Griffins Connect
First Week Edition #ReImagine #WholeChild
Successful First Week
The first week of school is always full of emotions and expectations. Lots of excitement and uncertainity fill our students' minds as they start another year. What will my teacher be like? Will my friends be in my class? What things will I be expected to learn?
As I reflect over last week, in spite of tornado warnings on our first day of dismissal, I could not have asked for a better week! While we continue to work through changing protocols and guidelines, it is good to have our students back! While all things may not seem "normal," our first days were filled with active learning, community building, and lots of smiles and laughter.
Regardless of the circumstances we face this year, working together, we will continue to #ReImagine an environment where every student receives a personalized educational experience that allows them to explore their world, be enriched, and excel academically and emotionally as our students prepare for challenges today and tomorrow. #WholeChild
**And for me and my family, it’s a milestone year for my crew: last year of elementary, first year of middle school, first year of high school, and year 20 as an educator.
Learning Together ~ Dr. P.
What's Ahead...
August 27: Summer Olympic Reading Rings Form Due
September 3: Nat'l College Colors Day (wear the colors of your favorite college/university)
September 6: Labor Day Holiday (No School)
September 17: Fall/Yearbook Pictures
- THIS LINK will allow parents to sign up to receive updates via email regarding their child's school portraits. These updates include promotions, additional deals and the ability to order more pictures at a later time. When entering student information, parents should be sure to enter the student's name as it is on file at the school.
Week 2 Updates & Reminders
- Until further notice, parents and outside visitors are not allowed to join a student for lunch.
Morning Arrival:
Elementary (K4-5th) students should be dropped off in the front car loop; only middle (6th-8th) school students should utilize the back bus loop.
Please have your child ready to unload before you reach the awning (i.e. bookbag ready, shoes on, etc.)
Our doors open at 7:10am and the tardy bell rings at 7:45am. Students are expected to be in the their classrooms ready to learn by 7:45am.
In the morning, we ask all car riders to exit the full length of the awning. (Parents who wait to drop off at the front of the school cause the line to back up and result in unnecessary delays.)
Any middle school students being dropped off at or after 7:45 must be dropped off in the front car line.
Do not utilize the Tanner's or the Phillis Wheatley Community Center's parking lot for morning drop-off or afternoon pick-up.
Afternoon Dismissal:
Elementary pick-up begins at 2:15; middle school pick-up begins at 2:30.
Middle school parents should not arrive before 2:30. Preferrably, middle school parents are encouraged to arrive at 2:40 or later. Arriving early causes the line to back up to the road and blocks elementary parents from getting through.
Middle school students who carpool (with middle or elementary students) should utilize the back bus loop. All other middle school students should use the front traffic loop.
If picking up at the front, elementary pick-up should line up in the right-hand pickup lane upon entry. Middle school pick-up should line up in the left-hand lane upon entry beginning at 2:30.
Cars will be expected to load along the full length of the sidewalk/awning.
All cars must turn right as they exit the parking lot/car line.
COVID-19 Updates
Unfortunately, we are entering the third school year that will be impacted by the COVID-19 virus. While we do not know what the future holds, we will do our very best to meet the challenges of this on-going situation, while still preparing our students in education, work, and life.
As you are probably aware, South Carolina DHEC continues to report increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases throughout our community. While we understand that the return to school has generated a variety of concerns, we are asking for everyone's continued support. Here are some ways you can help:
- Even if vaccinated, please keep your student at home if they display any of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing; fever (of 100.4 or higher) or chills; muscle or body aches; vomiting or diarrhea; or, new loss of taste or smell.
- Report any known positive COVID-19 exposures and positive cases immediately to Dr. Patterson.
- While masks are not required of students nor staff, per proviso passed by the South Carolina Legislature, the CDC continues to recommend masking. Parents are encouraged to review the advice of public health professionals and discuss with their pediatrician before deciding what is best for their children.
- If you are able and willing, consider serving as a substitute at our school. (See additional information below.) Without the needed personnel, we cannot operate our school.
- GCS will follow DHEC guidelines regarding the notification of families when COVID-19 cases are present in schools. Under current guidelines, anytime a student or staff member in any GCS school receives a positive test for COVID-19, a notice will be placed on the GCS website, alerting the school and community. Additionally, parents will receive a personal phone call if a positive case was in their child’s classroom or part of another school group to which their child is connected and considered a "close contact." Please note the importance of social distancing.
- Per DHEC regulations, any student identified as having spent 15 minutes or more within three feet of a positive case are considered close contacts and will be excluded from school for a minimum of 10 days, unless fully vaccinated. Absences due to documented COVID-19 infection will be an excused absence and will not count against a student’s required seat time/attendance. Students and staff who were not close contacts will be allowed to remain at school. We will be sure and let you know if these notification requirements change. Additional information is available on the GCS Parent Resource webpage.
FIRST® LEGO® League Looking for Coaches
The FIRST® LEGO® League teams at Sterling School are coached entirely by parent volunteers. Our current teams are full, but we would love to be able to offer this opportunity to more students and we can't do this without parent support! If you would like more information about becoming a coach for a FLL team, then please contact: Bob Brown at bob.rbbbbb@gmail.com
Sterling/CTC Cubing Club
Have you ever tried to solve a Rubik’s cube, but didn’t know how? The new Sterling/CTC Cubing Club is here! This FREE, one semester long club will give you all the resources you need to solve the Rubik’s cube, and more! All 4th-8th graders are welcome to join, via a Google Form. Try out a new experience, and meet new friends!
Virtual advanced option: For students who already know how to solve but are looking to get faster, you can connect with and compete against other cubers and learn new methods, all virtually. We will send out a packet of instructions, videos, tutorials, and guides each week to help you learn more advanced methods!
The Cubing Club will meet after school on most Tuesdays: 2:35-3:45.
The starting date for the in-person will be on Tuesday, September 14th.
*The Sterling/CTC Cubing club is not going to be providing cubes; it is the member’s responsibility to buy and bring them to school
*Space is very limited, as there is a 15 member limit per semester, and members will be blindly drawn from the stack to keep it fair. There will be max. 4 students per grade
Community Advisors Needed for 7th grade Project
The 7th grade Social Studies and ELA teachers are preparing to work on the Activism Project with their students. They are looking for community members to come in and work with students to provide outside perspective and support to students as they work through their individual projects. This advisor time would be once a month either on Mondays from 7:45-8:30am or on Fridays from 9:30-11:00.
If you are interested, please reply using the following link, which is a Google Form interest survey:
2021-2022 7th Grade Activism Advisor Form
There is information at the top of the survey that can answer any questions a mentor might have about the nature of the project.
For further information, contact Linda Reynolds at lreynold@greenville.k12.sc.us
Girls on the Run: Register Now!
Middle School Girls Register Now! Registration for the upcoming GOTR season is now open! Register at www.gotrupstatesc.org today and the season starts the week of September 20. Middle school ages will have an opportunity to participate in the fall and grades 3-5 are encouraged to participate in our spring club. (Disclaimer: The program will only be able to occur if enough students sign up to participate.)
Girls on the Run is unique as we promote social-emotional learning and mental well-being concurrently with physical activity. In addition, every Girls on the Run lesson incorporates physical activity to support the development of life skills such as confidence, encouragement, and empowerment among girls and promote a lifetime appreciation for active living and healthy habits. #WholeChild
For questions, email Mrs. Kylee Rucker @ kyrucker@greenville.k12.sc.us.
Sign-Up to Mentor a Student This School Year!
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 2021-2022 school year, we will follow-up with training information and other pertinent details.
DonorsChoose
CLICK HERE to check out our school's classroom projects! We currently have TWO projects to fund.
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.
Serving @ Sterling School
Elementary/Middle School Yearbooks on Sale
Elementary and middle school yearbooks are now on sale!
Elementary Yearbooks
Cost: $20.00 now; $25.00 starting January 1st
Link to purchase: CLICK HERE!
Middle School Yearbooks
Cost: Starting at $35.00
Link to purchase: CLICK HERE!
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. 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.
2021-2022 School Meals & FANS Info
Free & Reduced Meals (FARMS) Applications is a requirement to receive the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) cards that will be distributed by the SC Department of Social Services to eligible families. Paper FARMS applications will be sent to school by August 2nd. Online FARMS applications are currently available on the GCS FANS website: https://gcsfans.com.
Meals for Virtual Program Students: FANS will not be providing after hour meals pick up options for Virtual program students during the 2021-2022 school year. Virtual program students may receive meals each day by pre-ordering them one business day in advance from the cafeteria manager at their assigned school. Proof of GCS enrollment will be required to receive meals. Sterling School FANS Manager: Veronica Stewart (email: vastewart@greenville.k12.sc.us // phone: 355.4692)
#SubsForSterling: Parents, We Need YOU!
Parents, YOU might be able to help keep our students in school AND get paid while doing it. We need SUBS! When teachers have to be out for long periods of time for quarantine or in more rare cases positive test results, we do not have enough substitutes to keep all classes covered. Often times the teacher is either teaching remotely or will prepare student materials via Google Classroom, but we still need an adult to supervise classes and make sure all safety protocols are being followed.
If you are able to help serve as a substitute for 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. 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!
Free Strengthening Families Program Starts September 13th: Register Today!
Here We Go! #ReImagine 2021-2022
Last week, the Sterling School faculty and staff returned to the building, preparing their rooms and readying for the coming year. It was good to see each other, revisit our school's mission and goals, and plan for the days ahead. Here are a few things that occurred:
- We spent time with our new, incoming 3rd grade students and their families at Roper Mountain Science Center
- We enjoyed a delicious “Welcome Back Breakfast,” hosted by our wonderful PTA (Thank you!)
- We went on a community tour to learn more about many of our students and families
- We took part in a variety of instructional planning meetings to prepare for the coming year.
- We celebrated Mrs. Lisa Helsel (Sterling’s 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year) AND Miss Nicole Benvenuto (Sterling’s 2021-2022 Emerging Teacher of the Year) at the district’s annual Teacher of the Year Breakfast
- We welcomed our families back to the building for two in-person (Yay!) Meet-the-Teacher events
It was a great week! As we head into the first week and what may be another unpredictable year, I am more certain than ever that the amazing team at Sterling School is able to navigate whatever the 2021-2022 year brings our way. Together, we will #ReImagine and create even more #WholeChild experiences that will ensure every child reaches his or her full potential. If we can ever be of support to you and your family, please reach out to us. And to the 2021-2022 school year, the Sterling School community is coming for you!
First Faculty Meeting
Community Bus Tour
District T.O.Y. Breakfast
PTA National School of Excellence
This honor is given to schools that support and celebrate partnerships between local PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students.
We are proud of students, parents, teachers, families, and the volunteers that made this possible! Together, we are doing great things for our students!
Lunch Menu
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