Elementary News and Updates (09/17/21)

Volunteering and giving to STEM are vital to the success of our school. Our school has a charter that requires a commitment of 30 volunteer hours per family (15 hours per single-parent family).

To make volunteering easy and seamless, please refer to the Volunteering Basics section that will allow you to set up your volunteer account and keep track of your hours. We are extremely grateful for the time and energy donated by STEM parents each year.

Driveline (Earn Double Volunteer Hours):

• Parent supervisors needed during AM & PM Driveline! sign up here. Arrive 5 minutes early to find parking and grab a vest. Extra incentive: Earn double hours ie: log 60 hours in Driveline. (that’s 30 actual volunteer hours). Click here to sign up.

Lunchroom Volunteers:

• A great way to become involved and see our students during their non-learning time. Click here to sign up.

Spartan Afternoon Program:

• A great way to avoid waiting in the afternoon drive-line, and maybe even take your own child home with homework complete. This opportunity is after school and only requires volunteers to monitor students (no tutoring involved). If you are interested, please click here.

TSA Volunteers

To volunteer for TSA or to provide snacks please click here.

A big thank you to Suzanne/Doug Savolainen, our volunteer of the Month for August. Doug has already given 22 hours to our BEST Robotics team.

We appreciate your time so much Suzanne & Doug!

Teachers always need additional supplies throughout the year in order to enhance their students’ experiences. Consider making a donation to a teacher’s classroom by getting something off their Wish List. You can view all of our teachers’ wishlists on our Parent Get Involved page, or by clicking the button below.

If you’re looking for a way to give to STEM, consider donating gift cards for our Staff Prizes. Gift Cards in $5 increments are great for us to use to gift out when we do staff recognitions and games. Please drop gift cards off at either the Elementary or the Secondary Front Office and label it “Staff Prizes.” Thank you!

Both our Elementary and Secondary Offices are always in need of donated items. Click the button below to see what we need and to sign up. Please bring the items to the appropriate front office with a label for what it is for.

Families can access their photos by visiting the link below or going to dr-photo.com, selecting the School Portrait Proofs link, and when prompted enter their private password in the following format: Student ID#

Friday, Oct. 8 – Photo Retake Day

• Elementary students will go in small groups with their homeroom teacher.
  • Parents MUST sign-up their Elementary Student for retakes (so that we know which student will need to go down with an EA to have their picture taken)
• Secondary students will go during their study hall.
  • If a student does NOT have a study hall, they can get their photo during their lunch break.

For virtual students, appointments will be available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. from September 14 – October 21. Click the link to the right to schedule your appointment.

Douglas County Pupil Count Day is Friday, Oct. 1. Please be sure to have your student in attendance for the full day whether it be in person or virtual. If possible, we ask that you avoid scheduling any appointments for your student on that day. We want to have all of our students present and counted. This will affect the overall funding for our school. We appreciate your help!

Reminder on Early Dismissals

Students will need to be signed out by a parent at the respective office (Elementary or Secondary). The steps below outline the steps to follow in order to cause the least amount of disruption to the classroom:

• Secondary:
  1. Pick your student up during the passing period. (Secondary)
  2. Send a signed note in with your Secondary student to receive an Early Dismissal Pass from the front office (students will be able to show this to their teacher before class begins, and leave at the appropriate time).
• Elementary:
  1. Call ahead to the Front Office so that they are aware that you are coming.
  2. Elementary students will be released upon the arrival of their parents.

NO unscheduled early pickups are allowed after 1:15 p.m. This is to minimize disruption to the last period of the day. Additionally, for Elementary, please avoid picking up your student after 2 p.m. so that you are not impeding the Elementary Driveline. For Secondary, please avoid picking up your student after 2:30 p.m. so that you are not impeding the Secondary Driveline.

AllHealth Network offers mental health services for students and families onsite at STEM School Highlands Ranch with a licensed professional counselor, Kathleen Shook. Kathleen uses evidence-based treatment approaches to talk and play with kids of all ages to help them with anxiety, depression, trauma, and adjusting to life’s changes. Sessions happen during school hours for your convenience and most insurances are accepted.

Additionally, AllHealth Network offers free services such as counseling, support groups and opportunities for social connection to students, families, and community members affected by May 7th at the STEM Center for Strength located at 640 Plaza Dr., Suite 130.

To get connected to any of the services AllHealth has to offer, contact Kathleen at 720-462-9645 or the STEM Center at 720-980-5761.

Click the button below to access the prepayment site for the Elementary Yearbook. Soft Cover books are $20 and Hard Cover books are $30.

Does your elementary student love to perform? There are still spaces available in our Elementary KidStage program that begins next Monday. Click the button below to sign-up and find out more about it.

Elementary KidStage Starting Next Week!

We are gathering interest now for an Elementary Choir for students in grades 2nd – 5th. Please complete the survey below if your student is interested.

#BreakTheStigma: 14 Nonfiction Mental Health Books for Children, Tweens, and Teens

These nonfiction titles offer a great jumping-off point for elementary, middle, and high school readers. These works include personal essay collections, educated guides, informative picture books, and workbooks.

Helping Children Build Language Skills

You can help children develop their language abilities by tuning in to what they say and responding in ways that result in more talk.

Parent Support Group

Parenting During the Pandemic. Free Interactive Zoom Discussion Group Hosted by AllHealth Network.

Youth Vaping: Recognition, Prevention, and Intervention

Wednesday, September 29 | 5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.

Teens may think e-cigarettes are safer than traditional tobacco products, but research links vaping to health and behavioral risks that can affect a young person for years to come. Would you recognize if your child began vaping? Would you know how to prevent e-cigarette use? How would you intervene if your child is already vaping?

Learn how to answer these questions in a special 30-minute webinar with Dr. Katrina Iverson, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Director at Sky Ridge Medical Center. She will guide you on how vaping impacts a young person’s health, how it affects the broader community, and what you can do to make a difference today. Plus, learn how vaping can affect COVID-19 infections and other respiratory issues. The presentation will be followed by 15 minutes of Q&A.