Secondary News and Updates (11/20/20)

Please complete the Intent to Return to STEM form by November 30, 2020

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 December 1st.

Now Accepting Names for the 2021/2022 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.

Check out our Fall Clearance Sale of various STEM swag items! Also, we are freshly stocked with our classic Blue & Gold STEM hoodies, we have childrens size shirts and sweatshirts, and don’t forget we have custom made face masks & gaiters. Order online and pick up at the MS office once you receive fulfillment confirmation via email. Thanks for your support!

Start Mart – Student Staff Team

On December 1st, millions of people across the globe will join the #GivingTuesday movement. It’s a day to celebrate the act of generosity and give back to those in need. Click the button below to take part.

Have a passion for mathematics? Think you’ll have a career in mathematics in the future?

Then Math Honor Society is the perfect fit for you. To apply, please email your current transcript (must show a 3.0 GPA for 2 or more years of High School math) and a paragraph of why you would be a good fit in the Math Honor Society to the presidents Jaeden Toy (jaeden.toy@s.stemk12.org) and Sean Mauch (sean.mauch@s.stemk12.org).

The final deadline for applications is Thursday, Dec. 3, at 11:59 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 4, from 12:00-2:30 p.m. – Zoom Link

Friday, Dec. 11, from 8-11:30 a.m. – Zoom Link

High School Counselors will be available for Office Hours on both of the dates listed above to help with 2021-22 course registration.

Classroom spelling bees were held on Thursday, November 12, in fourth through eighth grades. Students competed to determine classroom winners and alternates. Classroom winners will compete in a participant and judge only STEM school-wide spelling bee on Thursday, December 10 at 3:30 p.m. in the Middle School Cafeteria.
The zoom link will be shared at a future date to view and support our students remotely.

CONGRATULATIONS to our exceptional STEM spellers!

Winners:
4th Grade
1. Daniel Yun
2. Gia Basra
3. Elizabeth Lee
4. Shravani Jagtap

5th Grade
1. Mirren Winfrey
2. Neil Shandilya
3. Vedant Margale
4. Genevieve O’Kane

6th grade
1. Sophia Bertsch
2. Jonah Bartlett
3. Kaitlyn Settle
4. Prab Singh

7th Grade
1. Emmelyn Roettger
2. Nakul Choudhary
3. Reva Mehratra
4. Siddhi Singh

8th Grade
1. Alex Tijerina
2. Zack Feldkamp
3. Aadithya Senthilkumar
4. Caroline Vargash

Alternates:
4th Grade
Gabe Angel (Murillo)

5th Grade
Quinn Smith

6th Grade
Miyu Erikson

7th Grade
Siddhi Singh

8th Grade
Syna Joseph

Hey STEM Spartans! How many batteries do you throw away in engineering class each year? 10? 25? 50? SNHS’s Recycling Committee is placing used battery bins in each engineering room to recycle old batteries. Instead of harming the planet with used batteries, you can join the fight toward a cleaner earth. All you have to do is put any used batteries in the battery recycling bin. Thanks for taking part!

NHS is partnering with other STEM honor societies to offer tutoring for Middle and High School students. Students can request tutoring in different subjects or with time management and organization, and they can also specify how often they need tutoring (one-time, weekly, etc.). Tutors will not assist with any graded work to avoid violations of the academic integrity policy. Click the button below to sign-up.

To view your student’s school photo proofs, visit DR Photos and select the link School Portrait Proof. Use your student’s ID number to access their proofs and place any orders that you’d like.

Students may make an appointment to have a photo taken at our photographer’s studio. DR Photo – 8110 W Brandon Dr, Littleton, CO 80125. Click here to set up an appointment.

Middle School Boys Basketball
As in previous years, we will be partnering with Highlands Ranch Rec Center to offer Boys Basketball through their youth league. Click the button to the right to express interest.

TSA – Middle & High School
TSA (Technology Student Association) Meetings have begun! It’s not too late to join. This year’s meetings and state conference will all be virtual. Click the button to the right to sign-up.

MathCounts Club

Is your Middle Schooler interested in joining the MathCounts Club? Click the button to the right to complete the interest form.

Applications for the 2020-21 Future Leaders program presented by CBS 4 and PDC Energy are being accepted, to recognize Colorado High School students excelling in STEM. Teachers, parents, mentors and others are encouraged to nominate students who they believe will be Colorado’s future STEM leaders. Nominations will be accepted through April. One student will be selected each month for the award that includes $1,000 and a student profile on CBS4. Nominations should include basic information on the student and their STEM field of study/focus, and any extraordinary circumstances/obstacles that student has had to overcome in order to pursue their studies.

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!

*Due to COVID 19, no visitors or volunteers are allowed inside the building at this time. Volunteer requirements will be adjusted as needed. If you are making a donation, please keep track of your donated items for the time being until we provide additional instructions on how to log your hours.

Volunteer opportunities below are all outside of the school building.

Our STEM Santa Program continues to be a HIT so we will bring it back again, just in time for the holiday season. The program allows STEM families to donate toward the purchase of gift cards to be given to STEM teachers and staff. Participating in the STEM Santa Program is the PERFECT way to thank all of our hard-working teachers and staff!

Here’s how the program works:

Place your order using the “STEM Santa Gift Card order button to the right.

• Using the “ STEM Santa Gift Card” order link, you can donate $$ to a general fund (used to purchase gift cards for ALL STEM teachers and staff). The STEM SANTA will do the gift card shopping!
• Gift cards will be delivered to teachers before winter break along with a card “signed” by all families who donate to purchase staff gift cards.
• Be sure to place your order (NO CASH) via the button to the right by Monday, Dec. 7.
• Gift cards will be ordered on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
• Teachers will receive their gifts on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

Remember all orders must be placed by Monday, Dec. 7, so don’t delay,

ORDER TODAY!

Work at home volunteer opportunity

We are in need of a new volunteer to be trained on running this program (spreadsheet work – ordering). Click the link to the right to sign-up.

If you have some extra time in the mornings or afternoons, please consider signing up to volunteer for our Secondary School Driveline. We need volunteers to help from 7:20-7:50 a.m. with unloading students from their cars and directing cars through the parking lot. In the afternoon, we need volunteers to help from 2:30-3:15 p.m. to assist with student safety and traffic in the parking lot.

If you are interested, please enter through the Middle School lobby, register as a visitor and complete the health screening form. Masks are required.

Additionally, we have an ongoing need for classroom and healthroom donations. Click the link to the right to see all of the donation items that we are collecting for, and to sign up.

Nutrition Services is excited to announce that, effective immediately, ALL meals served in school are now free for all students. Free meals include all entrees (except Subway at High Schools) with fruit or veggies, and/or milk. As a reminder, STEM does not serve breakfast.

For Virtual/Online Learners, DCSD will be providing weekly remote meal bag pick-ups at all neighborhood Middle Schools in Douglas County (pick-up not available at STEM). These bags will contain five breakfast/lunches for Virtual/Online Learners and three breakfast/lunches for Hybrid learners. 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 right for more information.