The Weekly Griffin
September 8th - #BuildingABetterGriffin #LevelUP
#ReadersAreLeaders: Summer Reading Celebration
We had 100 elementary students to successfully participate in our school's summer reading program. Thank you, parents, for helping us#FightTheSummerSlide. Last Friday, qualifying students were recognized and received a "sweet treat" and extra recess. Additionally, students were entered into a drawing for an opportunity to receive a prize.#BuildingABetterGriffin #WholeChild #LevelUP
What's Ahead...
- September 9 - Wear Red (DOT Day Week)
- September 9 - Melinda Long Book Orders Due: CLICK HERE!
- September 9 - Last Day to RSVP for CTC Program Night Dinner: CLICK HERE!
- September 10 - Wear Blue (DOT Day Week)
- September 10 - SIC Nominations Due (by 4:00pm)
September 11 - Wear Yellow (DOT Day Week)
September 12 - Wear Orange, Green, or Purple (DOT Day Week)
September 12 - Middle School Fundraiser Kick-Off
September 12 - CTC Program Night; Dinner 5:00-6:00pm, Program 6:00-7:30pm
September 12 - 6th Grade Atlanta Trip Parent Meeting, 5:30pm
September 13 - Dot Day/Spirit Day (wear a Sterling Shirt or school colors of blue & gold)
September 13 - SIC, 8:30am
September 13 - Last Day to Pick-Up Talent Show Audition Form (from Mrs. Reynolds)
September 16 - Voting for SIC Begins
September 18 - Talent Show Forms Due (to Mrs. Reynolds)
September 20 - Readers Arrrgh Leaders Community Readers Day
International DOT Day
Imagine the power and potential of millions of people around the world connecting, collaborating, creating and celebrating all that creativity inspires and invites. This Friday, September 13th, the Sterling School will creatively champion our use of talents, gifts and energy to move the world to a better place as we celebrate International Dot Day! (Our 4K students are also learning about primary and secondary colors!)
The Dot, a book by Peter H. Reynolds, is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark”. What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe.
In celebration of Dot Day, we ask you to wear:
Monday - Red
Tuesday - Blue
Wednesday - Yellow
Thursday - Your Favorite Secondary Color (Orange, Green, or Purple)
Friday - Wear Your School Spirit! (A Sterling Shirt or School Colors!)
If you are available to volunteer at any point during DOT Day, please contact Mollye Spitler or Judy Harrington.
Charles Townes Center Program Night
Note: A parent meeting for the 6th grade Atlanta trip will occur at 5:30pm in Vegas.
If you are interested in dinner beforehand, our PTA has arranged for Tropical Grille to cater so it will be easier for families to attend! All meals must be ordered and paid for in advance.
Dinner will be served 5:00-6:00pm in the cafeteria. The cost is $5 for kids and $9 for adults. Your choice of a chicken or vegetarian meal. See menu details and order your dinner HERE by the end of the day this Monday (9/9)!
If you have any questions about dinner, please email our PTA at Sterlingctcpta@gmail.com. If there are other questions, email our program coordinator, Linda Reynolds.
Educators Who Make a Difference
Upstate Parent magazine is seeking nominations for their annual “Educators Who Make a Difference” edition. Nominations must be made using the online form found here. Please submit your nominations by October 18. You may nominate more than one person, but may not nominate the same person more than once. Please share with PTA, SIC, your school website or other newsletters.
Sterling School SIC
Recently, information regarding Sterling School SIC, along with the nomination form, was sent in your child's Thursday Folder. (Or you can access here!) Nominations to serve on this year's council are due by 4:00pm on Tuesday, September 10th. Ballots will be prepared and voting will occur from September 16th until 4:00pm on September 30th.
If you have any questions, you are encouraged to contact Dr. Patterson or SIC Chair, Julie Cain Cwynar. Thank you, in advance, for your willingness to serve our students, parents, and school community.
Facilitators & Tutors Needed
We need you! Different teachers are in need of Book Club Facilitators to lead small groups of students in novel studies. Other teachers need special tutoring help with their students. If you would like to help with one or both of these needs, please contact Kim Marchbanks at
864-355-4482 or krmarchbanks@greenville.k12.sc.us.
Talk Like A Pirate Community Readers Day
2019-2020 Parent Information Series
**Any Sterling School parent, Sterling Program or CTC, is invited and encouraged to attend.**
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Time: 9:45am - 10:15am
Topic: Issues & Trends in G/T Education
Presented By: Jennifer Johnston & Sara Newell
Would you like to know more about the world of Gifted Education? Are you curious about how leaders and research impact your child’s classroom experience? This session will include information about nationwide trends in gifted education and how those trends are impacting instruction. We will also include strategies to help you effectively advocate for your gifted child.
Bob Ross Painting Night
On September 27th from 5:00-7:00pm, students in grades 3 and up are invited to our school's first annual Bob Ross Painting Night. If interested, please return the following RSVP to Mrs. Harrington or Mrs. Spitler - CLICK HERE! Bring your family and friends and have a wonderful community night painting with the Art Honor Society members! All participating students must be accompanied by an adult. #WholeChild
From the Sterling School SIC: Intro to Coding
The SIC (School Improvement Council) in conjunction with the PTA is considering bringing an "Intro to Coding" class to Sterling School as an after school program for 3rd-5th graders. The class will be taught by the Roper Mountain Science Center, and will be a four week class. Each class is 90 minutes and the cost is $60. Maximum class size is 14 students. Assuming we have enough interest, we'll consider beginning with this class and expanding to other classes and possibly grades as well. Please take a moment to share your thoughts: CLICK HERE!
Please keep in mind that volunteers will be needed to organize and coordinate these classes. Without the help of interested parents, these classes cannot be offered. Anyone interested in helping to kick-off this new SIC/PTA initiative is encouraged to contact Julie Cain Cwynar at 412-215-9429 or via email at JulieCainCwynar@gmail.com. The dedicated help of several parent volunteers is necessary to bring after school classes to Sterling School.
Course Description:
Journey into the world of coding! We’ll start with basic coding concepts, then use a variety of unplugged and online coding activities to refine your skills. Students will work on individual and collaborative group tasks. Combine creativity with problem solving as you blaze a trail into the knowledge of computer coding!
Middle & Elementary School Yearbooks
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!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.
2019 Sterling School Talent Show
Sterling School's Annual Talent Showcase will be held on Thursday, October 24th at 6:30pm. Students in grade 3-8 who would like to audition may pick up a form between August 28 – September 13 from Ms. Reynolds or the front office. In order to audition for the Talent Show, you MUST complete an audition form. Forms are due back by Sep. 18th. Each act should be no longer than two minutes. Auditions dates are October 1, 3, and 4. 2019. Auditions will be scheduled based on your requested date. All students will remain at school on their audition day until 4:00.
The Talent Show is sponsored by the Jr. Beta Club and is a fundraiser for Jr. Beta activities. Admission is a suggested $3.00 donation.
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.
Support a Sterling 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.
Meal Application
Each year, interested families must reapply for free/reduced lunch. The online application for Free/Reduced Price Lunch opened Thursday, August 1st. CLICK HERE for more information.
Completing the application online is the best method to signing up. If you would prefer to complete a paper version of the application, these will be available this week.
All parents are reminded that this year's carryover period ends October 2nd. At this time, if no qualifying application is on file, all students will default to "full pay." Also, any student owing more than $20.00 to the cafeteria will be given an alternate meal until the bill is paid.
If there are any questions, Mr. Glackin, Sterling School FANS Manager, will be available at Meet the Teacher to help navigate the application process.
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 These #WholeChild Moments!
Sterling School Club Spotlight
There are several new clubs this year – and more will be added! Keep an eye on the Club Page on our website for updates and information. Some clubs require fees for membership. If you need assistance with the payments, please contact the club sponsor.
This week, we are featuring two new clubs:
The Elementary School Drama Club
We are excited to announce this new drama club for students in grades 3-5. Teaching artists from the Greenville Little Theatre will guide students for through stage and drama and culminate with a performance on the Sterling School stage! No previous dramatic experience is necessary!
This 9-week program is limited to twenty students, and there is an application which includes teacher recommendations. The fee for this program is $60.00.
Applications are available from Ms. Helsel or Ms. Wallace and must be returned by September 5th. Members will be notified of acceptance into the program by September 11th. The first club meeting will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 18th.
Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run is a non-profit program that works to encourage girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games, culminating in a celebratory 5k run. Over a period of 10 weeks, girls in the 3rd through 5th grade can participate in an after-school program designed to allow every girl to recognize her inner strength. The Girls on the Run lessons encourage positive emotional, social, mental and physical development. Participants explore and discuss their own beliefs around experiences and challenges girls face at this age. They also develop important strategies and skills to help them navigate life experiences. We start with helping the girls get a better understanding of who they are and what’s important to them. Then, we look at the importance of team work and healthy relationships. And, finally, the girls explore how they can positively connect with and shape the world.
Physical activity is woven into our program to inspire an appreciation of fitness and to build habits that lead to a lifetime of health. At the end of the three-month session, the girls participate in a Girls on the Run 5K event (Nov. 23rd). This celebratory, non-competitive event is the culminating experience of the curriculum. Completing the 5K gives the girls a tangible understanding of the confidence that comes through accomplishment as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. Crossing the finish line is a defining moment when the girls realize that even the seemingly impossible IS possible.
Our school sponsor is Ms. Rucker. Membership is open to girls in grades 3-5. Students will be required to fill out an application form online at this site: CLICK HERE!
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