The Weekly Griffin
December 8th - #BuildingABetterGriffin #LevelUP
What's Ahead...
- Dec. 9 thru Dec. 13 - Book Fair
- Dec. 9 thru Dec. 13 - Spirit Week (See info below or CLICK HERE)
- December 11 - Spirit Week Hot Chocolate Sale; 7:25-7:45am
- December 12 - Activism Fair; 12:15-1:00pm
- December 12 - 4th & 5th Grade Holiday Musical; 1:00pm
- December 12 - Spirit Week Dodgeball Game; 3:00-4:00pm
- December 13 - School Spirit Day (Wear a Sterling/CTC shirt or school colors)
- December 13 - SIC; 8:30 (Open to all school families)
- Dec. 16 thru Dec. 19 - Advanced Art Show
- December 17 - Band & Strings Winter Concert; 6:30-8:00pm
- December 20 - Winter Break Reading Challenge Begins (after dismissal)
- Dec. 21 thru Jan. 5 - Winter Break
- January 6 - Students Return From Winter Break
A Note About Thursday's 4th/5th Grade Musical...
Come see our 4th and 5th grade musical on Thursday at 1:00! Please arrive early so that our office staff can get you signed in and you can get a good seat! We will also work to have the main parking lot empty, including the spots reserved for the principal and assistant principals, so you may park there. Phyllis Wheatley Center has graciously agreed to allow us to use their parking for overflow as well. We recognize that the musical will end as we near dismissal, so if you would like to take your children with you when you leave, that is fine. Please let Chrissy and Sue know your intentions to sign your students out when you sign in upon your arrival. If your child will stay through the end of the day or for the dodgeball tournament that afternoon, then no further action is required beyond simply signing in and enjoying the show!
2019 Superhero's Book Fair: Dec. 9-13
The 2019 Sterling/CTC book fair is almost here. This year our book fair will occur from Monday, December 9th through Friday, December 13th. Pamphlets will go home this week. Online gift certificates are available for purchase to send in with your students in place of cash. Also, all teachers will have their wish lists available.
The schedule is as follows:
Monday - 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Tuesday - 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday - 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Thursday - 7:30 am - 6:30 pm
Friday - 7:30 am - 11:30 am (with take down immediately afterwards)
We need over 120 volunteers to help keep our book fair running smoothly. If you are able to help out by running a cash register, helping kids select books, or just keeping shelves and tables neat and orderly, please sign up below. Volunteering for book fair is easy and fun, and we appreciate our volunteers so much that they receive a discount on all book fair purchases!
Book Fair Volunteer Sign Up: CLICK HERE
Sterling School Spirit Week: Dec. 9th-13th
Spirit Week will be from December 9-13. Join us as we celebrate our school and raise funds to benefit Lake Conestee Nature Park. (CLICK HERE for Flyer)
Dress up Days:
- Monday 12/9: Heroes - dress up as your favorite hero and support the Book Fair!
- Tuesday 12/10: Explorers - Exploring parks and new places is an adventure! Dress up like your favorite explorer!
- Wednesday 12/11: Scrabble Tile Day - Select a letter to wear and spell out your favorite book title or character with a group of friends!
- Thursday 12/12: 50s 60s Rock 'n Roll - Join the celebration of great music for the 4th & 5th grade holiday concert, "Jingle Bell Jukebox." and dress in your best 50s or 60s outfit!
- Friday 12/13: Woodland Creatures - Our fundraising this week is helping the Lake Conestee Nature Park. Dress up like your favorite woodland creature - real or imaginary!
Activities will include:
- Vote for Song of the Day
- Tuesday 12/10: (MIDDLE SCHOOL only) :Lip Sync Battle
- Wednesday 12/11: Hot chocolate sale 7:25-7:45
- Thursday 12/12: Dodgeball ($3.00) from 2:45-4:00; Snacks for Sale!
7th grade Student Activism Fair - Dec. 12
The 7th grade students have been working hard on their Activism projects. Come and see how they are raising awareness through education or fundraising with baked goods, crafts, art, and more! (Cost for some items will be $1-$15.) The students will be presenting their projects in the main hallway on Thursday, Dec. 12th from 12:15-1:00pm. (Cost for some items will be $1-$15)
2019 Winter Break Reading Challenge
Join us for our Winter Break Reading Challenge! K4 through 8th Grade Participants who complete our challenge will win a PANCAKE BREAKFAST WITH THE PRINCIPALS!
· Kindergartners are asked to complete the Penguin/Snowball page.
· Students in Grades 1-8 are asked to complete the Mitten page.
NOTE: For the form to count, it needs to be completed between December 21 & January 5. Just follow the directions including a parent’s signature. All forms are due to homeroom teachers by Wednesday, January 8, 2020.
We would also love for you to share pictures of your child as he or she participates in this year's Challenge. Use #SterlingReads2019 within your Facebook/Twitter posts and we'll share them on our school's page. You can also send a direct message or simply email Dr. Patterson. Happy Holidays & Happy Reading!
CLICK HERE for Winter Break Reading Challenge Flyer.
Curriculum Highlight: 7th/8th Grade SmartARTS
Ms. Cooper's 7th and 8th grade Science classes are excited to welcome pottery artist and owner of the Felton School of Crafts, Shane Bryant, beginning next week as part of their SmartARTS arts integration unit. For eight class period during the month of December, Mr. Bryant will be assisting students with applying their knowledge of cells through the creation of clay models and applying the behavior of waves through the creation of a kaleidoscope through this engaging, supportive unit.
MyEnergyKit.org
Join the other 62 Sterling School families who have signed on for a FREE Energy Kit! As part of the Sterling School community, we are working to conserve energy and protect our environment. If we reach 100 kits, our school will receive a $250 check. Sterling School families and staff can request their FREE Energy Kit and credit your school by going online to MyEnergyKit.org or by calling our hotline at 1-855-386-9548.
Thank you, in advance, for requesting your kits and making a difference for our planet. When you request and use your kits, energy is saved. It’s as simple as that. And we’re hoping that by the end of the school year, we will have saved 10 million kWh of energy together. Can we make it?
Middle & Elementary School Yearbooks
Middle School:
Middle School Yearbooks are now on sale for $30! Go to the following website to order: CLICK HERE! Please note that the elementary and middle school websites for ordering are different.
Elementary:
Elementary School Yearbooks are also on sale for $20. Go to the following website to order: CLICK HERE! Please note that the elementary and middle school websites for ordering are different.
Grateful for Reading Classroom Library Drive
November is a time to be thankful…and at Sterling School we are particularly thankful for our amazing teachers. (Event Flyer)
Our teachers have told us time and again that they would love to have more resources to purchase high interest, engaging, challenging books from a diversity of perspectives to meet the needs of our elementary students across all reading levels. Classroom libraries make it so easy for our kids to grab a book and go…one of the best ways to help teachers encourage reading!
To build classroom libraries, we are going to try something new: an Amazon gift card drive.
Amazon offers a wide variety of affordable titles so our teachers can curate classroom libraries just right for their students.
Over the month of November, please consider expressing your gratitude for our amazing teachers by picking up an Amazon Gift Card and sending it into the front office.
Alternately, you could purchase an online gift card HERE and either print it at home or direct it to the PTA’s inbox at sterlingctcpta@gmail.com.
A gift card of ANY AMOUNT will help us reach our goal: $6,000 to be shared among our elementary classrooms.
Keep an eye out for weekly updates as we work towards our goal!
Thank you for supporting reading, and for showing your gratitude for everything that our teachers pour into our students.
Become A Mentor!
According to Harvard University's Center on Developing Child, "Every child who ends up doing well has had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive adult." The Sterling School has partnered with Mentor Upstate, a nonprofit organization that seeks to support children with one-on-one positive relationships. We are looking for committed adults who are willing to support and encourage ONE student for the year. If you or someone you know from our school community can give 30 minutes a week, we need you!
If you have any questions, you are invited to email Jennifer Medlock, director of Mentor Greenville. And if you're ready to jump in, you can sign up for an upcoming training session! (CLICK HERE!)
Support a Sterling School Classroom
CLICK HERE to check out our school's classroom projects!
Supporting a DonorsChoose project is super easy...
1) Find a classroom project that inspires you and give as little as $1. We're a public charity, so your donation is tax-deductible.
2) When a project is fully funded, DonorsChoose will purchase all the requested items and ship them directly to the school.
3) When funded, every donor gets a thank-you letter from the teacher, photos from the classroom, and a report of how each dollar was spent.
The mission of DonorsChoose is simple...to help students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.
Volunteer Training
Upon completion of the online training module, you will be asked to take a short quiz which will be submitted to Mr. Murphy for scoring. All volunteers must answer each question correctly. Failure to do so will result in potential volunteers being asked to review the training module again or attend a face-to-face training. If you have questions about the process or anything related to volunteering at Sterling, or if you prefer a face-to-face training, contact Mr. Murphy via email or (864) 355-4480.
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
Congrats to the 2020-2021 Sterling School Teacher of the Year: Mrs. Mollye Spitler!
Mrs. Spitler is one of our art teachers in her third year at Sterling, and her twelfth year of teaching art. She grew up in Rock Hill, SC then moved to Greenville to attend Furman University. She majored in Studio Art then went on to earn her MAT in art education at the University of South Carolina. While Mrs. Spitler was at Furman, she fell in love with the Greenville community and quickly returned after grad school. She began her teaching career at Greenbrier Elementary in Mauldin, then moved to Sterling, where she continues to grow and teach in a fantastic art department.
During this time, Mrs. Spitler has continued to learn and practice the importance of creativity in the art classroom and beyond. She has focused on inspiring students in creative exploration at every age! She has taken courses in reaching the artistically gifted and talented, and has worked with art teachers across the state to further this research. Mrs. Spitler is also very involved in the South Carolina Art Education Association, serving on their board as its elementary representative.
Through college and her years living and working in Greenville, Mrs. Spitler has been very invested and involved with the local art community. She is a practicing artist as well as art teacher. She has a home studio where she creates ceramic tableware and jewelry. Mrs. Spitler is very passionate about connecting her art students to the local art community. She encourages students to visit local studios and art events, and she participates in SmartARTS, which connects students with local artists in arts integrated units. Helping students gain valuable life long skills of creative thinking, problem solving, and personal expression is such a joy!
Mrs. Spitler loves teaching art to all ages. One of the best parts of the job is getting to teach students for so many years of their school experience. Watching them grow artistically, emotionally, as well as intellectually is a gift. She has loved being a part of the Sterling community and teaching staff. She is thankful to be able to inspire students artistically to impact the world to come!
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