Our school

Thomas Jefferson Middle School Mission Statement:

Students and Staff create a culture of academic excellence and lifelong learning through the development of positive relationships, trust and collaboration.

Thomas Jefferson Middle School believes that:

• We must over-teach and under-assume when working with students
• An enhanced and engaging educational experience will develop the intellectual, emotional, social and physical growth of all students
• An essential goal of education is the development of independent learners who will be curious and open to new experiences, opinions, and ideas throughout their lives
• Our school will embody the values and aspirations of our community
• Respect for the diverse beliefs and ideas of others is paramount to our school culture
• Students will gain the confidence needed for success by learning and using self-advocacy skills

Our mission and beliefs are supported by: 

Students who
1. Come to school prepared to learn
2. Are committed to the development of a growth mindset
3. Are active participants in their own learning through self-reflection and self-improvement
4. Recognize their individual role in creating a safe learning environment for all students

Teachers who
1. Support and encourage students to reach their full potential
2. Maintain high academic standards in the classroom
3. Are dedicated to creativity and effective delivery of curriculum
4. Are consistent in teaching and enforcing Tier 1 behavior expectations
5. Recognize the individual learning styles and needs of each student.
6. Demand rigor and critical thinking in all courses

An administration who
1. Is visible and actively involved with staff and students
2. Commits to consistent communication and listening
3. Demonstrates care and concern for students balanced with a strong, clear and consistent discipline policy
4. Is committed to rigor in the classroom based creativity and variety in delivering effective programs
5. Facilitates and encourages collegial collaboration

Parents who
1. Are committed to maintain communication between home and school
2. Provide the proper home environment and encouragement for students to reach their full academic potential
3. Work to build a bridge between the school and the community

Thomas Jefferson Middle School opened in fall 2004 to ease overcrowding at Alki and Gaiser middle schools. Local voters helped fund construction of the new school by approving an $87.7 million bond measure in 2001. The opening coincided with the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which was commissioned by the school’s namesake.

With capacity for 880 students, the school housed only sixth- and seventh-graders during its inaugural year. Fifth-graders from the next-door Felida Elementary School also attended Jefferson while their school received additional classrooms and a new gymnasium and commons. Today, the school serves sixth through eighth grades.

September 2004: Fort Vancouver High School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Vancouver School of Arts and Academics are chosen to receive $5,000 grants to create artwork for the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark’s expedition. Part of the Confluence Project, the student artwork will complement seven works of art by Maya Lin.

October 2008: Katie Hebner, choir teacher at Thomas Jefferson and Alki middle schools, is one of nine teachers honored at Washington’s 2009 Teacher of the Year ceremony. She is Regional Teacher of the Year for the ESD 112 region.

Fall 2014: The school’s girls’ cross-country team is named the September/October Team of the Month.

March 2016: Teacher Ann Medellin is named the 2016 Outstanding Music Educator by the Washington state chapter of the American String Teachers Association.

April 2016: Teacher Patrick Mongrain receives a $2,500 Thank America’s Teachers grant. Mongrain is one of 60 teachers selected from among approximately 2,000 applicants.

May 2016: TJMS is one of the top-performing schools in Clark County’s plastic film wrap collection challenge.

June 2016: Two eighth-grade environmental science classes make water quality monitoring and education a priority.

October 2016: Jefferson’s efforts earn the school a spot in a Clark County Green Schools video.

December 2016: Teacher Leslie Roth earns National Board certification.

February 2017: Vancouver voters vote yes on a bond measure to provide funding to upgrade Jefferson and every school in the district.