TABLE OF CONTENTS November, 2013 From the Desk … the Desk of Kevin Groebner Welcome to the November, 2013, issue of our Jefferson Jag-Quarterly on-line newsletter. Please take time

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• November, 2013

• From the Desk ofKevin Groebner

• Referendum 2013:Don’t Forget to Vote

• 2014-2015 SchoolYear RegistrationTimeline

• Exercise your right tovote

• Note from Mr.Schnitzer

• Jag Pride Awards

• Jefferson AthleticHall of FameInduction

• CongratulationsPresidential FitnessAward Winners

• Greetings from theJefferson Kitchen,

• Bloomington DebateTeam Season Off to aGreat Start!

• Congratulations toScott Sieling andMeredith Aby!!

• Jefferson FootballUpdate

• Jaguar Girls Swimand Dive Update

• National Merit

November, 2013

From the Desk of Kevin Groebner

Welcome to the November, 2013,issue of our Jefferson Jag-Quarterlyon-line newsletter. Please take timeto review the articles in order todiscover more about all the wonderfulthings going on at Jefferson.

As I shared with our faculty in a recentmeeting, our academic proficiencyscores and growth scores on lastspring’s Minnesota ComprehensiveAssessments in reading and mathcontinue to be strong. This datasupports the comments from

graduates, parents and guardians, and community members thatJefferson is successful in providing strong educational programmingfor its students.

As important as educational programming is, school safety andproviding a positive and accepting culture are the most importantpriorities we embrace at Jefferson.

As we approach the anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementaryshootings of last December, we are reminded that Jefferson HighSchool has been fortunate to have avoided a real lock-downsituation. Jefferson students and staff are well prepared in lock-downdrills and we are hopeful those drills will only be used for practice.

You are probably aware, that following the Sandy Hook incident, theBloomington Schools reviewed safety and security practices and

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Recognition

• Bloomington StudentAchiever of the Week

• 2013 AdvancedPlacement ScholarAwards

• VEAP’s Holiday ToyProgram

• Prescription DrugAbuse Get the Facts:

• Prescription Drugs….the LegalConsequences

• Using E-Cigarettes toSmoke Marijuana?

• Important Yearbookinformation for your2014 graduate

• COR Update

procedures in all of its buildings. Audits, which involved students,parents, staff, police officers, fire fighters, and school administration,took place last spring throughout the district. The information gleanedfrom these audits helped to formulate recommendations forimprovements in our safety practices and procedures. Beginning inlate summer building administrators began training in updated safetyand security measures. This training will continue throughout the yearand will eventually involve the entire staff and students, as well.

Again, a safe, positive, and orderly learning environment is a toppriority at Jefferson. Most schools are very safe. Less than onepercent of violence in our communities occurs on school grounds. Atthe same time, no school is immune from violence.

As mentioned, all Bloomington Public Schools have been proactive inconducting programs and drills to plan for a violent act. We havepartnered with the Bloomington Police and Fire Departments todevelop our safety and security programs and to establish commonprocedures across all buildings so we are all approaching emergencysituations in a similar manner. We currently perform a minimum of fivelock-down drills, five fire drills, and one tornado drill every schoolyear. In the past, when we’ve had a fire drill, we would do a lockdowndrill right afterwards. As we move through the school year, we willbegin to separate the fire drills and lock down drills, as this will moreclosely reflect reality.

There is a partnership between school, home, and community that canhelp prevent extreme violent acts. Please take this opportunity tohave a serious discussion with your son or daughter in regard toissues like this. We all get angry at certain times, and often it isappropriate to become angry if we are mistreated. But behaviorsfollowing these feelings of anger need to be appropriately managed. At no time, should a student make threatening or terroristic commentsdirected at students or staff - verbally or through electronic methods -including social media such as FaceBook, text messages, email, orvoice mail. Students who find their anger escalating out of controlshould immediately see a counselor who can help contact a parent orotherwise work to bring a negative situation into more control. Also,please discuss with your child about situations where he or shenotices - or has knowledge - that a friend or classmate is engaged inbehavior that may be harmful to him or herself, or another student. Insuch situations, they should immediately report the information to anadult at the school.There is ample evidence that prevention and early intervention effortscan reduce the likelihood of violence and other troubling behaviors inschools. Research further shows that effective prevention,intervention, and crisis response strategies operate best in schoolcommunities that are organized around an appropriate set of core

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values.

In previous years, we’ve shared in this space, that there arecharacteristics that identify schools as being safe and responsive tostudents. Such schools . . .

Focus on academic achievement;Emphasize positive relationships among students and staff;Openly discuss the importance of a safe, positive, and orderlylearning environment;Treat students with respect;Involve families in meaningful ways;Develop links to the community;Create ways for students to share their concerns;Help students feel safe when expressing their feelings;Have in place a system for referring students who are suspected ofbeing abused or neglected;Offer a breadth and depth of after-school programs for students;Promote good citizenship and character;Identify problems and assess progress toward solutions; andSupport students in making the transition to life after high school

Everyone has a personal responsibility for reducing the risk ofviolence. We must maintain our high expectations for order, mutualrespect, and caring for one another. We must also ensure thatstudents who are troubled get the help they need. Harassment,picking on each other, and being mean or bullying someone arebehaviors that none of us can tolerate. All of us have a responsibility ifwe see this kind of behavior around school, to step in and try to stop itand then report it to any adult at the school.

Thank you for all that you do to help make this a warm, welcoming,and safe learning and teaching community for our students and staff.

Kevin GroebnerPrincipalJefferson High School

Referendum 2013: Don’t Forget to Vote

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Bloomington parents are encouraged to vote in the coming electionthis fall. The District’s 2007 Capital Projects Levy for technology waswon by a mere 145 votes. Only 33% of parents voted in that election.The 2013 Capital Projects Levy will fund $6 million a year for 10 yearswithout a tax increase (for a minimum of 4 years). The funds will beused to support:

Safety & Security Measures that will better prepare for, protectagainst and respond to future school incidents and emergencies;andEducation Technology that will prepare students to compete in aglobal economy.

How do I vote?To vote on the referendum questions, you must be 18 years old, aU.S. citizen, and a resident of Minnesota for 20 days and a resident ofBloomington School District 271 for 30 days. You can register at thepolls on Election Day with state approved identification. Pre-registration is encouraged but must be completed before Oct. 15 bycompleting a voter registration application and mailing to HennepinCounty Elections Division.

Where do I vote?To learn where to vote, call 952-563-8729 or go online to:www.ci.bloomington.mn.us. Click on Government Law, then Voting. Polls will be open on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. andvoting assistance is available.

Can I vote in the referendum by absentee ballot?Voting by absentee ballot is allowed if you are unable to vote inperson on Election Day for one of the following reasons:

Absence from the precinct (includes students attending college)Illness or disabilityReligious discipline or observance of religious holiday

Absentee ballots are now available, and may be obtained bysubmitting a signed written application to the City Clerk’s Office. TheAbsentee Application is available at the City of Bloomington’s CityClerk’s Office, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road, or by downloading theAbsentee ballot application (PDF).Absentee ballots may be submitted by mail, or by voting in person atthe City Clerk’s Office during regular business hours: Monday-Friday,8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where can I get more information about the referendum?Visit Bloomington Public Schools referendum website. You mayalso call the Community Relations Office at 952-681-6403.

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2014-2015 School Year Registration Timeline

Registration for the 2014-2015 school year is just around the corner.Below is the timeline Jefferson High School will follow for this process.Please review this timeline carefully. If you have any questions, pleasecontact your child’s counselor.Boldfaced font refers to dates important for current 8th gradestudents.

Tuesday, January 7JHS counselors go to Oak Grove Middle School (in classrooms),to present registration information and guides to students.

Wednesday, January 8JHS counselors go to Olson Middle School (in classrooms), topresent registration information and guides to students.

Wednesday, January 8Homeroom meeting with the Junior Class to discuss the registrationprocess for senior year and what colleges are looking for in applicants.

Thursday, January 9Mr. Hall will go to Valley View Middle School to presentregistration information and guides to students who will attendJHS.

Monday, January 13 6:30 p.m.Honors/AP Parent Information Meeting in JHS Auditorium forparents of current 8th graders.(This meeting is not intended for students.)

Wednesday, January 15During homeroom, JHS Counselors will meet with 10th & 11th gradestudents who are interested in PSEO for the coming school year.

Thursday, January 16 6:30 p.m.Meeting for parents of current 8th graders to obtain informationabout registration for the 2014-15 school year. Meeting will beginin the auditorium and move to classrooms for breakout sessionsled by department leaders, counselors, and administrators.(This meeting is not intended for students.)

Tuesday, January 28 6:30 p.m. Honors/AP Registration Information Meeting in the JHS Choir Roomfor parents of current 9th, 10th and 11th grade students. JHS Gifted& Talented Coordinator, Meredith Aby, will facilitate this meeting.

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(This meeting is not intended for students.)

Thursday, January 30JHS Counselors register Olson Middle School students in theOMS computer lab.

Friday, January 31JHS Counselors register Oak Grove Middle School students in theOGMS computer lab.

Wednesday, February 5 Registration form and information is distributed to current 9th, 10th,and 11th grade students during homeroom. The registration formneeds to be signed by parents and returned to their homeroomteacher on 2/12/14.(Seniors will meet in the auditorium for Senior Mock Awards).

Wednesday, February 12Homeroom teachers collect student registration forms, check sheetsfor accuracy and return them to Connie Theis in the office. Studentswill receive additional information regarding the online registrationprocess.

2/12/14 - 2/23/14 On-Line Registration window is open for students in 9th, 10th and11th grades to complete their registration.

Exercise your right to vote

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, Bloomington voters will be asked to cast theirballots for city council and school board candidates, as well as thedistrict’s Capital Projects Levy for safety and security, and technology. Please be an informed voter by studying the candidates that best fitthe leadership skills needed, and the proposed referendum. For moreinformation, please visit the district’s referendum website by going tothe district homepage, click on About Us and thenReferendum: www.bloomington.k12.mn.us/2013-referendum. Asrequired by state statute, a mailing of a Notice of Special Election forthe Capital Projects Levy was mailed earlier this week to registeredvoters and/or households. This mailing to 29,000 households iscausing some concerns as the ballot language states, "By voting Yeson this ballot question, you are voting for a property tax increase,"which is contrary to information the district has shared with parents,staff and others.

The Capital Projects referendum will not cause property taxes to goup for a minimum of four years. However, there could be other factors

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- outside of the school district’s control - that may cause schoolproperty taxes to increase or decrease.

Note from Mr. Schnitzer

Hello, Jefferson families!

This is your Dean of Students, Mr. Schnitzer, with a couple of quicknotes regarding a wonderful resource called Jag E-Wires. Jag E-Wires is an email service, provided by our own PTSA. They send outimportant news about various activities and groups, etc. when it’spertinent, and do a great job of keeping folks informed about all kindsof things happening in our Jefferson community. I’d like to encourageyou to subscribe to Jag E-Wires if you don’t already, and that’s part ofwhat this note is all about – if you’d like to subscribe, all you need todo is follow these steps:

1. Go to the Jefferson website, at http://jhs.bloomington.k12.mn.us2. Along the left side, click on the Parent Resources tab3. About halfway down this page, click on Jag E-Wires4. Enter your name and email address, and click “Subscribe”

It’s just that easy!

The next part of my note is to let you know what to do if there’ssomething you’d like to send out on Jag E-Wires. If, as a member of aJefferson family, you are involved in the adult leadership of any schoolactivity, you can absolutely use Jag E-Wires as a resource to getinformation out into our school community. So, if there’s somethingyou want to send out using Jag E-Wires, just email that content toChip Groth (former PTSA president) at [email protected]. Please allow up to 72 hours for that information to be sent out.

I hope everyone has had a great start to the school year, and again, Iencourage you to subscribe to Jag E-Wires if you’re not alreadyreceiving it. Take care!

Mr. Schnitzer

Jag Pride Awards

We want to shine the spotlight on ourstudents!!! Each Trimester the staff atJefferson will recognize students whogo the “extra mile” to demonstrate oneor some of the following qualities:

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respect, responsibility, citizenship,integrity, honesty, and/or generosity.Each student chosen will be recognizedthrough a letter home, an awardcertificate, and a special celebrationparty. Pump up the pride!!!

Jefferson Athletic Hall of Fame Induction

The Bloomington Jefferson Athletic Hall of Fame was inducted onFriday, September 27th. The new members are: Connie Brown, NickChecco, Mark Nelson, Mike Shebuski, Mike Vande Garde, SarahJohnson (Rolloff), and Regina Moench.

Congratulations Presidential Fitness AwardWinners

During the first Trimester of the 2013-2014school year, there were only 2 PhysicalEducation students who received thePresidential Fitness Award, the top award of“The President’s Challenge". The PresidentsChallenge is the premier program of thePresident’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and

Nutrition. Students must score in the 85th percentile or higher for

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each fitness test.

Fitness tests include:1. Curl‐up test – abdominal strength/endurance2. Sit and Reach – flexibility3. Shuttle Run – speed/agility4. Right‐Angle push‐ups‐ upper body strength/endurance5. Flexed Arm Hang – upper‐body strength/endurance6. One‐Mile Run – cardiovascular fitness

The following students reached the 85th percentile or higher:

9th GraderAmanda Christianson

10th GraderKathleen Bouchier

The JHS Physical Education Department’s goal is to have all 9th and10th grade PE students improve their fitness scores from the start ofthe Tri to the end of the Tri. This is especially important in light ofrecent research linking academic success of students to fitness levelsand exercise.

Greetings from the Jefferson Kitchen,

Welcome to the new manager for Jefferson Food Service, LoriEricksen. Lori has served the district for twenty years and is planningto add new food items to the menu. Starting in October, students willbe able to choose from a Baked Potato Bar with all the fixings. Students will also be treated to new items on the salad bar.

Lori is looking for more volunteers to serve lunch on Wednesdays andThursdays. If interested, please contact her at 806-7604.

Bloomington Debate Team Season Off to aGreat Start!

The Bloomington debate team has about thirty members this year andhas already participated in three tournaments.

At the MDTA Jamboree at Chanhassen High School on September28th the debate team had their 1st competition. Congratulations toJeremy Kuoch for placing 3rd, to Michelle Wang for placing 2nd andto Nawang Singhe for placing 1st speaker in the JV division. Congratulations to Nawang and Madeline Brunko for placing 3rd as a

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team and to Jeremy and Michelle for placing 2nd as a team. Lastly,congratulations to Ragu Ananthalingam for winning 4th speaker in thenovice division in his 1st tournament ever!

At the Southside Classic at Minneapolis South High School onOctober 4th and 5th Alexa Groenke placed as 8th speaker and RubyDeBellis placed as 7th speaker in varsity policy debate. MichelleWang placed as 3rd speaker and Jeremy Kuoch placed as 1stspeaker and they also made it to final round in JV policy debate. Congratulations!

On Homecoming weekend some of our team participated in theUniversity of MN debate tournament. Congratulations to Ann Phanand Renee Scafraniec for winning the JV division in policy debate! Ruby DeBellis and Alexa Groenke were also invited to participate inthe invite only Rosemount Round Robin but declined the invitationbecause Ruby was elected Homecoming Queen at Jefferson.

Stay tuned in for more victories for the Bloomington debaters!

Congratulations to Scott Sieling and MeredithAby!!

Their speech and debate program has earned significant recognitionby the National Forensic League.

Due to the performance of their students, our Bloomington Chapter isranked in the top 10% of schools nationwide and has earnedmembership in the League's 100 Club. This is an important milestoneas it demonstrates our students are learning essential life skillsincluding communication, research, listening, writing, and organizationthrough the speech and debate program.

Thanks for all your efforts Scott and Meredith!!kg

Jefferson Football Update

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The Jefferson Football team finished the regular season 3-5 whichwas good enough to finish in 6th place of the South SuburbanConference. The highlight of the season was beating Kennedy thenfollowing it up with a win at Apple Valley. The team earned a firstround bye in the section playoffs and will play a home game onSaturday, October 26 at 7 pm.

Jaguar Girls Swim and Dive Update

The Jaguar girls swim and dive team will compete at the Section meetin Prior Lake November 6-8 with several state hopefuls coming off theblocks. Head Coach Paula Lee expects her team leaders to do well atsections, with diver Christine Koch (12) and swimmers Maria Vaudreuil(10), Maddie Meier (10), Maya Gatz (9) and Amelia Bjorklund (9)leading the charge in individual events, and the 200 Medley Relayteam poised for a state qualifying time. The state meet will take placeat the U of M on November 18-20th.

A significant achievement has been the success of senior diverChristine Koch and her no-loss record throughout the season. Shewas recently ranked as high as #6 in the statewide rankings for 11dives by the MN Swim Coaches Association. All eyes are on Christineas she works toward her second trip to the state meet to cap off herhigh school diving experience.

The Jag swimmers and divers will graduate 5 athletes this year:Kristen Bosveld, Caroline Harris, Christine Koch, Hannah Szafraniecand Kirsten Vacura. But the future of the team is very bright with ayoung and talented junior varsity squad coming up the ranks. "Thishas been a fabulous year of swimming and diving so far with personal

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best times and scores,” says Coach Lee. “The Jefferson coaches arelooking forward to a terrific end to this season with solid finishes atSections and State."

National Merit Recognition

Seven Thomas Jefferson High School students have been namedsemifinalists in the 59th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.Elizabeth Alonzi, Allison Bramanti, Rilyn Eischens, Alexa Groenke,Emily McGivern, Jonathan Newinski and Bailey Plaman are candidatesfor a merit scholarship award to be offered next spring.

More than 1.5 million high school juniors entered the 2014 NationalMerit Program by taking the preliminary SAT/National MeritScholarship qualifying test, which serves as an initial screen ofprogram entrants. Semifinalists will be notified in February if theyadvanced to the finalist level.

Another two students, Alexander Claycomb and Emma Eckberg, haveearned National Merit Commended Student status, which recognizesexceptional academic promise demonstrated by students’performance on the qualifying test.

Congratulations to all the National Merit recognized students. We areproud of you!

Bloomington Student Achiever of the Week

The Student Achiever of the Week Award recognizes Jeffersonstudents who have demonstrated outstanding achievement. It is acooperative effort of the Bloomington Sun-Current and theBloomington Public Schools to salute the many outstandingaccomplishments – outside of athletics – of Jefferson students. TheBloomington Sun-Current tries to spotlight these outstanding studentsin a weekly photo feature.Anyone may nominate a Jefferson student, 10-12, for recognition inone or more of these categories. Examples include:Specific Academic AchievementOverall Academic Achievement (high class rank, for example)Demonstrated Creative/Productive ThinkingDemonstrated LeadershipCommunity ServiceVisual or Performing Arts

Applications are available in the main office or contact Meredith Aby-Keirstead, the JHS Gifted and Talented Coordinator at

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[email protected] or at 952.806.7811.

2013 Advanced Placement Scholar Awards

Advanced Placement Scholar Awards for 2013 AnnouncedThe College Board offers several AP Scholar Awards to recognize highschool students who have demonstrated college-level achievementthrough AP courses and exams. Although there is no monetary award,in addition to receiving an award certificate, this achievement isacknowledged on any AP Grade Report that is sent to colleges thefollowing fall.

AP ScholarThis honor is granted to students who receive grades of 3 or higher onthree or more AP exams. Samantha Aamot, Kieran Anthony, MatthewBackus, Ivy Benson, True Benson, Kelsey Bosshardt, AllisonBramanti, Benjamin Bramanti, Nicholas Bramanti, Joseph D. Carlson,Joseph T. Carlson, Anna Casalenda, Jonathan Chao, NicholasDaoust, Nicola Deak, Emma Eckberg, Hannah Evavold, Charlie Fitch,Kaliyan Fricke, Christopher Gerhardson, Ryan Graf, Lauren Gustafson,Hannah Hagen, Mckenna Hanson, Dyan Haschka, Joseph Hedrick,Samuel Holland, Isabelle Iwen, Tyler Johnson, Daniel Kibat, JackKokkinem, Jiezhen Kuag, Kelly Leung, Vincent Levin, Samuel Lindvall,Melayna Locquegnies, Kelvin Luu, Calvin Mcdevitt-Coryel, CollinMundstock, Brian Naae, Isabel Nutting, Peter O’Connor, SydneyOlson, Gregory Pavlov, Benjamin Pobiel, Arjan Ravinthoran, LucyReiber, Stuart Rosenberg, Gabrielle Sasseville, Michael Sherman,Samantha Sherratt, Jessica Shultz, Kirsten Vacura, Johathan Vande-Waa, Jessica Wachtler, Lindsey Werner, Taylor Wicklund and JustinWiderski all earned this honor. Congratulations!

AP Scholar with HonorThis honor is granted to students who receive an average grade of atleast 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four ormore of these exams. Madeline Brechlin, Micala Burns, Anne Curtin,Ruby DeBellis, Katherine Duncan, Benjamin Hanson, Sara Hanson,Carolyn Johnson, Michael McCabe, Aubrey Mclain, Erik Monson, KarlOlsen, Matthew Rosen, Matthew Sherman, Hannah Szafraniec, SidneyTikalsky, Cody Tucholke, and Rachel Tucker all earned this honor. Congratulations!

AP Scholar with DistinctionThis honor is granted to students who receive an average grade of atleast 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five ormore of these exams. Elizabeth Alonzi, Madeline Arpin, JeromeBiedny, Michael Blazanin, Patrick Boldenow, Leroy Bondhus, SpencerBuchanan, Caroline Buchholz, Alexander Claycomb, Rothanna Fricke,

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Marco Garcia, Samuel Gleason, John Graves, Jared Hills, MeganJacobson, Alexis King, Patrick Koob, Cynthia Kunkel, Alyssa Leitgen,Samuel Mahler, Emily McGivern, Tobie Miller, Jonathan Newinski,Noah Nieting, Ryan Olstad, Kangqiao Peng, Annika Peterson, BaileyPlaman, Katerine Plampton, Madeline Pliska, Trevor Poonai, JoshuaPunnose, Matthew Siiro, Grant Simonson, Jennifer Swain, SamuelWagner, Kathleen Wang, Jacob Weber, and Mackenzie Wright allearned this honor. Congratulations!

National AP ScholarsThe College Board also recognizes National AP Scholars. These arestudents who receive an average grade of at least 4 on all AP examstaken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.Michael Blazanin, Jared Hills, Cynthia Kunkel, Ryan Olstad, KangqiaoPeng, Joshua Punnoose, Matthew Siiro, Samuel Wagner from theclass of 2013 all earned this honor. Congratulations!

Congratulations to all our Jefferson AP Scholars!

VEAP’s Holiday Toy Program

VEAP’s Holiday Toy Program registration is Nov 7th-Dec 6th. VEAPserves low-income residents of Bloomington, Edina, Richfield andSouth Minneapolis (s of 50th st/w of cedar). Parents register for anappointment to select gifts for their children (infant-18). Newgifts/toys, winter wear, books and games are provided. Please passthis along to any families that may benefit from this service. Families needing food assistance or financial support can contactVEAP to learn more about the Food Pantry and speak with a socialworker (952.888.9616). Thanks for helping connect families in need tothis program.

Prescription Drug Abuse Get the Facts:

More than 2,000 teens begin abusingprescription drugs each day.

Many kids believe prescription drugs aresafer to abuse than illegal drugs.

After marijuana, the most common drugs teens are using to gethigh are prescription medications.

12-17 year olds abuse prescription drugs more than ecstasy,heroin, crack/cocaine and methamphetamines combined.

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More than 70% of people 12 and older who abuse prescriptiondrugs say they get them from a friend or relative.

The most commonly abused prescription drugs are painmedications, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medications andstimulants (used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders).

As many as 1 in every 5 teens in America say they have taken aprescription drug that was not prescribed for them.

Two-thirds of teens who abuse prescription drugs did so beforethe age of 16.

14% of teens (about 1 in 7) in a recent study reported usingprescription pain relievers not prescribed for them in the past year,and 9% (about 1 in 11) reported doing so in the past month.

Thousands of rogue websites selling prescription drug products donot require a valid prescription.

Prescription Drugs ….the Legal Consequences

A juvenile (and adult too) can be arrested and or cited by the police forthe following:

Possession of prescription drugs that are not contained in theissued prescription bottle with current RX label – even if it’s yourown prescription;Possession of prescription drugs that do not belong to you;Giving away or selling prescription drugs.

In most cases, you can be arrested and charged with a FELONY. Ifconvicted, you can be subjected to serving time in juvenile detention,juvenile probation, charged as adult, assessed fines, assessed courtfee’s, required to complete community service hours, and required tocomplete drug rehabilitation/prevention program as well as otherstipulations. It’s just not worth it. Prescription medications arenothing to mess around with. They are prescribed by a doctor for areason, every person reacts differently to medication. If you takesomething NOT prescribed by your physician (or too much ofsomething, even if it IS prescribed to you), you could end up very ill oreven dead. Parent, take the time and talk to your children aboutprescription drugs. Even a few minutes could make all the differencein the world; it could save your child’s life.

Detective Kerri NoldenJefferson High School Police Liaison

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Using E-Cigarettes to Smoke Marijuana?

A growing number of people are smokingmarijuana out of e-cigarettes, NBC New Yorkreports. Marijuana in liquid and wax formsused in e-cigarettes and vapor pens does notcreate an odor. Because the devices don’tproduce a flame, someone smokingmarijuana in an e-cig can take a puff and thenquickly put it in a pocket.

Law enforcement officials and drug counselors are concerned aboutthe trend, particularly in minors. Last month, the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention (CDC) published a survey that showed use ofe-cigarettes among middle and high schools students doubled from2011 to 2012. The CDC found 10% of high school students had triedan e-cigarette last year, compared with 5% the previous year.According to the survey, 1.8 million middle and high school studentssaid they tried e-cigarettes last year.

“This is a serious concern because the overall impact of e-cigaretteuse on public health remains uncertain,” researchers wrote in the CDCreport. “In youth, concerns include the potential negative impact ofnicotine on adolescent brain development, as well as the risk fornicotine addiction and initiation of the use of conventional cigarettesor other tobacco products.” Once you try electronic cigarettes, youcan become hooked to them, move on to cigarettes, and then moveon to other drugs. E-cigarettes are easily purchased on the Internet.

Important Yearbook information for your 2014graduate

1. Senior Portraits! Your senior portrait for the yearbook must be submitted by Tuesday,Dec 3rd. The photo’s content must be school appropriate and adhereto school dress code. Portraits mustn’t communicate messages. Weprefer you email a wallet sized photo (2 1/2 inch by 3 1/2 inch) at300ppi to [email protected]. You will receive aresponse indicating its safe arrival. If you don’t receive a response, itdidn’t send successfully. Please save the photo by student name theway you would like it to appear in the yearbook. You may also dropoff a digital version of the image to the Yearbook room. You may alsosubmit a photo on a flash drive to the yearbook room. Manyphotographers will send your photo for you, so be sure to ask. If youdon’t submit a portrait of your choice, we will use your student ID

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photo. Mr. Glover, the yearbook advisor, can take your senior photosfree of charge if you’d like.

2. Grad AdsDear Senior Parents, Guardians, and Friends,Imagine a gift for your senior that will be cherished and preserved forlife. Grad Ads provide a unique and great opportunity to celebrateyour student’s accomplishments.

What is included when I buy a Grad Ad?Your Grad Ad is a photo, usually taken as a child (close ups workbest), and a message of 50 words or less. We sold over 100 grad adslast year; don’t be left out!

What does a Grad Ad cost?The price of Grad Ads are only $40. Consider three lines of a car adfor one Sunday's publication in the Startribune is $39.15. For $40 you get a color ad on glossy paper and printed in a hard back bookthat will last a lifetime, and with a circulation of around 1,200. Themoney we make is not for profit but essential for the continuance ofthe program. We're sensitive to all the costs students must bear andstrive to keep things as affordable as possible.

When is the due date of my Grad Ad?Your Grad Ad must be submitted by Tuesday, Dec 3rd 2013. Weunderstand that this is a long time away, but we want to ensure thateveryone who would like to give a grad ad will have time to do so.

How do I order a Grad Ad?1. Enclose a photo in an envelope and deliver it to the yearbook room,B110. Or you can mail it to the address below.

Attn: Steve GloverBloomington Jefferson High School

4001 W. 102nd StreetBloomington MN, 55437

Print your senior’s name on the back side of the photo. You may alsoemail your grad at to [email protected] if that iseasier. We prefer hard copies, but if you choose to email it, make surethat your seniors name is the subject of the email.

2. Enclose a typed message of 50 words or less. Type it as you wouldlike to see it in the yearbook.

3. Enclose a $40 check payable to ISD 271. Only checks written toISD 271 can be accepted.

4. Enclose a self addressed and stamped envelope so we can return

mailto:[email protected]

10/29/13 12:08 PM


your picture.

COR Update

COR (Council of Representatives) is the name of the Jefferson sitecouncil. It is made up of representatives including students, parents,community members, teachers and administrators. This group meetsonce a month to discuss and gather feedback on a variety of topicsrelated to Jefferson. Part of this meeting includes recognizingsignificant contributions that have been made by our students or staffover the past month. We refer to this as “COR Commends.” Below isa list of the COR Commends from our October 15, 2013 meeting:

COR Commends:Chip GrothChip has helped the PTSA transition to a new council after serving aspresident for the last 4 years. Chip also continues to work with theJag E-Wires PTSA email communication system and facilitated thescheduling of dinner for the JHS staff during conferences.

National Merit Scholars:Jefferson had 7 semifinalists for the 2014 National Merit ScholarshipCompetition. These students are: Elizabeth Alonzi, Allison Bramanti,Rilyn Eischens, Alexa Groenke, Emily McGivern, Jonathan Newinski,and Bailey Plaman. Alexander Claycomb and Emma Eckberg wererecognized as Commended Scholars.

PFC (Positive Forces for Change):The PFC group volunteered to help pack food at Evergreen Church inBloomington. This food was sent to kids in Haiti. Studentsparticipating in this event were: Matt Rosen, Charlie Sweeney, KarlOlsen, Pete Knutson, Chris Krammer, Bailey Plaman, Alyssa Henke,Allison Riemersma, Katherine Hird, Maddy Borger-Rhodes, AndraJohnson, Janell Lorton, Erika Beek, and Abbi Monssen.

Jefferson Drumline:Students from the Jefferson Drumline played at the Twins CitiesMarathon to support the Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Cheer Zone. Dave Wallace, husband of Jefferson staff member, Joan Wallace, alsovolunteered his DJ skills and resources to the CTF Cheer Zone. Thecontributions helped the CTF win its fourth consecutive TC MarathonCheer Zone competition. The students participating in this eventwere: Ben Bramanti, Ryan Bredeson, Emily Broomfield, BlakeJohnson, Isaac Kasahara, Carter Koleske, Jake Martin, Tyler Martin,Sam Pertl, Zachary Postler, Sam Rajcula, Claire Schlichting, JuliaSunnarborg, Paul Timm, and John Weatherhead.

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NHS (National Honors Society):NHS students volunteered at the Twin Cities Marathon as raceofficials. There were over 30 students who helped hand out blankets,medals, food, and drinks to the race finishers. The studentsparticipating in this event were: Vincent Levin, Spencer Buchanan,Ruby DeBellis, Jamie Peterson, Lucy Reiber, Kelsey Faulise, ScottRowekamp, Elizabeth Alonzi, Chris Gerhardson, Rilyn Eischens,Meghan Hohenstein, Ashley Qualley, Kelly Anthony, Anna Kosmach,Kaliyan Fricke, Emily McGivern, Hannah Szafraniec, Alexa Groenke,Carolyn Johnson, Caroline Buchholz, Amanda Nguyen, MadelineJohnson, Karina Hayday, Allison Bramanti, Alyssa Leitgen, Geenie(Jiezhen) Kuang, Xiaojing Zeng, Lindsey Werner, Solveig Svendsen,Megan Somers, and Kelvin Luu

Student Council and Connection Choir:Student council coordinated a number of events during homecomingweek including a pep fest, Homecoming Coronation, Powder Pufffootball game, and spirit days. All of this led up to the homecomingdance sponsored by the Connection Choir. All these activities madethis an outstanding and memorable Homecoming Week.

Bloomington Heritage Days Parade:There were a number of Jefferson students in the parade thatrepresented student groups including theatre, athletic teams, and themarching band.

Congratulations to this month’s COR Commendees!!

Jag Quarterly

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TABLE OF CONTENTS November, 2013 From the Desk … the Desk of Kevin Groebner Welcome to the November, 2013, issue of our Jefferson Jag-Quarterly on-line newsletter. Please take time