ThunderRidge Weekly Update

Welcome back to the final push for the school year. I know stress might be high in your households as we close out the semester. Please continue monitoring Infinite Campus and Canvas to ensure you can celebrate your students’ successes, and can remind them of outstanding tasks (if needed). As we approach finals week, we have a variety of opportunities for your students to receive help. We have Grizzly Hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays during which students (after lessons on Tuesday) can see teachers of their choice. During Finals week, the TRHS Testing Center will be hosting Cram Jam! It will be held during both morning and afternoon Grizzly Hour periods. If students want a quiet place to study, send them to E115. Also, please see below for details about NHS Study Fest next Friday.

We’ll open applications for the Principal’s Pass starting Wednesday of next week! Sorry the “yes, we’re still doing this” news came out so late this year. I wanted to touch base with our Principal’s Advisory Council of Students and our School Accountability Committee before agreeing to continue with this practice, but the input was unanimously in favor of it.

Juniors or Seniors may pick up an application for this pass from the Main Office. The Principal’s Pass exempts students who meet the criteria below from attending much of Grizzly Hour on Thursdays during second semester - as long as they continue to meet or exceed this criteria.

• 3.5 cumulative GPA with no Ds or Fs this first semester

• No unexcused absences for second quarter and no more than 3 tardies

• No disciplinary action during the preceding quarter

• Administrator approval and

• Your approval (as parents/guardians).

Students with the Principal’s Pass still must report to Grizzly Hour on Thursdays to check in and then are excused for the remainder of that class. Students on the Principal’s Advisory Committee pointed out that there are not as many rewards as you might hope for coming to school daily, working hard, and keeping out of trouble. This award celebrates these students by giving them additional flexibility as a thank you for their diligence. Questions or concerns about Principal’s Pass? Please email me at ejwalhof@dcsdk12.org.

As mentioned last week, I am seeking feedback from you all about how my first semester with you has gone. Please share your parent/guardian feedback here. I’ll send an email to students next week with their questions (which will be pretty similar to yours). Please encourage your students to share their feedback if they would like to do so. All questions are optional so please share what resonates with you and encourage your students to do the same. If you don’t have thoughts on a particular question/topic, feel free to skip that one.

Hang in there with your brilliant, wonderful, and sometimes emotional teenagers for these final few weeks of the semester!

Sincerely,

Liz

December 9 - Choir Concert - 7:00pm - Auditorium

December 10 - Christmas Music Collage - 7:00pm - Auditorium

December 11 - Band Concert - 7:00pm - Auditorium

December 12 - NHS Finals Study Fest - 3:00pm - 4:30pm - Commons

December 15-18 - Fall Final Exams

December 19 - Senior Ads for the yearbook are due

December 19 - End of 2nd quarter/1st semester

December 19 - Teacher Workday - NO STUDENTS

December 22-January 2 - ❄️ Winter Break - NO SCHOOL ❄️

January 5 - Teacher Workday - NO STUDENTS

January 6 -Students Return to School/Start of 2nd Semester

January 15 - 17 - Winter Play: Steel Magnolias - 7:00pm - Auditorium

January 19 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL

January 21 - 8th Grade Registration

January 21 - 8th Grade Parent Information Night

January 22 - 8th Grade Registration Workshops - 4:00-6:00pm - Library

January 30 - Registration for the 26-26 school year closes

Monday -Blue Day

Tuesday - Green Day

Wednesday - Blue Day

Thursday - Green Day

Friday - ALL Day with PLC*

*TR has PLCs every Friday morning during regular five-day school weeks.

On PLC days, classes begin at 8:25am. If your student need to arrive before that time,

they may wait in the Library or Commons until class begins.

Breakfast will be available in the cafeteria.

Monday, December 15th

Grizzly Hour - 7:40-8:40

Period 1 - 8:47-10:17

Period 2 - 10:24-11:54

Grizzly Hour- 12:50-2:50

Tuesday, December 16th

Grizzly Hour- 7:40-8:40

Period 3 - 8:47-10:17

Period 4 - 10:24-11:54

Grizzly Hour- 12:50-2:50

Wednesday, December 17th

Grizzly Hour- 7:40-8:40

Period 5 - 8:47-10:17

Period 6 - 10:24-11:54

Make-up testing as needed - 12:50-2:50

Thursday, December 18th

Grizzly Hour- 7:40-8:40

Seminar - 8:45-9:15

Period 7 - 9:22-10:52

Friday, December 19th

Teacher Workday - No students

Buses will run on their regularly scheduled times. Students who ride the bus can wait in the Commons until 2:50 pm.

Courses that are a part of a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway naturally incorporate learning opportunities that connect students to industry relevant experiences, including learning that is part of the Work Based Learning (WBL) continuum.

This connection to industry allows students to take their learning to more than just a theoretical level and learn with current industry experts. Often this learning is the form of a project or a series of projects throughout their natural course work. At times, the WBL opportunity is done through off campus experiences or a combination of in-class work and off campus experiences. Examples of WBL opportunities in DCSD include Industry Sponsored Projects, Field Experiences, Clinical Experiences, School Based Enterprises, Entrepreneurial Experiences, Internships, Credit for Work, Pre-Apprenticeships, and Apprenticeships.

In an effort to ensure that we are fully capturing the work that our DCSD students are completing, we have added a course titled CTE Career Prep for all students engaged in a CTE course this fall and again in the spring. This course is not for credit, it will not impact a student’s GPA, and will not appear on the transcript. The course is purely for documentation purposes so that we can capture the great WBL experiences students are a part of through their CTE courses. Again, the Work Based Learning is already integrated into the course work students are doing and/or already a part of the off campus experiences students have selected (like an internship); this is not an additional project or assignment that students are not already engaged in as part of the course.

If you have any questions about this CTE Career Prep that you will see on a student’s schedule, please contact the CTE administrator or counselor at your school.

Grrizzly Gratitude is collecting gift cards for the annual Annual Gift Card Tree.

Click here if you'd like to contribute!

We’re a long way from reaching our goal of 180 gift cards so please share the sign up link with others in our community. Thank you!!

ThunderRidge High School is issuing a call for judges to assess Seniors on their Oral Presentation, Portfolio Presentation, and Product Review on Friday, April 10, 2026, from 9:00am - 3:00pm.

The Senior Board will listen and evaluate students presenting their Senior Projects. This will be a positive and fun learning experience where you will see our students at their very best. All community members are invited! Training and lunch will be provided on Senior Board Day.

Volunteers can sign up here.

The table below highlights where students should be in the Senior Project process. If they are struggling or confused about any of these components, please have them reach out to their English or Grizz Hour teachers.

The early bird ordering deadline is December 31st. Prices will increase on January 1st.

Order online at urherffjones.com. For detailed ordering instructions, click here.

ThunderRidge Parents are invited to celebrate your 2026 senior with a Custom Senior Dedication Ad in the ThunderRidge yearbook! This is a wonderful way to express love, friendship, or congratulations to your senior with a personalized ad.

How to Create Your Ad

1. Choose Your Photos: Select the pictures you'd like to include.

2. Pick Your Layout: Review the available templates to find the perfect arrangement.

3. Craft Your Message: Write a heartfelt message to your senior.

Pricing and Sizes

Full page - $250

1/2 Page - $160

1/4 Page - $105

Yearbook ads are accepted on a space-available basis. Submit your ad early to guarantee your space!

Key Deadline & Order Information

Deadline: 12/19/2025

Order now! Visit: yearbookordercenter.com and use code 7751.

Need help? For technical support, call: 866-287-3096

This week was a big milestone for our IB Diploma students as they completed the IB Language & Literature Internal Assessments. These oral commentaries are one of the most unique and challenging components of the course, and we are incredibly proud of the thoughtful preparation, creativity, and intellectual curiosity our students demonstrated.

Students completed their individual oral assessments, a 10-minute analysis exploring how global issues are represented in both a literary text and a non-literary body of work. Each student selected their own global issue, formed a personal line of inquiry, and crafted an argument grounded in close textual analysis. The students then engage in a dialogue with their IB Language and Literature teacher to explore their analysis and answer probing questions about that analysis.

A huge thank you to our students for their dedication and to Mrs. Sproul for providing feedback, practice sessions, and encouragement leading up to the IAs. We are proud of our IB community and the academic excellence we saw this week.

Have a restful weekend, you all deserve it!

Students reviewed tips, based on science, that illustrated the best way to review for final exams. We also discussed the end-of-semester timeline and how to prioritize missing and late work over the next 2 weeks. -Mr. Cohen

Students will begin reflecting on their project progress based on their own goals from the timeline activity. -Mr. Carroll

Seniors reviewed the Body of Evidence component of their Senior Project. Students were also reminded that their signed Mentor Agreement Form is due to the Senior Project Canvas course on 12/9. -Ms. Vande Vusse

​Nominate a librarian you love (e.g. Ms Stephanie Sjoland!!) for the 2026 I Love My Librarian Award – they could win $5,000 and the recognition of a lifetime!

Nominations close December 15, 2025!

Has a librarian made a difference in your life or gone above and beyond to serve your community? The I Love My Librarian Award invites library users like you to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional public, school, college, community college, or university librarians. Each year, up to 10 librarians are honored at a ceremony held in their honor and receive a $5,000 cash award.

Since the award was established in 2008, 170 librarians have received this distinguished honor. In that time, library users nationwide have shared more than 24,000 nominations detailing how librarians have gone above and beyond in their commitment to inclusivity, literacy, and digital access.

Vote for Ms Sjoland today! https://ilovelibraries.org/love-my-librarian/

Please consider supporting your TRHS Cheer team by visiting the Kendra Scott store this weekend!

You're invited to a Kendra Gives Back Event supporting ThunderRIdge Cheer!

Sunday, December 7th 4:00-6:00pm

Join us at Kendra Scott at Park Meadows Mall for 20% of your purchase to benefit ThunderRidge Cheer!

Cant make it in-store? Shop online December 7th-8th using code GIVEBACK-KVNXD at checkout.

Cheesecake Fundraiser to Support Prostart

Would you like a delicious treat for your family or neighbors? Do you have a special celebration, birthday, or holiday gathering coming up? Order a Vollmer’s Cheesecake and make it even sweeter while supporting our ProStart students!

Pick up after Thanksgiving M, W, F, 1-3 PM D205

or email rachel.rants@dcsdk12.org.

4-Inch Individual Cheesecakes – $6 each

• Key Lime Cheesecake

• Plain Cheesecake

• White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

• Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
  
  

8-Inch Full Cheesecakes – $25 each

• Turtle Chocolate Caramel Drizzle Cheesecake

• Eggnog Cheesecake

• Caramel Apple Cheesecake

• Oreo Cheesecake

All proceeds support student competition costs, equipment, and culinary learning experiences. Thank you for your support!

Eldorado Elementary

Eldorado Elementary is looking for student volunteers to help us with childcare during each PTO/SAC meeting for the 2025-2026 school year.

We need 2 volunteers per meeting. Please sign up here for the slots that you are available to help!

Trailblazer Elementary

We are looking for 2 volunteers to help us with childcare during each PTO meeting for the 2025 - 2026 school year at Trailblazer Elementary. Meetings run from 4:00 - 5:00pm. We are asking that volunteers arrive 10-15 minutes early (3:45pm) to get set up. Please sign up here for the slots that you are available to help!

Please bring any volunteer forms needing to be completed and we will get those filled out at the end of the night. Please email Samantha Marino at trailblazerptosecretary@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you!

ThunderRidge is proud to offer a wide variety of clubs and activities! Click the bar above for a full list including meeting times, days and locations.

Principal: Liz Walhof

Mission Statement:

Empowering Grizzlies through curiosity, compassion, courage, community and service.

trhs.dcsdk12.org

1991 West Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
303.387.2000

Facebook: ThunderRidge High School
X (formerly Twitter): @TRidgeGrizzlies