Elementary News and Updates (01/29/21)

Deadline extended to February 28, 2021

Do you Intend to Return for the 2021-22 School Year?

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 this 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.

Do you Have a Sibling Who Wants to Attend STEM Next Year?

Does your current STEM student have a sibling who is interested in attending STEM for the 2021-22 school year? Did you know that they have priority on our waitlist? Please add them to our waitlist now! STEM’s open enrollment is now open and we will begin notifying families of accepted spots for the 2021-22 school year beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Now Accepting Names for the 2021-22 School Year!

STEM is now accepting names for the waitlist for 2021-22 and beyond. Please spread the word to your family and friends. They can add their child to the waitlist here! We will begin notifying families of accepted spots beginning on December 1, 2020. Please note that STEM does not follow the Douglas County Open Enrollment process.

Intent to Attend Your Neighborhood School

If you wish to attend your neighborhood school, you must return this form to that school no later than January 5th. This will allow your child to attend that school in the fall of next year (2021-22).

Questions? Please call the MS office at 303-683-7836 or check the website for more enrollment information.

In late August/early September of 2020, STEM had to make an adjustment to its Academic Calendar to extend the school year by a few days in order to account for our delayed start. The last day (half day) for Elementary is Friday, May 21 and the last day (half day) for Secondary is Tuesday, May 25. You can view the updated Calendar here. Additionally, graduation has been moved to Thursday, May 20 at 2 p.m. at EchoPark Stadium.

Due to the delayed start at the beginning of the school year that has impacted our required academic minutes, if DCSD calls for a SCHOOL CLOSURE due to weather, STEM will operate on a Virtual Day Schedule instead. This decision was made to prevent having to add additional days at the end of the school year to make up for a snow day. If DCSD calls for a DELAYED START due to weather, STEM will operate on a Virtual Day Schedule.

January 31, 2021 – Deadline

The Optimist Club of Littleton’s annual essay contest is underway and the deadline is quickly approaching. The essay contest is sponsored by Optimist International and the topic is “Reaching Your Dreams by Choosing Optimism.” Cash prizes of $500, $350 and $125 will be awarded to the first, second and third-place winners at the club level. Club-level winning essays will be considered at the district contest to compete for a $2,500 college scholarship. Contestants must be age 18 or younger as of Oct. 1, 2020, and have not completed secondary school or its equivalent. 

The contest is open to young people in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, and children military families serving abroad. There is no minimum age. Rules and application form are available by clicking here. Essays must be turned in with the required signatures of parents or legal guardians by January 31 to Steve Patterson, 2445 W. Davies Ave., Littleton, 80120. Send questions about the contest to stpatterson3@gmail.com.

Yearbooks for this school year are ready for purchase. Click here to order. The deadline to order is March 12, 2021. There is also a mail home option for the yearbook.

Congratulations to our Spartans of the Month!

• 5th – Braydon Johnson, Jessica Price
• 4th – Myra Wilcox, Gia Nandika
• 3rd – David Dolgin, Quinn Dickerson
• 2nd – Jenevieve Asantewaa Achiaah, Arden Winfrey
• 1st – Timur Chinbayar, Joel Hernandez
• K – Roland Schoedel, Scarlett (Aspen) Skodak

To view your student’s school photo proofs, visit DR Photos and select the link School Portrait Proof. Use your student’s ID number to access their proofs and place any orders that you’d like.

Students may make an appointment to have a photo taken at our photographer’s studio. DR Photo – 8110 W Brandon Dr, Littleton, CO 80125. Click here to set up an appointment.

Don’t Delay! Show your STEM Spartan Pride by ordering from the NEW gear that is available in the SpartMart Store. Check out the flier to the right for more information. The SpartMart is operated by STEM students and the gear is designed by STEM students as well.

Make sure to designate your Pick-Up Mode and your Delegates (if necessary) prior to 1:45 p.m. each day.

Pick-Up Modes:

• West Driveline Pick-Up Mode – ALL students being picked up by car
• Walker – Meeting your student at the ES Doors
• Sibling Pick-Up – ES students with Secondary Siblings that are walking

Remember to only enter the Driveline at your designated time and display your placard. To help our driveline volunteers, please keep your placard up until you leave the parking lot. Also, to help us be good neighbors to our business park neighbors, please do not stack along Barrons Blvd.

• Green – K-1 Grades Only – 2:20 p.m.
• Orange – 2-5 Grades (with K-1 sibling) – 2:30 p.m.
• Yellow – K-5 with Secondary Sibling – 2:55 p.m.

DCSD will be providing weekly remote meal bag pick-ups at all neighborhood Middle Schools in Douglas County (pick-up not available at STEM). Meal pick-ups do NOT require pre-order. Simply pull up to our curbside pickup locations and request a meal for kids, just like our Summer Feeding sites. Kids do not need to attend DCSD Schools and do not need to be present for pickup. Please see the flier to right for more information.

Elementary Virtual Book Club

February 25, 2021 – All Day!

The Kindies will be celebrating 100 Days of Learning by dressing up like 100-year-olds and completing fun learning activities. All are welcome to join in the fun. Email kelly.thatcher@https://stemk12.org with questions.

March 1-5, 2021

We’re preparing for our Love of Reading Week coming up from March 1-5, 2021. We’re looking for local, regional and national celebrities to help read to our students via Zoom and show their Love of Reading. If you know someone who may be interested in reading to our students, please email studentcouncil@https://stemk12.org.

*Due to COVID 19, no visitors or volunteers are allowed inside the building at this time. Volunteer requirements will be adjusted as needed. If you are making a donation, please keep track of your donated items for the time being until we provide additional instructions on how to log your hours.

Volunteer opportunities below are all outside of the school building.

We would like to invite parents to help during outdoor lunch & recess time each day. Recess starts at 10:50 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. If you are interested, please enter through the Elementary School lobby, register as a visitor and complete the health screening form.

After completing the registration form, we ask that you meet grade levels at the Elementary School playground on the East side of the school. Masks are required.

If you have some extra time in the mornings or afternoons, please consider signing up to volunteer for our Elementary School Driveline. We need volunteers to help from 7:20-7:50 a.m. with unloading students from their cars and getting them to their class stones. In the afternoon, we need volunteers to help from 2:10-3:10 p.m. with loading students into their cars.

If you are interested, please enter through the Elementary School lobby, register as a visitor and complete the health screening form. Masks are required.

We are in immediate need of underwear and pants (girls size 5-8) for students who have an accident. Please sign up using the link to the right. Donations can be dropped off at the Elementary School Office.

Additionally, we have an ongoing need for classroom and health room donations. Click the link to the right to see all of the donation items that we are collecting for, and to sign up.