Bloomington Jefferson High School
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| Thomas Jefferson High School | |
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| Established | 1970 |
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| School type | Public |
| Principal | Steven Hill |
| Location | Bloomington, Minnesota, United States of America |
| Students | approx. 1,700 |
| Mascot | Jaguar |
| Colors | Columbia Blue, Silver, and White |
| Website | www.bloomington.k12.mn.us/indschool/TJ |
Thomas Jefferson Senior High School (more commonly known as Bloomington Jefferson High School or Jefferson High School) is one of two public high schools located in Bloomington, Minnesota (located on the city's west side). Named after former president Thomas Jefferson, it was opened in 1970[1] and was the third and final high school to be built in Bloomington. Through 2006, it was the home of the Minnesota High School Speech State Tournament.
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[edit] Athletics
Bloomington Jefferson is part of the Lake Conference in the Minnesota State High School League. The 2000-2001 boys hockey team is the subject of the 2003 book Blades of Glory by John Rosengren.
| State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Tennis, Girls | 3 | 1993, 1995, 1996 |
| Soccer, Boys | 1 | 2004 | |
| Soccer, Girls | 3 | 1980, 1982, 1984 | |
| Cross Country, Girls | 1 | 1999 | |
| Winter | Debate | 1 | 1994 |
| Alpine Skiing, Boys | 5 | 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1992 | |
| Nordic Skiing, Boys | 2 | 1985, 1986 | |
| Hockey, Girls | 1 | 2001 | |
| Hockey, Boys | 5 | 1981, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994 | |
| Swimming and Diving, Boys | 2 | 1980, 1994 | |
| Basketball, Girls | 4 | 1978, 1993, 1994, 1998 | |
| Basketball, Boys | 4 | 1976, 1982, 1986, 1987 | |
| Spring | Tennis, Boys | 2 | 1994, 1996, 1999 |
| Total | 34 | ||
[edit] Notable alumni
- Thomas E. Burnett Jr. - One of the passengers aboard United Flight 93 on September 11th, 2001[2]
- Ben Clymer - Left Wing, Washington Capitals
- Tom Gilbert - Defenseman, Edmonton Oilers
- Ben Hendrickson - Pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers[3]
- Lane Kiffin - Head Coach, Oakland Raiders
- Tom Kurvers - Retired NHL Defenseman, 1984 Hobey Baker Memorial Award Winner[4]
- Mark Parrish - Right Wing, Minnesota Wild
- Toby Petersen - Center, Edmonton Oilers[5]
[edit] Construction and Original Curriculum
Bloomington Jefferson High School was constructed to support a new curriculum offering. This curriculum used a 'mod' 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 canceled sometime in the 1980s, 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.
