CHS Weekly Update #11

Welcome back to school after a great holiday weekend in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. I hope your weekend was amazing!! I am excited to share with you some of the incredible opportunities that are available for our CHS WARRIORS.

This week, on January 18th, our sophomores have the opportunity to explore the different programs that CMU Tech has to offer. It will allow them to find a program of interest, so they can join the Tech Scholar Program next year. All sophomores are included in this opportunity, and there will be two tours. Last names that begin with A-K will leave from CHS at 8:05 AM on the 18th and will return in time for lunch. The second set of buses will take students with the last names starting with L-Z will leave CHS at 12:45 and return before the end of the school day. Students will receive all of the necessary information regarding interest forms, applying, and the registration process during the tour. Please reach out to Kline Donley at kdonley@d51schools.org or Lauren Ramirez at lauren@d51schools.org if you have questions.

STEM at Central High School is expanding and flourishing! Our STEM coordinators are busy recruiting incoming 8th graders, helping seniors with STEM capstones, advising students on scholarships and college admissions, helping students log hours toward a STEM letter, and working to help our STEM students create plans and pathways that are relevant and personalized. The STEM programs at CHS are as follows: CHS STEM College Bound students plan to attend a four year institution and to major in a STEM field; CHS STEM Career/PTECH students plan to enter the workforce with certificates OR to attend a two year trade school or junior college to earn an associate's degree; STEM for ALL is in process and is the plan for all students to have exposure to STEM teaching strategies during their time at CHS. Many of our teachers either have completed or are in process of earning their STEM certification from the National Institute of STEM Education.

Earning college credits at Central High School has never been more accessible to all students!!! All juniors at CHS have the opportunity to take the AP Language exam in their Composition 11 class. Students who earn a 2 will meet their graduation proficiency requirement in English, but students who earn a 3 or better will receive college credit through the College Board. CHS offers AP coursework in science, social studies, ELA, math, computer science, and world language. CHS also the following CMU concurrent coursework: English 111/112, Math 113, History 135/136, and Chemistry 121/131. These courses provide guaranteed transfer credit in the state of Colorado and in some other states as well. Our PTECH program helps students begin their pathways for Associate's Degrees in welding, machining, mechatronics, construction, fire science, pharmaceutical technology, mechanical engineering technology, or early childhood development. Not only can CHS students begin this work without paying tuition while at CHS, but students in the PTECH Program receive up to 2 years of free tuition while pursuing one of these PTECH pathways. There are also many other associate's degrees available at CMU Tech for all CHS students.

The CHS Career/Job Fair on February 22nd is a chance for students to learn about local careers and job opportunities, and some students even leave this day with a job or an interview scheduled. This career exploration is an engaging opportunity for our students to interact with professionals from a variety of industries, and hopefully one of these conversations will spark interest. This exposure could also lead to job shadowing or possible internships through our Work Based Learning class.

These are just some of the programs we are super excited to offer! Please start with your students' counselor if you would like to learn more or help your student get involved. Just as being involved in extracurricular activities can be motivating for students, when a student makes a plan that is relevant and engaging, classwork becomes more urgent and relevant because it is necessary to complete in order to get to the next step. Passing classes, earning credits, and achieving proficiency on state exams are all part of the journey towards post-secondary plans, and we want to be there to help support all students and families along the way.

Thank you for sharing your most prized possessions with us every day. We are here to support and prepare your students with kindness along with high expectations. Please reach out to counselors, teachers, or administration whenever we can help support. Have an incredible week, and stay warm!!

Tracy Arledge