Elementary News and Updates (12/10/21)

Tuesday, Dec. 14, in the morning

STEM will be offering COVID Testing for students and staff again on Tuesday, Dec. 14 in the morning.

ELEMENTARY FAMILIES: Elementary students whose parents have consented to testing will be pulled from their classes by the Health Assistant. No sign-up form (aside from the Consent form) is needed.

FYI: Mobile Health’s CSR team is making phone calls to some parents to verify consent form information if the form is missing information or if the information is inaccurate. CDPHE has requested this of Mobile Health so that they can get accurate information.

Wednesday, Dec. 15, from 7:45-9:50 a.m. – Elementary Cafeteria

At STEM, one of our traditions has been our “Holidays Around the World” event for our K-2 students. Unfortunately, due to COVID, we have not been able to carry on with this tradition, but we are looking to reinstate it this year! We are looking for parent volunteers to help make this event possible. If you would like to come in and help teach about a holiday that is special to your family and culture, we would love to have you volunteer for this event. We ask that you bring samples of food that demonstrates your holiday that you would like to bring awareness to. If you could fill out the interest form below, we will contact you by email within the next couple of days. 

Contact Annie McAninch (annie.mcaninch@stemk12.org) or Addie Bohnsack (addison.bohnsack@stemk12.org) with any questions.

Wednesday, Dec. 15, from 10-11 a.m – Secondary School Entrance

Each Wednesday, STEM opens up its doors from 10-11 a.m. for a building tour to interested families who would like to learn more about our school. We’d like to encourage our families to spread the word to anyone they know who might be interested in having their student(s) attend STEM. Interested tour participants should arrive 10 minutes early to get checked in and badged. They must bring a valid ID in order to get checked in.

Wednesday, Dec. 15, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. – Middle School Classrooms

Middle School Student Government is hosting a Middle School Movie Night on Wednesday, Dec. 15 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at STEM. In order for Middle School students to attend, we need signed permission slips, as well as the sign-up form completed. We are limited to 30 students per movie due to room capacity. There is no cost to this event, however, concessions will be sold.

The four movies:

• Mrs. Doubtfire
• Narnia
• Big Daddy
• Christmas Chronicles

Complete both forms below for your student to take part.

Wednesday, Dec. 15, from 5:30-7 p.m. – HS Commons

The monthly STEM School Accountability Committee (SAC) meeting will be on Wednesday, Dec. 15 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the High School Commons. The meeting will also be available to watch via Zoom as a trial. In-person participation is strongly encouraged to help build engagement. Additionally, those who would like to participate in Public Comment must do so in person. Please park in the High School parking lot and enter through the High School Entrance.

The purpose of the SAC is to inform, encourage and provide opportunities for parent and community members to be involved in the planning and evaluation of the school’s instructional program and quality improvement processes. The SAC makes recommendations concerning the School’s performance, improvement, priority improvement, or turnaround plan, and meets to discuss the implementation of the School’s plan and other progress pertinent to STEM’s accreditation contract with the Board of Education. The SAC makes recommendations to the director for prioritizing the spending of school money.

Wednesday, Dec. 15, from 6-7 p.m. in the Middle School Cafeteria

It’s Saturday Night Live, but on a Wednesday! It’s like Who’s Line is it Anyway?, and we REALLY don’t know who’s line it is! Come see STEM’s brand new sketch and improv comedy show!!! You’ll see hilarious original comedy sketches, witty improv from STEM’s brilliant middle school and high school minds, and an original comedy video to top it all off!!!

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 the Intent to Return 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.

If you have not set up your observer account for your student(s), please do so as soon as possible. This is one of the ways that teachers use to let parents know about what is happening in classes. You can go to the Technology Support page and click on the “Quick Guide to Systems.” You will see a video in this area that shows you step by step in creating an observer account.

If you run into difficulty, please email the IT team at support@stemk12.org and they can help with any technology issues that arise.

Final Fall semester grades will be available in the Infinite Campus Parent/Student Portal by 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 17. Please log in to your Parent Portal account to view your student’s grades. If you have not yet set up an Infinite Campus Parent Portal account please see the instructions below and complete the process before December 17. The registrar will be out of the office and will not be available to assist with the Parent Portal set-up after December 17. If you have a Parent Portal account and need to reset your password, please see the password reset link below.

Setting up your portal account:

Please click here to watch the instructional video from the district on creating a portal account.

Here is the link with instructions on setting up an account: 

After you set up the account and are able to access your Parent Portal you should then be able to access the Express Check-In using the same credentials.

Infinite Campus Portal password reset:

To reset a forgotten/unknown password using a PIN Reset, click here.

Please have your student check the lost and found as we will be donating it over the Winter Break.

In the event that DCSD determines that the district should follow the DCSD Delayed Opening protocol, STEM School Highlands Ranch will abide by its Virtual School Day Policy. When it snows, our school’s operation and instructional expectations will be determined by one of these three scenarios:

1. Snow Day – Douglas County Schools (check www.dcsdk12.org) calls a snow day – The STEM building is closed and implements a Virtual School Day with 20% of the learning being synchronous. (NEW; STEM will not have Snow Days morning forward)
2. Late Start Day – Douglas County Schools calls a Late Start day – STEM is closed and implements a Virtual School Day with 20% of the learning being synchronous.
3. All Schools Open – Douglas County Schools declare Highlands Ranch area schools open – STEM is open and operating to our regular schedule.

We are thrilled to host our first year of Battle of the Books teams. Teams of 3rd/4th and 5th/6th graders will read a selection of books and prepare to compete against other schools in the Douglas County Libraries Battle of the Books. Click the button below to read more and sign up! Space is limited to 7 students per team.

The Colorado League of Charter Schools celebrates members and supporters of the charter school movement annually. Please take a moment to nominate someone you feel deserves recognition for being an outstanding member of the charter community. Submit your nominees through Wednesday, January 5.

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

Following the groundbreaking of the new CHSAA Gym/Building Remodel Project, the High School Staff Parking Lot will be fenced off to allow the construction company to stage all their equipment. No staff parking or vehicle access will be allowed in this parking lot. We are sharing this information because we know that several parents are using this lot as a pick-up and drop-off area, which is not permitted via our Transportation Management Plan. We are asking all families to please use the approved avenues for pick-up that are outlined in our TMP.

The Colorado School Nutrition Association will be holding their annual conference this summer on June 15-16. Part of the conference is the One Plate Challenge at the Embassy Suites in Loveland, Colo. Check the flier to the right for more information.

Families can access their photos by visiting the link to the right 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#

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.

I Matter: Free Counseling Sessions for Colorado Youth

In October, the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health launched I Matter⸺a program that provides up to three free counseling sessions for any Colorado youth. Youth and their parents can visit the I Matter platform to take a confidential online survey about their mental health and schedule sessions with a licensed behavioral health clinician, primarily via telehealth.

All Colorado youth ages 18 or younger—or 21 and younger if receiving special education services—are eligible to receive free services. Youth 12 and older can sign up for counseling sessions without a parent or guardian’s consent. More than 700 counseling appointments have been scheduled with a growing list of clinicians since I Matter launched.

Storytime at Douglas County Libraries

Did you know that children learn about reading and writing before they can actually read or write? Join Douglas County Libraries for indoor or virtual Storytime. Storytime nurtures six important pre-reading skills in your child: narrative skills, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, print motivation, vocabulary, and print awareness.

Healthy Holiday Challenge – Action for Healthy Kids

Action for Healthy Kids challenges you to participate in the Game On Holiday Challenge each week this month! Check out these weekly activities you and your family can do to support physical, mental, and emotional well-being during the holiday season.

We value and appreciate all of our outstanding educators and staff here in DCSD and are thrilled that the Foundation for Douglas County Schools is gearing up to host the 16th Annual Apple Awards on April 2, 2022. Nominations for Apple Awards are now open until Sunday, December 12! Please consider nominating a DCSD educator or staff member who is inspiring a love of learning in students.