August 12, 2022 – STEM School
Info 08/12
Parents/Guardians,
Happy Friday! We have thoroughly enjoyed seeing our students this
week! This is a tremendous group of students and we look forward to having a
fantastic year with them. Below are some items of note for you.
1st Day of Scheduled Courses – August 15
This upcoming Monday is a big day for the Chattanooga State campus
and our STEM students. Monday is the first day of college classes on campus.
The campus will be buzzing with activity that day with college instructors and
college students back on campus. Please keep this in mind as you travel to and
from school that day. Traffic will be heavier than normal across the campus.
Monday is also the first day where all STEM students will begin
their class schedules. Grade 9 and 10 students will meet from 9:30am to 4:30pm
each day. Grade 11 and 12 students will follow their individualized schedules
and times.
Grade 9
--Fall Semester: Math Honors (Algebra I, Geometry, or higher),
English I Honors, Physical World Concepts Honors, World History and Geography
Honors, Art Honors, Tech Time, and PBL.
--Tech Time: Students will complete rotations in Engineering,
Computer Science, Digital Fabrication, and Personal Development throughout the
first semester.
--PBL: Students work in teams on cross-curricular projects each
quarter. The first quarter project, using analog fabrication to design and
create a foosball machine, will kick off this upcoming week.
--Spanish: Grade 9 students will take Spanish in the spring
semester.
Grade 10
--Fall Semester: Math Honors (Geometry, Algebra II, or higher),
English II Honors, Chemistry Honors, Spanish I or II Honors, Personal Finance,
Tech Time, and PBL.
--Tech Time: Students will complete rotations in Engineering,
Computer Science, Digital Fabrication, and Personal Development throughout the
first semester.
--PBL: Students work in teams on cross-curricular projects each
quarter. The first quarter project, using digital fabrication to reimagine and
innovate a piece of art at the Hunter Museum, will kick off this upcoming
Wednesday at the Hunter Museum.
--Coding 1: Students that are passionate about computer science
will have the opportunity to add Coding 1 in the fall. In order to do so, these
students will complete Personal Finance outside the school day as an
independent study course.
--US History: Grade 10 students will take US History in the spring
semester and complete a challenge exam that provides the opportunity to earn
college credit for the course through Chattanooga State.
Grade 11 and 12
--Fall Semester: All students have varied schedules and courses.
Each student has developed an individualized high school and college course
plan. Finalized schedules are in the student’s Google Calendar. Each student’s
parent/guardian will also receive an email with the Google Calendar link to
view the schedule.
--STEM III: All grade 11 students are enrolled in STEM III.
Kickoffs for the varied projects are taking place starting next week. Reminder
– transportation to and from kickoffs is not provided by the school.
--STEM IV: All grade 12 students are enrolled in STEM IV. Teams
have been formed and will begin the Stanford D’School process for creating
business proposals. Inventanooga, the entrepreneurship pitch competition, will
take place in December where the senior teams will pitch their business
proposals.
--College Course Fees: Students MUST check their Chattanooga State
accounts to view any balances they have for college courses. Any fees are due
to Chattanooga State through their bursar’s office.
--If you have questions
about schedule or college items after speaking with your student, you can
connect with our school counselor, Ms. Millard (millard_anna@hcde.org), for support.
Dual Enrollment Grant Expansion
The Dual Enrollment Grant (DEG) expansion
recently passed by the Tennessee state legislature will now provide more funds
so STEM students can take more classes under the grant. Chattanooga State
Community College dual enrollment students have enjoyed the benefits of the DEG
for several years. With the expansion, high school students can now receive five
tuition-free dual enrollment classes. For more information, read this article posted
on the Chattanooga State website.
Attendance
We ask that you make every effort to assure your grade 9 and 10 student arrives to school before 9:30am each school
day. After that time, your student must sign in at the front office. Students in all grade levels are allowed three(3) parent-excused absences and five(5) unexcused absences each school year, after which action is taken and STEM School placement is in jeopardy for the following
year.In addition, after these absences have been
used, professional documentation is required to excuse an absence. For
more information on what documentation is required, you can look under
"Attendance" in our Student Handbook. For questions about
attendance and/or contacting STEM regarding student absences, please connect
with our registrar Ms. Pearson, pearson_g@hcde.org.
Pick Up and Drop Off
In the morning and afternoon, pick up and drop off for student car
riders happens in the Wacker/CETAS parking lot. Please click on this map of the STEM Traffic
Pattern for drop off. The lot next to the STEM School entrance is only for
staff, visitors, and buses during the times of 9:00am-9:35am and 4:00pm-4:45pm.
Please be mindful of this procedure.
As for STEM student drivers, the Wacker/CETAS parking lot is also
where these students are to park. All STEM drivers must get a Chattanooga State
parking pass, or they may be ticketed starting August 15. Chattanooga State
police also patrol this lot often and will ticket any drivers who speed. The speed
limit in the lot is 15 mph.
For parents that want to pick up students early from school, please note there
is a 4:15pm cutoff. In order to maintain appropriate dismissal procedures,
parents must arrive in the front office before 4:15pm in order to dismiss any
student early from school.
The STEM School building hours are from 9am to 5pm. The building may be open
prior to 9am and beyond 5pm, but we cannot guarantee that is the case on any
given day. As for the Chattanooga State campus, the library is a popular spot
for STEM School students to use before 9am and after 5pm.
Bus Routes
STEM bus routes have been established by the Hamilton County
Schools transportation department. Here is a link to the routes (also will be posted
online on our school website). Please note that every year, these times are the
best estimates made by the transportation department. Our buses are on the last
tier of routes, so we may have buses that run late. If transportation makes a
permanent change in times for a route, we will update those on our website. We
will also provide students with information if transportation makes a permanent
change that impacts them and students will have a new sheet to share with their
parent.
Parent Leadership Team (PLT) Meeting – August 22
The first Parent Leadership Team (PLT) meeting will take place on
Monday, August 22 at 6:30pm. This team is an opportunity for parents who want
to lead parent initiatives. Mark your calendar to come and participate if you
are interested. All parents are welcome to join this team!
School Lunch Changes in 2022-23
All students in Hamilton County Schools temporarily received free
meals for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years. For
the 2022-23 school year, you must apply for free or reduced
meal benefits. School Nutrition has asked that you apply as soon as possible as
it will take some time to process each application. Families may submit
free/reduced meal applications for meal benefits and
proof of hardship for other programs such as internet or summer camps. School
Nutrition will continue to process those and provide proof of eligibility.
For additional information regarding School Nutrition and
benefits, please visit the HCS School Nutrition website.
School Fees, Supply List and Chromebooks
The Hamilton County School Board sets the approved fee schedule
each year for schools. The fees for the upcoming school year for STEM are a $40
magnet programming fee (all grades) and a $20 art, science and technology fee
(grades 9 and 10). These fees are used to help support our STEM initiatives and
activities at the school, and help pay for consumables needed each year. Fees
can be paid online at this time.
The supply list for STEM students includes 500 sheets of copy paper
(1 ream), pencils (pack of 25), and headphones. The copy paper and pencils
should be dropped off in the front office during the first week of school. The
headphones are for each student to keep with him/her for personal use.
Please note that all students are provided a Chromebook for use
throughout the school year. Chromebooks will be distributed during the first
days of school.
Uniforms
Students are expected to be in required STEM dress code starting the first day of
school. For new students to STEM (specifically grade 9 students), there will be
opportunities to order additional STEM garments during the first few weeks of
school. If a new student does not have a STEM shirt to start the year, a white
or blue shirt with no pictures or writing is permitted for the first portion of the year. Uniform ordering information can be found on our school website
at this link.
Thank you for your support!
Dr. Tony Donen
Principal
August 5, 2022 – STEM School Info
08/05
Parents/Guardians,
Happy Friday! As the school years progresses, we plan to send STEM
Info emails each Friday this year. They will normally be fairly brief with some
items of note for you. Today’s focus is registration. If you have not completed
the online registration for STEM yet, please do so by the end of today! We also
have included other items of note below as we head into next week and the first
day of school for students.
Student
Registration – TO DO
Please complete today, if you have not already done so
Hamilton County Schools
official registration day is Friday, August 5. However, we do not hold an
“in-person” registration at the STEM School.All registration items for
both Hamilton County Schools and STEM School Chattanooga may be completed
online. All forms are includedin the links below, and
electronic signatures are used so you can complete the registration from any
device with internet access. Please
note, you must completeboth, the STEM School
Registration and the PowerSchool Registration for Hamilton County Schools.
Registration STEP #1
All STEM School Chattanooga
parents must complete a STEM specific registration form for their student. Everyone needs to complete the following this
week: STEM School Registration
Registration STEP #2
In addition to the STEM School
registration, please complete either the returning studentOR
new studentregistration
below.
---Returning Hamilton County
Schools Student---
If your child attended a Hamilton
County school in 2021-2022 and will be attending STEM School Chattanooga this
school year, your child will need to be enrolled as a returning
student. Please log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal to check your
student’s information and make sure it is correct to begin the new school year. If you have not
already done so, here is the Parent Portal.
For instructions about the
Parent Portal, you may clickhere.
If you have trouble logging in or need your password reset, please email Amy
Robinson atrobinson_amy@hcde.org.
---New to Hamilton County
Schools Student---
If your student did not attend
a Hamilton County school in 2021-2022, you will need to register as a new
student by creating a PowerSchool Parent Portal account and completing the
Hamilton County Schools registration. Please go to the HCS Registration Page and click on the
“New Student 22-23 Registration” icon.
Rising
Grade 9 Orientation – August 8
An
additional day of orientation activities takes place for grade 9 students. On
Monday, August 8 from 9:30am to 1:00pm, we will be hosting the incoming grade 9
students. This half day orientation activity session is important for grade 9
students to connect together, learn from upperclassmen leaders, and take their
first step into their STEM house (will it be Staupers, Tesla, Einstein or
Mirzakhani?). All grade 9 students should plan to attend.
1st
Day of School – August 10
The
first day of school for students is Wednesday, August 10. All students in all
grades (9-12) are to report by 9:30am. The school day goes from 9:30am to
4:30pm each day. Students in each grade will have three full days of
orientation activities on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. These days are vital
to starting the school year well and getting everyone acclimated to the
expectations for the upcoming year. Upperclassmen in grades 11 and 12 will
begin their college type schedules on Monday, August 15.
Bus Routes
STEM bus routes have been established by the Hamilton County
Schools transportation department. Here is a link to the routes (also will be posted
online on our school website). Please note that every year, these times are the
best estimates made by the transportation department. Our buses are on the last
tier of routes, so we may have buses that run late, especially during the first
week of school. If transportation makes changes in times and/or routes, we will
update those on our website. We will also provide students with information if
transportation makes a change that impacts them and students will have a new
sheet to share with their parent.
Parent Leadership Team (PLT) Meeting – August 22
The
first Parent Leadership Team (PLT) meeting will take place on Monday, August 22
at 6:30pm. This team is an opportunity for parents who want to lead parent
initiatives. Mark your calendar to come and participate if you are interested.
All parents are welcome to join this team!
School
Lunch Changes in 2022-23
All students in Hamilton County Schools temporarily received free
meals for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years. For
the 2022-23 school year, you must apply for free or reduced
meal benefits. School Nutrition has asked that you apply as soon as possible as
it will take some time to process each application. Families may submit
free/reduced meal applications for meal benefits and proof of
hardship for other programs such as internet or summer camps. School Nutrition
will continue to process those and provide proof of eligibility.
For
additional information regarding School Nutrition and benefits, please visit
the HCS School Nutrition website.
Chromebook Insurance
Hamilton
County Schools has partnered with Smartech Insurance to provide device
insurance for families at $15 per Chromebook per year. The device insurance is
not required but recommended by the district IT team. The coverage includes
malfunctions, defects, accidental damage, liquid damage, batteries & power
issues, and loss & theft. If you are interested in this optional insurance,
please click the link for the flyer for information on
enrolling your device in the program.
School
Fees, Supply List and Chromebooks
The
Hamilton County School Board sets the approved fee schedule each year for
schools. The fees for the upcoming school year for STEM are a $40 magnet
programming fee (all grades) and a $20 art, science and technology fee (grades
9 and 10). These fees are used to help support our STEM initiatives and
activities at the school, and help pay for consumables needed each year. Fees
can be paid online at
this time.
The
supply list for STEM students includes 500 sheets of copy paper (1 ream),
pencils (pack of 25), and headphones. The copy paper and pencils should be
dropped off in the front office during the first week of school. The headphones
are for each student to keep with him/her for personal use.
Please
note that all students are provided a Chromebook for use throughout the school
year. Chromebooks will be distributed during the first days of school.
Uniforms
Students
are expected to be in required STEM
dress code starting the first day of school. For new students
to STEM (specifically grade 9 students), there will be opportunities to order
additional STEM garments during the first few weeks of school. If a new student
does not have a STEM shirt to start the year, a white or blue shirt with no
pictures or writing is permitted for the first few days. Uniform ordering
information can be found on our school website at this link.
Thank
you for your support!
Dr.
Tony Donen
Principal
August 2, 2022 – STEM School Info
08/02
Parents/Guardians,
August
is here! We are super excited to get the school year started and seeing all of
the students!!! Here are some items to note as we approach the first day of
school.
Student
Registration – TO DO
Hamilton County Schools
official registration day is Friday, August 5. However, we do not hold an
“in-person” registration at the STEM School.All registration items for
both Hamilton County Schools and STEM School Chattanooga may be completed
online. All forms are includedin the links below, and
electronic signatures are used so you can complete the registration from any
device with internet access. Please
note, you must completeboth, the STEM School
Registration and the PowerSchool Registration for Hamilton County Schools.
Registration STEP #1
All STEM School Chattanooga
parents must complete a STEM specific registration form for their student. Everyone needs to complete the following this
week: STEM School Registration
Registration STEP #2
In addition to the STEM School
registration, please complete either the returning studentOR
new studentregistration
below.
---Returning Hamilton County
Schools Student---
If your child attended a
Hamilton County school in 2021-2022 and will be attending STEM School
Chattanooga this school year, your child will need to be enrolled as a
returning student. Please log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal to check
your student’s information and make sure it is correct to begin the new school
year. If
you have not already done so, here is the Parent Portal.
For instructions about the
Parent Portal, you may clickhere.
If you have trouble logging in or need your password reset, please email Amy
Robinson atrobinson_amy@hcde.org.
---New to Hamilton County
Schools Student---
If your student did not attend
a Hamilton County school in 2021-2022, you will need to register as a new
student by creating a PowerSchool Parent Portal account and completing the
Hamilton County Schools registration. Please go to the HCS Registration Page and click on the
“New Student 22-23 Registration” icon.
Tennessee
Teacher of the Year Finalist – Kristin Burrus
Congratulations to Ms. Burrus for being selected as one of nine finalists
for the Tennessee Teacher of the Year! The winner will be announced on Thursday
night, August 25 at the 2022 Excellence in Education Celebration in Nashville.
Ms. Burrus has led our efforts in planning, developing, and implementing the
Global Center for Digital Innovation, the first ever K-14 digital fabrication
and entrepreneurship facility in the world. Go Ms. Burrus!
Rising
Grade 9 Orientation – August 8
An
additional day of orientation activities takes place for grade 9 students. On
Monday, August 8 from 9:30am to 1:00pm, we will be hosting the incoming grade 9
students. This half day orientation activity session is important for grade 9
students to connect together, learn from upperclassmen leaders, and take their
first step into their STEM house (will it be Staupers, Tesla, Einstein or
Mirzakhani?). All grade 9 students should plan to attend.
1st
Day of School – August 10
The
first day of school for students is Wednesday, August 10. All students in all
grades (9-12) are to report by 9:30am. The school day goes from 9:30am to
4:30pm each day. Students in each grade will have three full days of
orientation activities on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. These days are vital
to starting the school year well and getting everyone acclimated to the
expectations for the upcoming year. Upperclassmen in grades 11 and 12 will
begin their college type schedules on Monday, August 15.
School
Lunch Changes in 2022-23
All students in Hamilton County Schools temporarily received free
meals for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years. For
the 2022-23 school year, you must apply for free or reduced
meal benefits. School Nutrition has asked that you apply as soon as possible as
it will take some time to process each application. Families may submit
free/reduced meal applications for meal benefits and proof of
hardship for other programs such as internet or summer camps. School Nutrition
will continue to process those and provide proof of eligibility.
For
additional information regarding School Nutrition and benefits, please visit
the HCS School Nutrition website.
Chromebook Insurance
Hamilton
County Schools has partnered with Smartech Insurance to provide device
insurance for families at $15 per Chromebook per year. The device insurance is
not required but recommended by the district IT team. The coverage includes
malfunctions, defects, accidental damage, liquid damage, batteries & power
issues, and loss & theft. If you are interested in this optional insurance,
please click the link for the flyer for information on
enrolling your device in the program.
School
Fees, Supply List and Chromebooks
The
Hamilton County School Board sets the approved fee schedule each year for
schools. The fees for the upcoming school year for STEM are a $40 magnet
programming fee (all grades) and a $20 art, science and technology fee (grades
9 and 10). These fees are used to help support our STEM initiatives and
activities at the school, and help pay for consumables needed each year. Fees
can be paid online at
this time.
The
supply list for STEM students includes 500 sheets of copy paper (1 ream),
pencils (pack of 25), and headphones. The copy paper and pencils should be
dropped off in the front office during the first week of school. The headphones
are for each student to keep with him/her for personal use.
Please
note that all students are provided a Chromebook for use throughout the school
year. Chromebooks will be distributed during the first days of school.
Uniforms
Students
are expected to be in required STEM dress
code starting the first day of school. For new students to STEM
(specifically grade 9 students), there will be opportunities to order
additional STEM garments during the first few weeks of school. If a new student
does not have a STEM shirt to start the year, a white or blue shirt with no
pictures or writing is permitted for the first few days. Uniform ordering
information can be found on our school website at this link.
Thank
you for your support!
Dr.
Tony Donen
Principal
July 11, 2022 – STEM School Info 07/11
Parents/Guardians,
Hope your summer is going well. We are extremely excited for this upcoming school year at STEM! We look forward to seeing everyone in August and connecting with all our students. As we approach mid-July, here are some items of note to begin planning for this upcoming year.
GCDI and STEM Micro-Credentialing
The Global Center for Digital Innovation (a 15K sq ft facility for digital fabrication and entrepreneurship) is in full operation as we start this school year. We are looking forward to students having opportunities and experiences in this state-of-the-art facility. We are also in the process of continuing to build out our STEM micro-credentialing pathways and digital fabrication experiences for students. For more information on this work, check out our STEM School website and look under the tab titled “STEM”. Here is also a page with an overview: TSIC and Micro-Credential Overview.
Rising Grade 9 Orientation – August 8
An additional day of orientation activities takes place for grade 9 students. On Monday, August 8 from 9:30am to 1:00pm, we will be hosting the incoming grade 9 students. This half day orientation activity session is important for grade 9 students to connect together, learn from upperclassmen leaders, and take their first step into their STEM house (will it be Staupers, Tesla, Einstein or Mirzakhani?). All grade 9 students should plan to attend.
1st Day of School – August 10
The first day of school for students is Wednesday, August 10. All students in all grades (9-12) are to report by 9:30am. The school day goes from 9:30am to 4:30pm each day. Students in each grade will have three full days of orientation activities on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. These days are vital to starting the school year well and getting everyone acclimated to the expectations for the upcoming year. Upperclassmen in grades 11 and 12 will begin their college type schedules on Monday, August 15.
Registration
Hamilton County Schools normally has a “Registration Day” for parents to register their student. Please note that we do not hold an “in-person” registration. All of our registration is done and will continue to be done virtually. In the coming weeks, Amy Robinson will send you a Google Form to complete for registration items. All forms are included, and electronic signatures are used so you can complete the registration from any device with internet access.
School Fees, Supply List and Chromebooks
The Hamilton County School Board sets the approved fee schedule each year for schools. The fees for the upcoming school year for STEM are a $40 magnet programming fee (all grades) and a $20 art, science and technology fee (grades 9 and 10). These fees are used to help support our STEM initiatives and activities at the school, and help pay for consumables needed each year. Fees can be paid online at this time.
The supply list for STEM students includes 500 sheets of copy paper (1 ream), pencils (pack of 25), and headphones. The copy paper and pencils should be dropped off in the front office during the first week of school. The headphones are for each student to keep with him/her for personal use.
Please note that all students are provided a Chromebook for use throughout the school year. Chromebooks will be distributed during the first days of school.
Uniforms
Students are expected to be in required STEM dress code starting the first day of school. For new students to STEM (specifically grade 9 students), there will be opportunities to order additional STEM garments during the first few weeks of school. If a new student does not have a STEM shirt to start the year, a white or blue shirt with no pictures or writing is permitted for the first few days. Uniform ordering information can be found on our school website at this link.
Thank you for your support!
Dr. Tony Donen
Principal
FOR PREVIOUS 2021-2022 UPDATES, CLICK THESE LINKS:
STEM Updates - May 2022
STEM Updates - April 2022
STEM Updates - March 2022
STEM Updates - February 2022
STEM Updates - January 2022
STEM Updates - December 2021
STEM Updates - November 2021
STEM Updates - October 2021
STEM Updates - September 2021
STEM Updates - August 2021
FOR ALL 2020-2021 UPDATES, CLICK THIS LINK: 2020-2021 STEM Updates