Secondary News and Updates (02/25/22)

Monday, Feb. 28, from 5-7 p.m. – High School Commons

If you’re interested in getting involved in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at STEM, we encourage you to attend to find out more information. Email amie.mcelroy@stemk12.org with questions.

Tuesday, March 1, from 5:30-7 p.m – High School Commons

The monthly STEM Board of Director’s Meeting will be Tuesday, March 1 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the High School Commons. The STEM BOD is comprised of parents and community members who volunteer their time. The Board’s role and purpose is to provide oversight of the Executive Director, who implements the policies set forth by the Board. The Board also provides support and direction of STEM’s long-term vision and mission. Additionally, the Board is active in making sure that STEM remains in compliance with all DCSD, state and federal compliance requirements, as well as STEM’s Charter Contract.

Meetings are open to anyone to attend. Anyone who would like to address the Board Members must sign-up in advance by completing the Public Comment Form no later than 12 p.m. the day of each Board meeting. If written testimony or a handout is submitted, presenters are asked to supply one (1) copy via email to communications@stemk12.org.

Wednesday, March 2, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. – High School Commons

The Career Discovery Program Information Night will cover opportunities available for high school students to participate in mentorships, internships and the P-Tech program. Hear from program leaders and students about these opportunities and how to start the process to join these programs! We encourage all students and parents of 8th-11th graders to attend.

Thursday, March 3, from 7-9 p.m. – Middle School Cafeteria

Friday, March 4, from 7-9 p.m. – Middle School Cafeteria

Saturday, March 5, from 3-5 p.m. & 7-9 p.m. – Middle School Cafeteria

Monday, March 7 & Tuesday, March 8, from 3:15-3:45 p.m. – Zoom

Wednesday, March 9 & Thursday, March 10, from 3-3:30 p.m. – High School Cafeteria

We would like to hold several concurrent enrollment information sessions for students and parents that want to join. The purpose of these sessions is to better inform students and parents on how CE courses work and the new process that needs to be followed to sign up for CE courses for Fall 2022.

The same information will be covered in each session so please pick on that best fits your needs.

• Monday, Mar. 7 – 3:15-3:45 p.m. – zoom call led by Amelia Reinkensmeyer
• Tuesday, Mar. 8 – 3:15-3:45 p.m. – zoom call led by Sheri Langston
• Wednesday, Mar. 9 – 3-3:30 p.m. – in-person meeting led by Alyssa Woodward in HS cafeteria
• Thursday, Mar. 10 – 3-3:30 p.m. – in-person meeting led by Kelli Myrick in HS cafeteria

Wednesday, March 9, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. – Theater Room 167

The STEM Comedy Club will have a show on Wednesday, March 9 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Theater Room 167. Come see our Secondary students put on a great performance full of laughs. Cost is $5 and can be purchased via the button below. Cost includes a pizza and a drink. Please park in the Secondary Parking Lot and enter through the Secondary Main Entrance.

Wednesday, March 9, from 4-5:30 p.m. – Zoom

Lockheed Martin is celebrating National Engineers Week by hosting a virtual event for STEM middle school students! Join us for interactive Arduino, 3D modeling, and other fun activities and bring questions for Lockheed Martin panel of engineers! We can only have 45 students so Hurry and sign up now! Signup closes on March 2nd. For any questions, please contact Mrs. Basu at simi.basu@stemk12.org.

Wednesday, March 9, from 6:30-8 p.m. – Zoom

Wednesday, March 23, from 5-6 p.m – Zoom

This webinar will focus on our implementation of SBL for next year. We will answer the following questions:

• What is Standards-Based Learning?
• Why are we making the switch?
• What does this mean for my student?
• How will grades be reported when we implement SBL?
• What does SBL mean for college acceptance?”

Contact: Michelle Gasser, michelle.gasser@stemk12.org with any questions

Thursday, March 24, from 6:30-9 p.m. – Mission Hills Church

The annual STEM’s Got Talent Show will be on Thursday, March 24 from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Mission Hills Church at 620 Southpark Drive, Littleton. This is a night filled with our STEM students and staff showcasing their talents. Cost of tickets are $10 each. Click the button below to purchase tickets.

Dear STEM School Highlands Ranch Families,

Due to the construction, the West side of the Elementary Parking Lot (active loading zone area in front of the Elementary School Doors) will be closed for two weeks starting on Monday, Feb. 28. It will directly impact the Elementary morning and afternoon drivelines, and indirectly impact the Secondary morning and afternoon drlivelines.

Elementary Driveline will be rerouted through the parking lot, along the East side of the Elementary Building, exiting through the Secondary exit. This is the same impact that took place in January.

This will cause delays during the morning and afternoon driveline. The drop-off in the morning begins at 7:10 a.m. Secondary Driveline begins picking up at 7:30 a.m. We are asking all Elementary families to please arrive prior to 7:30 a.m. to avoid a conflict with the Secondary Driveline. In the afternoon, we are asking parents for patience during pick-up as students and staff will be getting used to a different pick-up pattern.

Morning Directions to follow:

• Enter ES driveline through the West Entrance (normal entrance)
• Families will either be direct to go straight and stack, or turn to the right to snake around the parking lot (like normal) and stack in all three lanes.
• Please follow all directions from the driveline attendants.
• Cars will be stacked in the Unloading Zone on the East side of the Elementary School Building and attendants will come to unload students; Please do not unload students anywhere other than the unloading zone.
• Once cars are unloaded, driveline attendants will direct cars to proceed forward along the East side of the building to then exit the Secondary Parking Lot.
• Cars will merge several times throughout this process so please be patient, show kindness and allow cars to merge for the driveline to proceed efficiently.
• Cars will be allowed to make left and right turns out of the Secondary Driveline onto Ridgeline and will be directed by a Sheriff deputy. In the event there is no one to direct traffic, all cars should make a right out of the parking lot.
• All ES students will be let into the Elementary School cafeteria once dropped off.  Students will be picked up by their teachers at 7:30 a.m.

Afternoon Directions to follow:

• Enter ES driveline through the West Entrance (normal entrance)
• At 2:10 p.m., families of K-1 students will be allowed to enter the parking lot and go straight and stack, following the instructions of the driveline attendants.
• At 2:25 p.m., families of students in grades 2-5 will be allowed to enter the parking lot. Driveline attendants will direct families to either go straight or go right to stack in all three lanes.
• Only cars in the Active Loading Zone on the East side of the Elementary School Building will be loaded.
• Please make sure that you are using PikMyKid and that your account is updated.
• Once cars are loaded, driveline attendants will direct cars to proceed forward along the East side of the building to then exit the Secondary Parking Lot.
• Cars will merge several times throughout this process so please be patient, show kindness and allow cars to merge for the driveline to proceed efficiently.
• Cars will only be allowed to make a right turn out of the Secondary Driveline onto Ridgeline, heading south.

Walker Pick-Up:
Walker pick-up will be from the front of the Elementary School Building.

Access to the Elementary School Entrance will still be accessible for BASE and for normal operations. There will be parking spaces open in front of the Elementary School Doors.

Thank you so much for your understanding.

STEM School Highlands Ranch Communications

We are partnering again this semester with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for the YESS Program. Deputy Sean will be in the Middle School Computer Science Classes in March and April and will be talking and teaching students about various important topics in a positive way. The topics will be covered based on the grade level. Topics will be Teen relationships, Internet/Digital Safety and substance use. Thank you to Deputy Sean, DCSO, and STEM Computer Science teachers for this partnership.

On Tuesday, Feb. 22, the SBL Subcommittee presented at the monthly Secondary Student Information Session in the High School Commons. Click the button below to view the video of the presentation, access the slides and submit questions to the Feedback Form (Students Only). A parent information session will be held in March.

We are excited to announce that STEM has partnered with Backpack Society, a Douglas County based nonprofit that provides meals for students and families with food insecurity or with temporary need. We are the 26th school in the Highlands Ranch area to partner with this organization that provides a wonderful service for our community. This program is available to anyone with need (families or staff) grades K – 12 at STEM. Families of our students are also receiving this information and the registration links.(Families do not have to live in Douglas County to be eligible – as long as they have a student attending STEM).

Backpack Society offers 3 programs:

• Student Program: Students who register will receive a bag with 6 meals, drinks, and snacks each week.Students will pick up their bags at STEM on Thursdays after school. Student registration link.
• Family & Staff Program: Families who register for this program will receive a box of groceries, including perishables to help through the weekend. This program requires a family member to pick up the box at Backpack Society headquarters drive-thru: •213 W County Line Road, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. In addition to the families of our students, any staff member with a need may also register for this program. Your information is kept confidential and is NOT shared with the school. If a family (or staff member) has registered, but does not have transportation, and would like to participate in this program, please let a counselor know and one of us can arrange for pick up. Family/staff program registration link.
• Food Pantry at STEM: More details to come soon on this program.

Thanks,
STEM Counseling Team

Hello STEM High Schoolers! The Computer Science Honor Society is offering computer science tutoring services for all middle schoolers and high schoolers. You can sign up to help students from MS and HS Computer Science classes. Tutors and student pairs work out how they’d like to meet, including during CSHS meetings. Get the student sign-up link from Mrs. Basu or CSHS leaders Tavin Turner and Aragorn Wang if you are interested. Also, high schoolers can sign up to be a tutor, and get volunteer hours from Mrs. Basu and CSHS. Ask your teachers for the volunteer sign-up link!

STEM PTO is fundraising for our Senior’s After Prom. Consider purchasing your loved one an item from Touchstone Crystals and a percentage of the proceeds will go to support After Prom. Click the button below to order.

STEM PTO wants to help give our seniors the best After Prom experience. Our students have been through so much and this is a great way to show them how much we support them. Scan the QR Code below to donate through MySchoolBucks.

My name is Amy Dupays. I am the elementary BASE Manager for STEM. The STEM BASE team is looking for additional staff to support the after-school child care demand in our Elementary STEM community. If you or someone you know is looking for a fun job after school, is great with kids and ready to work with a dedicated, fun team this is the job for you. We need you 3-5 days each week 3-6 p.m. Full-time hours are available during school breaks and summer. NO WEEKENDS – Yay!

Please email me acdupays@dcsdk12.org for more information or submit your application using the following link: DCSD STEMBASE Program Leader Position.

The Rising Leaders Initiative is a one-year advocacy training program for charter high school students who want to become active participants in education policy decisions in their local community and state and develop skills to guide their educational and professional pathways. Learn more and encourage your students to apply today.

Please take a moment to complete this survey is to get feedback on the list of holidays that you’d like to see represented on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Web Page. We are also collecting feedback on our DEI Committee purpose statement.

Nominations are now open for the CBS Denver Future Leaders Scholarship. If you know a High School student who is thriving in the STEM core subjects please consider nominating them for this $1,000 scholarship.

Click the button below to access the nomination form and to find out more. One student will be selected each month to receive this special recognition award that will include a $1,000 award along with a student profile on CBS4. The nomination window will run through April 22, 2022.

Attention Middle School and High School students!

Don’t forget to purchase your yearbooks. Go to Yearbookforever.com to buy your yearbook for $45. Buy it while you can because come October 31 the price goes up to $55. Additionally, if you would like your photo in the yearbook, you can share your photos with us. You can share them using the Yearbook Snap app using the code STEM22. It’s available on the App Store and Google Play Store, download it today and share those photos. If you have any questions about the yearbook or how to use Yearbook Snap, please email one of the yearbook editors-in-chief at elizabeth.noethlich@s.stemk12.org and cadence.coan@s.stemk12.org or stop by room 110 after school.

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#

This is a great opportunity to learn how peers your age are staying mentally healthy, how they are helping their friends and community, and how they can use available mental health resources.

This free, teen-led event will showcase student voices, offer key breakouts to discuss mental health themes, and highlight clinically-vetted resources. Teens, educators, and mental health advocates from across the country are invited as we Work2BeWell together.

The event schedule is included in one of the attachments in this email. The event will include breakout sessions that we think will be valuable to you and your parents. Breakout Session topics include:

• Legislative Advocacy & Creating Change in Your Community
• All About Therapy
• Educator Forum: Supporting students to activate mental wellness on your campus
• Ending the Silence – An Educational Mental Health Program from NAMI
• Parenting and Mental Health
• Understanding and Overcoming High Academic Pressure
• BIPOC Mental Health Discussion

April 18-21, from 4-7 p.m. (virtual event)

The second annual statewide Colorado Youth Career Fair is taking place virtually on April 18-21. This educational event is intended to expose Colorado youth to a broad sampling of career fields. Registration is now open for youth, families, and educators as well as career panelists. Free, virtual event for youth, families, and educators. This event is sponsored by the Colorado Workforce Development Council. Visit youthcareerfair.org for more details and registration

Feelings Wheel Printout

Check out this Feelings Wheel printout from the University of Oregon that can help your child develop the vocabulary to identify and talk about emotions.

Parent Tips for Literacy from PBS

The most powerful ways to develop children’s literacy skills are also the simplest: talk to them, listen to them, read to them and write with them. Find tips for encouraging literacy skills at any age from PBS!

How Four Deep Breaths Can Help Kids Calm Down

A new study shows that a one-minute breathing video helps reduce stress in kids’ bodies.

Long Range Planning Committee Seeks Members

DCSD’s Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) is currently accepting applications for members. This citizen-based group keeps close track of new housing developments and student enrollment trends in order to provide the Douglas County Board of Education with feedback regarding school district facility and capacity needs. If you reside within the Douglas County School District and are interested in serving on this important committee please complete and submit the LRPC Application for Membership. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis or until all positions are filled.