High School News and Updates (03/30/25)

Dear Stem Spartans and families,

I hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break! Spring is one of the busiest times in high school. Earlier this week, we had an assembly where the candidates running for Student Government positions had an opportunity to give their campaign speeches to their peers. They all did an excellent job, and I am excited to see who wins all of the elections!

You may have already heard this from your students, but this week we made an adjustment to our security screening at the secondary entrance. Students who come in through that entrance will no longer need to take their laptops and binders out of their backpacks! We now include the Evolv Expedite system to scan the bags as people enter our building. And after a week of use, our students seem to be  happy with the change.

Prom is just around the corner! Next week, we will have our Prom Spirit Assembly where we will announce the spirit days for the Prom week. During that assembly, we will also have a guest speaker to speak to our students about the importance of driving safely. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for American teens. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, there were over 8,000 teen drivers involved in car crashes in Colorado in 2024. In 2023, 119 teens died in car crashes in Colorado. And the trend is increasing, up 59% from just five years ago. Nationally, over 2,000 teens lost their lives in automobile crashes, and another 227,000 students were injured. I recognize this is a depressing topic to discuss with the students as they prepare for something as fun as Prom. However, this hits me pretty hard because as a career educator I have lost far too many students to car accidents. And we are entering the deadliest time of year as statistically students are much more likely to be in a car crash in the spring and summer months. As a school, we want to make sure we are doing our part in teaching students about safe driving. It will start next week with the assembly and the guest speakers who shared their stories and experiences. 

Now that we are into April, the end of the year is in sight. This is a very fun time of year. For our Seniors, most of the college acceptances are in and they are counting down to graduation! And the rest of our kids are looking forward to summer. Students are talking about Prom, club elections, athletics and robotics competitions and the spring play. With all of this going on, it is easy to get distracted this time of year. Students, it is important to make sure you finish strong in all of your classes, and if you are struggling, please take the time to meet with your teachers to get the help that you need. Parents, I know many of you came to conferences, but if you ever have any questions about your child’s academic progress, please feel free to reach out to the teachers any time.

And speaking of graduation… The class of 2025 yard signs are in! Parents, please remind your seniors to come down to the counseling office to pick up their yard sign! These are beautiful signs and are a great way to announce to the neighborhood that your child is graduating! 

Looking ahead, April is also testing month. Please see our website for the complete list of assessments, but the big one for us is the PSAT and SAT that will take place on April 15th. The PSAT 9 and 10 are state mandated tests, but they are also excellent pre-tests to help the students be prepared for the SAT. Juniors, the SAT is also state mandated, but as you know, many colleges and universities still request SAT scores so it is important that you do your best.

Here are some important dates and events:

• April 11 – Early Release day
• April 11- Prom
• April 14-18 – CMAS Testing
  • SAT and PSAT on April 15, 11th grade science CMAS on April 16
• April 24 – STEMFest 5-7 pm 
• May 1-3 – Into the Woods Theater Production
• May 2- Senior Walk
• May 8 – Fine Arts Showcase
• May 15 – Spring Music Concert
• May 19 – Graduation – No School
• May 22 – STEM High School’s annual Welcome to High School party! Grades 8-11

That is all I have for now! Be safe everyone!

Sincerely,

Ryan Alsup

Proud High School Director

STEM School Highlands Ranch

Go Spartans!

Friday, April 11th

Calling all Juniors and Seniors! STEM Prom 2025 is coming up on Friday April 11, from 7-10pm at the Children’s Museum in Denver (2121 Children’s Museum Drive, Denver, CO 80211)! Join us for a fantastical night at the museum with tons of awesome music, food, and exclusive access to the museum’s wild exhibits! Tickets are going to be available for $70 via myschoolbucks starting April 2 and include both prom and after prom! Can’t wait to see you there!

April 15th

April 14th – 18th

Read Here for more information!

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.

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/

CU Anschutz Modern Humanity Program has two summer camps for rising 9th through 12th grade this summer. Brain camp will explore the structure and function of the human nervous system. The Anatomy & Medical Careers camp will focus on medical career paths while learning the structure and functions of the human body. For more information, see the attached flyer.

Horrocks Engineering has invited STEM students to assist in creating an interactive project geared for the Transportation & Construction GIRL Day held in September each year. They are currently looking for two students to assist them engineer a project for the event. There will be initial meetings in April/ May, with the bulk of the project being completed in August/ September. This will be a great opportunity to learn from and network with engineers in the field! For more information, please reach out to Nicole Ryan at nicole.ryan@stemk12.org.

Exciting News!! Burns & McDonnell is hosting a Summer in person mentorship opportunity and a Spring virtual job shadow day for high school students. Students will have the opportunity to learn about real-world engineering projects and field experiences. Burns & McDonnell is an international engineering, architecture and construction firm with offices in Denver.

If you would like to apply for the Denver Mentorship Opportunity being held this summer, please apply using the attached flyer. What an exciting opportunity to learn from experts in the field.

If you are interested in applying for the virtual job shadow on April 28th, please reach out to Nicole Ryan to submit an application.

Are you passionate about IT? Ready to learn some new skills this summer? If so, TeamLogic IT is currently looking for a dedicated summer intern passionate about technology and eager to gain real-world experience. TeamLogic IT is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) specializing in delivering IT solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Ms. Ryan at nicole.ryan@stemk12.org.

Applications are now being accepted for the Transportation & Construction GIRL Career Week. Career Week for GIRLs is a FREE summer camp that gives young women (ages 13-23) the chance to explore high-paying careers in construction, transportation, and other industries. Over the course of one week, participants will gain hands-on experience, visit top companies, and connect with women professionals in these fields. For more information and to apply, please see the attached flyer.

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.