Every Wednesday and Friday afternoon at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, students prove they can be as much like Thomas Jefferson as like pure scientists and tech-whizzes.
The last periods of those days are given over to student-sponsored clubs, and while the requisite physics and math teams remain, offerings also include clubs to exercise the right-brained among the students, too.
Of nearly 200 clubs this year, there’s Classic Rock Appreciation, which includes no geological content, and the Bridge Club — cards, not engineering.
Other clubs contribute to an eclectic learning environment: Knit and Crochet Circle, Teenage Republicans, Swing Dance, and the Shakespeare Troupe. And while the Ocean Science Bowl is a scientific endeavor, a club of concerned young oceanographers painted a girls’ bathroom with dazzling underwater scenes and facts.
Lest anyone have trouble shaking the “Revenge of the Nerds” style stereotypes, the Thomas Jefferson Colonials have made their mark on Virginia high school athletics, too. Last year, boys’ cross-country running won the Virginia state championship, and the girls’ tennis team was the state runner-up. In 2007, boys’ soccer took state, and throughout recent years, swimming, diving and rowing teams have proven formidable.
“The only common thread at TJ is that everyone is quite gifted and talented,” said Nassmah Brooks, last year’s PTSA president.
The schools’ namesake would be proud.
