Weekly news & updates
Friday, April 10, 2020 | Newsletter Archive | View as Webpage
Important Notice for All Families
Please be sure to update your email address in Infinite Campus. We will be sending out a survey on April 27th using the email address you have on file in IC. If it is not the one that you normally use, please update this before April 22 so we are able to pull the most current email information. We will also use this email address for the board member voting that will take place in May. The email for the board voting will come from  simplyvoting.com . You will be provided the web site link in addition to your login credentials.
Update on COVID-19

We are working closely with the Douglas County School District (DCSD) in regards to providing information about the COVID-19 virus. We also closely follow all recommendations from the Colorado Department of Health with regard to student and staff safety.

We recommend all families familiarize themselves with the information provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to avoid confusion. Additionally, Tri-County Health has set up a webpage for residents of Douglas County with helpful information from a local level. Additionally, stay up-to-date with the latest DCSD news about COVID-19 by visiting dcsdk12.org/coronavirus .
SCHOOL UPDATES
Elementary Updates
Click here to read more about important Elementary Updates as we head into another week of Virtual/Online Learning.

Helpful Elementary Links
Information about the One-Year Mark

Dear STEM School Highlands Ranch Families,

We want to let you know that plans for the one-year mark will shift as we navigate COVID-19. At minimum, whether we are able to have school in person or not, we want to invite our entire STEM community to participate in STEM Shares by doing acts of kindness. This could include donating to a charity or non-profit, volunteering, helping a family member, reaching out to a friend you haven’t connected with in a while, or anything else you can think of to provide a moment of connection with others.

If you are able to participate in an act of kindness during the week of May 4-8, please click here to complete our online form to let us know how you or your family have chosen to help others..

Please also know that people may exhibit increased stress and anxiety as we approach the one year mark, which may be further heightened by COVID-19. Some things you can do to help your student are:

  • Consider limiting the amount of exposure to coverage on television or other media (including internet and social media).
  • Talk to your children about what has happened and how they are feeling.
  • Share any concerns you have with someone in your children’s school and let that person know about any relevant personal/family experiences (such as losses or trauma).
  • Stay connected--virtually. Encourage your students to facetime their friends, play board games with family, and go old-school by writing letters to friends.
If you or someone in your family needs help, please refer to our mental health resources page.

Sincerely,

Hannah Reese
Crisis Recovery Coordinator
ADDITIONAL UPDATES
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Mental Health Supports Page
If you haven't checked it out, our Mental Health Supports page, has a number of helpful resources for students and parents.
DCSD Mental Health Support Page
Douglas County School District has a Mental Health Resources page with a variety of resources for students and families. Please take a moment to review all that they have listed.
SHARING OUR GOOD NEWS
Teacher Lip Sync from STEM's Got Talent
Fifth Grade PBLs from Home
Fifth-grade students have been working very hard in their study of bioengineering, particularly human prosthetics. They have created lower leg prosthetics and have submitted some amazing videos on how they were able to walk in them, bionic hands that are able to grasp and pick up cans and other objects, and assistive slings to support a pulled bicep muscle. Check out the video below on one such submission.
Seventh Grader Places Second in Essay Contest
Congrats to seventh grader Ashlynn Wainscoat on placing second in the annual "The Future of Space" essay contest put on by The Rocky Mountain Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The 2020 writing prompt was “How advanced can you envision space technology and exploration through the next 50 years? What do we need to do now to achieve that?” The essay was open to 7th graders in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. For placing, Wainscoat will receive a cash prize from the AIAA! 
Fourth Grade Mystery Math Room
Check out the video below of fourth grade students participating in a virtual mystery room where they had to solve area and perimeter math problems in order to figure out who committed the crime. Students worked together in breakout rooms to solve the clues, or independently at home.
THE FOUNDATION FOR DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS
The Foundation for Douglas County Schools is a 501(c)(3) non-profit which works with corporations and organizations to develop private resources to enrich education within Douglas County schools for the fulfillment of lifelong learning experiences of our students, citizens and community. Visit the website.