Thomas Jefferson High School (Alexandria, Virginia)

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Thomas Jefferson High School was a Fairfax County, Virginia public high school that opened in 1964 and closed in 1987.

"Thomas Jefferson Colonials"

School Mascot/Symbol: Minuteman

Location: 38°49'5.37"N 77°10'6.48"W

The school was co-located with the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology from 1985-1987. It stopped accepting new students after 1985 and it merged with Annandale High School for the 1987-1988 school year. No students from Jefferson or TJHSST graduated in 1988. Students who had attended TJ from 1984-1987 graduated from Annandale HS in 1988.

Recollections of a '79-'82 alumni: The school was notable for having a planetarium on campus. The first computer science class - that actually taught programming - Fortran and Basic (unlike most high school computer classes today) started in 1981, the kernel of that course grew to encompass the current TJHSST computer science lab. The school had a first rate automotive shop, electronics shop, library, theater, band hall, and athletic facilities, including tennis courts, baseball diamonds a practice field - used by the marching band and the football teams, and a stadium field and encircling track. The school curriculum was very complete, and included physics, biology, chemistry, astronomy, computer science, earth science, foreign languages including Spanish and French, history, geography, electronics shop, automotive shop, homemaking, advanced mathematics, English, thespian arts, symphonic and marching band, and choir (among others). Sock-hops/dances were held in the cafeteria. During the summer the school provided a student driving course, which at that time used a fleet of pea-green Ford Grand Tourinos that had seen better days. The marching band held band camp in Gettysburg Pennsylvania and in Maryland during this time and competed in a regional band competition in Hershey Pennsylvania.

Annandale HS was Thomas Jefferson HS's arch rival on the gridiron (from TJ's perspective) and in some instances off the field (some school pranks were instigated on both sides by this rivalry). The most common prank along this line was painting messages on a chimney that overlooked the Senior court. Another favorite prank was to let incoming freshmen know about the swimming pool on the roof (which did not exist of course). The most moby prank I can recall was moving the band director's car into an impossible to drive into, or out of location - he was not happy.

While the school has become a magnet school and has won awards that rank it as the best high school in the nation, the tradition of providing a unique educational opportunity was always part of the culture of the school.

[edit] Notable Alumni

• Dave Grohl, musician, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age (did not graduate). Full record: Thomas Jefferson High School, Alexandria: 1983-84 (freshman class vice-president); Bishop Ireton High School, Alexandria: 1984-86; Annandale High School, 1986-87: dropped out. (Note, Grohl is an example of a student in the Thomas Jefferson district who was moved to Annandale High School during the 1986-1987 year after Jefferson closed)
• Scott Norwood '78, NFL placekicker.