Reminder about Potential Move to Virtual Learning
Dear STEM School Highlands Ranch Elementary Families,
We strive to keep our parents as informed as possible and with that in mind, we wanted to share the following information with you. As we head into the cold and flu season, we anticipate that we may have a teacher that will need to stay home due to illness.
Since symptoms of a cold and flu are similar to COVID, we must operate out of an abundance of caution. In the event we have a teacher that is ill and we do not have a substitute teacher or staff member to fill that teacher’s position, we will have to move that teacher’s class to a virtual classroom for all students.
We want to provide you with this information now so that you are aware in the event we need to have a class, or multiple classes move to virtual learning for a short period of time until the teacher is able to return to in-person learning.
If we are in the position to have to request a class move to virtual learning due to teacher shortage, we will do our best to communicate this with as much notice as possible. However, we may receive a sick notification during the night, or early in the morning, so we may have to make a quick decision in the morning.
We will do our absolute best to accommodate our students for in-person learning, and will only make the call to move to virtual learning if we absolutely cannot safely support students in person.
Communication will be sent via an Infinite Campus message. Please direct any questions to me at LynAnn.Kovalesky@stemk12.org.
Thank you,
LynAnn Kovalesky, Assistant Director (K-5)
Now is the Time to Think About Next Year for Your Student!
Please complete the Intent to Return to STEM form by November 30, 2020
Do you Intend to Return for the 2021/22 School Year?
For enrollment planning purposes, please let us know, either way, if your child plans to return to STEM School Highlands Ranch next year.
Please complete this form for each of your currently attending STEM students. If you are currently enrolled at STEM please let us know that your child is returning. You do not need to “open enroll” to remain at STEM. If your child is currently attending STEM, they will be automatically enrolled for next year. Please also complete the form if your student is planning to seek enrollment at another school so that we can have an accurate count of returning students.
Do you Have a Sibling Who Wants to Attend STEM Next Year?
Does your current STEM student have a sibling who is interested in attending STEM for the 2021/22 school year? Did you know that they have priority on our waitlist? Please add them to our waitlist now! STEM’s open enrollment is now open and we will begin notifying families of accepted spots for the 2021/22 school year beginning December 1st.
Now Accepting Names for the 2021/2022 School Year!
STEM is now accepting names for the waitlist for 2021/22 and beyond. Please spread the word to your family and friends. They can add their child to the waitlist here! We will begin notifying families of accepted spots beginning on December 1, 2020. Please note that STEM does not follow the Douglas County Open Enrollment process.
Intent to Attend Your Neighborhood School
If you wish to attend your neighborhood school, you must return this form to that school no later than January 5th. This will allow your child to attend that school in the fall of next year (2021/22).
Questions? Please call the MS office at 303-683-7836 or check the website for more enrollment information.
Volunteer News!
*Due to COVID 19, no visitors or volunteers are allowed inside the building at this time. Volunteer requirements will be adjusted as needed. If you are making a donation, please keep track of your donated items for the time being until we provide additional instructions on how to log your hours.
Volunteer opportunities below are all outside of the school building.
Please consider helping with ES Outdoor lunch / Recess
We would like to invite parents to help during outdoor lunch & recess time each day. Recess starts at 10:50 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. If you are interested, please enter through the Elementary School lobby, register as a visitor and complete the health screening form.
After completing the registration form, we ask that you meet grade levels at the Elementary School playground on the East side of the school. Masks are required.
We need Driveline Volunteers
If you have some extra time in the mornings or afternoons, please consider signing up to volunteer for our Elementary School Driveline. We need volunteers to help from 7:20-7:50 a.m. with unloading students from their cars and getting them to their class stones. In the afternoon, we need volunteers to help from 2:10-3:10 p.m. with loading students into their cars.
If you are interested, please enter through the Elementary School lobby, register as a visitor and complete the health screening form. Masks are required.
Donations Needed!
We are in immediate need of underwear (boys six 6-8) for students who have an accident). Please sign up using the link to the right. Donations can be dropped off to the Elementary School Office. Also, Calm Down Bottles have become a popular craft this year and we need some supplies to make them. Please access the list of supplies via the button to the right.
Additionally, we have an ongoing need for classroom and healthroom donations. Click the link to the right to see all of the donation items that we are collecting for, and to sign up.
School Photos Update
To view your student’s school photo proofs, visit DR Photos and select the link School Portrait Proof. Use your student’s ID number to access their proofs and place any orders that you’d like.
Students may make an appointment to have a photo taken at our photographer’s studio. DR Photo – 8110 W Brandon Dr, Littleton, CO 80125. Click here to set up an appointment.
Lunchroom Update
We are so grateful that DCSD Nutrition Services is offering free lunches for our students through the end of the school year. With the increase in number of students getting food from the lunchroom, we are asking families to still consider providing your students with a snack to eat during the day if needed. Students will not be able to take food outside of the designated eating areas. This will help us ensure health safety throughout our building.
FREE Meals for Hybrid and Virtual Learners from DCSD
Nutrition Services is excited to announce that, effective immediately, ALL meals served in school are now free for all students. Free meals include all entrees (except Subway at High Schools) with fruit or veggies, and/or milk. As a reminder, STEM does not serve breakfast.
For Virtual/Online Learners, DCSD will be providing weekly remote meal bag pick-ups at all neighborhood Middle Schools in Douglas County (pick-up not available at STEM). These bags will contain five breakfast/lunches for Virtual/Online Learners and three breakfast/lunches for Hybrid learners. Meal pick-ups do NOT require pre-order. Simply pull up to our curbside pickup locations and request a meal for kids, just like our Summer Feeding sites. Kids do not need to attend DCSD Schools and do not need to be present for pickup. Please see the flier to right right for more information.
Attendance Reminders
Attendance Line – 303-683-7836
- Please call the line before class begins to let us know if your student will be tardy or absent for hybrid OR virtual students – otherwise they will be marked unexcused.
- Please visit the student/parent Handbook to review the attendance policy.
- Virtual students that opt to attend in person classes must do so on their assigned cohort days only. The student must check in at the front office before attending class.
Early Dismissal
- Students will be excused to leave class with an Early Leave pass from the office. The student may exchange a note from the parent for the pass at the office. Younger Elementary students may need to rely on their parents calling the office ahead of time to set up an early release.
- Students will still need to be signed out by a parent at the respective office (Elementary or Secondary).
- The course of action that will cause the least amount of disruption to the classroom is to:
- Pick your student up during passing period
- Send a note in with your student to receive an Early Dismissal Pass (students will be able to show this to their teacher before class begins, and leave at the appropriate time).
- NO unscheduled early pickups will be allowed after 1:15 pm.
*Parents MUST call the attendance line when student is not following the Academic plan that was chosen.
Elementary Yearbook Info
201920 Yearbook Info
Elementary Students will get the ordered yearbook from their homeroom teacher. Only e-learners will be able to pick them up from the office. If you did not purchase a 2019-20 Elementary Yearbook, and would still like to, please email Julie Fletcher at julie.fletcher@stemk12.org to request. Cost is $25, with an additional $5 if mailing is needed. Payment can be made through your MySchoolBucks account.
2020-21 Yearbook Info
Yearbooks for this school year are not ready for purchase yet. As soon as we have an order link set up, we will share that with families.
PikMyKid Info
Make sure to designate your Pick-Up Mode and your Delegates (if necessary) prior to 1:45 p.m. each day.
Pick-Up Modes:
- West Driveline Pick-Up Mode – ALL students being picked up by car
- Walker – Meeting your student at the ES Doors
- Sibling Pick-Up – ES students with Secondary Siblings that are walking
Remember to only enter the Driveline at your designated time and display your placard. To help our driveline volunteers, please keep your placard up until you leave the parking lot. Also, to help us be good neighbors to our business park neighbors, please do not stack along Barrons Blvd.
- Green – K-1 Grades Only – 2:20 p.m.
- Orange – 2-5 Grades (with K-1 sibling) – 2:30 p.m.
- Yellow – K-5 with Secondary Sibling – 2:55 p.m.
SpartMart News
If you pre-ordered face masks or gators they have arrived and are at the MS Office for pick up. If you are a fully remote student, please come to school to pick up your purchases. Spart Mart does not have shipping capabilities at this time. Click the button to the right if you would like to purchase one. We have youth and adults sizes available.
