ThunderRidge Weekly Update

Happy Friday!

Having kids back in the building has filled my heart with joy. Your humans are truly wonderful and our new Freshmen have impressed me beyond measure. They have been kind, polite, and delightful. What a great impression the Class of 2030 has already made.

On Thursday, we revealed this year’s Field Day theme, "Beyond the Ridge, Epic Explorations." It’s centered around exploration in a variety of regions (9th - jungle, 10th - desert, 11th - ocean, 12th - space). Field Day is October 2nd this year. It will be a delight to see what creative ideas our students come up with. It was also so fun to me to recognize familiar faces this year - where last year I saw only strangers (as I was new to TR).

I promised last week that I’d share with you how to check out a Chromebook from us. To request a Chromebook, please fill out this request form, and we will begin to process your request. Please allow up to three business days for this task and we’ll contact your student to come pick it up. We will prioritize those students and families with financial need or other compounding factors first. The caveats to using school devices are listed on the form, so please read it carefully and let me know if you have any questions.

Next week Tuesday from 6-7PM is our Freshman Parent/Guardian night. This short event will give you an overview of how your students’ weeks are organized, who your support teams are, and will answer some common questions new-to-TR parents often have - including information about Grizzly Hour and our communication device policy. Parents/Guardians of students who are new to TR are also welcome to attend. We will be in the Auditorium and temperatures may vary, so please dress in layers if you plan to attend. No RSVP is necessary.

The district library has a summer reading contest, and it would really help us out if your students could fill out a summer reading log and help us win free books! (It takes about 30 seconds!) We've never won this competition from the District Library Media Center, and I know the competition from other high schools is fierce. If we win, we get a $500 gift certificate to purchase new books.

This Saturday (tomorrow) is the last day to vote for ThunderRidge as a 2026 Colorado Parent Magazine’s Favorite Public High School. You can vote daily through August 15th. We love knowing you support us and want your voice to be heard! Remember to go to the Schooled Category and look for the Favorite Public High School category to find us.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Liz

August 18 - Freshmen/New Student Parent Night - Auditorium - 6:00-7:00pm

August 23 - Senior Parking Lot Painting

August 25 - Make-Up Pictures/IDs - Atrium - 8:30am -2:30pm

August 25 - ROAR College Fair - Colorado College Search Kickoff - 5:30-7:00pm

August 26 - Back to School Night - See below for more information

August 26 - Senior Parent Post Secondary Night - More information to come

September 2 - Senior Project Parent Night - Auditorium - 5:30pm

September 7 - Labor Day - No School

September 9 - NHS Induction Ceremony

September 17 - Picture re-takes - Atrium -8:30am -2:30pm

September 21 - Professional Development Day - No Students

Monday - Blue Day

Tuesday - Green Day

Wednesday - Blue Day

Thursday - Green Day

Friday - ALL Day with PLC

Classes begin at 8:35am 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.

Field Day 2026's "Beyond the Ridge: Epic Explorations"

Gear your student up for their next big adventure with their custom Field Day t-shirt!

Click here to order by Thursday, August 20th

Shirts will be distributed in Seminar classes prior to the assembly.

If your student was unable to attend Student Check-In on the 12th, Lifetouch will be here on Tuesday, August 25th taking photos and issuing ID's. Have your student stop by the atrium during their lunch of off-period.

Orders after Picture Day must be placed online on mylifetouch.com.

Picture Day ID: EVTS8GZDN.

Student Data Safety and Security:

Dear Grizzly Families,

A very warm welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! We have missed the energy and excitement of our students and had a great start to school with our Field Day reveal. To kick off this new year together, ThunderRidge High School cordially invites you and your family to our Back to School Night.

Wednesday, August 26th

This is a wonderful opportunity to walk the halls, meet your child’s teachers and learn more about some support for our student body. We will be hosting several helpful informational sessions throughout the evening, including:

• Senior Success: Essential information for the Class of 2027

• College Financial Aid: Navigating the path to higher education (11th/12th grade)

• Clubs & Activity Fair: Explore ways for your student to get involved! (all grades)

• IBDP Junior & Senior Session: Important updates for our International Baccalaureate students. (11th/12th grade)

Keep an eye out for a detailed schedule and more information coming your way next week. We are so grateful for your partnership and look forward to seeing you soon!

Go Grizzlies!

Hello Grizzly Fall Sport Athletes and Families!

Please take a few minutes to complete a brief survey about your upcoming season so we can help your sport and our entire athletic program grow. The survey is open for Winter and Spring sports as well, but if those sports could hold off until your respective seasons, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Coach Chris Smith

Asst. Principal/Athletic Director

Schedule is subject to change. Be sure to check the ThunderRidge Athletics website for the most up to date athletics informaiton.

If you haven't completed Express Check-In, please click here to do so.

***Please note: your single sign on email address is not your personal email address.***

You will need to enter your username followed by @p.dcsdk12.org as your single sign on email address (i.e. username@p.dcsdk12.org). Your password is the same as your Infinite Campus parent portal password.

Need help logging in?

• If you don’t have an account or need assistance, please email the Registrar at: trhs_registrar@dcsdk12.org

• Don’t know your username? Click here to retrieve it.

• Forgot your password? Click here to reset it.

Keep yourself organized with planners ($7) that are still available while the supply lasts. If you did not receive your purchased planner in seminar, come by the finance office.

Activity Pass ($50) allows entry to all home sports events (excluding play off games) throughout the entire year. If your school ID does not have the pass on it, purchase one at the Athletic or Finance office.

Purchase your yearbook now at the best price!

Jr/Sr Parking Permits are still on sale through August 31st. Don't wait, purchase now if you want to park in the school lot any time during this school year. Pick up your purchased permit at the security office during lunch.

Our students learn by doing...catering events, exploring the hospitality industry, and working with guest chefs and mentors. Your donation helps us give students more hands-on opportunities to learn, create, and grow.

Scan the QR code to support our ProStart students!

Our library needs your help! Please consider donating tissues, Clorox Wipes and low-odor dry erase markers to help keep the library clean, comfortable, and ready to serve our students.

Donations can be dropped off at the security desk at the main entrance. Please label them "Library."

The AFW rewards program is coming to a close. Let's rally to help maximize our final reward!

Purchase nline 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.

What a fantastic first week back on campus!

Navigating the first few days of the school year in the International Baccalaureate world can feel like drinking from a firehose. Whether you are trying to find your MYP classrooms or staring down the barrel of your senior year Extended Essay, we've started strong. But if this week showed us anything, it is that we have an incredibly supportive, vibrant, and energetic community ready to tackle the year together.

Before we fully transition into textbook readings and Internal Assessment rubrics, we want to take a moment to look back at the highlight of our week: Wednesday's Beginning of Year BBQ!

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us in the Commons after school this past Wednesday. It was wonderful to see so many students, families, and faculty members relaxing, chatting, and enjoying the beautiful August weather.

From the smell of the grill to the intense (and sometimes highly competitive) lawn games, the afternoon was the perfect way to decompress after the first few days of classes.

All levels are welcome!

Saturday, August 15th

8:00am

Calling all aspiring actors, singers, dancers, techies, and artists!!

Are you interested in being a part of the fun and collaborative ThunderRidge Theatre community this school year? Please join us on Tuesday, September 1st, at 6pm in the TRHS Auditorium for an important information session!

Both parents and students alike, as well as new and returning TRHS Theatre participants, are encouraged to attend! This meeting will be brief but packed with important "must-knows" for how to make the most of your experience with this creative and dynamic organization. We hope to see you there!

While in person attendance is highly recommended, if you are unable to attend, please reach out to Elizabeth Johnson at TRHSDramaMP@gmail.com to be added to our email list for important future updates.

For more student info, follow @thunderridgetheatre and @thunderridgetech on instagram.

Sunday, August 23rd

4th, 5th & 6th 3:00-4:30 p.m.

*Quick parent meeting at 3:00 p.m. in team room

7th & 8th 4:30-6:00 p.m.

*Quick parent meeting at 4:30 p.m. in team room

Tuesday, August 25th

4th, 5th & 6th 6:00-7:30 p.m.

7th & 8th 7:30-9:00 p.m.

Tryouts are at ThunderRidge High School

Tryout fee is $20 - Make checks payable to GBBC

• Our Feeder Program is an extension of our High School Program

• We will form 2 teams at 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels

• Our objectives:

• Give players the opportunity to play and love the game

• Develop players to participate in our high school program

• Follow up parent meeting soon after tryouts

• Fall Season (optional) will begin in September. For those not playing in a fall sport.

• Winter Season practices begin in early November - Games begin in December- Season ends in late February/early March

• Feeder practices will be at ThunderRidge HS or Ranchview MS

• Our High School staff conducts tryouts, picks the teams, hire the coaches and oversee the development of our future Grizzlies.

• ThunderRidge High School has a great basketball tradition with 27 Senior Classes

• 13 Final Fours // 9 State Finals // 4 State Championships

• 85% of our High School players come from our feeder program

For questions email Joe Ortiz coachortiz4@gmail.com or Richard Ray coachrray@cs.com.

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

Instagram: @thunderridgehs

Facebook: ThunderRidge High School