Secondary News and Updates (02/19/21)

Deadline extended to February 28, 2021

Do you Intend to Return for the 2021-22 School Year?

For enrollment planning purposes, please let us know, either way, if your child plans to return to STEM School Highlands Ranch next year.

Please complete this form for each of your currently attending STEM students. If you are currently enrolled at STEM please let us know that your child is returning. You do not need to “open enroll” to remain at STEM. If your child is currently attending STEM, they will be automatically enrolled for next year. Please also complete the form if your student is planning to seek enrollment at another school so that we can have an accurate count of returning students.

Do you Have a Sibling Who Wants to Attend STEM Next Year?

Does your current STEM student have a sibling who is interested in attending STEM for the 2021-22 school year? Did you know that they have priority on our waitlist? Please add them to our waitlist now! STEM’s open enrollment is now open and we will begin notifying families of accepted spots for the 2021-22 school year beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Now Accepting Names for the 2021-22 School Year!

STEM is now accepting names for the waitlist for 2021-22 and beyond. Please spread the word to your family and friends. They can add their child to the waitlist here! We will begin notifying families of accepted spots beginning on December 1, 2020. Please note that STEM does not follow the Douglas County Open Enrollment process.

Intent to Attend Your Neighborhood School

If you wish to attend your neighborhood school, you must return this form to that school no later than January 5th. This will allow your child to attend that school in the fall of next year (2021-22).

Questions? Please call the MS office at 303-683-7836 or check the website for more enrollment information.

We are pleased to announce that Secondary Health Assistant Brianne Bartlett will move into the role of COVID-19 Coordinator. Mrs. Bartlett will still remain as a Secondary Health Assistant but will take on COVID-19 coordination duties when there is a positive or presumed positive case. She will assist the STEM Leadership team in contact tracing, notifying families and sending out quarantine communications via Infinite Campus. Congratulations Mrs. Bartlett and thank you for your commitment to STEM.

On February 19, 2021 the CHSAA CLOC committee unanimously voted for STEM School Highlands Ranch to become a member school. This membership will be provisional for the 2021-22 school year and STEM will become a full member school in Fall 2022. STEM will also join the Confluence League which is comprised of similar size schools in the Denver Metro area. Great appreciations go out to Rudy Lukez and Daniel Hoffman – their untiring efforts have led to a successful end to this very long process.

The STEM Business Office would like to remind families of seniors, that if there are any outstanding fees on a student’s account, they must be paid for prior to graduation. Emails have been sent to families who have an outstanding balance. Fees can be paid for through MySchoolBucks.

In late August/early September of 2020, STEM had to make an adjustment to its Academic Calendar to extend the school year by a few days in order to account for our delayed start. The last day (half day) for Elementary is Friday, May 21 and the last day (half day) for Secondary is Tuesday, May 25. You can view the updated Calendar here. Additionally, graduation has been moved to Thursday, May 20 at 2 p.m. at EchoPark Stadium.

Seniors, if you have not had the opportunity to pick up your yard sign and/or graduation announcements, please stop by the LSS room (138) after school next Tuesday, Feb. 16, Thursday, Feb. 18, or Friday, Feb. 20 from 7:30-11:30 a.m. More dates and times will be available as needed. At this time, students are allowed to invite three guests to the graduation ceremony. The number may increase, depending on COVID restrictions. The ceremony will be live-streamed for those who are unable to attend.

March 1-5, 2021

We’re preparing for our Love of Reading Week coming up from March 1-5, 2021. We’re looking for local, regional and national celebrities to help read to our students via Zoom and show their Love of Reading. If you know someone who may be interested in reading, or submitting a recorded reading, to our students, please use the sign-up form via the button to the right.

Don’t Delay! Show your STEM Spartan Pride by ordering from the NEW gear that is available in the SpartMart Store. Check out the flier to the right for more information. The SpartMart is operated by STEM students and the gear is designed by STEM students as well.

All Secondary Students can pick up their yearbooks from last school year at the Middle School Front Office. People who have yet to purchase their yearbooks from the 2019-2020 school year and would like one can email sherry.wise@stemk12.org to request and get payment information.

Online ordering is now available for 2020-21 Yearbooks. Click here to purchase yours today!

Elizabeth Brown joined STEM in January 2021 as the Recovery Coordinator for STEM. While her desk is located in the new admin side of the P-TECH building, she will be spending the majority of her time in the school. The broadest description of her position is to provide overall coordination for the recovery of students, parents, and staff. Dr. Euker has stated that it is a huge priority for her that Elizabeth reaches out and provides the necessary support and information to our community. Elizabeth is working under a grant that can make all kinds of resources available to those who would like them.

Her role is specifically to support all who have been impacted, so if there are needs that aren’t being met, questions that aren’t being answered, or services that aren’t being provided, it would be really helpful to let her know so she can be sure to address those issues. Please email her at elizabeth.brown@stemk12.org.

DCSD will be providing weekly remote meal bag pick-ups at all neighborhood Middle Schools in Douglas County (pick-up not available at STEM). Meal pick-ups do NOT require pre-order. Simply pull up to our curbside pickup locations and request a meal for kids, just like our Summer Feeding sites. Kids do not need to attend DCSD Schools and do not need to be present for pickup. Please see the flier to right for more information.

DCSD Nutrition Services is hiring! They are offering four- and six-hour per day Kitchen Assistant positions in Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock and Parker. Partial or full benefits are available with pay starting at $12/hr. Nights, weekends and school breaks off! Click the button below to apply.

We are gathering interest for a co-ed High School Ultimate Frisbee team this Spring. The team will practice and play outside only, starting late February / early March. Please fill out the survey below to express interest and receive more information as it becomes available.

If you have an interest in Chess, we have two opportunities for you!

One – Fill out this interest form for our new Chess Club

Two – Participate in the DCSD Online Chess Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 13. Open to Grades 6-12. Click the button below to register.

STEM Enrichment has partnered with Sarah’s Spanish School to provide after-school Spanish lessons for our Elementary students. Last year, we had several students participate in our after-school Spanish class. For the entire month of February, families can access FREE Spanish lessons, accessible at any time.

February 8 – March 10, 2021 

The National English Honor Society is collecting books to go toward the 50/50 Books organization, a nonprofit organization promoting literacy through greater access to books for schools in need. Last year, the organization distributed over 20,000 books to our local community. NEHS is asking for students and families to donate gently used books in order for the STEM community to help other communities in need. Books can be dropped off in the designated bins at the Middle School Office during the weeks of Monday, Feb. 8 through Wednesday, March 10, during school hours.

February 8 – March 21, 2021

Applications are now open for Worlds’s Denver partner STEAM Discovery Lab program, an excellent opportunity for STEM School Highlands Ranch students who are interested in international exchange, particularly with Egypt.

The Discovery Lab is a fully-funded (free!), virtual exchange program bringing together U.S. and Egyptian youth to explore leadership and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) for three to four hours per week from February 8 to March 21, 2021. Upon successful completion of the program, participants receive a Certificate of Completion, access to the U.S. Department of State’s International Alumni Network, unique project funding opportunities from the U.S. Department of State, and a $400 scholarship towards participation in one of The Experiments in International Living’s programs around the world in 2022.

You can learn more, register for the virtual information session, and submit your program application on the STEAM Discovery Lab website. This opportunity is a great way for students to develop an enhanced understanding and practice of leadership as well as mutual understanding between youth from different cultures. Please feel free to contact Ms. Simi Basu (simi.basu@stemk12.org) with any questions you might have about this program!

February 15 – 26, 2021 

DCSD is sponsoring the Postsecondary Readiness Expo 2021 from February 15 – 26, 2021. Click the bottom to the right to access the invitation link. Explore vocational & college opportunities with your Middle and/or High School student.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your student’s counselor.

Mrs. Sullivan, MS Counselor A-L
coleen.sullivan@stemk12.org

Mrs. Dix, MS CounselorM-Z
vicki.dix@stemk12.org

Mrs. Nichols, HS Counselor A-K
alexa.nichols@stemk12.org

Mrs. Woodward, HS Counselor L-Z
alyssa.woodward@stemk12.org

February 22-26, 2021

Attention Middle School Students!

Do you like memes? If you do like a normal child, then you would be interested to know that Middle School Student Government is having a meme-making contest from February 22 – 26th.

There are only three simple rules:

1. You must use your own original photos
2. Any inappropriate submissions will not be judged
3. You can send in no more than two memes per entry

How easy! Even better, the winners of the contest will have their memes printed out and put around the school for everyone to gaze upon their glory. Email submissions to msstudentgovernment@s.stemk12.org. Thank you for participating and good luck!

Monday, Feb. 22-Friday, Feb. 26

High School Student Government is having an animation-themed spirit week from February 22-26. Show up to class (even virtual ones) wearing fun costumes to show your STEM spirit!

• Monday dress as your favorite Marvel character for Marvel Monday
• Tuesday wear your tackiest tourist outfits for Tacky Tourist Tuesday
• Wednesday show your STEM Spirit by wearing blue and yellow or your STEM attire
• Thursday dress as your favorite character from any show or movie for Character Day
• Friday wear your favorite tie-dye clothing for Tie-Dye Day

Keep an eye out for emails about spirit week and check out Student Governments Instagram for updates.

Tuesday, Feb. 23 – Zoom Webinar/Registration Needed

Engineering Week (E-Week) is a week when Lockheed Martin recognizes the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and the daily impact engineers have on our society. Lockheed Martin understands the importance of STEM and those that work in the STEM fields.

The invitation is an opportunity for your students to witness Lockheed Martin engineers’ and scientists’ projects.

Students will get the opportunity to experience an F-35 simulator and get an inside look at where we control our deep space exploration spacecraft known as Mission Support Area in addition to some of the other unique work we do at Lockheed Martin.

Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 4-5:15 p.m. – Registration Required

An interactive software experience that presents students with traffic congestion problems via a computer simulation. Participants will be led through suggested measures that might correct the problem. Click the button below to find out more and to learn how to register.

Thursday, Feb. 25, from 6-8 p.m. – Virtual/Registration Required

Engineers and representatives from these notable companies will introduce their companies and welcome you to a world of careers in STEM. Learn about a day in the life of a STEM professional and what you can do to become a STEM professional in the future.

Open to grades 5-12 and will be virtual. Registration is required. Click the button below for more information.

Featured Companies

• Ball Aerospace
• City and County of Denver
• Gilmore Construction
• Great Western Petroleum
• HDR
• Lockheed Martin
• Northrop Grumman
• NOVO Construction
• NREL
• PDC Energy
• Propeller
• Swinerton
• ULA
• UCAR

February 25, 26 and 27 from 7-9 p.m.

STEM School Highlands Ranch is proud to invite you to our very first live virtual theater performance. Digi-Tales is a collection of four short live digital shows in various genres designed for Zoom. Each performance will be a live broadcast from the comfort of each actor’s home, and streamed to you, to bring you theater you can watch with your sweatpants on.

Digi-Tales is a collaboration between Middle School and High School, and includes the following four shows:

• ‘The Magic of Zoom’ is Hogwarts meets Zoom! Visit our magical student’s in their first day of Professor Snope’s classroom.
• ‘The Edge of Noir’ is a dark detective mystery in the digital world.
• ‘Who’s There?’ is a suspenseful tale of high schooler’s stuck at home when things go bump in the night.
• ‘Attack of the Zumitrons!’ As a fleet of starships returns home from a mission, they are ambushed by angry Zumitron aliens.

Tickets for the Youtube Live performance are available at $10 per household. Click the button below to purchase tickets. Links to the live shows will be sent in the receipt email, but please reach out to Sara.Phelps@stemk12.org with questions.

Thursday, Feb. 25 – at 6 p.m. – Zoom

CALLING ALL HIGH STUDENTS REGISTERING FOR FALL CLASSES!

We have partnered with Colorado State University to offer Dual Enrollment Mechanical Engineering courses to our students. The credit applies to both their High School Diploma and a Colorado State University Mechanical Engineering Degree.

Friday, Feb. 26 – at 4:30 p.m. – Zoom

Do you like movies? If so, High School Student Government is hosting a Movie Night on Friday, Feb. 26 starting at 4:30 p.m. for all high school students!! We will be showing these movies over three streaming platforms:

• Disney+ hosting Ratatouille
• Hulu hosting Shrek
• Netflix hosting The Lorax.

Please note, you must have a streaming subscription AND Teleparty in order to watch the movie on these platforms. Instructions on how to download Teleparty is attached below. To sign up please use the link below. The Teleparty streaming links will be sent out to those who signed up on Thursday, Feb. 25. There will also be an optional Zoom meeting open during the movies for questions or technical difficulties.

March 1-5, 100% Online

The Annual Scholastic Book Fair is coming back to STEM. Virtually, that is! This year, the book fair will be 100% online. Click the button below for more information.

Tuesday, March 9, 4:30-7:30 p.m. – Zoom

Join STEM’s French Honor Society on Tuesday, March 9 at 4:30 p.m. to learn how to make crêpes the French way.

Sign up via the button below for the virtual event (we’ll send you a resource list after registration is processed so you have plenty of time to be prepared). This event is for Middle and High School students only.

NOTE: Middle schoolers must have a parent present to participate.

Bonne journée et bon appétit!

Signé,

Société Honoraire de Français de STEM

April 19-23 – Virtual Events and Dress-Up Activities

During the week of Earth Week, the Science National Honor Society is planning to have a spirit week-like event over the week of April 19-23. Each day will include fun dressing, and some days will include a simple activity.

• On Monday, we will have a whiteout day; everyone wears white in order to raise awareness of melting glaciers.
• On Tuesday, everyone will dress as their favorite season.
• On Wednesday, everyone will dress as their favorite animal, and can bring a stuffed animal to class (in-person or on Zoom).
• Thursday is Earth Day, so everyone will be encouraged to wear green and blue, or Earth Day shirts that would be available to buy.
  • We will be creating these shirts to sell, and all the funds collected will be donated to Grand County Fire Departments in thanks for their courage last year. On this day, we would also be releasing education videos for the entire school, as well as creating educational color packets for the elementary school students. For all secondary students, we are hoping to do a recycled-materials activity, such as building something useful in their household, that they can make from other materials.
• Finally, on Friday, everyone will be encouraged to dress like a scientist, as the end of the week will follow with student-produced tutorials on at-home experiments for all students.

All of these after-school events would be virtual. Contact: ryleigh.johnson@s.stemk12.org

*Due to COVID 19, no visitors or volunteers are allowed inside the building at this time. Volunteer requirements will be adjusted as needed. There was a consideration to switch volunteer hour tracking systems, but we will stay with our system we have been using at this time.

Volunteer opportunities below are all outside of the school building.

Staff Feedback Team Donations

The Staff Feedback Team is seeking “treat” donations for staff. If you are interested in donating any of these items, please bring to the MS Office labeled “SFT Treats” – thank you so much!!

Individual bags of:

• Mixed nuts
• Pretzels
• Vegan Variety pack
• fruit leather
• oreo snack packs
• BBQ Lays
• Justin’s Nut Butter squeeze packs
• Olives to go
• pickles to go
• Sparkling water
• regular water
• small soda pop cans
• bottles of tea
• chips
• goldfish
• cookies
• crackers
• rice crispy treats
• jerky sticks/pouches
• non-food options: lip balm and lotion.

PE Donations

Our Physical Education Department would love to take your students on new and exciting adventures, but sometimes that requires extra equipment. There was recently a disc golf course built within walking distance from our campus, and we would love to use this space in our community to enhance our curriculum. We are looking for donations of frisbee golf discs that students can use. Anything and everything would be greatly appreciated!

Please bring these donations to the MS office labeled PE Donations. For questions, contact Megan Lipe, Secondary Physical Education Teacher megan.lipe@stemk12.org.

ES Counseling Donations:

• Water beads refill
• Assorted sports beads
• Craft beads like these or any of these
• Plastic funnels

Please bring to the ES Office labeled ES Counseling. Thank you!