ThunderRidge Weekly Update
Wow! What a week this has been! We had a hard fought game on Thursday with the largest students section I’ve yet seen. People came out and showed up in support of our Grizzlies and I loved seeing all those colors in the stands!
Our Spirit Days have been so much fun (including the secret staff “dress like a student” spirit day - represented by the Admin team picture and behavior here). This week I also got to see students preparing their chants and cheers for Field Day by grade level. Feeling the impact of this student-led and student-supported event...it was super cool! Seeing the hallways decorated by theme and festooned with green and blue has also made being in this space a joy this week.
Field Day itself was fun, loud, and packed! Many thanks to all those who put this together - especially to our Student Government team and our livestream hosts - and to our esteemed guests and guest judges. Thank you to all our feeder principals, to my predecessors Sean Patterson and Nikki Ballow, and to our district dignitaries who attended. Thanks to the families who watched our livestream (and to our livestream hosts) and all the students who poured their hearts out in the events, during song and cheer, and in the stands. We know you are all very busy and are grateful you took the time to make this event just as special as our Grizzlies are.
Our School Accountability Meeting this Wednesday was lovely. If you ever want to spend time with a delightful group of parents, guardians, and community members, this is a great group to join. We meet once a month. Any TR stakeholder who is interested in learning more about the school is welcome to join.
This week, we talked about the school’s unified improvement plan (for the State), the SAC endorsed the district’s MLO, and the committee spoke at length about what post-secondary institutions give our students the best bang for their buck in terms of AP and IB credits. The SAC members thought you all might want to see the info. They were so excited. Junior and Senior parents of college bound students: If your student is interested in attending a school that’s not in this doc, please contact Mr. Risner (kelse.risner@dcsdk12.org) and he will do the research and will get it added.
The end of September means it's time for Apple Award nominations. I encourage you all - and your students - to nominate one or more DCSD teacher or classified staff member who is making a difference in the lives of kids. Learn more and nominate at www.foundationdcs.org/aa-nominations by October 26!
Speaking of staff celebrations, we learned this week that TRHS welding teacher Mr. Chaparro is in the top eight welding teachers in the nation according to a competition sponsored by 3M. The next step for him is to compete in Las Vegas (paid for by 3M) to win $15K for our welding program. If you know Mr. Chaparro, I encourage you to congratulate him on his hard work!
Ballots drop today in most mailboxes. I encourage you to review your TABOR book (the white ballot explanation book) and to vote according to your consciences. 5A is the DCSD MLO ballot issue, but there are several related issues (see the blue book) about which you may wish to inform yourself. You can learn more about how DCSD schools would be impacted by 5A here. (This proposal includes support for our Career and Technical Education classes among other line items.)
Does your student need some volunteer hours? See the Counselors’ Corner (below) for a student volunteer opportunity to help us organize a January Mental Health Awareness week.
Now, I hope you all get to rest, relax, and either take pics of your students getting ready for Homecoming or do that and then enjoy a well-earned weekend.
Hugs,
Liz
Middle Years IB Programme (MYP) October Update
What is happening this month with the Personal Project?
This month in MYP IB Advisement, students will make great progress on defining the goals of their Personal Project. They will lay the groundwork for their project journey by setting clear targets and beginning their research. All students will also complete Conference #1 with their Advisement teacher to review their progress and receive direct guidance.
Where can I learn more about the TRHS Personal Project?
What is the timeline?
Planning (Sept. - Oct.)
Execution (Nov. - December)
Reflection (Jan - March)
ThunderRidge High School Showcase (April 21 in Advisement) and Community Showcase (April 21 5:30-6:30 pm)
Which aspects of the Personal Project Guide will students complete this month?
Pages 12-13: Initial Research
Pages 14-15: Personal Project Report Planning
Pages 16-18: Success Criteria
The Greater Denver College Fair
The Greater Denver College Fair is coming next Saturday, October 3rd from 10am - 12 noon at Mountain Vista High School! Be sure to register and get the most updated list of attending colleges. Students are strongly encouraged to sign up beforehand so that they have a bar code for colleges to scan.
Additionally, there will be a breakout sessions on Financial Aid and Scholarships.