ThunderRidge Weekly Update

Happy Friday!

I hope you have been able to attend, or see pictures, of some of the end of semester celebrations that have taken place at ThunderRidge this week. We’ve had concerts, games, and a surprisingly seriously-taken door decorating contest from Seminars. We were also lucky enough to receive a visit from our District Strategic Sourcing team. They help our schools review purchase contracts and negotiate pricing, among other responsibilities. It was fun to get to walk around with them and to see TR through their eyes.

Remember that next week’s schedule is different due to finals. Monday through Thursday, students will have mandatory Grizzly Hour for 60 minutes before exams begin. Please remind them to take advantage of this valuable time and touch base with any teachers for help.

If they would like to stay at school to study after finals, we will have three options available to them. The Commons will be available for communal work time, students can also study in our quiet Testing Center, or they may go to Grizzly Hour between 12:50-2:50 to study with their respective teachers. Friday is a teacher work day with no students.

Remember that we have tutoring with our NHS students today after school. See below for details on this. On a related note, we know there are many people out sick right now with the flu or another similar illness. Please use your best judgement to determine if they are well enough to be at school. If they will miss a final, please be sure you - or they - touch base with their teachers and/or counselors to figure out a plan for making that up. This is possible and we can figure it out.

Principal’s Pass Applications are available in the main office and are due by January 9th. Please feel free to email me if you have questions about this. In case your kids ask you, the GPA requirement is based on weighted grades.

I encourage you to keep an eye on students’ grades through Infinite Campus all year long, but especially now. We love your support for this final academic and behavioral push prior to Break.

Sincerely,

Liz

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, 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.

Monday - Teacher workday - no students

Tuesday - Green Day

Wednesday - Blue Day

Thursday - Green Day

Friday - Blue Day with NO PLC* - classes begin at 7:40

*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.

Your TRHS Mario Kart team are STATE CHAMPIONS!! They beat Discovery Canyon last night to cap off their undefeated season. They beat out 80 teams, and were perfect in the playoffs winning every round. Huge congrats to Ander, Kyler, Philip, and team captain Genna.

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.

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.

Celebrate your senior with an ad in the 2026 ThunderRidge High School yearbook!

Gather those baby photos, write that note, and submit it before the deadline on December 19th.

Click here and enter code 7751 to start your message of love and congratulations.

Ad space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Don't forget to order a 2026 yearbook, too!

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.

This past week in the counseling office, TRHS Counselors saw 238 students for academic planning and support, social emotional issues, and post secondary planning. Counselors are wrapping up meetings with students to select courses for next year, as well as helping students create plans for final exams, sending out transcripts to colleges, helping students find scholarships, providing tips and information on coping skills and stress reduction, and ensuring our seniors are on track for graduation, among many other things!

Resources and academic help for finals:

• NHS StudyFest is today after school in the cafeteria/commons from 3:00 to 4:30. Tutors for all the major core subjects + world languages will be available. Snacks will be provided.

• NHS tutors are available during Grizz hour in room C108 to provide tutoring.

• All teachers are available for help during Grizz hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Mindful Minute: Managing stress during finals

Mindfulness helps reduce exam-related stress by promoting focus, calmness, and emotional regulation. Practicing mindfulness techniques, like deep breathing and present-moment awareness, can improve concentration, lower anxiety, and enhance clarity, leading to better performance and a more balanced approach to high school final exams. Be kind to yourself; research shows that self compassion leads to better life outcomes in all areas of your life!

Planning and studying for finals:

Another great way to manage the stress of finals is to have a plan of action. Action plans help give us a sense of control and agency when faced with large tasks. Check out this article on helpful ways to prepare for exams.

You've got this!!

No lesson. Full travel day to prepare for finals.

​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/

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