Griffins Connect
November 29th #BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild
PLEASE READ: COVID-19 Reminders to All Families
As the holiday season is upon us, we encourage all families to remain aware of the steps they should take in the event of COVID-19 concerns. This is especially important now that ALL nonvirtual, elementary students have returned and ALL nonvirtual, middle school students' are in the process of returning to in-person instruction. 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.
As a reminder, families should 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.
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 a positive case was in their child’s classroom or part of another school group to which their child is connected and considered a "close contact." 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!
A Reminder to Middle School Families...
This is a reminder for middle school students in the GCS traditional program who are currently attending school on the hybrid plan. 6th graders attend face to face in-person school Monday through Thursday this week while 7th grade students in the blue and green groups attending Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and students in the purple and red groups come to school Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Beginning next week and continuing until Winter Break, 6th and 7th graders will be back for in-person learning four days each week. 8th graders begin their phase-in the week of December 7. That means they attend by color groups Monday and Tuesday then all return for face to face instruction on Wednesday and Thursday. The week of December 14 grades 6, 7, and 8 will attend school in-person Monday through Thursday. Grades 6-8 will return to full-time in-person school five days per week starting January 4. None of the changes to the GCS attendance plan impact students in the Virtual Program.
What's Ahead...
This Week...
- November 30th: GCS Magnet Application Window Closes (see info below)
- November 30th: Deadline for GCS Virtual Students to Request Return to Brick & Mortar
- December 1st-4th: 5K & 1st Grade Registration (see info below)
- December 2nd: GCS School Choice Lottery Window Closes (see info below)
- December 2nd: ALL Hybrid Seventh Grade Students Return for In-Person Instruction
- December 2nd & 3rd: MAP Testing (See info below)
- December 3rd: SIC Meeting; 8:30 (See info below or CLICK HERE to register)
Looking Ahead...
- December 7th-13th: Sterling School eBookFair (CLICK HERE!)
- December 9th: ALL Hybrid Eighth Grade Students Return for In-Person Instruction
- December 14th-18th: Beta Club Spirit Week to benefit Trees Upstate
- December 18th: Half Day: 11:45am dismissal for Elementary; 12:00/Noon dismissal for Middle
**MAP Testing**
WHEN: December 2nd (Reading) & December 3rd (Math)
WHO: 1st Graders who were tested during LEAP Week & ALL 2nd graders (Face-to-face & Virtual) Virtual students need to bring their Chromebook.
TIME: 8:00am-10:00am (Parents will be contacted if more time is needed or if students finish early.)
#SubsForSterling: Parents, We Need YOU!
Parents, YOU might be able to help keep our students in school AND get paid while doing it. We need SUBS! When teachers have to be out for long periods of time for quarantine or in more rare cases positive test results, we do not have enough substitutes to keep all classes covered. Often times the teacher is either teaching remotely or will prepare student materials via Google Classroom, but we still need an adult to supervise classes and make sure all safety protocols are being followed.
If you are able to help serve as a substitute for Greenville County Schools, please follow this link to get started and be sure to let us know (email Dr. Patterson!). We will be happy to help facilitate the process. You may choose to work at any school or you can select Sterling exclusively. Work only on the days that fit your schedule. We appreciate your consideration to help the school by serving as a substitute!
2020-2021 Sterling School SIC
All council meetings are open to the public and anyone showing an interest in the council and its activities are encouraged to attend. Persons interested in presenting at a council meeting may request to be put on the agenda no later than seven days before the meeting date.
Lindsay Metcalf: Chair
Quentoria Jones: Vice Chair
Shayla Read: Secretary
LEAP Week Post-Assessment
CTC Student Newspaper
Extra, Extra, Read All About It! The sixth edition of the CTC Student Newspaper, our school's student newspaper, is out! (CLICK HERE!)
A student newspaper teaches and reinforces a lot of skills that will benefit students today and tomorrow. Students who participate in a student newspaper learn a lot of workplace skills such as management, meeting deadlines, and communicating with others. School newspapers also enforce a need for teamwork.
Thank you, in advance, for supporting our students by taking a few minutes to read and admire their work! #BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild
GCS School Choice Lottery Window Opened Until December 2nd
Did you know... Sterling School is GCS's only total choice school? This means every single family who attends Sterling School is here by choice. While students of our Charles Townes Center Program are here by invitation, many people do not realize that students of our Sterling Program are also here by choice. So, if you've enjoyed your experience at our school, share the good news (and this digital newsletter) and invite them to join our family!
- Unique Learning Experiences! (Such as Painting a Collaborative Mural)
- We Believe in Educating the WHOLE CHILD! (and are Award-Winning)
- Our Two Programs Have a Tight Bond (See this article from the Greenville Journal)
- We are recognized as a South Carolina Palmetto Gold/Silver Award School
- And MUCH, MUCH more!
Greenville County Schools Change in Assignment School Choice (CIA) Lottery Window for the 2021-22 school year begins tomorrow, Monday, November 16, 2020, and remains open until Wednesday, December 2, 2020. All parents wishing to submit a CIA choice request should submit at their first choice school during this window. This does not apply to magnet schools.
2021-22 5K & First Grade Registration
If your child is starting kindergarten or first grade next year, we need your help! It’s extremely important that you enroll your child between December 1-4 to ensure we have enough teachers for every classroom on the first day of school.
Children who will be five years old on or before September 1 of the current year must enroll in public or private kindergarten unless the parent or legal guardian signs a waiver (see Kindergarten Non-Attendance Form). Any child who will be six years old on or before September 1 of the current year must enroll in first grade. Students who are currently enrolled in a GCS 4K or 5K program do not need to register.
There are two ways to enroll your child. You can visit the Parent section of the GCS website and set up a Backpack account. Open your Backpack account, look for “Enroll A Student,” and follow the instructions. If you do not have internet access, the Student Enrollment Form and Home Language Survey forms are available at each school. Be sure to bring all of the required documents when you visit the school.
The following documents are required for online or face-to-face registration:
Photo ID from any state or country
Two current “proof of residency” documents (all must contain property address). These can be a combination of:
Current bills – i.e. electric, gas, water, cable
Current mortgage statement or current signed lease agreement with landlord’s name and phone number
Child’s Birth Certificate
Signed Certificate of Immunization, Conditional Certificate of Immunization, or Religious Exemption Certificate (Religious Exemption Certificate provided by Health Department)
For your child’s school assignment and other information, visit the Kindergarten/First Grade Registration website or call INFOLine at 355-3100.
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
Congrats, Mrs. Spitler! SCAEA's Art Educator of the Year!
In his letter of support, Dr. Patterson wrote the following about Mrs. Spitler: "As Mrs. Spitler works directly with students from Kindergarten to 8th grade, it is her mission to inspire students in creative exploration at every age. She demonstrates an impeccable work ethic and the necessary determination to help every student find success. Mrs. Spitler truly understands the importance of educating and supporting the whole child."
District Magnet Academies
- Though statistics show individuals are safer from the risk of COVID inside our schools where protocols are strict, we could soon reach a tipping point where the number of employee absences would make it impossible for us to safely supervise students. This would result in a temporary return to eLearning.
- The community can help us stay on track by following recommended precautions outside of school: wear a mask when in public, avoid large gatherings, frequently wash or sanitize hands and high-touch surfaces, stay home and away from others when sick, and seek medical advice when running a fever, developing a new or worsening cough, experiencing shortness of breath, or losing the sense of taste or smell.
- Do NOT send students to school who are symptomatic of any contagious disease and follow DHEC instructions on COVID isolations and quarantines.
GCS Requests Community’s Help in Reversing COVID Spread
As COVID cases in Greenville County and the State of South Carolina continue to rise, Greenville County Schools is asking students, parents, and the greater community to help ensure the return to in-person school in the district is not derailed by rising numbers. GCS is asking all citizens to follow DHEC guidelines to help reverse the current increase: wear a mask when in public, avoid large gatherings, frequently wash or sanitize hands and high-touch surfaces, stay home and away from others when sick, and seek medical advice when running a fever, developing a new or worsening cough, experiencing shortness of breath, or losing the sense of taste or smell.
Thanks to the cooperation of employees and students, who have complied with established COVID-19 protocols while at school, the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 remains lower in our schools than in the community as a whole. In fact, based on statistical analyses using DHEC community spread data and internal GCS reporting, the risk of getting COVID-19 for those who attend or work at a public school in Greenville County is about half the rate of the community as a whole. Still, the Superintendent cautioned today that even if schools continue to be a less risky environment than the surrounding community, there is a point at which the district could be forced to return to 100% eLearning if the number of employees and substitutes available to work was insufficient for the proper supervision and instruction of students.
“In addition to normal employee absences, we are currently averaging over 150 vacancies each day as a result of isolation due to a positive COVID diagnosis (avg. 40) or quarantining due to direct exposure or possible symptoms (avg. 110),” said Superintendent Burke Royster. “By comparison, 29 employees were in isolation and 66 in quarantine on November 1. We want to keep schools open for in-person instruction, move forward with our plan to return middle school students to full-time face-to-face, and increase high school in-person attendance, but we need the cooperation of the community.”
Teachers who quarantine or experience only mild COVID symptoms can teach remotely from home, but schools must still have a responsible adult in each classroom to provide supervision and ensure students stay on task. With a significant number of substitutes who have refused all offered assignments this year, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill in for absent teachers. Media specialists, school counselors, instructional coaches, and administrators are all being called on to help supervise classes, but at the expense of their usual duties and responsibilities.
Earlier this week, principals were instructed to have teachers prepare eLearning lessons in case a spike in cases over the upcoming holidays required GCS to revert temporarily to 100% eLearning. “We are not planning to go backwards on our Roadmap, nor do we wish to do so,” said Royster, “but it would be irresponsible of us not to prepare for that possibility, given the current trend.”
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