Thomas Jefferson School - Review #2

Thomas Jefferson academics are extremely rigorous and are the central focus of the student body and faculty. That said, the school has broadened the variety of extracurricular activities and options over the last few years, especially in the arts.The tiny size of TJ fosters a closeness that would be impossible to replicate in a larger school. With only about a dozen students per class, one really does form friendships with younger and older students. I visit when I am in town and always feel that sense of belonging that I had for the five years I attended there.

My school challenged my mind and my abilities. Spending my adolescence there prepared me for college and beyond. I grew as a whole person and as a scholar, and I enjoyed the process. I became a leader there among my classmates, and that has carried over to college. I stretched my capacity in science, math, English, foreign languages, and history. Now in college, I can choose which subjects to continue, but there I did them all and formed a solid base for further study in any of them.

Switching from public middle school (even in the gifted program) to TJ was a challenge, but the transition was smooth.

I loved the community of my school, the opportunity to learn from the older students at close range, and the chance to take on significant leadership positions of my own. The school is small enough that each student does make a tangible impact on the community.

Visiting the school in person is much more eye-opening than reading about TJ. When you come, a student from the current seventh grade or your grade will be your companion for the morning, and in the afternoon is an admissions test and interviews. It is your chance to see if you will feel at home at TJ. One of my favorite parts of the day was cookie break at 10 am with milk and cookies for everybody. I look back at my years at Thomas Jefferson very fondly.

Teachers at Thomas Jefferson have very high expectations for every student at TJ. I always felt challenged but rarely overwhelmed by the workload. One program unique to TJ is the "Outside Reading" program, which goes year round (even over Winter, Spring, and Summer breaks) and consists of reading about 15 pages of an assigned book, nearly always a novel, five days a week during vacation or four days a week during the school year. Each day, the student must produce a summary of the reading in one paragraph, focusing on grammar, spelling, content, and flow.Exam periods are four times a year for every class. There are many surprise quizzes in most classes. The grading is somewhat harsh but fair. In this environment, students encourage each other to succeed and admire the best students. Teachers are always available to help, and students who do have significant trouble with the work can expect some privileges taken away, such as free time replaced by supervised study halls. By the time of graduation, generally students have taken two years of Latin, two or three of Greek, two of Italian or French, two AP science courses, two AP English courses, AP United States History, AP Calculus, and their choice of a small number of electives. Art classes are weighted at 1/2 an academic course, and ungraded "Athletics" replaces gym class.Students from grades 7-9 take five classes a year (not including art, athletics, or any clubs), and older students take four a year. The classes are 35 minutes each, with every minute used. It is easy to get special help outside of class. Language and science labs, as well as occasional films or field trips, take place outside of class hours.

I appreciated the ability to contribute to the sports teams despite being a beginner. I played for our volleyball, soccer, and basketball teams. TJ is not known for athletics, but the students have fun and enjoy the change of pace. We do compete against other local schools.

Recently the school has been paying more attention to arts; for example there are sculptures displayed on campus. Eighth graders perform a play as part of their English class, and in the last few years students have begun producing an all-school play annually as well.

Because the groups tend to be small, they are exciting environments in which to progress up the ladder. The Student Council has significant power in managing the rest of the student body, such as assisting faculty in certain disciplinary decisions. The groups never overshadow the primary focus on the academics, though many students do invest a lot of time and energy in them.

Day students share space with boarders, which serves to bring the groups closer socially. The dorms are big and airconditioned, with their own bathrooms. Teachers live among students and are incredibly accessible. There are phone lines and internet connections in every room. The faculty makes a special effort to grant roommate requests, and students tend to be reassigned once or twice a year to have a chance to switch roommates or locations.

We eat with teachers at every table, and student 'waiters' (selected on a rotating basis each week) bring the food out to the table and clean up afterwards. Meals are required. Recently a new dining room and kitchen addition were added to the school.

New stores and businesses have been springing up in the area of the school for years. Whereas it was considered remote 50 years ago, St Louis has expanded enough that TJ is now amid plenty of suburban civilization. The school arranges events such as theater going and baseball games, and a hired driver delivers students to malls and other nearby destinations on the weekend.

The school is very small, meaning it is easy to form close friendships and bonds to classmates, teammates, and teachers. When it was time to request college recommendations, I had four or five teachers in mind. Each one knew me well enough to write a well-rounded, in-depth letter about me.