The STEM Weekly Stream

If you did not get measured for your cap and gown please see Ms. Barnes ASAP

If you still need to have your Senior Portrait taken you must make an appointment with Life Touch and go to their studio to have the portraits taken. They will not be returning to STEM this year to take any more pictures.

Please provide you baby pictures for the yearbook ASAP!

Please make sure you are meeting with Ms. Barnes to review all transcripts to ensure graduation requirements are being met in the event Credit Recovery is needed.

Please plan to attend Parent-Teacher Conferences on February 6th. Teachers will be available to discuss report cards from 12:00-5:00. Students will be dismissed at 10:30am. No School for students on Friday, February 7th.

Our Talented Students and Staff will hold a Black History Month Performance on Friday, February 28th. There will be two performances, 9:30am and 12:30pm.

February 1st Black History Month Begins

February 6th 1/2 Day for Students Parent Teacher Conferences 12:00 (Noon)-5:00pm

February 7th No School Students 1/2 Day Professional Development

February 17th Presidents Day District Closed NO SCHOOL

We are pleased to announce the National Honor Society will be back at STEM this year! Please keep an eye out for upcoming meetings and membership requirements. Please reach out to Dr. Jones-Lowman for any information

Dear STEM High School Family,

We thank you for your diligence in ensuring your child has the materials required to complete all educational tasks. A Chromebook is essential to the educational success of your child.

● If the device is lost, stolen, or damaged, the student will be assessed a $150.00 fee for the repair or replacement of the device for the first occurrence per device.

● If the power adapter and/or cable is/are lost, stolen, or damaged, the device user will be responsible for a $20.00 replacement fee for each item. The student will NOT be issued another device to take home until an initial payment of $75 is received and this letter is signed by the child’s parent or legal guardian.

CHROMEBOOK REPLACEMENT I, ______________________________, parent or legal guardian of ______________________ agree to make an initial payment of $75 and an additional $75 no more than 30 days later. If the second payment is not made then the computer will be confiscated.

POWER ADAPTER OR CABLE REPLACEMENT I, ______________________________, parent or legal guardian of ______________________ agree to make a payment of $20 to get a replacement device.

Sincerely,

STEM Academy at Showalter Administration

MAP testing has finished and many of our students showed tremendous growth. Please check with Your Student to see their improvement. Results can all be checked at Parent Teacher Conferences.

Dear Parents,

We would like to inform you that the 12th-grade students held a Town Hall on December 12, 2024, to address attendance, behavior, and work completion expectations in each classroom. Moving forward, all 12th-grade students will be held accountable to the following standards:

● 80% classroom seat time: Students are expected to maintain consistent attendance.

● Timely assignment completion: All assignments must be submitted by their deadlines.

● Fostering a positive environment: Students are expected to contribute to a respectful and productive atmosphere.

If these expectations are not met—such as in cases of skipping class, unlawful absences, or negative behavior—your student will be required to attend a parent meeting with Mr. Brown, Ms. Sgro, and Ms. Barnes. During this meeting, we will discuss the unmet expectations and the necessary steps for improvement. Please note that failure to adhere to these standards may result in the loss of participation privileges in senior events.

Thank you for your support in helping our seniors finish the year on a positive and successful note.

As part of the STEM Morning Arrival Process, Students are not allowed to go to the Store once they get off the bus or dropped off on campus. This is a safety concern for our students. Breakfast is provided in the building. We are asking for your support in enforcing this procedure.

After the start of the New Year, a drama program will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays in Afterschool. This program is open to STEM Students at will be held at Chester High School. Please sign up if you are interesting.

The Students Achieve 21st Century After-School Program started on November 4th, 2024. The following programs will be available to students:

• Homework Help
• Academic Enrichment
• Credit Recovery
• E-Sports
• Sports
• FREE snack for all students in attendance
• Transportation

Please access the links below to complete an application.

English:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctHhVe-zZ4T02LRhnh_AfpHajPnAW0kbMZ20tpOSHRIOsoxw/viewform

Spanish: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScmzNABBQlXgXMq4airBGHpi7WbHSnDstu8XXNSN737YDWvPw/viewform

Please reach out if you are having difficulty creating a PowerSchool Parent/Guardian Account.

Creating PowerSchool Parent Account

Follow the steps below to create your Parent Account:

1. Go to cusd.powerschool.com/public

2. Click "Create Account" and fill in your information under Parent Account Details

3. Scroll down to "Link Students to Account"

4. Enter your Student's name. Enter your Student's ID number for Access ID. Enter your Student's ID number again for Access Password

5. Repeat to add additional Students

6. Scroll all the way down and Click Enter

7. Check your email from Chester Upland School District for a link to confirm your account. Be sure to check your Junk and/or Spam folder for this email.

After you have confirmed your account, you can sign in and check your student's grades through the website cusd.powerschool.com/public. If you want to download the PowerSchool App, follow the steps below:

1. Search for the PowerSchool app on Apple Store or Google Play

2. Download the App

3. When opening the app, enter the District Code: PLLL

4. Sign in using the Username and Password you created

Please reach out with any questions. We encourage you to have regular conversations with your student about their progress and learning. We truly appreciate your support and look forward to the opportunity to continue to partner for your student’s success!

Seat Time and Denial of Credit

To obtain academic credit for a course, students must be in attendance and have their attendance recorded at least 90% of the time that a class is scheduled. Failure to attend at least 90% of the scheduled classes of any one credit course or half-credit course may result in a denial of credit for that course. Please reach out to the Guidance Office at STEM Academy High School for further information.

Congratulations to the Chester Boys and Girls Basketball Programs for both winning the DEL-VAL League. This is a great accomplishment. Please continue to support as they finish the regular season and get ready for the District Tournament.

Student attendance will be a major area of focus at STEM and throughout CUSD this year. In order for our students to achieve at the highest level, they need to be on time and in all their classes each day. We need all students and families to be aware of these guidelines and work together to ensure we have a great year. PLEASE REMIND YOUR STUDENT TO GET A LATE PASS BEFORE GOING TO CLASS SO ATTENDANCE CAN BE RECORDED CORRECTLY.

1st Period begins promptly at 7:30a.m. Students are allowed to begin entering the building at 7:10a.m. and are encouraged to go to the Cafeteria to get breakfast.

All students must enter the school building no later than 7:35 a.m.

Students will be marked tardy if they are not in class by 7:45 a.m.

Students will not be admitted into their classroom after 7:45 without a late note signed by the Front Office.

Students will not be allowed inside the building after 8:00 a.m. without a parent or guardian to sign them in.

Students will be reminded of these rules in all classes. We appreciate the support of families helping to improve student attendance this year!

According to teachers, parents, and even students themselves, it is clear that the biggest distraction to learning is their phones. We cannot expect teaching and learning to occur when phones are in the hands of students during their classes. Therefore, students will not be permitted to have cell phones in the classroom this year.

· Students will be required to put their phones away during the school day

· Students will be permitted to access their phones at lunch and return the phones to their bag before returning to class

· Headphones/earbuds/Airpods may not be worn in school

Students who choose not to adhere to these rules will be subject to escalating consequences.

This will be an adjustment for our students, but certainly a positive one. We appreciate the support of our Families to make this happen!