October 12, 2026
SCHOOL NEWS
FALL SUPER TESTING DAY IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH On Thursday, October 15, all 10th & 11th grade JA Secondary students will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT exam. The PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is a standardized practice test that measures college and career readiness and serves as the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship Program. The PSAT/NMSQT is a different exam from the SAT 11 and PSAT 10 that students will be taking in April.
Testing will begin promptly at 8:30 am and will conclude at approximately 11:15 am.
THERE WILL BE NO SCHOOL FOR 7, 8, 9 & 12 GRADE STUDENTS.
10TH & 11TH GRADE STUDENTS WILL BE RELEASED AT THE COMPLETION OF THE EXAM.
FALL PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, October 15th. If you have concerns about your student that can be addressed in a quick conference, please make plans to attend the open house hours from 3:30pm to 5:30pm or 6:15pm to 7:30pm. If your student is doing well and you have no concerns, we encourage you to spend an evening celebrating their success. If you have concerns that will take longer to discuss, please contact the teacher to set-up an appointment for Friday, October 16th. We designate this full day for pre-arranged invite only conferences for both our Junior High and High Students so please reach out to the individual teachers to schedule this time. Many of our Junior High Conferences have already been pre-arranged and Invitations will be emailed out by Ms. Adams or individual teachers
One of JA's fantastic traditions is providing dinner for the staff during Parent/Teacher Conferences. Donations help Boosters put together a really nice dinner break in the midst of a long day. Donations are accepted via CheddarUp at: Parent Teacher Conferences Donations or drop off an envelope in the office indicating "Parent Teacher Conference Staff Dinner."
AMERICAN EXCHANGE PROJECT FOR GRADUATING SENIORS: Calling all Jefferson Academy seniors and families: An unforgettable FREE exchange trip is returning THIS SUMMER to Broomfield. With American Exchange Project (@americanexchangeproject), graduating seniors embark on two fully-funded weeks of adventure: One week discovering an American town completely different from Broomfield. One week rediscovering Colorado while welcoming students from across America. All interested students should attend an information meeting Tuesday, October 13 at 11:35 in room 141. There will be pizza.
HONOR ROLL IS COMING JA Secondary will be holding our Honor Roll Ceremony to honor students academic achievements from the Spring Semester of the 2025-2026 school year (current grades 8-11). The ceremony will be held in the main gym on Tuesday,October 20th from 8:30 am to approximately 9:45 am. Parents are welcome to attend! Please arrive early so that you can check-in at the main office to receive a visitor badge. Students who earned a 3.5 or above last semester will be honored. Parents and students can find this personal information out in the Parent Portal in Infinite Campus under the reports tab.
DC/NY 2028 8TH GRADE EDUCATIONAL TRIP- FOR CURRENT 7TH GRADERS If you were unable to attend the DC/NY 2028 meeting, there is still space available. You can sign up via this link: DC/NY 2028. Enroll by Friday, October 16, 2026 with a $95 deposit to lock in your price. Please email Mrs. Porreco at mporreco@jajags.com with any questions. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity.
FEE STATEMENTS Now that the first quarter has almost wrapped up, fee statements will be going out. You can pay fees through Infinite Campus and use this guide if you are not able to find them. (Finding My Fees). If you have any questions about fees, contact Craig Melville at cmelville@jajags.com.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
COLLEGE VISITS - Each year, JA welcomes a variety of colleges and other post-graduation opportunities to campus. These visits are a great chance for our students to hear what different programs have to offer, learn about college admissions, and ask any questions they may have. First semester’s college visits are open to juniors and seniors only.
Upcoming College Visits @ JA: Registration is encouraged to ensure we have enough seats, but it is not required. Registration links were sent to students.
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, Wednesday, October 21, 2026 in the Library at 8:45 am.
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, Thursday October 22, 2026 in the Library at 1:15 pm.
College Fair: NACAC National College Fair in Denver, Saturday October 17, Colorado Convention Center, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Visit the website for more information: https://www.nacacattend.org/26denver
FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION NIGHT - Wednesday, October 20th, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Senior families do you have questions about the financial aid process? Please join us on Wednesday, October 20th, via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent to seniors via their email. Lesa Briggs, a financial aid educator, will lead a financial aid/FAFSA presentation and will be able to assist with any questions you may have. This event is for families and students in the Class of 2027 only.
TEACHER OFFICE HOURS - October tends to be a student slump. If you are interested in your student attending extra help time with teachers, please refer to the Teacher Office Hours, also located on the secondary.jajags.com website under Resources.
ATHLETICS
CLIMBING CLUB/TEAM Climbing practices will begin November 2 at The Spot in Louisville. Please contact coaches with questions if you cannot attend. gbilinski@jajags.com or rmellott@jajags.com
CONCESSION STAND SIGN-UPS WANTED CONCESSION STAND SIGN-UPS WANTED We are looking for volunteers to run the Outdoor Concession Stand for boys soccer. The shifts will be shorter than normal (just one game) and we'll make arrangements for "on the job" training. Sign up here: Concession Volunteer Sign Up
JH 2ND QUARTER BASKETBALL REGISTRATION If your junior high son has JH basketball listed on their 2nd quarter schedule, you must register him in order for him to play. Registrations can be submitted here. A current physical (within the last 365 days) must be submitted along with the registration. The first practice will be on October 20th during D block.
JH GIRLS SOCCER TRYOUTS All 7th and 8th grade girls are invited to try out for the JA 4th quarter competitive soccer team! Mandatory Form
Mandatory Tryout Details:
WHEN: Monday, October 12 @ 3:30- 5:00 PM
WHERE: JA Secondary Soccer Field
NOTE: This is the ONLY tryout date
In the event of inclement weather, tryouts will be rescheduled
JH GIRLS BASKETBALL TRYOUTS All 7th and 8th grade girls are invited to try out for the JA 3rd quarter basketball. Mandatory Form
Mandatory Tryout Details:
WHEN: Thursday, November 5th and Friday November 6th; 3:45-5:00pm
WHERE: JA Auxiliary Gym
JAGUAR ATHLETIC UPDATE:
Our High School and Junior High teams are having a great fall season, and I’m incredibly proud of our coaches and student-athletes for their effort, commitment, and hard work. Thank you to our families for your continued support, and to our athletic volunteers who give their time to help our teams and events. Your support truly makes a difference.
Within The Game- Podcast: This school year, we launched Within the Game: Building People Through Athletics, our Jefferson Academy Athletics podcast. Our inaugural episode featured Principal Jeff Pierson discussing leadership, why athletics matters, and game-day safety. This month, we’re joined by Athletic Trainer Jake Diers for Taking Care of the Athlete, exploring injury prevention, recovery, communication, and the importance of taking care of yourself. We invite you to listen to the episodes and join us next month for Building the Culture, focused on what it takes to create a strong team and athletic program.
Thank you for being part of Jaguar Athletics and for continuing to support our student-athletes.
Taking Care of the Athlete: With Jake Diers- Ep. 3
Taking Care of The Athlete -Click on the taking care of the athlete and a link will come up.
Why Athletics Matter: Principal Pierson- Ep. 1
Why Athletics Matter -Click on the Why Athletic Matter and a link will come up.
Game Day Safety: Principal Pierson- Ep. 2