ThunderRidge Weekly Update
Happy Friday,
It’s been another busy, albeit short, week here at ThunderRidge. I hope we all take a moment today ponder the 25th anniversary of 9/11 - sending our positive thoughts to all of those involved.
Last week, I was lucky enough to run into some of the students in our district’s CNA program at the Legacy Campus. It was so much fun to see their classroom and to see the practical skills they are gaining in this Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway.
It was Senior night for Boy’s Tennis on Tuesday. I always appreciate the consistent effort our athletes devote to their sports - and that their families devote to supporting them as well.
We had the National Honor Society (NHS) induction ceremony on Wednesday and inducted well over 50 new members. Many thanks to the students and parents who attended the ceremony. A highlight for me was hearing a family tell how they got a picture of three generations of their family’s NHS members that day. One grandparent even showed me the card he got at his NHS induction ceremony in 1966! How cool is that!?!
It’s a pleasure to see so many TRHS students investing in the four pillars of National Honor Society: scholarship, service, leadership, and character, whether they do so from within NHS or in their own ways as they walk the halls and compete on the fields/courts at TRHS.
We had our Marching Band Showcase on Wednesday as well. If you’ve never been to this event, I hope you get the chance to go next year. Getting to see high school students from across Douglas County cheering for each other and supporting each other is so uplifting. There’s plenty of time for friendly competition, and it’s also nice to just celebrate each other from time to time.
The votes are in and the destination has been chosen for the IB Community, Action, and Service trip this Spring Break! If your student is a Junior or Senior in the IB program and would like to go to Athens this Spring Break, please reach out to the IB office at trhsib11@dcsdk12.org for more info.
Speaking of celebrations, DCSD is asking our current families to share their positive school experiences through online platforms like Niche.com and GreatSchools.org. These are where many families look when choosing a school community. If you have time and a great story to tell, please don’t keep that to yourself!
Visit Niche.com or GreatSchools.org
Search for your school’s name.
Click “Write a Review” and share what makes your school special (programs, teachers, community spirit or events that stand out).
I feel like we are finally getting into the groove of the school year with students getting accustomed to their classes. Homecoming and Field Day preparations are going well (although I’m starting to hear some claims circulating about which grades will beat the others for Ruff-N-Tuff or for class cheer…). We’ll see who triumphs this year!
If you’re like me as a parent, you may be nosy about what your student is learning - but might get, “It was fine” when you ask how the day went.
As I was doing some of my professional reading this week, the following sentence starters for parents jumped out at me. You might give these a try if you’re tired of three word answers! No guarantee they will work for you and students, but it’s certainly worth a shot - as all these prompts help students think about the competencies they are developing through their learning - not just about work completion and grades.
Ask students to tell you something they didn’t know before on a topic and to extend their answers with examples and/or sources.
Ask students to share examples of how an idea in class connects to the world outside of school or what questions a learning experience raised for them.
Ask students what relationships they noticed across ideas or within and across different subject areas. (Some students naturally love to see these connections whereas others may prefer for you to make an initial connection that they could build on or modify.)
Ask students what changed in their thinking (e.g. a new concept, a change in their previous understanding, or something they noticed about their peers).
Ask students what they think about ideas shared in class - and what evidence they have to support those ideas. Then ask students to share other perspectives and what led others to support those.
In closing, I feel as if some of the initial round of posts (pro and con) about the Mill Levy Override (MLO) issue that will be on the ballot in November may have died down a little recently - but I’m sure they will come back with a fury as we get closer to voting. You can learn more about this specific MLO proposal here. Would you all like to have an opportunity to learn more in person and to be able to ask questions? I have zero interest in telling folks how to vote, but I am happy to arrange a time for people to ask questions and get information if that would be helpful to them. Let me know your thoughts and if you would be interested in that or not.
Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!
:) Liz
29 Years of Service for Staff Member, Gaby!
We want to give a special shout out to one of our custodians, Gaby! Gaby celebrated 29 years of service in the Douglas County School District! Thank you, Gaby, for all of your hard work and for all you do for everyone at ThunderRidge!
Boys Volleyball Open Gyms
Join the Grizzly Family!
Dates & Times:
The following Mondays, 5:00 - 7:00pm
- September 14, 28
- October 19
- November 2, 16, 30
For all incoming freshmen & returning players.
No experience necessary, all are welcome!
For questions & to sign up, email bgraese@dcsdk12.org
A QR code is provided on the flyer next to the contact text for direct scanning.
Homecoming Events Schedule
4:15 PM – 5:15 PM at Stone Mountain Elementary
Theme: Slumber party!
Saturday, 9/26: Pickleball
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM at Southpark Pickleball Complex
Theme: Dress for the wrong occasion!
6:30 PM at Canvas Credit Union Stadium
Theme: 'Merica Monday!
Tuesday, 9/29: Block Party
5:30 PM in C-Lot
Theme: Country Club vs Country!
Wednesday, 9/30: Ruff N' Tuff: Featuring the Broncos Jamboree!
6:30 PM in the Big Gym
Theme: Broncos Day!
Thursday, 10/1: Football Game & Royalty
Football game at 7:00 PM at Canvas Credit Union Stadium
Royalty announced during halftime
Theme: Dress Your Age! (Frosh = Babies, Sophs = Toddlers, Jrs = Adults, Srs = Senior Citizens)
Friday, 10/2: Field Day!
Wear your Field Day shirts!
Saturday, 10/3: Hoco Dance
8:30 PM – 10:30 PM in the Commons & Gym
Theme: Meet me in Rio! (Featuring poker tables, Uno tables, and more!)
(No heels, please. Wedges are ok.)
Restaurant Nights
- Restaurant: Twisted Sugar
- Code: No code listed
- Restaurant: Chick-fil-A
- Code: TRHOCO
Tuesday, September 29th
- Restaurant: Chipotle
- Code: L3VF8G4
Wednesday, September 30th
- Restaurant: Raising Cane's
- Code: RCFUND96
Thursday, October 1st
- Restaurant: Buffalo Wild Wings
- Code: No code listed
Students of the Month :
We are excited to announce that our varsity girls volleyball team has won our Students of the Month for August. They have demonstrated being Principled within our IB Learner Profile. TRHS is proud of their honesty and dignity shown both in the classroom and on the court. Way to go girls!
Staff of the Month:
Our special education department has won Staff Members of the Month for August. They have committed to attending after school activities to support our amazing students and staff members. As a result, we are issuing a challenge to all of our other departments to show school spirit. TRHS wants to thank all of these educators for the amazing jobs they are doing.
Theory of Knowledge Prescribed Essay Titles
Ever wondered how we know what we know, or why two people can look at the same dataset and reach opposite conclusions? Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is a core course of the IB Diploma Programme. TOK is an interdisciplinary class designed to turn passive consumers of information into critical, independent thinkers. Juniors in the IB Diploma Programme start their TOK journeys in the spring, and then complete the course in the fall of their Senior year. With that being said, our Seniors are in the throes of completing TOK and just received their TOK Essay Titles.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) has officially released the May 2027 Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Prescribed Essay Titles, launching senior DP candidates into their summative critical thinking challenge. These six prompts ask students to evaluate how we construct, justify, and question knowledge across disciplines. The prompts this year are really interesting, and might inspire some quality discussion around the dinner table, on a long drive, or any other time families want to "get into it". If these epistemological discussions are something that might interest you, we'd encourage you all to check out the May 2027 Prescribed Titles HERE.
AFW's Back to School Rally
The AFW rewards program is coming to a close. Let's rally to help maximize our final reward!
Purchase online at AFW.com, at any store, or by phone at 800-992-7997.
Invite others to participate. Friends and family can help too!
Mention ThunderRidge when you shop at American Furniture Warehouse, and a 2% donation on any purchase or 4% on Beautyrest or Serta mattresses will come back to the school.