High School News and Updates (02/09/25)

Hello Spartan families,

Happy February everyone! For those of you who follow Ground Hog Day, Punxsutawney Phil (the groundhog) saw his shadow, forecasting 6 more weeks of winter. While I do not know much about that, I do know the calendar spring is just around the corner!

So far, February has been a fantastic month at STEM. We started the month off with our annual Winter Formal Dance on Saturday, 2/1. Our Student Government worked hard, and the dance was amazing. I would like to give a shout out to our faculty and parent chaperones for spending the evening at the school, and our Student Government for putting in countless hours planning, setting up and tearing it down. Thanks everyone!

February is Black History Month

As the High School Director, one of the things that I am really proud of is our diversity. Our total minority enrollment is around 46%, which is significantly higher than the neighborhood schools around us. Our diversity is an important part of who we are as a school, and is something that is embraced by our students and faculty. As I mentioned, February is Black History Month. As a former history teacher, I always enjoy reading about things that happened today in history. So, in the spirit of Black History month, here are a few notable items that happened today in history:

• February 1, 1960- The Greensboro Sit-Ins
• February 2, 1839- Edmond Berger patented the spark plug

• February 2, 1897 Alfred Cralle patented the Ice Cream Scooper
• February 2, 2009- Eric Holder was confirmed as the first African American Attorney General.
• February 4, 1913- Rosa Parks was born.
• February 5, 1934- Hank Aaron was born.

Other notable figures in Black History:

• Alice Ball, chemist- Developed an injectable treatment for leprosy.
• Benjamin Baneker- mathematician and astronomer
• Patricia Bath- Ophthalmologist who developed the laser technology to treat cataracts.
• Otis Boykin- Inventor and Electrical Engineer- developed the resistor technology that made the first pacemakers possible.

Kindness

Kindness is a critical part of our school culture, and is something that we generally are really good at. Generally speaking, I would say that our student body is the kindest students that I have worked with. However, there have been a few situations that we had to deal with. Please help us by reminding your students that teasing, bullying, harassing or using racist or anti semitic slurs is never funny and will not be tolerated. Consequences will be given, including suspensions from school. Last year, we hosted an anti-bullying assembly where I asked the students to be upstanders anytime they see something happening. Watching the behavior, laughing at the joke or simple indifference is part of the problem. We need everyone to take a stand to prevent this type of behavior. 

February is also National Random Acts of Kindness Month:

Have you ever gone through the drive through, and pulled up to the window to find that the person in front of you paid for your meal? Do you remember how that made you feel? Sometimes small acts of kindness can make a big difference for people. So, in honor of this month, I will close this letter by encouraging all of us, students, parents, community members, to do something kind for someone. If you stop and buy a coffee on your way to school, buy one for a friend. Give someone an unexpected compliment. Any kind act will make that person’s day, and will have a positive impact on yours as well.

Looking ahead…

Monday 2/10

• 5:00-7:00- An Evening at the Wax Museum hosted by our Spanish classes
• 5:30- 6:30- Junior College Night. Please see Mrs. Myrick’s newsletter for more information.
• Boys and Girls Basketball home versus Nederland- 4:00- boys JV, 5:30- Girls Varsity, and 7:00 Boys Varsity

Wednesday 2/12

• Basketball at Poudre Community Academy

Tuesday 2/18

• Basketball home versus Mile High Academy. This is Senior Night!
  • 4:00- Boys JV
  • 5:30- Girls Varsity
  • 7:00- Boys Varsity

Thursday 2/20- Saturday 2/22

• Foothills League Basketball Tournament

Wish Week is just around the corner! This year’s Wish Week is the first week of March. Each year, our National Honor Society partners with the Make A Wish Foundation to sponsor a child and help make their wish come true. To meet our fundraising goals, this is a K-12 event. Currently, our NHS students are putting the finishing touches on the plan for the week, and will release that information soon. However, I do want to draw your attention to STEM’s Science Exhibition which will take place on Wednesday, March 3rd. This is a K-12 event and should be a fun way for our students to raise money while having fun with science! Please click here for more information!

Thanks Everyone!

Go Spartans!

Sincerely,

Ryan Alsup, High School Director

February 14th

February 10th – 5:30PM @ High School Commons

Mrs. Myrick will be hosting a College Night for juniors and their parents on Monday, February 10 at 5:30 PM in the MIDDLE SCHOOL Commons. Please enter through the athletic entrance. I hope to see you all there!

February 17th

February 18 – 3:00PM

Big news, families! Your student has the opportunity to travel to THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC on a
Marine Conservation adventure in Spring 2026. We’ll be going over all the details at the info session.
Use this link to register for the meeting: https://bit.ly/3DQN1xr

February 13 – 15th

Mikron will be here on Wednesday, February 26th during ACCESS to review their summer internship and apprenticeship program. The summer internship is for current juniors and is an exciting opportunity to work for a global company. You can learn more about Mikron by visiting their website. Please reach out to Nicole Ryan at nicole.ryan@stemk12.org for more information and to register for the session.

The Aerospace States Association and Colorado Space Business Roundtable Aerospace Summer Internship Program is currently accepting applications for their summer program.
This is an unpaid internship program for anyone interested in aerospace. Though aerospace is STEM oriented, there are opportunities in many career fields including business, program management, procurement, human resources, communications, legal, and others.

The Internship Program runs for two weeks total. There is a virtual week with students from multiple states participating, followed by an in-person week in Colorado During the program, students will have the opportunity to engage with aerospace industry businesses, university programs, and nonprofits, learning about the opportunities and challenges facing the industry and gaining valuable hands-on experience. Please see the website for more information and to apply.

Applications are now open for Career Week for GIRLs. For one week this summer, participants will travel to five different companies to learn the myriad of careers that lie within transportation and construction. They will come to each location at 8:30am and stay until 3:30pm. The host will provide lunch. There is space for 12 attendees each week. Once they reach capacity with qualified participants, the program will close. Deadline to apply is March 31, 2025. Visit their website for more information.

Are you interested in learning more about the aerospace industry? If so, join the team at BAE Systems on February 22nd as they host a hands-on STEM event. Students will have the opportunity to learn from professionals regarding various aerospace career paths and skills needed to be successful. Plus you will participate in an interactive design activity. Transportation and lunch will be provided. For more information, reach out to Meredith Stephens at meredith.stephens@stemk12.org.

Are you interested in the biomedical engineering field? If so, the University of Colorado Denver, Department of Bioengineering is now accepting applications for their summer camp, BOLT (Bioengineering Opportunities and Leadership Training). BOLT is designed to introduce students to biomedical engineering design and leadership topics. The in-person camp will be held at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. For more information, please visit the CU website or review the attached flyer.

Are you looking to learn more about science and veterinary medicine? Join CSU’s Natural Sciences Education & Outreach Center this summer as they explore scientific and veterinary practices. Students will carry out investigations, using real tools, and collecting data both in the lab and field. For more information, please visit the CSU website at https://www.cns-eoc.colostate.edu/scivet/

The Medical Career Collaborative (MC2) is a health careers pathway program designed to provide students with the opportunity to gain experience and exposure to the world of healthcare and access ongoing support in pursuit of their healthcare professions. Applications are currently being accepted and must be completed by Wednesday, March 5, 2025. For more information on the program and the application process, please visit the website at https://www.childrenscolorado.org/careers/professional-development/medical-career-collaborative/

Dear STEM Families,

We are dedicated to maintaining a safe environment for our students and staff. Safety is our number one priority and is a layered approach. One of the measures is to ensure that all students, staff, and visitors are identifiable on campus. Student IDs also alert office staff to who has off-campus permissions and allow students to quickly check in and out using our automated system. We ask for your continued support in ensuring your child is wearing an ID to school each day.

As time goes on, we understand that students will misplace their IDs and lanyards. We ordered another shipment of lanyards and ID holders, but our students are going through them pretty quickly.

After Fall Break, students will be charged $5 for replacements. This charge will run through their Myschoolbucks account. Please monitor the account and speak to your child about these charges if they occur.

Spartmart is looking into purchasing nicer, higher quality lanyards to sell as well and you may also purchase lanyards online.

Finally, because IDs are part of our dress code, if a student is not wearing an ID and does not have a temporary ID, they may be assigned a detention. Students have been made aware of this expectation.

Once again, we really appreciate your support. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to one of our building directors.

In partnership,

The STEM Admin Team

Our Math Society students are volunteering to assist with math homework during access periods (11-11:40 a.m.) on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Help will be available in both the Middle School and High School commons. Students who need support or want to catch up on homework should feel free to take advantage of this opportunity. Students should contact either their math teacher or access teacher to add their name to the list for help.