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Griffins Connect
Week of August 27th #Together #WholeChild
National College Colors Day: This Friday!
This Friday, September 1st, Sterling School will celebrate College Colors Day. This day is an "annual celebration dedicated to promoting the tradition and spirit that embody the college experience." To encourage a college-going culture among our "Griffins," we encourage students to wear their favorite college or university apparel. #Together #WholeChild
📆 What's Ahead...
September 1: Nat'l College Colors Day (wear the colors of your favorite college/university)
September 4: Labor Day Holiday (No School)
September 11: Settling in to 6th Grade; 9:00-10:00am, Vegas Room
September 14: PTA Coffee & Conversations with Dr. P.; 7:45-9:00am
#WholeChild Moment: Nurse Heather Speaks to WSPA
Settling in to 6th Grade
"Settling in to 6th Grade" will be held on Monday, September 11th from 8:30-9:30am in Vegas. This session will be hosted by 6th grade team and will cover what to expect from the academic classes.
🍎 From the Sterling School/Charles Townes Center PTA 📚
PTA Student Membership Drive
CALLING ALL GRIFFINS! Elementary and middle school homerooms with the highest number of PTA Student Memberships will enjoy a POPSICLE PARTY! Just to make things a little sweeter, those same homerooms will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Classroom Wish!
Student Memberships are $6 and may be purchased online or by attaching exact cash/check (made payable to Sterling School PTA) to this form. Must purchase by August 31st for contest entry!
All Hands Garden Workday
After some hot, sunny months, it's time to show our Sterling Gardens a little extra love! Join us for an "All Hands" Garden Workday on Saturday, September 16th from 9am-11:30am. Come at 9am and stay as long as you can, or feel free to drop-in anytime during the work day time frame. *We will gather rain (within reason) or shine!
Signup for the "All Hands" Garden Workday by clicking on THIS LINK.
Students and siblings are welcome to join their parents. Bring your own gardening gloves and your own rake, pruners, hand trowel, etc. if able - we will have some extra gloves and tools available.
Thank you and we can't wait to see you there!
P.S. Not able to volunteer in person but still want to help? Sign up for snack and drink donations here as well!
Spirit Wear Store now OPEN
Show your Griffin PRIDE at school and around town! Spirit Wear is now available in a variety of designs and colors. Shop for your entire family and choose from t-shirts, athletic shirts, and hoodies in adult and youth sizes!
Visit our online store for more details and to complete your purchase. Orders will be collected until September 3rd and distributed to homerooms once the shipment arrives. All Sterling School faculty and staff are invited to enjoy a 10% discount.
🌱 Garden Adoption Program
Is your student looking for more ways to earn volunteer hours during the school year?
In addition to our regular "All Hands" garden work days, we are offering more opportunities to earn volunteer hours by taking part in our Garden Adoption Program.
Just follow these easy steps:
- Sign-up (via Sign-Up Genius) for at least one date to visit the Garden. You can choose between the Asian or Butterfly Garden spaces.
- You will be assigned a small section of your chosen Garden that will be your "adopted zone," and will be provided with a guide to the plants in your section.
- Arrive on your signed-up date to pull weeds, prune plants, or pick up trash in your adopted section (approx. time commitment = 1-2 hours)
- Confirm your hours by emailing your arrival & departure times along with a photo of your completed garden section (before & after pics are great!).
Follow the Signup Genius link for more details or contact April Boyer - aprilcboyer@gmail.com with any questions.
📺 Griffin News: Have a Sterling Day!
Griffins News, our school's regular news show, is back! Student-led journalism, like Griffin News, teaches and reinforces a lot of skills that will benefit students today and tomorrow. Students who participate in our school's journalism team learn a lot of revalent skills such as prioritizing tasks, meeting deadlines, and communicating with others. A school news crew also enforces a need for teamwork.
Below is this year's first newscast. Thank you, in advance, for supporting our students by taking a couple of minutes to view and admire their work! #Together #WholeChild
#WholeChild Moment: In The News!
Thank you Sterling/CTC parents, Diane Lee for this pertinent information, and Christi Wagner for offering a parent’s perspective!
✏️ 2023-24 Student Clubs & Information 📷
Clubs are beginning to form for the current school year. In order for clubs to be successful, we must have a faculty or parent sponsor. As teachers and parents commit to supporting a club, we will make announcements at school, on our Sterling webpage and in the weekly Griffin Connect newsletter.
If you and your child are interested in starting a club, please reach out to Deborah Foulkes dfoulkes@greenville.k12.sc.us for next steps.
🕫 Calling All 8th Graders (and Parents)!
Sterling School will be offering the PSAT on Tuesday, October 24th, 2023. All students who wish to participate must register via a Google Form between August 21st and September 1st. Unlike past years, this year’s administration will be digital. Please be on the lookout for an email from Mr. Murphy on Monday, August 21st for more details and to complete the registration form. If you have additional questions or do not receive the email, please contact either Mr. Murphy or Ms. Treloar for details.
☕ Parent Café Begins!
Parent Café began last Thursday at Sterling School. If you were unable to attend, mark your calendars for Thursday, August 24th! A hot meal and childcare will be provided. For any questions, call 864.509.0777.
In partnership with the Nicholtown Child and Family Collaborative, Parent Café provides families with a wonderful opportunity to connect, learn, and have a little fun. We hope you'll join us! #Together #WholeChild
👩🏫 Can You Serve As A Substitute?
At Sterling School, we have amazing substitute teachers. These dedicated individuals help ensure that our school operates smoothly when a classroom teacher is absent. However, our list of active subs is short.
If you are able to help serve as a substitute for Sterling School and Greenville County Schools, please follow this link to get started and be sure to let us know (email Dr. Patterson!). We will be happy to help facilitate the process or connect you with current substitutes who can answer any of your questions. You may choose to work at any school or you can select Sterling exclusively. Work only on the days that fit your schedule. We appreciate your consideration to help the school by serving as a substitute!
After School Program Now Hiring!
The After School Program at Sterling School is hiring! We are looking for individuals who are age 17+, a good fit to work with elementary-aged children, and available to work from 2pm-5 or 6pm daily on days school is in session. We can work with your schedule even if you can’t work every day. Check out the district's HR page to apply (CLICK HERE!) and email Maxi Henry, director, at mhenry@greenville.k12.sc.us if you have any questions. Please pass this information along to anyone who may be interested. #WholeChild
💙 Support a Griffin & Become a Mentor!
The Sterling School has a partnership 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 are willing to volunteer 30 minutes of your time weekly, we need you!
If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please complete the interest survey found HERE! Near the start of the 2023-2024 school year, we will follow-up with training information and other pertinent details. For any questions, email Mrs. Lindsay Berry (school counselor).
We Need YOU! Volunteer Training
Thinking of chaperoning a field trip, becoming a room parents, or mentoring a student? Parents at Sterling School may now participate in volunteer training either in person or online.
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.
To apply to be a Level II volunteer, please CLICK HERE! Follow "Level II" process and select "Field Trip Chaperone" as one of your functions/roles (even if you never want to go on a field trip). This needs to be selected to pull the background check. You may select as many other roles or all that you may be interested in. This does not commit you to anything.
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.
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