x $20.00 each = ______________
Please make check payable to “TJHSST Band Boosters”.
Thank you!
3.Your Information:
Name: ____________________________ Phone: _________________
Provide e-mail address, and you will receive e-mail when your order is available for pickup at the TJ front office:
E-mail Address:________________________________________________________
Student’s name:________________________________________________________
SEND FORM AND CHECK payable to “TJHSST Band Boosters” to:
Therese Chaplin 6027 Bitternut Drive
Questions? Contact tchaplin at verizon.net
or 703-971-3776 (home)
May 2016
Page 35
Noteworthy Dates
MAY 2016
2 to 15
2
8
10
10
13
14
20
27 -29
30
31
AP testing – volunteers needed – see page 5
“How to Raise an Adult”, 7:00 – 9:00pm, McLean HS Auditorium, see page 4
Mother’s Day
PTSA meeting, 7:00-8:30pm, Franklin Commons
ANGP Planning Meeting, 6:00pm, Career Center
Incoming Freshman Music Audition, Wrestling Rm, 4:00-9:00pm
Incoming Freshman Music Audition, Wrestling Rm, 8:00am-5:00pm
Spring Band Concert
Band Spring Trip to New York
SCHOOL HOLIDAY – Memorial Day
Academic Teams Award Ceremony, 6:00-8:00pm, cafeteria
JUNE 2016
1
1
2
11
15
15
16
17
18
18
19
20-22
23
May 2016
Sports Physicals (see page 31)
Freshman Sports Preview Night, 6:00pm
tjSTAR
Prom, Spirit of Washington, 5:30pm
PTSA meeting, 7:00-8:30pm, Franklin Commons
Senior Class Picnic, TBD
Senior Graduation Rehearsal, 1:00-4:00pm, Gym #1
Baccalaureate (TBD)
Graduation
All Night Graduation Party (ANGP)
Father’s Day
Half Days – Final Exams
Last Day of School – 2 hour early release – Happy Summer!
Page 36

May 2016 - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and

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