ThunderRidge Weekly Update

Happy Friday!

As TRHS faculty, we started this morning pitching in together to grade Personal Projects. For those of you who have sophomores, I’m sure you’re aware of how big a deal this is. If you have celebrations you’d like to share about your students’ learning journeys in their Personal Project (either from this year or looking back), please don’t hesitate to share those with me via email at ejwalhof@dcsdk12.org. Likewise, if you have tips or recommendations about the Personal Project from your lived experience as families, I welcome those too.

Senior Boards will be taking place a week from today! I can’t wait to see what our seniors have accomplished. The Senior Project Posters are hanging in our upper hallway, and it’s so exciting for me to see how curious our students are about the different topics their fellow classmates have chosen for their Senior Projects. Parents of Seniors, hang in there! I know this is a stressful time for everyone - and I hope you can take a step back to appreciate these final few weeks of high school with your students.

I enjoyed a brief chat with students in our evening Theory of Knowledge (TOK) class this week. You can see a picture of us here with our Grizzly. TOK is a part of the International Baccalaureate Core expectations, but IB and non-IB students alike are welcome to take the class exploring how we know what we know. It’s a combination of philosophy and critical thinking, and their discussions are some of the coolest I’ve gotten to experience with high school students.

For 9th-11th grade parents, standardized testing is coming our way (April 10th-15th). Remember, you do not need to sign your students up for PSAT 9, 10, SAT or CMAS. We will handle all that for you. Our biggest asks for you are that you help your students be as prepared as possible for the content on the PSAT/SAT tests and that you help juniors get to CMAS. Remember that your students all have access to free-this-year test prep using Brain Buffs. They can find the login information in their email. I snagged an impact graph (below) of the improvement our very own TRHS students are seeing based on their guided practice exercises. An improvement of up to 100 points on PSAT/SAT is no joke!

Candidly, CMAS is the harder test to encourage 11th graders to take. CMAS tests Science content knowledge and its scores cannot negatively impact students in any way. Given that the data is not often considered by colleges, why do I hope you’ll encourage your junior to take it? First, it is a state expectation and just takes two hours of testing time. Second, our participation rate in all these tests - but especially in CMAS - matter greatly to both TRHS and DCSD. Having a good participation rate improves our school and district “report cards.” Silly as it may seem, people do reference our School Performance Framework (SPF). Having a great SPF helps us recruit top candidates to teach here, and it makes parents who are coming to the area willing to take a chance on us. Please encourage your juniors to give CMAS a try. It takes less time than seeing one movie in a movie theater, cannot hurt them, and helps us tremendously.

Last night was our final School Accountability Committee (SAC) meeting of the school year. This group of parents, community members, and staff gets the inside scoop on all things TR, and help me make certain decisions regarding our school. Plus, they’re just delightful humans. I hope you can join us next year. We’ll also be looking for two student members to join us next year. If your student wants to be more involved with the inner workings of TR, please have them keep an eye out for an application this fall.

Next Tuesday, we celebrate our wonderful scholars with our Academic Lettering Awards ceremony. If your student is being honored, you should have gotten an invitation in the mail and via email. If you received an invitation, we hope you can join us.

What better way to shake off the challenges of Tax Day (April 15) than by joining us for CreateFest! This open-to-the-public event celebrates all branches of our TRHS Visual Arts department and also features student work from IB Visual Arts, and CTE Welding and Woodworking. ProStart will provide appetizers and desserts, and guests can enjoy performing arts performances, explore work from our Fashion Design, National Art Honor Society, and Adaptive Art classes, and view IB student-created short films. See more info in the IB update below.

Prom is just around the corner. StuGov is working hard to create a great experience for our upperclassmen and their guests. Keep your eyes peeled (and check your spam) for updates regarding access to the venue early if you want to get pics of your lovely children there in the daylight. We also need donations for After Prom - if you are able. This event helps keep students safe and supervised. Weirdly enough, having great prizes helps motivate students to attend.

Remember that last night was opening night for our Spring Musical, Mamma Mia! It will run this weekend and next. Get your tickets now - as space is limited - and you don’t want to miss this amazing production!

Enjoy your weekend,

Liz

April 2-4 & 9-11 - Spring Musical: Mamma Mia

April 8 - Athletics Night - 6:00pm - Main Gym

April 10 - CMAS / Senior Boards

April 10 - No school for freshmen and sophomores
April 10 - 15 - Spring Testing
April 15 - IB Art & Film CreateFest
April 20-22 - CMAS/SAT/PSAT Make-Ups
April 24 - Professional Development Day - No students

April 24 - Prom - Chatfield Farms - 8:30-11:00pm

April 27 - Compensation Day - No students

Monday - Blue Day

Tuesday - Green Day
Wednesday - Blue Day

Thursday - Green Day

Friday - CMAS for Juniors / Senior Boards

Classes begin at 8:25am on PLC days. If your student needs to arrive at school prior to that time, they may go to the Library or Commons until class begins. Breakfast will be available in the Commons.

Tickets are on sale now for our spring musical, Mamma Mia!

April 2 - 4 and 9-11 at 7:00pm

April 4 at 1:30pm

Get yours today at www.seatyourself.biz/trhs.

Students: $12 // Adults: $15 // Seniors: $14

Moonlit Masquerade - Chatfield Farms

8500 W. Deer Creek Canyon Rd., Littleton, CO 80128

8:30-11:00pm

After-Prom - Sporty Pickle

8640 S. Peoria St. Unit 100, Englewood, CO 80112

11:30pm

Tickets are now on sale

Bundle (Prom + After Prom) - $50

Prom Only - $40

Guest forms are available via the ticket link.

Students are encouraged to wear masquerade masks!

Seniors are in the final stretch of their Senior Projects! The table below highlights where students should be in the 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 deadline to order your seniors' cap and gown is May 1st. Order online at urherffjones.com. For detailed ordering instructions, click here.

If you or a family member require an ASL interpreter at graduation, please contact Lisa Todd at Ltodd1@dcsdk12.org no later than April 30th.

DU is equipped to accommodate handicap parking and seating on a first come, first served basis. No reservations are necessary.

The following elementary schools are hosting Senior Breakfasts to congratulate their former students before they graduate. Click on your school's name below for more information, or contact your feeder school directly with questions.

Eldorado Elementary / Roxborough Elementary / Stone Mountain Elementary / Trailblazer Elementary

The Trailblazer Elementary School PTO is excited to once again offer a $750.00 scholarship to a deserving senior at ThunderRidge High School who also attended Trailblazer Elementary School.

Requirements for Scholarship

● Must have attended Trailblazer Elementary School for at least one (1) year

● Must be currently enrolled as a Senior at ThunderRidge High School

● Must be attending a college or university in Fall 2026

To apply for this scholarship

Please write a detailed essay that includes your favorite memory from Trailblazer Elementary School, or what impact having attended Trailblazer Elementary School had on you. Please also include information on your future college and career plans.

Submissions due by: April 15, 2026

We would like to present the Scholarship in person at our May 5, 2026 PTO meeting.Recipient will be notified prior to our May meeting date.

Please remit essay to:

Trailblazer Elementary School PTO

TrailblazerElementarySchoolPTO@gmail.com

This past week in the counseling office, TRHS Counselors met with 212 students to assist with academic planning and support, social emotional support, and post secondary planning.

Counselors are busy wrapping up junior meetings with their juniors. During these presentations, juniors are provided with resources to help them match their talents and interests with possible post secondary pathways, as well as identify colleges, trades schools, and military options. Additionally, counselors are busy supporting seniors with graduation requirements such as senior boards and community service.

Career Week for GIRLs - Hosted by the HOYA Foundation

This is a FREE summer career experience - summer camp without overnights. Over one week, girls – ranging from 13 to 23 years old – visit five leading companies to engage with women, ask questions, get hands on activities and tour work sites.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at info@ConstructionGirl.org

Or visit our website: www.ConstructionGIRL.org

Application Deadline is April 15th! - Click here to apply!

Ever wonder how to find resources in Douglas County? Check out the Douglas County Youth and Family Resource Guide to view numerous services throughout our community.

If you're a high school senior dealing with senioritis, it's important to get back on track as soon as possible to avoid any potential consequences. According to Forbes, it isn't uncommon for colleges to rescind admission offers to students who receive poor grades as high school seniors. If you want to be sure your plans for college aren't disrupted, it's important to stay on top of your studies in your senior year and address any signs of senioritis early. Check out this article for tips on how to avoid senioritis, finish strong, and feel happy!

For all things Counseling, including scholarships and community service opportunities,

check out the TRHS Counseling newsletter!

We are excited to invite our ThunderRidge community to CreateFest, including our annual IB Art and Film Showcase, happening on Wednesday, April 15th at ThunderRidge High School!

CreateFest is a celebration of the creativity, dedication, and voice of our amazing TRHS Grizzlies. Throughout the year, these students have explored complex ideas, experimented with new techniques, and developed deeply personal artistic perspectives—and CreateFest is their opportunity to share that work with our community.

At the event, guests will:

• Experience the IB Visual Arts Exhibition, featuring student-curated displays that represent years of creative development
• View original IB Film student productions, showcasing storytelling, cinematography, editing, and sound design skills
• Celebrate the artistic and creative endeavors of all our ThunderRidge students from the visual arts, to the performing arts, to the CTE classes, and more!
• Celebrate the creative works of some of our feeder students at the middle school and Elementary schools.

CreateFest is always a highlight of the year because it brings together students, families, teachers, and community members to recognize the powerful role the arts play in the IB Diploma Programme as well as ThunderRidge io nthe whole. These exhibitions represent not just finished pieces, but the culmination of inquiry, experimentation, and perseverance.

We hope you will join us on April 15th to celebrate our talented students and the vibrant creative culture of the ThunderRidge IB Programme. We look forward to seeing you there!

By Victoria Tricamo, Safe2Tell Student Ambassador

Have you ever noticed someone who seemed off, or like they were going through something? Maybe you had that gut feeling that something wasn’t right, but you didn’t say anything to them and you talked yourself out of reporting it because you weren’t really sure if it was your place?

Most of us have been there.

This year I got to serve as a Safe2Tell Student Ambassador, which is something only ten students across Colorado are selected for. As part of that I ran a Safe2Tell booth at Junior Night, created a Safe2Tell art contest, and created and led Safe2Tell Mental Health Week at our school. I also put together a peer survey to hear directly from students about how they feel about Safe2Tell. Honestly, everything that came back from it has stuck with me.

Most students said mental health is their number one concern right now. Not grades, not college. Mental health. And a lot of them said they want more from the adults in their lives than just being pointed to a hotline. Because a lot of students feel like even when they do speak up, it doesn’t really go anywhere. They want adults who will actually listen and then do something about it, not just check a box and move on.

Something that came up in my survey is that a lot of students weren’t sure if their peers would support them if a Safe2Tell report was ever made. I think that says something important about how we see reporting in general. We’ve kind of gotten used to thinking about it as something that happens to you rather than something someone does for you. But if someone ever made a report about you, that means someone in your life noticed and that they were worried about you, that they cared. Someone cared enough to do something even when they didn’t know what to do. That’s not something to be upset about. That’s actually someone showing up for you in the best way they knew how.

Safe2Tell is a way for students and parents to speak up when something feels off. It’s completely anonymous, it’s free, and it connects your concern to people who are actually trained to help. You don’t have to be 100 percent sure something is wrong. You just have to trust your gut and let someone else take it from there.

Not everyone has people in their life who notice when something is wrong. That’s why it really does matter that we look out for each other. The quiet struggles are just as real as the loud ones. People who are hurting don’t always look like they’re hurting. And sometimes the most important thing you can do for someone is just be the person who said something when nobody else did.

You may not be able to help everyone, and you may not always know if what you’re doing will make a difference. But even small actions matter.

If you’ve ever wondered whether speaking up is worth it, watch the video below. It’s a simple story, but it kind of says everything: Be the one to make a difference. See something, do something.

The Starfish Thrower - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-R5LqE3nzY

To make a report: call 1-877-542-SAFE, text S2TCO to 738477, use the Safe2Tell app, or visit safe2tell.org.

Freshmen used this week’s grizzly hour to work on missing work, clear out their backpacks, get organized, and make a list of upcoming/missing assignments. -Mr. Cohen

Students submitted their final draft of the written report today. They will also had work time to create their presentations. -Mr. Carroll

Juniors continued working on SAT prep. They went over several test strategies, and reviewed some sample problems. Students are encouraged to continue using Brain Buffs to prepare for the SAT on 4/14 - Mr. Bidinger

Seniors completed Conference #4 with their Griz Hour teacher. Students' progress on their Senior Project Portfolio was reviewed. -Ms. Vande Vusse

With sniffles, sneezes, and allergy season in full swing, the library is in need of tissue donations. Please drop off any boxes to the security desk. Every donation is greatly appreciated and helps keep our school community healthy!

Eat at Chipotle to support Unified!

Wednesday, April 8th

4 - 8pm

Order online for pickup using code KAYMK3K, or show this flyer in the restaurant.

Benefiting Douglas County Schools

Featured Games

• April 17–19: Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
• May 15–17: Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Special Event

There will be a special National Anthem performance by DCSD students on Saturday, April 18 at 6:10 PM (Rockies vs. Dodgers).

Ticket Information

• Price: Tickets start at $17
• Purchase: Available online only at www.rockies.com/dcsd

Roxborough Intermediate is looking for high school students entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade to volunteer this summer at Camp Invention from June 8th - 12th. Volunteers serve as camp counselors to K - 6 students attending this summer STEM Camp. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Allison Rothwell (arothwell@dcsdk12.org).

Roxborough State Park is currently seeking six enthusiastic people to be our Bigfoot and Elbert (CPW big horn sheep) mascots at our 6th Annual Bigfoot Goin' to Rock the Rox event. This public event is on Saturday, June 6 from 9:00am - 2:00pm, with mascots needing to be there from 8:00am-2:30pm.

Roxborough State Park partners with the Leave No Trace organization and was the first park in Colorado to receive the Gold Standard designation of achievement. The event offers many fun opportunities for the public to learn the principles of recreating responsibly. An important part of the day is our guest appearances of Bigfoot and Elbert. You will switch off being a mascot and being a handler for photo and engagement opportunities with our visitors. No speaking is required. You earn community service time towards graduation requirements while having a lot of fun!

Always a Grizzly… my son and I did it a few years back and the majority of our mascots have been recruited from TRHS over the years. If you are interested or would like additional information, please email me, Alex Fountain, at apfountain65@gmail.com.

Thank you very much for your interest and consideration!

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!

Join ThunderRidge High School's Youth Theater Camp

Monday, June 22rd - Friday, June 26th

9:00am - 4:00pm with a show on the evening of the 26th.

There will be an audition prior, more details coming soon.

Deadline to register is Friday April 24th. Scan the QR code or click here.

Looking for fun, engaging, unplugged summer activities for your child this summer? Consider Stone Canyon's Summer Camp programs! Join us for a summer of fun, adventure, and friendship. Find registration links and more information here: https://www.stonecanyonedge.org/summercamp.

Located in Larkspur, we offer week-long Overnight Camps for 9-15-year-old campers and 3-day Day Camps (including transportation to/from camp out of Castle Rock) for 6-9-year-old campers.

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 80129
303.387.2000

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