TJ Class of 67 - Dallas also at www.tjclassof67.org

We have lost another 67 Rebel, Mark Deeds. I think Mark attended every reunion we had! Please keep his family in your thoughts and hearts.

We have lost another TJ Rebel, Craig Wright. Let's keep Cheryl and his family in our hearts.

TJ Class of 67 has lost their own Santa, Clayton Sawyers. He made so many children happy during this time of year! Let's keep Martha and his family in our hearts.

Our friend, Susan Crossette Riding, has passed away suddenly. Please keep her husband, Ben, and her family in your thoughts and hearts.

We've lost another friend, Gene Soslow. Please keep his family in your heart.

We have lost another Rebel....Janet Weatherford. Please keep her family in your hearts.

It's with heavy heart that I post Ronnie Wilson has passed. He was a very integral part of our reunion committee for lots of years. Please keep his family in your hearts.

And sadly, another....Betty Bates has passed. Please send good thoughts to her family.

We say goodbye to yet another classmate, Brooks Haley. Our hearts go out to his family.

We have lost another Rebel, Orrin Harrison. Let's keep his family in our hearts.

And now for some good news~ Forrest Dunlap, Danny Berry, Jim McCracken and Dick Enlow came in 3rd at the TJ Alumni Golf Tournament last week! Way to go, guys!!

If this is posted twice, sorry.
It is with heavy heart to let you know Debbie Saunier passed last night. She fought the fight for many years. Please keep her family in your hearts.

Dear Fellow Alumni and Friends,
Since October 2019 the Alumni Association has partnered with the administration, teachers, staff, and students to overcome a tornado and pandemic. Thanks to the overwhelming support and participation of the TJ Alumni family, we have gained tremendous momentum during a very bleak time. 2022-23 is going to be an EPIC school year with the reopening of our beloved TJ in January 2023. As you listen to Principal Jones and Cynthia Izaguirre's videos you will beam with TJ Pride. YOUR support allows the Thomas Jefferson Alumni Association to be the strongest in Dallas ISD, and below are some highlights from the past year that we drove on your behalf. Thank you to each and every one of you who keep our Alma Mater TJ STRONG with your giving spirit as we continue to meet the ongoing needs of our students.
All the best for 22/23,
Missy Huber, President, Class of 1972
and
TJHSAA Board of Directors & Advisory Board
TJ PRIDE BURNS DEEP INSIDE



TEACHER APPRECIATION
CINDY BEATTY '72 & MARTHA GOLDBLATT '77 (CO-CHAIRS)
The Thomas Jefferson Alumni Board welcomed back the teachers and staff with a catered lunch from Central Market in August 2022. We have provided this lunch in the past and it is quite a treat for them, with a busy day getting everything ready for the students to return for fall semester.
The Alumni Board also kept the “Snack and Coffee Closet” supplied during the 2021-22 semesters with all sorts of goodies such as pretzels, crackers, chocolates, granola bars and coffee/creamer. This is just a small way of expressing our gratitude and commitment to the teachers & staff who make sacrifices every day to care for the students.
TJHSAA LOVES to shower the teachers and staff on Valentine's Day with sweets and more!! Oh, what fun for the Alumni to purchase all the goodies for Principal Jones to show-off his grilling skills for Teacher Appreciation Week!







STUDENT APPRECIATION

SCHOLARSHIPS
KEN WILLIAMS '68 (Committee Chairperson)
At the Senior Awards Ceremony at TJ/Edison on May 24, the TJHSAA was honored to bestow $54,000 in scholarships to seventeen 2022 graduates. This effort was made possible through the generosity of many alums (individuals, families and classes) and the hard work of our Scholarship Committee. We were represented there by Brian Cree (Class of 1976), Don Wiley (Class of 1972) and Ken Williams (Class of 1968). This is the third consecutive year in which we were able to exceed $50,000 in awards, and these well deserved 2022 grants brought our total scholarship distribution since 2007 to over $400,000!

HOMELESS/IN-NEED STUDENTS AND FAMILY SERVICES
NINA CASTRO '97 (Committee Chairperson)
Our Homeless Department is continually raising funds to help serve the homeless/underserved families of Thomas Jefferson. At any time, there can be anywhere from a dozen to 40 students in need. We keep the drop-in center stocked with non-perishable items that the students can take home for the weekends, or simply stop by and have a small snack. Thanks to each and every one of our alumni’s generosities, we have been successfully able to provide 40 families with Thanksgiving Meals for the last 5 years and counting! We also work closely with the counselors during Christmas time to contribute to the TJ Angel Tree to ensure that no one goes without over the Holiday Break, by packing boxes of food for the Christmas break. And for Spring Break, we are hard at work, partnering with the Homeless Coordinator (and TJ alum- Class of 2012), Mayra Alvarez, packing up Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner for the students to take with them for the whole week. We are thankful to our alumni donors for making all this possible for our TJ Families.







TUTORING
To continue to keep the students on track scholastically, Principal Jones initiated after school (TJ/Edison) and Saturday (Medrano) tutoring.140+ students would attend the weekly Saturday tutoring to prepare for STARR EOCs in English I, English II, and Biology. The Alumni Association's assistance was requested by the teachers conducting the tutoring. It was determined by Principal Jones and the teaching staff, that our services would be best utilized by providing Saturday meals, afterschool snacks and gift certificates to incentivize students to attend the tutoring classes. We can proudly say playing a part in hard work and dedication paid off through test scores and the graduation rate.


CAREER AND BUSINESS PREP
Principal Jones approached the Alumni Association to fund the "seed" money for two special projects. The first project was for a school spirit store initiated by the Class Officers (9-12). This has been an incredible investment in the students allowing them to partner with the TJ career programs. This has been a "hands on" experience teaching true business management strategies to help prep them for working careers. TJHSAA is so proud of our students that have made this a successful self-funding project that will move forward yearly.
The second funding request was for our Special (SPED) Education Department to provide "seed money" for our students in the Functional Life Skill (FLS) classes to start a coffee/tea kiosk business. This gives the students the opportunity of "hands-on" working experience through their business class. This project has been dear to our hearts and has allowed the students to create a successful self-funding business while satisfying the caffeine habit for the teachers and staff.




NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY
MISSY HUBER '72 (Committee Chairperson)
Early Giving has already started. Click the link below to donate today or on 9/22/22.
https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/TJ-Dallas-Alumni-Legacy-Fund

*** MATCHING FUNDS ***
$30,000
1 Alumnus from the Class of ‘71
3 Alumni from the Class of ‘72

Challenge Alumni and Friends to BE THE GOOD and GET UP and GIVE!
EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM TJ ALUM CYNTHIA IZAGUIRRE AND PRINCIPAL BEN JONES!!!!!



Click to View: TJ Alum Cynthia Izaguirre - Announcing $30K Matching Funds




Click to View: Principal Ben Jones' Thank You message

North Texas Giving Day is almost here, and once again TJ students are counting on us to make a difference. We believe we have the best Alumni Association in DISD because you have demonstrated a heart for TJ students and teachers, and we THANK YOU! Our mission is to unify the alumni and community to drive educational excellence at TJ by providing resources and services that make a real difference in the lives of our students. The administration, teachers and students have overcome incredible adversity since October 2019, but with the partnership of TJHSAA guided by Principal Jones we are seeing positive achievements. Our students are positive, motivated, and looking forward to returning to their new state of the art school in January 2023. Principal Jones took on the task and asked us to support his initiatives to challenge the students to rise above the obstacles and turn in their best performance ever. We accommodated Principal Jones' initiatives, and our partnership proved successful as heard in the video provided by Principal Jones. (Alumni, TJ outperformed WT White and Woodrow Wilson...amazing!) Principal Jones, staff and educators want to continue on this path, but this can only be achieved with the partnership of the Alumni Association and Community.
The TJ Alumni Association has committed to support Principal Jones as he continues the quest for greatness. We are committed to provide scholarships, support for homeless/in-need students, teachers and initiatives requested by Principal Jones to enhance academics. Also, as the new TJ opens there will be unforeseen needs that the Alumni Association will address and provide. We believe all the programs TJHSAA has invested in have and will continue to be life changing and once again our students need YOUR help!!
We already have a commitment from major donors to match up to $30,000 in donations on North Texas Giving Day!! Please help match these funds and provide the programs that will truly make a difference. North Texas Giving Day has been our fundraising platform since 2016 helping TJ achieve the unthinkable! We cannot thank each of you enough for your continued support in helping us attain our goals and making us TJ STRONG AND TJ PROUD!!

GOLF TOURNAMENT
TITO BETANCOURT '90 (Committee Chair)





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Dick Enlow just sent word that we have lost 2 more of our friends, Terry Bartoli and Steve May. Let's hold their families in our hearts as we remember them.

Dennis Martin, a TJ Rebel, has passed away. Please keep his family in your thoughts and hearts.

We have lost another classmate, Reggie Aslett. Please keep his family in your heart.

We have lost our classmate Steve May. Please keep his family in your thoughts.

A Message from the TJ Alumni Association

Dear Alumni and Friends, the 20/21 school year continued with unprecedented challenges for TJ teachers, staff, students and families. With the support of you, our amazing Alumni and Friends, we wanted to let you know some of the highlights that your Alumni Association drove on your behalf. We sadly ended the school year with Principal Massey leaving DISD, but proudly are highlighting many of the achievements from last year TJHSAA accomplished with her partnership! THE GREAT NEWS, we have an incredible new principal, Ben Jones. I know once you hear Principal Jones' vision for our beloved Alma Mater, you will see that 21/22 is going to be an impactful year. With the continued support from each of you, we will remain TJ STRONG and TJ PROUD!!
All the best for 21/22,
Missy Huber, President, Class of 1972
and
TJHSAA Board of Directors & Advisory Board
TJ PRIDE BURNS DEEP INSIDE

TJHSAA AWARDED THE EMMETT J CONRAD EXTRA MILE AWARD
BY THE HUB ON NOVEMBER 20, 2020 INSIDE DALLAS ISD
During last night’s virtual board meeting, Dallas ISD honored volunteers and partners, considered the most outstanding of the year, for a broad range of service and donations to schools and the district in the 2019-2020 school year. The traditional in-person awards program was postponed last May due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Emmett J. Conrad Extra Mile Award for outstanding ongoing support was presented to the Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association for increased year over year support to the students and staff of Thomas Jefferson High School. This award is named for the late Dallas ISD board member Emmett J. Conrad, who championed community support for public schools. The alumni association’s support for TJ’s teachers and students has included supplies, scholarships, donations to the school pantry and generous outreach to the campus in the wake of last October’s tornados, raising the morale of staff and students alike.
Ken Williams '68, Chair Scholarships,and Missy Huber '72, President, accepted award on behalf TJHSAA

PRINCIPAL MASSEY LEAVES AN INCREDIBLE 8 YR LEGACY
Click here for the full story

Preston Hollow People

June 7 ·
It wasn’t an announcement that Thomas Jefferson faculty was expecting from their principal, but it was one that made them sad — and proud — at the same time.

MEET OUR DYNAMIC NEW PRINCIPAL
A little trivia about Principal Jones, he started college at age 15...amazing!


Principal Benjamin Jones
Thomas Jefferson High School
EDUCATION
University of Texas at Tyler, M.Ed. Educational Leadership
Baylor University, Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Chemistry
About the Principal
Mr. Benjamin Jones comes to Thomas Jefferson High School with a strong vision, proven track record of increasing student achievement, and a commitment to improving educational outcomes for all students while fostering a positive, collaborative community. Ben firmly believes that all students can learn and achieve at high levels while pursuing their goals and dreams in college, the military, or entering the workforce. He believes strong teachers are the key to academic excellence and that students must receive the necessary skills to finish a college education. He makes decisions collaboratively, develops leaders within students, staff, and stakeholders, values parental involvement, and designs systems to collect and analyze data. Ben is conversational in Spanish and continues to practice and learn both Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.
The 2021-2022 school year marks Ben’s 14th year as an educator and 7th in Dallas ISD. Ben began his career at Seagoville High School as a Science teacher and volleyball and girls’ basketball assistant coach. After several years in the classroom, Ben took an opportunity to lead the educational initiatives at Destination Imagination, traveling internationally and providing training for teachers and students in creativity, critical thinking, and 21st century skills. In 2017, Ben returned to Dallas ISD and Seagoville High School as a Biology teacher for that school year. That year, Ben established his reputation as a collaborative leader, focused on student achievement that leads to college and career readiness. For three years as an Assistant Principal at Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy, Ben has led the Science, NAF, and Fine Arts departments to multiple years of success and high levels of student achievement while working with faculty, staff, students, and parents to build community and a positive climate and culture for all stakeholders. Ben values collaboration, data driven instruction, social emotional learning, and effective PLCs as key drivers for excellent classroom instruction.
Ben and his partner have two dogs (a German Shepherd and a French Bulldog). He enjoys competitive trivia nights and is an avid volleyball player. In his free time, Ben can be found traveling to the mountains or volunteering for various community organizations - including serving on the Texas Destination Imagination Executive Board and as the Dallas Destination Imagination Regional Director.
Ben is very excited to lead the Thomas Jefferson Family and looks forward to becoming a partner in the great work ahead.

TEACHER APPRECIATION
CINDY BEATTY '72 & MARTHA GOLDBLATT '77 - CO-CHAIRS
Our TJ teachers and staff have faced many challenges and losses since October 2019, but TJHSAA has worked hard to let them know we value and support their dedication to the students. The Alumni Association kept their snack and coffee bar full of goodies monthly. Due to COVID restrictions we could not do our annual holiday luncheon but had Central Market cater a delicious box lunch to every teacher and staff member. To really show our appreciation and TJ love, we gave each TJ employee a holiday gift card to raise their morale. The year ended with Chef Principal Massey preparing a culinary daily delight for Teacher/Staff Appreciation week. (A big thank you to the Class of '70 for donating to TJHSAA the funds for Cafe Massey) Another big THANK YOU to NTxGiving Day Donors that make Teacher Appreciation possible!!

SCHOLARSHIPS
Ken Williams '68 - Chair
We are pleased to report that the Class of 2021 was able to enjoy an in-person Senior Awards Ceremony at TJ/Edison on June 11, after that was not possible last year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Through the generosity of many alums (individuals, families and classes) and the hard work of our Scholarship Committee, the TJHSAA was honored to bestow $51,250 in scholarships to seventeen 2021 graduates. We were represented there by Ken Williams (Class of 1968, Scholarship Committee Chair), Steve Moffett (Class of 1970) and Don Wiley (Class of 1972). These well-deserved grants brought our total scholarship distribution since 2007 to around $350,000.

MENTORING PROGRAM
Steve Moffett '70 - Chair
This year the Alumni Association will be working with Elevate Dallas a national mentoring program that focuses on inner city youth. They came to Dallas in 2018 and immediately began working with DISD, specifically with Sandi Massey and students at TJ. They have full-time teacher mentors who spend time each day in the classroom with TJ students. This fall the Elevate curriculum will be taught to 200 TJ freshmen in 8 classes.We identified several areas where the Alumni Association can work with Elevate and TJ students:
1. Volunteers in classrooms - speaking to students on a variety of issues
2. Mock interviews with students - helping students as they prepare for the workforce
3. Industry tours - small groups of students going area businesses
4. Mentoring sessions - groups of 2-3 students with a mentor
5. Volunteering in the community - chaperone help on community volunteering programs
It is so rewarding working with our students, so if you are interested in volunteering in any of these 5 areas, please contact me, Steve Moffett at [email protected]
Note: The Alumni Association and Elevate Dallas will be following ALL COVID guidelines

IN-NEED STUDENTS SERVICES
Nina Castro '97- Chair
As we start off every year, The Alumni Association stocks the shelves of the school food pantry. I then received information on students/families that need a Thanksgiving dinner, and we supplied 40 families with Meal Vouchers at Boston Market for Family Thanksgiving Meals. In late November,The Alumni Association received a very generous donation of $10,000.00 from a ‘81 alum. This allowed me to play Santa Claus, and buy 40 In-need students coats, slippers, thermal socks, gift cards for fast food, and food to take home over the Christmas Break. The funds also gave us the opportunity to spread holiday cheer delivering 3,000 lbs of food boxed to 50 TJ families with food insecurities. This left me with enough funds to pack the food pantry full again for the second semester. During the second semester, our incredible teachers began a Saturday tutoring program at Medrano Middle School, and we provided breakfast and/or lunch. Also gave twenty $10 gift cards to TJ for the Angel Tree that they do at Christmas every year. The school recognizes the students who are in need and distributed the cards appropriately. We provided In-need senior students with the funds for their senior activities. The joy of giving could not be possible without our incredible alumni, and we thank you!

NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY

Early Giving has already started. Click link to donate today or on 9/23/21.
Donation Link

MATCHING FUNDS
$25,000
GOAL: $50,000
1 Alumnus from the Class of ‘71
3 Alumni from the Class of ‘72
Challenge Alumni and Friends to BE THE GOOD add GET UP and GIVE for the tools to achieve academic excellence!!
North Texas Giving Day is almost here, and once again TJ students are counting on us to make a difference. New Construction at TJ is underway but Student performance at their temporary location has suffered over the last few years as remote learning and a remote campus have made communication and coordination challenging,
TJ has a dynamic new principal, Ben Jones and he is challenging the students to rise above the obstacles and turn in their best performance ever. You can watch his message from the link below.
The 2021-22 school year will present a new set of challenges as the students have been given a directive from Principal Jones. No more discussion of the tornado! No excuses from teachers or students for poor performance. Instead, a total focus on learning, student achievement and college preparedness or career ready.
The TJ Alumni Association has committed to support Principal Jones in this quest for greatness. We will again provide scholarships for graduating seniors and support for homeless/in-need students.
We are working with Principal Jones on a plan to provide focused student academic support through mentoring,after hours professional tutoring at neighborhood elementary schools, tutoring study groups and online tutoring as needed. The goal is to have student performance at an all time high when they enter back into TJ in 2023.
We believe these programs will be life changing and once again our students need your help.
These students have been through an incredibly difficult time between Covid and their relocation to West Dallas. We already have a commitment from major donors to match up to $25,000 of giving on North Texas Giving Day.
Please help us match these funds and provide the programs that will truly make a difference. North Texas Giving Day has been our fundraising platform since 2016 helping TJ achieve the unthinkable! We can not thank each of you enough for your continued support in helping us attain our goals, and making us TJ STRONG!!!
Principal Jones' NTxGiving Day Message

ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
TITO BETANCOURT '90- CHAIR
THE ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT IS BACK SO SIGN-UP FOR SOME TJ FUN!!!

CREDIT CARD: Pay by credit card by clicking the links below:
Individual Sign-up

Team Sign-up

CONSTRUCTION UP-DATE
The Alumni Association wanted to share the latest aerial up-date, 8/27/21, on the construction progress of TJ and WHILS PK-8. We will continue to share the aerial up-dates as they are received to keep our Alumni Community informed of this exciting visual transformation.
Please click on the up-date below, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/zAbiM-_e8Vo
Aerial Drone Video- TJ construction progress

The crews never know what they will find buried in the rubble as construction continues at TJ - DEJA VU!!!


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Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association - Home

If you didn't know, Coach Barry Dowd passed away Aug. 20. You can read his obit at jeterandson.com
He was a great coach and a wonderful man. Many of us had him as our driving instructor (remember behind the wheel?) during the summer.

Let's keep his family in our hearts.

We lost another classmate,Tom Larson, last year but just now learned of his passing. Please keep his family in your hearts.

Our classmate Brad Williams has passed. Please keep his family in your hearts.

We have lost another TJ Rebel, Robbie Best. Please keep his family in your hearts.

I am sorry to say that we have lost another Rebel. Randy Banks passed away last week. Please keep his family in your thoughts and hearts.

TJ Class Connectors & ambassadors of your respective graduating classes, Please forward this email to your TJ classmates & friends, Thank you!

CALLING ALL ALUMNI..!!

Senior Sunset - Let's Celebrate The Class of 2020 - from a Safe Distance! - Tuesday, May 19th 5 - 8pm

Our 2020 seniors need our show of support from surviving the tornado and now COVID19 so lets honor them in true TJ style!!!!

On Tuesday, May 19th from 5pm to 8pm we will have a Senior Sunset/Senior Parade around our sorely missed Thomas Jefferson High School. Attached, you will find the parade route as well as directions for you to safely cheer on the graduates.

Please see below for the rundown of how this will work:

Staff, alumni, Northway Church supporters and all other cheerleaders will have their cheer stations/spots set up by 4:45pm on the day of the event:

Please DO NOT park on Hedgeway Drive, Killion Drive, or Gooding Drive as students will be in their cars stopping at three stations – Be mindful of the neighborhood, their driveways, and their space.

Parking will be available in the Northway Church parking lot and TJ’s back parking lot – by the gym/baseball field.

Please wear a mask and observe social distancing of 6 feet and all other CDC guidelines to ensure a safe and healthy parade.

All cheerleaders and supporters may set up their cheer stations (poster, poms, cow bells, cans with rocks in them, etc.) anywhere you see an orange box on the route map. Please use both sides of the streets where you can to ensure social distancing

Please be mindful of where the HandOut stations are as the Senior Squad and helpers will be handing out official materials.

Students will begin to arrive at 5pm and continue until 8pm:

5pm Students with Last Names A - D

5:30 Students with Last Names E - H

6pm Students with Last Names I - L

6:30 Students with Last Names M - P

7pm Students with Last Names Q - T

7:30 Students with Last Names U – Z

Students will have four stops to pick up senior items

1st – Yard sign
2nd – Graduation regalia
3rd – Gift bag
4th – photos/videos inside the TJ faculty parking lot.

Students are ONLY permitted to exit their cars in the parking lot at the photo/video station

If you would like to sign up to help hand out items, video the seniors, or help keep things running smoothly, please see this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040C45AEAB2AA4FE3-tjhs

Thank you to all who are planning to come out and celebrate the Class of 2020. Let’s show these seniors how much they are loved!

MAP ATTACHED - ORANGE DESIGNATES WHERE ALUMS CAN STAND OR SIT. MAKE THOSE POSTERS, BRING THE COWBELLS AND CHEER ON THE SENIOR CLASS OF 2020!

REMEMBER - Parking will be available in the Northway Church parking lot and TJ’s back parking lot – by the gym/baseball field.

TJHS Senior Sunset - Class of 2020 Cap & Gown Handout Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

Another member of our class has left us, Ronnie Andrews. Please keep his family in your heart.

We lost another Rebel. Jim Massie is now playing Dixie on his trumpet in heaven. Please keep his family in your heart.

Dallas ISD votes to close middle school destroyed by October tornado Dallas ISD moved forward with plans to handle the tornado recovery in the district.

Sandy Bolton's sister, Misty Dailey, sent me this link to a Dallas Morning News article.
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/commentary/2019/10/21/in-nw-dallas-scenes-of-a-tornados-devastation-look-much-different-when-they-happen-close-to-home/

In NW Dallas, tornado’s devastation looks much different when it happens close to home As the sun rose over northwest Dallas on Monday morning it was eerily quiet. Even in one of the areas hardest hit — near Midway and Merrill roads, where a...

For those of you that don't live in Dallas, a tornado blew thru here last night. Walnut Hill Elementary and Cary Middle School are total losses. TJ is damaged and probably won't open till next school year. So sad..........

Another TJ rebel has left us. Please keep John Kelley's family in your thoughts.