Thomas Jefferson High School (Federal Way, Washington)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Jefferson High School is located in Auburn, Washington
. It is the largest enrolled High School
in the district and one of the largest in the State of Washington. The school is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools
, which means that the staff has adopted ten principles that are believed to be crucial to all students achieving at their highest level. The schools that feed into Jefferson are Kilo Middle School and Totem Middle School. Thomas Jefferson also has one of the best emergency preparedness drills in the state; each October the Emergency Response Club sponsors a Mass Casualty Incident Drill that simulates a shallow 7.2 magnitude earthquake and simulates trapping over 35 students and staff members in 12 separate buildings.
program have dual enrollment at either Highline Community College
or Green River Community College
. Students may attend classes at either college or both, and can attend classes either full time or part time. Students must provide their own transportation, unless they are disabled and their Individual Education Plan requires the school district to provide it.
titles as well placing in the Top 10 in national Mu Alpha Theta conventions for the last 14 years. Many students have won individual championships at Mu Alpha Theta.Thomas Jefferson has hosted the Washington state Mu Alpha Theta contest since 2005.
Thomas Jefferson enjoys good athletic results in all sports, finishing 4th in 2008-2009 and 3rd in 2009-2010, for the SPSL all sports trophy, given to the school with the most success through each sport put together.
TJ also has some of the top mathletes in the state.
Auburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
. It is the largest enrolled High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the district and one of the largest in the State of Washington. The school is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools
Coalition of Essential Schools
The Coalition of Essential Schools is an organization created to further a type of whole-school reform originally envisioned by founder Ted Sizer in his book, Horace's Compromise. CES began in 1984 with twelve schools; it currently has 600 formal members.-Horace's Compromise:Horace's Compromise...
, which means that the staff has adopted ten principles that are believed to be crucial to all students achieving at their highest level. The schools that feed into Jefferson are Kilo Middle School and Totem Middle School. Thomas Jefferson also has one of the best emergency preparedness drills in the state; each October the Emergency Response Club sponsors a Mass Casualty Incident Drill that simulates a shallow 7.2 magnitude earthquake and simulates trapping over 35 students and staff members in 12 separate buildings.
Raiderlinks
TJ’s Raiderlinks laptop program continues to build on its reputation as a 1997 Computer World Smithsonian Award for Excellence winner. Raiderlinks is a rigorous, interdisciplinary program that prepares students for their preferred career path. Raiderlinks is aligned with the Washington Assessment for Student Learning (WASL) and Federal Way Public Schools’ literacy goals. Recent graduates have gained entrance to prestigious universities, art schools, community colleges, and technical schools and have been hired by corporations. Raiderlinks is committed to the concept of personalizing one's education and developing a rich learning community that represents the diversity of our nation and community.International Baccalaureate(IB)
The International Baccalaureate Program, a two-year program that requires students to challenge themselves at a high academic level, is an option for all students. The program can be a full-diploma choice or an option for earning certificates in specific subjects in which a student wishes to excel. The assessments are sent to external assessors, assuring that student work conforms to “world-class” standards. Thomas Jefferson High School also offers an honor program called Pre-IB which is a demanding program that prepares students for the International Baccalaureate program.CAPP
The Construction Apprenticeship Preparation Program (CAPP) is an integrated 4-year program for students interested in careers and apprenticeships in the construction industry. Construction, Language Arts and Math instructors team to take students through the four-year curriculum. Free college credit is available to enrolled students.Running Start
Students wishing to participate in the Running StartRunning Start
The Running Start program in Washington state allows high school juniors and seniors to attend college courses numbered 100 or above, tuition-free, while completing high school. It is similar to dual enrollment programs common at public and private colleges and universities in other states...
program have dual enrollment at either Highline Community College
Highline Community College
Highline Community College is a junior college located in Des Moines, Washington, south of Seattle, Washington. Highline was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County. The main campus is located on of hilltop land that overlook Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains to the west...
or Green River Community College
Green River Community College
Green River Community College is a community college located in Auburn, Washington, USA. It has a student body of approximately 10,000.-History:...
. Students may attend classes at either college or both, and can attend classes either full time or part time. Students must provide their own transportation, unless they are disabled and their Individual Education Plan requires the school district to provide it.
Puget Sound Skills Center
Students can get vocational training at the Puget Sound Skills Center, formerly known as Sea-Tac Occupational Skills Center.Math Team
Since 1993, the Thomas Jefferson "Mathletes" have won many state Mu Alpha ThetaMu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
titles as well placing in the Top 10 in national Mu Alpha Theta conventions for the last 14 years. Many students have won individual championships at Mu Alpha Theta.Thomas Jefferson has hosted the Washington state Mu Alpha Theta contest since 2005.
Scheduling
Thomas Jefferson High School has an innovative modified six-period daily schedule that allows for more personalization, greater access to electives, and extended instructional time. In each five day week, two days allow equal time for all six classes. On the remaining three days, two classes are not in session to allow the other four greater time. On these days, the schedule is rotated so each class provides the same amount of time each week.Athletics
TJ, a member of the South Puget Sound League (SPSL), won the WIAA Washington State Boys High School Soccer Championship 7 times (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1994 and 2005). More than any school in the history of the state.Thomas Jefferson enjoys good athletic results in all sports, finishing 4th in 2008-2009 and 3rd in 2009-2010, for the SPSL all sports trophy, given to the school with the most success through each sport put together.
TJ also has some of the top mathletes in the state.
Notable alumni
- Bryan PittmanBryan PittmanBryan Pittman is a free agent American football long snapper in the National Football League. He was signed by the Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
- plays for the Houston TexansHouston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL. - James SunJames SunJames Sun is an entrepreneur, television host, and public speaker. He is the CEO and Founder of GeoPage.com. He was the host of a BBC television program called "Sun Tzu War on Business".-Early life:...
- president of Zoodango, Donald Trump's show The ApprenticeThe Apprentice (U.S. TV series)The Apprentice is an American reality television show hosted by real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump, created by Mark Burnett and broadcast on NBC...
participant. - {Shermake Ibrahim- Former NBA player for Toronto Raptors 2009-2011 ( William and Penn University}
- Josie BissettJosie BissettJosie Bissett is the stage name of Jolyn Christine Heutmaker , an American actress best known for her role as Jane Mancini on the television series Melrose Place.-Early life :...
- Actress, most notably in Melrose Place. Dropped out as a Junior. - Kenny MayneKenny MayneKenneth "Kenny" Wheelock Mayne is a sports journalist and comedian for ESPN.-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA...
- Sports personality, most notably on SportscenterSportsCenterSportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
. - Lamar NeagleLamar NeagleLamar Justin Neagle is an American soccer player who currently plays for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
- Professional soccer player with Seattle Sounders FCSeattle Sounders FCSeattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
in Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. - Wade WebberWade WebberWade Webber is a retired U.S. soccer defender who spent most of his career with clubs in the Pacific Northwest. However, he did see three years in Major League Soccer with the Dallas Burn and Miami Fusion before suffering a career ending knee injury...
- Former professional soccer player with the Portland TimbersPortland Timbers (USL)Portland Timbers was an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 2001, the team played in various leagues at the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, including the USL First Division and the USSF Division 2 Professional League, until the end of...
, Seattle SoundersSeattle Sounders (USL)Seattle Sounders was an American professional soccer team founded in 1994 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League. In 1997, the team became a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid, until 2008, after which the majority of the team's...
and the Dallas Burn and Miami FusionMiami FusionMiami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...
of Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS). He was an IB history teacher at TJ.