Secondary News and Updates (04/15/22)

Secondary-School News

Upcoming Events

Colorado Youth Career Fair

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

Colorado Youth Career Fair flyer

SAC Monthly Meeting

April 20, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. – HS Commons

Originally scheduled to be at the STEM Center for Strength, the meeting will now be held in the High School Commons. We will still have an opportunity to learn about mental health and what the center does for the community. There will be a tour if time permits.

There will be no Zoom for this meeting, as we want to encourage everyone to come in person for the benefit of learning about the Center. Please request ahead of time to participate in Public Comment by emailing sac@stemk12.org.

Our upcoming meetings:

May 18th – Standard meeting w/ Zoom

The purpose of the SAC is to inform, encourage and provide opportunities for parents 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.

Climate Change Club Info Meeting

Thursday, April 21, at 3 p.m. – Room 114B

If you have a passion for making the world a better place and are looking for ways to get involved, come join us in launching our Climate Change Action Club! Though the school year is winding down, let’s start working to make a difference now, and build momentum going into next year and beyond. If you are interested and would like to participate or simply learn more, please come to Room 114B at 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. Let’s leverage our passion, voices and unique talents for the sake of the world! Contact curt.shonkwiler@stemk12.org with any questions.

STEM Prom and After Prom

Saturday, April 23, from 7-11 p.m. – Sanctuary Golf Course

Student Government is very excited to announce our prom on April 23, 2022, at the Sanctuary Golf Course. The theme is Starry Night by Van Gogh. Tickets and wristbands can be purchased on My School Bucks through April 15, during lunch April 18-21 and at the door.

Ticket Prices:

  • Dinner and Dance $80
  • Dance $50
  • After Prom Wristband $10 (You do not have to attend prom to attend the After Prom)

Dinner will be a buffet, here is the MENU. Please note that all main entrees are gluten-free and Grilled Vegetable Wellington is available for those with a dairy-free, vegan or vegetarian diet.

Prom Court:

Prom court nominations closed on April 15. Final voting will take place at prom.

After Prom Invite from STEM PTO

DEI Committee Meeting

Monday, April 25, from 5-7 p.m. – High School Commons & Zoom

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.

DCSD Board Meeting Presentation for STEM School Sterling Ranch

Tuesday, April 26, from 6-8 p.m. – DCSD Wilcox Building

Please join us on Tuesday, April 26 starting at 6 p.m. for an in-person board meeting at the DCSD Wilcox Building for an in-person presentation for our STEM School Sterling Ranch Application. The KOSON Replication Team will be presenting to the Board about what STEM School Sterling Ranch will be all about. We’d like to ask members of our community to come to the meeting to show their support for our proposed new school. Have questions about any of our replication efforts? Email info@kosonschools.org.

Secondary Student Information Session/Forum

Student Forum Promotional Post

Welcome to STEM Secondary School Information Session

Wednesday, April 27, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. – High School Commons

On Wednesday, April 27, our Middle School and High School Directors will be holding a Welcome to STEM Secondary School Information Session in the High School Commons. This event is for all New to STEM students, as well as current fifth and eighth-grade students who will be moving into Middle and High School, respectively. No sign-up is necessary. Please park in the Secondary parking lot and enter through the Secondary Main Entrance.

Welcome to STEM Secondary School Event

STEM Day at the Colorado Rockies

Thursday, May 5, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. – Coors Field

Dear STEM School Highlands Ranch Families,

We are so excited to share that the Colorado Rockies will be hosting a STEM Day at Coors Field on Thursday, May 5, collaborating with Steve Spangler of 9News.

Formerly called Weather and Science Day, this event will focus on educational events incorporating physics, math and meteorology into unique science experiments.

The interactive presentation will run from 10:30-11:30 a.m., with parking lots opening at 9 a.m.

Part of the event will hopefully include a special presentation by our engineering students, who are building a robot that will be competing to throw out the first pitch. Audience participation will factor into the best robot being picked to make history. This is a feat not yet accomplished by anyone in history at the Rockies stadium. This is so special that there will be a news presence, and maybe even Guinness Book of World records will be there.

While this is an instructional day for students, we want to recognize that many families may want to attend. We want to remind and encourage parents to please call the attendance line at (303) 683-7836 to excuse their student. Families can call this line in advance of May 5 to tell us that their student will not be in attendance that day. Please understand that the Administration Team discussed possibly making this Day a no-contact day; however, we were unable to make this accommodation due to testing and other logistical reasons.

Those who would like to attend the interactive presentation must purchase a ticket to the game. The Colorado Rockies game vs. the Washington Nationals will begin at 1:10 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased directly through the Rockies website and TicketMaster. STEM is not coordinating tickets, but there is an option for group sales if you have a large group. Here is the link to the Rockies STEM Day page, and it has a link to buy tickets and other details. To purchase more than 12 tickets, please call 303-ROCKIES or grouptix@rockies.com.

Thank you,

STEM School Highlands Ranch Communications

News and Updates

Impurtant Dates for Seniors

  • Wednesday, May 18 (6-7:30 p.m.) at HRCA Southridge Recreation Center – Senior Honor Night
    • Event for those students receiving academic honors.
    • Seating is limited to honor students and two guests
  • Thursday, May 19 (10-11 a.m.) at Echo Park Stadium – Graduation
    • No tickets are needed
    • Students arrive at 9 a.m. for rehearsal
    • Parents enter at 9:30 a.m.
    • Please park in the east parking lot.

Email Karen.Adam@stemk12.org with any questions.

Virtual Learning Interest for 2022-23 School Year

In the spirit of Never Stop Innovating, STEM is exploring some creative scheduling ideas for the 2022-23 school year. Please complete this survey related to your interest in a Virtual Friday option, in addition to, the potential interest in a 100% online option for the upcoming school year.

STEM PTO After Prom Donation Request

STEM PTO After Prom Committee is in need of donations for Decorations, Food, Door Prizes and Monetary Donations for After Prom on Saturday, April 23. Click the sign-up buttons below put your name down. Please email stemafterprom@stemk12.org to arrange the drop-off of item donations.

U.S. Young Leader Summit 2022

Modeled after an international summit in Singapore, Colorado will be the first in the U.S., an initiative backed by Governor Polis. This is a great opportunity for young people eager for leadership opportunities and who want to tackle big issues in our society – a major resume and network-building opportunity!

Reach out with any questions: Madison Knapp, Director of Strategic Partnerships for Colorado Succeeds, mknapp@coloradosucceeds.org

The opportunity:

U.S. Young Leader Summit, a youth civic engagement, leadership, and sustainability initiative that is commencing later this year in Colorado. The primary goal of the initiative for 2022 is to engage youth and tap into their enthusiasm, creativity, and self-driven mindset.

Our hope is that through non-partisan collaboration and experienced mentorship, the young leaders of this summit will be able to address some of Colorado’s most critical needs, with the outcome being an actionable set of recommendations that will be submitted to the Governor’s office for review and potential implementation at the end of the summit.

The Streams (key focus areas):

  • How we consume (manufacturing, supply chain, food security, plastic, etc.)
  • How we live (green/sustainable spaces)
  • How we move (transportation, clean energy, etc.)
  • What and how we learn (jobs of the future, curriculum of tomorrow, cross-sector collaboration)Why businesses exist (corporate purpose and more purpose-led organizations)
  • How we engage (community-based change, productive political dialogue, mobilize participation in democracy)

The vision is to provide students (aged 17 to 25 years old) with a forum in which to collaborate with and be inspired by a diverse network of experts, as well as each other, to play a part in shaping their future in a meaningful and tangible way.

How the selection process works:

  • The current deadline for applications (Google Form) is EOD May 1st.
  • After applicants/students submit the Google Form, a 7-part application that includes two submitted letters of recommendation speaking to the applicant’s quality of leadership, the USYLS Core Team staff will review the applications.
  • Based on applicant responses to questions, interest in the program Streams (see website), and individual capacity of the Summit, an email response in the form of an acceptance, waitlist, or denial to participate in the Summit by May 8th.

Internet access for participation:

  • The last two years have brought into the stark reality that not all students and homes have access to the internet for meeting their educational and work needs. This should not and will not be a barrier for applicants applying or participating in the U.S. Young Leader Summit, particularly if they have the motivation and aspiration to bring about change in their communities.
  • Given that the USYLS is, for the time being, remote for each of its sprints, meetings, and panel discussions, we believe that it is essential for all participants to be given equal access to the Summit and a stable internet connection. This is a major challenge that the USYLS seeks to tackle, and we will coordinate with each applicant that is selected by providing the resources and assistance they require to participate in the Summit.

Athletics Coaches Needed for 2022-23 School Year

Do you have an interest in coaching? We’re looking for a Boys Soccer Coach, a Girls Basketball Coach and an eSports Coach for the 2022-23 School Year. If you’re interested, please reach out to Ryan.Alsup@stemk12.org to get more information. We have head and assistant coach positions open as well.

Wings Over the Rockies Summer Camp Opportunities

Wings Over the Rockies will be having summer camp at both the museum and at our Exploration of Flight Campus at Centennial Airport. Below are links for staff and students who are interested in summer jobs.

Airventure Internship Flier

Airventure - Summer Aviation Opportunity

Falcon AeroLab has designed an immersive experience for students interested in aviation, including an airplane, glider, and helicopter flight.

Nominate a High School Student for CBS Denver Future Leaders Scholarship

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.

Order yearbooks while prices are low!

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.

School Picture Retakes and Orders

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#

DCSD News and Resources

Mental Health Resource of the Week

Six Ways to Respond to Your Child’s Big Feelings

How are we as parents to respond to children’s distress? How are we to coach children to regulate their emotions when we have our own emotions to manage? Here are some simple tips for helping children feel heard, which will help to resolve their distress and keep your home calmer.

Literacy Resource of the Week

DCSD Digital Resources

While the school library is only open during school hours, our DCSD digital resources are available 24/7! Douglas County students and staff have access to amazing digital sources like the renowned World Book Encyclopedia, as well as an extensive collection of popular magazines and many other eBooks and audiobooks through Sora. For more literacy resources for both educators and students, be sure to also check out TeachingBooks. Talk to your school librarian for help accessing these resources.

Total Wellness Resource of the Week

Six Ways to Deal With Parental Burnout

A year and a half into the pandemic, exhausted parents need healing. A mother explains how parents can move beyond burnout.

Community Events

Sources of Strength Community Night
Monday, April 11 | 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
PACE Center, Parker

This event will provide an overview and highlights of the Sources of Strength program, and share about the amazing work that is happening across our school district. There is no cost to attend. The night will feature student peer leaders, school staff and our Guest Speaker, Jarrod Hindman, Chief Operating Officer at Sources of Strength.

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