The Weekly Griffin
Week of April 7, 2019 - #BuildingABetterGriffin
Gifted Educator Conference
Last Tuesday (April 2nd), the Charles Townes Center at the Sterling School hosted our school's first gifted educators' conference. In all, we had approximately 80 guests, representing over 10 school districts across our state. The feedback received from our attendees was overwhelmingly positive with 100% of survey respondents stating that they would recommend this conference to other gifted educators. "Well done! Bravo! Great Conference! - I thoroughly enjoyed all sessions - Excellent! Thank you for your wonderful hospitality" As we think and reflect over the day, we are grateful to support of our families. Without your continued support of our school, our students and school community could not be the wonderful place it is. Thank you!
What's Ahead...
April 10 - Families for Lunch
April 11 - Deadline to apply for ARMES program
April 15 thru 19 - Spring Break
April 25 - PTA Family STEM Night; 6:00-7:30pm
*As a reminder... Please continue to be mindful of our drop-off and pick-up.
- Have students exit and load the full length of the awing.
- Keep this area "cell phone free!"
- Do not let students out at "roundabout" near Phillis Wheatley.
- Do not let students out in the faculty/staff parking lot along the Phillis Wheatley property.
- We discourage the use of the parking lot at Tanners. Please utilize our school's driveway.
- Do not text your child at dismissal and request that they walk to Tanner's without an adult.
District Art Show Winners
The following middle school students have placed in this year's District Art Show. Congratulations to all of them! If you would like to view their work, members of the community are invited to do so. CLICK HERE for more details. #BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild
Lily Brown - Art 8 - 1st Place Drawing
Isabella Lopez - Advanced Art 8 - 2nd Place Mixed Media
Addy Yarrow - Art 7 - 1st Place Painting
Cort McGowan - Advanced Art 7 - 2nd Place Printmaking
Violet Ellis - Advanced Art 7 - 1st Place - Mixed Media
Sabine Coen - Advanced Art 7 - 3rd Place - Mixed Media
Sarah McClennan - Art 6 - 2nd Place Painting
Oliva Lu - Art 6 - 1st Place Printmaking
Sohini Kulkarni - Art 6 - 2nd Place Printmaking
Hands on G'ville is May 4th!
This year is the 25th anniversary of Hands On Greenville Day, the largest day of service in the Upstate, and our school will be a host site again this year! If you are not familiar with this event, Hands on Greenville Day is an annual organized service day that brings people from all over Greenville together at designated locations across the city to volunteer. This year's Hands on Greenville Day is Saturday, May 4th, from 8:00am-12:00pm.
The event is rain or shine and features both indoor and outdoor projects. Check out the volunteer positions available and sign up to help here: CLICK HERE!
First Lego League
First Lego League FLL for the 2019-2020 school year is open only to all rising students in grades 4-8. Space for this club is generally very limited. CLICK HERE for this year's application. The deadline to submit an application is May 3rd.
Young innovators practice imaginative thinking and teamwork. FIRST® LEGO® League focuses on solving real-world problems such as food safety, recycling, energy, and more using STEM concepts, plus a big dose of fun.
With the guidance of two or more coaches, teams (2-10 members, grades 4-8*) apply science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts to solve a real-world problem.
Teams design, build, and program a LEGO® MINDSTORMS® robot, then compete on a themed table-top playing field. Along their journey, students develop critical-thinking and team-building skills, build STEM self-confidence, and gain valuable perspective on the importance of failure in the learning process.
Teacher Pay Increase Crucial for Recruitment, Retention
Lawmakers have declared 2019 the year of education reform. The bill up for debate would raise teacher pay 4% and make the minimum teacher salary in South Carolina $35,000. If you look at cost of living and student debt, many young teachers are facing serious financial struggles.
Please take a few minutes to view this video that was shared at a recent School Board meeting. It is the story of four GCS teachers and the financial challenges they’ve experienced as young professionals. Special thanks to the GCS Communications Department for their work on this and “humanizing” this budget process in Columbia.
Items Needed for MakerSpace
Our MakerSpace is up and running, but we still need items to complete the space and keep it stocked!
Small Legos & Lego mini-figures
Puzzles
Packing tape
Glue Sticks
Scissors
Construction Paper
Colored Paper
Duct Tape... Lots of Duct Tape!
PLA 3D Printer Filament
PLA 3D Pen Filament
K-Nex
Lincoln Logs
Mega Blocks
Polly Pocket Figures
Little People Figures
Looney Labs Educational Games
These items would help make the Sterling School MakerSpace an even more amazing place for our children to create, inspire and be inspired! Bring donations to the Media Center or leave them in the Front Office with a note that says “For Media Center.”
2019 Officer Allen Jacobs G.R.E.A.T. Summer Camp
The Greenville Police Department (GPD) is excited to announce the FREE 2019 Officer Allen Jacobs Gang Resistance Education And Training Summer Camp (G.R.E.A.T.). The G.R.E.A.T. Summer Camp is facilitated by the Greenville Police Department to provide a structured one-week program for students entering the 5th or 6th grade in the fall of 2019. This wonderful program will give students the opportunity to choose alternate activities other than crime, violence, and gang affiliation.
The summer camp is open to students who will be entering the 5th or 6th grade in the fall of 2019. Students must be enrolled in Greenville County School District. Students will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. School discipline records and/or grades may be used to determine eligibility for the camp. Space is limited to 60 students. All participants must pre-register with the Greenville Police Department.
The 2019 G.R.E.A.T (Gang Resistance Education And Training) Summer Camp is open to all rising 5th and 6th grade students. Once again, Sterling School will host the camp during the week of June 17th through June 21st.
Online registration for students and volunteers is now available - CLICK HERE! Or download the full application here: CLICK HERE!
The deadline for registration is Friday, May 3rd.
Middle School Yearbook
Time is RUNNING OUT to purchase a CTC Middle School Yearbook. After May 3rd you will not be able to order one. A few will be available on a first come first served basis on the last day of school, but there will not be many of them! So if you want a yearbook, PLEASE go the the WEBSITE below and order one! (CLICK HERE!)
Join Carpool List for Next Year!
Are you interested in carpooling to or from school next year? Fill out the Google Form to add your family to the carpool list! At the end of each month, PTA will share the updated carpool spreadsheet with everyone who signs up, so you can connect with nearby families to make arrangements.
2019 Annual Report Card Survey
GCS Hall of Fame Nominations
PTA Family STEM Night
All families of 3rd-5th graders are invited to join us for our STEM + Families Invention Night on Thursday, April 25th from 6:00 until 7:30pm in the cafeteria! The event is completely free! We'll serve light snacks and hold a drawing for door prizes. Join us for this hands-on enrichment night and share a fun STEM experience with your child! Siblings are welcome to attend.
Please note: SPACE IS LIMITED TO 50 FAMILIES! If more than 50 families sign up, we'll hold a lottery on Thursday, April 18th.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Our PTA was one of only 20 schools in the nation chosen from over 350 applicants to receive a grant for 50 LittleBits Invention Kits with a value over $5,000! We hope you'll register for this free opportunity to enjoy a hands-on STEM experience with your kids! CLICK HERE to watch a video about STEM + Families Invention Night to learn more!
Get Involved...Our Students Need YOU!
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. If you are ready to jump in, you may begin by completing the mentor application CLICK HERE.
Become a Tutor!
Are you willing to make a difference in a child's life? One way you can do this is through tutoring. Tutoring has been shown to not only increase a student's academic performance, it also increases their chance of success in life!
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer tutor, Sterling School needs YOU! We have many students who could use your time, help, and knowledge in a small group and/or partner setting. Teachers will provide needed lessons and materials.
If interested or know someone who may be interested, contact Kim Marchbanks @ krmarchbanks@greenville.k12.sc.us .
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 at jmurphy@greenville.k12.sc.us or (864) 355-4480.
Band Gives Perfect Performance
Battle of the Books: District Champions!
The CTC Newspaper: 3rd Edition
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