High School News and Updates (10/27/24)

Dear STEM students and families,

As the High School Director, I am always enthused by the energy of our students and the dedication of our staff. As you know, we hosted our parent/teacher conferences the week before break. For those of you who were able to make it, thank you for your patience. I recognize the lines were long, however the conferences were productive. Then, when I thought the night was over, I found the robotics students and sponsors diligently working on their projects. There is always something going on here!

Our third annual Prospective Spartan Showcase Night will be Tuesday, October 29th from 6:00-8:00 pm. Our students and staff have put in a lot of time, effort and energy to prepare for the night. We recognize that this is a busy time of year for everyone, but this is a very important evening for us as our students and staff show off what our school offers. If you know of anyone who is looking for the right school for their student, please let them know about this night. I know we offer a special type of education at STEM, and would appreciate your help getting the word out! If you know of anyone, please feel free to share this link with them for more info.

Over the past month, I have had the opportunity to visit several middle schools to talk to the 8th-grade students and families about STEM and what we have to offer. I truly believe this is a unique school, and the educational opportunities that we offer students are the best in the area, as demonstrated by our state and national rankings. However, as you know, the rankings do not tell the whole story. As I walk the halls and talk to our kids, I am reminded that this truly is a home away from home for our students. Because this is such a unique environment, I am always trying to find ways to get the word out so other students can take advantage of the excellent programming we offer. With that in mind, if you know of anyone who might be interested in joining the STEM family, please invite them to join us on a tour (every Wednesday at 9 a.m.). They are also welcome to visit our website and express their interest through the open enrollment process.

Looking ahead, we only have a few more weeks left this semester. With that in mind, we must finish strong. Students, please continue to monitor your grades and complete your practice work so you can demonstrate proficiency on the assessments. If you have any questions about your progress, please feel free to reach out to your teachers, and they will be more than happy to give you a better idea of how you are doing. Please do not wait until the end of the semester. By then, it is too late. 

Thanks, everyone! Go Spartans!

Sincerely,

Ryan Alsup, High School Director

Proud to be a Spartan!

Friday, November 1st

This Friday there will be no school as our staff participates in a professional development day!

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.

Hello, STEM community! Yearbooks will be available for purchase soon at yearbookforever.com. We have some important action items to make the yearbook as great as can be:

• SENIORS: Senior portraits and senior quotes should be emailed to yearbook@stemk12.org on or before October 31.
• PARENTS OF SENIORS: Baby ads are also due by October 31. They can also be purchased at yearbookforever.com as you purchase your senior’s yearbook.
• PREFERRED NAMES: If your student would like their name printed as any name other than what is listed in Infinite Campus, please email parent permission to yearbook@stemk12.org or michelle.wesley@stemk12.org.

The National Security Agency (NSA) is looking for high school juniors who possess outstanding academic credentials in business, computer technology, engineering, graphic arts, manufacturing, construction, Chinese language, Russian language, or humanities.

The program is designed for students who plan to participate in a paid part-time internship from September through August for a minimum of four hours a day, Monday through Friday during senior year. For more information, please see the attached flier.

Are you interested in a healthcare career? If so, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is now accepting applications for their CU Pre-Health Scholars Program (CUPS). The program serves grades 6th through 12th and exposes scholars to high-impact events, research, STEAM, and Healthcare careers. At the same time, preparing our scholars to be competitive applicants for post-secondary education and matriculation into professional health careers or graduate school programs. The application is open until December 1, 2024. You can find more information about the program on their website.

Merrick & Company is seeking a high school student interested in Engineering or Drafting & Design for a paid apprenticeship program for Fall 2024 in the Greenwood Village, CO headquarters. The apprentice will support client projects such as those involving aerospace missions, national defense, research laboratories, land development, water systems, sustainable energy, bio-manufacturing, and industrial manufacturing, as well as being exposed to training and development opportunities!  The apprenticeship program has a commitment of approximately 18 months to 2 years.

Are you looking for a summer internship? Merrick & Company is accepting applications from now to November 2024 for a paid Mechanical Equipment Designer Intern. The Merrick Intern Program will provide an opportunity to gain technical experience in the field of mechanical equipment design. The intern will be exposed to a variety of mechanical design items, potentially including detailed machine design, 3D modeling in CREO (Pro/Engineer), and creation of drawings in CREO (Pro/Engineer). For more information and how to apply, please visit Merrick’s application page.