Griffins Connect
September 7th #BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild
3 Under 3: Reminders & Looking Ahead (Plan 2)
Attendance Plan 2 Starts Tomorrow!
Plan 2 MORNING & AFTERNOON TRAFFIC PROCEDURES
AM Drop-Off remains the SAME:
- ALL students (4K-8th) will drop off at the front car line when on Attendance Plan 2.
Do not let your child unload before school doors open at 7:10am.
The tardy bell rings and the instructional day begins at 7:45am.
PM Dismissal:
ALL students (5K-8th) will be picked up at the front car line when on Attendance Plan 2.
4K students (and any older students that ride with them) will be dismissed in the BACK BUS LOOP along with bus riders.
Elementary pick-up begins at 2:15; Middle school pick-up begins at 2:30.
Elementary pick-up should line up in the right-hand pick-up lane upon entry. Middle school pick-up should line up in the left-hand lane upon entry beginning at 2:30.
If a student is picked up late, parents/guardians must come to the front office.
What's Ahead...
- September 7: Labor Day (No School for Students)
Week of Labor Day: Move to Plan 2
- September 8: Red/Purple to Sterling for Face-to-Face (Blue/Green eLearning)
- September 9: Blue/Green to Sterling for Face-to-Face (Red/Purple eLearning)
- September 10: Red/Purple to Sterling for Face-to-Face (Blue/Green eLearning)
- September 11: eLearning for All Students.
- September 11: Last day to submit Sweet Summer Reading Log
- September 14th thru September 17th: Dot Week
- September 18: Last day of the PTA Attractions Fundraiser (Pay online with EZPay) // EZPay Code for Elementary is STERLING19; EZPay Code for Middle is STERLINGCTC
Our 2020 Attractions Fundraiser has Kicked Off!
The PTA is excited to announce that this is for Elementary and Middle School this year! We are extending our sale one more week and will end September 18th. We have great prizes this year and if your child sells 5 books, they get 1 free!! There is no limit, for every 5 they sell they get 1 free!!
How to get started:
Set up your Seller Account at attractionsbook.com and click Seller Registration. You will have a unique page to share with your friends and family via email, text, and social media.
Your EZpay Codes are:
Elementary: Sterling19
Middle School: SterlingCTC
To accommodate the changes due to the unique school year, we sent home an envelope with a brochure. If you did not get one the information is available on our Facebook (Sterling School PTA) and Instagram (sterlingctcpta) accounts. You may purchase books online via EZPay, cash or check made out to Sterling School PTA. We are distributing the books differently this year, since volunteers are not permitted in the building.
This week you can pick up books in the carline, look for us to the left as you enter the school parking lot.
Tuesday: 1:30 to 2:45pm
Wednesday: 1:30 to 2:45pm
Thursday: 1:30 to 2:45pm
Friday: 12:00 to 1:00pm (this is an eLearning day and the school will not be open)
Please email SterlingCTCFundraising@gmail.com with any questions regarding the fundraiser!
College Colors Week 2020
#SterlingSchoolWeGotThis #BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild #SchoolSpiritLivesOn
A Note From the Middle School Team:
The middle school team is revising their Google Classroom organization to be more consistent and uniform across core content classes. We hope this will make attendance expectations, assignment deadlines, and navigating the various Classrooms easier for students and parents. Please CLICK HERE for details.
Thanks,
The MS Team
2020-2021 Yearbook
ELEMENTARY:
Elementary School Yearbooks are also on sale for $20. To order elementary yearbooks, use this link: CLICK HERE! Please note that the elementary and middle school websites for ordering are different.
MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Middle School Yearbooks are now on sale for $30 along with FREE icons with personalization until Sept. 6th! Go to the following website to order: CLICK HERE!
8TH GRADE ADS
For our 8th grade students, here's the opportunity to include an ad to this year's yearbook. Just create an account and proceed to order: CLICK HERE!
Picture Day is Coming!
To purchase, parents may go to www.strawbrige.net and click "order pictures" and enter code FM348170. Or, they may send cash or check in their students envelope/flyer on picture day. Packages are 100% guaranteed!
The following link (CLICK HERE!) will allow parents to sign up to receive updates via email regarding your student'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.
Vision & Hearing Screening
SC State Recommended Hearing and Vision screens will begin on September 8th, 2020 and continue throughout the school year. Recommended grades for vision screening are as follows: K4-1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th grades; recommended grades for hearing screening are as follows: K3-3rd grades.
All COVID-19 safety precautions will be followed during screening, including disinfecting ear phones after each hearing screen.
If a parent does not want their student to participate in state recommended hearing and vision screening, they should submit a signed letter opting out of the screening program. Should a student fail a vision or hearing screen, they will be retested. If the student does not pass a screening after subsequent attempts, the parent will be contacted.
NEW Breakfast/Lunch Menu
School Improvement Council: Call for Nominations
This week, information regarding Sterling School SIC, along with the nomination form, can be found in your child's Folder. (Or you can access here!) Nominations to serve on this year's council are due by 4:00pm on Friday, September 18th. Ballots will be prepared and voting will occur from September 21st until 4:00pm on October 2nd.
If you have any questions, you are encouraged to contact Dr. Patterson. Thank you, in advance, for your willingness to serve our students, parents, and school community.
WYFF Golden Apple Award
Ingles and WYFF News 4 wants to reward teachers who are going above and beyond. Each week, an area teacher will be selected to receive the Golden Apple Award and profiled Thursdays on WYFF News 4. These weekly winners will be chosen by a panel of judges. At the end of the school year, a Teacher of the Year will be selected from the weekly winners.
To nominate an educator for the Golden Apple Award, pick up an official nomination form from an area Ingles store or CLICK HERE, then complete and mail to:
WYFF News 4
Golden Apple Award
505 Rutherford Street
Greenville, SC 29609
For submission details, CLICK HERE.
State Assessment Waiver Feedback
Survey Link: CLICK HERE
The South Carolina Department of Education released an online survey for public input on the requested assessment waiver to the United States Department of Education. As required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the SCDE must provide public notice and give an opportunity for public input on the waiver request.
"It is critical that students, parents, educators, and anyone with a vested interest in our state’s K-12 public education system take a moment to offer their feedback on South Carolina’s waiver from federally mandated assessments for the 2020-2021 school year,” said Molly Spearman, State Superintendent of Education. “As schools across our state reopen, we must focus on recouping the instruction time lost during COVID-19 school facility closures and ensuring that every member of the school community remains safe and healthy. Administering high stakes assessments in the current environment places undue stress on students, parents, and educators and takes time away from the classroom instruction and individualized support that every child needs.”
September is Attendance Awareness Month
DID YOU KNOW?
- By 6th grade, absenteeism is generally a strong indication that a student may drop out of high school.
- Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Avoid appointments and extended trips when school is in session.
- Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
- Keep track of your child's attendance. Missing school could put your student at risk of falling behind.
Students/COVID Steps to Return to School
We encourage all families to become aware of the steps they should take in the event of COVID-19 concerns. These concerns include COVID-19 symptoms, exposure (within six feet of a positive case for more than 15 minutes), positive test, etc. The following graphic should help provide possible next steps. To be safe, we ask families to notify Dr. Patterson anytime there is a concern related to COVID-19 so we can provide guidance based on DHEC regulations. Keep students at home if they present with any of the following symptoms:
- cough or 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.
We also ask families who have traveled internationally to follow all quarantine directives they receive when re-entering the country. Anyone who has been directed to quarantine when re-entering the country should not attend school for the period of the quarantine – usually 14 days. Additionally, we encourage you to test your knowledge by taking the following quiz (no worries, it's annoymous) to help your understanding around school exclusions, quarantines, isolation, etc.
COVID Exclusions and Notifications Quiz: CLICK HERE!
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 the positive case was in their child’s classroom or part of another school group to which their child is connected. Please note the importance of social distancing.
Per DHEC regulations, any staff or student identified as having spent 15 minutes or more within six feet of a positive case are considered close contacts and will be excluded from school for a minimum of 14 days. 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.
Thank you for all your support in helping us keep our faculty, staff, students, and families safe!
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
MySchoolBucks.Com
This year, parents are encouraged to make online payments into their children’s meal account using their debit or credit card. In a time of social distancing, utilizing this service will minimize hand-to-hand contact and ensure a safer, more convenient transfer of funds.
To sign up to make online payments through mySchoolBucks, parents establish a user ID and password. They select their child’s school from a drop-down list and enter the student birth date or student identification number (available from the student’s school), and provide the debit or credit card information. Payment into an account is usually credited within one hour. Parents can check their child’s account balance and transaction history on the mySchoolBucks website, which is updated every night.
Parents can make one payment for multiple children, designating the amount per child. A single processing fee of $2 is charged for each payment, regardless of the number of student accounts included in the payment. Parents can also choose to make recurring payments on a regular basis.
To Sign Up for Online Payments Into a Student’s Meal Account
- Go to the Online Payment Website.
- Create your user ID and password by following the step-by-step instructions. Online payments can only be made for meals. The service is not provided for any other payments to schools.
Questions: Call Food and Nutrition Services at 355-1249.
Information about mySchoolBucks: CLICK HERE to visit their website.
Free/Reduced Lunch Application
Online Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications are now available for the 2020-2021 school year. CLICK HERE! The online Free and Reduced Price Meal Application process is the quickest and most accurate method to apply for Free and Reduced Price Meals. Please note: interested families must reapply each school year.
If you have any questions about the Free and Reduced Price Meal Application process please contact Bonnie Hogue, Free and Reduced Project Manager at 864-355-1251 or by email at bhogue@greenville.k12.sc.us.
Take Home Meals for eLearning Days
For families who are interested, our school's FANS team will provide home meals for eLearning days. If you register, FANS will provide meals for students to utilize on the days students are NOT in attendance at school. CLICK HERE to register!
For example, if a student is scheduled to attend in-person on Monday and Wednesday, they will have the opportunity to take home breakfast and lunch for Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, they will take home meals for Thursday and Friday.
If interested, a separate form must be completed for each student in your family/care.
Set Up Parent Backpack - An Amazing App for Parents & Guardians
Parent Backpack is an online application that replaces the PowerSchool Parent Portal. With Parent Backpack, you are able to view your child's grades, school attendance, and any discipline incidents when you are logged into the system. Best of all, Parent Backpack works on any device and is mobile friendly.
To access Parent Backpack, CLICK HERE and create an account. Please access directions by clicking on Creating a Parent Backpack Account.
Student Chromebook Repairs
If you're need of Chromebook repair this year, look no further! Please see the following information for both face-to-face and virtual option students.
Chromebook Repairs – Face to Face/E-Learning Students
On days that students physically attend school, students may turn in their Chromebook for repair at their school and receive a loaner device. Once repaired, the Chromebook will be returned to the school and must then be returned to the student.
On days when students participate in E-learning, students may call (864) 355-4357 for assistance with minor issues. If the Chromebook is not functioning properly, students should bring Chromebooks to the nearest career center (Mon-Thu, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM) for repair and to receive a loaner device. Once repaired, Chromebooks will be returned to the student’s home school and must be returned to the student in exchange for the loaner Chromebook.
Chromebook Repairs – Virtual Students
Virtual students may call (864) 355-4357 for assistance with minor issues. They may also bring Chromebooks to the nearest career center (Mon-Thu, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM) for repair and to receive a loaner device. Once repaired, Chromebooks will be returned to the student’s home school. The school staff will then contact the student to notify them that the Chromebook is available for pickup.
Career Center Locations
Donaldson Career Center
100 Vocational Drive
Greenville, SC 29605
(Use the “B” parking lot entrance located behind the school off Perimeter Road)
Enoree Career Center
108 Scalybark Road
Greenville, SC 29617
Golden Strip Career Center
1120 East Butler Road
Greenville, SC 29607
Harley Bonds Career Center
505 North Main Street
Greer, SC 29650
(Use Main street entrance)
Week 1 Review & Reflection #SterlingSchoolWeGotThis!
The first week of school is always full of emotions and expectations. This year is especially true. Lots of excitement and uncertainty fill our students' minds as they anticipate the start of the 2020-2021 school year. How many students will be in my class? What will eLearning look like? When will I have to wear a mask and social distance?
As I reflect over last week, I could not have asked for a better week! Though it was certainly different to only see a quarter of our students each day, it was good to have our students back! For me, it was different visiting in person classrooms with few students as well as virtual classrooms. However, in spite of masks, social distancing, and different circumstances, these first days were filled with active learning, community building, and lots of smiles and laughter.
As you can possibly imagine, our teachers are navigating a lot. Not only are they planning for quality instruction to be delivered virtually, they are also planning for meaningful experiences when students are face-to-face. With a full virtual option, eLearning, and face-to-face, it’s a lot to consider, plan, and implement. In addition, our teachers must be keenly aware of our students’ social-emotional needs. Knowing the research regarding social-emotional learning, coupled by the present calls of physicians, researchers, and other childcare providers, being intentional about our students’ social-emotional needs is a greater emphasis than ever before. Our students must feel safe, supported, and a sense of belonging to truly benefit from the academic opportunities.
Earlier in the summer, I communicated to my faculty and staff that this year would require lots of patience, flexibility, and grace. As a parent, educator, and principal, I am asking the same of our families. Never before have we experienced the challenges we’re experiencing today. Things will look differently this year. Currently, teachers will be spending a lot of time on procedures and less time on content as we prepare the students for the blended delivery of instruction. We will move deeper into content as our students become more comfortable balancing in-person and e-learning. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your teachers if your child needs assistance navigating their e-learning.
Teachers and support staff alike share similar sentiments regarding a successful start-of-school. As we head into week 2 and beyond, let’s remain committed to our focus to #BuildABetterGriffin. Working together, we will continue to create 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 they prepare for challenges today and tomorrow.
Your Proud Principal ~ Dr. P.
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