Sharing Our Good News (05/17/24)

That was the focus of our Middle School Awards ceremony this week. Congratulations to all of our outstanding award winning students. Your hard work and dedication in the classroom and beyond is recognized and appreciated!

Thanks to everyone for attending Senior Honor Night, an evening dedicated to celebrating members of the 2024 class who really put in the extra effort with their academics.

Invited seniors were given individual honors and academic cords for graduation. Also recognized was our NHS students who did such a fantastic job with the organization, coordination and fundraising efforts for this year’s Wish Week.

Congratulation to our seniors and we look forward to seeing you show off your cords next week at graduation!

CNN recently featured a group of our STEM students for helping pave the way for the use of artificial intelligence in schools. They highlighted STEM’s Samsung Solve For Tomorrow team, which finished with a top placement in the competition for the device they invented to protect drivers and wildlife. Part of the article goes on to say:

“Some high schools around the country are trying to teach students how to use other forms of artificial intelligence for a greater good. At one prestigious public school in New York City, Stuyvesant High School, students created an app for the blind that uses artificial intelligence and tactile feedback to help people detect threats and navigate obstacles.

Similarly, at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado, a team of students developed an AI-powered wildlife detection system called Project Deer to help cut down on car crashes. Although researchers have tried to combat such accidents before, studies have shown wildlife don’t consistently react to any one stimulus. So the students instead derived an AI-based predictive solution to alert the driver to an imminent threat on the road.

Using four $5 infrared detection sensors placed on vehicles, the students developed a system for AI to scan the surroundings and emit a high-pitched sound when an animal’s body heat is detected, a signal that may help to scare the animal away.

The school, which was the Colorado State Winner in Samsung’s annual Solve for Tomorrow competition, said it is partnering with the University of Colorado in Boulder this summer to help boost its success rate. The Solve for Tomorrow contest featured more than 1,000 schools submitting STEM-based solutions to real-world problems. Samsung told CNN there was a “definite uptick in” submitted AI-powered innovations this year compared to previous years.

Computer science teacher Tylor Chacon told CNN the group’s big vision is to one day have the technology regulated or adopted by the state for greater use.

School administration has told teachers to help create rubrics or lesson plans, Chacon told CNN. “We’ve been encouraged to embrace it and look into ways we can use it to maximize our own job effectiveness and ease the burden on us,” he said.”

Congratulations to all of our STEM athletes and honorees that were recognized during the annual athletics banquet. Some of those who received awards include:

Tyler Munro for Spartan Athlete of the Year.

Abigail Hullinger for Spartan Athlete of the Year.

Will Laurie for STEM Lacrosse Team Offensive MVP.

Tyler Munro for STEM Lacrosse Team Defensive MVP.

Kylie Pautler for Most Improved Athlete.

Sam Sarkissian for Most Improved Athlete.

Sarah Hathaway for Freshman Athlete of the Year.

Camren Irish for Freshman Athlete of the Year.

Auburne Mauger for Spartan Sportsmanship Award.

Alex Rogers for Spartan Sportsmanship Award.

Other awards were handed out for Boys Basketball, Cross Country, Volleyball, Soccer and eSports. Congrats to all!

A special thanks to Swedish Medical Center and the AirLife Denver team for taking the time to talk careers with STEM students. They learned all about medical careers including pilots, EMTs and nurses. They also gained valuable career knowledge about specialized nursing positions as well.

Here’s a little bit about the awesome AirLife Denver team and what they do:

“AirLife currently utilizes three Bell 407 Eagle HP and one standard 407 Bell helicopters – operated by Air Methods Corporation, Inc. – based at Sky Ridge Medical Center, North Suburban Medical Center, Lincoln Community Hospital and Melissa Memorial Hospital. With these capable aircraft, we provide service to EMS agencies and healthcare facilities which span an area of 150 miles. For greater distances, we utilize two King Air 200 fixed wing aircraft- operated by Air Methods – based at Centennial Airport. Two state-of-the-art ground ambulances – operated by Northglenn Ambulance – are dedicated to AirLife for interfacility and dedicated neonatal critical care transports (CCT). Specialty equipment such as Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IAMBP) devices and isolettes are easily accommodated in all modes of transport that we offer.”

Thank you for visiting with our students!

Our Secondary Gym has been transformed into an art gallery featuring works from students of all grade levels. Thank you to our amazing art teachers and staff who helped put together this incredible showing.

From sculptures to portraits, abstract to conceptual, there’s a little bit of everything here. You don’t always have to travel downtown to see world class creations. We have some of the best stuff and best artists right here at STEM!

STEM Senior Andrew Hathaway talks about receiving the news of being accepted to the U.S. Air Force Academy. For Andrew, joining the Air Force has been a lifelong dream. His plan is to eventually become a pilot and fly a large cargo transport aircraft.

In this spotlight, Andrew also talks about how STEM helped prepare him for the academy. He says many of the courses he took at STEM have a direct connection and pathway to what he will be doing in Colorado Springs starting this Fall.

Congratulations Andrew! We are so proud of you and thrilled that your dream came true!