About Us
About Sterling School
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
The mission of Sterling School is to provide a differentiated, challenging education that meets the distinctive intellectual, social and emotional needs of our students. Sterling serves as an elementary school of choice (3K–5th grade), with children from the surrounding neighborhoods given first choice to attend. Sterling is also home to the county-wide gifted center, named in honor of Charles Townes, a choice program for highly gifted students in grades three through eight.
As a school community, we are grateful for our wonderful, diverse context. Our unique situation gives us an amazing opportunity to capitalize on things we all value: kindness, collaboration, creativity, and an appreciation of differences. To read more, check out this 2019 article, "Students form tight bonds at Sterling School," published by the Greenville Journal.
99 John McCarroll Way
Greenville, SC 29607
Greenville, SC 29607
864-355-4480
Fax: 864-355-4490
Fax: 864-355-4490
Elem: 7:45a–2:15p
Middle: 7:45a–2:30p
Middle: 7:45a–2:30p
Grades 3K–8
Elementary & CTC
Elementary & CTC
Two Programs, One School
Grades 3K–5
Sterling Program
Neighborhood students get first choice, with remaining slots filled by special permission.
Grades 3–8, 90 per grade
Charles Townes Center
A three-tiered, district-wide identification process for highly gifted students.
GUIDED BY ONE UNIFIED VISION, BELIEFS & MISSION
What Makes Sterling Unique?
Both programs take advantage of the opportunity to experience education at its highest level. By participating in a joint endeavor, all students deepen their understanding of issues which influence our community and country, and gain perspective on the diversity that characterizes our world, with frequent opportunities to contribute to school and community through interactive relationships. Regardless of instructional programming, every student is afforded a challenging, enriching curriculum that emphasizes higher-order thinking and complex problem-solving, while ensuring their social and emotional needs are met.
How Enrollment Works
1
Neighborhood Priority
First choice goes to students in Sterling's surrounding neighborhoods.
2
Special Permission
Remaining elementary seats are filled by request.
3
CTC Identification
Gifted candidates go through the district's three-tiered ID process.
Both Programs
Griffin PRIDE
Sterling School has focused on teaching and developing Griffin PRIDE, a shared set of student and staff values. The staff chose to focus on these values after a strategic review of our student and school needs, knowing that the social and emotional skills of our students are the foundation of their education. While the terminology is shared, the teaching and expression of the PRIDE values is developmentally appropriate at each grade level.
Positivity
We see the possibilities in every challenge, look for connections, and focus on a successful outcome for all. We learn from our mistakes and get better for our next challenge.
Respect
Respect is given to all. We treat others as we want to be treated, no matter what role a person plays, because every person contributes to our students' success.
Integrity
We do the right thing in everything we do. Integrity is the foundation of our relationships, and we hold each other accountable to act in our students' best interest.
Determination
We choose to challenge the status quo. We are not afraid to make mistakes, because we are determined to achieve uncommon results for our students.
Empathy
We put aside our own views and needs to listen for the needs of others, seeking diverse viewpoints so we can be better teammates, teachers, and role models.
Through a school-wide shared belief in the PRIDE values, all students and staff work to develop the knowledge and skills to be MINDFUL. Social Emotional Learning is a process through which children and adults learn to recognize and manage emotions, demonstrate care for others, develop positive relationships, make good decisions, and behave ethically, respectfully, and responsibly, through the core competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.
Sterling Program
L.I.V.E.
Lead, Inspire, Value, Empower. Everybody matters, every moment counts, so LIVE!
See how L.I.V.E. shapes Sterling Program →Charles Townes Center
Explore, Enrich, Excel
Curiosity, collaboration, and a pathway toward autonomy for our highly gifted students.
See how CTC brings this to life →Sterling Program Beliefs
Grounded in L.I.V.E. (Lead, Inspire, Value, Empower), the Sterling Program believes:
Leadership is not about a title, it's about the choices we make every day. Every Griffin has the opportunity to lead by setting a positive example.
Our words, actions, and attitudes have the power to motivate those around us, so we celebrate effort, recognize growth, and lead with optimism.
Every person has worth and every voice matters, so we foster an environment where students and staff feel respected, included, and appreciated.
We equip one another to succeed, giving students the chance to think critically, make decisions, and take ownership of their own learning.
Charles Townes Center: Gifted Education Beliefs
The Charles Townes Center serves 3rd–8th grades, with 90 students per grade level, chosen through a three-tiered criteria designed to identify highly gifted students from throughout the district. To support an excellent education, we believe:
Students of exceptionally high intellectual potential learn in a qualitatively different way. They deserve rigor, complexity, and depth, and opportunities to demonstrate significant growth.
Fostering a love of learning is a shared enterprise among home, school, community and student, with open communication supporting active participation in managing their own learning.
Students grow academically through self-evaluation of their own approach to learning.
Self-esteem, honesty, fairness, respect, empathy, integrity, and cooperation are essential in how we treat one another.
Students deserve opportunities for service, leadership, cultural appreciation, creative expression, and activities that enrich their learning.