Mrs. Ridder Message

Dear Middle School Families,

I want to start off with a huge thank you to Meg Shapiro and all of the families who came out to support our students at TSA Run-Offs on Thursday. We are so grateful for the time, energy, and encouragement you continue to give our TSA program and our students.

As we get closer to Thanksgiving break, this is a great time to check in with your student about grades and missing assignments. Please take a few minutes to review Canvas together and encourage your student to turn in any outstanding work before the break. Finishing strong now can make a big difference and helps students return after Thanksgiving feeling caught up and ready to go.

As we prepare for the second semester, we are carefully balancing classes and adding additional sections where possible to help keep class sizes manageable. As a result, you may notice some adjustments to your child’s second-semester schedule. Our goal is to make these changes as minimal as possible, and we will not make substantive changes to a student’s schedule unless absolutely necessary. We understand that schedule changes can be stressful for students, and we apologize in advance for any concern or disruption this may cause. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we work to create the best possible learning environment for all of our students.

We hope you will come out and support our talented theater students in Peter and the Starcatcher next Thursday through Saturday. Our students have been working incredibly hard, and it is always wonderful to see our community show up for them. We would love to see you there!

Additionally, our Holiday Bazaar will be held on December 12th, and we are currently looking for vendors. If you, a family member, or someone you know has a small business, handmade goods, crafts, gifts, or other items that would be a great fit, please consider participating and helping us make this a fun community event.

Other upcoming events:

• 11/20 - Early Release Day

• 11/23-27 - Thanksgiving Break

• 12/9 - Holiday Music Concert

• 12/10 - Holiday Music Concert (2n2)

• !2/12 - Holiday Bazaar

• 12/17 - Staff Holiday Party

• 12/18 - No School for kids; Grades due by 2 pm.

• 12/19-1/3/27 - Winter Break

Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and support of our students. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

In partnership,

Maura Ridder
Middle School Principal
STEM School Highlands Ranch