Secondary News and Updates (03/08/24)

Please take a moment to check the STEM All-Events Calendar on our website.

There are lots of events already scheduled so please take a moment to take a look at the calendar to familiarize yourself with some of the events at the start of school. This calendar will continue to be updated throughout the summer as we get closer to the start of school.

Tuesday, March 12, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Elementary Gym

DR Photo will once again be at STEM to photograph any students who missed photo day in the fall or any students who would like their photo retaken. Families can order photos directly through DR Photo after photo day. Student IDs will not be printed by the photographers. If a student would like a new student ID printed with their new photo, they must request that through the front office. A $5 replacement fee will be applied to the student’s MySchoolBucks account.

Wednesday, March 13, from 6:30-8 p.m. – Zoom

Join the STEM PTO for their monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 13, from 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom.  STEM PTO is comprised of parents from the STEM community who work together to help foster a strong sense of community and provide enhancement activities for students, faculty, staff, and families while also helping to increase educational, social and emotional experiences for the members of their families.

STEM PTO is organized to enhance the quality of each student’s education, the school as a whole, and the entire community through the development of resources and the participation of parents, school staff, and the community. Meetings are open for anyone to attend.

Thursday, March 14, during Access

STEM Middle and High School Students get ready for our upcoming Career Discovery Day event! On March 14th during your Access period, STEM has invited industry partners to engage with our 7th through 12th grade students to share about their education and career journey. In addition, we have invited a few of our educational partners to share about their unique programming. This year we will have opportunities for hands-on experiences to learn more about various career fields within Aerospace, Info Tech, EV, Government, Healthcare and more. Students will receive a list of our guests in the coming week with sample questions to help spark conversations.

Spartans, this will be an excellent opportunity to begin to think about various career fields, network with industry professionals and learn from partners in the community. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Nicole Ryan at nicole.ryan@stemk12.org.

Thursday, March 14, from 3:30-7 p.m.

Please look for invites from your student’s teachers. Conferences are open house style.

• Middle School Cafe – Middle School English/Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science
• Secondary Commons – Math, Computer Science, and Engineering
• Secondary Gym – Art, Music, Drama, PE, Business, Health, Psychology, World Language, High School English/Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies

CMAS testing for 3rd – 8th and 11th graders will occur starting Tuesday, April 2. CMAS is the state assessment given to all students in these grades to measure academic success every spring. As you look forward to the spring, please make sure all appointments, vacations, etc, are scheduled OUTSIDE of the CMAS testing window (4/2 – 4/18) if you have a student in these grades. Also, please try to be on time so testing can start as planned.

Additional information regarding CMAS can be found on our website under state-mandated assessments.

If you would like to opt your student out, please follow the instructions on the website as soon as possible. If you want to discuss what it means to opt-out your student or have any questions regarding CMAS, please contact Julie Adamek at julie.adamek@stemk12.org.

Please click the button below to place your senior’s Cap and Gown order. The deadline to place your order is Friday, March 15, 2024. Jostens has shared with us that many families have not completed this step and are concerned that our seniors may not have their caps and gowns in time. This information was shared directly with students in the Fall during the Senior Assembly and was sent out via email. Thank you so much for completing this step in a timely manner.

Kelli Myrick, College and Career Counselor

Are you looking for something to do over the summer? Below are a few ideas to get you started. The following organizations are currently taking applications for their summer programs.

• PreFlight Aviation Camp – applications are now open for the six-day camp (July 15th – 20th) in Windsor, Colorado.
• SAME (Society of American Military Engineers) / US Air Force Academy Camp – Application is open until March 15th. The week-long, live-in STEM camp is from June 23rd – 29th.
• UC Denver, GenCyber Summer Camp – Application is currently open for the free online program being held July 15-19.
• Colorado Health Careers Academy (CHCA) in conjunction with ACC and other healthcare partners are hosting a summer program for students to explore health careers. Information sessions are available through May. If you are interested in a career in healthcare, click here to learn more.
• CU Science Discovery is offering summer classes for high school students at their CU Boulder and CU Anschutz locations. Programming includes Aerospace, Biotech, Computer Science, Forensics, Neuroscience, Biomed Research, Medical Student Experience and more! Summer Scholarships are available. Learn more on the CU Discovery website.

As a reminder, you can continue earning college credit by taking a course through one of our partner institutions. Please reach out to Nicole Ryan at nicole.ryan@stemk12.org with questions. Registration for Arapahoe Community College opens March 11th for Summer and Fall courses.

The Outstanding Youth Award recognizes teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 who have overcome personal adversity and created positive change in their lives. The Youth Awards focus on teenagers who have triumphed over great odds and serve as inspirations and role models. If you know young people who would be good candidates for the Youth Awards, please help identify them by completing the nomination form. Award winners receive a cash gift! Nomination forms are due by Friday, March 29.

July 1-August 9, 2024 – New York City

GSTEM is an NYU summer research program for talented high school juniors interested in STEM. Founded and sponsored by the world-renowned Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, GSTEM offers opportunities for an incredible summer. Our mission is to support those historically underrepresented in STEM including girls and other minorities. Application is open and early deadline is March 15. Final deadline is April 15.

Kick-start your journey in technology with AI Bootcamp, a transformative three-week program where you’ll learn to build an AI product under the guidance of experts from Google, Stanford, MIT, and many more! Scholarships for our Summer 2024 cohorts are now open. Apply today and unlock the door to an extraordinary summer AI Bootcamp adventure.

Scholarship Details:

Open to middle and high school students, the AI Camp Scholarship—ranging from full to partial—is designed to make AI Bootcamp accessible to all. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for applications is March 10, 2024. Please advise students to act fast, as spots for this program are filling up quickly!

The Experiment Digital Leadership in STEM prepares participants to be more civically engaged and lead change. This fully funded six-week summer virtual experience teaches high school students to formulate and implement STEM projects in their local communities. The Experiment Digital is designed to connect hundreds of young people across the United States, Middle East, and North Africa (MENA) region.

Our application to the 2024 Experiment Digital program is now OPEN! To learn more about our program, click here. Spaces are starting to fill, so be sure to share the application with your students. Students and parents/guardians can apply by clicking here! Final admissions deadline: May 13, 2024

Read and share our program flyer here.

If you have any questions, feel free to reply to this email or reach out at: digital@experiment.org. We’d love to see your students at The Experiment Digital! Click here to visit the website.