The Weekly Griffin
December 1st - #BuildingABetterGriffin #LevelUP
Congrats to the 2020-2021 Sterling School Teacher of the Year: Mrs. Mollye Spitler!
Mrs. Spitler is one of our art teachers in her third year at Sterling, and her twelfth year of teaching art. She grew up in Rock Hill, SC then moved to Greenville to attend Furman University. She majored in Studio Art then went on to earn her MAT in art education at the University of South Carolina. While Mrs. Spitler was at Furman, she fell in love with the Greenville community and quickly returned after grad school. She began her teaching career at Greenbrier Elementary in Mauldin, then moved to Sterling, where she continues to grow and teach in a fantastic art department.
During this time, Mrs. Spitler has continued to learn and practice the importance of creativity in the art classroom and beyond. She has focused on inspiring students in creative exploration at every age! She has taken courses in reaching the artistically gifted and talented, and has worked with art teachers across the state to further this research. Mrs. Spitler is also very involved in the South Carolina Art Education Association, serving on their board as its elementary representative.
Through college and her years living and working in Greenville, Mrs. Spitler has been very invested and involved with the local art community. She is a practicing artist as well as art teacher. She has a home studio where she creates ceramic tableware and jewelry. Mrs. Spitler is very passionate about connecting her art students to the local art community. She encourages students to visit local studios and art events, and she participates in SmartARTS, which connects students with local artists in arts integrated units. Helping students gain valuable life long skills of creative thinking, problem solving, and personal expression is such a joy!
Mrs. Spitler loves teaching art to all ages. One of the best parts of the job is getting to teach students for so many years of their school experience. Watching them grow artistically, emotionally, as well as intellectually is a gift. She has loved being a part of the Sterling community and teaching staff. She is thankful to be able to inspire students artistically to impact the world to come!
What's Ahead...
- Dec. 3 thru Dec. 6 - 5K & 1st Grade Registration
- December 3 - MAP Testing (Reading) for 2nd, 5th, & 8th Grade
- December 4 - Last Day to Apply for School Choice Lottery (Sterling Program)
- December 4 - Class/Club Pictures
- December 5 - MAP Testing (Math) for 8th Grade
- December 6 - Chick-Fil-A Biscuit Sale: Before school in both car lines; $3.00 each
- December 6 - MAP Testing (Math) for 2nd and 5th Grade
- Dec. 9 thru Dec. 13 - Book Fair
- Dec. 9 thru Dec. 13 - Spirit Week (See info below or CLICK HERE)
- December 11 - Spirit Week Hot Chocolate Sale; 7:25-7:45am
- December 12 - Activism Fair; 12:15-1:00pm
- December 12 - 4th & 5th Grade Holiday Musical; 1:00pm
- December 12 - Spirit Week Dodgeball Game; 3:00-4:00pm
- December 13 - School Spirit Day (Wear a Sterling/CTC shirt or school colors)
- December 13 - SIC; 8:30 (Open to all school families)
- Dec. 16 thru Dec. 19 - Advanced Art Show
- December 17 - Band & Strings Winter Concert; 6:30-8:00pm
- December 20 - Winter Break Reading Challenge Begins (after dismissal)
- Dec. 21 thru Jan. 5 - Winter Break
- January 6 - Students Return From Winter Break
2020-2021 School Choice Lottery Window
Why Attend Sterling School? (CLICK HERE for Flyer)
- Great Teachers! (Like our 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year)
- Unique Learning Experiences! (Such as Painting a Collaborative Mural)
- We Believe in Educating the WHOLE CHILD! (and are Award-Winning)
- We are recognized as a South Carolina Palmetto Gold/Silver Award School
- And MUCH, MUCH more!
Greenville County Schools Change in Assignment School Choice (CIA) Lottery Window for the 2020-21 school year will close Wednesday, December 4, 2019. All parents wishing to submit a CIA choice request should submit at their first choice school during this window. This does not apply to magnet schools. Contact for CIA Requests: Planning and Demographics office, 355-7266 or 355-7263.
2020-2021 5K & First Grade Registration
Greenville County Schools encourages parents to register for kindergarten and first grade for the 2020-2021 school year beginning December 3-6, 2019. We are preparing for your child to enter school in August 2020 and are so excited to have your child with us. By completing registration early, you will save time!
It is important to register your child before school starts in August so we can ensure enough teachers and spaces are available at each school for incoming kindergarten and first grade students. Children who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2020 must enroll in kindergarten. A child who will be six years old on or before September 1, 2020 must enroll in first grade. Students who are currently enrolled in a GCS 4K or 5K program do not need to register.
Please bring the following items to register:
Photo ID from any state or country
State-issued Birth Certificate
Properly Completed Immunization Certificate or Religious Exemption Certificate
Two Forms of Proof of Residence (two documents required such as a current utility bill and copy of lease agreement)
For your child’s school assignment and other information, visit the Kindergarten/First Grade Registration website or call INFOLine at 355-3100.
2019 Superhero's Book Fair: Dec. 9-13
The 2019 Sterling/CTC book fair is almost here. This year our book fair will occur from Monday, December 9th through Friday, December 13th. Pamphlets will go home this week. Online gift certificates are available for purchase to send in with your students in place of cash. Also, all teachers will have their wish lists available.
The schedule is as follows:
Monday - 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Tuesday - 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday - 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Thursday - 7:30 am - 6:30 pm
Friday - 7:30 am - 11:30 am (with take down immediately afterwards)
We need over 120 volunteers to help keep our book fair running smoothly. If you are able to help out by running a cash register, helping kids select books, or just keeping shelves and tables neat and orderly, please sign up below. Volunteering for book fair is easy and fun, and we appreciate our volunteers so much that they receive a discount on all book fair purchases!
Book Fair Volunteer Sign Up: CLICK HERE
We would also like to offer our teachers lunch relief on teacher preview day (Friday, December 6th) in order to give them a chance to check out the fair and fill in their wish lists. If you are available to help with this, please sign up below. You will receive a book fair discount for this as well!
Lunch Relief Sign Up: CLICK HERE
Sterling School Spirit Week: Dec. 9th-13th
Spirit Week will be from December 9-13. Join us as we celebrate our school and raise funds to benefit Lake Conestee Nature Park. (CLICK HERE for Flyer)
Dress up Days:
- Monday 12/9: Heroes - dress up as your favorite hero and support the Book Fair!
- Tuesday 12/10: Explorers - Exploring parks and new places is an adventure! Dress up like your favorite explorer!
- Wednesday 12/11: Scrabble Tile Day - Select a letter to wear and spell out your favorite book title or character with a group of friends!
- Thursday 12/12: 50s 60s Rock 'n Roll - Join the celebration of great music for the 4th & 5th grade holiday concert, "Jingle Bell Jukebox." and dress in your best 50s or 60s outfit!
- Friday 12/13: Woodland Creatures - Our fundraising this week is helping the Lake Conestee Nature Park. Dress up like your favorite woodland creature - real or imaginary!
Activities will include:
- Tuesday 12/10: (MIDDLE SCHOOL only) :Lip Sync Battle
- Wednesday 12/11: Hot chocolate sale 7:25-7:45
- Thursday 12/12: Dodgeball from 3:00-4:00
7th grade Student Activism Fair - Dec. 12
The 7th grade students have been working hard on their Activism projects. Come and see how they are raising awareness through education or fundraising with baked goods, crafts, art, and more! (Cost for some items will be $1-$15.) The students will be presenting their projects in the main hallway on Thursday, Dec. 12th from 12:15-1:00pm. (Cost for some items will be $1-$15)
MyEnergyKit.org
Join the other 49 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?
Season's Needings: Supply Request
With the cold and flu season upon us, Ms. Duncan is requesting Clorox/Lysol Wipes. Any donation will be made available to any classroom teacher. If you are able to assist, please bring your donation to the front office. Thanks in advance for your support in helping to keep our students healthy and well.
Middle & Elementary School Yearbooks
Middle School:
Middle School Yearbooks are now on sale for $30! Go to the following website to order: CLICK HERE! Please note that the elementary and middle school websites for ordering are different.
Elementary:
Elementary School Yearbooks are also on sale for $20. Go to the following website to order: CLICK HERE! Please note that the elementary and middle school websites for ordering are different.
Grateful for Reading Classroom Library Drive
November is a time to be thankful…and at Sterling School we are particularly thankful for our amazing teachers. (Event Flyer)
Our teachers have told us time and again that they would love to have more resources to purchase high interest, engaging, challenging books from a diversity of perspectives to meet the needs of our elementary students across all reading levels. Classroom libraries make it so easy for our kids to grab a book and go…one of the best ways to help teachers encourage reading!
To build classroom libraries, we are going to try something new: an Amazon gift card drive.
Amazon offers a wide variety of affordable titles so our teachers can curate classroom libraries just right for their students.
Over the month of November, please consider expressing your gratitude for our amazing teachers by picking up an Amazon Gift Card and sending it into the front office.
Alternately, you could purchase an online gift card HERE and either print it at home or direct it to the PTA’s inbox at sterlingctcpta@gmail.com.
A gift card of ANY AMOUNT will help us reach our goal: $6,000 to be shared among our elementary classrooms.
Keep an eye out for weekly updates as we work towards our goal!
Thank you for supporting reading, and for showing your gratitude for everything that our teachers pour into our students.
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!)
Support a Sterling School Classroom
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.
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
Bon Secours Festival of Trees
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