ThunderRidge Weekly Update
September 1, 2023
Important Dates
⛔ September 4 - Labor Day/NO School
🎓 September 6 - Senior Project Parent Night - 6:30pm - Auditorium
✏️ September 9 - ACT
📷 September 13 - Picture Retakes
🏫 September 20 - SAC Meeting - 4:30pm - 6:30pm - Post Grad Room
🏫 September 22 - Professional Development Day/NO STUDENTS
🎭 September 28-30 - Fall Play - Details to come
🎉 September 29 - Homecoming Parade - Details to come
Bell Schedule for September 4 - September 8
Monday - LABOR DAY - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday - Green Day with Advisement
Wednesday - Blue Day
Thursday - Green Day with Access
Friday - Blue Day - NO PLC
IMPORTANT : NO PLC ON SEPTEMBER 8th
Due to the 4-day school week, there will NOT be a PLC on Friday, September 8th.
Classes will begin at 7:40am and we will be on a BLUE bell schedule that day.
Student Pick-Up and Drop-Off
Please DO NOT park along the emergency/fire lane next to St. Mark's Catholic church across Foothills Canyon Blvd. This driveway is on private property and is a fire/emergency lane that cannot be blocked or be used as a pick-up/drop-off area for students. Using this restricted area as a pick-up/drop-off point encourages students to cross an extremely busy roadway without a crosswalk and poses a safety hazard for students and drivers on Foothill Canyon Blvd.
To ensure student safety, we ask that you drop off/pick up students in the designated YELLOW areas. Please DO NOT release your student/s from your vehicle in the designated red areas on the map as those areas are for moving traffic. Our goal is to keep students safe and traffic moving. Please be patient with the increased traffic and take a moment to review the traffic flow map below.
Student Attendance
Classroom attendance is imperative to student success and achievement. There are federal laws about attending school as well as district policy. Here is a link to the District website with important information regarding attendance policies.
Dress Code and Cell Phone Policy
TRHS Dress Code Interpretation
STUDENT DRESS (Board Policy JICA) The Board recognizes that responsibility for the dress and appearance of students generally rests with individual students and their parents. Students are encouraged to dress appropriately for all school activities. The following general standards will be in effect:
1. Reasonable cleanliness of wearing apparel is expected as a matter of general health and welfare.
2. To avoid injury and disease, shoes, sandals, or boots must be worn in the buildings.
3. Beach or swimwear and items of clothing intended to be worn while participating in athletics are inappropriate except in the gym and on athletic fields.
Students must follow the dress code as stated above. Items such as a-shirts, crop tops, sports bras, and cut-off t-shirts, must all have a shirt or jacket appropriately worn over the top.
4. Dress that causes or is likely to cause disruption of the educational process is prohibited.
5. Wearing apparel that interferes with or endangers the student while he/she is participating in classroom or other school-sponsored activities is prohibited. The decision as to the safety or unsuitability of the clothing is a matter for the instructor’s or school administrator’s judgment.
This includes but is not limited to clothing that has offensive language, graphics of weapons of any kind, alcohol-related, drug-related, racial slurs, gang affiliation, prevents security cameras from identifying individuals, or is otherwise inappropriate for a professionally casual environment.
6. Pupils must not wear hats or dark glasses in the building without permission from an administrator.
7. Any manner of grooming or apparel, including clothing, jewelry, hats, emblems, and badges, which by virtue of color, arrangement, trademark, or other attribute is associated with or denotes membership in or affiliation with any gang, will not be allowed. The prohibition on gang-related apparel shall be applied at the discretion of building-level administrators after consultation with the superintendent or designee as the need arises at individual schools.
Students may not wear clothing that is or implies any gang affiliation, including extremist and hate groups.
Disciplinary action for violation of any standard will include notification of the violation, the requirement that the clothing be changed before re-entering class, and, at the discretion of the building-level administrator, a parental conference. More severe disciplinary consequences, including suspension or expulsion, may result from repeated or serious violations.
TRHS Cell Phone Policy
TRHS recognizes that cell phones/smartphones can be a highly beneficial part of staying connected and a tool for education. We also recognize that these devices can be highly distracting and detract from the learning environment when not used appropriately. TRHS will implement the following cell phone policy to ensure students learn how to use the technology in a learning environment properly.
CELL PHONES/SMARTPHONES - No phones will be allowed during instructional time unless the teacher states explicitly that it is allowable. Students may use phones during passing periods, lunch, off periods, before and after school, and during unstructured non-classroom time.
If students violate the phone policy while in the classroom, including academic classes, advisement, seminar, and access, the following consequences will be upheld:
1) Reminder/Warning
2) Student will give the phone to the teacher until the end of the class
3) Student will give the phone to the teacher and get it from the front office at the end of the day
4) Student will give the phone to the teacher, and parents will pick it up from the front office at their convenience
Students who use a phone as a medical device will need to provide a note from a doctor and be allowed to use it for the specific medical purpose stated in the note.
MLO/Bond
The DCSD Board of Education voted unanimously to place a $66M Mill Levy Override and $484M Bond on the November 2023 ballot. All seven Board directors expressed their strong support and personal dedication to our students and our staff.
The Board also unanimously adopted a compensation resolution that will automatically trigger if the MLO passes. For school district staff, this means pay increases would happen automatically should the MLO pass (with increases being paid retroactively back to July 1).
To learn more about how additional funding would benefit our schools and our staff, visit www.dcsdk12.org/funding. We also encourage you to read through the MLO/Bond plan.
ThunderRidge Athletics
Click the image to keep up with all ThunderRidge Athletics information!
Senior Project Information Night
If you are a parent or guardian of a senior, you have probably heard of the senior project, but do you really know what it is? This is your opportunity to learn about this cumulative project for all seniors at TRHS. We will provide an overview as well as dates and helpful advice for a successful project at an informational meeting on Wednesday, September 6th at 6:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. If you are unable to attend, the presentation will be on the TRHS website under the Seniors 2024 tab.
If you have any questions, please contact Denise Orsini at Denise.Orsini@dcsdk12.org. We look forward to seeing you there.
Senior Parking Spot Painting
Thank you to all of our seniors who participated in the senior parking spot painting! Here is a sample of some of their work. Proceeds from this fun fundraiser go to DECA.
Student Portraits
Tissues Needed 🤧
Cold season is upon us and the Library is in need of tissue donations.
If you are interested in contributing, please leave your donation at the front security desk labeled 'Library.'
Thank you!
AP and IB Exam Registration Information
Attention all AP and IB Students/Parents,
Exam registration for year-long classes for the 23/24 school year is right around the corner.
Any student NOT interested in taking the exam must communicate this to Ms. Kovack (kkovack@dcsdk12.org) for AP exams or Mrs. Lakeland (trhsib11@dcsdk12.org) for IB exams by Wednesday, November 1st.
If you decide not to test after this deadline, the school is still charged a fee and no refund will be available.
IB Update
This week in the world of IB we wanted to update all of you about ways you can help to support the TRHS IB Programme. We have a connection with King Soopers and their rewards program to help support all of the amazing things IB. If you are interested in helping with this please see the instructions below. This will not cost you a thing and helps out the world of ThunderRidge IB with every dollar you are already spending at King Soopers.
Help us raise money to support the IB Programme at TRHS through King Soopers!
Register the loyalty card that you already use, linked to your phone number.
To sign up simply visit www.kingsoopers.com
Log into your account and go to the side bar menu
Click on Rewards then Community Rewards
Enter Code JS581 or search for: ThunderRidge Grizzly Bear Backer Club--IB Connect
Thank you for your support!
This Week in Advisement
Freshmen
Sophomores
Juniors
Temet Nosce. What does that mean, and why are they learning Latin in Advisement? The answer: “Know Thyself,” and students are seeing how their personality connects to the world of work. Over the school year, juniors will be learning about their personality, interests, values, and skills. Then connecting them to potential career paths. So, do you “Temet Nosce”?
Seniors
Community Events and Fundraisers
Support the Amazing TR Marching Band
Panda Express - September 2nd - 10:30am-9:00pm
Board & Brush - October 25th - 6:00pm-9:00pm
Community Service Opportunities
Grizzly Football Varsity Home Game Volunteers
Please click this Sign Up Genius Link to volunteer to help with concessions, spirit wear sales, and senior banners for our Varsity Home games.
Contact Information is on the Sign Up Genius Link and you can reach out to Tiffany Fisher.
2023 Roxborough Music Festival
Please sign-up here to volunteer on Friday, September 8th or Saturday, September 9th at the Annual Roxborough Music Festival. Multiple volunteer slots are available for a variety of activities.
A 2-3 hour commitment is recommended but you may volunteer more. Please let Chad Bergman know if you have any questions. 303-875-2240, chad.bergman@movement.com.
Teen Reading Buddy
The Highlands Ranch Library is now accepting applications to become a Teen Reading Buddy. Our Reading Buddies program pairs a trained teen volunteer with a current 1st through 3rd grade child who is having challenges with reading. The program also helps teens develop teaching and leadership roles.
Teams meet weekly at the library on either Tuesday or Thursday, 3:45 - 5:15. The fall session will run October 3 - December 7.
Apply now at https://dcl.org/volunteer/. Applications are due September 1.
For questions, please email hireadingbuddies@dclibraries.org, call 303-791-READ, or stop by a branch and talk to any of their friendly staff members!
23-24 PTO/SAC Meeting Childcare for Coyote Creek Elementary
Sign up to help with childcare to school-age children during Coyote Creek's PTO and SAC meetings.
The PTO meetings are monthly from 6-7pm, so on those days the volunteer time slot is 5:45-7:15. During some months the SAC meeting will follow the PTO meeting from 7-8pm. On those days the volunteer time slot is 5:45-8:15.
23-24 PTO/SAC Meeting Childcare for Eldorado Elementary
Sign-up here to help with childcare for school-age children during Eldorado Elementary's PTO and SAC meetings for the 2023-2024 school year. Meetings will be held 8/21/2023, 10/2/2023, 11/13/2023, 2/12/2024, 3/25/2024 and 5/13/2024. Volunteer time slot is from 5:45pm - 8:30pm. Bring volunteer forms to be signed at the end of the meeting.
Information for the Class of 2024
Click the bar above for the TRHS Seniors 2024 Webpage.
Senior Photo Information
Senior photo upload is now available - school code 7751. Click here for more information.
ThunderRidge is proud to offer a wide variety of clubs and activities!
Click the bar above for a full list including times, days and locations.
Service Animal in the Building
We will have a certified service animal in our school helping one of our students/staff members as a form of an accommodation. The handler of the service animal is protected under the American Disabilities Act and has the right to be accompanied by the animal.
Please refrain from petting and touching the animal, since it has to fulfill a certain task for its owner. Thank you for your understanding and support. Should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact the school administration.
About Us
Principal Sean Patterson
Mission Statement:
Empowering Grizzlies through curiousity, compassion, courage, community and service.
#AlwaysAGrizzly
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
Twitter: @TRidgeGrizzlies
American Furniture Warehouse Back to School Rally - Better Your Home, Better Your School
Mention ThunderRidge at check-out and a percentage of your purchase will be donated back to the school! Purchases count any time of the year.