Welcome to the PTSA!

Please read our mission statement, support the ptsa, browse our committees, and volunteer! Scroll down to read all the latest news.

Welcome Class of 2013!

Please visit our special welcome page for lots of helpful information to assist you in your transition to TJ. Make sure to sign up for your

Cluster Gathering to meet TJ families in your area and learn about TJ.

Honors Weighting Recommendations

The FCPS Division of Instructional Services has reached tentative decisions on the courses to be weighted by an extra 0.5 quality point (0.25 for semester classes) in computing student weighted GPAs. We believe this recommendation will be interpreted to include all required mathematics, science, English and social studies classes, all post AP classes not receiving dual enrollment weighting, senior research labs and mentorships, and all social studies electives that can be used to complete the required fourth social studies credit. (See: Honor Weighting Recommendations and TJ Honors — Complete List of Weighted Courses.) FCPS announced earlier this year that all AP classes and selected post-AP dual enrollment classes will be weighted by an extra 1.0 quality points (0.5 for one semester post-AP classes) on a fully retroactive basis.

The current recommendations for TJ honors class weighting:

"The weighting of 0.5 will be awarded to required mathematics and science courses at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. The weighting of 0.5 will be awarded to all mathematics courses above the level of AP that are not dual enrollment and all science, mathematics, and technology research and mentorship courses.

The weighting of 0.5 will be awarded to required English and social studies courses at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. This includes the social studies elective courses that are required for the fourth social studies credit."

A comparison of common TJ and Base School weighting can be found on the Fairgrade website.

Summer School Carpools

If you would like to carpool to summer school with other TJ students who live in your zip code (or close by), check out the 2009 TJ Summer Carpool List.

Please remember that we are simply facilitators; you have to use your own judgment about with whom you wish to carpool.

Summer School Lunch

The PTSA is pleased to announce that it will offer lunch and snacks each day of Summer School and Summer Institute. Offerings will vary by day of the week and will include a variety of high quality sandwiches and salads from local restaurants and caterers. We will also offer many side dishes, snacks and drinks. The menu will vary by day of the week and will change weekly based on student preferences. Each day a Lunch Special will be served for $6.00 which will include an entrée, choice of side or snack and choice of drink.

The menu for the following week will be posted in the cafeteria and on the PTSA website by Friday of the prior week.

Parents are needed each day from 10:00 to 1:00 to help serve lunch. Please contact

Carrie Kilgore
if you are available to assist. Students not involved in summer school can also assist and earn NHS service hours.

Summer Reading

All TJ students have summer reading assignments. Be sure to check the TJ website where this summer's reading lists will be posted.

Jefferson Alumni Day — August 1

The TJ Alumni Association needs parent volunteers for this year's Jefferson Alumni Day on Saturday, August 1, 2009, from 11am-3pm at TJ. If you can help, please contact

Jack Levenson.
For information and tickets, visit the TJ Alumni website.

Shop Amazon.com and Earn Cash for TJ!

amazon.com

Shop at Amazon.com using this special Amazon.com link and the PTSA earns 4-15% of most purchases!

For more information on this and other "free" money for TJ programs — including at Target, Office Depot, Verizon, and local grocery stores — visit our Support the PTSA page.

College Funding Workshops

Learn the Little-Known Secrets of Paying for College. Attend one of the area workshops now through July 2009.

Help Wanted

PTSA Parliamentarian

If you would like to assume the open PTSA Parliamentarian position, please contact the

TJ PTSA.
The job description is: "Ensures that correct meeting procedure is followed at monthly PTSA meetings." If you love order and making sure that things are done properly, then this is the job for you!

Wish List

WISH LIST: Help Build the TJ Library Collection

TJ's specialized curricula and programs require specialized library resources and services to succeed. The school library fund allocations from the county were cut this year. The smaller allocation resulted in a materials budget shortfall so we are unable to purchase most of the resources already selected to support TJ's classroom and research curricula, to update and fill gaps in the collection, and to support our community of readers; nor are we be able to fill teacher and student requests for materials to support new lessons or specialized research projects.

In the hopes of easing the budget shortfall for our Library community, we established the TJHSST Library Wish List on Amazon.com. Our Wish List includes approximately 60 of the resources selected from professional review journals and requested by teachers and students that will help to continue building our collection this year.

If you are able to make a generous donation to our school's Library by purchasing an item from our Wish List, please email the Head Librarian,

Becca Ferrick,
to let the Library staff know to expect a shipment. We'll want to thank you properly and to make a note that the selection has been purchased so that we can avoid duplication.

Ongoing PTSA Projects