TJ School News

Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School has released its Middle and Upper School second semester honor rolls.

Students earning High Honors earned at least a 90 average and no more than one grade of B or lower; a student who averages over 90% during a semester and receives more than one B will earn honor roll status but not high honors.

Students on the Honor Roll earned an 80 to 89.9 average. No student may have more than one grade of C or lower to receive honors.

TJ High School High Honor Roll: 9th Grade: Adrianne Elliott     Alexander Oserowsky         Jake Thomas Hockman     Jody Esguerra    Katie Arnold   Rebecca Mae Humphreys    Samantha Bradshaw  Shannon Clark    10th Grade:  Cayla Burnett     Zachary L. Powell     11th Grade:  Adam Joseph Ondo     Catriona Whiteside    Christina (Elise) Watson      David Cornell Evans      Jacob (Jake) Stuppy    Jay Powell  Michael Harris Reinsvold       Rachel Claire McNally    Spenser Thomas Newman   Taylor Alan Barton   12th Grade:  Halley Michelle Riesenmy     Kayleen Rebecca Seidl     Mary Elizabeth Hershewe  Raychel Delamar Glassman   TJ High School Honor Roll: 9th Grade: Allison M Bowen  Dustin Moehr   Gus Stuppy Rachel E. Belcher      Tonia Vu     10th Grade:    Cassandra Zuehlke  Sally Currence William Norton            11th Grade:  Adison Winn    Ali Weil     Amanda Clare Saladin  Camille Cragin  Coleman Bandy Gannon Ewing Jay Powell     Jenny Elizabeth Simpson Ji Yoo     Jordan Stauffer Michael Kory    Rinda Robinson     12th Grade:  Alexandra Elise Bowman  Alex Motch    Cheyenne Morgan Hill    Grant Brennan Oserowsky  Jae Hyeong Yoo  Jamie Renee Knepper  Jessica Lynn Taylor    Mattie Mae Crossland   Raychel Delamar Glassman  Tatianya Piper Scholfield-Johnson  Virginia Jane Geddie

TJ Middle School High Honor Roll: 6th Grade:   John Burnett Kathryn Salmon    Laurel Lown    Lindsay Lindeman  Megan March Suma Ancha    7th Grade: Adelle Kanan    Kaylee Conner    Sanjay Jenkins    Thisbe Scholfield-Johnson   8th Grade: Clayton Woolery   Christopher Saladin Justin Brown Ophelia Chen Victoria Baker   TJ Middle School Honor Roll: 6th Grade: Addison Doran     Charlotte Newman   Christian Atteberry Holley Powell Lindsay Lindeman   Zachary Gilbreth    7th Grade:  Bradley Copeland     Evadne Chimene Rodriguez     Frank Thomas Cascone II Grey Young     Jacqueline Lieurance    Joseph Simpson     Krista Miller     Madelaine Kaye Chotrow    Marisa Gilbreth    Trevor Spriggs Tyler Carter     8th Grade:  Emily Watson     John Bowman       Samantha Mountjoy     Sarah Evans

Congratulations to Madelaine Chotrow for winning the Dr. Arvarh E. Strickland African American History Prize for best documentary on African American History in the entire state of Missouri at the State National History Day Contest in Columbia.

"So This is the Little Lady Who Started This War?" Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Contribution to the Start of the American Civil War: (Windows Media Player)

Congratulations to the TJ Middle School academic bowl team on finishing in 1^st place for the year. 

 The TJ team took 1^st place in the tournaments for language arts, history, science and math, and finished 2^nd place in the recent humanities tournament.

Pictured (left to right): Thisbe Scholfield-Johnson, Adelle Kanan, Madelaine Chotrow, Chris Saladin, Lindsay Lindeman, Justin Brown, Suma Ancha, Sanjay Jenkins, John Burnett, Clayton Woolery, and Bradley Copeland.  (Trevor Spriggs is also a member of the team, but was not available for this picture.)

Congratulations to the TJ boys basketball team on the district championship win against Rich Hill Saturday. 

 See the Joplin Globe article here. 

Congratulations to the six TJ students who qualified to go to the state National History Day contest in Columbia. They were:

• 1^st Place Junior Group Exhibits - Thisbe Scholfield Johnson, Adelle Kanan and Jacqueline Lieurance, whose exhibit was titled “We Don’t Live Nowhere” Charles Loring Brace, the Orphan Trains and the Children’s Aid Society
• 1^st Place Junior Individual Documentaries – Madelaine Chotrow, whose documentary was titled “So This is the Little Lady Who Started This War?” Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Contribution to the Start of the American Civil War
• 2^nd Place Junior Individual Documentaries – Sanjay Jenkins, whose documentary was titled “Worth A Dozen Atom Bombs” Rudolf Roessler: The Spy Who Caused the Fall of Hitler 

• 2^nd Place Historical Papers -- Justin Brown,whose paper is titled “Our Little Doctor” Joseph Goebbels and the Brainwashing of a Generation of Germans

• Congratulations also to our finalists who placed in the top six in their category. They were:

  • Finalist in Junior Individual Exhibits – Grey Young whose exhibit was titled “The Life Cycle and the Water Cycle are One” Jacques Cousteau and Ocean Exploration 
  • Finalist in Junior Individual Exhibits – Trevor Spriggs whose exhibit was titled “A True Spy” William Stephenson: Codename INTREPID

Congratulations also to all of the following students for winning the Museum Heritage Award and for being invited to place their projects on display before the public from March 7-22 at The Joplin Museum Complex. All of the projects -- with the exception of the state qualifiers -- are already on display at the museum. They were:

• Museum Heritage Award – Thisbe Scholfield Johnson, Adelle Kanan and Jacqueline Lieurance whose exhibit was titled “We Don’t Live Nowhere” Charles Loring Brace, the Orphan Trains and the Children’s Aid Society
• Museum Heritage Award – Grey Young whose exhibit was titled “The Life Cycle and the Water Cycle are One” Jacques Cousteau and Ocean Exploration
• Museum Heritage Award – Krista Miller, Evadne Rodriguez and Madison Fitzpatrick whose exhibit was titled “Deeds Not Words” Alice Paul and Women’s Suffrage
• Museum Heritage Award – Joe Simpson whose exhibit was titled “Walking through the Fire” Don Haskins and the 1966 Texas Western Miners
• Museum Heritage Award – Marisa Gilbreth whose exhibit was titled “Out of the Woman’s Sphere” Amelia Bloomer and Women’s Rights
• Museum Heritage Award – Brad Copeland whose exhibit was titled “Black Moses of the West” Moses Fleetwood Walker and the Color Line in Baseball

Click the images below to view Award-Winning TJ Student Documentaries:

Sanjay Jenkins:
“Worth A Dozen Atom Bombs” Rudolf Roessler: The Spy Who Caused the Fall of Hitler.
(Windows Media Player)

Madelaine Chotrow:
"So This is the Little Lady Who Started This War?" Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Contribution to the Start of the American Civil War.
(Windows Media Player)

 

A Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School 8th grader has qualified to participate at the state level of the National Geographic Bee April 3 at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

Clayton Woolery won the Thomas Jefferson local Geography Bee Dec. 4, and if he does well at the state level, he could advance to the national competition on May 19 and 20 at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington D.C.

The final round of the National Geographic Bee, featuring Alex Trebek, will air on the National Geographic Channel on May 20, and then on public television stations.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association notified Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School recently that three of the school’s athletic teams were recognized for scholastic achievement during the fall semester.  The girls tennis team and the boys soccer team received Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Awards, and the girls volleyball team received the Distinguished Scholastic Achievement Award.  To receive the “distinguished” representation, the team had to have a GPA of 3.0 to 3.24.  The TJ girls volleyball team achieved 3.2.  For recognition as “outstanding,” the team’s GPA needed to be between 3.25 and 4.0.  The girls tennis team achieved a 3.6, and the boys soccer team achieved a 3.4.

Three TJ chess players finished in the top 10 in Missouri at the 2008 Grades State Chess Championship Tournament in Columbia Oct. 25. After just two short years, the Thomas Jefferson Chess Team has three players in the top 10 in the state in their respective grade divisions. This is quite an accomplishment considering that two years ago these players didn know much about chess, and that this year they beat or were competitive with many of the best players in the state. Most of these top players were from the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, and many of them are from very well established programs and have been playing chess since their early elementary years. The TJ chess team coach, Scott Johnson, (who also teaches chess as an elective class at TJ) commented, "What is really encouraging is that it is not just one player, but the whole team improves each year. We just had three players move into the top 10 in the state, and it will be great to see what these brilliant chess minds are able to accomplish in the years to come as more of our players move into the top echelons of chess in the state of Missouri.

• Congratulations to Justin Brown for placing 6th place in the 8th Grade division.
• Congratulations to John Burnett for placing 6th place in the 6th Grade division.
• Congratulations to Zac Gilbreth for placing 9th place in the 6th Grade division.

Congratulations to Clayton Woolery (1^st Place) and Katie Arnold (2^nd Place) for earning the top two places in the Odyssey Teen Art Exhibit at The Bridge. The exhibit featured art from 26 students from area schools that was displayed during the Bridge’s Odyssey event Oct. 25.  The winners were announced Nov. 6.  

Congratulations to the Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School Middle School volleyball team on its undefeated season.  The team finished 15-0, and their wins included 1st place finishes in the St. Mary’s tournament in Pierce City and the Trinity Lutheran tournament in Freistatt.  The team, coached by Tom Brumfield, included students in grades 6, 7, and 8.

Pictured:

Back row, from left – Seventh Graders Madison Fitzpatrick, Marisa Gilbreth, Kaylee Conner, Jacqueline Lieurance, Adelle Kanan, Thisbe Scholfield-Johnson, and Evadne Rodriguez.  Middle row, left to right – Sixth graders Charlotte Newman, Kate Salmon, Addi Doran, and Laurel Lown.  Front row, left to right – Eighth Graders Emily Watson and Samantha Mountjoy. 

Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School students participated in the National History Day State Contest in Columbia, Missouri on April 12. 

Thomas Jefferson Eighth grader Siri Ancha placed in the top six in the state out of 545 projects from 78 schools in the Junior Individual Documentary Category with her documentary titled "On the Brink of War: John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis." Click the image below to see the movie:

The evening newscast on KOAM featured our leading-edge technology programs on August 30, 2007.  The story featured students using the Tablet PCs and wireless projectors in a math class, and also featured interviews with students and faculty members.

 Click one of the links below to watch the video:

High Speed Internet Connection

Low Speed Internet Connection

We have all had a special teddy bear or stuffed animal we have turned to at some point in our childhood to comfort us.  Lindsay Gilleland, of Carthage and a fifth grader at Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School has worked hard to make sure all local children have their own special friend to help comfort them. 

Lindsay was honored Friday by the Joplin Kohl’s store with the annual Kids Who Care Award for her project.  She competed against 65 other children ages 6 -14 at the local and regional level and won.  She was awarded a $1,000 college scholarship and the opportunity to compete against 14 children across the United States at the national level.  

Lindsay was recognized for the project she began last summer.  She wanted to collect stuffed animals for local law enforcement to give to children involved in accidents, fires, drug raids and disasters.   When Lindsay’s project began, she placed boxes at various locations such as schools, health centers, and even went to yard sales and asked people to donate their stuffed animals.  Starting with only a goal of 200 a year ago, Lindsay has collected more than 1,700 stuffed animals to date.  

The stuffed animals that Lindsay collected went to the police departments in Carthage, Duquesne, Duenweg, Webb City, Lamar, and both Jasper County and Newton County sheriff’s department.

Kayleen Seidl, a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School and a soprano in the Upper School Vocal Ensemble, has been selected to perform with The Sound of America Honor Band and Chorus when it begins its 2007 European Concert Tour in July. After a rigid applicant screening process, Seidl was chosen to join other select student musicians representing nearly every state in the U.S.

After four days of intensive rehearsal and orientation on the campus of Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA, the group will travel to Frankfurt, Germany on June 29 for the start of a 25-day tour during which they are scheduled to present 10 performances in some of Europe’s concert halls and cathedrals.

The students will experience the cultures of six countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and Luxembourg, visiting the cities of Paris, Venice, Strasbourg, Innsbruck, Stresa, Verona, Rothenburg, Grindelwald, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Lucerne.

Seidl, a vocal student of Janice Saket of Pittsburg, KS, received top ratings at both the district and state levels for vocal solos and was selected for the Missouri District Choir for the past two years. She also participated in musical productions at the Joplin Little Theatre and with Heartland Opera Theatre.

Students who have demonstrated outstanding musical ability and excellent character are eligible to apply for membership in the tour. Membership is open to talented student musicians ages 15-20 who qualify through audition and who receive outstanding character recommendations.

The Sound of America Honor Band and Chorus, celebrating its 31st year in 2007, has received international acclaim for its exemplary success in achieving outstanding cultural relationships with European countries. The Sound of America has been the recipient of letters of commendation from President George W. Bush; former presidents Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush; former Under-Secretary-General to the United Nations Dick Thornburgh; former Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Ridge; and former First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Kayleen Seidl is the daughter of David and Becky Seidl of Joplin.

The evening newscasts on KODE and KSN featured our leading-edge technology programs on June 27, 2007.  The story featured students participating in a Tablet PC/OneNote training session during the Summer Discovery Academy. Also featured was our new safety/security video system, our videoconferencing capabilities, and our convertible notebook/tablet computers.  Jane Cage, of Heartland Technology Solutions, spoke about the benefits technology brings to the classroom. Heartland Technology Solutions helped the school realize the maximum value on its safety/security video system.  

Click one of the following links to watch the video:

High Speed Internet Connection

Low-Speed Internet Connection

Screen shots from the newscast:

The Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School Cavalier Varsity Cheerleaders recently returned from a National Cheerleaders Association summer camp held at Lake of the Ozarks Country Club Spa and Resort Hotel.

The National Cheerleaders Association selects award winners at each camp it administers around the world each summer.   The Thomas Jefferson Cheerleaders received several awards including the technique award.

 Five of the TJ cheerleaders received nominations from the NCA instructors to become  All-American nominees; Captain Elaina Reinsvold, , Martha Falls, Sara Norton, Mattie Crossland, and Cassie Zuehlke .  The All-American nominees status is awarded to cheerleaders displaying superior qualities in certain aspects of cheerleading including leadership, showmanship, and technique. The National Cheerleaders Association recognized and congratulated Elaina Reinsvold, Senior and Captain of the Cavalier Squad, for outstanding accomplishments and selected her as a member of the All-American Team.  Elaina is eligible to perform at the Hula Bowl All-Star Football Classic in Maui, Hawaii in January.

 Thomas Jefferson’s squad was also awarded THE HERKIE AWARD, named for NCA founder L.R. Herkimer and given to the team exemplifying leadership, values, and teamwork.  Cavaliers Coach, Michele Dunker, was recognized during the award’s portion by receiving THE HERKIE AWARD for coaches.  This award goes to the coach that realized best that team unity is the most important aspect of cheerleading.

 The Thomas Jefferson Cavalier Varsity Cheerleaders completed the package by receiving Superior and Excellent Ribbons for the competitions they participated in throughout the week.  They also received the camp spirit stick that is given to the team displaying the most sincere spirit and enthusiasm while at camp.

 Coach Dunker boasts, “I am extremely proud of my girls, they were outstanding and worked so well as a team.”  Members of the squad include; Seniors, Elaina Reinsvold, Martha Falls, Sara Norton; Juniors, Alexandra Bowman, Chelsea Bruto, Mattie Crossland, Layton Jeffries; and Freshman Cassie Zuehlke.

Each year at Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School a high school and middle school student are selected to receive the Head of School Award.  This year, senior Nathan Glassman son of Karl and Cathi Glassman of Carthage was honored with the Upper School Head of School Award and eighth grader, William Norton son of Mark and Trish Norton of Joplin was honored with the Middle School Head of School Award.

The Head of School Award is a distinctive honor in which one student is chosen out of the high school and  one student is chosen out of the middle school.   Glassman and Norton were chosen because they have the following characteristics:  outstanding citizenship at the school; compassion for the school and fellow students; leadership; good academics; all around participation in school activities; and is a mentor to their peers. 

Bill Carter, head of school said, “Nathan Glassman and Will Norton are both outstanding examples of what Thomas Jefferson is all about.  They show integrity, respect, honesty and compassion in everything that they do.  We are proud to have such outstanding students at Thomas Jefferson.”  Both students were awarded with a certificate and plaque at the Honors Day Assembly in May.

DURHAM, N.C. -- For two weeks this summer, the Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) will immerse a group of bright 10th - 12th grade students in the culture and political economy of China through its Field Study program, China: A Leader in the Global Economy. Students will be based in Shanghai, Xian and Beijing.

Elaina Reinsvold, Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, Joplin, MO has been accepted to the 2007 Duke TIP Field Studies Program.  "Im most excited about seeing China and trying to picture it through the eyes of the Chinese," said Reinsvold. "Im a little nervous about the trip because I only know a few Chinese words."

Admission to a Duke TIP Field Study Program is highly competitive as only a small number of students are invited to participate each year. To apply, students submit an application portfolio, which includes transcripts, standardized test scores, essay, resume, and recommendation from a teacher or counselor.

Journeying through the country, students will examine the historical, political and economic factors associated with the development of China in relation to other emerging countries. Although the focus of the course is highly academic, students will also visit sites of cultural and historical significance such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Urban Planning Exhibition, Tiananmen Square, the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum, and the Jade Buddha Temple. Instructors will bring academic relevancy to these and other sites, using them as a basis to study Chinas changing global face.

Duke TIP in China is one of six international field study opportunities offered by Duke TIP. These international programs allow academically talented students to study a variety of disciplines, while also having the opportunity to travel, experience other cultures, and interact with young people from around the world.

Duke TIP is a nonprofit, educational organization that identifies and cultivates the talents of academically talented youth. Since 1980 over 1.8 million students have participated in Duke TIP. The program is sustained by student fees and donations from individuals, corporations and foundations. For more about Duke TIP, call 919-668-9100 or visit www.tip.duke.edu.

Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School has released their Middle and Upper School second semester honor rolls.

Students earning High Honors earned at least a 90 average and no more than one grade of B or lower; a student who averages over 90% during a semester and receives more than one B will earn honor roll status but not high honors.

Students on the Honor Roll earned an 80 to 89.9 average. No student may have more than one grade of C or lower to receive honors.

Middle School students earning high honors are 6^th graders; Justin Brown, Emily Keeter, Samantha Mountjoy, Genevieve Richards, Christopher Saladin, Emily Watson, and Clayton Woolery, 7^th graders; Siri Ancha, Katie Arnold, Samantha Bradshaw, Jody Esguerra, Rebecca Mae Humphreys, Madison Lieurance, Erin Martin, Lauren Meoli, Alex Oserowsky, Kellie Stringer, and Gus Stuppy, 8^th graders; Cayla Burnett, Jessica Hall, Mary Catherine Haynes, and Noah Triplett.

Middle School students earning honors are 6^th graders; John Bowman, Sarah Evans, James Hoff, and Tucker Sharp, 7^th graders; Morgan Butler, Shannon Clark, Alexis Jacobs, Rebecca Martin, Rhiannon Riesenmy, Tosca Scholfield-Johnson, and Al Wilcox, 8^th graders; Sally Currence, Carlie Fitzpatrick, Catherine Howe, William Norton, Cassandra Zuehlke.

Upper School students earning high honors are Freshmen; Camille Cragin, David Evans, Caitlin Hoff, Rachel McNally, Spenser Newman, Adam Ondo, Michael Reinsvold, Jake Stuppy, Elise Watson, and Catriona Whiteside, Sophomores; Alexandra Bowman, Virginia Geddie, Raychel Glassman, Cheyenne Hill, Alex Motch, Halley Riesenmy, Kayleen Seidl. Juniors; Summer Davidson, Martha Falls, Allison Fraum, William Humphreys, Caitlin Miller, Joseph Newman, Elaina Reinsvold, and Stephanie Smith, Seniors; Brendan Checkett, Cragin Currence, Emily Frankoski, Nathan Glassman, Hussain Hassan, Kasey Jackson, Nathan Kinast, William Rhoads, and Mark Silva.

Upper School students earning honors include Freshmen; Coleman Bandy, Taylor Barton, Gannon Ewing, Samantha Kemp, Michael Kory, Katie Martin, Amanda Saladin, Jenny Simpson, Jordan Stauffer, Ali Weil, Adison Winn, and Ji Yean Yoo, Sophomores; Chelsea Bruto, Mattie Crossland, Mary Hershewe, Jamie Knepper, Grant Oserowsky, Seth Rawlins, Tati Scholfield-Johnson, and Jae Yoo, Juniors; Amanda Almich, William Blanchard, Haley Daus, Laura Kemp, Kristina Kory, Carly Luebber, Michael Madden, and Sara Norton and Seniors; Arthur Daus, Carlo Pertoni, Mari Grace Prigmore, Samuel Simpson, Amanda Sprague, Christy Swank, and Matthew Taylor.

The American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) is pleased to announce that Brendan James Checkett, Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, Joplin, MO, has received a 2007 AATF Outstanding Senior in French Award.  This award is made annually to a graduating senior who has demonstrated excellence in the study of French as well as exceptional commitment to the French language and the many cultures where it is spoken.  Recipients must have completed at least three years of French study at the time of graduation and be non-native speakers of French.

Brendan has competed in the National French Contest and has participated in National French Week activities.  He has studied French for three years and is the student of Justine Broberg Boots.

The AATF was founded in 1927 and has as its mission the promotion of the study of French language and French-speaking literatures and cultures at all levels.  We are proud to recognize the achievements of outstanding students and their teachers.  We hope that this award will motivate students to continue their study of French either through a career in teaching or as a complement to any other profession.

Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School tennis team pushed past two St. Louis schools Thursday to claim their first team title as Class 1 State Tennis Champions. The Cavaliers only lost two games all day.  They beat Mary Institute-Country Day School 5-2 in the semifinals and then rolled past John Burroughs, 5-0, in the MSHSAA Class 1 championship at the Cooper Tennis Complex. After early losses Thomas Jefferson rallied to win in the next four games to put them at 4-2 going into the finals.  TJ’s Will Humphreys beat Michael Faucher 6-1, 6-0 and Spenser Newman topped Will McAllister 6-2, 6-2; teammate Matthew Taylor was successful against Wyatt Frost 6-1, 6-0; and David Evans triumphed over Vijit Chouhan 5-7, 6-0, 6-4. In the championship, the Cavaliers put a wide margin between them and the other teams with wins in the top four singles and were unable to complete the No. 5 and 6 singles before the doubles team of Silva and Humphreys absorbed the title with two love sets against Teddy White and Forrest Richmond. Silva defeated White 6-4, 6-4; Joe Newman dropped Cameran Lehman 6-0, 6-3; Humphreys swept Richmond 7-6 6-0; and Spenser Newman beat PIerre Guo 6-0, 6-0.

2007 was the first time that Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School has participated in the National Spanish Exam.  The National Spanish Examination is an online, standardized assessment tool taken voluntarily by over 100,000 of the top Spanish students annually throughout the United States to measure Spanish proficiency and achievement.  There are six cumulative levels of the exam, ranging from introductory to 6^th year Spanish.  Each year’s test builds on concepts learned during the year and in all previous years’ exams.  Students take a 90 minute test comprised of vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and listening comprehension.   While general guidelines are followed, the content of the test changes annually in order to maintain a contest-type environment.

Because this was Thomas Jefferson’s first year participating, the upper levels had to review topics from several previous levels in addition to the standards for the given year.  We are exceptionally proud of the 35 Thomas Jefferson students that received national commendations for their performance on this year’s exam.  That figure represents 53% of our student body.        

The following students received awards:

State /Chapter Awards

Introductory Spanish, level 01: First place, 7^th grade, Siri Ancha , Second place, 7^th grade, Jody Esguerra, Third Place, 7^th grade, Alex Oserowsky

Second Year Spanish:  Fourth Place, 9^th grade, Elise Watson, Seventh Place, 9^th grade, Spencer Newman, Eleventh Place, 9^th grade, Cariona Whiteside

Third Year Spanish: First place, 10^th grade, Kayleen Seidl, Ninth Place, 10^th grade, Jamie Knepper

Fifth Year Spanish:  Fourth Place, Senior, Mari Prigmore

The National Honor Society was founded in 1921. The National Association of Secondary School Principals established the recognition to encourage academic achievement while developing other characteristics essential to citizens in a democracy. These ideals of scholarship, character, service and leadership remain as relevant today as they were in 1921.

At Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, sophomores and juniors are invited to apply for National Honor Society if they have a 90% minimum grade point average for consecutive quarters, that must be maintained in order to maintain their membership. 

During the school year, the National Honor Society members participate in a variety of activities. The students also sponsor many activities throughout the year a few include, fundraisers to help with expenses of children with cancer, they participated in the KOAM Canned Food Drive and Toy Drive, donating over 2,000 cans of food and 200 toys to help families in our area . Students also sponsored a program called “One for Books Drive.” Students raised money and purchased books that were then donated to the Joplin Children’s Center.  Scholastic, which sponsors the book fair, matched each dollar with a book and donated 373 books to centers for needy children nationwide.  Another 450 books were donated by Thomas Jefferson students, faculty and their families and 300 of these books were donated to the Lafayette House and 150 of them were donated to the Turnaround Ranch. 

30 students were inducted at Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School based on the above requirements at a ceremony April 30, 2007.

Juniors: Martha Falls and Stephanie Smith

Sophmores: Alexandra Bowman, Mattie Crossland, Jessie Ferguson, Virginia Geddie, Raychel Glassman, Mary Hershewe, Cheyenne Hill, Halley Riesenmy, and Kayleen Seidl.

Returning members: Amanda Almich, Kristina Kory, Haley Daus, Summer Davidson , Allison Fraum, William Humphreys, Michael Madden, Caitlin Miller, Joe Newman, Elaina Reinsvold, and Carly Luebber.

Joplin, MO – Tyler Fraum a 2004 Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School graduate was elected to be a member of Phi Beta Kappa in his Junior Year at the University of Chicago.  Fraum’s nomination to Phi Beta Kappa in his Junior Year is a particularly significant achievement, since only a very small proportion of the class in invited to join Phi Beta Kappa at this time.  Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest undergraduate honors organization in the United States.  The society has pursued its mission of fostering excellence in the liberal arts and sciences since 1776.

Joplin, MO – Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, Junior Haley Daus won First Place in Biology at the Missouri Academy of Science competition with her project "Countering the Dermatological Defects in Mice Protected Against Adiposity".  Daus got mice that had been genetically altered and as a result the mice could not metabolize lipids (fat).  This means than no matter what their diet, they stay thin.  The down side is that these mice have skin and hair/fur problems as well as eye problems due to little to no lipids. The skin is scaly, they scratch a lot (to the point of bleeding) and their eyes are crusted  - almost shut.  Haleys project included a specialized diet to counter the effects of the missing gene.  She went to State last weekend and competed in the biology division and received a "1" rating and was chosen out of 12 to compete in the finals.  She did not win the final but did win the John Paul Morris award for young women in science. 

Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School announces MSSU Middle School Science Fair winners.  Seventh grader Alex Oserowsky took 1st Place in Physics and the Discovery Young Scientist Award with his science fair project that tested “How extreme temperature affects the strength of fishing line.”  Other winners include; Ninth grader Emily Watson-3rd Place Animal Studies, seventh grader Bradon Dunker-3rd Place Plant Studies, seventh grader Katie Arnold-American Women in Geoscience Award and sixth grader Justin Brown-Most Outstanding Project in Materials Science.

Joplin, MO – The Cavaliers had six players honored in the Ozark 7 All Conference Basketball Team.  Senior, Sam Simpson selected as Player of the Year, Senior, Cragin Currence First Team All Conference, Senior, Nathan Glassman Second Team All Conference, Junior, Summer Davidson was selected for First Team All Conference, Senior Kasey Jackson, Honorable Mentioned and Junior Carly Luebber Honorable Mentioned.  Thomas Jefferson’s Boys Varsity Coach, Cleo Elbert was selected as the Ozark 7 Coach of the Year.  Coach Elbert has been head coach of the Cavaliers for six years with a record of 524 wins.  This year he led the Cavaliers to Ozark 7 Conference Champs.

Only an exclusive eighty nine players in Missouri qualified on the court and in the classroom for a spot on the Academic All-State team. 

Five of those players from Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School will be among the group that is honored on April 15 at the Missouri Basketball Coached Association banquet dinner in Columbia, MO.  Kasey Jackson made the girls team, while Sam Simpson, Cragin Currence, Nathan Glassman and William Rhoads made the boys team.

It is no easy task to receive this honor.  A player must start in 90% of his or her team’s games or played in 75% of the total team quarters played.  Those players must possess outstanding moral character, keep a grade-point average of 3.25 and have a minimum composite score on any of these three standardized tests - 27 on the ACT, 1210 on the SAT or a 185 on the PSAT.