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Sterling Students
Nurtured by a supportive environment, students will surpass academic challenges, develop as leaders, form collaborative relationships with peers, and learn to lead. Our graduates will be independent, productive, responsible, and creative individuals capable of making original contributions to society.
Clubs
Battle of the Books - BoB is your chance to show how much you know about a specific set of books. Students will read from a list of ten books. After completing the reading list, students will compete against other teams of fourth and/or fifth graders by answering questions about the books. Every question asked in a battle is answered by the title and author of the book and takes the form of: "in which book...?" The winning school team will go on to participate at the district level.
Beta Club - Information Coming Soon
Chorus - Information Coming Soon
Creative Writing - The Creative Writing Club provides positive opportunities for students to develop writing skills. Activities include creative writing, discussion groups, exploring online publishing opportunities, field trips, events to showcase member products, and producing a school literary magazine. Once in the club, there will be no formal evaluation or grading, but students will give feedback to others and receive feedback from club sponsors, volunteers and other club members as they participate in the writing process. Our goal is that students will gladly participate in the writing activities because the activities are fun and engaging, not because they are "assigned." Membership is limited to 30 students in grades 3-8. The Times New Romans Creative Writing Club meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 2:45-3:45 pm, September through April in Mrs. Newell's room.
Film Club – Dr. Kat Ballou, Deborah Foulkes, Martha Bohnenberger - Advisors
First Lego League – First Lego League teams are open to anyone grades 4 to 8 with an interest in science, technology and problem solving. Team members will work together to design and program a Lego Mindstorms robot to navigate an obstacle course, completing various missions. Students will also learn about problems faced by technology professionals today and challenged to provide a team solution. Regional tournaments are held each year with the chance to advance to state and national competitions.
Forensic Team - The Foresic Team is a public speaking, literary and dramatic interpretation club for students in grades 5-8 who are interested in preparing and participating in local speech and debate tournaments. During meetings, the different event categories will be explained, and students may choose an area on which to focus. Current high school competitors will mentor students as they prepare for tournaments. Tournaments are optional but highly encouraged, and take place in conjunction with local high school tournaments once a month on Saturdays from October - March. Opportunity for membership in the National Junior Forensics League (a national honor society for speech and debate) is available for qualified students, and membership points earned may be transferred to high school forensic programs. The Debate Team meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. Click on Forensic Team above for more information.
Good News Club – Info Coming Soon
Green Team - The Sterling Green Team meets every Thursday through the beginning of May to help manage Sterling’s recycling program. Each month the "team" will learn about becoming better environmental stewards during a fun “environmental activity”. Green Team members are expected to promote recycling efforts not only at school but also off campus in their daily lives as much as possible. For more information or to host an environmental activity for this group, please contact Stephanie Nichols.
Junior Beta Club - Membership in the Junior Beta Club is by invitation only to qualified students in grades 5-8. Requirements are based on the following core principles of the National Beta Club:
- Achievement: Outstanding academic achievement, which includes two areas of achievement: academic achievement and teacher recommendation. Students must have an overall 93 average. Any student with a C, D or F in any class will not be considered for entrance into the Beta Club.
- Character: Students must exemplify the seven Sterling character traits and have maintained role model behavior throughout the last school year.
- Leadership: The Junior Beta Club fosters leadership skills and opportunities; members must have commendable attitudes and exemplify the following attributes: positive attitude, self-discipline, handling responsibility, leadership, respect for others, punctuality, and working independently.
- Service: Members must be willing to demonstrate the Beta club motto, "Let Us Lead By Serving Others," by participating in club service projects and by fulfilling ten service hours per semester.
- The Junior Beta Club meets the 3rd Thursday of every month from 3:00-4:30.
Junior Book Bowl - JBB is your chance to show how much you know about a specific set of books. Students will read from a list of ~10 books. After completing the reading lists, students will compete against other teams middle school students in our school by answering questions about the books. Every question asked in a battle is answered by the title and author of the book and takes the form of: "In which book..." . The winning school team will go on to participate at the district level.
Library Cadets – Info Coming Soon
Math Counts - MathCounts is a national math competition program for students who exhibit outstanding math talent. Students meet the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 2:45 until 3:30 pm. Students practice varied mathematical problem-solving to prepare for the mock competition at R. C. Edwards Middle School in November, and the Chapter Competition at Clemson in February. Students must receive an invitation to join based on past math performance.
Math Olympiad - A competitive math club for those 4, 5 and 6th grade students who want to enhance their math knowledge during the course of working with challenging math problems. Participants are automatically entered into a world-wide contest where students work 5 problems and compare their scores to students in other schools around the world. Club meetings and contests are held on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays in Ms. Tucker’s room #708 beginning in October. Please contact Ms. Gordon for additional information or applications.
Model United Nations – Martha Bohnenberger and Michelle Satterfield - Advisors.
The Middle School Model United Nations program is a one or two semester curriculum implemented in the schools with direction and leadership from the YMCA Youth in Government staff. The program culminates in a two-day Model United Nations conference in April. Student participants work in small groups to study a particular country, and write a proposal that is presented at the MUN conference. High school students provide leadership for this program.
Safety Patrols – Safety Patrol members promote the safety of all students on school grounds. The safety patrols are made up of 4th and 5th grade students who have good attendance, leadership skills, and are responsible and respectful. Patrols meet once a quarter to rotate teams and go over guidelines.
Spanish Club – Spanish Club is open to all 3rd – 5th graders. For 2011-12 the Spanish Club has a “Conjugation Clinic” in which students have the opportunity to “play around” with conjugations of Spanish verbs in the present tense and build their vocabulary. Spanish club is designed for students who would like additional opportunities for exposure to the Spanish language and who are interested in learning some of the more intricate details of how the language works. Spanish Club meets on Mondays right after school in Mrs. Cortes' room. The club runs through March 26th.
Speech and Debate – The Sterling Speech and Debate club is open to any students in grades 5-8. The club meets on the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 2:45-4:00. The purpose of this club is to build the confidence of students in public speaking. The goal of the SC Junior Forensic League is to build student skills so they are more prepared when they join high school speech and debate programs.
Student Council - The Sterling School Student Council is the basis of student government at Sterling School. Representatives from each homeroom in grades 2-8 and an Executive Board consisting of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Parliamentarian, Sixth-Grade Representative, and Elementary Representative make up the Council. Meetings are open to all members of the student body; additional positions are available are as committee chairpersons. Meetings take place on the first Thursday of each month.
Youth in Government – Shelly Paige, Martha Bohnenberger - Advisors. The Middle School Model Legislature conference, is a three-day, two-night conference designed to provide hands-on experience to teach the legislative process. The overall goal of the program and conference is to teach the mechanics of the state legislature, and to teach the importance of active participation in democracy.
Students in the Middle School Model Legislature serve as representatives and senators. Students submit bills which go through the legislative process including debate in committees, and the House and Senate. Student legislators use the actual committee rooms and House at Senate chambers at the Statehouse in Columbia.