Griffins Connect
Week of August 13th #Together #WholeChild
📝 Great First Week!
As I reflect over the last week, I am grateful - it was good to have our students and families back! As I visited classrooms, I observed active learning, community building, and lots of smiles and laughter.
As a school that is committed to the development of the #WholeChild, let's work #Together to build upon our school's many strengths. Collectively, we can ensure that every child receives a personalized educational experience, establishes a sense of belonging, and is prepared for life. It's going to be a great year!
📆 What's Ahead...
August 15: Summer Reading Logs Due
August 26: iMAGINE Upstate; 11:00-5:00pm, Downtown G'ville (Rescheduled from 4/1)
September 1: Nat'l College Colors Day (wear the colors of your favorite college/university)
September 4: Labor Day Holiday (No School)
September 14: PTA Coffee & Conversations with Dr. P.; 7:45-9:00am
🕫 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.
🚗 Week 2 Updates & Reminders
Thank you for all your efforts in supporting our morning and afternoon traffic! As we heard from many of you, it was a great first week! To keep this going forward, please see the following reminders.
Afternoon Middle School Carpool Families: We are welcoming back all of our 4k students this week. The back loop was relatively empty last week, but that will not be the case this week. If you are picking up middle school students in your car pool, please do not arrive before 2:35. We will get everyone through the car line as quickly as possible, but arriving before your children are even outside holds everyone up. Thank you for all your support!
Morning Arrival:
As you arrive to campus, ensure that your child is ready to unload before you reach the awning/sidewalk (i.e. bookbag ready, shoes on, etc.).
Do not let your child unload before school doors open at 7:10am.
In the morning, we ask all car riders to exit the full length of the awning. (Parents who wait to drop off at the front of the school cause the line to back up and result in unnecessary delays.)
Middle school students should be dropped off in the back bus loop (Watch out for buses. They are less maneuverable than cars.)
Elementary students (K4-5th) must drop off in the front car loop. (This includes carpools with both elementary & middle students.)
Any middle school students being dropped off at or after 7:45 must be dropped off in the front car line.
Parents should not use Tanner’s or the Phillis Wheatley parking lots for morning drop-off or afternoon pick-up.
Follow the directions of all Sterling School Staff and/or law enforcement officers while on campus.
Afternoon Dismissal:
Elementary pick-up begins at 2:15; middle school pick-up begins at 2:30.
Cars will be expected to load along the full length of the sidewalk/awning.
Elementary pick-up should line up in the right-hand pickup lane upon entry. Middle school pick-up should line up in the left-hand lane upon entry beginning at 2:30.
Middle school students will be dismissed at 2:30. Keep in mind they may need to visit their lockers or the restroom, so they may not exit the building for 5-7 minutes.
[Important Note!] Middle school parents, please do not arrive before 2.30. This causes the line to back up to the road and blocks elementary parents from getting through.
Middle school students who carpool (with middle or elementary students) should utilize the back bus loop and enter from Faris Road. All other middle school students should use the front traffic loop.
Follow the directions of all Sterling School Staff and/or law enforcement officers while on campus.
If your student does not know how to buckle themselves in their car seat, slowly drive to the parking lot to buckle your student up. This will help us keep the car line going.
At 2:30, 4K and 5k students will be taken to the front for dismissal if not picked up in the back. Middle School carpools are dismissed from the back shortly after 2:30.
**Administration reserves the right to revise these procedures in the event that they present unforeseen problems or concerns**
2023-2024 Student Clubs
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.
Some of the clubs already meeting or starting soon are: Lego Robotics, Running Club and Jr. Beta Club
🍎 From the Sterling School/Charles Townes Center PTA 📚
Calling All Jr. Betas
We are happy to announce iMagine Upstate STEAM Festival 2023 has been rescheduled for Saturday, August 26th from 11:00am-5:00pm! This is the biggest STEAM festival in Greenville and the second year our school will be participating.
Middle school students are invited to volunteer for an hour to help with our Secret Agent themed booth by helping visitors with an invisible ink activity or encoding a message using a cipher/binary bracelet.
SIGN UP today to have fun with your friends, earn service hours, and visit all of the amazing exhibits!
PTA Membership: TOGETHER WE SOAR!
PTA Membership plays an important role in our school's success, we can't do it without you! Sterling/CTC PTA works to provide essential resources, speak up on important issues, and build a welcoming school community. We invite ALL parents, caregivers, teachers, staff, grandparents, and other caring individuals to JOIN TODAY!
The sky's the limit for the great things we hope to accomplish this year. Membership co-chairs, Tiffany Walsh and Dana Johnston, look forward to welcoming you and answering any questions. Together We Soar!
Better TOGETHER!
We are fortunate to have an administration and staff that welcome and encourage family involvement. We also recognize that families need options on how they can best support our school. Volunteering in the PTA is one of the BEST ways to help your student succeed!
Whether you have a few minutes or a few hours, your contribution to your child's educational experience is invaluable. It is truly a combination of time and talents that make our school such a wonderful place.
Simply fill out the Volunteer Interest Form and we'll email you when a need arises. Please never feel obligated to assist with all requests; we just want our interested volunteers to know all of the opportunities that are available. You have the flexibility to choose what works for you at any given time!
We have a place for you in our PTA! Please contact Melissa Hucks or Diane Hall for more information.
📝 Here We Go...#Together!
Last week, the Sterling School faculty and staff returned to the building, preparing their rooms and readying for the coming year. It was good to see each other, revisit our school's mission and goals, and plan for the days ahead. Here are a few things that occurred:
- We enjoyed a delicious “Welcome Back Breakfast,” hosted by our wonderful PTA (Thank you!)
- We took part in a variety of instructional planning meetings to prepare for the coming year, including an orientation for our new faculty/staff.
- We celebrated Ms. Heather Hartman (Sterling’s 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year) AND Mrs. Sarah Richardson (Sterling's First Class First-Year Teacher Award) at the district’s annual Teacher of the Year Breakfast
- We welcomed our families back to the building for two Meet-the-Teacher events
It was a great week! As we head into week one, we cannot wait to have our students back! We will work #Together to provide #WholeChild opportunities that will ensure every child reaches his or her full potential. If we can ever be of support to you and your family, please reach out to us. The 2023-2024 school year is going to be a great one!
Learning Together,
Dr. Josh Patterson
☕ 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