Director's Update
A message from Mrs. Ridder, Middle School Director
Dear Middle School Families:
First off, we’ve officially crossed the finish line of State Testing! A heartfelt thank you to our superhero testing coordinator, Amanda Davenport, for her incredible dedication to managing the CMAS, PSATs, and SATs. To our wonderful families, thank you for your unwavering support, and to our students, your hard work shines! Get ready for an exciting final four weeks packed with fun!
Disturbing Trend
I would like to inform you of a disturbing trend in our middle school: students vaping in classrooms and bathrooms, and regrettably, bringing alcohol disguised in water bottles onto school grounds. This behavior is a serious violation of school policy, and poses significant health and safety risks. It’s also important to be aware that the presence of THC in vapes can result in a citation from law enforcement.
Please be assured that we are taking all reports of such incidents extremely seriously and conducting thorough investigations. Our process includes:
- Immediate Investigation: Each and every report we receive is promptly investigated.
- Student Interviews: We conduct individual interviews with students who are reported to be involved or who may have witnessed incidents to gather accurate information.
- Searches When Appropriate: When reasonable suspicion exists, and in accordance with school policy and legal guidelines, we conduct searches of student belongings and relevant areas.
- Parent Contact: We are committed to maintaining open communication with parents. When a student is found to be involved in these behaviors, their parents are contacted immediately to inform them of the situation and the disciplinary actions being taken.
In addition to these investigative steps, we are also implementing the following proactive measures:
- Increased Monitoring: We are increasing staff presence in hallways, bathrooms, and other common areas to enhance supervision and deter these behaviors.
- Staff Training: We are providing additional assistance and information to all staff members on recognizing the signs of vaping and alcohol use, as well as the proper procedures for intervention and reporting.
- Policy Reinforcement: We are clearly communicating and consistently enforcing our school policies regarding substance use, ensuring students understand the consequences of these actions, which range from detention to suspension.
- Review of Security Measures: We are reviewing our current security protocols to identify and address potential vulnerabilities that may allow these substances to enter our school.
We ask for your partnership in reinforcing these important messages at home. Open communication with your children about the risks of vaping and alcohol is crucial. We are also asking for your assistance in observing and monitoring your children to ensure they are not in possession of vapes, alcohol, or drugs. We appreciate your support in maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for all our students.
Into the Woods – School Musical – May 1st – 3rd
Please come out to support our students and our Theater Department as they perform Into the Woods. There will be shows on Thursday night, Friday night, and two on Saturday. Show dates and times are as follows:
Thursday, May 1st – 6pm
Friday, May 2nd – 6 pm
Saturday, May 3rd – 1 pm and 3 pm
Middle School End of the Year Awards Ceremony – May 13th
Our third annual Middle School End of the Year Awards Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 13th at 4 pm in the gym. All students receiving an award will receive an email over the next couple of weeks. This is an invitation-only event. This year, we will present awards for the following categories:
- Academic Achievement (from Fall 2024): Honors (3.25 – 3.50), High Honors (3.50-3.75), and Highest Honors (3.75+)
- Attendance (Fall 2024)
- Leadership
- Dedicated Student
- Character
- Growth Mindset
- Upstander
- Art
- Drama
- Music
- PE
- Engineering
- Robotics
- Computer Science
- Math
- ELA
- Social Studies
- World Language
- Science
K-12 Fine Arts Showcase – May 8th
Join us for our K-12 Fine Arts Showcase, a spectacular event highlighting the diverse talents of our young artists, put on by our secondary art team, Mr. Smith, Ms. Devitt, Mr. Beamer, along with our Elementary team. Experience a wide range of artistic expressions, including visual arts, digital arts, and more. Come support our students as they share their passion and hard work!
Secondary Music Concert – May 15th
Our Secondary Music Spring Concert is coming May 8th from 5-7 pm, featuring the talented musicians of our middle and high schools, led by Mr. Gomez and Mr. Granville. Enjoy an evening of wonderful performances by our bands, orchestras, and choirs.
Important Upcoming Dates
Thursday May 1nd – Saturday May 3th – Into the Woods Musical
Thursday, May 8th – Fine Arts Showcase 4-7 pm
Tuesday, May 13 – Middle School Awards Ceremony – 4-5 pm
Thursday, May 15 – Secondary Music Spring Concert – 5-7 pm
Thursday, May 22 – Half day/last day of school for secondary
We have so much to look forward to. Thank you once again for your continued partnership in making this a successful and enriching year for all our students. We encourage you to stay connected through upcoming newsletters and our school website for details on these end-of-year events. Here’s to a joyful and memorable conclusion to the 2024-2025 school year!
In partnership with,
Maura Ridder
Middle School Director
Upcoming Events
Middle School Awards Ceremony
May 13th 4:oo-5:oo pm
News and Updates
Update on Secondary Student IDS
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
Tutoring during access in MS and HS commons
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.