Welcome Freshmen!

This site is continually updated — check back for updates!

Congratulations TJ Class of 2016!

We bet you have lots of questions. Well, we are here to help. Many of your questions can be answered by information on the webpage. If you still have questions, don't hesitate to contact us at

PTSA
. The most important first step in becoming part of the community is to register to be in our database by entering your information into the directory system. You will need to set up an account and then you can enter your information into the directory system and our volunteer system.

Other Information

Welcome Gatherings

The PTSA representatives for each Fairfax County Cluster and participating Counties host gatherings for the TJ '16 freshmen and their families. To help the PTSA reps plan these gatherings, please contact your rep and register in the PTSA Directory immediately:

Why should you attend these gatherings?

At each gathering, current TJ students and parents answer questions about classes, homework, sports, other activities and parent volunteer opportunities. Also, this is a great way to meet other TJ '16 students and arrange carpools for summer school, summer athletic practices, and more.

Gatherings for new freshmen will be divided into these groups:

Fairfax County clusters serve school "pyramids":

Contact your local TJ PTSA Representative, Cluster Liaison, PTSA Vice President:

Celeste Fritzson
, or Corresponding Secretary: for information about your local gathering.

TJ Class 2016 Welcome Family Gatherings
RSVP Today (by invitation only)
Check Website for Changes & Updates
Fairfax Cluster Contact Date/ Time/ Location/Format
Cluster 1 (Herndon HS, Langley HS, and McLean HS) Please RSVP to Cluster 1 rep. Saturday, May 19, 2012, 4:00-7:00pm at the Goel Family Home, 7685 Ballestrade Ct, McLean, VA 22102, Potluck. DETAILS ON the flyer.
Cluster 2 (Falls Church HS, Madison HS, and Marshall HS) Please RSVP to Cluster 2 rep. Sunday, April 22, 2012, 1:00-3:00pm at Green Springs Garden (Main Building), 4603 Green Springs Road, Alexandria, DETAILS ON the flyer
Cluster 3 (Annandale HS, Stuart HS, and Woodson HS) Please RSVP to Cluster 3 rep. or
Cluster 4 (Hayfield SS, Mt. Vernon HS, West Potomac HS) Please RSVP to the Cluster 4 rep. 703-768-8565 Sunday, June 3, 2012, 7:30-9 pm at Mt Vernon District Station, 2511 Parks Lane, Alexandria (near Mt. Vernon Hospital). DETAILS ON the flyer.
Cluster 5 (Edison HS, Lee HS, South County SS) Please RSVP to the Cluster 5 rep. 703-329-9391
Cluster 6 (Lake Braddock HS, Robinson SS, West Springfield) Please RSVP to Cluster 6 rep. 703-425-7708 Saturday, May 12, 2012, 2:00-4 pm at Burke Centre Library, 5935 Fred Oaks Road, Burke. DETAILS ON the flyer
Cluster 7 (Centreville HS, Chantilly HS, Fairfax HS) Please RSVP to Cluster 7 rep. 703-378-1257 Sunday, May 20, 2012, 1:00-3:00 pm, at Centreville Regional Library, 14200 St. Germaine Dr., Centerville. Potluck Appetizers & Desserts. DETAILS ON the flyer
Cluster 8 (Oakton HS, South Lakes HS, Westfield HS) Please RSVP to Cluster 8 rep. 571-281-4452 Sunday, May 20, 2012, 4:30-6:00 pm, atClub House for Great Falls Crossing, 10846 Hunter Gate Way, Reston. Potluck Appetizer and Dessert. DETAILS ON the flyer
More Counties Contact Date/ Time/ Location/Format
Arlington/
Falls Church		 Please RSVP to rep Sunday, April 22, 2012, 5-7pm, at the Anders Family Home, 4823 North 25th Street, Arlington 22207. Potluck Dinner. DETAILS ON the flyer
Loudoun County Please RSVP to rep 571-209-7146 or 703-724-7717 Saturday, April 14, 2012, 2-3:30 pm at Sterling Library, 120 Enterprise Street, Sterling. Potluck Appetizer and Dessert. DETAILS ON the flyer
Prince William/
Fauquier		 RSVP to rep Saturday, May 5, 2012, 9:00-11:00am at the Kelly Building Atrium, Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center, 14715 Bristow Road, Manassas. DETAILS ON the flyer.

TJHSST E-Mail Communication with Parents

TJ communicates with parents using three primary email systems. To ensure that you are well-informed regarding your student's high school career, it is advisable to update your contact information in all three places:

  1. Keep In Touch (KIT): Messages primarily from the Principal (and FCPS) use the KIT system. Parents can update their contact information by either calling the school, or updating their emergency contact card information online through the weCare@school module found on their Parent View Blackboard account under "weCare@school".
  2. Blackboard/Naviance: The Department of Student Services (including the Director of Student Services, Counselors, and the College and Career Center) use an email list obtained from a separate module known as Naviance/Family Connection found on Blackboard. Parents should update their contact information in the "My Information" section found on their Parent View Blackboard account to update their information in Naviance, in addition to the "weCare@school" section also found on their Parent View Blackboard account to update Keep in Touch. (Note: Parents must update Naviance themselves in "My Information" on Blackboard - the school is unable to update the Naviance module.) Parents will only receive emails from the Department of Student Services if they have a Parent View Blackboard account, and the email address is current.
  3. PTSA Database: The PTSA maintains its own database to communicate with parents, since TJ uses Keep in Touch primarily for messages from the Principal's office. Many important communications related to specific classes and activities are sent through the PTSA, including Freshman Lock-In, Senior Graduation activities, Fair Grade Policies, Proposed Changes to Curriculum Requirements, and many other issues relevant to your students' academic and social lives. Please log in to update your contact information in the PTSA database.

Don't Forget to add TJ to your KIT Subscription!!

Finally, parents also should update their KIT subscription to include TJHSST (look for "Jefferson HSST") as a school from which it would like to receive communications. For directions, go to http://www.fcps.edu/kit/index.shtml#update.

Guide to Giving

TJ staff and students rely on funding from the PTSA, the many TJ Booster organizations, and the TJ Partnership Fund. To understand the purposes and structure of these different organizations and the level of contribution typical for each activity — both financial and volunteer — please read our Guide to Giving.

Commuting

In Fairfax County, students usually ride the neighborhood bus to their base high school with the base school kids. Then they transfer to a bus which takes them to TJ. Fairfax County students can request to be picked up from a different high school besides their base school, and accommodations will be made as space is available. Watch for the online survey soon after Freshmen Registration to submit your request.

Outside of Fairfax County, there are "hubs" — schools where the kids catch their bus to TJ.

Many parents drive their kids directly to the base high school to save time and/or to let their kids sleep in a bit. Some parents form parent carpools to take kids directly to TJ. The directory, which is available in the main office, lists students by zip code — a handy way to set up carpools.

A majority of TJ students are engaged in some form of after school activity from sports to music or drama to academic clubs. It is common practice to develop carpools at the beginning of each seasonal activity, so don't hesitate to contact others at the first couple of practices or meetings.

Read the TJ Bell Schedule webpage to learn all about red, blue, anchor, and JLC days.

Note that when FCPS closes two hours early, TJ is dismissed at 10:50 a.m. When schools open two hours late, follow your regular schedule plus 2 hours, except on JLC days when 2 hour late arrival means arrive by 10:30 a.m.

We highly encourage you to contact your cluster representative with any questions about TJ.

Language Assistance

Do you need language assistance? We can help you overcome your language barriers for school events and teacher/counselor communication, and by providing a parent volunteer's contact information if you have any questions. FCPS interpreters can be requested if 5 or more families request them 2 weeks before a school event or teacher/counselor meeting. Translations of excerpts from the PTSA newsletter (Techcetera) are available on our PTSA website. A list of Volunteer opportunities for Language Minority Parents is available in English, Chinese, and Korean. Our Cultural Liaison parent volunteers hold meetings and are available to assist you. Contact any PTSA officer if you need assistance.

Academic Boosters Awards Banquet — May 24, 2012

Members of TJ '16 and their parents are invited to the Academic Boosters' annual banquet on Thursday, May 24th, from 6 PM to 8:30 PM in the cafeteria, to learn more about TJ's 20+ academic teams and to meet with student officers and teacher sponsors. For more information, please see the Academic Boosters membership form or visit the Academic Boosters website.

Sports Physicals

To play sports during the upcoming school year, you need a physical dated May 1 or later. You can have your sports physical done at TJ each spring and support the boosters at the same time. In the spring of 2012, the physicals will be held at TJ on Wednesday, May 23rd from 4:30-9 pm. Cost is $50 if you pre-register and $60 for walk-ins (on a limited basis).

The Colonial Athletic Boosters website has all your TJ sports info and membership form.

SOL Tests

Fairfax County public school students SOL scores should already be entered into our system, leaving nothing for FCPS parents to do. IF your child attended a public middle school outside of FCPS, we are hopeful that your scores will come with your child's records. Sometimes, however, they do not. Please retain copies of your child's official score report, just in case. If needed, you child's counselor will contact you in the Fall. IF your child attended a private middle school or was homeschooled and has never taken SOL exams, your child will be scheduled to take them during the first two weeks of January. For more information , contact TJ's Assessment Coach: , 703-750-8372.

A to Z – A Beginners Guide to TJHSST

You will want to quickly understand the language used at our school, so make sure you read "From AudLob to Zzzzs". Intended as a guide for parents (since the incoming students will quickly learn the language) it is chock full of the words and abbreviations that make understanding daily life at TJHSST so much easier. You'll find out that AudLob is TJ Speak for the Auditorium Lobby, where to go if you are invited to a meeting at the CCC, why some students feel confident in arriving late to school on Thursday mornings and lots of other fun TJ information? Written by a parent of a student of the class of 2006 and updated annually, this booklet is intended to help TJHSST parents feel comfortable in their role of guiding their student through the world of TJ.

Techcetera

Tech cetera, the PTSA newsletter, is available online each month. Excerpts are translated into Korean.

Volunteering

We have volunteer opportunities galore! The best way to be matched with the perfect "job" is to enter your preferences and skills in the Directory & Volunteer Information System. Volunteer information is not published, but is used to help match parents and opportunities. So please, enter your information into the Directory and fill in your parent participation (volunteer) information. Thanks!

Fundraising

Support the PTSA and you help TJ. It can be as easy as registering your Giant, Safeway, and Harris Teeter cards or shopping online through the PTSA portal for Amazon.com or eScrip. Everything you need to know is on our Support the PTSA webpage.

Maps