TJHSST History

You can often find a posting on facebook indicating where the next Kilroys- Jefferson reunion will be held.  On any given week friends of “Old Jefferson” or Regular Jefferson” , will gather together, at that familiar drinking hole to pay homage to days of old.  Perhaps friends will gather simply out of nostalgia, or unfortunately to celebrate the life of another Jefferson alumnus who has graduated from this world to the next. 

My memories of Jefferson are vast.  I remember the first time I entered the building as a freshmen, nervously walking the halls trying to find my locker for the first time.  I remember the first time I went to a Friday night football game,  sock hop or participated in Spirit Week.  I remember the first of several hundered times of falling in love, getting into fights, or mocking Coach Faulk.  I remember when Ronald Regan came to our school after it was originally post-poned after the space shuttle strategy.  I remember the very first time I put on that Jefferson football jersey and ran onto the field with my teammates.

I remember when we first heard that the school was changing to SCI Tech and that the class of 1987 would be the last “regular” graduating class. 

While I remember these things now, at the time most of us held few thoughts as to what that meant for the future.   We were too bogged down with the parties at Chucks house, trying to graduate, or who we would date next to began to understand the repercussions of what that meant.

We were too self imposed to understand what this decison meant for the class of 1988 who had to merge with our rival school down 236 west.

  As a Father of 3 teenagers, it is only now when I go to watch my son play football at TC Williams does it dawn on me the injustice we “regular Jefferson” were dealt. 

Two years ago I decided to take in a Jefferson Football game.  At that time the sci tech football team had not only lost all their games, but they had not even scored a single point. 

Our football teams seldom faired better, but it never determined the out pouring of students, staff, and community from attending the football games every Friday night.

When I attended the sci tech game the stands were dismally shallow.  The few students who were there we more intrested in tossing footballs behind the bleachers while many of the parents in the stands were there to watch there son play.  There was no community of yesteryear at the game because in 1987 Regualr Jefferson cease to exist.  Gone with it, a sense of community.  

Last season I attended TC wiliams first night game in over 30 years.  The bleachers were standing room only, as alumni from the schools early beginnings were on hand to watch the football game.  There was laughter, tears, hugs, as friends and loved ones gathered at their “ol school”. 

You wanted to write a book about the history of the school.  I think it’s important to understand that the decison makers did a poor job with the merger and eventual takeover.  There was no reason that JHSST had to kill JH all together.  There should have been more of an attempt to bridge the new with the old at least as far as alumni is concerned.  AT the very least, we would could have a place to come home to during Home-Coming.  

Sadly, our reunions are held at Kilroys in Springfield- our surrogate home.

Sean Brown-1987

When I first came to TJ, I was excited to find other nerds and make friends (for a change). Middle school is a period where kids strive to define themselves and build social groups—needless to say, it didn’t go so well for me. In my ‘frosh’ year though, back in 2002, I met several people that carried me through high school, people that I am still close with today.

Jefferson was first place I ever felt at home (Harry Potter and I have something in common), and it was the first place I actually explored my academic interests. In regular public school, the teachers are babysitters first and foremost; bells govern your movements throughout the building and you have to ask an ‘adult’ before doing anything—including using the bathroom! TJ is (or at least was!) completely different. The students were there to LEARN and the teachers actually had an opportunity to teach. Instead of an endless stream of busy-work, the material was engaging, fascinating, and relevant. OK, so not all of it, but it was the first time I ever felt challenged in a classroom. At first, I didn’t meet this challenge with equal enthusiasm, however. Used to floating by in school, I was frustrated by having to truly understand and apply what I was learning to my coursework.

Not surprisingly, the trust between students and faculty was paramount to this whole educational framework. The ability to leave your backpack anywhere, eat lunch in the hallway, and walk around the building without fear of interrogation made us part of a cooperative learning environment, instead of subordinates whose primary purpose is to obey. Over time, “school” transitioned from being something I had to complete for a grade, to something I wanted to experience and explore.

In addition to creating the perfect environment for a great education, this camaraderie defined our pride and school spirit. Jefferson homecoming, for example, was more exuberant and passionate than any event I’ve ever seen, before or since. We were proud to be at Jefferson, proud to be part of this community.

Outside of class, I wanted to get even more involved in this magical place—and there were hundreds of eighth-period activities to choose from. The fall of my first year, I joined the yearbook and threw myself into it completely. Spreads, copy, Jostens, mods, titles, captions, editing, deadlines, interviews… it was my life. Then, in my sophomore year, I started to work in Shakespeare Troupe, another activity that I dedicated days and weeks of life to. And I loved it all.

Of course the key to Jefferson was time management, a lesson that would take me at least two years to master. Once you have that down, however, school, college, life, etc. just becomes easier to chew. At TJ you hear that college is going to be a breeze. I wouldn’t go that far, but if you conquered Jefferson, nothing is impossible. I remember sitting down with my freshman advisor at William and Mary and telling her that I was worried about  taking college-level chemistry. “You went to TJ,” she said, “this will be far simpler.” Five years later (I took the scenic route), and I’m about to graduate and start medical school at Mount Sinai in Manhattan. TJ, I couldn’t have done it without you.

I received an e-mail in regard to a project involving a book about my high
school, TJHSST.  I hope some of the following will help you in your project.

I graduated in the 4th class, in 1992.  I was there when Bobby Koo (sp?)
designed the infamous sculpture with the triangles and circles, and the
seated man.

I applied to the school when none of us really understood what TJ was or
would become.  I had straight A’s in middle school, won my school’s science
fair, placed 9th in the District Spelling Bee . . . and was waitlisted for
TJ.  The level of competition for those 400 freshmen slots was staggering.
I knew I wanted to be a part of the school because at that time, I wanted to
be a doctor.  The science labs and technological facilities were unlike
anything in Fairfax County.

I was accepted at the school a few weeks before the school year began, and
breathed a huge sigh of relief.  I was eager for the challenge, and when we
attended our first technology course, Principles of Technology, we gave it
the affectionate nickname “POT class.”  The administration wasn’t too
thrilled with us nicknaming our class after drugs, so they changed the name,
the following year.

The school gave us an enormous amount of freedom.  Often, instead of eating
lunch in the classroom, I would join a group of friends in the hallway of
the music department.  As long as we cleaned up after ourselves, no one
cared where we ate lunch.  Outside, in the senior lounge, in a stairwell-it
wasn’t an issue.  Every two weeks, we’d sign up for our 8th period class and
I took offerings such as German Club, Chorus, or sometimes we used the time
to work on projects or technology labs.

The senior pranks were legendary.  One year, there were pennies covering the
floor of the senior lounge.  Another year, someone put a toilet under the
metal sculpture man in front of the school, complete with a roll of toilet
paper.  During our year, someone put up several trash cans on the roof of
the school with the legendary homage to MC Hammer:  Can’t Touch This.  There
was also a plastic inflatable child’s swimming pool on the roof outside a
Humanities classroom, and the seniors had a pool party.  When we graduated,
we each had a marble in our palm to give to Geoff Jones for when he shook
our hands.  Eventually a teacher came by and collected them, but it was fun
while it lasted.  If anyone was ever punished for the pranks, we never found
out about it.  The administration took our humor with a grain of salt, and
it made the environment fun-a place that appreciated creativity instead of
trying to suppress it.

Dale Rumberger was our vice principal for a few years and was well loved by
many students.  He used to come on the afternoon announcements with an
impression of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.  We usually listened to the
announcements, because he would come up with clever quips such as, “Can you
say cancelled practice, boys and girls?  I thought you could.”  He also
would come to our sports events, and he knew the names of most of the
students in the school.

The academic course load at TJ was challenging, the students were
exceptional, and the teachers demanded the best we could give.  It wasn’t
just a school about science and technology.  We re-enacted Shakespeare’s The
Taming of the Shrew in our Humanities class, with small groups each
performing a scene from the play.  We wrote PPP’s (Potentially Publishable
Papers) in English.  We all had to take Typing during Freshman year (one of
the most useful classes I’ve ever taken in my life), and we learned to write
lab papers that incorporated every aspect of an experiment (In fact, during
an Astronomy class at the University of Notre Dame, my professor remarked
that it was the best lab paper he’d ever seen from a freshman student).
College science courses were a cake walk, compared to the grueling
environment of TJ.  When it finally came time for me to choose a tech lab
for my senior project, I abandoned science and chose the television studio
with Ed Montgomery, helping to produce our school show, which was broadcast
once per quarter.

I was immersed and saturated with every form of science and technology.  It
was exactly what I needed, because I learned that my career path didn’t lie
in science.  Yes, I could make B’s in chemistry and physics, but I wasn’t a
natural at it.  I had to work harder, just to be average, and that didn’t
appeal to me.  Instead, my years at TJ fostered a love of writing and helped
me to find the right career path.  Although my counselor, Vicki Doff,
advised me to “get a day job” while I was writing, I eventually achieved my
goal of becoming a published author (after teaching English and History at
my “day job” for eleven years).

Looking back, do I regret attending a science and technical school?  Not at
all.  The most important lessons that I learned there, still serve me today.
I learned that persistence and hard work are often more important than
natural ability.  There will always be someone smarter than you, not just in
school, but in life.  And though you’ll forget about why in the world you
ever needed to learn how to program computers with Pascal, the friendships
you forge will be there, long after the academic memories have faded.

I’ve published ten books and five novellas, all historical romance
(8 full-length books have been released, and the next two are scheduled for
March and August 2011).  My website has all of the titles and release dates
here: http://www.michellewillingham.com/books. 

They’re available in stores during the release month (my last book,
SURRENDER TO AN IRISH WARRIOR was in Wal-Mart, Borders, Barnes & Noble, etc.
in September.  I attached a book cover for reference.).  After that, they
are available online at Amazon or online book retailers for the next 6
months or so, and on Kindle or e-book format indefinitely.  Harlequin
releases the books in a similar manner to magazines, so although the shelf
life is limited, there’s good distribution.  I’ve been lucky enough to have
the books translated into 12 languages at last count, so it’s a little
bewildering to think that people around the world have read my romances.

When will your book be released?  I’m interested in hearing more about it.

-Michelle Willingham
www.michellewillingham.com
Surrender to an Irish Warrior – Harlequin Historical – September 2010

I’ll leave you with a cheer we used to chant at football games:

TJHSS&T, that’s who we are, that’s who we be.
We hit ‘em high, we hit ‘em low
Our GPA is 4.0

Best wishes, and good luck with your book!

-Michelle Willingham, class of ‘92
www.michellewillingham.com
Surrender to an Irish Warrior – Harlequin Historical – September 2010
Claimed by the Highland Warrior – Harlequin Historical – May 2011

Ms. Stegall

I’m sending you these thoughts as requested in a recent mailing from the TJ Alumni Association.  I was a TJ student from 1999-2003.  While there, I was mostly interested in math, computers, and Physics.

1. How were you selected for the school? Why did you apply to be a part of this school? What were your feelings when selected?

I applied because I had heard from teachers, parents, and friends that it was a good school.  I wanted to be in an academically challenging environment, and TJ was the best place for that.

1. What common bonds do you recall feeling among teachers, students, administrators?
2. Describe the students or staff in your day. Were they different from students or staff you previously experienced?

They were a mix.  Some of the teachers I could imagine teaching at a non-magnet school.  Others (e.g. Dr. Dell and Dr. Sachs) could only have taught at TJ–either because only TJ could cope with their idiosyncrasies or because only at TJ would their talents be fully utilized.

The quality that most distinguished the students at TJ from my previous experience was motivation.  They had the same interests (academics, sports, trivia, etc.) as students elsewhere, but pursued those interests with more vigor and determination.  The most cutting critique of a TJ student was to call one a “slacker.”

1. What were the most exciting things about those days?
2. Share some of your favorite stories of those days.
3. What challenges, problems, etc., do you recall from those years?
4. Recall a most cherished memory.
5. Was there ever a time when you regretted your decision to be a part of this school?

No!

1. Describe the background against which your experience with TJHSST began?

Before TJ, I had gone to a private religious elementary school and a public middle school (Frost).  There were limited extracurricular opportunities (e.g. the MathCounts program).  I was surprised and pleased by the variety of 8th Period activities at TJ.

1. Describe the academic environment you knew.
2. What do you feel was the nucleus of the imaginative concept of TJHSST?
3. Has the vitality of TJ always been a constant? Was it there for your years? How was it evidenced?
4. When did TJ begin to feel like a school – your own school? Describe that feeling.
5. How would you describe the temporal, demographic and sociological aspects of TJ students?
6. Has behavioral permissiveness been at TJ since the beginning?

I don’t know about the beginning, but TJ had a permissive atmosphere the whole time I was there.  As long as it was outside class and not violent, the students did as they pleased.  I think the permissiveness was more useful to the teachers.  From my observation, they did not feel limited by any curriculum or expectation of reservedness, but instead told us like it is or at least the way they thought it was.  I remember Ms. Gecan shouting “Sex! Sex! Sex! Sex!” just to get our attention.  Dr. Dell’s bowling ball suspended over one of the desks perhaps carried permissiveness a bit too far.

1. Has there always been a sense of challenge in the school for the students? How was it evidenced?

Yes.  Most of the teachers tried to challenge us and prepare us for the next level rather than just giving us the minimum needed to pass or graduate.  Mr. McFaden gave us his Genetics Problem That No Freshman Has Ever Solved.  I worked on it for hours (and still got it wrong).  Students were encouraged to participate in competitive 8th Period activities, not just study halls or entertainment activities.

1. Did you feel from the beginning that you were a part of something very special? Do you think other students, teachers or parents felt that way?

Yes!  I think it was my first day at TJ Mr. Stueben gave us a speech about a man getting his hands chopped off in a book bindery.  I don’t remember what the reason was, but I certainly knew this place was going to be special.

1. How strongly was science, math, technology emphasized in the beginning?

It was strongly emphasized from the time I was there.  My freshman year I took 1 math class, 1 computer science class, 1 “technology” class (as part of IBET), and 1 biology class.  On top of that I was involved in math and computer science 8th Period activities.

1. Did you ever sense a feeling of competitiveness among students?

Yes.  I think it was healthy.  We competed against our own expectations and against each other, but it was a healthy, friendly competition.  For example, during the math team ARML practices, we helped out (with teaching, explaining solutions, etc.) the younger and less experienced students even though doing so could have hurt our own chances of being on the team.  Even though we all wanted to win, it was more important to learn and understand.  Competition motivated us, but didn’t control our actions.  I don’t remember any instance of a student refusing to help because it might compromise his own relative standing.

1. Recall stories about early students, staff.
2. The school building was never equipped to handle the school that was/is Jefferson. Did you feel this? How or why not? Does the building help or hurt our school?

I’m not sure the building hurt TJ, but it did limit it.  Some of my Health and Driver Education classes were in a trailer.  The whiteboards in the Optics/Modern Physics classroom never worked properly.  One year (my Junior year I think) most of the ceiling tiles in one wing of the building were removed for renovation.  It certainly gave the school a run-down feeling.

1. What would you tell people was the most important thing about the years you were here and about the existence of TJ in general?

TJ is an existence proof for our education system.  It is possible to make a school where every student (with a little bit of effort) can get a good education in a broad range of subjects.

1. The first students were described as the first real risk takers. Do you agree? If so why and if not why not?
2. With what you know of TJ now are you pleased with how the school is evolving?
3. What do you envision for TJ’s future?
4. How has being a part of this school influenced your life?

I can’t imagine my life without TJ.  I learned so much in such a short time.

Immanuel Buder
TJHSST Class of 2003

First of all I’d like to apologize for the untimeliness of this response.  As you know you caught me in the middle of some pretty time-intensive moments of activity within my career.  Thank you for you patience and understanding, and thank you for your interest in me and my career!  

I do plan to sing at the 25th anniversary celebration.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I was on location in the area shooting for a Geico commercial that wrapped early last fall and, as horribly sleep-deprived as I was, I couldn’t resist the chance to stop by TJ since I was so close.  I only intended to say for 20 minutes or so (just long enough to see which of my teachers were still inspiring the future of our country) but I ended up staying for the entire school day reminiscing, talking with current students…I even sat in on a choir class and sang a few pieces with them.  Call me lame but that was a great day for me.  Running into Pat Groves is what sparked my involvement in the 25th anniversary ceremony.

 You’ve posed some great questions.  I’ll answer them in the same order and I’ll try to stay on topic, to make it easier for you:

1.   My best memory of TJ is the love I felt in the music wing.  My choral experience at TJHSST is one that guided and shaped my life in ways that I will probably never fully appreciate.  I still keep in close contact with Laura Edelbrock, who was the choral teacher during my time at TJ, and many of my fellow ‘TJ Singers‘ in any way possible:  telephone, skype, aim, facebook, carrier pigeon…you get the idea.  There are so few people on the planet who truly understand what its to attend TJHSST.  That level of interconnectedness and, dare I say, intimacy is very hard to duplicate.

3.  Post-TJHSST I have sung every day of my life.  I have made an effort live each day to the fullest giving nothing but my very best, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.  Vocationally (and in no particular order) I have spent time as a Middle School and High School teacher (Chorus and Math – Go Figure!), an Opera Singer, a vocal instructor/vocal coach, an actor (stage, film, and tv), a recording artist, an audio engineer, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten a host of other hats I’ve worn since the mortar board I wore with my class in the Spring of 2000.  Most recently, one of the tracks I co-engineered for Chris Brown was nominated for a Grammy Award.  This past weekend I was in Los Angeles for all of the surrounding galas, celebrations, meetings, seminars, PARTIES and ceremonies surrounding the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards which was broadcast live on CBS at 8pm on Sunday, February 13, 2011.  It was my first time being such a part of the biggest night in music and I am making it a high priority to attend next year as well.

4.  No.  I went to TJ when the ‘Visions’ program was still in effect.  It ended while I was there or soon thereafter.  ‘Visions,’ and please check these facts because it’s been forever since I ‘knew this stuff,” but it was a program for 100 of the best/brightest african-american and hispanic 8th graders in FCPS.  We were bussed to TJ weekly to experience classes, seminars and lectures geared to our age-level but in the effort to leave us with an understanding of the rigor that would be required at TJ.  A way to let us see for ourselves whether we could handle such a program, whether we wanted to be part of such a program, and that (in the case of most) such a program even existed!  TJ was a mystery to many people at that time.  As a result, when I entered TJ I had a strong network of fellow minorities.  Personally, however, I have always surrounded myself with as much diversity as possible.  Homogeny is boring.  I never felt “black at TJ,” per se.  I just felt like I was at TJ.

1.  How were you selected for the school? Why did you apply to be a part of this school? What were your feelings at being selected?

I remember thinking getting into Jefferson was a big deal.  But it turned out to be a bigger deal than I thought it would be.  I underestimated the difference in quality of education and culture that Jefferson would provide for me compared to my base school.  Since then, I believe the reverse has come to be true: students overestimate the difference between Jefferson and their base schools, and take admission to the school as a life-or-death result.

1. What challenges, problems, etc do you recall from those years?

We used to do block-scheduling only two days per week (even periods on Wednesday, odd periods on Thursday).  Thinking back on it, blocking must have been a relatively new innovation, because teachers did not utilize the long class time particularly well.  Instead, they usually took two 45-minute lesson plans and put them together.  Because of that, in fact, most teachers gave a 5-minute break in the middle of their block period.  Now, teachers are accustomed to block scheduling and plan their lessons accordingly.  I know very few teachers who routinely plan 90-minute lectures for block periods, which was a common occurrence when I was a student.

1. Was there ever a time when you regretted your decision to be a part of this school?

This should come as no surprise, as I have chosen to return to Jefferson for my career, but no.  To this day, I believe that I would’ve been miserable if I had gone to Langley.  Coming to Jefferson as a student was the 2^nd-best decision I ever made.  Coming to Jefferson as a teacher was the best.

1. How would you describe the temporal, demographic and sociological aspects of TJ students?

The Jefferson student population was much more diverse in the early 90s than it is today, in nearly every way.  I looked through my own class in my freshman yearbook, and counted a total of 75 students who were either African-American or Hispanic.  Today’s classes have fewer than 10.  We were also more economically diverse, with many more students who worked jobs after school.

Today, the competition to get into Jefferson is very intense, and none but the very best academic students make it.  However, it is not the academic abilities of the students that has changed so much, but the priority placed on academics by the students.  Today, students consider grades and test scores as the most important things in their lives.  When I was a student, I did have many classmates like this, but I also had classmates whose highest priorities were drama, or sports, or music, or art.  I specifically remember one student from the class of 1992 who candidly told me that he came to TJ because he knew he could not make the starting lineup for the basketball team at Robinson, but figured he could at Jefferson.  There are far fewer of that type of student at TJ now, but they are the ones who are the most fun to teach.

1. What would you tell people was the most important thing about the years you were here and about the existence of TJ in general?

There are many who believe that Northern Virginia would be better served if TJ were abolished and its students sent back to their base schools.  They argue that TJ students would serve as examples and inspire other students to work harder.  Personally, I think the single greatest element of my high school experience was being around other gifted students.  I learned as much from them as I did from my textbooks or teachers, and I could never have gotten the same experience from a base school. 

As for the criticism, asking students who would otherwise have gone to TJ to remain at their base schools and serve as inspiration to others is asking them two very difficult things: first, to sacrifice their own quality of education for the greater good (if it is even that), and two, to succeed in inspiring other students, when a population of professional educators have failed to do so.  This would be placing both high expectations and a great burden on our students.  Most adults would be flatly unwilling to make this sort of sacrifice, so it is truly unfair to expect a small group of teenagers to do so.

1. With what you know of TJ now are you pleased with how the school is evolving?

I think TJ is becoming a victim of its own success.  In the beginning, students came to TJ without grand expectations for what TJ could do for them.  Rather, they came merely to be around other gifted students, because that would raise the quality of their own education.  But once those students saw tangible benefit to TJ, which came in the form of college admissions, prestigious jobs and internships, high starting salaries, etc., those tangible results have become the motivation for students to attend.  Today, students and their families focus more on how their student is progressing on the path to these tangible definitions of success, rather than on the joy and discovery that takes place simply by living in this environment.  Every year, I wish TJ were not named the #1 high school by US News & World Report, because it might begin to shift focus away from those tangible results, and return to the school the feeling of an institution of learning, rather than a factory whose primary product is affluence.

How is life different for you as a TJ teacher?

I first wanted to be a teacher when I was eight years old and thought I could do a better job than my third-grade teacher.  But as I grew up, I was highly conscious of my own good fortune.  I was able to attend an Ivy League university, after attending the best high school in the country, and I felt like I needed to produce results that were commensurate with these beginnings.  So, rather than become a teacher, I took a high-paying job as a defense contractor.  I was doing very well, financially, at the job, but I wasn’t very happy.  I never worked more than 40 hours a week, but I felt bored when I was there, and bored when I wasn’t.  It took me an hour to fall asleep at night.  It finally dawned on me that I was unhappy because my job wasn’t making any difference in the world besides in my banking account.  After such a privileged beginning to my life, I knew that I was expected to be a success, but I had poorly defined what success was.  Society had invested in me for a reason, and they expected a return on that investment.  They wanted me to make a difference for them, not just for me.

After a project that I had been working on for four years got cancelled, I realized that there was a chance my entire defense contracting career could amount to nothing that ever helped anyone.  The same week the project was cancelled, I called George Mason to inquire about enrolling in their teacher education program.  One year later, I was working at Jefferson.  I work roughly 85-90 hours per week, for maybe 50% of what I would’ve been earning had I stayed in the world.  I am infinitely happier.  I cannot recall the last time I felt bored.  The last day I woke up and didn’t want to go to work was my last day at my old job.  And it takes me maybe five minutes to fall asleep.  In short, this is my dream job, and I cannot imagine ever leaving.

What stands out to me about TJ is that a truly special environment was created by putting a bunch of smart, motivated students together. Students were free – and even encouraged – to pursue academic interests without fear of derision or being labeled “nerds.” I specifically recall that we held a Trivial Pursuit tournament in the locker room before our final football game of the season our senior year. Was that a nerdy thing to do? Of course. But we loved it and we didn’t feel bad for it – and we beat Paul VI pretty handily anyway!

There was a resonance of sorts that happened as students worked together, shared ideas, and pursued interests – it was a truly exothermic experience. When faced with the challenge of managing all of this energy, the administration treated us like adults, affording us privileges not granted to many of our peers at our base schools. The result was a mutual respect and a feeling of empowerment. I developed a sense that anything is possible during my years at TJ and that feeling persists today.