ThunderRidge Weekly Update

It’s a big Friday at TRHS as we host Rock Canyon tonight for basketball. I know I’ll be there (matching the camo theme) and hope to see many of you there as well.

This week, we started Trivia Bowl in TRHS seminars. It’s been fun to see seminars going to visit other seminars as they compete to answer questions from a variety of content areas around the school.

This week’s picture shows Assistant Principal, Cristina Berrett-Braun, Social Studies Teacher, Angela Newhouse, and me at the Capitol this Wednesday where we went to talk with legislators and to get updates regarding budget and other issues that could impact education in the coming year. I’ll share updates here as the dust settles regarding bills that might impact us.

Next Monday, ThunderRidge will host DCSD’s Cabinet members for their regular meeting and will give them a quick tour of the building and some of our unique programming.

We invite any interested parents or guardians on Thursday to join us in the Post-Grad room in the library for our School Accountability Committee Meeting from 4:30-6:30PM. It’s a great group and we would love to have you there.

Given recent national news, our district re-shared with principals the stance of DCSD on issues related to partnership with law enforcement at the state and federal level. We want all our students to feel safe at our schools. If you are interested, I invite you to read the laws and policy that govern DCSD’s approach to partnership with law enforcement.

Remember that course registration for the 26-27 school year closes today. If your student would like to make any adjustments to the classes they’ve selected for next year, please have them do so by the end of today. Applications are also open for the 26-27 school year at DCSD’s Legacy Campus - where 11th and 12th graders can access classes for 13 different career and technical pathways. Our partnership with Legacy allows students to explore many more future-focused options than what we can offer from within our one building. You can read the full announcement here.

Have a wonderful weekend. Maybe take a break from the news and spend some time with your family doing something that brings you joy!

January 30 - Registration for the 26-27 school year closes

February 12 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - Halls of TRHS - 4:00-6:30pm

February 12 - Senior Parent Information Night - Auditorium - 5:30pm

February 13 - Professional Development Day - No students

February 16 - Presidents' Day - No school

February 19 - Grizzly Path: Find Your Calling - 5:30-7:30pm

March 2-6 - Grizzly Gives Week

March 9-10 - Choir Concert - Audotorium - 7:00pm

March 10 - Band Concert - Audotorium - 7:00pm

March 10 - Grizzly Gives Assembly

March 11 - Orchestra Concert - Audotorium - 7:00pm

March 12 - Band Concert - Audotorium - 7:00pm

March 13 - End of 3rd Quarter

March 16-20 - Spring Break 🏖️

Monday - Blue Day

Tuesday - Green Day

Wednesday - Blue Day

Thursday - Green Day

Friday - All Day with PLC

*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.

Registration for spring sports opens February 1st. End date varies by sport.

Our final round of Parent Teacher Conferences for the 25-26 school year will be held on Thursday, February 12th from 4:00-6:30 pm. Conferences will be open-house style in the main hallway of ThunderRidge. Take advantage of this opportunity to meet with your child's teachers. Please limit each conference to 5 minutes, so you can see as many teachers as possible. Thank you for your continued support of your children and TRHS!

There is still time to preorder your Grizzly Gives t-shirt/wristband bundles and Bundt cakes! The bundles will include your Grizzly Gives t-shirt and wristband. The t-shirts will be worn by the entire student body on March 10th, 2026 at our final Grizzly Gives assembly.

The wristband will be your ticket into all of the events during Grizzly Gives Week. This will include our newest event: Trivia Night, as well as Dodgeball, 3x3 Basketball Game, Bingo Night, Mr./Ms. Grizz and Sadie's Dance. If a student does not have a wristband, they will have to pay $5 to get into each event, the Sadies Dance will be higher. In order to participate in Dodgeball, 3x3 Basketball and Trivia night, you will enter as a team. Every person on your team must have a wristband to participate, or pay $5 each. You can purchase your bundle for $30, using the link below.

The link attached below will take you to My School Bucks where you can purchase your wristband and t-shirt bundle. Each bundle is $30. Your support is greatly appreciated! We can't wait to work with all of you to raise money for this amazing family!

We are also selling Bundt cakes again. The cakes need to be ordered by Feb. 5th and will be distributed during Seminar on Feb 12th. What a sweet way to say, "I'm thinking of you!"

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Student Government sponsor, Thomas Sullivan tmsullivan@dcsdk12.org.

Purchase your bundle here! // Order your Bundt cakes here.

Click the flyer above for detailed information

Friday, April 10, 2026

11th grade: CMAS (Science) testing 7:40am - 11am only*

12th grade: Senior Project Presentations All day* (times may be updated in Jan/Feb)

Presentation times will be released to students only shortly before this date.

All grades: No Regular Classes (Parents do not need to call attendance for this day.)**

Monday, April 13, 2026

9th grade: PSAT testing 7:40 - 11am*

9th grade only lunch: 11:05 - 11:40am

10th, 11th & 12th grade: Arrive at 11:45am for Grizz Hour* (No lunch available)

All grades: Grizz Hour 11:45am - 12:20pm

Period 1: 12:25 - 1:35pm

Period 2: 1:40 - 2:50pm

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

11th grade: SAT testing 7:40 - 11am*

11th grade only lunch: 11:05 - 11:40am

9th, 10th & 12th grade: Arrive at 11:45am for Grizz Hour* (No lunch available)

All grades:Grizz Hour 11:45am - 12:20pm

Period 1:12:25 - 1:35pm

Period 2: 1:40 - 2:50 p.m.

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

10th grade: PSAT testing 7:40 - 11am*

10th grade only lunch: 11:05 - 11:40am

9th, 11th & 12th grade: Arrive at 11:45am for Period 5* (No lunch available)

All grades: Period 5 11:45am - 12:43pm

Period 6 12:48 - 1:46 p.m.

Period 7 1:51 - 2:50 p.m.

Thursday, April 16, 2026

All grades: Green Day (Regular Schedule)

Friday, April 17, 2026

All grades: Blue Day (Regular Schedule)

* Transportation: Buses will operate on a normal schedule during all testing days.

Students who ride the bus and are not testing will be restricted to the commons for the duration of the testing period each morning.

** Attendance should be called in as normal, except for Friday, April 10, 2026.

Do you know someone who is interested in attending ThunderRidge High School for the 2026-2027 school year? The second round of open enrollment for DCSD opened January 22nd. Visit the DCSD website to apply. Please reach out to Tiffany Klenke, Registrar, at tklenke@dcsdk12.org with any questions.

Senior parents - please plan to attend the Senior Parent Information Meeting on February 12th at 5:30pm in the Auditorium during Parent/Teacher Conferences.

We'll discuss your student's second semester focus, as well as logistics and important dates leading up to graduation. Herff Jones will be on site for cap and gown and other graduation memorabilia orders. Stop by and see them!

The deadline to order your seniors' cap and gown is May 1st, but any orders placed after April 1st will incur an extra shipping fee. Order online at urherffjones.com. For detailed ordering instructions, click here.

This past week in the Counseling office, TRHS Counselors saw 266 students for academic planning and support, social emotional support, and post secondary planning.

National School Counseling Week is Feb. 2nd-6th! We are excited to recognize the work of the 131,000 School Counselors across the nation! Click the links to learn more about what School Counselors do and the Essential role High School Counselors play in students' lives!

Mark your calendars for Grizzly Path night: February 19th 5:30pm-7:30pm at TRHS. This convention style event will feature breakout sessions, and several booths in all post secondary pathways (college, career, trade school, military, etc). Come find your future path!

February Career Exploration Series 🌟

Join us during Grizz Hour (10:25–10:55) in the Post Grad Room (Library) for three exciting career speakers this month!

📅 Feb 3 – Global Business & Technology

Learn how a Managing Director from Accenture helps governments use technology, AI, and innovation to solve real-world problems in areas like clean energy, healthcare, and public services.

📅 Feb 10 – Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration

Discover how careers in geology, engineering, and environmental science power everything from smartphones to renewable energy — and how modern mining is shaping the future.

📅 Feb 17 – Financial Services

The Millionaire Blueprint with Jessica Bassan, MBA will teach students how to manage money, build credit, and start planning for big goals like cars, homes, and financial independence.

Students — come explore careers, ask questions, and start planning your future! 🚀

Click here to sign up.

Our teens face a myriad of challenges unlike any generation before: academic pressures, mental health challenges, family dynamics, uncertainty about the future, struggles with body image, relationships, political issues, technology overload and navigating their identities. Mindfulness can help teens by promoting self-awareness and emotional regulation, reducing stress, and improving focus. It encourages acceptance of thoughts and feelings, fostering resilience. Through regular practice, teens can manage anxiety, improve mental health, and navigate challenges with greater clarity and calm, leading to healthier responses to stressors. Mindfulness for Teens is a wonderful resource to help teens begin and maintain their own mindfulness practice to be their best selves!

This week, several members of our IB leadership team and IB teachers had the opportunity to attend the IBARMS (International Baccalaureate Association of Rocky Mountain Schools) quarterly meeting. This gathering brings together IB educators from across the region to collaborate, learn, and strengthen our IB programmes through shared best practices.

A highlight of the conference was a workshop led by Weston Kieschnick, focused on student engagement. Participants explored practical, research-based strategies to increase student ownership, curiosity, and active learning; key elements at the heart of the IB philosophy. The session emphasized moving beyond compliance to create classrooms where students are genuinely invested in their learning through relevance, voice, and purposeful challenge.

Our team left the workshop with concrete strategies they are already beginning to implement in their classrooms. Experiences like IBARMS ensure that ThunderRidge educators continue to grow professionally and bring fresh, high-impact practices back to our students.

We are proud of our teachers’ commitment to continuous improvement and to creating engaging, meaningful learning experiences for all IB students.

Students created a detailed rubric using their previously identified success criteria in order to evaluate their own learning goals. Students also reviewed key details and requirements for their reports. - Mr. Carroll

Juniors got to hear from the admissions rep from the University of Wyoming about the college pathway. Unfortunately with the wifi outage not everyone got the entire presentation. The UW rep will be making a recording, and I will send that out once it is complete. - Mr. Bidinger

Seniors completed the Senior Project checklist to ensure they are on track. Students used the remaining time to prepare for Senior Project Conference #3. - Ms. Vande Vusse

Are you interested in mentoring a younger child and being their Reading Buddy?

Teen volunteers (ages 13-18) who love to read and enjoy working with children may apply to be Big Buddies in our Reading Buddies program. Each selected big buddy will be trained and paired with a child (grades 1-3) to help them become a stronger reader.

Apply here. The application deadline is January 31st, 2026.

Do you LOVE Math? Are you interested in mentoring a younger child and being their Math Buddy?

Teen volunteers (ages 13-18) who love Math and enjoy working with children may apply to be Big Buddies in our Math Buddies program. Each selected big buddy will be trained and paired with a child (grades 1-3) to help them build stronger math skills.

Apply here. The application deadline is January 31, 2026.

Eldorado Elementary

• Eldorado Elementary is in need of 16 outgoing, energetic high school volunteers for our annual Family Dance at Eldorado Elementary on Friday, February 27. Volunteers arrive by 5:30pm and leave by 8:30pm. Volunteers will help with various activities (set up/clean up, games, greeting families, Panther costume) and other help as needed.

  Family Dance Volunteer Sign Up: https://bit.ly/eefamilydance

• 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

• Trailblazer Elementary School will host their annual Cookies and Canvas event on Friday, January 30, and we would love to have help from the amazing ThunderRidge volunteers! Please look at the sign up genius and tell your friends! This is a fun way to earn community service hours.

• 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 80129
303.387.2000

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