The Weekly Griffin
February 23rd - #BuildingABetterGriffin #LevelUP
This THURSDAY - Black History Celebration 2020!
What's Ahead...
- February 24 - Dance Collaborative Begins, 2:45-3:30pm (see info below)
- February 25 - Jr. Beta Book Drive for GLA Begins (see info below)
- February 25 - Last Day of ReadCycle Book Swap, Book Selection
- February 26 - Middle School Fundraiser Reward Day
- February 27 - PTA Faculty/Staff Appreciation Lunch: Volunteers Needed
- February 27 - Black History Celebration; 6:30-7:30pm: See Flyer
- February 28 - Audition Form Due for Aladdin Jr.
- March 2 thru 6 - Read Across America Week
- March 4 - Parent Info Series Session; 1:00-1:30pm/Vegas; Multi-Cultural Literacy: See Flyer
- March 12 - 3rd Grade South Carolina Program / "Celebrate Our State" - 1:00pm
- March 13 - SIC, 8:30am (Open to all)
- March 13 - School Spirit Day (Wear a Sterling/CTC Shirt or School Colors)
- March 13 - Middle School Spirit Dance; 2:45-4:30pm
- March 18 - Special Parent Info Session w/"Gifted Guru" Lisa Van Gemert; 6:30-7:30pm
- March 20 - Registration closes for 4K (see info below)
Audition for Aladdin Jr.!
Read Across America, March 2nd-5th
This year's Read across America Celebration will focus on books that include diversity/inclusion.
Some activities scheduled for the week include:
*Grade levels will read books about diversity/inclusion daily.
*Additional books will be available in our Media Center.
*Middle school classes will perform theater stories for elementary classes.
*Elementary classes will play a Kahoots! game that middle school students create based on that week's grade-level books.
*Volunteers will read aloud to classes during RAA week. If you're willing to read, email Kim Marchbanks!Jr. Beta Book Drive
The 6th grade Jr. Beta members are sponsoring a Book Drive for the Greenville Literacy Association from February 25th -March 24th.
There will be boxes located in the front hallway. Please donate your gently used books for the GLA's Really Good, Really Big, Really Cheap Book Sale.
GLA is thankful for your contribution, but they cannot accept the following items: water damaged, moldy/mildewy or warped books, books with binding damage, VHS tapes, cassette audiobooks, cassette music, magazines, encyclopedias, computer books from before 2014, and religious or business books from before 2007. We appreciate your compliance!
Special Parent Info Series: March 18th @ 6:30pm
In March, the Charles Townes Center will host our 2nd Annual Gifted Educators Conference. As part of the event, we are inviting all Sterling School/CTC families to hear from this year's keynote speaker, Lisa Van Gemert. Lisa, "The Gifted Guru" is an educator, speaker, author, and mom. She is also the author of the book Perfectionism: A Practical Guide to Managing “Never Good Enough.
Lisa's workshop for parents will be March 18th @ 6:30pm in our Vegas Room! All Sterling School/CTC families are invited to attend. CLICK HERE for the event flyer and more information.
MyEnergyKit.org
Join the other 87 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?
Apply To the ARMES Program @ the Fine Arts Center
ARMES is a tuition-free arts program designed to meet the needs of students in grades 3 through 8 who demonstrate outstanding talents and a deep interest in Dance, Strings, Theater, Creative Writing, or Visual Arts.
The purpose of the program is to allow students to explore their chosen art form in depth, while promoting individual creativity. Classes are taught at a pace and level of complexity appropriate for artistically gifted children with similar abilities and interests.
All current 2nd - 7th grade students are eligible to apply for the upcoming school year! Classes are held two days per week after regular school hours, for a total of 3 hours of instruction each week. Sterling School / CTC has many students who participate in the ARMES program every year! Students will be scheduled for an audition later this spring. The deadline to apply for ARMES for the 2020-21 school year is Wednesday, April 8th.
For more details, visit the ARMES website.
Register Now: 4K Pre-registration
In order for our Griffins to start their education on the right foot, we encourage participation in our high quality, full day 4K program! To be considered, children must turn four-years-old on or before September 1, 2020. Parents may pre-register at any district elementary school or child development center UNTIL MARCH 20, 2020. Pre-registration will NOT be accepted after March 20th. Children do not have to live in the school attendance area to pre-register at that location. Pre-registration does not guarantee enrollment in a GCS 4K program. Notification of 4K acceptance will be mailed to parents late March 2020. PLEASE NOTE: 4K screening will be held for pre-registered children April 1-3, 2020.
4K Pre-Registration Flyer: CLICK HERE
Dance Class @ Sterling
Come dance with us for 45 minutes each week as we explore different genres like: jazz, hip-hop, and lyrical/contemporary. Both boys and girls will learn warm-ups, technique, and choreography. A performance for family and friends will take place the last day of each series. Students should wear comfortable clothing they can easily move in (no dresses or skirts); particular shoes are not required as we will dance barefoot. The Dance Instructor comes from the Carolina Dance Collaborative to teach the class. The class is for students in K5-5th Grade. The classes will run on Mondays 2:45-3:30 from Feb. 24th - May 11th, with a performance on May 11th @ 3:15PM. The ten week class is $130.00. If you are interested in signing your child up, please bring the attached form in to the office with payment made to Sterling School. If you have questions, please contact Maxi Henry at mhenry@greenville.k12.sc.us. CLICK HERE for flyer.
Relay for Life Club
The Relay For Life club will start meeting next week, February 4th and will continue until the end of the year. We will meet on Tuesdays from 2:30 (45) - 3:30pm in the Media Center. If you are a student, parent, or faculty member who is interested in fundraising to help find a cure for Cancer, then please join our team. We meet weekly to discuss ways to raise funds for our team and support one another. All students in third grade or above may join the team. We celebrate our fundraising efforts on the date of Saturday, April 25, 2020 at the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. All proceeds raised will go to the American Cancer Society. Please consider joining us!
Please contact Maxi Henry at mhenry@greenville.k12.sc.us or Chrissy Hammonds at cdhammon@greenville.k12.sc.us for more information.
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.
Applications are now open. Be sure to register by April 15th to receive Early Bird prices!
iTeams Xtreme for current 5th-7th grade students
June 15-18, 8:30am - 4:00pm
(Micro)control Your World!
Dive into microcontrollers and their applications through one of two tracks:
Arduino & Robotics
Explore the world of computational thinking and microcontrollers using Arduino technology and robotics. Learn how to program your very own microcontrolled robot and pit it against other students' robots in camp-wide competitions such as Maze Runner and Robot Wars.
Arduino & the Internet of Things
Explore the world of programming with Arduino technology. Increase your programming skills while learning about digital communication, cybersecurity, and the Internet of Things.
Apply now for iTeams Xtreme at Sterling/CTC!
CREATEng for current 7th-8th grade students
June 22-25, 8:30am - 4:00pm
Innovate. Design. Create.
CREATEng is GSSM’s one-of-a-kind engineering and design thinking day camp for rising 8th and 9th graders. Students take on the role of NASA engineers charged with developing a sustainable colony on Mars. Working through project-based, hands-on team challenges, students learn what engineering is and what engineers do. With a focus on civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering students work through a series of mini challenges from building windproof structures and protecting transportation with impenetrable wheels for the Rover, to using Arduino technology for greenhouse automation.
CREATEng students will interact with guest speakers and go on a field trip to a local company to see engineering in action.
Our Students Need YOU!
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!)
Become a Tutor!
Are you willing to make a difference in a child's life? One way you can do this is through tutoring. Tutoring has been shown to not only increase a student's academic performance, it also increases their chance of success in life!
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer tutor, Sterling School needs YOU! We have many students who could use your time, help, and knowledge in a small group and/or partner setting. Teachers will provide needed lessons and materials.
If interested or know someone who may be interested, contact Kim Marchbanks @ krmarchbanks@greenville.k12.sc.us .
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
Furman Teaching Partnership
Congrats to Our 2020 Jr. Scholars!
- Scored 550 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing portion of the PSAT/NMSQT; or
- Scored 530 or higher on the Mathematics portion of the PSAT/NMSQT; or
- Participate in Duke University's Talent Identification Program (TIP) during his/her seventh-grade year, met the eligibility requirements as outlined by that program, and be invited to attend either the State or Grand Recognition Ceremonies.
#BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild #LevelUP
Middle School Curriculum Fair Follow-Up
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