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Griffin Gazette
February/March 2011
Noteworthy
Sterling School PTA Newsletter
PTA PresidenT’s LeTTer
Hello Sterling Families,
I have said it before but I will say it again - just when you think you february
Dates
have everything scheduled and planned properly, “everything” expands 2 Class and Club Pictures
to include one more thing. January certainly brought a wonderful
opportunity to make special memories in the snow, but the impact of 5 Middle School Pancake Fundraiser
missing so many days of school and work certainly set many of us into 1 PTA Executive Board Meeting, noon
a spin not normally seen in January. 11 Middle School Dance
I want to offer a big thank you to Jill Adrien and all the folks that volunteered their time for our 15 Middle School Curriculum Info. Night
Health Fair Event. While the snow and school holiday impacted our attendance and resulted 21 Presidents’ Day – No School
in a disappointing turnout, Sterling PTA will continue to pursue health and wellness initiatives 25 PTA Bingo Night
to impact our students, their families, and our community. We have more great PTA events
planned for the rest of the year as well, so be sure to check the calendar and the information March
you find regarding our February Bingo Night, March GO GREEN Event, and April Arts.
1 PTA Executive Board Meeting, noon
Hopefully, many of you were able to find out about all the volunteer opportunities Sterling PTA 13-18 Spring Book Fair
offers at our January Volunteer Drop-In. Be on the lookout for information regarding nomina-
15 PTA/Student Council Go Green! Night
tions for next year’s PTA Board and Committees. If you have an interest in being more involved
or have a passion for a particular area of support for our students, please contact me or someone 22-23 PASS Writing Test (Gr. 3-8)
else on our board. If you have questions or suggestions, we are always available for you. In addi- 23 Spring Pictures
tion to the programs and committees you find listed in your newsletter, we are adding a couple 24 Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night – K4-2nd grade
of new initiatives as part of our constant mission to support the needs of our students in all areas
of well-being and success. And as we expand our support of our students, it will take a commit- april
ment from EVERY family to make Sterling the best it can be. So, pick a place where you can 6 Families for Lunch
plug in to support your child, our children, and their education! You won’t regret it!
8 April Arts
Happy winter! Looking forward to spring! 5 PTA Executive Board Meeting, noon
Lisa Wells, Sterling PTA President 14-15 K5–2nd Field Day
If you don’t try to make a difference, you won’t. 15 3rd–5th Field Day
18-22 Spring Break
FAmiLy Bingo nighT
In This Issue:
Friday, February 25
Dinner 5:30 pm, Bingo 6:00 pm
Mark your calendars! The Sterling PTA will as fabulous clearance finds to make this eve-
host its 3rd Annual Family Bingo Night ning a success. We thank you in advance for
on Friday, February 25. We plan to have a your generous contributions. We could not Principal’s Letter ....................... 2
fantastic fun-filled night with dinner, games, do this event without your generosity!
and prizes. We will have TEN action packed Coming Events .....................1-5
rounds of Bingo with a dozen winners per Don’t miss out on this great family event! Middle School News ................ 5
round. Snacks and drinks will also be avail- We hope to see you there!
News and Programs ...............3-4
able. The class with the most attendance at
If you would like to be involved with Bingo Guidance Dept. ....................... 6
Bingo Night will win a class party, so make
Night, please contact Bingo Co-Chairs
sure your friends and classmates are coming!
Caroline Welsh cjwelsh85@hotmail.com
Business Partners ...................... 7
Once again, we will need your leftover (new or Lara Farnsworth laragonyea@yahoo.com. School Funding Issues .............. 8
& unused) holiday and birthday gifts as well PTA Contact Info .................... 8
Principal Johnstone
A LeTTer From sTerLing
sPiriT nighT
Dear Parents,
As we begin 2011, we focus on finishing this openly and March 24 from 5:00-8:00
school year as strong as possible. The end of work together Chick-fil-a on haywood rd
the first semester gives us a chance to review to support the
intellectual Take a night off from cooking dinner, spin
our students’ progress and refine our actions
curiosity and the prize wheel, and join your classmates at
to make sure we challenge every student. I
active par- the last Spirit Night of the year! This time,
hope that you are taking time to evaluate
your choice of Sterling and its programs for ticipation by it’s a competition between K4-2nd grades,
your child as well. As you take stock, review students in managing their learning. but everyone is welcome! So far, we have
the beliefs of the school. • Students obtain personal academic growth raised $720 for our school!
To support a first-rate education for our through self-evaluation of their approach Come out and see which teachers will
students, we believe the following: to learning. serve your meal!
* Students of exceptionally high intellectual • Self-esteem, honesty, fairness, respect,
potential do not simply learn faster, they of- empathy, integrity, and cooperation are es-
ten learn in a qualitatively different way; they sential in our dealings with one another.
deserve appropriate rigor, complexity, and • Students deserve opportunities for service,
depth in what they learn, as well as oppor- leadership, appreciation of cultural diversity, VisiT The
tunities to demonstrate significant academic
and intellectual growth.
* Fostering a love of learning is a shared
creative expression, and activities that enrich
their learning.
I want to thank our staff, PTA, School Im-
schooL sTore
enterprise among home, school, commu- provement Council and all of our parents for
nity, and student, and we will communicate embracing these beliefs and choosing Sterling.
The School Store hours are:
Monday 7:40am-8:00am
David M. Johnstone, Principal
Monday 11:00am-12:00pm
Beautification
Wednesday 7:40am-8:00am
ouTdoor educATion & Wednesday 11:00am-12:00pm
Thursday 11:00-12:00pm
friday 7:40am-8:00am
The Outdoor Education committee is gearing up for a
busy spring! We will be planting the Asian Art Garden Stop by the School Store on
in the front courtyard in March and installing mulch your birthday for a free pencil!
and an herb garden in the Educational Garden in back.
Watch the Newsflash for specific dates if you’d like to
help. Extra hands are always appreciated!
Many thanks go to the volunteers who helped spruce
up the Educational Garden last fall and to Rick Blucas
April/May Newsletter
for donating shrubs that will attract butterflies and
birds. Several classes used plants from the garden for
raising caterpillars in their classrooms. This was a huge
success as students could witness firsthand the stages DEADLINE
of metamorphosis. The garden became home to many the
To submit information for
Gulf Fritillary butterflies. Griffin Gazette,
next issue of The
ci Beasley at
We are also taking donations of new and used hand please email content to Tra
tools, garden gloves and watering cans for students to tbmedia@att.net and send photos to
mail.com.
use for garden chores. A collection bin will be located Kelly Stuart at stuartkelly1@g
in the main hall starting February 14. If you have The deadline for april/May is
questions or would like to volunteer, contact March 10th.
Karen Wagner at kswcon@bellsouth.net.
2
Reflections go green STERLING STYLE!
Update
Attention Sterling, it’s time to Go Green! a chance to win a special prize that any avid
Join us on March 15th at 6:30pm for a reader would love to have. Any guesses?
gigantic event sponsored by PTA, Student Drawing will be held at the end of the
TogeTherWe Can Council, and the Media Center! There is
much to learn about what it means to GO
evening.
Congratulations to our school winners GO Green in Style! Don’t miss the
GREEN! Mark your calendars for this spe-
at the Council & District level of Recycle Fashion Show! Student Council is
cial school-wide event and explore all
Greenville County PTA! The fol- sponsoring this fun and environmentally
the ways that WE can preserve and protect
lowing schools are included in the conscious event. Listen and look for more
our world.
Southwest Council: Augusta Circle, details at school on how YOU can GO
Blythe Academy, Grove Elementary,
GO Green with recycled reads! Sup- GREEN in style!
port our first annual book drive by donat-
Hollis Elementary, Sara Collins, Stone read, renew, return! The book fair will
ing your great-condition books that are
Academy, Summit Drive Elemen- be open March 13th thru March 18th with
too easy or you have read too many times.
tary, Thomas E. Kearns Elementary, special evening hours during our spectacular
These books will be used to create mini-
Welcome Elementary, AJ Whittenberg, GO GREEN Event on March 15th. Special
library collections for young readers for
Beck Academy, Hughes Academy, activities are planned throughout the week
their summer break from school. If your
League Academy, and Tanglewood to celebrate GOING GREEN WITH THE
great-condition books are for older students
Middle. There are four councils in BOOK FAIR THING!
or adults, that is okay too! We will donate
District 1 which represents all schools
any books we can’t use to other community For more information or to volunteer your
in Greenville County. The theme for
literacy efforts. For every great-condition time or talent to this event, please contact
2010 was “Together We Can”, and
book you donate on March 15th, you earn Lisa Wells, PTA President.
here are the winners at the Council
and District levels:
Council Winners Visual Arts
2nd place Intermediate – Grace Davis
Film Production
1st place Middle – Katie Beaudoin
1st place Primary – Kirstin Murr
Literature
1st place Intermediate – Jennifer Bailey
1st place Intermediate – Cameron
1st place Middle – Isaiah Ho
Whitacre
(Trifecta!)
Honorable Mention Middle –
Music Composition Amanda Smith
3rd place Intermediate – Emma McFall
1st place Middle – Ethan Coppenbarger District Winners
Photography Film Production
Honorable Mention Primary – Emmy 3rd place Primary – Kirstin Murr
Johnston tion and represent the Council. Our first
3rd place Intermediate – Jennifer Bailey
3rd place Intermediate – Sara Johanson place District Winner will travel on to
1st place Middle – Isaiah Ho
1st place Middle – Evan Kramer Columbia in the District’s portfolio. Our
Music Composition previously announced school winners that
(Pictured Below ▼)
2nd place Middle – Ethan Coppen- did not advance at either the Council or
barger District level will represent Sterling School
Visual Arts at the state competition on February 5.
3rd place Middle – Katie Beaudoin Visual Arts and Photography winners will
(Pictured Above Right ▶) be announced that day. The winners of
the other categories will be announced
Literature
sometime before April 9 (the date for the
2nd place Intermediate –
SCPTA Convention in Sumter, SC).
Cameron Whitacre
Thank you to all of our
We are very proud of all of our
students who participated.
students! First place Council winners
Together we DID!
will travel to the State PTA competi-
3
1st AnnuAl Greenville County
reGionAl Fll
tournAment
HosteD by sterlinG sCHool
Twenty-one teams and approximately 150 something from a comic book or sci-fi story, but
students from around the Upstate competed these are our three FLL teams here at Sterling.
in the 1st Annual FIRST LEGO League Thirty aspiring engineers learned all they could
Greenville Regional at Sterling School on about biomedical engineering this season,
Saturday, January 22. Roper Mountain Science created innovative solutions to problems they Sterling Stormers, in no particular order: Noah
Broome, James Crowley, Griffin Gatchell, Christopher
Center sponsored the event, and the Sterling identified, and built some amazing robots that
Hood, Patrick McGuire, Brian Tazuma, Alex Tedrow,
PTA sold snacks, drinks and lunches to hungry can accomplish all sorts of things you’d never Eric Threldkeld, Kyle Wissig, Kyle Wolfe
teams and spectators throughout the day. guess were possible with Legos!
to get to the safety of the ski lodge or other
The Sterling FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Through their research into preventable hearing warm area before damage occurs. They were
teams have been meeting once a week since loss, the Sterling Stormers have concepted a actually told that this is a marketable item!
school started in August to prepare for new creation called the “Mini-meter”, a personal
competition. The teams scheduled extra sound dosimeter that can be used by anyone team infinity searched through seemingly
practices and worked hard as they got close but is targeted at youth. You may have seen infinite possibilities to land on improving the
to competition time, not even letting a snow their posters around the school. In a fantastic treatments for cardiovascular disease, a disease
and ice storm get in their way! infomercial-style presentation, which they were from which over 61 million Americans suffer.
brave enough to share with the whole crowd They created a design for a nanobot, that
Why so much time for Legos? Because it is after the judging, they rapped about their device, with future technologies could be able to go
more than just building Legos. Each year, the which would tell the wearer how long they could through your arteries chewing up the plaque
FLL challenge has a theme that focuses on a stay in a loud zone without damaging their buildup! This would be a great improvement
different engineering discipline. This year’s hearing. An experienced team, they really put on current technologies like bypass surgery
FLL challenge was titled “Body Forward” together the whole package, scoring first in three and stents. Of course, even better yet would be
where the teams researched biomedical out of four areas of judging, and winning the getting enough exercise, avoiding saturated fats
engineering problems and then came up with coveted Champion’s Award for the region!
and cholesterol in your diet, and not smoking!
innovative solutions. At the competition,
each team is judged in four areas: teamwork The Blazing Blocks-reloaded are looking to save
Sterling Stormers, who placed 1st in the
skills, technical knowledge, research project some toes! They researched diabetic neuropathy
regionals and Team Infinity, who placed 5th,
presentation, and robot performance. It all and the issues it can cause with regards to
will be taking their robots and projects to
sounds very serious, and the learning that frost bite. Diabetics can have problems with
Charleston on March 5 for the state-level
took place is, but the actual competition sensing when their skin is getting cold. The
team designed and developed a real working competition. All of the kids had a great time
is loud, crazy and a lot of fun! Costumes
prototype of a Lego foot with a thermocouple learning about programming, teamwork,
are encouraged, loud cheers are heard
sensor built into a sock. This device would have building, and biomedical engineering. These
everywhere, and even a little line dancing
a controller that would alert the wearer that are definitely some of tomorrow’s brightest
was done to celebrate.
their foot skin temperature had reached 65°F. engineers, getting a head start on their careers
The Sterling Stormers, Blazing Blocks- Frostbite occurs when the skin temperature through the FIRST LEGO League program
Reloaded and Team Infinity sound like reaches 50°F; using 65°F allows the wearer time here at Sterling.
Team Infinity, left to right, back to front: Anthony Cinquemani, Andrew Blazing Blocks-Reloaded, left to right: Timothy Clayton, Gram Grant,
Kim, Ian Chiu, Jacob Faires, Connor Watson, Heath Chase, William Ricky Jeletic, Dylan “Pickle” Sham, Will Aldridge, Andrew Chen,
Pelletier, Amelia Pelletier, Zoe Stuart and Mark Wall Brady Bizzell, Blake Mitrick, Austin Baxley and Samantha Mosher
4
Middle School Message
sc Book AwArds
ProgrAm uPdATe
From mrs. meisTen
Voting for the SC Book Awards Program is
As we begin the third marking period, we for this wonder-
right around the corner! All students wish-
have already begun making preparations ful event. We
ing to participate should have completed
for the 2011-2012 school year. All rising like to ask 7th
reading the minimum required number of
6th, 7th, and 8th grade students along grade parents books from the appropriate list by the end
with their parents are invited to attend our to be a part of of February. The list may be found on the
Middle School Curriculum Information this committee SCASL website at www.scasl.net<http://
Night on February 15: so 8th grade www.scasl.net/> under Book Awards or on
parents can be the Sterling Media Center wiki at http://
middle school Curriculum home with their sterlinglibrary.pbworks.com.
information night child as they get
ready for the dance. Be on the look out for Mrs. Nichols, media specialist, will read
rising 6th Grade - 6:00 pm: Come many of the picture book nominees to
the volunteer request or feel free to email
out and learn all about middle school at students in K-5 through grade 2. These
Mrs. Meisten about this committee.
Charles Townes Center. You will receive students will vote during a scheduled library
information about how to sign up for aca- 8th Grade trip: We are all getting excited time. The requirements for students in
demic and electives classes, hear from the for a fun-filled trip to Charlotte, NC. There grades 3-8 are located on the library’s wiki
6th grade team of teachers, and learn about have been two payments collected totaling along with the reading logs that must be
day to day life in middle school from Mrs. $100. The next payment of $100 is due submitted, a verification of reading. Please
contact Stephanie Nichols at snichols@
Meisten. There will also be an opportunity on February 17. The final payment is not
greenville.k12.sc.us if you have questions.
to learn more about our middle school due until April 1. That payment is listed
related arts classes such as Band, Graphic as $109 but we will notify parents of the
Arts, and Life Fitness. actual amount after fundraising money has
rising 7th and 8th Grade - 6:45pm:
been collected and applied.
Finally, don’t forget about our applebee’s
sAVe The dATe
You will receive your teacher recommenda-
tions for academic classes and learn about Pancake fundraiser on february 5th. Spring Book Fair
Come out for a fun-filled breakfast with
the new online registration system that all
students will be required to use. In addi- your Sterling friends and be served by our
March 13-18, 2011
Going Green is a Book Fair Thing!
tion, the 7th and 8th grade team of teach- 8th grade students.
More info to come!
ers will talk about middle and high school
level classes.
It Makes a Difference!
related arts: If you are interested in learn-
ing more about Yearbook, Advanced Art, ThAnks For coLLecTing Box ToPs!
Life Fitness or one of our other electives
please stop by our drop in session with the
related arts teachers from 6:20-6:45.
in addition, please mark your calendars In December, we received a $1,600 check from Box Tops for Education from submis-
for the following end of the year festivities sions since March 2010. Please continue to send in your Box Tops regularly so we can
for 8th grade. collect, sort and package them by
the appropriate deadlines. Our next
8th Grade Dance: We will soon begin submission deadline is February 28.
planning the 8th grade dance. The middle Please note that we keep track of Box
school volunteer coordinator will be look- Top submissions by student and class
ing for 7th and 8th grade parents who are so you will still get credit towards any
interested in helping with the preparations future contests.
5
What Does it Mean to Be Gifted?
From The guidAnce dePArTmenT...
Excerpt from the Duke Gifted Letter, Winter only a start. Creative individuals also benefit their parents to bear in mind that few people
2009 edition from practical skills. Many highly creative are exceptional at everything they turn their
people spend their lives feeling frustrated hand to. Rather, most people succeed by
Written by Robert J. Sternberg, Ph.D.
because they cannot figure out how to identifying their strengths and weaknesses,
When parents think of their children as persuade any-one to listen to them. Their making the most of the one, and finding
gifted, they usually think of high IQ scores, underdeveloped practical skills leave them ways to compensate for the other. At a talk
high SATs, high ACTs, high grades, and the unable to attain the success they seek. once I said to the woman next to me that I
like. But research shows that there is much wished I could speak as well as the speaker
Other people have excellent practical skill
more to giftedness than the academic ability did. “That’s the wrong thing to wish for,” she
but not analytic skill or creativity. Their
and achievement that U.S. society values. remarked. “You should wish to find your own
talent lies more in persuading others to do
way to excel.” She was right. We all need to
Conventional tests emphasize memory things than in finding worthwhile things
find our own path.
and analytic skill. At least two other kinds for them to do. Many heads of state, for
of skill, however, are important to success instance, have misled their countries because
in life: creativity and practical know-how. their powers of persuasion and enforce-
Thank You!
Children need creativity to come up with ment—their practical skills—are highly
many ideas, analytic skill to decide which of developed, while their ideas are not.
their ideas are worth pursuing, and practical
So parents and teachers should help their
know-how to apply them and to persuade
children develop not only their memory
others of their value. Although some people
and analytic skill but their creativity and
are more creatively, others more analytically,
practical skill. To develop creativity, children The Health and Wellness Committee
and others more practically gifted, at least
should be engaged in activities that enable would like to thank all of our vendors
some level of all three skills is important.
them to discover, invent, imagine, and sup- and participants in our First Annual
One of my gifted students, “Alice,” who was pose; to develop analytic skills, they should Health Fair:
very strong analytically, for instance, got be encouraged to evaluate, critique, com-
high test scores and excellent grades and was pare, and contrast; and to develop practical Nurse Rapp
very good at analyzing other people’s ideas, skills, they should be given opportunities to Y - Liz C. Stoioff
but she was not so good at forming her use, apply, and implement. Moreover, par- Y (GIT) – Matt Green
own. Nor did she apply ideas flexibly. Her ents should model the skills they wish their
traditional academic giftedness had come at Kimberly Baker – Clemson Extension
children to acquire.
Office
a price. She did well as long as someone told
Simply taking children to see a museum Ken Meisten – Chiropractor and
her what to do; otherwise, she was at a loss.
exhibition on dinosaurs, for example, will Massage Therapist
Alice’s schooling probably had made her this
not help them develop their intellectual EarthFare – Jennifer Brewer
way. She had been so heavily rewarded for
skills, but asking them analytic, creative, and
her analytic giftedness that she had had no Safe Kids Upstate – Lillian Garcia and
practical questions relevant to the exhibition
incentive to develop creativity and practical Kathy Harper
will: How did small dinosaurs protect them-
skill. Greenville Track Club – Joe Hammond
selves from large ones? What might have
On the other hand, other individuals may happened if the dinosaurs had not become Greenville Yoga – Jennifer Johnston and
be very creative but may fail to recognize extinct but had lived for many more genera- Lynn Harmon
which ideas are good ones. One student tions? What do we have to learn from the Small Smiles Dental Center
with whom I went to graduate school, dinosaurs? Why do we refer to some people Skin Analysis/Dermatologist – Kelly
“Jimmy,” was highly creative but found it as dinosaurs? Starnes
hard to distinguish between good ideas and
It may seem like a daunting task to try to Miss Leachman
bad ones. He has not been as successful as
develop all three kinds of skills—analytic,
he might have been if he had cultivated his
creative, and practical—in your child. But it We look forward to putting on this
ability to analyze the relative value of his health fair next year (without the week of
is worth the effort.
ideas. snow prior)!
Of course, it is important for gifted chil-
High IQ is a start toward giftedness, but
dren, regardless of their abilities, and for
6
Thank you to the
sTerLing schooL Business PArTners!
The businesses listed below have supported our school by becoming Sterling School Business Partners. Look for the Sterling School window
cling at their place of business, and feel free to drop by and let them know how much the Sterling family appreciates their support. If you
would like more information on becoming a Sterling School Business Partner, please contact Stacie Brubaker at stacie_brubaker@adp.com.
Barley’s taproom and Pizzeria Ken Presley and associates Vr Business Sales, Mergers & acquisitions
Josh and Rebecca Beeby Taxes - Financial Coaching Mike and Mary Roberts
Restaurant www.KenPresley.net Business Broker
www.barleysgville.com www.vrgreenville.com
Kimberly W. Kerl
Carolina health innovations Residential Designer Word Play Pediatric Therapies
Ken and Jen Meisten www.kustomhomedesign.blogspot.com Lisa Baumhofer
Chiropractic - Massage - Wellness Pediatric Speech, Occupational, Physical Therapy
www.carolinahealthinnovations.com League Manufacturing http://wordplaykids.com
Fraser and Linda League
Carolina nephrology, Pa CNC Machining
Istvan and Kim Bognar www.leaguemfg.com
Medical Practice - Kidney Care
www.carolinanephrology.com Master Kim’s World Class tae Kwon Do
Michelle Kim
ThAnk you!
Carolina Women’s health Martial Arts School
Vanessa Mazzoli www.greenvilletkd.com
Obstetrics/Gynecology
www.carolinawomenshealth.org Piedmont Orthopaedics
Tom Baumgarten
Cosmetic Dentistry Orthopaedic Care
Spyros Koutsioukis www.getmovinwithPOA.com The Sterling FLL Teams would like
Dentistry
www.greenville-cosmetic-dentistry.com Quick Crate to thank Caterpillar and Fluor for their
Fraser and Linda League continuing generous support of our
Distinctive Designs Collapsible, Reusable Shipping Crates program, and Dr. Martine LaBerge
Annette Duncan www.quickcrate.com and the BioEngineering Department at
Interior Design
Clemson University for helping us learn
864-963-8338 riverside Property Mgmt
Greg Clark about BioEngineering this season.
Doctors express Residential Property Mgmt, Sales, and Rentals
Tim Groves www.riversidepm.com
Urgent Care
www.doctorsexpress.com Switch-a-roos Children’s Consignment Sale
Lori and Mark Holcombe
foothills Veterinary hospital Children’s Consignment Sale - Feb./Aug.
Dan Randall www.switcharoosconsignment.com
Veterinary Hospital
www.foothills-vet.com Synesis international, inc.
Kathleen and Scott Payne
hamilton automation, inc. Comp Sys Cons. for Mfg, Dist, & Svc Ind.
Rob and Sherri Aldridge www.synesisintl.com
Systems Integrator
www.Hamilton-Automation.com The Graphic Cow Company
Clayton Hunt
Joyner hoover Commercial Property Mgmt Graphic T-Shirts and Apparel
Steve Hoover 1-800-GRAFCOW
Property Mgmt/Real Estate
www.joynerhoover.com The Sinclair Group, inc.
Kimberly Sinclair
Kelly Stuart Design Human Resource Consultant
Graphic Design www.sinclairgroupinc.com
www.KellyStuart.net
7
sCHool FunDinG issues
By nancy Kennedy, Communications VP figures are not based on standard accounting Why don’t they cut money for state and
practices. Here are four examples: school district administration and put it in
We hear so much these days about the the classroom?
1. They count transfers of funds between
current budget situation in our state. There
categories within a school district as additional About 2% of state and federal K-12 funding
is no doubt it is dire. Our legislature will
expenditures. Transfers are not expenditures. is used to operate the South Carolina
have to make a lot of hard decisions as they
Including “within-district transfers” artificially Department of Education. Of Greenville
work on next year’s budget. However, as a
inflates state public education annual County Schools operating funds, less than
parent, I am very concerned about cuts to
expenditures by $760 million. 2% is used for central administration. Most
public K-12 education and wanted to share
2. They use an incorrect student count. The state public education funding is spent on
some information with you.
“$13,000” per pupil figure does not count instruction. Independent, CPA audited data
There are so many different facts and shows that across South Carolina 71 cents
all the students that are funded. It does not
figures thrown around, and they all seem of each public school district dollar directly
include the nearly 22,000 four-year-olds
to contradict each other, especially when it supports classroom instruction. Over the
who attend public schools, nor students
comes to school and per student funding. past two years, state funding for the South
at schools operated by the Department of
So, I went to Public Education Partners Carolina Department of Education has been
Corrections and the Department of Juvenile
Greenville County for answers. The cut by 45%. During the same period, local
Justice. It is wrong to include expenditures
following information comes from their school districts have had their state funding
for these students but not divide that
website, with their permission. cut by about 22%.
number by all the students funded.
How much are we actually spending But aren’t there more than 1,000 employees
3. They include capital projects and debt
per pupil? at the State Dept. of Education?
service. Based on independent, CPA
The most recent independent, CPA audited audits, long-term investments for property The department currently has about 430
state data shows that South Carolina spent acquisition and school construction should positions and approximately half of those are
an average of $9,162 per pupil in 2007-08. not be included in computing day-to-day federally funded. The agency also employs
The figure for Greenville County Schools operating costs. 450 people (mostly mechanics) in school
was $8,114. Per pupil spending is based on bus maintenance facilities across the state.
4. The $13,000 per pupil figure not only
all operational expenditures including those Dept. of Education staff carries out laws and
includes construction costs but double
funded by state and federal governments as mandates established by the State Legislature
counts them. School districts sell bonds to
well as those funded by local school districts. and U.S. Congress.
pay for the construction of schools and then
Why do I keep hearing that per pupil pay off the bonds over a period of many i hope this has been helpful. if you have
spending in South Carolina is more than years. The $13,000 figure includes both the more questions, please go to the Public
$13,000 per student? amount paid to the architect and contractors education Partners website: http://www.
Some organizations put out figures in an to build the school and the amount spent to publicedpartnersgc.org/home.
attempt to create negative public opinion pay off the school’s construction bonds. This
about public education in our state. Their is “double counting” construction expenses.
Sterling School PTA conTAcTs 99 John McCarroll Way 29607
Contact them if you have questions or ideas for PTA.
President: lisa Wells v. P., Ways and means: brooke Clayton sterling elementary liaison: Guanita Hall
lisahwells@charter.net, 963-2355 wclayton@charter.net, 288-6797 gggghalls@bellsouth.net, 277-6823
President–elect: Ashley lomax v. P., service & enrichment: Kelly Judy CtC elementary liaison: ellie Hammond
lomaxfamilyof4@att.net, 884-3820 kjudy@charter.net, 228-2852 elliehammond@bellsouth.net, 834-2275
treasurer: Patti Hickey v. P., Communications: nancy Kennedy CtC middle school liaison:
phickey@ureach.com, 268-4184 nancy.pat@charter.net, 242-4806 Kimberly saunders
kimsaunsc@hotmail.com, 284-6368
secretary: Kathy Hennessy
katchow@charter.net, 627-8058
Kim antonakos, Southwest Council Pres. South Carolina Pta
- kimca@charter.net 1826 Henderson Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Kelly Yanity, District 1 President 800-743-3782
- kyanity@charter.net
national Pta pta.org www.scpta.org
8
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