Griffins Connect
Week of February 21st #ReImagine #WholeChild
Now Announcing: April Arts 2022!
After a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, our community-wide April Arts event is back! Save the date for Friday, April 22nd from 5:00-7:00pm! This year's theme is “Animal Kingdom Inspires!" Be on the lookout for more information on this year's event! #ReImagine #WholeChild
Whether it’s the Caves of Lascaux in France where prehistoric Man portrayed images of Bulls and Horses, from Ancient Egyptian Cat statues, to The Renaissance with their royal dog breeds, and ultimately Modern Art that often portrays a more whimsical side of Animals, Artists have always been inspired by Animals. Animals in art are depicted in rural life and agriculture, to myths and legends, and are portrayed in many different ways. Art can help us express and explore our relationship to wildlife and can help us think about how we care for animals and the environment.
Help us kick off the EVENT by purchasing and wearing our April Arts T-Shirts designed by our very own Art 1 Honors Students! These will be sublimated on the shirts and distributed by our very own MS National Art Honor Society Members! Orders due by Tuesday, March 15th!
What's Ahead...
February 21: Presidents' Day (No School)
February 22-25: Black History Month Celebration Spirit Week
- Tuesday (2/22): Double Dutch @ Recess & Twin Day
- Wednesday (2/23): Hairstyles & Tennis Shoes AND Sterling's "March on Washington" - (parents and community invited; see times below)
- Thursday (2/24): Colors Day (wear red, green, and/or black) & BHM Virtual Program
- Friday (2/25): Crunk Friday (dress in athletic wear) & participate in Crunk Cardio
February 24: Black History Month Dodgeball Tournament; 2:45-4:15 (info below)
Looking Ahead...
March 4: Last Day of Greenville Drive Reading All-Star Challenge; Submit Form (info below)
March 4: Book Character Dress-Up Day
March 11: 4K Application Window for 2022-23 Closes (info below)
2022 Read Across America
March is National Reading Month and we're celebrating the joy of reading all month long! #ReadersAreLeaders
Some of the activities scheduled for the month include:
- March 1st-4th: Stop Everything and Read - An announcement over our PA will be made and everyone in the building will STOP and read for 15-20 minutes.
- March 4th: Dress as your favorite book character.
- March 7th-18th: Bookmark contest - Design a bookmark for Read Across America. Winning bookmark will be printed for the whole class and extras will be on hand in the library.
Read-A-Thon Success!
Thank you to all who supported our Read-A-Thon! It was a huge success! The library will be able to get some new tables and schedule some more author visits! Students who participated read a total of 61,952 minutes! That's 1,032 hours! We are so proud of our students and their dedication to reading!
2022 A.R.M.E.S. Nomination Information
It is time to begin nominating rising 3rd - 8th graders for the GCS ARMES (Art Reaching Middle and Elementary Students) program. These students are identified as Artistic Gifted and Talented and served through an after school program at the Fine Arts Center.
- WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT AREAS? Strings, Art, Dance, Creative Writing and Drama. Students may be nominated and audition for as many areas as they have interest but once accepted into the program, can only participate in one area per year. A separate nomination form for each discipline is required.
- WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Rising 3rd – 8th graders for the 2022 - 2023 school year.
- HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK? Anyone can nominate a student, including teachers, parents, other adults, or self. CLICK HERE and complete the online nomination.
Nominations will be open from February 14, 2022 through April 1, 2022. Information will be shared with your related arts teachers, guidance departments and through district social media.
7th Grade Advanced Art Black History Mural
In the late 1960's, a group of artists gave themselves the name of Africobra Artists. Africobra art, birthed out of the Civil Rights movement, had bold colorful patterns and sent positive but poignant messages of unification and equality. The most popular art piece of the movement was a mural on the side of a Chicago building that was named "THE WALL OF RESPECT." It was a 1960's representation of Portraits of Prominent Black Leaders and Innovators. Our mural, recently completed by our Advanced Art 7th Graders, is our modern day version of the "WALL OF RESPECT." #ReImagaine #WholeChild
Black History Month Celebration Schedule of Events
Spirit Week (February 22-25, 2022)
- Tuesday (2/22): Double Dutch, Twin Day; find a friend and dress like a twin and participate in double dutch during your recess time
- Wednesday (2/23): Hairstyles and Tennis Shoes; wear your favorite hairstyle and tennis shoes for the Sterling March on Washington
- Thursday (2/24): Colors Day; wear red, green, and/or black (BHM program)
- Friday (2/25): Crunk Friday; dress in athletic wear and be ready for Crunk Cardio with Shauna Marie
March on Washington (2/23): We are inviting the community to walk on our track at the lower field to march for Health and Wellness (12:00-12:30, 12:30-1:00, 1:00-1:30, and 1:30-2:00)
Virtual Program: Thursday (2/24):
Dodgeball Tournament (2/24):
When: Thursday, Feb 24
Where: Sterling Gym
Time: 2:45-4:15
Cost:
- 3rd & 4th Grade team ($5)
- 5th-8th Grade team ($10)
- General admission to watch ($3)
Details: Dodgeball is back! Registration will begin Tuesday, February 8th and will end on Monday, February 21st. Please see Coach Welch for a registration form. Proceeds will be donated to the Phillis Wheatley Repertory Theater.
Crunk Cardio (2/25):
Moment of Silence (2/28): Final Day - Start our day with a Moment of Silence for all contributors to Black History that have gone on before us and announcing the grand prize winner of trivia.
GSSM Summer Camp Returns to Sterling!
The South Carolina Governor's School for Math and Science will host two summer day camps at our school this year! Sterling School is the only host school in the entire upstate and space is limited! Siblings and friends from other schools can register, too.
iTeams Xtreme for rising 6th-8th grade students
June 20-23, 8:30am - 4:00pm
(Micro)control Your World!
CREATEng for rising 7th-9th grade students
June 27-30, 8:30am - 4:00pm
Innovate. Design. Create.
Greenville Drive’s Reading All-Stars
Teachers will have forms available this week OR you can download and print it yourself: ELEMENTARY Form, MIDDLE SCHOOL Form. Students are encouraged to participate in the Read-A-Thon and fill out your Greenville Drive forms as you read! Two great opportunities rolled into one! #ReadersAreLeaders
How does it work?....Read 5 books (elementary) or 500 pages (middle) in 5 weeks, between January 31 and March 4. For each student that completes the challenge and turns in their reading forms, the Drive will provide a complimentary ticket voucher for them to redeem to a Celebration Game at Fluor Field. This year, that game will be Tuesday, May 3 at 7PM.
At the game, students will have the opportunity to walk in a pregame parade (elementary) or meet some of our Drive baseball players and get autographs (middle). They’ll get a Reading All-Stars t-shirt (which was redesigned last year). They’ll take part in a complimentary book fair courtesy of Public Education Partners and Michelin, where they can take a book home with them and they’ll be celebrated throughout the entire baseball game for their accomplishments.
4K Application Window for 22-23 School 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 10, 2022. If you know of anyone in our community with a four-year-old or soon to be four-year-old, spread the word! #ReImagine #WholeChild
How to Apply:
Dates: January 10-March 11, 2022.
- The online application is posted here on the GCS website.
- A child’s primary custodial parent/legal guardian can submit the online application.
- For parents who do not have internet access, they can call 864-452-0437 to apply.
- Completing the application does not guarantee that the child will be enrolled. Notification of acceptance will be sent to parents via email by April 1, 2021.
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, 2022 to be considered for this free program, beginning August 2022.
For more information, please email 4K@greenville.k12.sc.us or call 864-452-0437.
First Lego League Team 1670 Advances to State!
Yesterday, First Lego League team 1670, the Green Valiants, participated in the Fisher Middle School Qualifier. A total of 17 teams competed. The Green Valiants worked very hard, starting last summer, with a new robot brain, using a new programming language, and adding another excellent teammate. The team presented their robot with 3 attachments and their project solving issues with trucker detention time [Google it :-)]. As a result of their success, the team received the Champions Trophy for first place overall, and will be competing at the State Lego League tournament next week! The Green Valiants include (from left to right) the following students: Amelia Schwab, Abby Anderson, Dhanya Rajagopalan, Ben Cowden, & Eric Shi. Congratulations to each of them and we wish them well! #ReImagine #WholeChild
Faculty/Staff Members of the Month
Congratulations to Mrs. Sherry Rausenberger (Staff) and Mrs. Lindsay Berry (Faculty) for their recent selection as our school's Faculty/Staff Member of the Month!
- Mrs. Rausenberger serves as our school's bookkeeper and secretary. This is what some of our faculty/staff had to say about Mrs. Rausenberger: "Mrs. Sherry always greets others with a smile and is willing to help with any questions and/or concerns. She readily offers to help with any problem in which she can assist. Her patience, devotion, kindness, and willingness to always listen sets her apart."
- Mrs. Berry is one of our school counselors, primarly serving students in 3rd-5th Sterling. Here are a few things our faculty/staff had to say about Mrs. Berry: "Mrs. Berry is completely dedicated to her job and makes a tremendous difference in the lives of our students. She sincerely cares about students and her coworkers. She goes above and beyond to make sure students' are happy and that their needs are met."
They are both wonderful examples of what makes our school special and unique! #ReImagine #WholeChild
CTC Student Newspaper! (From the Editors)
- The Editors
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