Bloomington Jefferson High School

Thomas Jefferson High School
Address
4001 West 102nd Street
Bloomington, Minnesota 55437
United States
Coordinates 44°49′04″N 93°19′53″W / 44.8179°N 93.3313°W / 44.8179; -93.3313Coordinates: 44°49′04″N 93°19′53″W / 44.8179°N 93.3313°W / 44.8179; -93.3313
Information
Type Public secondary
Established 1970
Principal Jaysen Anderson
Number of students 1,680
Color(s) Columbia Blue, Silver, and White
              
Athletics Metro West Conference
Nickname Jaguars
Website http://jhs.bloomington.k12.mn.us/

Thomas Jefferson High School is one of the two high schools in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA Independent School District No. 271. It is located at 102nd Street and France Avenue on the suburb's southwest side. About 1,600 students attend in grades 9 through 12. The mascot is a Jaguar.

Jefferson was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the US Department of Education in 2009, although the school has had a solid academic reputation within the state for some time.

In 2010, after many years in the Lake Conference, both Bloomington Jefferson and Bloomington Kennedy became founding members of the South Suburban Conference sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League. League activities include athletics, academic teams, drama, and music. The other high school, John F. Kennedy located at 98th Street and Nicollet Avenue, and Jefferson are cross town rivals.

Activities and athletics

Bloomington Jefferson is a member of the Metro West Conference in the Minnesota State High School League. The school had been a member of the Lake Conference from its opening until it left to become as a founding member of the new South Suburban Conference in 2010. The school then left the South Suburban Conference in 2014 to become as a founding member of the new Metro West Conference.

The 2000-2001 boys hockey team is the subject of the 2003 book Blades of Glory by John Rosengren.

State Championships

Minnesota State High School League State Championships
SeasonSportNumber of ChampionshipsYear
FallCompetition Cheerleading, Girls42006, 2013, 2015, 2016
Cross-Country Running, Girls11999
Soccer, Boys12004
Soccer, Girls31980, 1982, 1984
Tennis, Girls31993, 1995, 1996
WinterAlpine Skiing, Boys51983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1992
Basketball, Girls41978, 1993, 1994, 1998
Basketball, Boys41976, 1982, 1986, 1987
Debate11994
Hockey, Boys51981, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994
Hockey, Girls12001
Nordic Skiing, Boys21985, 1986
Swimming and Diving, Boys21980, 1994
SpringTennis, Boys31994, 1996, 1999
Minnesota Boys Scholastic Lacrosse Association State Championships
SpringLacrosse, Boys22000, 2003
Total39

Principals

  • Dr. Robert H. Smith 1970-1985
  • Dr. Kent Stever 1985-1996
  • John Bianchi 1996-1998
  • Lyle Odland 1998-2002
  • Steven Hill 2002-2013
  • Kevin Groebner 2013–2016
  • Jaysen Anderson 2016–Present

Notable alumni

Construction and original curriculum

Bloomington Jefferson High School was constructed to support a new curriculum offering. This curriculum used a Modular Scheduling approach to scheduling, based loosely on a lecture attendance and test attendance policy. Students were required to attend a certain number of class lectures a week, as well as test-times.

This approach called for a number of large 'lecture hall' type rooms, which could be subdivided if necessary.

Due to community outcry, the 'mod' approach was cancelled, beginning with the 1979-1980 school year, leaving a school ill-constructed for a more traditional subject-based classroom. In response, many of the large rooms were repartitioned into smaller class-rooms with thin, somewhat flexible walls. These walls did not block noise well, but created a perception of smaller classrooms, and were in use at least until the late 1990s.

Many of the teachers who came to Jefferson on its inception to be part of the new curriculum stayed on as it transitioned to a more traditional approach.

In 2011-2012 Jefferson switched from a traditional block schedule to a new 6 period schedule on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and 3 periods on Wednesday, and Thursday. This new schedule offers students the opportunity to take early bird classes that commence before school starts, 6:50-7:41.[13]

In the 2014-2015 school year, the school inserted five weeks of a modified block schedule called "Superblock." On Mondays and Tuesdays, students have 3 periods a day, each being two hours long. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, students still have 3 periods, but they are only an hour-and-a-half long and students are released early on these days. Friday follows the normal 6 period day. This schedule is used to accommodate state-mandated testing, such as the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) and MAP exams.[14][15]

Class sizes

  • 1978 - 898
  • 1990 - 432
  • 1994 - 402
  • 2011 - 401
  • 2015 - 420
  • 2016 - 360

References

  1. ↑ Reference for Burnett
  2. ↑ Reference for Crowley
  3. ↑ Reference for Stansberry
  4. ↑ Rina's Homepage
  5. ↑ http://www.stingrayshockey.com/team/roster/?player_id=287
  6. ↑ Reference for Hendrickson
  7. ↑ Minnesota Department of Education
  8. ↑ Hobey Baker Memorial Award
  9. ↑ "Nik Lentz UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  10. ↑ Reference for Clymer, Kurvers, Parrish, and Petersen
  11. ↑ Reference for Smith
  12. ↑ Reference for Trebil
  13. ↑ "Daily Schedule". Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  14. ↑ Superblock Schedule Reference
  15. ↑ Superblock Schedule
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