Griffins Connect
October 11th #BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild
Sterling/CTC Middle School Receives National Beta School of Merit
The Sterling School is proud to sponsor elementary and middle school Jr. Beta Clubs. The Sterling School Jr. Beta Club currently includes 57 students in 5th grade. Fourth graders will be invited in the spring. Heather Hartman and Stacey Merritt are the elementary Jr. Beta sponsors. The Charles Townes Center Jr. Beta club serves students in grades 6-8. There are 127 middle school members. Sara Newell and Linda Reynolds are the middle school Jr. Beta sponsors.
Service to the community is a big part of the Beta mission, and our Jr. Betas work together to give back in many ways. With bake sales, dodgeball games, fundraisers, food/book drives and as sponsors of Spirit Week, our clubs have raised money and awareness for Lucky Pup Rescue, Make A Wish Foundation, Greenville Literacy Association, Wild at Heart Wildlife Rehab, and Conestee Nature Park. This semester, social distance restrictions have made volunteering more challenging, but we have found ways for students to continue to make a difference. We are working with the Leaders Readers Network to provide words of encouragement to struggling students and to provide books for Title 1 schools.
One way that we celebrate our Jr. Betas and their commitment to the ideals of Beta is by attending the state convention each year. Jr. Betas from all over the state meet to exchange ideas and to compete in academic, art, and engineering competitions. We are very proud of our many state champions and hope to repeat that success this year!
The Charles Townes Center Middle School has received the National Beta School of Merit award for the 2019-2020 school year. This award is given to honor Beta Chapters that have demonstrated dedication and commitment to academic excellence.
CLICK HERE to see the notice of our school's recognition.
4K & 5K Return to Full-Time In-Person Instruction
What's Ahead...
This Week...
- October 12th - October 16th: ALL 1st Graders Attend 5 Days!
- October 14th & 15th: ALL 4K & 5K Students Return (eLearning on Friday, 10/16)
- October 16th: Last Day to Nominate a Sterling School Educator for Upstate Parent Magazine's "Educators Who Make a Difference" (Nominate HERE!)
- October 16th by Noon: Registration due for Testing Event for Potential CTC Students (see info below)
- October 17th: Butterfly Garden/Outdoor Work Day: 9:00am-Noon; Register Here
Looking Ahead...
- October 21st - October 29th: 2nd Grade CogAT/IOWA Testing (see info below)
- October 22nd: End of 1st Quarter & Virtual Students & Make-Up Picture Day
- October 23rd: Teacher Development Day; No School for Students
- October 23rd: Testing Event for Potential CTC Students (see below)
- October 29th: 1st Quarter Report Cards
Outdoor Work Day: Oct. 17th
Our next Outdoor Work Day will be this Saturday, October 17th from 9:00am until 12:00pm. Click HERE to sign up! You'll find all the details in the Sign-Up Genius.
Veterans Day 2020
On Wednesday, November 11th, the Sterling School will honor those who have fought for the many freedoms we, as American citizens, have today. While we will are unable to hold our usual in-person program, we are working to create a virtual program to share with our students, families, and school community.
- To honor and recognize a member of your family or special friend, we ask that you complete the following Google Form by Friday, November 6th: CLICK HERE! To bring greater awareness of this day for our students, you are encouraged to email a picture of your family member or friend (preferably in uniform) to Dr. Patterson. Be sure to include the name of the veteran and the relationship to our Sterling/CTC student, as well as the name of the military branch in which he or she served. (These questions will also be asked of you when accessing the aforementioned Google Form.)
- We invite all students to wear red, white, and blue on Wednesday, Nov. 11th.
As always, we look forward to this exciting day, as we pay tribute to those who have served our country. Thank you, in advance, for your willingness to support our school in honoring our veterans!
CogAT/IOWA Testing
If you are choosing to allow your student to opt-out of CogAT/Iowa testing, please inform Mrs. Harris no later than October 12.
Virtual Students & Make-Up Picture Day
On October 22nd, all virtual students (GCS & CTC) will be provided the opportunity to have their school/yearbook pictures taken. Please use the following link to sign up. Please see the schedule below for your child’s assigned time. Any Thursday in-person student will be included during the school day. Students who are eLearning on Thursday should sign-up from 4:00-6:00 using the following link: Sign Up Genius. Your child’s teacher will accommodate this schedule in the day’s instructional plans. The deadline for signing up is Sunday, October 18th.
- 1:00 - 1:30 Emmel
- 1:30 - 2:00 Lane
- 2:30 - 3:00 Nyvall
- 3:00 - 4:00 Middle School
- 4:00 - 6:00 GCS Virtual & Make-Up for Thursday eLearning
Join PTA
Educators Who Make A Difference
Do you know a teacher, coach, guidance counselor or school administrator who goes above and beyond to help students succeed? The January 2021 issue of Upstate Parent will profile a number of the Upstate educators who are making a difference in children's lives. Nominate an outstanding teacher, coach, or administrator today! Nominees may be from Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson or Pickens counties only, and MUST work in a public or private elementary, middle or high school. YOU MAY NOMINATE MORE THAN ONE PERSON, but may not nominate the same person more than once. Nominations must be made using the online form found at http://bit.ly/2d0LHpZ. Deadline for submissions is Friday, October 16.
Save the Date: The Gifted Guru
On Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 7:00pm, we invite all Sterling School/CTC families to a special virtual workshop with Lisa Van Gemert. Lisa, "The Gifted Guru" is an educator, speaker, author, and mom. She is also the author of the book Perfectionism: A Practical Guide to Managing “Never Good Enough.
More information, including registration, will come in the coming weeks.
Testing Event for Potential CTC Students
- Registration due by noon on Friday, 10/16/2020.
- Download the CTC Testing Registration Form.
There are many inquiries about how students are chosen to attend the Charles Townes Center for highly gifted students, located within Sterling School. The criteria can be found on our website: (CLICK HERE!)
Many private schools in our area do not administer nationally normed aptitude tests along with an achievement test. For that reason, on Friday, October 23, 2020, there will be an opportunity for students who reside in Greenville County and attend home or private schools to take an aptitude test. If your child has already taken an aptitude test within the past two years, or if his/her school administers this testing it is not necessary for your child to participate. You may just submit those test results to Jane Snyder via email.
Upon reviewing data from this testing event, we will determine if other testing or information is necessary for your child. These results may not be available until after Winter Break.
Please print the Registration Form and send it to Jane Snyder via scan/email or fax: jsnyder@greenville.k12.sc.us or 864-355-9042 by noon on Friday, October 16th. Please return a form for each child that you wish to have tested. Students and parents should check in at the front of Sterling School by 9:00am. Unfortunately, current restrictions related to COVID-19 require that we not allow parents to access the building; therefore, tours of the building will not occur. Additionally, students are required to wear a mask when moving around the building or otherwise not able to social distance. Masks may be removed once seated during testing.
Students will be tested in small grade level groups to allow appropriate distancing. Please have each child bring 2 pencils for testing. Allow two and one-half hours for your child’s testing which includes breaks for them. If you feel that your child needs to have a snack for one of the breaks, please send it in an individually wrapped package. Students should bring a water bottle.
For further information, you may contact Jane Snyder by email at jsnyder@greenville.k12.sc.us (best way to communicate!) or by phone at 355-4821.
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
Upcoming Parent Teacher Conferences
The mission to #BuildABetterGriffin is a big responsibility. Not only does this require an intentional effort to design and implement a challenging, progressive curriculum that is tailored to our students’ unique needs, it also requires a strong home/school partnership, and a call to development of a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset acknowledges that we are not there...yet. A mindset that acknowledges that we are a work in progress, that we will never truly reach the finish line. A mindset that does not see a grade of “A” as the goal but embraces and celebrates the growth that comes with challenge and productive struggle. I must admit, as a parent of four school-aged children, this is not always easy. As an educator, this requires that I allow my students to feel appropriate tension in a space that encourages growth, problem-solving, and resilience. In our culture, this is not always easy. To help our children achieve their full potential, we must fight the temptation to make things easy and to do the task quicker, easier, and without resistance.
Over the next couple of weeks, your child’s teacher will be communicating details of upcoming parent/teacher conferences. This year’s meetings will be virtual and are scheduled for all elementary students. It is our goal to have 100% participation for all students. During this time, teachers are encouraged to share strengths and weaknesses, to share the areas of success as well as the areas for growth. Parents, you are encouraged to do the same. If forgotten or omitted, challenge your child’s teacher to consider ways they can partner with you to help your child grow. Through transparent conversations, goals should be discussed and established. Together, we are your child’s supportive team. It is our hope that these important meetings are not simply to “check a box” but spur our students in a trajectory that furthers every single child in their learning and social-emotional development. #WholeChild
Dr. P.
District Magnet Academies
2020-2021 Yearbook
ELEMENTARY:
Elementary School Yearbooks are also on sale for $20. To order elementary yearbooks, use this link: CLICK HERE! Please note that the elementary and middle school websites for ordering are different.
MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Middle School Yearbooks are now on sale for $30 along with FREE icons with personalization until Sept. 6th! Go to the following website to order: CLICK HERE!
8TH GRADE ADS
For our 8th grade students, here's the opportunity to include an ad to this year's yearbook. Just create an account and proceed to order: CLICK HERE!
WYFF Golden Apple Award
Ingles and WYFF News 4 wants to reward teachers who are going above and beyond. Each week, an area teacher will be selected to receive the Golden Apple Award and profiled Thursdays on WYFF News 4. These weekly winners will be chosen by a panel of judges. At the end of the school year, a Teacher of the Year will be selected from the weekly winners.
To nominate an educator for the Golden Apple Award, pick up an official nomination form from an area Ingles store or CLICK HERE, then complete and mail to:
WYFF News 4
Golden Apple Award
505 Rutherford Street
Greenville, SC 29609
For submission details, CLICK HERE.
Purchasing School Pictures
To purchase this year's school pictures, parents should go to www.strawbridge.net and click "order pictures" and enter code FM348170. Packages are 100% guaranteed!
The following link (CLICK HERE!) will allow parents to sign up to receive updates via email regarding your student's school portraits. These updates include promotions, additional deals, and the ability to order more pictures at a later time. When entering student information, parents should be sure to enter the student's name as it is on file at the school.
Virtual students will have their pictures taken on Thursday, October 22nd along with any make-ups. CLICK HERE to find the digital version of our order envelope/flyer.
Clemson Reading Program
The Clemson Reading Program encourages kids to read more books by rewarding them with exclusive Clemson Athletic prizes. This Program is open to all kids in 6th grade or below and is free to be a part of. Clemson wants to promote and encourage literacy with kids throughout the state of South Carolina. The Clemson Reading Program is easy to join, you just need a computer or smartphone to join, log your books, and redeem your free prizes. You can sign up at ClemsonReadingProgram.com today!
Need a Mask?
Thank you Marshall Orthodontics for donating masks to Sterling School! We appreciate the support of our community. Anyone wanting a mask may stop by the office to pick one up.
Google Classroom
Learn more about Google Classroom:
- What is Google Classroom?
- How is information organized?
- How does my student access Google Classroom?
Follow this Link for Google Classroom to watch a short video.
Parent Backpack
Learn more about Parent Backpack:
- Would you like to track your student's attendance and grades?
- How do you access Parent Backpack?
Follow this Link for Parent Backpack to watch a short video.
New Lunch Menu
Students/COVID Steps to Return to School
We encourage all families to become aware of the steps they should take in the event of COVID-19 concerns. These concerns include COVID-19 symptoms, exposure (within six feet of a positive case for more than 15 minutes), positive test, etc. The following graphic should help provide possible next steps. To be safe, we ask families to notify Dr. Patterson anytime there is a concern related to COVID-19 so we can provide guidance based on DHEC regulations. Keep students at home if they present with any of the following symptoms:
- cough or shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing;
- fever (of 100.4 or higher) or chills;
- muscle or body aches;
- vomiting or diarrhea; or,
- new loss of taste or smell.
We also ask families who have traveled internationally to follow all quarantine directives they receive when re-entering the country. Anyone who has been directed to quarantine when re-entering the country should not attend school for the period of the quarantine – usually 14 days. Additionally, we encourage you to test your knowledge by taking the following quiz (no worries, it's annoymous) to help your understanding around school exclusions, quarantines, isolation, etc.
COVID Exclusions and Notifications Quiz: CLICK HERE!
GCS will follow DHEC guidelines regarding the notification of families when COVID-19 cases are present in schools. Under current guidelines, anytime a student or staff member in any GCS school receives a positive test for COVID-19, a notice will be placed on the GCS website, alerting the school and community. Additionally, parents will receive a personal phone call if the positive case was in their child’s classroom or part of another school group to which their child is connected. Please note the importance of social distancing.
Per DHEC regulations, any staff or student identified as having spent 15 minutes or more within six feet of a positive case are considered close contacts and will be excluded from school for a minimum of 14 days. Absences due to documented COVID-19 infection will be an excused absence and will not count against a student’s required seat time/attendance. Students and staff who were not close contacts will be allowed to remain at school. We will be sure and let you know if these notification requirements change. Additional information is available on the GCS Parent Resource webpage.
Thank you for all your support in helping us keep our faculty, staff, students, and families safe!
Sterling School
Email: jpatterson@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: www.greenville.k12.sc.us/sterling
Location: Sterling School, John McCarroll Way, Greenville, SC, United States
Phone: 864-355-4480
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theSterlingSchool
Twitter: @SterlingSchool