Secondary News and Updates (05/13/22)

Wednesday, May 18, from 3:15-4:30 p.m. – Room 236

Interested Middle School Students will learn about Calculus with Dr. Snow after school in two upcoming sessions:

• Calc I on Wednesday, May 11th
• Calc II on Wednesday, May 18th

Students don’t need to have any previous experience, and they can attend either or both of the sessions. Sign up using the link below, and see Ms. DeWeese in Room 109 with your questions.

Wednesday, May 18, from 6-7:30 p.m. – Southridge Rec Center

Seniors and their families are invited to attend Senior Honor Night at the Southridge Rec Center from 6-7:30 p.m. Seniors will be honored for their accomplishments prior to graduation. The event will be live streamed.

Thursday, May 19, from 10-11 a.m. – EchoPark Stadion

STEM Senior Graduation will once again be held at EchoPark Stadion on Thursday, May 19 starting at 10 a.m. The graduation ceremony will be live-streamed by DCSD.

Monday, May 23, 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.

Tuesday, May 24, from 4:30-6 p.m. – HS Commons

The annual National Honor Society Induction Ceremony will be on Tuesday, May 24 starting at 4:30 p.m. in the High School Commons. This event is for incoming National Honor Society members. This event is open to students and families being inducted into NHS. Contact Aubrey.white@stemk12.org with questions. Please park in the Secondary Parking Lot and enter through the Secondary Entrance.

Tuesday, May 24, at 5:30-7:30 p.m.

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.

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.

Thursday, May 26, from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. – Playfield

Middle School students will be taking part in a Field Day event on Thursday, May 26 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the Play Field. Fun activities and a Kona Ice Truck will be available to all participants.

Friday, May 27, at 11:30 a.m.

Secondary’s last day of school is Friday, May 27 and it is a half-day. Click the button below to access the Secondary Early Release schedule.

Friday, May 27, from 8:30-11 a.m. – Central Park

On Friday, May 27, High School students and 8th-grade students will be dismissed at 8 a.m. and walk with their teachers to Central Park. Fun activities, along with music and yearbook distribution will take place. There will be an 8th-grade award ceremony and a Welcome message. Students will walk back to STEM in time for dismissal at 11:30 a.m.

Students MUST have a completed waiver to participate in the party.

Do you want the community to know what’s great about our school and why their kids should attend here? Have you ever had a concern or frustration about our school but didn’t know what you could do to address it or change it? Do you know how to have a voice in what’s going on in our school? Do you know how to actually make a difference in our school? The School Accountability Committee may be the place for you!

The purpose of 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. SAC meetings give parents and community members a forum to discuss improvements and opportunities for the school.

What does that mean exactly? It means we discuss things like:

• Budget Priorities
• Staffing needs
• Technology
• Principal Evaluation Tools
• Community Concerns and Opinions
• Unified Improvement Plans (the school’s academic goals and action plans The Annual Report
• Safety Issues
• Testing
• Calendars
• Other items that may be impacting our school

The SAC makes recommendations to the Executive Director and STEM Board of Directors about the above priorities. This is how we can impact what happens in our school. We help influence the decisions that ultimately impact every student in the school, and possibly the district.

We need parent representatives that reflect our school’s amazing diversity to be a part of the SAC. That means you!

Becoming a member of the SAC means:

• attending the SAC meeting which occurs monthly. The SAC typically meets on the third Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7 p.m., and the time qualifies for volunteer hours.
• becoming informed about school programs and budgets – specialists may be invited to SAC meetings to help educate the members.
• becoming a voice for our school.

Each elected member serves a two-year term; however, your role on the committee may change from one year to the next within the elected term. We are currently assembling our SAC Committee for the next school year. The more parents involved, the better!

If you are interested in nominating yourself or another person for SAC, please contact Kelly Reyna (sac@stemk12.org) by Friday, May 20. We look forward to your participation in our SAC!

We desperately need to hire to support the STEM community, any assistance is greatly appreciated.

We are looking for two Senior Program Leaders and one Program Lead to work in a busy and fun program. If you, or someone you know, is looking to develop management skills and gain experience in a growing program with a fun, experienced, and dedicated staff, this is the right move for you. Hours would be M-F 1:30-5:30/6. Part-time and full-time hours are available during school breaks. I am happy to coordinate with BASE Managers who have staff looking for more hours.  Feel free to call ( (720) 688-2928) or email (amy.dupays@dcsdk12.org) for more details or questions.

Thank you,

Amy Dupays

We are hosting three summer camps at STEM and registration is open!

• Camp Invention (K-6th) – June 6-10
• Lego Robotics Camp (4th-6th) – June 13-17
• Girls Persist Summer Program (6th) – July 18-22

Visit our Enrichment site to register or email Sara.Phelps@stemk12.org with questions.

Next year, we will host a new club called UNICEF UNITE, with the goal of bringing awareness to global issues and working together on community projects. If you are interested in learning more, please join us on Tuesday, May 17th at 3 p.m. in room 123 to learn more.

Want your students to experience a Harvard class while still in School?

We bring to you several unique and insightful programs in experiential learning and project-based learning in collaboration with our revered list of global organizations. We are excited to share with you the details of our upcoming programs in the month of May by Harvard Student Agencies (HSA) at Harvard University.

• The Future Doctors Program by Harvard Student Agencies
• The Future Lawyers Program by Harvard Student Agencies

We are starting the planning process for MathCounts 2022-2023! MathCounts is a national mathematics competition for 6th-8th grade students. If you are interested in participating next year, please fill out the survey linked below. It does not matter what level of math you are in, so if you love math and competing, this is the place for you! Reach out to Ms. Bates if you have any questions at jessica.bates@stemk12.org.

Yearbooks are expected to arrive at STEM soon and will be distributed to your student during their lunch on May 11, 12, and 13. Your student should come to the Yearbook table located in the cafeteria on one of those dates to receive their book.

If you haven’t yet purchased a yearbook, they are sold at yearbookforever.com for $55. Contact Michelle Vitale, yearbook advisor, at michelle.vitale@stemk12.org with any questions.

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#

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s a great time to prioritize your mental well-being. With a major uptick in people seeking mental health services and an increase in those who are in crisis, let’s all come together to fight stigma, raise awareness, and advocate for those who need our help. Mental health is an essential part of overall health and wellness. Learn ways to improve your mental health and discover helpful resources via the link below.

How to Get Your Child to Read When They Don’t Want to: 3 Tips for Parents

Not every child (or adult!) likes to read. The challenge for many parents is when a child doesn’t want to read when they have to read, such as a required book for school. Check out a few ways to step outside the box to help you get your child to read when they really don’t want to.

Your May Happiness Calendar

The Happiness Calendar is a day-by-day guide to well-being. This month, we hope it helps you be calm, clear, and kind with others.