Secondary News and Updates (12/17/21)

Tuesday, Jan. 4, in the morning

STEM will be offering COVID Testing for students and staff again on Tuesday, Jan. 4 in the morning.

ELEMENTARY FAMILIES: Elementary students whose parents have consented to testing will be pulled from their classes by the Health Assistant. No sign-up form (aside from the Consent form) is needed.

FYI: Mobile Health’s CSR team is making phone calls to some parents to verify consent form information if the form is missing information or if the information is inaccurate. CDPHE has requested this of Mobile Health so that they can get accurate information.

Tuesday, Jan. 4, from 5:30-7 p.m – High School Commons

The monthly STEM Board of Director’s Meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 4 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the High School Commons. The STEM BOD is comprised of parents and community members who volunteer their time. The Board’s role and purpose is to provide oversight of the Executive Director, who implements the policies set forth by the Board. The Board also provides support and direction of STEM’s long-term vision and mission. Additionally, the Board is active in making sure that STEM remains in compliance with all DCSD, state and federal compliance requirements, as well as STEM’s Charter Contract.

Meetings are open to anyone to attend. Anyone who would like to address the Board Members must sign-up in advance by completing the Public Comment Form no later than 12 p.m. the day of each Board meeting. If written testimony or a handout is submitted, presenters are asked to supply one (1) copy via email to communications@stemk12.org.

Wednesday, Jan. 5, from 10-11 a.m – Secondary School Entrance

Each Wednesday, STEM opens up its doors from 10-11 a.m. for a building tour to interested families who would like to learn more about our school. We’d like to encourage our families to spread the word to anyone they know who might be interested in having their student(s) attend STEM. Interested tour participants should arrive 10 minutes early to get checked in and badged. They must bring a valid ID in order to get checked in.

Friday, Jan. 7, from 5:30-7 p.m. – HS Commons

STEM Parents and Students are welcome to join us for an informational session on STEM’s efforts to replicate. Dr. Carletta Stewart, Compliance and Replication Officer will be doing a brief presentation on where STEM is so far in the application process and next steps. Following, she will open it up to questions from the community, and also provide a way for families and students to get involved in the replication efforts. Join us in the High School Commons.

Wednesday, Jan. 12, from 3-3:45 p.m. –  Room 145

Girls’ Persist is an evidence-based STEM leadership program designed to put problems into practice while fostering an environment for girls to thrive. The program consists of hands-on learning applications and leadership methods viable for shaping self-efficacy and increasing capacity for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The program utilizes the learn-it, lead-it, and perform-it framework to assist adolescent girls with self-confidence, critical thinking skills, and decision-making while influencing overall STEM persistence.

Open to: Students in grades 6th-12th

Program dates: January 12, 2022-May 4, 2022 (Wednesday’s)

Recognition ceremony: May 11, 2022

Thursday, Jan. 13 and Friday, Jan. 14 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We have set a date for Hearing and Vision Screenings on January 13 & 14. Colorado law (C.R.S. 22-1-116) states that grades K,1,2,3,5,7 and 9th shall be tested for sight and hearing. We also screen students that are new to a school district and any referrals. Click the button to the right to learn more.

Virtual Learners can also be tested in person via the dates and times below. Please check-in at the respective Front Office.

• ES (K,1,2,3,5) – January 13 at 7:30 a.m.
• Secondary (7 & 9) – January 14 at 7:30 a.m.

We are in need of 12 volunteers on those dates, from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. There will be a 30-minute training session from 7-7:30 a.m. because volunteers will be completing the vision/hearing screening and need to be comfortable doing so. We will also be asking for lunch donations for our volunteers and workers. Click the sign-up sheet to the right.

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 the Intent to Return 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.

Final Fall semester grades will be available in the Infinite Campus Parent/Student Portal by 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 17. Please log in to your Parent Portal account to view your student’s grades. All High School grades will be posted to the transcripts by 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1. If your student is enrolled in a Concurrent Enrollment class on our STEM campus, credit values will be adjusted when the staff returns in January. For students that are taking courses off the STEM Campus, please send an official transcript of your grades to the registrar, Tiffany Klenke at tiffany.klenke@stemk12.org.

If you have not yet set up an Infinite Campus Parent Portal account please see the instructions below and complete the process before December 17. The registrar will be out of the office and will not be available to assist with the Parent Portal set-up after December 17. If you have a Parent Portal account and need to reset your password, please see the password reset link below.

Setting up your portal account:

Please click here to watch the instructional video from the district on creating a portal account.

Here is the link with instructions on setting up an account: 

After you set up the account and are able to access your Parent Portal you should then be able to access the Express Check-In using the same credentials.

Infinite Campus Portal password reset:

To reset a forgotten/unknown password using a PIN Reset, click here.

If you have not set up your observer account for your student(s), please do so as soon as possible. This is one of the ways that teachers use to let parents know about what is happening in classes. You can go to the Technology Support page and click on the “Quick Guide to Systems.” You will see a video in this area that shows you step by step in creating an observer account.

If you run into difficulty, please email the IT team at support@stemk12.org and they can help with any technology issues that arise.

Following the groundbreaking of the new CHSAA Gym/Building Remodel Project, the High School Staff Parking Lot will be fenced off to allow the construction company to stage all their equipment. No staff parking or vehicle access will be allowed in this parking lot. We are sharing this information because we know that several parents are using this lot as a pick-up and drop-off area, which is not permitted via our Transportation Management Plan. We are asking all families to please use the approved avenues for pick-up that are outlined in our TMP.

A failure to find mathematics challenging, interesting, or relevant are significant factors when children lose interest in mathematics. All children, but especially those who are talented in mathematics, must be exposed to material that lights a fire and nurtures their gift. Ed Zaccaro will, a popular presenter in mathematics will be hosting a parent session on Thursday, Feb. 3 from 6-7 p.m. in-person and/or virtuall. Click the button below to view the flier. This session will give parents information that will not only help them develop mathematical thinking in their children, but also ideas on how to nurture a passion for mathematics.

Ed is a popular presenter at math, homeschool and gifted education conferences around the country and has approached gifted education as a parent, teacher, and school board member. His students will testify to his ability to make math fun and challenging for them as well as his unique sense of humor which comes through in his classes and workshops. Ed has taught students of all ages and abilities since graduating from Oberlin College in 1974. He has a masters degree in Gifted Education from the University of Northern Iowa. Ed’s work is currently being used around the world and has been translated into several languages including Chinese and Korean.

In the event that DCSD determines that the district should follow the DCSD Delayed Opening protocol, STEM School Highlands Ranch will abide by its Virtual School Day Policy. When it snows, our school’s operation and instructional expectations will be determined by one of these three scenarios:

1. Snow Day – Douglas County Schools (check www.dcsdk12.org) calls a snow day – The STEM building is closed and implements a Virtual School Day with 20% of the learning being synchronous. (NEW; STEM will not have Snow Days morning forward)
2. Late Start Day – Douglas County Schools calls a Late Start day – STEM is closed and implements a Virtual School Day with 20% of the learning being synchronous.
3. All Schools Open – Douglas County Schools declare Highlands Ranch area schools open – STEM is open and operating to our regular schedule.

Applications for the next class of VISA Black Scholars and Jobs Program are open now through January 10, 2022. This program offers eligible college-bound, High School seniors in the U.S. a scholarship and opportunities for internships and full-time employment at VISA. Let’s unlock access to education so that everyone, everywhere can thrive. If you know of anyone who would benefit from this opportunity, send them to TMCF.org/Visa #LifeatVisa #Proud.

The Colorado League of Charter Schools celebrates members and supporters of the charter school movement annually. Please take a moment to nominate someone you feel deserves recognition for being an outstanding member of the charter community. Submit your nominees through Wednesday, January 5.

Nominations are now open for the CBS Denver Future Leaders Scholarship. If you know a High School student who is thriving in the STEM core subjects please consider nominating them for this $1,000 scholarship.

Click the button below to access the nomination form and to find out more. One student will be selected each month to receive this special recognition award that will include a $1,000 award along with a student profile on CBS4. The nomination window will run through April 22, 2022.

The Colorado School Nutrition Association will be holding their annual conference this summer on June 15-16. Part of the conference is the One Plate Challenge at the Embassy Suites in Loveland, Colo. Check the flier to the right for more information.

Attention Middle School and High School students!

Don’t forget to purchase your yearbooks. Go to Yearbookforever.com to buy your yearbook for $45. Buy it while you can because come October 31 the price goes up to $55. Additionally, if you would like your photo in the yearbook, you can share your photos with us. You can share them using the Yearbook Snap app using the code STEM22. It’s available on the App Store and Google Play Store, download it today and share those photos. If you have any questions about the yearbook or how to use Yearbook Snap, please email one of the yearbook editors-in-chief at elizabeth.noethlich@s.stemk12.org and cadence.coan@s.stemk12.org or stop by room 110 after school.

Families can access their photos by visiting the link to the right or going to dr-photo.com, selecting the School Portrait Proofs link, and when prompted enter their private password in the following format: Student ID#

For virtual students, appointments will be available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. from September 14 – October 21. Click the link to the right to schedule your appointment.

How to Reinforce and Model Emotional Intelligence as a Stressed Parent

Our children are watching what we say and do, and, like mirrors, they will reflect the social and emotional skills we model. Social-emotional learning happens over our whole lifetime, and boosting our own emotional intelligence will support your children’s social-emotional learning.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Reading books to kids ages 0-5 helps prepare them to read in Kindergarten and increases their potential for learning success in elementary school and beyond. Register your child for this reading challenge through Douglas County Libraries.

BOKS Free Physical Activity Downloads

Are you looking to keep your child active over the break? Check out some free downloadable resources that can help you keep your child moving at least 45 minutes per day.