Hall Sweeps Update

The sweeps have proven to be effective in reducing both absences and tardies.
by Ben Gilliland

    For the past week Thomas Jefferson High School has been conducting hall sweeps, and the administration is reporting major improvements in attendance.
     The effects of the hall sweeps have been evident throughout the school. “There are no more students wandering the halls or loitering during class time, which has drastically cut down on the distractions inside the building,” said Assistant Principal Scott Lessard. Since the hall sweeps have been in effect, Lessard reports that there has been reduced vandalism in the school, and the building itself is cleaner. “The sweeps have boosted the staff’s morale, and have significantly benefited the teachers because it allows them to start class on time,” said Lessard.
     “I believe that the hall sweeps have been extremely effective. It’s nice to be able to start teaching on time, with no distractions in the hallways,” said Computer Magnet Teacher Eileen Adair.
     The statistics show that the hall sweeps have dramatically cut down on the number of tardies among students. On February 7th and 8th (prior to hall sweeps) there were a total of 477 tardies in those two days, with 310 students having at least one tardy. Last Thursday and Friday, when TJ began the hall sweeps, there were a total of only 30 excused tardies for those two days. Read more

Hall Sweep Crackdown

TJ students must hurry to get to class on time, or suffer the consequences.
by Ben Gilliland

    According to the TJ administration, starting Thursday February 21, 2008 there will be mandatory hall sweeps every period at Thomas Jefferson High School until the tardy situation is resolved.
     Hall sweeps will be occurring everyday, and all staff members will be asked to help enforce them. “There are just way too many students out in the halls during class, and the problem is just getting ridiculous and needed to be addressed,” said Dean of Students Mary Hayhurst. During passing periods teachers are to stand outside their classrooms, and after the bell rings they are to lock their doors behind them and not let any late students in. “We have tried to deal with the problem in other ways, but it just didn’t work, so we are resorting to this,” said Hayhurst.
     Students who are caught up in the hall sweeps are going to be sent to the lunchroom, and will not be allowed to get a pass back to class. “All students caught in the sweep will be marked truant in their classes. There will be no more tardies, only absences,” said Hayhurst.
     “We must reduce the distractions in the hallways and eliminate the excessive tardiness of students, and we believe that hall sweeps will be the most efficient way to accomplish this,” said Assistant Principal Lani Nobles.

Costco Nation

by Ben Gilliland
"…one place that will be here until the sun explodes and the earth is sucked into a black hole will be Costco."

     The other day I was wandering through the massive warehouse of a building that is Costco, up and down the many aisles, trying to find the syrup in the vast wilderness of a store. However, the spinning rotisserie chickens distracted me, and as I was staring at them I started thinking a lot about the future.
    I am going to be in college next year, and that’s a pretty big step from high school. So, I can’t help but find myself wondering what’s going to happen with my life? Will I be successful? What does my future hold for me? With these questions I also start to think about my friends. What will happen to them? Will we stay close, or grow apart? Will they be successful? As all these thoughts are racing through my mind I often come to one final question that is kind of irrelevant to what I was thinking of in the first place. That question is: What will happen to mankind in the future? What do humans have in store for them 500 years from now? 50 years from now? Or even 10 years from now? I find myself baffled over this question, and spend valuable homework time in its contemplation. However, I find it to be a very valid and important question to consider. What does the future have in store for us?
Read more

New Semester, New Location

Sperry and Preston offer same excellent tutoring services in room 108.
by Ben Gilliland

   Last semester there were several different tutoring options for students at Thomas Jefferson High School, and starting the week of January 14 one of them will be moving to a different location.
     For the past five months Math teacher Mark Sperry and English teacher Marybeth Preston held tutoring for student’s everyday during 8th period in the lunchroom. However, due to the noise and distractions in the lunchroom this semester, Sperry and Preston have decided to move to room 108. “The lunchroom was just way too busy; we want to give the students a better and quieter environment to study in,” said Preston.
     The two teachers will help students with English, Math, or almost any other subject. “Just because we are English and Math teachers does not mean we can’t help students with other subjects as well,” said Preston who, along with Sperry, will be in room 108 every day during 8th period, so students who do not have an 8th can stop by for help. Students who have a class have to have a pass from a teacher with permission to go. Without a pass they won’t be allowed to enter.
     “This is not a study hall. We are not going to babysit kids. This time is meant for students who want to get help in their classes,” said Preston.

Late Start Update

TJ students continue to enjoy a shortened schedule.
by Ben Gilliland

    At the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year Thomas Jefferson High School initiated late start days, and they will continue to occur during the new semester.
     Late start days will generally occur every other Wednesday (with some exceptions), and classes will begin at 8:30 a.m. instead of the normal 7:30 a.m. start time. Classes will also be 41 minutes long instead of 50 minutes on the late start days.
     The purpose of late start Wednesdays is to give teachers an extra hour in their schedule that they would normally not have, to sit down and talk with one another, do staff development, and discuss how to help students who are doing poorly. “During late start days the teachers have a meeting where they can talk with other teachers in their department, and see what they can do to improve students’ grades,” said Spanish teacher Joanne Moreno. Read more

TJ Is Gaining Altitude

TJ students explore the great outdoors in this new club.

by Rhea Boyd

    TJ’s newest club, Altitude, is an organization focusing on love for the mountains and a passion for the outdoors; its members will also contribute to the community by doing various volunteer activities.
    Junior Hall Hupperts created the club this year and Social Studies Teacher Kimberly Starks is the sponsor. “My goal is to spread the idea to as many of the students as I can that the mountains are there and they are awesome,” Starks said.
    Hupperts and Starks have a common love for the mountains, and outdoor sports are what motivated them to start this club. “We wanted something to get students interested in the Rocky Mountains and help them keep in shape,” Hupperts said, and Altitude will give students a chance to do both. The club will also show members that giving back to the community can be fun and helpful. Read more

Senior Video in Production

Seniors must take this opportunity to break the mold.

by Ryanne Mollo

    “A great, great deal has been said about the weather, but very little has been done,” reads what many have attributed to the pen of Mark Twain.  Regardless of who said it, this classic witticism perfectly describes the graduates’ attitudes toward the senior video each year.
    For the past three years I have been at TJ, and when it comes time to watch the senior video it seems like the same five most popular people from that particular year are in every other slide. In all fairness to the students who have made the videos the past three years, the only people who sent in pictures were those same five people and a few others; but like Mark Twain, I hear lots of complaining but I don’t see much being done to correct the situation. Read more

Lanyards: Get on Board

Students are required to display IDs to enhance school safety.

by Ben Gilliland

    Starting Monday December 10, students at Thomas Jefferson High School will be required to wear their school lanyards with their IDs attached at all times while in the school building and on school grounds.
    “On Monday the policy will officially begin, and all students should have their IDs displayed by then,” said Principal Sandra Just, who has enlisted the help of  Computer Magnet Teacher Jerry Esparza’s class to make posters that will go up all around the school stating the standard.
    The lanyard and ID must be attached or worn on the upper half of the body, on the outer garment of clothing, and must be visible at all times. Teachers will be very vigilant about checking for IDs on students. “Students without an ID will be escorted to the office to get a photo, and then sent back to class,” said Just. Read more

The United States vs. TJ

Advanced Constitutional Law students participate in the annual We The People competition.

by Sinjin Jones

    Advanced Spartan AP US Government students got a chance to flex their constitutional muscles Friday, November 6 when Teacher Jonathan Poole led them to the annual We The People competition at Trinity Methodist Church downtown.
    “We The People is a constitutional debate program sponsored by the Center for Civic Education, a part of the United States Department of Education,” Poole said. “It was created to give high school students the initiative to learn about constitutional law.” The program challenges students to research three constitutional issues in small groups. They then create oral arguments and prepare to defend their answers to a panel of judges. The topics range from the philosophies of the Founding Fathers to civil rights, and students spend time melding opinion with historical fact to come up with arguments that stand up to scrutiny. Read more

Drive It Like You Own It, Not Like You Stole It

A few words of wisdom to new drivers.

by Philip Karlberg

    One of the most significant moments in my life thus far was when I first took the car out by myself. Keys in hand, I set off in my mom’s teal minivan destined for Chipotle.
    The freedom was something I had never experienced before.
    For most teenagers, including myself, a driver’s license is a ticket to freedom. I have had a car of my own for about a year, and my license for nearly a year and a half. During that time, I have learned that along with this rush of freedom comes great responsibility. For many people, the most power they will ever have is when they are rolling down the road at 60 miles per hour. In the year or so that I have had my car, I have learned many valuable lessons and now I hope to teach others before they are forced to learn them the hard way, like I did. Read more

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