Updates

December 1, 2023 - STEM School Info 12/01

Parents/Guardians,

The semester is quickly winding down and we are getting close to the end of the fall semester. Here are several items of note as we finish strong this semester!

End of semester and beginning of next semester:

Dec 14-20: ER Week

--Grade 9 and 10 students participate in ER (extended remediation time) or Dividend Days (enrichment activities)

--Grade 11 and 12 students report to school that only need ER (extended remediation time)

Dec 20: Last Day Prior to Winter Break (Full Day)

Jan 8: First Day of Spring Semester (Full Day)

--Grade 9 and 10 students start spring semester schedule and classes

--Grade 11 and 12 students report back for full day. These students will participate in UP Day activities from Jan 8 through Jan 13 each day (930am-430pm). These activities range from college readying lessons, enrichment activities, and STEM academic coursework.

Jan 16: First Day of Upperclassmen Academic Schedule

--Grade 11 and 12 students begin their academic hybrid STEM and college course calendar. This is the first day of college classes for Chattanooga State.

Inventanooga – Dec 8 and Dec 13

On December 8, seniors will be pitching their innovative entrepreneurship businesses on the Chattanooga State campus. The students have been using design thinking to identify and network with a target audience, analyze their expressed needs, invent a solution, and pitch their invention. After identifying their real-world problem, they sought out expert knowledge to help ideate, invent, and test a solution with their prospective customers. Students then built a business plan to produce their product. We are excited to watch as all teams present their final pitches on this Friday!

On December 13, selected teams will participate in the Inventanooga Showcase event at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. STEM School Chattanooga and UTC have partnered together to engage schools throughout the area in this competition.

General information about Inventanooga, including previous competitions, are included on our school’s website under the Framework > Programs > Inventanooga tab. Here is also a link straight to the Inventanooga website.

PBL Culminating Events in Grades 9 and 10

Grade 9 students are completing their cross-curricular PBL project on robotics on Dec 13. The teams will be competing in a culminating robotics tournament, and we are excited to see each team in action as all grade 9 students participate in this robotics event!

Grade 10 teams are finalizing their Creative Discovery Museum math or science lessons for elementary students. Dec 14, 15, 18, 19, we have 11 different elementary schools coming to the STEM School to participate in the lessons created by students in grade 10. We are excited to see our students implement and lead these awesome experiences with the elementary students!

ER Week – Dec 14 through Dec 20

At the end of each quarter this year, students have an opportunity to improve all learning target grades during ER (Extended Remediation) Week. ER Week is a time that students can re-submit graded projects for higher levels of proficiency. Students can also re-take assessments to earn a higher level of proficiency. Higher levels of proficiency include grades of proficient (80) or advanced (100). For students who are struggling with reaching proficient (80), students will have an opportunity to work with teachers in focus groups to earn basic (60).

During ER Week, three items take place: student independent work time, workshops run by teachers where students choose to attend to get assistance or re-assess, and focus groups where students are assigned and required to work with a teacher. New work and assignments are not posted during this week. This week is set up as an opportunity for students to improve any learning target grade for the quarter. For students in grades 9-10 (underclassmen) who have no missing and/or below basic learning targets, these students may continue to work in ER to improve their grades to advanced (100). Students will also have an enrichment opportunity through Thursday called Fabrication Days. These students will be working in the Global Center for Digital Innovation (GCDI) on design challenges. These design challenges provide students with opportunities to complete STEM III type projects in an abbreviated format and build upon their STEM digital fabrication and microcredentialing portfolio.

For students in grades 11-12 (upperclassmen), ER Week also has an additional difference. When an upperclassman no longer has any ER work left to remediate, the upperclassman is not required to attend school for the remainder of ER. An email will be sent to each grade 11 and 12 student (and parent copied) that is assigned mandatory ER. Please note that even if the student is not assigned mandatory ER, the student is still welcome to come in and participate to improve their learning target grade to advanced (100).

PLT Lunch-

We want to say thank you to all the parents who help provide food for our monthly PTL lunch. The staff truly appreciates your generosity.

PLT Meeting-

Our next Parent Leadership Team meeting will be Dec 4, at 6:30pm at the STEM School.

Upcoming Dates

Dec 8: STEM IV Inventanooga Presentations

Dec 13: Culminating Grade 9 PBL Event

Dec 13: Inventanooga Finalist Competition at UTC

Dec 13, 14: Benchmark Testing

Dec 14, 15, 18, 19: Grade 10 CDM Lessons with Elementary Schools

Dec 14, 15, 18, 19, 20: ER Week

Dec 20: Last Day of Fall Semester (Full Day)

Dec 21-Jan 7: Winter Break (No STEM School Classes)

Jan 8: First Day of Spring Semester

Thank you for being so supportive!

Jim David

Principal

November 17, 2023 - STEM School Info 11/17

Parents/Guardians,

As we approach Thanksgiving week, thank you for your support throughout this year.

We are incredibly thankful to our parents… you all are awesome! Here are some items of note for you at this time. Please also note that next Friday is part of the Thanksgiving holiday, so the next email update will take place on Friday, December 1.

Thanksgiving Week

STEM students (all grades 9-12) should attend all STEM School classes on Monday, Nov 20, and Tuesday, Nov 21. The STEM School will be closed on Wednesday, Nov 22, through Friday, Nov 24, for the Thanksgiving holiday break. Chattanooga State will be closed the entire week (no college classes) from Monday, Nov 20, through Friday, Nov 24.

Move2Stand- Nov 27

When we return from Thanksgiving break, students in grade 9 will participate in an important culture building opportunity called Move2Stand. Move2Stand is an interactive training program of STARS that challenges students to examine their attitudes toward bullying. This one-day youth summit creates empathy and helps young leaders understand how bullying impacts school climate and communities. Since we have students that come from all over the county, this also provides a unique opportunity for freshmen to learn about each other and delve more into the grade 9 diversity focus for collaboration. If you have any questions and/or concerns about this opportunity, please reach out to our school counselor, Anna Millard, [email protected].

Food Drive Competition by the National Honor Society in partnership with the House Committee

Last Monday started our Food/Snack Drive for the “AUSTIN HATCHER FOUNDATION FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER.” This is a month-long drive where the students earn house points for items brought. At the entry to the STEM School, there are four boxes labeled by House (Staupers, Tesla, Einstein, Mirzakhani). Whichever House donates the most goods will earn the most HOUSE POINTS. Below is the list of items that are accepted for donation. The competition is happening now and will continue until Friday, December 1st!

Snack Items needed: Water, Juice Boxes, Capri Suns, Gatorade Zero, Diet Coke, Coke, Coke Zero, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Assorted Chips, Apple Sauce, Trail Mix, Dried Fruit, Fruit Cups, Cheez-Its, Goldfish, Popcorn, Crackers.

Thank you for your continued support,

Jim David

Principal

November 10, 2023 - STEM School Info 11/10

Parents/Guardians,

Happy early Veterans’ Day! Here are some items of note for you upcoming.

Quarter 2 PBLs

As we hit the halfway mark of quarter two, here are grade-level PBLs (project-based learning units) that are taking place across the school.

· Grade 9 students are working collaboratively to design, build, and code VEX robots in order to introduce and expand students’ knowledge of the essential concepts of robotics. For students with previous robotics experience, these students are working in teams building and coding VEX EDR robots. For students with no robotics experience, these students are working in teams building and coding VEX IQ robots. Teams in both groups will ultimately participate in a cumulative robotics competition in EDR or IQ, respectively, on Wednesday, Dec 13.

· Grade 10 students have been meeting with personnel from the Creative Discovery Museum (CDM) to develop ideas for elementary STEM lesson plans. Groups are choosing elementary math or science standard(s) and creating a lesson plan that details a STEM lesson for the standard(s) used. CDM personnel are assessing the lessons for quality. Student teams meeting the standard set by CDM will have the opportunity to implement the lessons with grade 4 or 5 students at the end of the fall semester.

· Grade 11 students are working on varied STEM projects with business and community partners throughout Chattanooga. Each grade 11 team chooses one project from the following for the quarter. The projects this quarter include: --

1) Creative Discovery Museum: Transportation Logistics for Kids activity center.

2) EPB: Holiday Window Build – Students are working with EPB to build the EPB Holiday Windows and use STEM School designs.

3) Fillauer: Heat Sensor – Students are designing and fabricating a prototype design for a prosthetic hand lock that uses electronics and mechanical actuators to open and close the prosthetic.

4) Lincoln-Electric: Weld Shop Design – Students are redesigning the Lincoln-Electric existing weld shop to make it safer to navigate, weld, and store materials. STEM students are using 2D and 3D design software to create an efficient workspace.

5) Reflection Riding Arboretum: Informational Signage – Students are creating informational signage for the plant nursery at the Arboretum.

6) Siskin Kids: Inclusive Environments – Students are creating areas for children with special needs to help develop children with special needs.

7) STEM School: Math Hallway Makeover – Students are designing and building out an inspiring STEM Math Hallway to motivate and excite students about the power and possibilities of math.

· Grade 12 students are working to finish their startup business plans and pitch for the upcoming Inventanooga entrepreneurship annual competition. Students use design thinking to identify and network with a target audience, analyze their expressed needs, invent a solution, and pitch their invention. After identifying their real-world problem, students then seek expert knowledge to help ideate, invent, and test a solution with their prospective customers. Students build a business plan to produce their product and present their inventions and formal business plan at the Inventanooga pitch competition in December. We are incredibly excited about the inventions and solutions being designed by our seniors!

Thanksgiving Week

Food Drive Competition by the National Honor Society in partnership with the House Committee

Monday, we will be starting our Food Drive for the “AUSTIN HATCHER FOUNDATION FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER.” This will be a month-long drive where the students earn house points for items brought. At the entry to the STEM School, there are four boxes labeled by House (Staupers, Tesla, Einstein, Mirzakhani). Whichever House donates the most goods will earn the most HOUSE POINTS. The competition is happening now through Tuesday, Nov 21!

Math and English Tutoring

Reminder: We are hosting Math Lab time and ELA Writing Lab time each week before school. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to get assistance on items they have for English classes as well as support for math homework, practice and summative assessment preparation. The lab days and times are as follows. All students are welcome to participate. No prior appointment is necessary.

ELA Writing Labs --Each Wednesday and Thursday morning from 8:15am to 9:15am in an English classroom (Kubisak and Britt).

Math Labs --Each Tuesday and Wednesday morning from 8:15am to 9:15am in a math classroom (Williamson and Gibbons).

Sibling Preference

The choice lottery application for the 2024-25 school year will be available from November 13, 2023 – January 31, 2024. If your current STEM student has an eligible 8th-grade sibling who plans to apply to STEM for next school year, please complete a preference form by clicking here and scrolling to page 2. The completed form should be emailed to Amy Robinson at [email protected] no later than Friday, December 8, 2023. Sibling applicants must also complete the choice lottery application online for admissions and sibling preference granted. The application link will be made available beginning November 13.

Sibling Preference Form

Sibling Preference Form - Spanish version

Yearbook Items

On Nov 16, Lifetouch will be at the STEM School for Picture Retake Day for 9th-11th graders.

On Dec 7, Prestige will be at the STEM School for another senior picture opportunity. Make an appointment with Ms. Pearson for senior portraits. Please see the 10/25 email from Mrs. Bolus for fees and cost.

Thank you for your continued support,

Jim David

Principal

November 3, 2023 - STEM School Info 11/03

Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to November!

STEM Jam Tonight – Nov 3

STEM Jam is STEM’s version of hanging out and getting together for STEM students. Some schools host a school dance, we host STEM Jam! It is an opportunity for STEM students to play some games, eat some food, and connect outside of the school day.

The STEM Jam is also used to raise funds for our Robotics Team. The cost for admission is $10 per student. Tickets can still be purchased at the door for students who have not yet purchased tickets. The STEM Jam will take place from 5:30pm to 8pm. Only STEM students are allowed to attend.

IMPORTANT: The school day dismisses at 4:30pm for grade 9 and 10 students. Underclassmen students who decide to stay for the STEM Jam should not be wandering around the Chattanooga State campus. There will be activities they can participate in outside with the Heads of House or they may wait in the Commons at STEM until the STEM Jam begins. They should not be in the college building areas.

Recap Spirit Week

Spirit Week was a blast! We hope your students enjoyed participating. We have several photos posted on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STEMSchoolChattanooga/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stemschoolchattanooga/

Nov 8- Half Day for Students

Wednesday, November 8, is a half day for students in Hamilton County Schools. The STEM School will run classes from 9:30am to 1:00pm. Buses will run at the regular time in the morning and leave from STEM at 1:00pm for afternoon routes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Chattanooga State classes are on a normal schedule. Students with Chattanooga State classes are to report to their college classes as usual on Wednesday.

Student Led Conferences – Nov 6 and 9

At the STEM School, we do not have traditional Parent Teacher Conferences where the parent comes in and a teacher talks about all the things your child is doing. Instead, our conferences are focused on the student leading a conference with parents and a faculty member. The reason for doing so is because it is vitally important for the student to take ownership in his/her progress, be able to communicate what he/she has learned, and be able to communicate at what level of understanding and mastery he/she is performing. We will have Student Led Conferences during the evenings of Monday, November 6 and Thursday, November 9. All parents are expected to participate.

To accommodate parents and students to make the conference as convenient as possible for you, all conferences will be held virtually through Zoom. Each parent and student will be sent an email from their House faculty advisor inviting the parent to the SLC. Parents will have the opportunity to email with the House faculty advisor to set up a time between 6pm and 8pm for the conference. The House faculty advisor will share a Zoom link with the parent and student for the meeting. Parents and students are expected to participate in the SLC. The student will be sharing information during the SLC. If you do not see the email from your student’s house faculty advisor, please let us know, so we can help connect you.

Yearbook Items

On Nov 16, Lifetouch will be at the STEM School for Picture Retake Day for 9th-11th graders.

Upcoming Dates

Nov 6 and 9: Student-Led Conferences

Nov 8: Half Day at STEM (9:30am-1:00pm)

Nov 22-24: Thanksgiving Break (Wednesday-Friday)

Thank you,

Jim David

Principal

FOR PREVIOUS 2021-2023 UPDATES, CLICK THESE LINKS:
STEM Updates - October 2023
STEM Updates - September 2023
STEM Updates - July & August 2023
STEM Updates - May 2023
STEM Updates - April 2023
STEM Updates - March 2023
STEM Updates - February 2023
STEM Updates - January 2023

Updates

STEM School ChattanoogaExercise Innovation, Think Critically, Collaborate

STEM School Chattanooga
Exercise Innovation, Think Critically, Collaborate