One of our core values at Sherman Thomas STEM Academy (STA) states that, “Parents are the first and primary teachers. They are responsible for the children’s basic needs and values.” It is our goal to partner alongside you and work together to help your child grow, educationally as well as socially. You are the most important VOICE in your child’s education and we need your VOICE at STA.
Parents are welcome 5 days a week on our campus to volunteer in the classroom. We need help working with students, assisting on projects, helping with P.E., working with kids on robotics, copying papers, etc. Please give us at least 48 hours notice…we would love to set up an opportunity for you to help. Our greatest need for parent help often comes on our Fridays – whether that be chaperoning on a field trip or helping at a challenge day, we need you!
Make plans to bring your whole family out for Family Nights. These will only last one hour and we will have a full, fast paced schedule to keep kids of all ages engaged. In addition to our four Family Nights, we will have a Back to School night and Graduation ceremony. Please plan on attending these six evening outings each year.
We want you to be informed of what we are doing (curriculum, projects, field trips, guest speakers) and we want you to inform us with ideas you have (things you like, ways we can improve, potential contacts, etc.). One way for this to happen is through you attending our monthly STAff Chat. These meetings will only be for one hour and will provide a convenient way for us to communicate with each other.
Many Friday mornings will be dedicated to Challenge Day activities, where students work together to solve a complex problem through the design process. These group projects will involve a lot of trial and error and simple construction (working with things like glue, straws, construction paper, paper clips, etc.). While these aren’t primary grade children any more, we recognize that even in middle school, there is a need for extra hands and eyes! We need as much help on these days as we can get.
Engage first and foremost with your child. When you see them each day, don’t just ask if they had a good day (although that’s good too); ask probing questions that can’t be answered with a yes or no. Find out what they are learning and what excites, as well as frustrates, them. Also, engage with your child’s friends. A great way to do that, in a low pressure way, is to volunteer on campus. Lastly, engage the community. Share the exciting things we are doing with your friends and coworkers, to help us find individuals or businesses that would be willing to partner with us.
Family nights are a special celebration at STA. These nights will occur once each quarter. During this time we recognize students for special achievements, enjoy a short student performance, and offer a family hands-on STEM activity for you to participate in. Some nights we will also have guest speakers from STEM fields within our community. The entire family is invited and encouraged to attend on these nights, regardless of age. We understand that everyone is busy and we respect your time, so these nights will have approximately one hour of scheduled activity, with more open time available after to tour the classroom area, play with the robots, or take your family to look through our telescopes and enjoy the night sky!
There will be a total of 6 evening events for the year: these 4 family nights, a Back to School Night, and our 8th grade graduation ceremony. All of these dates will be posted here at the beginning of the year so you can make plans to attend. It is a celebration of your child’s successes, as well as a time for them to share with you what they are learning in an interactive way. It is so valuable for students to see their parents and siblings engaged in learning. We will provide a safe and positive environment for that to happen and we look forward to seeing you there!
Back to School Night:
Thursday, August 10, 2023
6:00-7:00pm (adults only)
8th Grade Graduation:
Tuesday, 4, 2024 6:00pm
Family Nights:
(all 6:00pm – 7:00pm)
Monday, October 23, 2023
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Tuesday, May 28, 2024
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
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