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Griffins Connect
Week of October 1st #Together #WholeChild
Upcoming Parent/Teacher Conferences
Our mission to support the #WholeChild is a big responsibility. Not only does this require an intentional effort to design and implement a challenging, student-centered curriculum that is tailored to each child's unique needs, it also requires a strong home/school partnership, and a call to development of a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset acknowledges that we are not there...yet. It's a mindset that acknowledges that we are a work in progress, but embraces that we will never truly reach the finish line. A mindset that does not see a grade of “A” as the goal but embraces and celebrates the growth that comes with challenge and productive struggle. I must admit, as a parent of four school-aged children, this way of thinking presents its challenges. As an educator, this requires that my students are challenged in a space that encourages growth, problem-solving, and resilience. In our culture, this is not always easy. To help our children achieve their full potential, we must fight the temptation to make things easy and to do the task quicker, easier, and without resistance.
Over the next couple of weeks, your child’s teacher will be communicating details of upcoming parent/teacher conferences. This year’s meetings are scheduled for all elementary students. As always, it is our expectation to have 100% participation for all students. During this time, teachers are encouraged to share strengths and weaknesses, to share the areas of success as well as the areas for growth. Parents, you are encouraged to do the same. Talk to your child’s teacher about ways you can partner to help your child grow. Through transparent conversations, goals should be discussed and established. Together, we are your child’s support team. It is our hope that these important meetings are not simply to “check a box” but spur every student to greater academic and social-emotional success.
Dr. P.
📆 What's Ahead...
October 2: Fall/Yearbook Pictures: View Package Options Here!
- THIS LINK will allow parents to sign up to receive updates via email regarding their child's school portraits. These updates include promotions, additional deals and the ability to order more pictures at a later time. When entering student information, parents should be sure to enter the student's name as it is on file at the school. All pictures are pre-orders so please pay online or send an envelope with cash or a check made to Strawbridge Studios.
October 3: High School Fair: 9:00-10:00am (info below)
- Want to help with refreshments? Simply drop off food or paper products: CLICK HERE!
October 3 & 4: PTA Spirit Night @ Papa Johns: Use PROMO CODE | STERLING (info below)
October 5: School Improvement Council Meeting; 1:00-2:00pm
October 7: Spirit Day at Paladin Stadium, 2:00pm (Furman vs The Citadel); ticket info below
October 12: Teacher Workday (No school for students)
October 13: Teacher Workday (No school for students)
October 17-20: 2nd Grade CogAT/Iowa Testing (info below)
October 24: 8th Grade PSAT Testing (info below)
2nd Grade CogAT & Iowa Testing
8TH GRADE PSAT TESTING
8th Grade students will be taking the PSAT on October 24th. Please remember to have your child get plenty of rest the night before and to eat a healthy breakfast the morning of the 24th. Benefits of taking the PSAT in 8th grade include seeing your child’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of college readiness, practicing SAT skills in a low-stakes environment, and it’s free to all of our 8th grade students (which is great because college readiness tests can get expensive fast when taken multiple times to get the best scores). Questions about testing can be sent to Mr. Murphy or Ms. Treloar
Tardies Add Up
From the Sterling School/Charles Townes Center PTA
Help Wanted: Refreshments for High School Fair
Ms. Treloar needs help providing refreshments for the vendors of the High School Fair on Tuesday, October 3rd. It's simply dropping off food or paper products.
Please sign up to help! CLICK HERE!
SPIRIT DAY AT PALADIN STADIUM
Join your Griffin friends and families on Saturday, October 7th (kickoff 2pm) for an afternoon of fun and SOCON FOOTBALL at Paladin Stadium as Furman takes on The Citadel! You don’t want to miss this exciting Spirit Day as students/siblings will have an opportunity to participate in the High Five Tunnel and go on the field pre-game!
Tickets are available for purchase here or by scanning the QR code! Additionally, 50% of all ticket sales purchased through the Sterling School ticket page will be donated back to the PTA to benefit our school!
Stay Home & Raise Dough with Papa John’s!
Tuesday, October 3rd and Wednesday, October 4th when you order from Papa John’s and use the code Sterling our school gets 15% of the proceeds! What a great reason to order pizza for lunch or dinner! And even better are the participating locations: Anderson, Greenville, Spartanburg, and select spots in North Carolina. Encourage all of your family and friends to participate!
Must Use School Promo Code when ordering online, on the app, or by phone for our school to receive credit! OUR SCHOOL'S PROMO CODE | STERLING
6th Grade Welcomes SmartARTS Teaching Artist Kristin LaRoy!
6th grade ELA classes are excited to welcome SmartARTS teaching artist Kristin LaRoy over the next 2 weeks! Ms. LaRoy will be helping students use movement, dance, and crafting to bring to life their King Arthur stories.
This arts integration residency was provided at no cost to the school thanks to the SmartARTS TD Center for Arts Integration at the Metropolitan Arts Council, which receives funding from SEW Eurodrive, TD Bank, John I Smith Charities, Jolley Foundation, Prisma Health, Duke Power, and other individuals, corporations, and foundations. This project is supported by funding provided to the South Carolina Arts Commission from a partnership with the S.C. Department of Education from American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds.
Sterling School Named National Blue Ribbon School
“This is an incredible achievement for the students, staff and community at Sterling School,” said Superintendent Dr. W. Burke Royster. “Their commitment to student achievement and ability to foster growth have created a successful learning environment deserving of this national recognition. Sterling school sets the bar for Greenville County Schools, schools in South Carolina and schools across the country.”
“To our students, school staff and community, your hard work and commitment to our school is what makes us who we are - a community who takes care of one another and prioritizes learning each and every day. Congratulations and well done, Griffins!” said Dr. Josh Patterson, principal at Sterling School.
Sterling School now joins the previous 18 National Blue Ribbon School in Greenville County Schools. To everyone throughout our school community who contributes to teaching, learning, leading, supporting, serving, and caring - THANK YOU! This recognition is possible because of our school's collective belief to the Whole Child. As our mission, a Whole Child approach looks beyond a test score, ensuring a student-centered approach that promotes the long-term, comprehensive development and success of each child.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content. A National Blue Ribbon School symbol gracing a school’s building is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning. National Blue Ribbon Schools are an inspiration and a model for schools still striving for excellence. #Together #WholeChild
GRIFFIN BUBBLE RUN
WE DID IT! Thank you to all who supported our very first Griffin Bubble Run. We appreciate each and every donation, and together, we more than TRIPLED our FUNdraising goal!
With your support, 51% of students participated and donated more than $61,000! Way to go, Griffins! This generous income will directly support our playground improvements and programs sponsored by the PTA.
Stay tuned for more details about our school wide celebration, dates for the gaming truck, and many other prizes!
Again, our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported this effort not only through monetary donations, but by volunteering and showing up to support our students on the day of the run!
Please enjoy a glimpse of the fun!
THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 -2024 SPONSORS
Sterling School PTA is pleased to acknowledge the following businesses for their generous support! Their investment in PTA enables us to continue providing top-quality support to all the students, families, faculty and staff at our school.
Introducing New Members of the Sterling/CTC Family
Alison Justice: Mental Health Specialist
Hello! My name is Alison Justice, and I am super excited to be the new Mental Health Specialist at Sterling School. I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degree in Social Work from Limestone University.
I am originally from WV, but I have been in Greenville for many years, and it is now our home.
In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my husband and 2 daughters, reading, walking, and traveling.
I am excited about this new journey, and I look forward to getting to know the kids, families, and staff at Sterling!
Jordan Winters: Speech-Language Pathologist
Hello, I’m Jordan Winters, and I’m so excited to be joining the awesome team at Sterling/CTC as a Speech-Language Pathologist.
I am a SC native and have lived in the upstate all my life. I earned both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in the area of Speech-Language Pathology. I hold my state license and national certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). I have had the privilege of working at various schools in the upstate, in a hospital rehabilitation center and my own private practice.
When I’m not working, I’m busy keeping up with my own three children (ages 7 and 4 yr. old twins) who also attend Sterling. I look forward to serving the students of all ages at Sterling/CTC this year!
✏️ Student Clubs & Info Updates
Board Game Club: Begins this Monday, September 25th from 2:30 - 4:00 pm. Students will report to the Vegas room at 2:30. Participants are encouraged to bring their favorite games to teach/share with others. There is still room to apply if you wish to participate. Applications are available in the front office or outside Ms. Foulkes office in M.S. hall. The Board Game Club is for 3rd - 8th graders.
Running Club: Begins this Monday, September 25th from 2:30 - 3:25. Students will report to the gym at 2:30 to check in for attendance before walking down to the track. Students should come prepared with a refillable water bottle, and appropriate shoes and clothing.
WYFF's Golden Apple Award
Ingles and WYFF News 4 wants to reward teachers who are going above and beyond. Each week, an area teacher will be selected to receive the Golden Apple Award and profiled Thursdays on WYFF News 4. These weekly winners will be chosen by a panel of judges. At the end of the school year, a Teacher of the Year will be selected from the weekly winners.
To nominate an educator for the Golden Apple Award, pick up an official nomination form from an area Ingles store or CLICK HERE, then complete and mail to:
WYFF News 4
Golden Apple Award
505 Rutherford Street
Greenville, SC 29609
For submission details, CLICK HERE.
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!
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