ThunderRidge Weekly Update

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season with their family and loved ones! It's great to have our staff and students back in the building. I look forward to a great second semester, and honoring the Class of 2025 in May.

Senior parents - graduation is scheduled for May 16th at 6:00pm at the University of Denver. The next few months are going to go by quickly, and there is a lot going on. Please be sure to check the Seniors 2025 webpage regularly for important updates and information.

Qualified Juniors or Seniors may now submit an application for the ThunderRidge Principal's Pass. Approval will exempt these students from attending Grizzly Hour on Thursdays for the 2nd semester, as long as all requirements are upheld. Please click here for more information about the Principal's Pass and the application process. The application must be printed, filled out, and returned to the Main Office by the end of the school day next Thursday, January 16, 2025.

Hope you all have a great weekend,

Sean Patterson

Principal, ThunderRidge High School

January 14: 8th Grade Registration

January 14: 8th Grade Parent Information Night - 5:30pm - Auditorium

January 15: 8th Grade Registration Workshops - 4:00pm-6:00pm - Library

January 16-18: Winter Play - Murder's in the Heir - 7:00pm - Auditorium

January 17: Professional Development Day - NO STUDENTS

January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL

January 24: Registration for 25-26 School Year Closes

February 13 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - more information to come

February 13 - Senior Parent Information Night - more information to come

February 14 - Professional Development Day - NO STUDENTS
February 20 - Grizzly Path - Find your calling: Post High School Info Night - 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Monday - Blue Day

Tuesday - Green Day

Wednesday - Blue Day

Thursday - Green Day

Friday - Professional Development Day - NO STUDENTS

ThunderRidge High School is thrilled to officially welcome Jay, Shalene, and the Madden family to Grizzly Nation. Jay Madden, one of the most successful football coaches in Colorado, brings an exceptional record of achievement and a wealth of experience to our athletics program.

With an impressive career record of 239-100, Jay has been recognized as Colorado Coach of the Year three times and League Coach of the Year eleven times. His leadership has guided teams to 22 playoff appearances, demonstrating his consistent ability to lead teams to success at the highest levels.

Career Achievements:

• 5A State Champions: 2017
• 5A State Runners Up: 2009, 2015, 2016
• 5A Semi-Finals: 2011, 2019, 2020
• 5A Quarter Finals: 2003, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018

Awards:

• Colorado Coach of the Year: 2009, 2016, 2017
• League Coach of the Year: 1997, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2023

We are excited to see the positive impact Jay will have on our athletics program and are confident that under his leadership, ThunderRidge High School football will continue to thrive and return to our tradition of sustained success. Please join us in welcoming the Madden family to our community.

Contact:
ThunderRidge High School Athletics
Mr. Josh Stephenson, Athletic Director

303.387.2018

Click the image above to keep up with all ThunderRidge Athletics information.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook @ThunderRidge Athletics.

Almost every character in this hilarious mystery has the weapon, opportunity, and motive to commit the unseen murder. And it’s up to you to decide who actually did it!

Simon's lawyer, Lois van Zandt, reveals that he has bequeathed vast fortunes to his befuddled niece Fiona, her playboy son Jordan, his great-niece Paula and his grandson Simon III, as well as to his many servants. Then Lois delivers the news that within hours his will becomes invalid. Of course, the rejected heirs are not pleased, and Simon is discovered murdered. Simon III is determined to find his grandfather’s killer, with the help of detective Michelle Davis. At intermission, the audience votes and determines the killer!

Thurs-Sat, Jan. 16-18th at 7pm

Purchase tickets online

Adult $13.00 // Senior or Military $12.00 // Student $11.00

The Sophomore Leadership Team is excited to announce that Grizzly Gives Week will take place this year from March 3rd to March 11th! We’ve got an amazing lineup of events and activities, all aimed at making a positive impact.

Over the years, through our partnership with Caruso Family Charities, ThunderRidge has supported many families who are caring for a seriously ill child. The funds we raise go directly to the Caruso Family Charities to help cover essential needs like medical bills, rent/mortgage, food, and transportation, as well as support for other siblings in these families. These siblings often face unique challenges, as they have to pause much of their own lives to support their family. Caruso Family Charities works hard to ensure that these siblings also receive special attention, offering opportunities like sports, music lessons, play rehearsals, and more to keep them engaged and supported.

To help us reach our fundraising goal, we’re offering a Grizzly Gives Bundle for just $30! The bundle includes a t-shirt and activity band, along with access to all of our exciting events, including 3v3 Basketball, Bingo Night, Sadie’s Dance, and much more! The sale ends on January 29th, and shirts/activity bands will be available for pickup in February.

Order Bundle Here

For more information or if you have any questions, feel free to contact Thomas Sullivan at tmsullivan@dcsdk12.org.

Thank you for your support! Let’s make this Grizzly Gives Week the best one yet!

Do you know someone who is interested in attending ThunderRidge High School for the 2025-2026 school year? The second round of open enrollment for DCSD opens January 22nd at 8:00am. Visit the DCSD website to apply.

Please reach out to Tiffany Klenke, Registrar, at tklenke@dcsdk12.org with any questions.

Juniors and Seniors - a limited number of parking permits are available for purchase on a first come, first serve basis through January 31, 2025. If you will be getting your driver's license at any time during the spring semester, now is the time to purchase your permit.

To purchase, scan the QR code, or visit myschoolbucks to complete the application and pay. Permits can be picked up at the upper security kiosk 48 hours after purchase.

If you purchased a permit at the beginning of the school year, you do NOT need to purchase one now. This is for those that did not purchase one at the beginning of the year.

ThunderRidge High School is issuing a call for judges to assess seniors regarding their Oral Presentation, Portfolio Presentation, and Product Review of their Senior Project on Friday, April 11, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

The Senior Board will listen and evaluate students presenting their Senior Projects. This will be a positive and fun learning experience where you will see our students at their very best. All community members are invited to assist in this project as the seniors prepare for their time to shine.

Training and lunch will be provided on Senior Board Day.

Senior Boards Volunteer Sign-Up

The table below highlights where students should be in the Senior Project process. If they are struggling or confused about any of these components, please have them reach out to their English or Advisement teachers. In order to manage your time, aim to be done, or close to being done, with your project by the end of Spring Break.

The deadline to purchase a Senior Advertisement has been extended! The absolute last day that we can accept submissions is Friday, January 24th, so please submit your advertisement before that deadline.

Information on how to purchase an advertisement can be found at the link below:

TRHS-Yearbook-Seniors Page

Please contact the Yearbook Adviser, Sarah Schneider, at sluebking@dcsdk12.org if you have any questions.

If you want to ensure your student gets a yearbook for the 24-25 school year, please place your order in MySchoolBucks by January 15th. The cost is $80.

There will be a very limited supply for sale on a first come first serve basis at a higher price of $85 during distribution in May.

We’re so happy to see our students and are ready for a wonderful spring semester! These first few days back, Counselors saw 135 students for help with academic planning, social emotional support, and post secondary planning.

ASCENT program

Check out this opportunity for families to explore the ASCENT/TREP programs, which allows students to attend college tuition-free. Attendees will also receive important information on eligibility requirements and application timelines.

What: Learn About the ASCENT/TREP Programs

When: 6:30 p.m. on January 21st

Where: Legend High School, 22219 Hilltop Road, Parker, CO 80138

How: Attend this session and connect with your high school counselor to learn more!

TRHS Career Exploration series continues!

This series provides students the chance to hear about careers in a broad variety of industries around our area. Every Tuesday we host a different career speaker who shares with us about their job, their career journey, the skills and interests needed, and much more. Click here to sign up!

Jan.14, 10:20am - 10:55am: Colt Busch - Marketing & Events Specialist for Air Methods

Jan. 21, 10:20am-10:55am: Renee Pawloski - Interior Design/Color Analyst for Color Savvy Studio

Jan. 28, 10:20am-10:55am: Evelyn Peterson, ASCENT/TREP Program - opportunity to earn a full year of college tuition paid

Start the New Year off with good attendance!

Starting the year with good attendance builds strong habits, ensures you stay on track with lessons, and fosters better relationships with teachers and peers. Consistent attendance improves academic performance, boosts confidence, and sets the foundation for long-term success in school and future goals.

Begin your New Year mindfully

Mindfulness helps you focus on the present, manage stress, and set clear intentions for the new year. By practicing mindfulness, you improve self-awareness, emotional regulation, and decision-making. This creates a positive mindset, enhances productivity, and builds resilience, helping you approach challenges and goals with clarity and confidence. Check out this article for tips on how to incorporate mindfulness into your life this year.

Welcome back to ThunderRidge in the New Year, and Happy 2025 to all of you. Before the break, we sent out a message about celebrating all of your travels, and we in the IB department wanted to reiterate those sentiments now that we have returned. Please see the message below from before the break, and consider sending us your awesome holiday pictures from wherever you traveled this December!!

While many of our Grizzlies will spend time close to home this holiday season we know that many others will travel and see the world. With that in mind, we in the IB world want to know about your exciting global travels over break. So when we come back next semester please send your favorite holiday travel photos with a small caption to trhsib11@dcsdk12.org to be showcased in this weekly newsletter. We know the TRHS community goes to a lot of amazing places, and this opportunity gives us a chance to show off all those amazing people and amazing places!!

Freshmen learned about the practice of designing vision boards. Students were asked to reflect on five personal and academic goals to focus on this semester and to create a vision board as a visual support. -Mr. Cohen

Students reviewed the 2nd-semester timeline of due dates for the Sophomore Project. They should have finished attempting to meet their goal by next week in order to move forward with writing their final report and creating a product that they will present in April. Their final report for the Sophomore project will be due on Tuesday, April 1st. Their final product will be presented April 22nd. - Mrs. Brant

Counseling presented to seniors regarding grit and perseverance.

Reminder: Mentor Agreement Forms were due at the beginning of December. If your student has not submitted this form, they need to do so as soon as possible. - Ms. Vande Vusse

We are looking for 2 volunteers to help with childcare during each PTO/SAC meeting for the 2024-2025 school year at Eldorado Elementary. Meetings run from 6:00-8:30pm. Volunteers arrive 10-15 minutes early (5:45pm) to get set up (you will have access to PE equipment). Please sign up for any/all slots that you are available to help!

Please bring any volunteer forms needing to be completed and we will get those filled out at the end of the night. Please email Sarah Demers at secretary.pto.eldorado@gmail.com with any questions.

Sign up here

Students receive a Pass (P) or Fail (F) grade for Advisement based on 30% completion of work AND 70% attendance.

This class is a Pass (P) or Fail (F) class based on 70% attendance.

This class is a Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) grade based on 70% attendance.

Principal: Sean Patterson

Mission Statement:

Empowering Grizzlies through curiosity, compassion, courage, community and service.

Website: trhs.dcsdk12.org

Location: 1991 West Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
Phone: 303.387.2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRHSGrizzlies?mibextid+LQQJ4d
X (formerly Twitter): @TRidgeGrizzlies