Griffins Connect
Week of October 15th #Together #WholeChild
STERLING SCHOOL IS EXCELLENT... AGAIN!
Last week, the South Carolina Department of Education released our school's annual state report card. We are very excited to announce that our school received a rating of "EXCELLENT" for our elementary grades and a rating of "EXCELLENT" for our middle school grades! This marks the third consecutive year that both report cards have achieved this exemplary status!
Annual report cards attempt to measure our academic achievement, student progress, college and career readiness, and school climate. All schools in our state receive a ranking of excellent, good, average, below average, or unsatisfactory. The results are based on test scores and surveys. The report also include data on English Learners' Progress, Student Safety, and Financial information. To view our elementary report card, CLICK HERE; to view our middle school report card, CLICK HERE!
As a school community, this is something we all should celebrate! Together, we are working to ensure that every child reaches their fullest potential. As always, thank you for your support of our wonderful school community. #Together #WholeChild
📆 What's Ahead...
October 16-18: 3rd-8th Benchmark Testing (10/16, ELA; 10/17, Math; 10/18, 4th & 6th Science)
October 17-20: 2nd Grade CogAT/Iowa Testing (info below)
October 19: 1st Quarter Report Cards
October 23-27: Bullying Prevention Awareness & Red Ribbon Spirit Week (info below)
October 24: 8th Grade PSAT Testing (info below)
October 27: PTA's Fall Festival; 4:30-7:00pm (info below)
50's Day: This Friday!
Let's "Twist and Shout" to celebrate our 50th day of school on Friday, October 20th! On this special day, our primary grade students (4K-2nd) will be participating in various math activities to emphasize the number 50. Meanwhile, our intermediate grade students will be involved in Celebration of the Mind, inspired by the work and studies of Martin Gardner. Students will share in some fun math activities, watch some amazing videos, figure out some challenging math puzzles, and just enjoy the love of math!
As a school, we invite all students and faculty/staff to join in the fun by wearing 50’s style clothing. Please don't feel the need to go out and buy anything. You can be creative and use whatever you already have at home! Here are some ideas: poodle skirts, cheerleading outfits, sweaters, pink lady jackets, scarves, pony tails, white t-shirts, jeans rolled up, letterman’s jacket or leather jacket, sweaters, slicked hair, etc. Just have fun! #Together #WholeChild
2023 SCMEA Region 2 Orchestra
Congratulations to the following students for being accepted into the 2023 SCMEA Region 2 Orchestra:
- Violin 1: Amy Ding, Caroline Yi, Ian Hamberis, Anna Lee Davis, alternate: Gabriela Bernal
- Viola: Aadi Agnihotri, Jonathan Ropp, Kashvi Bavsar,alternate-Oliver Craig
- Cello: Lily Arzt, Paul Manavalan, Mary Hazel Hinson
These students will be performing at Anderson University with other students around the Region. We are so proud of you!
Taste of…Tuesday: Career Speaker Series (Grades 6-8)
Each month we will be inviting members of the Sterling School/CTC Community to come in and speak about their career with our middle school students. Our goal is to help students explore and learn about a variety of careers from the Pathways to College and Career Readiness Career Clusters. We would appreciate you helping us spread the word for students to attend. This is a great way for students to have a inside look at the ins and outs of different career paths and explore their career interests.
This year's Career Speaker series, "Taste of...Tuesday", kicks off this month on Tuesday, October 17th during recess.
Former CTC student, Mary Devoy, will be coming to share about her career and path to becoming a licensed clinical and mental health counselor and briefly speak with students about mental health awareness and psychology. Please view the attached the flyer with her bio if you would like to read more about this career chat.
Students in grades 6-8 are invited to join us for “Taste of Counseling Tuesday” on Tuesday, October 17th during recess in Ms. Johnston’s room (Room 822) from 12-12:25 and can sign up on their homeroom or Ms. Treloar's Google Classroom.
🍂 From the Sterling/CTC PTA 🍂
GRIFFIN BUBBLE RUN PRIZES
We are still in full swing celebrating our top classes from our Bubble Run Fundraiser! Last week and this week, Rolling Video Games is pulling into our school with their mobile gaming theater to award ELEVEN homerooms for their fundraising efforts! We highly encourage Middle School students to bring a bagged lunch to maximize their video gaming time!!
We will be sharing the date of our school wide assembly soon! Winners of the top 3 individual prizes will be announced that day and we will have a special raffle. Every student in the school will come home with a prize for helping make our Griffin Bubble Run a great success!
FALL FESTIVAL
Join us on** Friday, October 27th** from 4:30 to 7:00pm for our** Fall Festival!** This** FREE ** celebration will feature many fun festivities, including inflatables, carnival games, music, crafts, face painting, and so much more! Wear your best costume, but please follow the school’s policy of no face masks or weapons.
Food and treats will be available for purchase by cash/card from Anetia’s Catering, Kona Ice, and Common Pops! We’ll have something for every appetite!
Volunteers NEEDED!
We are excited to host a FREE Fall Festival!!
We can only host these FREE events because of help from Volunteers like YOU!! Please sign up to Volunteer Here! We especially need adult help with inflatables in the gym.
Teacher & Staff Lunch
Dust off those blue suede shoes, leather jackets, and bobby socks as we host a lunch for our amazing faculty & staff on Friday, October 20th with a 50’s theme!
Please sign up to help! CLICK HERE!
Veterans Day 2023 @ Sterling
On Friday, November 10th, Sterling School will honor those who have fought for the many freedoms we, as American citizens, have today. We will have two programs. Our K-3rd grade program will begin at 8:30am and the 4th-8th grade program will begin at 9:30am. We invite all veterans in our Sterling family to join us as honored guests.
- If a special guest is planning to attend, we ask that you RSVP by Fri., Nov. 3rd (CLICK HERE!). As a special treat, please send in or email a picture of your honored guest (preferably in uniform), the name and relationship to our Sterling/CTC student, and the name of the military branch in which he or she served. (You'll find this request within the Google Form as well.)
- Our PTA is planning a reception after each program for our veterans and their guests. Students of our veterans are invited to attend as well. If you would like to participate, please complete the same Google Form (CLICK HERE!).
- We invite all students to wear red, white, and blue on the day of our program, Fri., Nov. 10th.
We look forward to this exciting day, as we pay tribute to those who have served our country. Thank you, in advance, for your willingness to participate!
2nd Grade CogAT & Iowa Testing
8TH GRADE PSAT TESTING
8th Grade students will be taking the PSAT on October 24th. Please remember to have your child get plenty of rest the night before and to eat a healthy breakfast the morning of the 24th. Benefits of taking the PSAT in 8th grade include seeing your child’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of college readiness, practicing SAT skills in a low-stakes environment, and it’s free to all of our 8th grade students (which is great because college readiness tests can get expensive fast when taken multiple times to get the best scores). Questions about testing can be sent to Mr. Murphy or Ms. Treloar
First Quarter Reflections
As we come to the end of the first quarter, I want to take a moment to reflect on the year’s start. It has been an incredible beginning, filled with learning, growth, and celebration (i.e. National Blue Ribbon). The first quarter is always a time of adjustment, both for our students and for our dedicated educators. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to create engaging and supportive learning environments and our students have demonstrated their eagerness to learn and adapt to new circumstances. Together, we have shown that our community is strong when we work #Together.
As we move forward into the second quarter, I encourage you to continue fostering open lines of communication with your child's teachers and our school staff. Continue to be engaged and get involved, where possible. We are here to support your child's educational journey and well-being, and your involvement and feedback are invaluable. In the coming weeks, focus on maintaining a sense of balance between academic rigor and the importance of self-care. Encourage your child to embrace challenges and celebrate their achievements, no matter how small. Together, we will continue to learn, grow, and thrive.
This week, I hope you enjoy fall’s cooler temperatures and a short break from school as we anticipate a fantastic start to second quarter! If we may be of support to you or your child, please do not hesitate to let us know. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Learning together,
Dr. P.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants...
It was truly an honor to welcome these members of the former Beck High School back home on Saturday. Our commitment as a Sterling School community is built upon the level of excellence they established years ago. #Together #WholeChild
✏️ Student Clubs & Info Updates
Chess Club will begin on Friday, October 20 from 2:30 – 3:30 and will run for 8 weeks.
There are 2 options for Chess Club:
- Free Play for students who know the game and just want time to play with friends.
- Paid lessons led by Think Move Chess. Cost is $120 for 8 lessons. Registration opens TODAY! Please use this LINK to register. If your child will be participating in the paid lessons:
- Send cash or a check made payable to Sterling School
- Label your child’s Name and Homeroom teacher on the baggie or envelope
- Turn in to Ms. Foulkes in the front office first thing in the morning any day this week
If you have any questions after accessing the enrollment form please contact Ms. Foulkes at dfoulkes@greenville.k12.sc.us
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, 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!
Support a Griffin & Become a Mentor!
The 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! Near the start of the 2023-2024 school year, we will follow-up with training information and other pertinent details. For any questions, email Mrs. Lindsay Berry (school counselor).
We Need YOU! Volunteer Training
Thinking of chaperoning a field trip, becoming a room parents, 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.
To apply to be a Level II volunteer, please CLICK HERE! Follow "Level II" process and select "Field Trip Chaperone" as one of your functions/roles (even if you never want to go on a field trip). This needs to be selected to pull the background check. You may select as many other roles or all that you may be interested in. This does not commit you to anything.
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.
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