The TRHS Staff would like to welcome all of our new teachers! Please get to know them by clicking on the staff links. We're especially excited to announce that we will now also offer American Sign Language in addition to Spanish and French. Our new ASL teacher is Mrs. Kari Knutson.

Mrs. Knutson has been teaching American Sign Language (ASL) at different schools since 2001 and has also worked as a counselor for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. She is a proud graduate of Gallaudet University in Washington, DC and is passionate about ASL and helping people learn more about Deaf Culture. She is teaching ASL Level 1 this year and is very excited to be able to offer this class at ThunderRidge. You can reach Kari Knutson at 303-387-0771 ext. 62160 or by email at Kari.Knutson@dcsdk12.org.

The Mission of the TRHS Foreign Language Department

We believe American students must become proficient in a foreign language in order to participate in an increasingly global society. To this end, students must develop linguistic and cultural diversity in preparation for their role as world citizens.

We believe that studying a foreign language provides measurable benefits and should be offered to any motivated student, regardless of their age or predetermined academic ability.

Foreign Language students must demonstrate proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing. These skills will be practiced in a cultural context, in realistic situations, within the scope of the classroom, thus enabling meaningful and appropriate communication in the target language. Ultimately, we will provide the necessary tools for our students to successfully interact with native speakers.

As nations become increasingly interdependent, we encourage our students to take responsibility for their learning beyond the classroom. Therefore, we encourage our community to be active participants and responsible partners in the education of youth.

Site created by Kiffany Lychock. Last updated on September 17, 2007 .

Questions or comments: Kiffany.Lychock@dcsdk12.org