January 27, 2025 Family Newsletter
Calendar for the week
SCHOOL NEWS:
John Irwin Award
We’re excited to share that Jefferson Academy High School has once again earned the prestigious Colorado John Irwin Schools of Excellence Award. The award is given to schools that demonstrate exceptional academic achievement over time and is named for a true friend and visionary of education, former Colorado State Representative, John J. Irwin. Determination is measured by schools who exceed expectations on the Colorado Department of Education's (CDE) Academic Achievement indicator of the School Performance Framework. This past month CDE announced that Jefferson Academy High School received the John Irwin Award for the previous school year. A true testament to the hard work of all our students.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES:
Concurrent Enrollment
There are two mandatory meetings in the upcoming weeks for students interested in becoming a Concurrent Enrollment (CE) student and taking college courses for the first time. This includes current 8th, 9th, 10th, or 11th grade students who have never taken a CE/college course. Current CE students, hold tight. Information about next year will be emailed in February.
A concurrent enrollment student is a 9th-12th grade student enrolled at JA and our partner institution of higher education, Front Range Community College. If the requirements of the program are met, JA will pay the tuition portion of those college courses. Students are responsible for fees and books, including technology costs. Specific criteria to qualify for Concurrent Enrollment courses will be reviewed in detail at the meetings. Qualifications include being academically ready (all A’s and B’s), having high social maturity, strong attendance, and a desire to work hard.
Meeting Information: You must attend both meetings and qualify to take college courses.
JA Meeting on Monday, February 3, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, via Zoom. This meeting will include specific JA information including qualifications and policies. Students and a parent/guardian are required to attend. I will send the Zoom link to student emails during the school day on February 3.
FRCC Information Session on Tuesday, February 11, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm, via Zoom. This meeting will focus on FRCC processes, information, and policies. Only students who attend the mandatory meeting on February 3rd will be sent the Zoom link for this meeting. Students and a parent/guardian are required to attend.
This annual process will be your only opportunity to take college courses for the 2025 - 2026 academic year. Any questions can be directed to Angela LeValley, Post-Secondary Advisor, alevalley@jajags.com. Concurrent Enrollment is a student led process. Students should be initiating the outreach. These are college courses and students will be treated accordingly.
Course Selection
We are starting to plan for the 2025-2026 school year. On Wednesday, students will be completing a survey in A block classes to select elective interests and nominate themselves for Honors and/or AP classes. Students have already received an email with a resource sheet to preview prior to the survey. Student responses drive the courses that will be offered next year. We encourage students to choose elective classes that they did not take this year.
ACTIVITIES:
Winter Formal/Spirit Week
This year's winter formal is on Saturday, February 1st, from 8:00pm - 11:00pm in the Auditorium. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the event.
MONDAY: Pajama Day
TUESDAY: Duo Day
WEDNESDAY: Whiteout/White Lie
THURSDAY: College Day
FRIDAY: Bikers vs. Surfers
AI and Humanities Initiative by Stanford Alumni
Inspirit AI is a 25-hour pre-college program that introduces students in grades 6 to 12 to fundamental artificial intelligence tools to create impactful projects across different domains. Students join a small-group capstone course taught by Stanford, MIT, and Ivy League grad students and build AI-powered projects such as AI-powered legal assistants and mental health chatbots. Applications for summer are due February 1st.
2nd Semester Fees
With the new semester, please be sure to check your accounts for any fees. If you don’t remember where to find them or if you are not seeing any fees, be sure to follow the directions on the Fee Paying Guide for any updates.
Last Call for Yearbooks!
The printing presses are firing up! To make sure enough yearbooks are printed, order your yearbook by JANUARY 31st. Don't miss out on keeping the memories alive!
Buy your yearbook here: High School, Junior High School
Not sure if you bought a yearbook? Email the appropriate staff: hsyearbook@jajags.com, jhyearbook@jajags.com
Boosters Update
Next in-person meeting: Monday, February 10th at 6:00pm in the Secondary Library
Don't forget, there are multiple positions opening this June: President, Treasurer, Secretary, and After-Prom Coordinator
Learn more about Boosters and how they support our school community: Boosters Website
Contact: boosters@jajags.com
After-Prom Volunteers Needed
Are we really talking about Prom in January? Yes we are! Boosters is looking for a few parent volunteers to help organize this year’s After-Prom event. This is a great way to get your volunteer hours in and help out with a safe, supervised event for our students.
What is After-Prom? The event is a required activity for all students who attend Prom. There is no extra cost for this event as it is included in your student’s Prom ticket. In the past, activities have included bowling, mini-golf, laser tag, and arcade games.
Who are we looking for? For this year’s event, we are looking for interested Sophomore and Junior parents.
What will I be doing? Interested parents will coordinate with the venue once the contract has been signed, recruit volunteers, and then work the event (check in guests and supervise).
Interested parents can inquire at boosters@jajags.com
ATHLETICS:
Online Ticket Sales for Home Games
For any and all home athletic events going forward, we will no longer accept cash or credit cards at the door. You must have a ticket on your phone or printed to enter. Metro passes and CHSAA passes will still be accepted. Students must have an activity pass sticker on their school ID in order to get in or they will be required to purchase a ticket. We will no longer have a list of students' names at the gate. Please encourage your student to stop by the office to get their sticker if they haven’t already done so. You can purchase your tickets here.
Concession Stand Volunteers Needed
Volunteer to run the Indoor Concessions Stand for the Boys and Girls Basketball Season! Stay warm and work as a team with your club, sport or activity. Concessions can be run by High School and Middle School programs. Half of what you collect when you volunteer goes directly back to your club, sport or activity.
Sign up here!
COACHES AND ADMINISTRATORS - This is a great way to get some parents and students involved in fundraising. It also doesn't require many people or you can rotate people in for longer shifts. Contact Lucy at lucyzugs@gmail.com to get trained or if you have questions.
IMPORTANT LINKS: