Dear TJHSST Families,
We've made it to the end of the school year; only three days left to go! I have been able to sense the excitement from students (and staff) looking forward to the upcoming break.
It's been quite an adventure as we complete our 40th year as a STEM magnet school. From the All-Class celebration in the fall, to learning what "snowcrete" was in the winter, to adding another 518 alumni to our ranks in the spring, there are plenty of stories to tell.
This week we have several important end of year updates to share. We also want to celebrate our staff who are retiring at the end of the school year, or reaching important service year related milestones with FCPS.
This is the final weekly edition of the Jefferson Journal for the 2026-27 school year. I will have occasional updates during the summer as information warrants, but I do not have a set schedule for those newsletters. We will pick up with weekly updates in mid-August.
It is a three day week next week to finish the school year. We will finish final exams with half days on Monday and Tuesday, and have a two-hour day on Wednesday. Here are the bell schedules:
Monday, June 15 – Final Exams Periods 5 and 6
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Period 5 - 8:40 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.
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Break - 10:10 a.m. - 10:25 a.m.
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Period 6 - 10:25 a.m. - 11:55 a.m.
Tuesday, June 16 – Final Exams Period 7 and Makeups
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Period 7 - 8:40 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.
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Break - 10:10 a.m. - 10:25 a.m.
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Advisory - 10:25 a.m. - 11:55 a.m.
- Those with makeup exams will be given instructions on where to take them.
Wednesday, June 17 – 2-hour day (Release at 10:40 a.m. - note the 5-minute passing times)
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Period 1 - 8:40 - 8:50
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Period 2 - 8:55 - 9:05
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Period 3 - 9:10 - 9:20
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Period 4 - 9:25 - 9:35
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Break - 9:35 - 10:00
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Period 5 - 10:00 - 10:10
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Period 6 - 10:15 - 10:25
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Period 7 - 10:30 - 10:40
Reminder that attendance during all school days is expected whether a student has a final exam or not.
As the year comes to an end, we'd like to recognize the following staff members for reaching these years of service milestones with FCPS. We appreciate all you do for our kids and TJ!
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Years of Service
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Staff Member
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30 Years
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Robin Taylor
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25 Years
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Heather Murphy
Catherine Scott
Dan Tra
Sherwood Williams
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20 Years
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Clinton Behling
Hee Choi
Yaara Crane
Olga Herniquez-Orellana
Suzette Henry
Miriam Lynch
Michael Miller
Melanie Morris
Jonathan Osborne
John Woodwell
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15 Years
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Abdel Hady Ebrahim
Dylan Forshay
Peter Gabor
Mark Hannum
Nicole Kim
Laura Locklear
Ilsa Trigoboff
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10 Years
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Tanya Dirl-Holloway
Maria Guardado
Jennifer James
John Krizel
Olya Rachtchinine
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5 Years
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Matthew Denny
Victoria Guevara
Lisa Hampton
Mi Soon Kim
Frank McNulty
Cathryn Schoeppner
Linda Spencer
Selma Yilmaz
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We would like to recognize six teachers and one counselor who are retiring at the conclusion of the school year.
Marion Billington - Computer Science
Sean Burke - Counselor
Dr. Denise Castaldo - English
Dr. Alouf Jirari Scavotto - Mathematics
Nannette Mateo - Spanish
Barry Potoker - Health and Physical Education
Stephen Rose - Computer Science
We thank you for everything you have done for the students and TJ, and wish you all well as you embark on your new adventures!
All medications stored in the school health room must be picked up by June 17, 2026, no later than 11am. Any medication not picked up by that time will be safely disposed of and cannot be returned.
Through June, you will receive your child’s spring assessment results. If you aren’t sure what assessments your child took this year, you can view a list of tests by grade level on the FCPS website.
Most scores are available in SIS ParentVUE. Visit FCPS’ website for additional information about how test results are reported to families.
Websites for each test provide report translations and help with understanding test results. Please contact our front office with any testing questions or for additional information about how our school and teachers use test results to support student success.
Summer office hours begin on June 24. Please note that TJ's main office will be open by appointment only during summer. Appointments can be made between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Under a new Virginia cellphone law (SB108) and the updated FCPS Cellphone Policy, high school students at FCPS will no longer be able to use cellphones and other smart devices during lunch time, starting July 1. This includes watches that serve a dual purpose, such as smart watches, as well as earbuds, headsets, smart glasses, and other items connected to the internet. During the school day, including during lunch time, high school students will have to keep cellphones and other smart devices off and stored in a locker, backpack, pouch, purse, etc. This policy does not apply to school-issued devices. Visit the FCPS Cellphone Policy webpage for more information.
If your student will need to take any medication at school next year—prescription or over-the-counter (OTC)—a completed Medication Authorization Form is required.
You can get the forms:
A signed form is still required even if your child carries their emergency medication (like an inhaler or epinephrine).
If you would like to request a parking pass for the 2026–2027 academic year, please complete the form below. Please note that passes will only be issued to students with clear financial accounts. Outstanding obligations include, but are not limited to, unreturned books, course fees, and prior parking tickets.
For any questions or assistance, please visit Mrs. Fawsett in Alumni Hall (Room 115B).
Parking Pass Form
Free/Reduced Application information and forms for qualified families (Online Submission)
FCPS offers nutritious meals every school day. Your child may qualify for free meals or reduced-price meals at TJHSST. Students who qualify for reduced-price meals receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. For information on how to apply for Free and Reduced-price meals, please visit the link above. The online free and reduced-price meals application is available in 8 languages and can be completed on mobile devices. You will need to re-apply annually.
Consent to Share Form (PDF)
If you have children eligible for the Free and Reduced-price meals program, they may also be eligible to participate in other FCPS fee-based programs without paying a fee or by paying a reduced fee.
This would include things that are specified in FCPS Notice 5922. Those are:
- Musical Instrument fees
- Driver Education fees
- Student Parking fees
- Career and Technical Education Certification fees
- Fine Arts fees
- Technology and Engineering Education Material fees
- Online Campus fees
- Advanced Placement fees (after six exams)
- Returned Check fees
You are also eligible to receive information about scholarships, classes and services that are provided by agencies and organizations other than FCPS.
In order to receive the benefits, you have to fill out the Consent to Share Form (please visit the link above), a written agreement allowing FCPS staff to share information about your children's meal eligibility status.
All Fairfax County middle and high school students can get a Student Bus Pass SmarTrip card to ride the Fairfax Connector and Fairfax CUE buses for free! With the pass, fares are free from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, all year. Learn more about the Student Pass and access the application, which can be returned to the front office.
Children 12 and younger ride for free on the Fairfax Connector with a paying adult.
Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes; on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring; essay editing; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
Is your student experiencing anxiety, behavior changes, or challenges with peer and family relationships? If so, you may refer your child for weekly therapy with a licensed therapist through Hazel Health. Visit the FCPS Teletherapy webpage for information on this service.
The FCPS Summer Learning webpage offers ideas and strategies for families to keep students curious until August. Summer is the perfect time to help your student explore new interests, reinforce concepts, and stay engaged!
Photo Gallery of TJ Class of 2026 Graduation on Instagram
We have 518 new graduates joining the TJ Alumni family as the Class of 2026 became the 38th graduating class of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology last Saturday!
Selected students gave speeches, Principal Mr. Mukai (an alum of the first class of 1989) gave his congratulations, and of course every graduate got to walk across the stage and receive their diploma!
We are so proud of the TJ Class of 2026. Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment!
Photo Gallery of IBET Symposium on Instagram
It was a celebration of research as the Class of 2029 displayed their hard work at the annual IBET Symposium on Monday.
The freshmen groups showcased their poster projects, explaining their results to their fellow classmates, teachers, administrators, and few sophomores and juniors who stopped by the gym.
In addition, they heard from their keynote speaker Ruth Metzel, a 2006 TJ Graduate who works for Climate Curve, an organization that promotes global climate solutions.
Thank you to our amazing IBET teachers, who organized this symposium. This was the 37th year of IBET, which has been a key way to help our new students adjust to TJ, learn how to conduct and write research, develop the skills needed to operate machinery, and of course make new friends from throughout the DMV area! It remains one of the core tenets of the TJ experience!
Photo Gallery of Class of 2030 Freshtival on Instagram
The Class of 2027 rolled out the red carpet to welcome the incoming TJ Class of 2030 at the second annual Freshtival last Friday out at the stadium field.
This fundraiser gave the incoming freshmen class and their families a chance to meet each other, get questions answered, run around and have some fun!
There were several lawn games set up, the PTSA and our students had several booths set up where families could ask their burning questions, and the Class of 2030 got to enjoy popsicles and their welcome T-shirts!
It all concluded with a class wide game of Sharks and Minnows run by the TJ SGA!
Great job Class of 2027 and their sponsors Dr. Lynch and Ms. Holloway for organizing such a fun event, and thank you TJ PTSA for helping make sure it ran smoothly.
 Congratulations go out to the Math Modeling Club for advancing to the International Finals of the 2026 M3 Challenge. Team member and TJ junior Adhiraj Chhoda wrote this summary about the accomplishment.
Our team, Ashwath Muppa, Shresth Jaiswal, Varun Ananthakrishnan, Agastya Sondhi, and Adhiraj Chhoda, advanced to the International Finals of the 2026 M3 Challenge, one of the largest applied mathematics competitions in the country. Out of 770 submitted papers from teams across the United States, England, and Wales, our team was selected as one of nine finalist teams and ultimately earned a $5,000 scholarship.
Our project examined the growth of online sports gambling and modeled its financial and social impacts. We analyzed gambling behavior, estimated financial risks to individuals and households, and evaluated potential policy interventions aimed at reducing gambling-related harm. The project particularly focused on the risks associated with credit-funded betting and the effectiveness of consumer-protection measures.
The TJPTSA won a major award last weekend down in Richmond, the Virginia PTA's Most Impactful PTA of the Year Award! Among 950 PTAs across Virginia, only 25 were nominated, and just 5 were selected as the award recipients.
TJ has the largest PTSA in the state with 1,000+ members. This award reflects the dedication, support, and contributions from our entire T | 