The Weekly Griffin
November 17th - #BuildingABetterGriffin #LevelUP
A Thankful Word from Dr. P
Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on those things that are most important to us: our family, our friends, our faith, and the many blessings that surround each and every one of us. I am particularly thankful for our Sterling School community. Whether you volunteer your time, provide tangible items and supplies, or reinforce at home what is taught at school, on behalf of the faculty, staff, and administration at the Sterling School, we thank you! Our families are not taken for granted. Each day, we are blessed through simple interactions in the car line, encouraging notes and emails, and your strong presence at school events. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve you and your family. I pray that every Sterling School family has an enjoyable and memorable Thanksgiving. #BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild
What's Ahead...
- November 20 - Families for Lunch: 4K, 3rd, 5th, & Middle School (see below for times)
- November 20 - Elementary Drama Club Performance; 3:30-4:00pm in gym***
- November 21 - Families for Lunch: 5K, 1st, 2nd, & 4th (see below for times)
- November 25 - 2nd Quarter Progress Reports
- November 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break
***Since the start of the year, our Elementary Drama Club has partnered with actors from the Greenville Theater to perfect their acting skills. The club will provide a performance on Wednesday, Nov. 20th from 3:30-4:00pm in the gym. Everyone is invited to attend.
20-21 School Choice Lottery Window
Why Attend Sterling School?
- Great Teachers! (Like our 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year)
- Unique Learning Experiences! (Such as Painting a Collaborative Mural)
- We Believe in Educating the WHOLE CHILD! (and are Award-Winning)
- 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 2020-21 school year begins tomorrow, Monday, November 18, 2019, and remains open until Wednesday, December 4, 2019. 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. Contact for CIA Requests: Planning and Demographics office, 355-7266 or 355-7263.
AEW: Great Faculty/Staff Shout Out
This week we celebrate American Education Week. AEW presents all Americans with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate public education and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education.
In this season of Thanksgiving and AEW, we'd like to highlight some of the many reasons we are thankful for our wonderful faculty and staff. We invite you to submit your own "Shout Out" to one or more members of the faculty/staff at the Sterling School! CLICK HERE!
On Wednesday, we'll have our monthly faculty meeting. If received by 1:00pm, we'll share your "Shout Outs" during this time. These short, encouraging messages will uplift and inspire our faculty/staff in the important work they do!
If you do not get a chance to submit your "Shout Out" by this time/date, please submit anyway; we'll continue this practice throughout the year. (Note: Even if your child has aged out from Sterling School/Charles Townes Center, we invite you to make a submission as well!)
MyEnergyKit.org
Eight Families have joined within the last 7 days! We need you!
Join the other 42 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?
Box Tops
Fall Box Top collection was very successful! We collected 4,554 Box Tops, earning $455.40 for Sterling School! Congrats to the winning classes!
- K-2nd grades is Broughton
- 3rd-5th grades is Guth
- 6th-8th grades is Cooper
Box Tops is going digital. You will no longer see the familiar Box Tops on participating products that had to be clipped out and sent into school. Instead, there will be a notice that it is a Box Tops product. Please download the Box Tops app from the App Store or Google Play and link it to Sterling School. Follow the instructions on the app to scan a picture of your receipt containing Box Tops products, and the amount will automatically be uploaded and credited to our school account. The receipt must be scanned within 10 days of purchase. We will continue to collect the remaining Box Tops as usual until they are fully phased out, so keep clipping those that you see. Remember that this is a great way to earn free money for our school.
2020-21 5K & First Grade Registration
Greenville County Schools encourages parents to register for kindergarten and first grade for the 2020-2021 school year beginning December 3-6, 2019. We are preparing for your child to enter school in August 2020 and are so excited to have your child with us. By completing registration early, you will save time!
It is important to register your child before school starts in August so we can ensure enough teachers and spaces are available at each school for incoming kindergarten and first grade students. Children who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2020 must enroll in kindergarten. A child who will be six years old on or before September 1, 2020 must enroll in first grade. Students who are currently enrolled in a GCS 4K or 5K program do not need to register.
Please bring the following items to register:
Photo ID from any state or country
State-issued Birth Certificate
Properly Completed Immunization Certificate or Religious Exemption Certificate
Two Forms of Proof of Residence (two documents required such as a current utility bill and copy of lease agreement)
For your child’s school assignment and other information, visit the Kindergarten/First Grade Registration website or call INFOLine at 355-3100.
2019 Sterling School Thanksgiving Lunch
Our Annual Thanksgiving Families for Lunch Celebration will be two separate meals again this year:
- Wednesday, Nov. 20 will be K4 at 11:15 AM, 3rd at 11:30 AM, 5th at 10:45 AM, and Middle School at 12:30 PM.
- Thursday, Nov. 21 will be K5 at 10:00 AM, 1st at 10:20 AM, 2nd at 10:30 AM, and 4th grade at 11:00 AM.
Please keep in mind the time may be a little delayed due to the expected large crowd, please be patient
The school has asked for the PTA's help with a range of needs that day. Here's the link to volunteer (CLICK HERE!)
We look forward to seeing everyone!
Season's Needings: Supply Request
With the cold and flu season upon us, Ms. Duncan is requesting Clorox/Lysol Wipes. Any donation will be made available to any classroom teacher. If you are able to assist, please bring your donation to the front office. Thanks in advance for your support in helping to keep our students healthy and well.
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
Veterans Day: Honoring Our Own
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