ThunderRidge Weekly Update
Happy Thanksgiving Break, everyone! If you are travelling, I hope your travels are safe. If you are staying here, I hope your celebrations are joyful and as stress-free as possible.
Our library goal this year revolves around creating a Culture of Reading, so we are creating a “Grizzly Shelfies” window display. As you may have guessed from my picture, we had a staff spirit week this week, and Wednesday was PJ day. My oh-so-sophisticated picture shows me in all my PJ-ed glory, celebrating the new reads our librarians recommended to me. If your student has a favorite book or series they’d like to see in our library, please encourage them to speak with Ms. Sjoland or Ms. Smyth in the library.
Our School Accountability Committee (SAC) members are interested in knowing which parents/guardians might want to learn more about safety and security (physical and/or mental), and possibly even be involved with some volunteering on these topics. Per their request, I invite you to share your thoughts here. If you are not at all interested or simply don’t have the capacity for one more thing, feel free to ignore.
DCSD wants to hear from you about adding PLC time at the elementary and middle school levels. You should have gotten an email about this on Wednesday. I hope you are able to read it through and will then take the survey to let the district know your thoughts. If you have questions about my perspective, I’m happy to share. Just email me. Or - better yet - talk with any elementary or middle school teachers or admin you know. They are living the life right now and can tell you what they think the impact of adding or not adding late starts for them would be.
Keep your eyes peeled for another survey after we return from Thanksgiving Break to ask for your thoughts and feedback on my work this first semester. I’d love your candid and anonymous input. I did this after each unit as a teacher, and would value your feedback and that of your students.
As we close out this semester and move into the next one, I’ll be asking teachers to tighten up a few things that you may hear about. Primarily, I’m asking teachers to limit students’ time out of the classroom - including during Grizzly Hour (except for traveling to see other teachers - or going off campus if they have earned the Principal’s Pass).
The safety and learning reasons for this are likely self-evident for us as adults, but may feel more restrictive than what some of our Grizzlies are used to. If your student has concerns about these changes, please don’t hesitate to have them come by the office and make an appointment to chat with me. I want to support them, and I also know that sometimes we get into habits that do not serve us well in the long term.
Speaking of student feedback, I definitely - and very justly - got some unhappy emails about needing to postpone our athletic signing day twice in a row. We now have a confirmed date (that won’t be changed - barring apocalyptic events) for the rescheduled event. Athletes who are signing with colleges and were scheduled to be celebrated in November, please mark your calendars for Wednesday, December 3rd. We’re so sorry about the reschedule and look forward to celebrating with you on that date.
Be safe and have fun next week! Our office will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, but we look forward to getting back to business with you on Monday, December 1st.
Sincerely,
Liz
November 24-28 - Thanksgiving Break
December 9 - Choir Concert - 7:00pm - Auditorium
December 10 - Christmas Collage Concert - 7:00pm - Auditorium
December 11 - Band Concert - 7:00pm - Auditorium
December 15-18 - Fall Final Exams
December 19 - End of 2nd quarter/1st semester
December 19 - Teacher workday - No students
December 22-January 2 - Winter Break
January 5 - Teacher Work Day - NO STUDENTS
January 6 - First Day of 2nd Semester
Attention all 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students — it’s time to select your courses for next school year!
Course requests are open now through Friday, November 21.
Be sure to review your options and plan ahead using our Academic Planning Guide (found on the TR website) for detailed course descriptions, graduation requirements, and pathway recommendations.
Don’t wait until the last minute—submit your course requests early and start shaping your future today!
As autumn settles in and the days grow shorter, communities across the globe celebrate the changing season with festivals that honor gratitude, abundance, and connection. This week, we invite our ThunderRidge IB community to explore how different cultures mark the harvest, and how these traditions reflect the IB values of international-mindedness, cultural appreciation, and global understanding.
La Festa dell’Uva – Italy
Celebrated in regions like Tuscany, this festival is all about the grape harvest. Parades, grape tastings, and vineyard celebrations honor the importance of wine production to Italian culture and agriculture.
Chuseok – Korea
Often known as the “Korean Thanksgiving,” Chuseok is a three-day celebration filled with family gatherings, traditional foods, and ancestral remembrance. Families prepare songpyeon (rice cakes), wear hanbok, and visit the graves of ancestors to show gratitude and respect. Chuseok highlights the importance of heritage and the bonds that hold communities together.
Erntedankfest – Germany
This “Thanksgiving” festival focuses heavily on church services, music, and community food donations. Woven harvest crowns and decorated wagons are common sights.
Mid-Autumn Festival – China & Vietnam
Celebrated on the full moon of the eighth lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival honors harmony, harvest, and the beauty of the moon. Mooncakes are shared among family and friends, and lanterns brighten streets and classrooms alike. For many, the festival symbolizes unity and the hope for good fortune in the year ahead.
Lammas (Lughnasadh) – Celtic Regions (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man)
Lammas marks the first wheat harvest of the year. Traditionally, communities baked special “Lammas bread,” held fairs, and celebrated with games in honor of the Celtic god Lugh. It symbolizes gratitude for the first fruits of the season.
Across all these celebrations, one theme remains constant: gratitude. Whether expressed through food, family, art, or ritual, harvest festivals remind us of our connection to the natural world and to one another. With that in mind, have a wonderful break and Happy Thanksgiving!
Mindful Minute - Gratitude
As we approach the Thanksgiving holidays, we often focus on what we are grateful for. As it turns out, gratitude is an important part of positive mental health. Gratitude enhances overall well-being by shifting focus from what's lacking to what's positive, fostering a sense of fulfillment.
To inject more gratitude and positivity into your daily life, try using “what went well”. At the beginning or end of each day, write down three things that went well. These can be as simple as: “I had a good conversation with a friend”. You’ll find that this can reduce stress, strengthen relationships, boost your mood, and encourage a more optimistic perspective, leading to improved mental and emotional health.
Happy Thanksgiving!
For all things Counseling, check out the TRHS Counseling Newsletter!
RVMS Career Fair
Ranch View Counselors are starting to plan our 2nd annual Career Fair on February 27, 2026 from 7:30-11:00am.
Last year's career fair was a huge success (due to our many volunteers), and we are hoping to make this year's event even better! Please consider helping by:
Hosting a booth in the gym
- Share your career
- Engage with students one-on-one and with small groups
- Talk about the education needed, career pathways, internships, experience needed, and more
- Consider an interactive display, swag, etc.
- Share your career
- 4-6 twenty-five minute presentations to a group of ~150 students
- Talk about the education needed, career pathways, internships, experience needed, and more
Thank you!
RVMS Counselors
Cheesecake Fundraiser to Support Prostart
Would you like a delicious treat for your family or neighbors? Do you have a special celebration, birthday, or holiday gathering coming up? Order a Vollmer’s Cheesecake and make it even sweeter while supporting our ProStart students!
Pick up after Thanksgiving M, W, F, 1-3 PM D205
or email rachel.rants@dcsdk12.org.
4-Inch Individual Cheesecakes – $6 each
Key Lime Cheesecake
Plain Cheesecake
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
8-Inch Full Cheesecakes – $25 each
Turtle Chocolate Caramel Drizzle Cheesecake
Eggnog Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Oreo Cheesecake
All proceeds support student competition costs, equipment, and culinary learning experiences. Thank you for your support!
About Us
Principal: Liz Walhof
Mission Statement:
Empowering Grizzlies through curiosity, compassion, courage, community and service.
1991 West Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
303.387.2000
Facebook: ThunderRidge High School
X (formerly Twitter): @TRidgeGrizzlies