Secondary News and Updates (04/12/24)

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, April 16, from 5-6 p.m. – Zoom

The KOSON/STEM Board of Directors will be holding a special meeting on Tuesday, April 16, from 5-6 p.m. via Zoom. Click the button below to access the Zoom.

Wednesday, April 17, at 5:30-7:30 p.m. – KOSON/P-TECH Building (Mechatronics Lab)/Zoom

The meeting will also be available to watch via Zoom. In-person participation is strongly encouraged to help build engagement. Additionally, those who would like to participate in Public Comment must do so in person.

The purpose of the SAC is to inform, encourage, and provide opportunities for parents and community members to be involved in the planning and evaluation of the school’s instructional program and quality improvement processes. The SAC makes recommendations concerning the School’s performance, improvement, priority improvement, or turnaround plan, and meets to discuss the implementation of the School’s plan and other progress pertinent to STEM’s accreditation contract with the Board of Education. The SAC makes recommendations to the director for prioritizing the spending of school money.

Thursday, April 18, from 4-5:30 p.m. – Room ES 206

STEM’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee will have its monthly meeting on Thursday, April 18, starting at 4 p.m. We will meet in ES206. We welcome all parents, students, and teachers! Email kate.jackson@stemk12.org with any questions.

Saturday, April 20, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Room 230

Students taking the AP History Exam can take part in a Mock AP test to practice and prepare. Students should park in the Secondary Parking lot and enter through the Secondary Entrance.

The DAC is currently accepting applications for membership for 4 Parent Representatives. Please click below to apply.

Thursday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. – Red Robin Restaurant (63 Centennial Blvd. Highlands Ranch, CO 80129)

All-day restaurant fundraiser! The Boys Volleyball team will receive 20% of fundraiser sales* during this fundraiser. Participate on Apr 25, 2024 during the scheduled fundraiser time by showing the flyer below to your server at this Red Robin location, or by ordering online at redrobin.com or on the Red Robin mobile app. For online and mobile app orders you must add the fundraiser to your cart before you check out for the sales to count towards the fundraiser.

Senior Walk – May 3, 2023, at 8:15 a.m.

Seniors will be doing one “final” lap around the school wearing all of their college (or STEM spirit) gear. This is an event that all of K-12 participate in and is a wonderful memory for our seniors.

Senior Picnic – May 10, 2024, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Seniors have a half day today, so once they are done with class they can enjoy their afternoon at the picnic with friends! The senior picnic will include lunch and Coldstone for each senior.

Senior Honor Night – May 16, 2024, at 6 p.m. in the Secondary Gym

Seniors will receive invites to attend Senior Honor Night to receive their awards and cords to wear at graduation. This is an annual STEM tradition event for our seniors.

GRADUATION!!! – May 20, 2024, at 10 a.m. at Echo Park Stadium in Parker

Seniors should arrive at Echo Stadium by 9 a.m. to take part in the graduation walk-through ceremony. Families will be invited into the stadium at 9:45 a.m.

Are you interested in saving on college tuition costs? Check out the ASCENT program. ASCENT, Accelerating Students through Concurrent Enrollment, is a high school program that allows students to participate in concurrent enrollment (college coursework) the year after 12th grade by enrolling in postsecondary courses and earning college credit at no tuition cost to them or their families. Students will still be enrolled at STEM, but will attend one of our partner institutions for their 13th year.

Seniors, if you have earned a minimum of nine college credits, and are interested in learning more, please reach out to Nicole Ryan at nicole.ryan@stemk12.org. The deadline to enroll is April 30, 2024.

Concurrent enrollment registration is underway! If you plan to take a concurrent enrollment (CE) course in Fall 24, you will need to complete the STEM Concurrent Enrollment Agreement. The agreement is required to be completed each semester. In addition, if you have not taken a STEM CE course, you will need to apply to Arapahoe Community College (ACC). You can view the attached flyer for assistance with your application. The deadline to complete the STEM CE Agreement and ACC application is May 10, 2024.

If you plan to register for courses at one of our other partner institutions, please reach out to Nicole Ryan at nicole.ryan@stemk12.org for the next steps.

Would you like to experience life as an engineer? Horrocks Engineers is seeking 2 to 3 high school students to join their project team for the Girls in Construction event held in September. Students will be part of the planning and execution of the project, and gain real-world experience while working alongside a team of engineers. Initial planning will start in May, with construction during summer. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Nicole Ryan at nicole.ryan@stemk12.org.

Are you looking for something to do over the summer? I am currently looking for student interns in the engineering and healthcare industries. Internships are a great opportunity to dive further into a career field, supporting you in your long-term career planning.

Please reach out to Nicole Ryan at Nicole.Ryan@stemk12.org for more information.

Tuesday, April 16, from 4-7 p.m.

There will be a Volunteer Fair at the Southridge Rec Center on Tuesday, April 16, from 4-7 p.m. This free-to-attend fair is a great chance for teens and adults to find fulfilling volunteer opportunities right here in our neck of the woods! Check out the flier via the button below.

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.

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.

The Youth Activation Committee (YAC) for the Colorado Special Olympics is excited to spread the word about inclusion and any events or fundraisers for our Special Olympians. Below are two upcoming opportunities.

One opportunity is an Open House for anyone who is interested in joining the YAC. It will take place on Sunday, April 21, from 1-3 p.m. at the Celebrity Lanes off of Arapahoe Road. Click the button below for more information.

Another opportunity that YAC offers is the Polar Plunge & 5K in Aurora on Saturday, April 6. Click the button below for more information.

Each year (Jan-Feb) the Denver Explorer Program connects high school students (interested in a possible STEM career) with STEM organizations. Each week (Jan-Feb) during the STEM Explorer Program, a different company/agency gives a presentation/lab to high school students on STEM careers in their respective organizations. Previous presenting organizations include Lockheed, CO School of Mines, A&E firms, and Forest Service, among others. Click the button below for more information.

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.

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.

• NEW – Summer of Emerging Tech by The Coding School. Summer programming is currently open for middle and high school students interested in learning more about quantum computing, emerging tech, data science (HS only) and AI (HS only). Click here for more information and to register.
• The Aerospace States Association and Colorado Space Business Roundtable Aerospace Summer Internship Program is currently accepting applications for their Summer Internship program. For more information, visit their website: ASA/ CSBR Summer Internship Program
• 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.