Griffins Connect
January 29th #CreatingConnections #WholeChild
"Dr. T." Selected as South Carolina's School Counselor of the Year
This weekend at the annual school counselors conference, Sterling School Counselor Dr. Mary Tchouros was selected as this year’s Palmetto State Counselor Association 2023 South Carolina School Counselor of the Year! As an ASCA Certified School Counselor, Dr. Tchouros has been a tremendous support and advocate for our school and profession. For over ten years, “Dr. T.” has represented herself, our school/district, and profession with great expertise and dedication – she is a true leader. Because of her work, we have advanced our school’s mission to do whatever it takes to realize the full potential of every child by courageously meeting the needs of the Whole Child.
In addition to her work at Sterling School, Dr. Tchouros serves as an adjunct at Clemson University where she trains and prepares future school counselors. Her research on school counselor ratio, burnout, and job satisfaction and workload, and professional identity development has allowed her to advocate for school counselors far and wide. #CreatingConnections #WholeChild
What's Ahead...
January 31: Mentor Appreciation Breakfast; 8:30-9:30am
February 1: Black History Month Program (info below)
February 3: Schoolwide Pajama/Hat Day (as declared by our student principals for a day)
February 3: Half day for 4K classes (dismissal at 11:30am)
February 6: Read-A-Thon Begins (ends February 17)
February 6: PTA Valentine Crafting Event; 3:00-5:00pm: Register HERE (info below)
February 8: Spelling Bee
February 9: Middle School Virtual Curriculum Night
February 10: Class Pictures: ORDER ONLINE with the code FM385562 (info below)
February 11: Furman Basketball Spirit Day; 2:00pm Purchase Tickets HERE (Info below)
February 13-17: 7th Grade Activism Donation Drive (Info below)
February 15: Executive Functioning Lunch & Learn;12:00-1:00pm RSVP HERE (Info below)
February 15: Rising 6th Grade Registration Round-Up; 4:00-5:00pm
- Target Audience: Current 5th grade parents - information below!
Recent Happenings @ Sterling School!
Pancakes With The Principals
Successful participants of our Annual Winter Break Reading Challenge were treated to "Pancakes with the Principals." Collectively, approximately 165 “Griffins” participated! We are proud of our students for working hard even when they are away from the classroom.
Many thanks to our literacy specialist, Anna Doyle, and our school’s F.A.N.S. team for their leadership and support with this wonderful event!
Principals for a Day
Sterling School welcomed two new administrators, Principal Theron Jones (elem) and Principal Ellison Read (middle). Our administrators were quite busy as they assisted with various supervisions, gave oversight to “Pancakes with the Principals,” conducted classroom observations, and read aloud to students.
Our principals also made special declarations in their time of leadership: an extra 10 minutes of recess, school wide pajama day (next Friday, 2/3), and jeans day for the teachers. By far, Principal Jones and Principal Read were today's most popular principals. We enjoyed having them on our school's administrative team.
Sterling Celebrates 100th Day
Hip Hip Hooray… Sterling School celebrates the 100th Day!
Primary classrooms participated in a day filled with fun reading and math activities. Students traveled to different stations, comparing weight of 100 objects, finding and sorting 100 objects, reading 100 words in a minute, exercising by counting to 100, and so much more!
Many thanks to academic interventionist, Mrs. Hope Howard, for her leadership and coordination of this special day!
5th-7th Grade CTC Families: Save the Dates: Virtual, On-Your-Time Curriculum Night
Middle school registration will open on February 21st. Families of rising CTC middle School students, be sure to mark your calendar for the CTC Middle School VIRTUAL Curriculum Information event on Thursday, February 9th. 7th and 8th Grade registration is first, followed by 6th grade. All deadlines will be shared on the 9th.
As noted, the Curriculum Fair will be held virtually this year. All information will be available on Ms. Treloar’s Website (CLICK HERE!) by 3:00 pm on Thursday, February 9th. You’ll be able to browse through departmental videos and course fliers to learn about your student’s classes for next year. Current 5th, 6th, & 7th grade students will begin meeting with Ms. Bennett (5th graders) or Ms. Treloar (6th & 7th graders) on February 21st who will share forms and information about the registration process. While everything you will need will be available on the website, Ms. Johnston, Ms. Treloar, and Mr. Murphy will be hosting an in-person session for rising 6th grade families on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 15th from 4:00-5:00 pm. This session will review the basics of middle school—what to expect from teachers, what to expect from your child, and answer questions specific to course offerings and the registration process. We know that the transition to middle school may cause some anxiety among our families and we want to make this transition as seamless as possible for you. As always, any questions may be directed to Ms. Treloar and/or Mr. Murphy.
Get Ready! Read-A-Thon Starts Feb. 6th!
Read-a-thons actually get your reader excited about reading and it gives friends and family the opportunity to encourage your child to read even more.
Read-a-thon begins Monday February 6, 2023. We hope EVERYONE participates!
This week, before our Read-a-thon begins we'll send home instructions on how to activate your reader's personal page. Here, you will be able to view and record their progress. We encourage you to activate your reader’s account today by clicking the following link and following the simple instructions: CLICK HERE!
We've chosen Read-a-thon because it does not take much of your time, gives your child a reason to read and helps in the development of stronger reading skills.
Class/Group Pictures: February 10th
Parents may order class pictures by completing THIS FORM with enclosed payment on or before picture day or they may order online. To pay online, go to www.strawbridge.net - click "Order Pictures" and enter the following code: FM385562. Thanks!
MathCounts: Individual & Team Round Contestants Announced
Our school's MathCounts Chapter Competition is this Saturday, February 25th. A qualifier was taken last Thursday to determine who would officially compete. Congratulations to these students! Here are the results:
Team Round Contestants:
Nicholas Hu
Chloe Tan
Jerry Gan
Ben Cowden
Individual Round Contestants (along with the four above):
Isabella Agnew
Vaishu Badveli
Evan Chacon
Jacob Jaconetti
Rhett Monzel
Julian Osorio
Dhanya Rajagopalan
Ishana Vanith
Activism "Give from the Heart" Donation Drive
Our 7th grade Activism students will be holding Donation Drives the week of February 13-17. They will be collecting items for Miracle Hill and Harvest Hope. A full list of requested items will be in next week's newsletter.
Cubing Club: Now Accepting Applications
Has your child ever tried to solve a Rubik’s cube but didn’t know how? The Sterling/CTC Cubing club is here! This FREE, one semester long club will teach all the tips you need to solve the Rubik’s cube with hard work! All 4th-8th graders are welcome to join. Students complete the application (when logged into the student Drive), via a Google Form.
The club meets from 2:30 - 3:30 most Tuesdays. The starting date will be on Tuesday, January 24th. Bring a cube!*
*The Cubing club will not provide cubes; it is the member’s responsibility to buy and bring them to school.
January is National Mentoring Month
Support a Griffin & Become a Mentor! Sterling School has a partnership 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 are willing to volunteer 30 minutes of your time weekly, we need you!
If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please complete the interest survey found HERE! We will follow-up with training information and other pertinent details. For any questions, email Mrs. Lindsay Berry (school counselor).
Can You Serve as a Substitute?
At Sterling School, we have amazing substitute teachers. These dedicated individuals help ensure that our school operates smoothly when a classroom teacher is absent. However, as a result of the pandemic, like most schools our list of active subs is short.
If you are able to help serve as a substitute for Sterling School and 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 or connect you with current substitutes who can answer any of your questions. 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!
We Need YOU! Volunteer Training
Thinking of chaperoning a field trip, becoming a room parent, or mentoring a student? Parents at Sterling School may now participate in volunteer training either in person or online.
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.
Ms. Hartman Named 2023-2024 Sterling School Teacher of the Year!
Selected by her peers, Ms.Heather Hartman will represent Sterling School as the 2022 - 2023 Teacher of the Year. Growing up Ms. Hartman was surrounded by educators. When she wasn’t driving across the country or sailing across the Atlantic to witness Hitler as he rose to power, her Grandmother taught in the mountains of West Virginia. In a one room schoolhouse, her Grandmother welcomed students from all walks of life. It was her grandparents' stories, from living through the Great Depression to fighting in WWII, that created her lifelong love of teaching social studies. Ms. Hartman’s mother also became a teacher after growing up in the rural south. She rose above her circumstances and was the only one of seven children to finish college. Throughout Ms. Hartman’s childhood, she loved watching and helping her mother and grandmother prepare and teach lessons. She was often found playing school using whatever she could find from around the house for teaching resources.
This is Ms. Hartman’s ninth year working for Greenville County Schools and her sixth year teaching fifth grade at Sterling School. As an educator, Ms. Hartman believes that every student has the potential to be successful both inside and outside of the classroom. From the first day of school, Ms. Hartman strives to build a cohesive classroom community where students are safe to grow and learn. In her classroom she establishes strong, trusting relationships where her students are not afraid to fail because they recognize that learning from mistakes will help them to be successful in the future. Ms. Hartman has served as a co-sponsor for Junior Beta Club and other after school programs at Sterling School. She has opened her door to Professor Lipscomb and students from Furman University to model teaching social studies in her fifth grade classroom. She has also hosted practicum and student teachers from Furman, Clemson, and The Upstate University of South Carolina. We are grateful for the hardwork and dedication that Ms. Hartman has shown her students, colleagues, and prospective teachers throughout her time at Sterling School and we are excited to celebrate her as our Teacher of the Year. #CreatingConnections #WholeChild
Sterling School Celebrates Black History 2023
As we prepare for Black History Month, we are excited to celebrate with great anticipation for this year’s plans. We will kick off our celebration with an amazing performance featuring One Voice, A Black History Narrative by J Dew. This performance will be at Sterling on February 1st. We will have 2 assemblies (8:30 and 9:30), affording our entire school body to share in this experience. In this one-man show, J Dew uses the real words and works of several significant Black history figures to let the audience experience the full impact of these leaders, covering history from as early as the 1850s to video vignettes of interviews with influential Black people from the 21st century.” Stay tuned … there’s more to come!
5th-7th Grade CTC Families: Save the Dates: Virtual, On-Your-Time Curriculum Night
Middle school registration will open and begin for some grade levels on February 21; other grade levels will be phased in along the way. Eighth grade will register at a different time. Families of rising CTC middle School students, be sure to mark your calendar for the CTC Middle School VIRTUAL Curriculum Information event on Thursday, February 9.
As noted, the Curriculum Fair will be held virtually this year. You’ll be able to browse through departmental videos and course fliers to learn about your student’s classes for next year. Current 5th, 6th, & 7th grade students will be meeting soon with Ms. Bennett (5th graders) or Ms. Treloar (6th & 7th graders) who will share forms and information about the registration process. Additionally, Ms. Johnston, Ms. Treloar, and Mr. Murphy will be hosting an in-person session for rising 6th grade families on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 15. More detailed information will be provided in the coming weeks.
2023 South Carolina Academy of Science, ONLINE CONTEST Grades 4 - 8
The 2023 ONLINE contest for the Middle/Elementary School Academy of Science (MESAS) is now available to interested students in grades 4-8. Last year, Sterling School had 10 winners!
- Direct Link to the South Carolina 2023 online e-contest (Grades 4-6): CLICK HERE!
- Direct Link to the South Carolina 2023 online e-contest (Grades 6-8): CLICK HERE!
This is an optional contest. Each student who participates will be recognized and each school that participates will have at least one winner. Winners will be announced in the South Carolina Academy of Science (SCAS) newsletters and the SCAS Bulletin. The online contest is available and must be completed on or before 11:59 PM Monday, March 6, 2023.
Students are encouraged to use reference resources of all types, including the internet. However, parent assistance is strongly discouraged in finding the answers. This is a competitive contest meant to teach students new methods of learning and exploring. Questions are prepared with respect to the standards for SC. Participating students may indicate Ms. Deborah Foulkes, instructional coach, as our school's sponsor (dfoulkes@greenville.k12.sc.us).
You're Invited: PTA Valentine Crafting Event
Drop-in with your student (siblings welcome) on Monday, February 6th between 3:00-5:00pm for Valentine’s Crafts!
Create an adorable Pillow, Canvas Bag or Wood Wall Hanging. Register by Google Form (CLICK HERE!) and a payment link will be sent to you.
We will meet in Vegas and enjoy snacks & laughs as Verdant Market leads the project!
🏀 Furman Basketball Spirit Day
Bring your family to Timmons Arena on Saturday, February 11th to watch the Paladins take on the Catamounts!
Tip Off is 2:00pm, but arrive early so your student can participate in the High Five Tunnel! Students are lined up in the Locker Room Tunnel right before team introductions to form a “High-Five Tunnel” as the players run out onto the court!
Purchase tickets (CLICK HERE!) for $20/each through the Sterling ticket page and 50% of all sales will be donated back to our school!
Support the Sterling School Read-A-Thon!
Our Read-A-Thon fundraiser is fast approaching. As part of our Read-A-Thon, we have an exciting opportunity for local businesses. If you own, know, or manage a business, consider sponsoring our Read-A-Thon. Thousands of people will know you’re supporting literacy at our school. Bring traffic to your site through both digital and optional printed content while supporting the school and local community. There are a limited number of digital and printed spots available, including one Literacy Champion sponsorship.
CLICK HERE to reserve your sponsorship spot today. This year's Read-A-Thon will occur February 6-17. More information will come home with students on January 30. This year's proceeds will go toward the purchase of a book vending machine.
And as always, thank you for supporting our school community.
Mrs. Jen Matthews ~ Sterling School Media Specialist
4K Application Window for 2023-24 Year
In order for our Griffins to start their education on the right foot, we encourage participation in our high quality, full day 4K program! 4K Pre-Registration began January 9, 2023. If you know of anyone in our community who will be four years old on or before September 1, 2023, spread the word! #CreatingConnections #WholeChild
How to Apply:
Dates: January 9-March 10, 2023.
There are two ways parents can complete the application for their child. You can visit the Parent section of this website and set up a Backpack account. Once it’s set up, open the Backpack account, look for “Enroll A Student,” and follow the instructions.
For families that do not have internet access, the application can be completed at each school. Parents are urged to bring all the required documents when they visit the school. Children do not have to live in the school attendance area to apply at that location.
About the At-Risk 4K Program:
The GCS 4K program provides high quality, rigorous instruction in early reading, early math, and social-emotional skills using the SC Early Learning Standards. Students attend 7:45-2:15. The GCS Virtual Program is not available to 4K students. Children must be four years old on or before September 1, 2023 to be considered for this free program, beginning August 2023.
For more information, please email 4K@greenville.k12.sc.us or call 864-452-0437.
GCS Flu/Covid Drive-through Testing Sites
Starting Monday, November 28, there will be free, drive-through testing for both Flu and Covid-19 provided at three locations. GCS students, employees, and their household contacts can get tested. Results will be provided in approximately 1 hour. An important change from last year: parents and employees are responsible for reporting any positive results directly to the school or their supervisor. DHEC has again contracted Mako Medical to administer the testing, and the three sites are the same as last year: Fountain Inn High School, MT Anderson Support Center, and Northside Park. All of the information has been updated on the GCS website, which includes flyers in both English and Spanish.
There are some notable changes from the process last year:
- They will test for both Flu and Covid-19: one swab, two tests.
- In addition to GCS students and employees, household contacts of both students and employees can get tested at these sites for free.
- Results will be provided in approximately 1 hour.
- It is the parent’s responsibility to report positive results to the school, and employees must report positive results to their supervisor. GCS will not be automatically alerted to the results.
- Pre-registering will help expedite the testing process.
- Be sure to check the flyer before going to a site. The flyer will reflect the latest information and reflect any updates such as changes in hours, location closures, etc.
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