September 5, 2023

Dear Tesla STEM Families,

We are off to a fantastic start here at Tesla STEM after a wonderful first day of school. It was a joy to see our campus come alive with the energy and enthusiasm of our students filling our hallways and classrooms. The beginning of each new school year is a time filled with the excitement of a fresh start and new possibilities.

Being together as a community is significant, especially after experiencing a loss. For many students, returning to school brings back memories of a dear friend and classmate, Vidit Khandelia, who would have been in this year’s senior class had he not tragically passed away over the summer. This morning, we acknowledged Vidit’s loss in our classes and provided a space for students to process their feelings. In the days ahead, we will continue to support our students as we care deeply about their well-being.

Our scholars are fortunate to have a team of high-quality, dedicated, and passionate faculty members investing in their education. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to the newest additions to our Tesla STEM faculty:

• Hannah Green, APES (AP Environmental Science) Teacher
• Chelsia Lau, School Psychologist
• Tyler Rath, Orchestra Teacher
• Jo Sentell, School Psychologist
• Marisa Williamson, AP Biology and Chemistry Teacher

Each of these exceptional educators brings a wealth of experiences and a deep commitment to ensuring our scholars continue to receive an excellent education at Tesla STEM.

Looking ahead to next week, our faculty is eager to meet parents and guardians during our upcoming Curriculum Night on Wednesday, September 13th. This year, our Curriculum Night will again be in-person, which will provide parents and guardians with the opportunity to experience a glimpse into their student’s day at Tesla STEM. More information about Curriculum Night is below.

Thank you for entrusting us with your student’s education. This is going to be a great year!

GO STEM!

Amie Karkainen, Principal

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Bus/Transportation
We recognize some of our bus routes have changed this year. For route information, check Skyward/Busing. Please contact busroutes@lwsd.org with questions. 

Orchestra Starts on Monday, September 11th 

We’re excited to kick off a new year of the Tesla STEM Orchestra! The Tesla STEM Orchestra class will meet on Mondays and Thursdays after school from 3:00pm to 3:50pm, starting on Monday, September 11th, in the East Commons. Students should bring their own music stand and can drop their instrument off in the morning in room 126B. Have questions or would like more information? Reach out to our new orchestra teacher, Mr. Tyler Rath, at trath@lwsd.org as he’d be happy to help. We are looking forward to hearing the music created by our Tesla STEM Orchestra this year!

Curriculum Night is In-Person on Wednesday, September 13th

Next Wednesday, September 13th, we would like to invite all parents and guardians to attend Curriculum Night in-person at Tesla STEM High School. This event is designed to have parents experience a short version of their student’s academic day, meet the faculty, learn about their scholar’s courses, and generally to stay informed about STEM. 

From 5:45pm to 6:15pm, freshmen parents are welcome to attend a freshmen parent meeting with our counselors. Our Curriculum Night begins at 6:30pm and concludes at 8:40pm. During this time, parents will have the opportunity to attend each of their student’s classes. A detail scheduled for the evening will be sent later this week.

Traffic is difficult most any time of day and definitely in the evening, so please do come a bit early if you can. Parking is available on site at Tesla STEM and at Alcott Elementary.

Due to very limited physical space for this event, Curriculum Night is a parent-only event.  Please make arrangements for your younger children as we unfortunately do not have space on campus for more than the parents. Thank you.