Griffins Connect
May 2nd #BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild
Outdoor Learning @ Sterling School
For his Eagle Scout project, CTC alumnus, Franio Wlodarczyk, led a group of Scout volunteers to create an outdoor classroom for Sterling School. From the materials purchased by our school's PTA, Franio worked with local carpenters to build benches, a teacher lectern, and a portable whiteboard in the Butterfly Garden for our teachers and staff to use as an extra outdoor learning space.
Did you know that an outdoor classroom has many #WholeChild benefits as well? It's true! Research indicates that outdoor classrooms attribute to the following:
- Teaching outdoors increases students’ interest in a subject and intrinsic motivation to learn.
- Kids can actually pay better attention in class after an outdoor lesson.
- Outdoor learning gives children a love and appreciation of our natural surroundings.
Learning outdoors has a positive impact on students' mental health.
Outdoor learning is fun!
So, on behalf of all of us at Sterling School, thank you Franio, Troop members, and PTA for your service and generosity! #SterlingSchoolWeGotThis #BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild
Annual School Report Card Parent Survey
We invite all Sterling School families to complete this year’s School Report Card Survey. The results of this survey will provide school administration and our School Improvement Council (SIC) the needed feedback to make future decisions regarding our students' academic and social experience at Sterling. To take the survey, please complete the following steps.
Please complete the Parent Opinion Survey by: Wednesday, May 19th, 2021.
To access the Parent Opinion Survey click on this link: https://ed.sc.gov/surveys/parent-survey/
Once at the survey, choose either the English or Spanish version
Families who have multiple children at our school should complete only one survey.
Next, enter the seven-digit ID of our school. The ID for our school is 2301116.
Before opening the survey, the name of the school will appear, and you will be asked to confirm that you are completing the survey for the correct school.
Thank you for your time and support of our school!
What's Ahead...
This Week...
- May 4th: ELA day 1 testing for IN PERSON Grades 3 and Middle School
- May 5th: ELA day 2 testing for IN PERSON Grades 3 and Middle School
- May 5th: 4th 9 Weeks Progress Reports (Check GCS Backpack for updated grades)
- May 6th: Math testing for IN PERSON Grade 3,
- May 6th: Science testing for BOTH Virtual AND In Person Grades 4 and 6
- May 6th: (To be rescheduled) Monthly SIC Meeting; 8:30 (CLICK HERE to register)
- May 7th: Math testing for VIRTUAL Students Grades 3-8; Grades 4k - 2nd Attend in person; Grades 3-8 "In-Person" students will be eLearning.
- May 11th: Math testing for IN PERSON grades 4-8
- May 12th: ELA Day 1 Testing for IN PERSON Grades 4 & 5
- May 13th: ELA Day 2 Testing for IN PERSON Grades 4 & 5
- ***April 29th, April 30th, & May 7th: State Testing for Virtual Students; eLearning Day for Brick & Mortar Students. May 6th is also a testing day for 4th and 6th grade virtual students; however, May 6th IS NOT an eLearning day for brick and mortar students. CLICK HERE for details.
2021-2022 Faculty/Staff Changes
As we look to the end of the current school year, we are announcing some changes to our faculty/staff for the coming year. If you haven't already heard... Ms. Fran Emmel (3rd CTC) will be retiring this year. We congratulate her on her commitment and dedication to our school and to the profession. Additionally, for reasons related to their families, Mrs. Rosaruth Palmer (4th Sterling) and Mrs. Kristin Farrar (5th Sterling) will be leaving Sterling School. Ms. Chameka Duncan (K-2 Counselor) and Mrs. Casey Noble (Middle School Counselor) will also be leaving Sterling School. Ms. Duncan will be pursuing her own practice and Mrs. Noble will transfer to Riverside High School to further her professional experience at the high school level. We will certainly miss each one of them.
Effective next school year…
- Mrs. Christy Guth (3rd CTC) will transition to 4th Grade CTC
- Mrs. Lisa Helsel (3rd Sterling) will transition to 3rd Grade CTC
- Mrs. Salem Hinnant (4th Sterling) will transition to 2nd Grade Sterling
- Ms. Jennifer Hoover (4th CTC) will transition to support academic intervention
- Mrs. Kimberly Lane (4th CTC) will transition to 3rd Grade CTC
Melody Augustin: 4th Sterling
My name is Melody Augustin, and I am excited to be joining the Sterling team. I am originally from Wisconsin where I taught for twenty years in grades four, five, and six. During that time, I was fortunate to train with Columbia University in the Reading and Writing Project. My husband and I also lived in Charlotte, NC for a few years. While we lived in Charlotte, I taught at Woodlawn School where students engaged in project based learning. For the last five years, I have taught at Tigerville Elementary.
Outside of the classroom, my husband Tom and I love to eat at all of the great restaurants in Greenville. We are also looking forward to the return of performances at the Peace Center. We also enjoy kayaking and traveling, especially to Arizona to visit Tom’s daughter. I am also a stereotypical Wisconsonite. I love brats, cheese, and the Green Bay Packers.
As both an elementary and middle school educator, I’ve found that my commitment to meeting the individual needs of the whole child has grown with every year. I believe every child has unique strengths and talents. Even with the complexities of the current educational landscape,
the daily interactions with students continue to drive my instruction, and I can’t wait to work with the Sterling students.
Katelyn Barnett: 3rd Sterling
Hello! My name is Katelyn Barnett and I am pumped to be joining the Sterling community this coming school year. Last year I taught 4th grade in Greenville County’s Virtual Program, and for the eight years prior to that I was in 4th grade at Augusta Circle.
Originally from Memphis, TN, I moved here to go to Furman University and loved it so much I just never left! In addition to my Elementary Ed. degree, I also have my Master’s in Early Childhood from Furman.
My husband, Adam, and I live not too far from Sterling and you can often find us enjoying Cleveland Park and the Swamp Rabbit Trail. In our spare time we love to travel to new and exciting places all over the world. We have a quarantine-pup, Maple, who is an absolute riot.
I truly believe teaching is the most fun and hilarious job there is, and I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. I adore watching children have those “aha” moments and developing confidence in themselves as learners and individuals. I’m so excited for this new adventure and cannot wait to get to know all of you!
Dr. Malia Dunn: Middle School Math
My name is Malia Dunn. I am a native of Charleston, SC, but lived in Cheraw, SC, for 13 years before relocating back to Charleston for the last 8 years. My son is in medical school in Greenville, and he and his wife are expecting a baby. What better reason to make a move back to the upstate, right? The bonus is that I am joining the Sterling/CTC family, and I couldn't be happier!
The 2021-2022 school year will be my 29th year in education. I have taught 3rd - 8th grade, all subjects, but have spent most of the last 15 years teaching primarily math in the middle school setting including core, intervention, and advanced classes. I also enjoyed teaching pre-service teachers at Coker University for three years and working as an instructional coach for four years.
Above all, I believe that learning should be joyful! I love it when my students are so engaged that they lose track of time, have more questions than I can possibly answer in one sitting, and leave our classroom grinning from ear to ear.
I love walking and hiking, playing tennis, yoga, traveling, and spending time with family. I have quite the fur-family, too, three dogs and one cat. I like to read. I have lots of questions about the world and am fascinated by nature. I like to practice being fully present with my family, friends, and colleagues. I can't wait to be part of the Sterling/CTC team.
Angie Feltman: 4th Sterling
Hello! My name is Angie Barr Feltman. I am looking forward to teaching fourth grade at Sterling School next year.
I am a teacher and a learner; a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a sister; a friend, a colleague, an avid reader, and an enthusiastic hiker when the weather is nice and the terrain is just-challenging-enough. I love to watch movies and drink coffee and walk on the boardwalk at the Jersey shore. I love to travel, and I love to get back home again.
I grew up in a family of five. We lived in New Jersey, near Philadelphia, until I was about ten, which, perhaps, explains my lifelong appreciation for sweet corn, Bruce Springsteen, and really good pizza. From there, our family headed to Indiana, where Hoosier hysteria (a basketball state of mind!) was no joke and the farmland stretched for miles. I graduated from a large public high school and then attended Indiana University in Bloomington, earning a Bachelor’s degree in honors English with a minor in history.
I have been a teacher for a long time. After graduating from IU, I completed a Master’s degree in elementary education at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. I taught elementary students for twelve years in New Jersey and Philadelphia, working in both a progressive independent school and a traditional public school. I then worked at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as a program administrator and instructor for graduate students who were studying to become teachers while completing their student teaching in Philadelphia public schools. At the end of my time at Penn, I joined a volunteer faculty team in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, where we taught intensive two-week courses to help prepare teachers who would take over for those who perished in the 2004 tsunami – a life-changing experience.
My husband and I moved to South Carolina in 2005. I stayed home for a number of years to renovate our house and become a full-time parent to our son, who was born in 2007. I then taught K3 and K4 for four wonderful years in a local child development center before accepting a position in 2014 to teach at Monarch Elementary. I alternated between classroom teaching (5th grade) and Math Enrichment, then spent a year coaching new teachers in five different elementary schools. This year, I have taught fifth grade in the Virtual Program. Next year, an exciting new adventure awaits - Sterling School! I am looking forward to meeting everyone and getting this new chapter underway!
Emily Hamilton: 3rd Sterling
My name is Emily Hamilton and I am so excited to be teaching 3rd grade next year at Sterling! I taught third grade for four years in Fort Mill, my home town. This year, I taught fifth grade in PCVA and then fourth grade in face-to-face at Ambler. I am really thankful to be moving back to third grade and even more thankful to become a Griffin. Third grade has been my favorite grade level!
I graduated from Clemson in 2016 with a Bachelor's in Early Childhood. I recently graduated from Winthrop with a Masters in Literacy. Each year, I hope to instill a passion of learning for all students but most importantly a community of students who show kindness and compassion. Reading and math are my favorite subjects, besides recess of course!
After school, I enjoy being outside in any way. I enjoy running, mountain biking, hiking, and kayaking. I have recently learned the excitement of camping and hope to continue to travel to new adventures. I am excited to start the new year and get to know the amazing Griffin Students!
Jaclyn Lecaroz: Middle School Science
Hello my name is Jaclyn Lecaroz. I will be teaching 7th and 8th grade science next year and I am so excited to be a part of the Sterling/CTC family. I am in love with the environment at Sterling School and cannot wait to come back as a member on this Team.
My true passions are science and teaching! I received my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree from the University of Alabama and a Master of Science in Atmospheric Chemistry from the University of Georgia. While in Georgia I worked in an atmospheric chemistry lab where I built an instrument to measure how aerosol particles interact with sunlight. While at UGA I also taught organic chemistry and physical chemistry laboratories, where I found that my true passion was teaching science! This past year I taught chemistry at Travelers Rest High School where I enjoyed having my own classroom and making it my own. While at TR High School I found lots of fun activities that brought science to life; I can’t wait to bring them with me to Sterling.
Outside of the classroom I am crazy about being outdoors and spending time with my family and pets! I have a black lab named Cash and a cat named Cosmo that live with me. Cash and I very much enjoy going on nature walks after school and visiting my parents who are also located in Greenville. On the weekends in the fall I love gardening at my house and watching football in my free time. I cannot wait to get to know everyone and I am ready for a fantastic year!
Karen Scruggs: 5th Sterling
My name is Karen Scruggs, and I am happy to be joining the Sterling School. For the past three years I have fulfilled my dream of teaching students from the Nisqually Indian reservation and Joint Military Base Lewis McCord as a 4th grade teacher in Yelm, Washington. The diversity and beauty that Washington residents and environment offer is simply breathtaking, but my heart resides in the South, so it is time for me to return home.
I have been very fortunate during my teaching career to be able to teach in both public and private educational settings, in various grade levels, and in three different states. I graduated from the University of Alabama with a Masters in elementary education and a certification in education administration. I also received middle school science certification from Furman University.
I am originally from Alabama, and moved to South Carolina in 2002. In 2018, I was given the opportunity to teach in Washington. I have enjoyed learning the Native American culture on the west coast, as well as exploring the environmental masterpieces. The extreme weather has not been as enjoyable. I like snow, but not 2-3 feet of it and no power for days!
I have one daughter, Krystal. She is a Anderson University alumni and is an Administrative Assistant for the South Carolina Mental Health Department. I am looking forward to spending quality time with her after returning home. I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, playing with my dog, music, antique shopping, vintage cars, and University of Alabama and Clemson football. Roll Tide and Go Tigers!
Susan Sims: 4th CTC
My name is Susan Sims and I am excited to be back in the upstate of South Carolina. I grew up in Seneca, SC and graduated from Clemson University. I taught for fourteen years in Oconee County, two years in Cobb County, GA and eighteen years at Kittredge Magnet School for Gifted and High Achievers in DeKalb County, GA. While at Kittredge. I have taught gifted 4th and 5th grade Social Studies and ELA.
My mother ran a daycare out of our home which was perfect for 5 year old Susan. My brothers, the children she kept, my dog and a few stuffed animals attended “my” school. My mother became a school secretary later and her elementary school was my favorite after school place to be. Watching and listening to the teachers inspired me to join their “club”.
Returning back to the upstate is exciting. Our children are grown and our grandbabies are now “grandteens” so we are officially empty nesters now. My husband grew up in Atlanta and I am looking forward to sharing and exploring the upstate, the mountains, and other surrounding areas with him. We love traveling, white water rafting, hiking, and finding unique out of the ordinary places to explore by taking the road less traveled. I love reading historical fiction, watching PBS historical mini series, visiting historical places, HGTV, and trying new recipes.
My classroom functions as a family and provides a nurturing environment to learn and to make mistakes. I realize that each student has their own unique learning style and interests. It provides a place for them to explore their curiosity, share their ideas, and learn to listen and collaborate with others. I am looking forward to meeting the staff, the students, and the families of Sterling and know that year is going to be filled with learning and adventures.
Upcoming End-of-Year State Testing
For your planning purposes, here is the schedule for the 2020-2021 end-of-year state testing. Parents, help your children prepare for test days by ensuring the following:
- arrive on time (the doors open at 7:10am; tardy bell rings at 7:45am)
- if at all possible, do not schedule appointments
- get plenty of sleep the night before
- eat breakfast
- bring necessary school supplies such as pencils and paper.
Learn more about SC Ready & SC PASS.
- Tues., May 4th: ELA Day 1, 3rd Grade & Middle School
- Wed., May 5th: ELA Day 2, 3rd Grade & Middle School
- Thurs., May 6th: Mathematics, 3rd; Science, 4th and 6th Grade (includes virtual students)
- Science Testing (4th and 6th grade virtual students) will run from approximately 7:45-9:15 am.
- Fri., May 7th: Mathematics, Virtual 3rd-8th Grade (eLearning for Gr.3-8 In-Person Students)
- Testing will run approximately 7:45-11:00 am. Lunch will be served to those who need it from 10:45-11:30.
- Tues., May 11th: Mathematics, 4th, 5th, & Middle School
- Wed., May 12th: ELA Day 1 4th & 5th Grade
- Thurs., May 13th: ELA Day 2 4th & 5th Grade
- Wed., May 26th: Algebra I EOC (Includes both In-Person and Virtual Students)
- Testing will run approximately 7:45-10:00 am.
**Virtual student testing dates are in bold.
**The remainder of the testing window will be used for makeup testing.Register for 21-22 Extended Day Program
Our After School program is now accepting registration for 2021-2022. All registrations by the end of May are guaranteed a spot.
If you have any other questions please see the after school website (CLICK HERE!) or email Maxi Henry at mhenry@greenville.k12.sc.us or Candi Coffman at ccoffman@greenville.k12.sc.us. Thank you so much and we look forward to seeing you in August!
PTA 2021-2022 Carpool List
Are you interested in carpooling next year? CLICK HERE to join PTA’s 2021-2022 Carpool List! Families who submit their information by April 27 will receive a link to the carpool spreadsheet on April 29. Starting in May, we’ll update the spreadsheet each week as new families join through the summer and fall.
CTC Student Newspaper: Latest Edition
Extra, Extra, Read All About It! The latest edition of the CTC Student Newspaper, our school's student newspaper, is out! (CLICK HERE!)
A student newspaper teaches and reinforces a lot of skills that will benefit students today and tomorrow. Students who participate in a student newspaper learn a lot of workplace skills such as management, meeting deadlines, and communicating with others. School newspapers also enforce a need for teamwork.
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
South Carolina Scholastic Chess Championship
Congratulations to the following students for their performance in the the K-5 and middle school section at the South Carolina Scholastic Chess Championship held on April 17th 2021. Well done, everyone!
K-5 Section:
Aadi Agnihotri - 1st Place
Ritika Sanghani - 3rd Place
Jonathan Gao- 4th Place
Additionally, these three also won 1st place in the team championship!
Middle School:
Eric Shi - 5th Place
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