TJ students jump for joy as they leave school and begin their well-earned summer celebrations. Photo by Anna Becker

For 50 years, Thomas Jefferson High School has been the model of perseverance, hard work, and achievement, and this year is no exception. Recently, TJ has proposed a plan to achieve excellence throughout the school, which includes a pre-magnet program for 8th graders attending Hamilton Middle School, an AP seminar program, and enabling further community participation for all TJ Spartans.

TJ has also made significant strides in AP participation and achievement, displayed by the 60.7% increase in scores above three on AP tests. In addition, participation in all classes has increased, with the overall school attendance rate being at 88%. This year, TJ also added an ACT preparation course for Juniors, with the goal of increasing the number of students who get a score of at least a 20 by five students.

Principal Sandra Just, finishing her fifth year as the queen of the Spartans, still recognizes TJ’s pride and success. “TJ has a proud history,” said Just. “As we plan our celebration of 50 years in this community, it is important to reflect on how to build and strengthen our core values and priorities.”

TJ Spartans have also continued to achieve in sports, with the Boy’s Varsity Basketball team progressing to the “great eight” in the playoff season, and the Varsity Football team winning City and getting to the first round in the playoff season. In addition, the Varsity Baseball team closed their season with a win on May 7, sending them into this season’s playoffs.

Of course, TJ continued its tradition of the Mr. TJ contest. This year’s senior boys danced, sang, posed, and flexed in front of a panel of judges, and an auditorium filled with roaring Spartans. Senior Billy Sprague won the contest, the crown, and the hearts of countless Spartans.

The Rent Project, a unified effort to spread peace and equality throughout TJ and the community, is a highlight of TJ’s cultural impact this year. Students involved in the Rent Project ran a coat drive for the homeless, advocated peace and acceptance by selling Peace Bracelets as a reminder to be kind and considerate of others, and of course, held the spring musical Rent. This highly successful musical event has been called a, “…reminder of love, friendship, and the importance of living in the moment.”  Other cultural achievements include the inaugural year for TJ’s new M.E.Ch.A. club, the renewal of the Black Student Alliance, and the award-winning Interact Club.

TJ has continued to excel in the Computer Magnet and DECA programs. Five Spartans won the Project of the Year competition after months of vigorous work with Computer Magnet Instructor Stacey Fornstrom’s guidance. Also, two TJ web-designers won the SkillsUSA competition and are going to Nationals. TJ’s DECA program also made vast strides this year, producing six finalists at the State Conference on February 20. The Computer Magnet is also continuing the production of the Spartan Edition, an innovative digital video journalism production class that allows students to produce a 10 minute video announcement program, and the Thomas Jefferson Journal, an award winning online newspaper that can be found at www.tjjournal.com.

While this year has come to an end, here are some important dates to be remembered during the summer:

July 26-30 – 9th Grade Academy

August 3rd – Senior Registration

August 4th – Junior Registration

August 5th – Sophomore Registration

August 6th – Freshmen Registration

August 12th -13 – Walk-in Registration

August 19th – First day of school for freshmen

August 20th – First day of school for all students

Photo by Heather Larson

“Teaching becomes a part of you, almost; it gets into your heart a little,” says Thomas Jefferson English Teacher Robert Gagnon, for whom TJ has been a second home for three years.  He says it has been an adventure that he can now check off of his list of accomplishments. However, after May 28, Gagnon is retiring, and will be striving to achieve his new goal of fulfilling his life outside of teaching, which he says he has been looking forward to for many years.

Within the past 31 years, Gagnon has been successfully teaching students the ways of the English language, and making teaching not just his job, but one of his hobbies, as well. At the beginning, he had only planned on making this a part of his life for a relatively short period of time. “I went into teaching thinking that I was only going to be doing so for about ten years. I had planned to go do something else and something new after those ten years, but before I knew it 31 years had gone by, and I guess now it’s finally time to go experience new and different things.”

Before embarking on the journey of enriching the minds of students, Gagnon had already earned the status of being an American Hero, as he served in the Vietnam War for one year, and he says that was one of the longest years of his life. “I remember twelve days before I was supposed to return home, I was driving through a city which was off limits to US Personnel after 5 p.m., and of course we got stuck in rush hour and were still in that city. We were trying to make our way out of there, but we started getting shot at. We had to do something, so I started driving down the sidewalks just to get away! After that, I was completely ready to come home, and one of the best moments of my life was making my way safely back onto U.S. soil.”

Gagnon says that one of the positives of being in Vietnam was when he took his R&R (Rest and Recuperation) from the war, and he had the opportunity to visit Sydney, Australia for a week. As Gagnon puts it, “That was one of the best ways to get away, and it was an absolutely great contrast to the war.” He says that one of the best parts was the people, and how friendly and welcoming everyone was towards him and his fellow soldiers.

As Gagnon began teaching at TJ, he was very eager to let the Spartan community get to know him as a person, and tell the stories of where he came from and why he is who he is. “The other teachers and staff at TJ are all very wonderful, caring, and amazing people. I have learned more here about how to be a great teacher within the past three years than I had in the 28 years before that.”

Gagnon has high hopes for every single one of his students and believes every one of them can succeed. “They all have their little quirks, and you just have to figure out who they are and work with them.” The biggest teaching accomplishment in Gagnon’s eyes is making it as a teacher for 31 years. “Every single day is a challenge and an accomplishment when we have all made it through another day.” As for the most challenging parts of his teaching career, he says it is the pressure of making sure the students are properly informed of everything they need to be, and being sure that at the end of the year, they are walking out of the classroom with the head full of knowledge that is needed to complete the class successfully. “It is a very stressful job. I always want to make sure the kids are properly educated.”

Once Gagnon has completed his time at TJ, he has big plans to spend much more time with his family and friends, and doing all the hobbies that he wishes he had more time for now. He has been married to his wife for 21 years, and he has two grown kids, and one of the things he is looking forward to the most within the next year is for his first grandchild to be born. “My oldest, Jenny, is expecting in December, and I am thrilled and excited beyond belief. I’m going to be watching the baby a few days a week, and I am just so eager for that time to come.”

Gagnon has many hobbies that he is greatly looking forward to being able to spend more time enjoying. One of his absolutely favorite things in life is his small fishing boat, which he takes out to Eleven Mile reservoir in Colorado Springs, Cherry Creek Reservoir or Chatfield Reservoir, and just spends the say out on the lake, fishing and enjoying his life. Gagnon considers his most relaxing activities to be fishing and golfing, and ways that he just gets his mind of off the everyday stress of life. ”My boat really is one of my most prized possessions. I love it,” Gagnon said

Other than fishing and golfing, Gagnon spends a lot of his time over the summers – and over any free time that he can get ahold of – traveling throughout the world and experiencing not just what this planet has to offer, but also his heritage. “One place that I really want to go see and experience is where my roots lead me. My ancestors came to Quebec, Canada in 1640 and colonized it. I would absolutely love to go see where my history practically began, and just visit somewhere that beautiful.” While Gagnon has high hopes to go see Canada and his ancestry, he already has many bragging rights about where he has been and what he has seen, as he often takes many trips to Mexico, the Bahamas, Florida, and many other tropical paradises. Gagnon says, however, that of all the places he has been, the Bahamas has definitely been one of his favorites. “It’s just so beautiful there.”

Another special aspect of Gagnon’s life is his spirituality. “One of my most prized possessions is my relationship with God,” said Gagnon, who added that his relationship with God is one that is very personal and that it is what gives him strength to be who he is and live his life every single day. “I know that God has always had a special plan for me, so I know not to worry too much because I am in good hands.” Faith is the number one importance in his life, followed by caring for and about his family, and then just working hard trying to make his life a good one, he said

Gagnon is hoping that the future will be just as much of a journey as it was getting to today. The life ahead for Gagnon is one that is bright. He says that his life here at TJ has been one that nothing else can compare to or replace the memories, and Gagnon is very positive and okay about all of that. “Currently my spot at TJ has not been filled, and I like to look at that as I’m irreplaceable,” Gagnon said with a smile.

Daniel Graham converses with a few of the many students present at the event. Photo by Anna Becker

On April 28, 2010 TJ held an asthma awareness event hosted by the Daniel Graham Foundation. Families from multiple middle and elementary schools in Denver filled the Spartan lunchroom. Toddlers, kids, and parents were all present for the event. Daniel Graham started out by sharing shocking news. “The number one cause for kids staying home from school is asthma,” he said. There was a collective gasp paired with startled looks. Graham replaced the silence when asking for a show of hands of those who have asthma, and more than half of the audience members raised their hands, with the majority being young children.

Graham graduated from TJ in 1997 and is now the Tight End for the Denver Broncos. He started the Daniel Graham Foundation three years ago as a vehicle to spread asthma awareness to create a better understanding for the chronic inflammatory disease. “I want to help the kids have a better understanding of what asthma is, and to help them find a way to prevent asthma attacks,” said Graham, who discovered his asthma problem while playing sports after entering high school. “I just hope these kids know that you can play sports even if they have asthma,” said Graham.
The foundation has been touring DPS for two years now. “It’s amazing to see how many people have asthma and don’t even know anything about it,” said Graham, who struggled to learn about asthma on his own when he was younger. One way the foundation is able to help spread awareness is by sending those who are affected by asthma to Boulder for a football camp. At the camp the kids are surrounded by those with whom they can relate. The camp allows the kids to develop a comfort level with asthma and familiarize themselves with their symptoms. “You have to figure out what sets off your asthma; what triggers it,” said Graham.

Joining the urge to spread awareness is Dr. Stanley J. Szefler, who has been a partner with the foundation in offering his medical advice and knowledge of asthma. Szefler is in pediatrics and specializes in allergy immunology. “Our goal is to increase awareness and help children get control of their symptoms. It is important to limit the impact that asthma has on their lives,” said Szefler, who also battled asthma as a child. It is Szefler’s own experiences that motivate him to help children with asthma. “I was told that in order to cure my asthma, I had to stop running track when I was in high school. It was very shocking to me; I had to give up many of my passions because of it,” said Szefler.

Staff members from the National Jewish Medical and Research Center also accompany the foundation on their trips around DPS. The members use models of the lung to help present a visual for what is causing an asthma attack. They also have inhalers and inhaler chambers to show how to properly use an inhaler. As the event came to an end there was a Jeopardy game that allowed the kids to share what they had learned and to win prizes, such as a signed football by Graham, who ended the triumphant night by saying, “I hope you never let asthma stop you from doing what you want to do.”

For more information on asthma and the Daniel Graham Foundation, go to http://danielgrahamfoundation.org/.

The Senior Calculus Class of 2010 at lunch with their favorite math teacher. Photo courtesy of Aimee Witulski

Every year, Math Teacher Aimee Witulski treats her AP Calculus students to lunch after a long day of testing. Unlike most AP classes, AP Calculus takes a semester of Pre-Calculus plus three semesters of Calculus to cover everything on the AP exam. After enduring numerous classes with enough numbers to make even Isaac Newton’s head spin – as well as a day of rigorous testing – Witulski gives her students a well deserved break without calculating formulas.

However, being a math teacher, Witulski can’t go an afternoon without numerical influence. So instead of a trip to the friendly neighborhood Chipotle, Witulski takes her students to the modern, number-themed restaurant,Pi. This culinary establishment focuses on that never ending number used to calculate the area of a circle. Since Witulski has taken her classes there for years, the restaurant gave her a deal: each student could have a sandwich and a drink for 3π, or $9.42.

“It’s always really fun, and every year is a great experience,” said Witulski. “It’s right after the AP exam lets out, so they can relax and unwind from all the stress of the big test.” Since students are officially unable to talk about the test specifically, Witulski is able to hear about the experience of the test, and how her students felt about it. This helps her prepare her classes for next year.

Pi is not a greasy spoon restaurant, but rather a high-class establishment. “The whole place is really classy,” said Witulski. “There are pictures of Einstein everywhere, because Einstein’s birthday is Pi day. It has a really nice atmosphere, and it’s great that we go there in the afternoon because no one is there and we get the entire place to ourselves.” The restaurant provides a wide variety of foods, from the classic burger to a more expensive crab dinner. However, when asked if there was a Pi pie, Witulski seemed stumped. “I wouldn’t know how the pie is there though, I’ve never tried it.” she laughs.

Relaxing though the experience is, the trip is not just a way to lighten up after a harrowing final. Since it’s one of the last times Witulski can see her class before it graduates, “It’s a bit of a bittersweet situation,” Witulski said.

As the seniors move on, and the next grade moves up, Witulski prepares to continue the tradition. And maybe next year, she’ll try the pie.

Photo by Mia Nogueira

At the beginning of the second semester, Thomas Jefferson’s Special Education Department began brainstorming ideas on what to do for their semester Unified Legacy project. “The kids decided to do a mural that would be put up on TJ’s walls permanently,” said MI-S Program Director Mollie Pitrone.

On Wednesday, May 5th, the mural was put up on the wall in the special education hallway on the garden level. “The painting had ‘We Are Unified’ painted in big letters right in the middle, then had all the kids’ hand prints surrounding it and the year they graduated,” said Pitrone. “We left space so that hand prints can be added in the future so the legacy continues.”

The painting idea was conceived and planned at the beginning of the semester. “We came in contact with a lot of major companies, and many of them were generous enough to donate most of the materials we used in the mural,” said Pitrone. “Structural DPS Department donated the wooden planks we used as our canvas. Benjamin Moore and Ace Hardware donated the paint we used.”

This is Pitrone’s second year teaching at TJ in the Special Education program. “I wanted to put this together last year, but it didn’t get organized in time,” said Pitrone. “It went really well this year. We got every single student in the Special Ed program to participate.”

The Unified Sports Student Assistants also benefited from the overall experience. “It’s great to know that I’ll be a part of TJ for years to come,” said Senior Colette Hernandez.

Pitrone and the rest of the Special Education Department have high hopes that their project will have a strong affect on TJ. “Hopefully what we’ve done will inspire other departments to add to the overall culture of TJ,” said Pitrone.

The mural can be seen right outside of rooms 12 and 13 in the garden level of TJ.

Photo courtesy Matt Nicolo.

At Thomas Jefferson, a big attraction to the school is the DECA marketing program that has been a tradition at TJ for forty-one years. With the end of the year comes the annual DECA breakfast, a very professional and classy occasion in which the outgoing officers say farewell, and the new incoming officers are given a big welcome.

On April 13, this annual event was held at the Mount Vernon Country Club located in Golden on Lookout Mountain. With more than seventy-five students in attendance, it promises next year’s DECA program to be just as great as every other year, if not better, as every student was in fine form. DECA sponsor Matt Nicolo always believes the breakfast to be a giant success, as well as a huge weight off his shoulders. “Throughout the year, everyone is stressed out about the state conferences and competitions, and after the breakfast it seems to be that last bridge that needs to be crossed before making our way to the end of the year. The breakfast is a time to take recognition of our current officers, why they have the role in DECA that they do, and to celebrate their accomplishments throughout the year, as well as looking at the incoming officers and showing them what they’re getting into next year.”

This year’s event began with students and parents taking their seats in the festive dining room with Easter eggs filled with goodies on their tables, and then being served breakfast consisting of the classic breakfast cuisine and lots of fresh fruit, and as soon as everyone was finished feasting, Nicolo took the stand with Danny Showers to help accompany this year’s president, Tommy Moehlman, in commemorating the year.

In the front of the dining room sat the current DECA officers including Moehlman, Alex Clark (Vice President), Paige Milstein (Secretary), Paige Wilson (Treasurer), Alex Gustafson (Publicity Representative), Rhea Boyd (Publicity Representative), Colette Hernandez (Chapter Representative), Tino Lamorie (Chapter Representative), Jamee Veasley (School Store Reprenentative), and Mitch Mankoff (Travel Coordinater), many of whom are known throughout TJ as some of the best students in their classes.

There was a special guest in the house that morning as well, as Khalid Al-Shami, a student at Overland High School who is also the Vice President of District 13, was attending the breakfast and was given the honor of speaking to TJ and showing his gratitude towards them. He expressed throughout his speech that he finds TJ to be an amazing representative of what DECA is all about, and that Spartans show the true meaning of a well-run and well-established chapter.

A very entertaining portion of the morning was all thanks to Boyd and Lamorie, as they spent nearly twelve hours putting together the end of the year video, featuring current DECA members sharing some of their thoughts on the year. “We wanted the video to be an overview of the accomplishments of the year and also show the individual efforts that each DECA member puts into the chapter,” Boyd said.

To conclude this year’s breakfast, Moehlman was given the chance to put everyone’s anticipation to rest as he announced who was elected as officers for next year’s DECA chapter. The President will be is Mitch Mankoff, Vice President will be Dylan Jennings, and other officers are Daniela Cardona (Secretary), Hayden Johnson (Treasurer), Sarah Southard (Publicity Director), Robert McMacken (Chapter Representative), April Regas (School Store Representative), John Jones (Plans and Programs), and Christine Vlier (Travel Coordinator).  Moehlman was also able to share his words of wisdom with next year’s officers and president, saying that the best way to run a chapter is with four things: “Patience, because everyone has their own ways, and in order to get through you must be patient. Trust; you must trust your fellow students that they will get everything done well. Being open-minded; you have to stay open to opportunities and other ways of doing things, as it will not always be your way. And always, always keep a smile.” And with that, Moehlman hit the gavel one more time, and the breakfast came to an end, leaving the future of DECA in the hands of next years club officers.

Photo by Rebecca Holt

On April 29, 2010, Junior Luke DeGregori was summoned to the counselors’ office and informed that he had received a very prestigious award. “It’s an Outstanding Junior award presented by Colorado University at Boulder,” said DeGregori.

Attending CU Boulder has been on DeGregori’s to-do list for years, so receiving this award was very handy for him. “CU Boulder has been my college of choice since about 6th grade,” said DeGregori. “With tuition being raised every year, I’m glad I could get a head start on scholarships and other college funding before my senior year.”

Throughout DPS, one Junior is chosen from each school to receive the award.

“The award is the University of Colorado at Boulder Outstanding Junior Award, which recognizes the top juniors in the state of Colorado. Recipients are awarded a $1,000 scholarship to attend CU-Boulder. They are also invited to a recognition ceremony at CU in the summer with the other Outstanding Juniors and their families,” said TJ Counselor Dawn Catalano, who recommended DeGregori for the award.

DeGregori was eligible for the award without even knowing it. “I wasn’t aware the award even existed until it was given to me,” he laughed. “The candidates have to be set on going to CU Boulder to be eligible for the award, and I’ve been set on going to the school for a while.”

One student is nominated by the counseling department of each school in January annually, and it was a unanimous decision that the TJ nominee for the 2009-2010 school year should be DeGregori. “One day several months ago, I was called down to the office again and asked what college I plan on attending. I told my counselor CU Boulder, and then I was sent on my way,” laughed DeGregori. “I had no idea I was really being questioned for a potential scholarship.”

This year, CU received about 250 nominations from across the state, and from there CU decides who the winners will be. DeGregori is extremely grateful that he was one of the recipients. “I’m really glad I was nominated and won this award. I’m very humble to have received it, and especially so out of the blue. It was a very nice surprise.”

DeGregori plans on attending CU Boulder in the fall of 2011. “I’m thinking of applying for a few music scholarships, and there are a few others that I’ve already had my eye on,” he said.

Many adults at TJ agree that Luke is a top student in the school. “Luke is not only an Outstanding Junior academically, but he is creative, a talented musician, and a super nice person. He is a student we are excited to honor for his achievements!” said Catalano.

With nine years of violin under his belt, musical scholarships are also a potential money source for his college education. As a junior who has already received awards and college money, it’s safe to say that DeGregori has a lot to look forward to and an extremely bright future ahead of him.

Artwork by Mia Nogueira

When it comes to football, nothing is bigger than the NFL. TJ is fortunate enough to be hosting the Derrick Martin Youth Sportsfest this weekend. Derrick Martin is a former TJ Spartan who had earned All-Colorado and All-State Class 5A honors and was named the MVP of the Denver Prep 5A League. In college at the University of Wyoming, Martin earned the All-Mountain West Conference 2nd team honors as a sophomore. Martin was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2006 in the sixth round, and was traded to the Green Bay Packers in 2009, where he is one of the Packers’ special teams captains today.  Martin has returned to Thomas Jefferson to host this free football and cheer-leading camp for students in first through eighth grade.

Marcus Smith of the Baltimore Ravens, Pierre Garcon and Devin Moore of the Indianapolis Colts, Trevor Ford and Brad Jones of the Green Bay Packers are a few NFL superstars who will be hosting this camp. On Friday night, Martin and his NFL friends will participate in a celebrity bowling challenge and silent auction at Monaco Lanes starting at 6:00 p.m. For the group that has the greatest participation in the bowling challenge, $200 will be given to them as a reward. “Derrick Martin donates a lot to this school – not just the athletic department – and it’s good they’re giving back to the community,” said Athletic Director Lani Nobles.

Martin’s flyer for the free football clinic states: “…whether you are an experienced player or just starting football, this NON-CONTACT clinic is an experience you will never forget.  During the clinic, the NFL players will teach you the same offensive and defensive techniques they are taught in the pros.  You will definitely leave a better player than when you came.  It’s FREE and enrollment is limited to the first 150 participants, so register today!”  Furthermore, it states that the cheer clinic, “…concentrates on basic cheer-leading skills including jumps, motions, and tumbling.  No previous cheer-leading experience is necessary.  It’s FREE and enrollment is limited to the first 50 participants, so register today!”

Participants can register online at DerrickMartin.net and if there are any questions, contact Coach Tim Owens. “This is our third year hosting it. They’re trying to get kids to come out and play, which is why it’s only for first through eighth grade kids,” said Owens. The Derrick Martin Youth Sportsfest will be taking place on May 21-22 at Thomas Jefferson High School.

Joe Spartan lookin' fly with his freshly cleaned car. Artwork by Mia Nogueira.

Dirt, mud, and grime are no match for the Class of 2011, who will be hosting a carwash this weekend here at TJ on Saturday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and there will be a $5 charge per car.

Since the next Prom is coming up in just under one year, fundraising is critical at this time. “We had a lot of suggestions for fun fundraisers, and the carwash definitely sounded like a great idea,” said Class of 2011 sponsor, Teacher Amber Wilson, who hopes to make the customers happy by serving hot dogs, hamburgers and sodas while their cars are being scrubbed clean.

Teacher Jon Poole is also a Class of 2011 sponsor, and seems to be extremely excited about the carwash. “I really am excited about this fundraiser. I love to wash cars; it happens to be a hobby of mine. I hope to see clean cars, good fundraising and most importantly fun, because there’s no FUNdraising without the fun,” said Poole. “Oh and donations are welcome. (You should bold that),” he said.

Don’t forget Spartans: TJ Carwash this Saturday in the TJ parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it only costs $5 dollars!