Director's Update
A message from Mrs. Ridder, Middle School Director
Dear Middle School Families,
As we approach the holiday season, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude to our dedicated staff and supportive families. Your partnership is essential to the success of our students, and I am incredibly proud of the positive and collaborative learning environment we have created together. Truly, our students are thriving this year, and I am confident it is due to the collective efforts of our entire community. If you are needing support for your child, I encourage you to reach out to teachers, counselors, or any member of our admin team for help.
I also want to share some highlights of STEM events and share some important information for the weeks ahead.
DEI Multicultural Holiday Celebration
We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. We value diversity and respect all individuals, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other personal characteristic. In the spirit of this, we held our Inaugural DEI Multicultural Holiday Celebration on Thursday! It was a festive night with a wonderful turnout. Our families enjoyed music, dancing, arts, crafts, games, and food. A huge shout out and thank you to Tera Johnson-Swartz, our DEI committee members, and all of the families who participated.
Athletics
Our middle school cheer team cheered at their first game on Tuesday night to a crowded gymnasium of spectators. They did a wonderful job. Thank you to Ms. Williams and Ms. Taylor for their coaching! Congratulations to our girls’ and our boys’ basketball teams for winning their first games on Tuesday night!
STEM Holiday Gift Program
This season, we are continuing our STEM Holiday Gift Program. The program allows STEM families to donate towards the purchase of gift cards to be given to STEM staff. Participating in the STEM Holiday Program is the PERFECT way to thank all of our hard-working teachers and staff!
Here is how it works:
- Use the “STEM Holiday Gift Card” order link to donate $$ to a general fund. These funds are used to purchase holiday gift cards for ALL STEM staff.
- The STEM Elf will do all the gift card shopping for you.
- Please place your order (NO CASH) via the school link by December 16th.
- Gift cards will be ordered on Dec. 17th.
- Staff will receive their gifts and a card with your name on it on Dec. 20th.
Healthy Cell Phone Habits
I would like to share this information on Healthy Cell Phone Habits that DCSD included in their Mental Health Newsletter. I wish I had this information when my daughters were in middle school.
Lost and Found
Please encourage your child to check the lost and found for anything missing. We will donate it all at Winter Break.
Important dates and events
- Secondary Music Concert – Tuesday, December 10th at 6:30 pm
- STEM PTO Cookie Exchange – Thursday, December 19th at 4 pm at Prost Brewing Co.
- Winter Break – December 20th through January 6th
In partnership,
Maura T. Ridder
Middle School Director
Upcoming Events
End of Semester Concert
Tuesday, December 10th, 6-9:30pm
Join us for an end of semester Secondary Concert for the band and choir for Fall ’24 Semester!
Nerds Night Out
Friday, December 13th 5-7pm
We are hosting our annual nerds night out in the upper high school hallway/cafeteria!
Secondary Holiday Toy Drive Starts
December 3rd-17th
Secondary Spirit Week
December 16th – 19th
This Holiday Spirit week is a dress up week, but winter edition. Students get to dress up according to a theme everyday, but this one will be based on the holidays.
Theater Class Performance
December 17th
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.