Dear STEM School Highlands Ranch Families,
Thank you so much for choosing STEM School Highlands Ranch for your child’s education and partnering with us to ensure their success. STEM is an amazing place because of your children, our staff that supports them, and the nurturing and caring support network at home.
Over the last few weeks, I have witnessed students demonstrating our Spartan Character Values and their passion for learning. Our faculty/staff’s hearts grow bigger each time they SHINE. I have had the opportunity to observe our students compete in sports events, robotics competitions, field trips, enrichment clubs, parades, community events and the Prospective SpartanShowcase night.
I know that there has been turnover and turmoil over the last few years with staff retention and the impacts of May 7th and COVID. Your STEM Administration Team is committed to improving our school culture and making your student’s experience at STEM one of the best of their educational careers. I ask that you continue to collaborate with us so that together we can continue to innovate and grow stronger. Please attend our “Parent Coffees with Administration” on the third Tuesday morning of each month in our Elementary School Cafeteria. These are great opportunities to get to know us, learn more about what we’re doing, ask questions and provide feedback.
I also ask that you please complete this SAC Parent Pulse Survey. This is a shorter version of our annual parent survey that goes out each April/May. This information provides us with mid-year data on how our parents feel and what improvements we can make.
As we shared this week, we are starting our planning process for the 2023-24 school year and the first step is gathering data from our families on who will be returning for the 2023-24 school year, and who will not. For us to adequately account for staffing, budget and registration of new families off our waitlist, it is really important for our families to complete this Intent Form so that our team can start to plan. We know that circumstances change, so please just provide your best response as you know it to be right now.
I want to be able to provide the best experience for students and staff at the start of the school year, and this data is crucial in helping us be as prepared as possible.
Another data collection point where we need your input is around our Study Hall and ACCESS Class Options. ACCESS is time that is set aside for students to get intervention time for classes when needed. It is also an opportunity for students to get assistance or to re-test in classes when needed. ACCESS is also the opportunity that students get for Social-Emotional Learning and it is time set aside for assemblies for grades and schools.
The STEM building directors want to know how our families feel about their student’s time spent in study hall and their interest in the ACCESS class. Please take a moment to complete this survey: 2023-24 ACCESS/Study Hall Schedule Survey.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, stay warm and enjoy your time with your loved ones. With just two more weeks before Thanksgiving Break, I want to express my sincerest gratitude to all of you. You have made the start of my first year as Executive Director of STEM School Highlands Ranch so rewarding and memorable.
In partnership,
Ms. LynAnn Kovalesky, Executive Director