Elementary News and Updates (11/06/20)

There is always so much happening at STEM.  Students had a fantastic time celebrating Halloween with our traditional parade and STEM Halloween activities. It was great to see all of their excitement and happiness. I’m so happy that we were able to still hold this exciting event in a safe manner to give our students some sense of normalcy. 

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.

The STEM School Highlands Ranch Spelling Bee is open to all students in grades 4–8. The classroom-level Spelling Bee is voluntary and is a paper and pencil test.

Fourth and fifth grade students will be offered the opportunity to take the assessment on Thursday, Nov. 12 during class time.

Middle School students who attend STEM in person will take the assessment on either Tuesday, Nov. 10 or Thursday, Nov. 12 after school with Mrs. Ridder in the Middle School Cafeteria. Students interested in taking the Spelling Bee Test, must sign-up in advance to be placed in your correct cohort. Mrs. Ridder will reach out to students with the day and time for the test.

100% Virtual/Online Learners in grades fourth through eighth who are interested in taking the assessment can do so at STEM on Friday, Nov. 13, however they must sign-up in advance. This test will be proctored by our Instructional Assistants in the Middle School Cafeteria with social-distance seating requirements and a limited number of attendees in each session.

The top four students from each grade level will be selected after this assessment to participate in the 2020-21 STEM School Spelling Bee after school on Thursday, Dec. 10. Due to COVID-19, we will only have our students and judges in attendance to provide a safer environment. Friends and families may only view the Spelling Bee via Zoom.

Students and/or parents may access study “word” lists at www.spellingbee.com under the parents tab.

Thursday, Nov. 12, from 4-8 p.m.

Leave the cooking for another night and join us at Freddy’s instead! Join STEM PTO at Freddy’s in Highlands Ranch for a night of food, fun and fundraising. Show the flier via the button below either in print or on your phone, when you place your order. 15% of all earned sales through this fundraiser will be donated to STEM. Don’t forget to mention the STEMPTO Fundraiser to get proper credit. This offer is valid in the drive thru or as dine-in.

Elementary Dance
Join us on Friday afternoons for an online Hip Hop class with Mountain Performing Arts! Click the button below to learn more.

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.

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.

2019-20 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. All requests for orders for the 2019-20 Yearbook have been placed. We cannot take any additional orders at this time.

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.

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.

*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.

Our STEM Santa Program continues to be a HIT so we will bring it back again, just in time for the holiday season. The program allows STEM families to donate toward the purchase of gift cards to be given to STEM teachers and staff. Participating in the STEM Santa Program is the PERFECT way to thank all of our hard-working teachers and staff!

Here’s how the program works:

Place your order using the “STEM Santa Gift Card order button to the right.

• Using the “ STEM Santa Gift Card” order link, you can donate $$ to a general fund (used to purchase gift cards for ALL STEM teachers and staff). The STEM SANTA will do the gift card shopping!
• Gift cards will be delivered to teachers before winter break along with a card “signed” by all families who donate to purchase staff gift cards.
• Be sure to place your order (NO CASH) via the button to the right by Monday, Dec. 7.
• Gift cards will be ordered on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
• Teachers will receive their gifts on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

Remember all orders must be placed by Monday, Dec. 7, so don’t delay,

ORDER TODAY!

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.

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.

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.