Elementary News and Updates (02/04/22)

Tuesday, Feb. 8, from 5:30-7 p.m – High School Commons

The monthly STEM Board of Director’s Meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 8 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, Feb. 9, from 10-11 a.m – Secondary School Entrance

Each Wednesday, STEM opens up its doors from 10-11 a.m. for a building tour to interested families who would like to learn more about our school. We’d like to encourage our families to spread the word to anyone they know who might be interested in having their student(s) attend STEM. Interested tour participants should arrive 10 minutes early to get checked in and badged. They must bring a valid ID in order to get checked in.

Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 6-8 p.m – Skate City (5801 S. Lowell Blvd.)

All staff, families and students are welcome to attend a private Valentine Roller-Skating Party at Skate City on Wednesday, Feb. 9 from 6-8 p.m. STEM’s Elementary Student Government is planning a fun night of activities for all K-12. Admission is $7 and skate rental is $3.

Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 6:30-8 p.m – STEM Center for Strength

STEM PTO is comprised of parents from the STEM community who work together to help foster a strong sense of community, provide enhancement activities for students, faculty, staff and families, while also helping to increase educational, social and emotional experiences for the members of their families.

STEM PTO is organized for the purpose of enhancing the quality of each students’ education, the school as a whole, and the entire community through the development of resources and participation of parents, school staff, and the community. Meetings are open for anyone to attend. Please park in the High School Parking lot and enter through the High School doors.

Thursday, Feb. 10 and Friday, Feb. 12, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day

Colorado law (C.R.S. 22-1-116) states that grades K,1,2,3,5,7 and 9th shall be tested for sight and hearing. We also screen students that are new to a school district and any referrals. Click here to learn more.

Virtual Learners can also be tested in person via the dates and times below. Please check-in at the respective Front Office.

• ES (K,1,2,3,5) – February, 10 at 7:30 a.m.
• Secondary (7 & 9) – February 11 at 7:30 a.m.

Want to volunteer?

We are in need of 12 volunteers on those dates, from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. There will be a 30-minute training session from 7-7:30 a.m. because volunteers will be completing the vision/hearing screening and need to be comfortable doing so. We will also be asking for lunch donations for our volunteers and workers. Click here to access the sign-up sheet.

Tuesday, Feb. 15, from 8-9 a.m – Elementary School Cafeteria

On Tuesday, Feb. 15 we will be holding a Coffee with Administration event from 8-9 a.m. at our Elementary School Cafeteria. We are asking our families to sign up in advance so that we can plan for coffee and light pastries.

Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 5:30-7 p.m. – STEM Center for Strength

The monthly STEM School Accountability Committee (SAC) meeting will be on Wednesday, Feb. 16 from 5:30-7 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.

Do you have talent? Do you sing? Dance? Play and instrument? Are you a comedian? Do you do improv? Please come audition for the 10th annual Stem’s Got Talent. Prepare an act that does not exceed 3-5 minutes. All students should come with their acts polished! No karaoke or sing-alongs. If you are singing to music, please bring the music with you. If your act is too complex to audition in person, contact Mrs. Ridder about submitting a video audition. Remember, this being our 10th year, the competition is heavy. We usually have about 100 – 150 acts audition, and can only place around 20 in the show.

We are also looking for 1-2 masters of ceremonies to host the show. If you would like to audition for that role, please prepare a one-minute monologue on how you would open the show.

If you cannot make the audition day, contact Mrs. Ridder at maura.ridder@stemk12.org for an alternative date.

STEM’s National English Honor Society is putting on a Book Drive This Month! All of the books that we collect will go to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Denver which promotes getting books in the hands of everyone who wants to read. New and Used books can be donated at the Secondary School Front Office until Monday, Feb. 28.

Honoring The Masters, Encouraging The Young

Welcome to Colorado Kids Create Inc., a trade-marked, 501(c)3 and member of the Colorado Art Education Association. We hope you all enjoy this year’s 9th annual, state-wide contest and the opportunity to become a published illustrator! Remember to carefully follow the instructions found in the Contest Details. This year there is a mail-in entry option. Be proud that YOU are doing your part to see Art education flourish in the beautiful state of Colorado.

2022 Prizes

Grand Prize

• A Blick Art Gift Certificate
• Tickets to The American Museum of Western Art – The Anschutz Collection
• One month of Monart Online EduArt Studio Class

1st Place (1 winner from elementary, middle, and high school)

• A Blick Art Gift Certificate
• Tickets to The American Museum of Western Art – The Anschutz Collection
• One Monart Project from the Monart Store

2nd – 4th Place (1 winner from elementary, middle, and high school)

• A Blick Art Gift Certificate
• Tickets for The American Museum of Western Art – The Anschutz Collection

NoCo Regional Prize

• Hayride for 20 people at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch

For further information, contact Rachel Casale, Executive Director, at Coloradokidscreate@gmail.com.

Contest Details

Be inspired by Colorado’s rich, Western heritage. Read the 2022 contest stories here!

Contest requirements:

1. All children must be residents of Colorado.
2. Children must be between the ages of 5-18 years old.
3. Artwork must be horizontal (landscape).
4. Artwork must be done with markers or paint. We like bright and colorful images!
5. Artwork must be scanned and electronically submitted through our submission form. Please scan and upload at the highest possible resolution. DO NOT SEND PHOTOS OF ARTWORK. ARTWORK MUST BE SCANNED AND SENT AS PNG OR JPEG.
6. Parents or teachers must sign an electronic permission form for entry to be valid.
7. Deadline – March 7th, 2022
8. There will be a grand prize winner, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place winner for elementary, middle, and high school entries. Awards will be sent through the mail to the participant’s Art Teacher.
9. Winning artwork and honorable mentions will be posted on this website on April 11th, 2022.
10. Mail in option: send to Colorado Kids Create 852 Welch Ave Berthoud Colorado 80513 along with signed permission form.

To enter, please visit the Artwork Upload/Permission Form page. Thank you for participating in this year’s contest!

Douglas County Libraries is now accepting applications for our spring term of Reading Buddies. This program pairs a trained teen volunteer with a current 1st- through 3rd-grade student who is having challenges with reading.

Sessions take place weekly Tuesday or Thursday from February 28 – April 28, from 4:15-5:15 p.m. Parents may find more information and fill out an application for the program via the button below. Applications are due Sunday, Jan. 30.

For questions, please email hireadingbuddies@dclibraries.org, call 303-791-READ, or stop by a branch and talk to any of our friendly staff members!

In the event that DCSD determines that the district should follow the DCSD Delayed Opening protocol, STEM School Highlands Ranch will abide by its Virtual School Day Policy. When it snows, our school’s operation and instructional expectations will be determined by one of these three scenarios:

1. Snow Day – Douglas County Schools (check www.dcsdk12.org) calls a snow day – The STEM building is closed and implements a Virtual School Day with 20% of the learning being synchronous. (NEW; STEM will not have Snow Days morning forward)
2. Late Start Day – Douglas County Schools calls a Late Start day – STEM is closed and implements a Virtual School Day with 20% of the learning being synchronous.
3. All Schools Open – Douglas County Schools declare Highlands Ranch area schools open – STEM is open and operating to our regular schedule.

Douglas County Libraries is now accepting applications for our spring term of Reading Buddies. This program pairs a trained teen volunteer with a current 1st- through 3rd-grade student who is having challenges with reading.

Sessions take place weekly Tuesday or Thursday from February 28 – April 28, from 4:15-5:15 p.m. Parents may find more information and fill out an application for the program via the button below. Applications are due Sunday, Jan. 30.

For questions, please email hireadingbuddies@dclibraries.org, call 303-791-READ, or stop by a branch and talk to any of our friendly staff members!

In the event that DCSD determines that the district should follow the DCSD Delayed Opening protocol, STEM School Highlands Ranch will abide by its Virtual School Day Policy. When it snows, our school’s operation and instructional expectations will be determined by one of these three scenarios:

1. Snow Day – Douglas County Schools (check www.dcsdk12.org) calls a snow day – The STEM building is closed and implements a Virtual School Day with 20% of the learning being synchronous. (NEW; STEM will not have Snow Days morning forward)
2. Late Start Day – Douglas County Schools calls a Late Start day – STEM is closed and implements a Virtual School Day with 20% of the learning being synchronous.
3. All Schools Open – Douglas County Schools declare Highlands Ranch area schools open – STEM is open and operating to our regular schedule.

Click the button below to access the prepayment site for the Elementary Yearbook. Soft Cover books are $20 and Hard Cover books are $30.

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#

The Best Peaceful Parenting “One-Liners”

Want to parent with more empathy but can’t think of what to say? Here are some no-fail sentences to get you started in any situation.

Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (READ Act) Resources

The Colorado READ Act was passed in 2012 and provides the guiding philosophy, structure, and resources to get children reading at grade level by the time they enter the fourth grade. Find out how parents can support literacy in elementary and secondary readers.

The Family Dinner Project

No matter your family make-up, where you live, or what your dinners are like right now, you can be a part of The Family Dinner Project. The only thing you need to do is share a meal with the people closest to you. Choose from many free resources to help you improve your family dinners and meet your mealtime goals.

The Youth Award recognizes teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 who have overcome personal adversity and created positive change in their lives. Nominations are due Friday, March 4.

Supporting Our Students Forum: Mental Health Resources and Supports in DCSD Schools
Hosted by the DCSD District Accountability Committee (DAC)
Thursday, February 17 | 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Rock Canyon High School
More information >>

Parents, guardians, students and community members are encouraged and welcome to attend this free event. Breakout sessions will include topics like Social Emotional Wellness and Learning, The Role of the School Counselor, Calming Strategies and Interactive Sensory Experiences, and more