The Weekly Griffin
Week of March 11, 2018
CTC Spotlight: Create Your Own Government
Last week, our fourth graders began a new Project Based Learning (PBL) unit on the dynamics of government and the various considerations our forefathers made when creating our democracy. Students will simulate colonial life after the Revolutionary War and will assume the responsibility of creating a government from scratch. Throughout the unit, students will analyze the structure of the government system, an economic system, checks and balances, education, communication, armed forces, religion, and so on.
To launch the new PBL unit, experts from our community were invited to share information on their specific role in our community and how their work contributes to local, state, and federal government. Our Speakers included Judge Christa Cooley, Former County Councilman Jim Burns, GCS Board Member Derek Lewis, and City Councilwoman Jil Littlejohn. #GriffinPride #WholeChild
What's Ahead...
- March 13 - Volunteer 2 Training
- March 15 - Sterling Servathon Payment Deadline
- March 16 - School Spirit Day (Wear a Sterling shirt or school colors)
- March 21 - Families for Lunch (Click HERE for Lunch Schedule)
- March 21-26 - Readcycle Book Swap drop-off
- March 23 - Middle School Dance
- March 26-30 - Spirit Week
- March 28-30 - Readcycle shop open in Media Center
Box Tops Winners
The Box Tops winners for most collected are:
K-2. Donald
3-5. Mrs. Nyvall
6-8. Mrs. Baiden
Congratulations to the winners, and keep collecting those current Box Tops for our next collection!
Please send in your Servathon Pledges!
Thank you to all of our families, teachers, and staff for making our first Sterling Servathon a huge success! For two weeks, our students were encouraged to make the kind choice while raising more than $19,000 to support the work of our PTA and our school. We are also grateful to our partners with Boosterthon for everything that they did to create such positive energy in the school and help our PTA make this new event a success.
The Sterling Servathon and Golden Rule Rally was HUGE SUCCESS, but we still need to collect all of the pledges in order to realize the $19,000 total. Uncollected pledges mean lost money!
All students have received a pledge collection envelope, and email reminders will be going out over the next weeks. Please send in your pledges asap.
Thank you for the generosity and the support for this new program, and for making sure everyone who made a pledge sends in their donations!
Calling volunteers:
If you can help the PTA enter payments and process collections, please sign-up here. We could use all the help we can get!
TD Bank Reedy River Run: Fit Cool School Challenge
The 41st annual Reedy River Run is on April 21st, 2018. The event offers a 10K, 5K, and Youth Mile run through scenic downtown Greenville. The race is offering a Fit Cool School Challenge, and we want Sterling to take home the prize!
The Fit's Cool School Challenge offers a way for two schools to win money. The elementary and middle school with the most points accumulated by running in the TD Bank Reedy River 10K, 5K or Youth Mile will each receive a donation of $500.
Each student will earn 10 points for running and finishing in one of our three events (We are under the middle school section: Sterling School). Each non-student (parent or family friend) will earn 2 points for the school they select during registration for either the Youth Mile ($10.00), 5K ($20.00), or 10K ($25.00) (at regular entry fee). All entry registrations for students and adults should be via the FIT'S COOL School Challenge page @ http://www.tdbankreedyriverrun.com/registration.html.
The easiest way for you to help our school is to encourage your friends and family to select your school when they register online @ Go Green Events for one of these three TD Bank Reedy River Run events, using the dropdown menu of participating schools. (Sterling School is registered under the middle school section)
Please register at: http://www.tdbankreedyriverrun.com/registration.html
Registration closes at 8:00 PM on April 20th, 2018. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns! We look forward to race day!!
Cory Welch cjwelch@greenville.k12.sc.us
Attention 8th Grade Parents
DownTOWNES: We need help from 8th grade parents to coordinate volunteer opportunities for our students during DownTOWNES on Friday, May 4th. If you can help on a committee to find locations and create student groups, or if you are able to help supervise a student group on May 4th, please contact Linda Reynolds at lreynold@greenville.k12.sc.us
CTC Letters: Please look for an email from Ms. Reynolds this week about the 8th grade CTC letters.
2018 Annual Report Card Survey
Save the Date - March 22nd
Spirit Week 2018 is set for March 26th-30th. All proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society and our school's Relay for Life team. While more details of the week will come in next week's Griffin, we wanted to share a "Save the Date" for a particularly special event.
On Tuesday, March 27nd from 2:55-5:00 in our gym, our school will have a special viewing of the movie, Wonder. If you've not yet seen the film, they're in for a treat. Admission is $3.00 and will go toward the week's fundraising efforts. Please see the flyer for more details. (CLICK HERE!) Because the movie is rated PG, participating students must have a parent permission form. (CLICK HERE!)
Application Window is Open for ARMES at the Fine Arts Center!
The nomination window is open now until April 12th, and auditions will be held in mid-May. For more details and to access the nomination form, please visit the ARMES website at http://www.armesprogram.com/.
Readcycle Book Swap
You’ll receive one ticket for each book you trade in, up to five books. You’re more than welcome to bring in additional books as donations!!!
Come back to the Media Center on Wednesday, March 28th through Friday, March 30th to pick out some new books! Students can "shop" at the book swap during lunch or with a pass from a teacher. Have fun, and enjoy your new reads! Look for more details in next week’s Newsflash, because a special treat is in the works!
April Arts is Coming
We are so excited to invite you to April Arts 2018! Save the date for Friday, April 20th from 5:30-7:30. Our theme this year is SC Folk Art and we have so many fun activities planned for the night! If you are new to our school, April Arts is a school wide art show with artwork on display by every student. Not only is it an art show, but it is a celebration of the arts with many art making activities for students and their families to participate in as well as music and dance performances! Some activities we have planned include Mini-Face Jugs, Indigo Tie Dye, and Felted SC Landscapes. We hope everyone will join us for this exciting night!
If you are interested in volunteering we could really use your help, especially the night of the event! There will be a Sign Up Genius coming soon. If you are interested in donating supplies to help keep our costs down, here is a list of things we are looking for:
- Rectangular Scraps of wood (approximately the size of a piece of copy paper or slightly smaller)
- White Sheets
- Chipped or Broken Dishes
Thank you for your help!
Grace SmithArt Teacher
Sterling School
Middle School Volunteers Needed
We NEED lots and lots of volunteers for an upcoming event on our Griffin Day, Friday, 3/23. The ELA team is hosting a “Reality of Money” simulation. We will need about 50 adults to help us run the sessions – you don’t need to have any prior knowledge of the simulation to help out.
There are four 6-minute sessions, and we’d love to have you for one or multiple sessions! Volunteers must be Level I trained. For more information or to sign up, please visit the following link: (CLICK HERE!).
My Energy Kit Update
So far, Sterling School has reached 78 Energy Kits and has saved 10,800 kWh of energy. 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?
Families for Lunch: Wed., March 21st!
Sterling Shoutout: Summer Festival 2018
While all are invited, Summer Fest 2018 is specifically intended for all Sterling Program families. The event provides an opportunity for parents and students to meet rising grade level teachers, learn how to prepare for the upcoming school year, and have some fun!
Ways to Get Involved & Serve!
Mentor Upstate
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." This year, the Sterling School is partnering with Mentor Upstate, a nonprofit organization that seeks to support children with one-on-one positive relationships. As we launch this exciting program, 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. If you are ready to dive in, you may begin by completing the mentor application (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 .
DonorsChoose
CLICK HERE to check out our school's classroom projects!
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.
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
CTC Spotlight: One Word Resolutions
Our middle school advisory groups have been working on important social and emotional skills. With the beginning of each new year, many people set complex and complicated resolutions, which often fail shortly after. “My One Word” is an effort designed to provide clarity and intentionality in goal setting. The one word defines your values and creates vision for your future. Recently, our middle school students chose their one word resolution and displayed them on their lockers as a reminder of what they are working to accomplish in 2018! #GriffinPride#WholeChild
Check out the highlight video from Sterling Servathon!
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