Inaugural Senior Walk Inspires Elementary Students
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You can ALWAYS go home again!
On May 23rd, our graduating seniors did just that -
returning to visit their local elementary schools for District 7’s Senior Walk. As we celebrate bittersweet endings and exciting new beginnings, this special new tradition is designed to inspire our future Vikings to dream of their own graduation one day. The walk down memory lane brought smiles and a few tears for our seniors and their former school staff members. We invite you enjoy this video as you reminisce about your own journey.
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Ready, Set, Soar - Class of 2019!
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The 2018-2019 academic year at Spartanburg High School is officially one for the history books. On Friday, May 24, 410 deserving young men and women marched across the stage in Richardson Indoor Stadium at Wofford College for
Spartanburg High School's commencement
ceremony
. A little more than an hour later, with diplomas in hand and tassels turned, the graduates flashed victorious smiles and impressive credentials.
Senior Class President
Emma Hardin Parker
set the tone for the evening as she addressed her classmates with a heartfelt sendoff.
“The two qualities that have defined our class and school are unity and perseverance. As Vikings, we have compassion; we embody loyalty; and we care. That is what I encourage you all to do - support each other and understand that differences do not divide us.”
Academic superstars, Salutatorian Amy Reith and Valedictorian Nathan Jones, were applauded for their collective scholarship earnings and their admission to dozens of the most notable colleges and universities in the nation. For the first time in over a decade, an SHS senior earned the Iron Viking Award for perfect attendance throughout all 12-years, with the award going to Grant Booker.
Principal Jeff Stevens
said
this year’s class achieved many impressive accolades. In athletics, this includes 13 individual All-State honorees, 4 individual state champions, 2 individual state runner-ups, a state championship win for the girls tennis team (the first in 25 years), and the 6th consecutive state championship win for the boys tennis team. The Envirothon team won the state championship for the 4th
consecutive year and will compete in the nationals this summer, and the Envirothon B team finished 2nd in the state. Notably, 38 seniors earned the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, 106 qualified for Life Scholarships, 16 seniors finished their high school careers with GPAs of over 5.0, 8 were recognized as National Merit Finalists and 1 was commended, 13 seniors attended the Viking Early College or the Spartanburg County High School Early College and earned Associates Degrees from Spartanburg Community College, and 103 SHS students - of which 50 were seniors - were named to the 2018 College Board AP Scholars. The Class of 2019 set the second place all-time record for college scholarship totals with 283 seniors earning merit scholarship awards totaling $22 million!
Mr. Stevens honored each SHS community member's role in helping the school earn recognition as one of the top 12% of all high schools nationwide in
U.S. News & World Report's
list of America's Best High Schools this month.
The Washington Post
also ranks SHS as one of the nation’s most challenging high schools and one of the top 10 in South Carolina in preparing students for college-level work.
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On Sunday, May 26 the
Spartanburg Herald-Journal
celebrated the top two scholarship recipients from the Class of 2019. Combined, Isabella Goodchild-Michelman and Grant Booker received more then $2 million in scholarship offers.
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On May 12, Mother's Day, t
he
Herald-Journal
featured the very special story of how Viking Early College senior Derique Simon overcame the challenge of losing his sight and the role his mother played in inspiring his success.
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On May 9
, Viking Early College seniors earned their Associates Degrees from Spartanburg Community College. Congratulations to the students pictured (from front left) Louis Jordan, Brandon Touch, Marvin Brooks, Derique Simon, (from back left) Ma’Kell Richardson, Tavien Giles, and Anderson Jeter. They are pictured with VEC director Verotta Kennedy. Congratulations also to Spartanburg County High School Early College students Sydney Broadus, Emaja Brown, Charissa Byrd, Ta-Taya Campbell, Angelica Kobak, and Amy Servando, who earned Associates Degrees.
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The End of an Era:
Final Year at SHS Commemorated on
Coins for 2019 Graduates
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Jeff Stevens had a surprise in store for the Class of 2019. As each crossed the stage and received their diplomas, they were also given a commemorative coin marking this milestone in the life of their school.
"Graduates, when you cross the stage this evening, you will be the last graduating class to walk the halls of Spartanburg High School as we currently know it," Mr. Stevens said. "You signify the end of more than a half-century of students and events that passed before you." The front side of the coin has the Viking and says "Tradition never graduates." The reverse side has a photo of the current high school with the dates 1959 - 2019.
"Please let this coin serve as a reminder to you that the past will always be remembered at Spartanburg High School, and that it will always continue to drive our future," he said.
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Above video: Jeff Stevens introduces the commemorative coins to the graduates.
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Spartanburg High School has been ranked in the top 12% of all high schools in the nation by
U.S. News & World Report
. The magazine’s
2019 list of "America’s Best High Schools"
was compiled based on college readiness, college curriculum breadth, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance, underserved student performance, and graduation rate.
“Spartanburg High School has a long legacy of preparing graduates who stand out among the brightest in the country. We are particularly proud that this recognition identifies students excelling at the highest academic levels while acknowledging the meaningful improvements taking place among our underserved student populations. While we realize these rankings are limited in scope, we celebrate and honor our staff's commitment to every student,” said Principal Jeff Stevens.
The rankings include data on 23,000 public high schools across the nation, including 223 in South Carolina.
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Put READING at the Top of Your Child's Summer List!
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Did you know that students can lose up to three months of reading skills if they don't read at least 4-6 books over the summer?
The more access students have to books, the more likely they are to develop good reading habits and avoid "summer slide" (the tendency to lose or forget skills learned during the previous school year). More than a decade ago, District 7 established a summer reading program called 7Reads. The effort was the result of a wonderful group of dedicated District 7 parents who took it upon themselves to put some sizzle into the fun of summer reading. Over the years, the summer reading program has evolved to become the overarching umbrella for a growing number of literacy initiatives in in the community.
There are several resources on the District 7 website to help your family with summer reading! Our D7 librarians have created recommended summer reading lists for each grade. These have been sent home with your student in printed form, but you can also
access them any time here.
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Our New SHS is Changing Daily
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By the time our students and staff return to school in August, the landscape on East Main Street will reveal an exciting new view - a finished Spartanburg High School! There will be plenty of progress to report over the summer so stay tuned to the District's Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.
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Road Construction Announced for E. Main and Plainview Drive
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As District 7 enters the final phase of construction for the new Spartanburg High School, we want our neighborhoods, community and nearby businesses to be aware of what will be taking place in the coming weeks. A key component of the project includes enhancements and upgrades to the roadways along East Main Street and Plainview Drive.
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Mary Black Foundation Grant Funds Walking Trail at New Outdoor Classroom
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The Mary Black Foundation has awarded a $125,000 grant to District 7 to fund the half-mile walking path surrounding the outdoor classroom at the new high school. The walking path, which includes handicap-accessible sidewalks and a pedestrian bridge, will be open to the public. District 7 appreciates the support of community partners like the Mary Black Foundation who support and strengthen our facilities and programs!
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Hats Off to our Support Staff Members of the Year
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Please join us in congratulating our Support Staff Members of the Year! These dedicated men and women were nominated by their colleagues and are praised for the important role they play in the District. Each are incredibly loyal to D7, their school, and the people they work with and the positive impact they make on the lives of students is felt every day.
The honorees are: (front) Kate Leonard, District Office; Linda Hurst, Carver Middle; Barbara Waters, the Early Learning Center; Leidy Sanchez, the McCarthy Teszler School; (middle) Horace Wilson, Cleveland Academy of Leadership; Carolyn Littlejohn, Transportation; Robbin Argentine, Mary H Wright Elementary; Maria Barry, Jesse Boyd Elementary; George McCarroll, the McCarthy Teszler School; (back) Rusty Humphries, Jr., DSOC; Todd Harding, Whitlock Flexible Learning Center; Jenny Garrity, McCracken Middle; Ashley Millinor, Pine Street Elementary; Gerald Clowney, Whitlock Flexible Learning Center; Johnnie Jones, E.P. Todd School; John Evans, Spartanburg High; Michael Drummond, Drayton Mills Elementary; (not pictured) Kim Allen McCarthy Teszler School; Barrett Burns and Christian Marshall, Transportation Office
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Spartanburg is Making National News for Education Innovation and D7 is Helping Tell the Story
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Strive Together, a national nonprofit network that supports the education of all children, posted a new story and video to their website about the process of creating continuous improvement by “starting small to go big.” From the article: “In Spartanburg, South Carolina, leaders are... harnessing the power of one — focusing improvement on one student, one day, with one learning objective — with the support of a community partnership called Spartanburg Academic Movement. Business and industry have led improvement efforts this way since the 1950s, with health care eventually following suit. Now, education and social systems are also starting small to go big."
W
atch the video
featuring Dr. Booker, Drayton Mills principal Thomas Webster, and District 6's continuous improvement coach Amanda Justice.
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It's a Snap to Register for the 2019-2020 School Year
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Registering your children for school next year is quick and simple! With our online platform, a Snapcode and the click of a few keys -
snap!
– it's done. In addition to parents saving time, our schools are also saving a few thousand trees.
Please use your child's Snapcode to register using this
link
or visit your school's website or the District 7 website.
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Enroll Now for District 7's 3K and 4K Programs!
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This week, the Early Learning Center celebrated “graduation” for their 4K students as these young learners prepare for a successful kindergarten start next fall. The ELC serves all of School District 7 with a free, full-day 4K program that includes a certified teacher plus an aide in every classroom.
The ELC is a NAEYC accredited program.
E.P. Todd School offers a Montessori program for both 3K and 4K students that is open to District 7 families with a monthly tuition. Registration is open now for next year at both locations. Please help spread the word
about these wonderful resources in our district
so that EVERY student has the opportunity to prepare for kindergarten through a quality pre-K program! For more information, call the ELC (864) 594-4465 or E.P. Todd (864) 594-4475.
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Tips on Finding the Right Summer Camps
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Throughout the summer we'll be posting news of summer camps like the
Cyber Patriot Camp above
and other activities on Peachjar. If you haven't signed up to receive this timely info via email, simply click the Peachjar button on the homepage of your school's website to view flyers - or click on the logo above.
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Whitlock Flexible Learning Center Shares Story of Changing Lives
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“It started with Ms. Kidd. She gave me those eyes,” Keith Tucker said. “Thanks to Whitlock, I actually have goals for myself after school.”
An inspiring front-page story in the Herald-Journal shares how special relationships and a ‘Fresh Start’ are changing lives at Whitlock Flexible Learning Center. The school's mission is to inspire and equip by providing students from all over Spartanburg County with a ‘Fresh Start’ to make significant strides in their behavioral and academic habits.
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Pine Street School Foundation and RE/MAX Provide 4th Grade STEAM Lesson with Hot Air Balloon
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Public-private partnerships enhance learning across District 7. Thanks to Pine Street School Foundation and
RE/MAX
Realty, Pine Street School’s entire fourth grade participated in a collaborative STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) experience in which they learned about the science behind how hot air balloons work and the history of balloon flight, which is the oldest form of manned flight in the world.
The day started at the
Thomas E. Hannah Family YMCA
with a balloon inflation and demonstration. Students helped deflate and repack the balloon, then returned to school for interactive lessons that covered the history and science of balloon flight and taught 4th grade science standards around weather.
Enjoy this video produced by Pine Street School highlighting their day!
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SHS Alumni Gold Team Prevails
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Thanks to our Viking alumni - players, coaches and fans- for participating in the Alumni Basketball Game. The Gold team coached by current assistant coach Charlie Miller prevailed 105-97 in a very competitive game!
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District 7 and JBE Teacher of the Year April Bryant represented the District during the statewide Teacher of the Year gala in Columbia.
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Even
though rain brought McCarthy Teszler students inside, they still had tons of fun on field day!
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Media Specialist Carrie Shoolbred threw the first pitch for Greenville Drive baseball game on May 5 to
celebrate JBE students earning the highest level of achievement in the Reading All-Stars Program.
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D7's ODYSSEY students were treated to a day of learning fun on Saturday, May 4 at Converse College. The "Mind, Body, Spirit" event included interactive STEAM rotations across the campus and introduced students to a broad variety of concepts - including what it is like to be inside a college classroom. Thank you to Converse College for hosting this special day for our students!
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Communities thrive when businesses and schools partner to enhance learning! Thank you to Milliken and to Drayton MIlls Elementary School for inspiring and equipping our youngest students as they set their sights on big dreams for the future. It was a delight to have the Milliken family visit DMES to learn about our students' project-based learning.
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Congratulations to
Jesse Boyd Elementary
for being voted top spot as “Best in Spartanburg” for 2019! JBE families sure do love their school, and they rallied to earn this recognition. We are proud of all our D7 schools and love to see students and families show their pride!
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These McCracken Middle School students enjoy a moment in the spotlight at Pine Street School as they performed original dance for kindergarten classes.
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"Education cannot be effective unless it helps a child open up himself to life." - Maria Montessori
Congratulations to all of E.P. Todd School's Montessori students for a great year of learning.
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ELC stud
ents enjoyed a tractor ride during their trip to Strawberry HIll. They
learned about the man-made ponds, strawberries, and peaches, and of course picked and devoured strawberries!
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Students from Carver Middle are recognized with
"It's My Future" Awards from Junior Achievement.
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Striking a pose after kindergarten graduation at Cleveland Academy of Leadership
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The Cancer Association of Spartanburg says 'thank you' to McCracken Middle for "McCracken's Elves & Think Pink". The students constructed a wonderful Tree of Hope and created beautiful jewelry for the Cancer Association clients during their YES (Year End Study) week.
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FOR SALE - Student paintings will be on sale Friday morning at McCracken Middle from 9:30-10:45. All of the money raised will go to the Waterford at Dillon Pointe Assisted Living and Memory Care Activities Department.
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Pine Street PTO joined parents, students and administration in expressing their appreciation for all teachers do during Teacher Appreciation Week May 6-10.
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E.P. Todd band students participated in the annual Solo and Ensemble Festival at Dorman High School on May 4. All earned SUPERIOR ratings for their performances!
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Carver Middle School thanks the 60 passionate Junior Achievement
volunteers who taught and inspired their students last Friday.
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For six consecutive years, the SHS Viking Boys Tennis team has captured the State Championship. And for the first time in 25 years, the Girls Tennis team ALSO captured the State Championship. Carrying on such a proud tradition takes a lot of hard work and dedication, congratulations to our champions!
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SHS has new state champions in the house! Track athletes let their light shine in Columbia at the 5A competition with Cameran Gist, Logan Gray and Nolan Brown all bringing home a lot of shiny new hardware.
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If it wasn't the incredible District 7 talent, awesome music, great storyline, and live accompaniment by student musicians that drove you to go see Mamma Mia, then maybe it was the opportunity to see our students rocking these jumpsuits. All were equally amazing.
It was a fantastic show! Congratulations to all who had it part in its success!
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Save the Dates - Summer 2019
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FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
August, 19 2019
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Tuesday, June 4
School Board Meeting
Monday, June 10
Summer Schedule Begins
Sunday, June 16
Father’s Day
Wednesday, July 4
Independence Day
Monday, July 29
Summer Schedule Ends
Cleveland Teachers Return
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Tuesday, July 30
Cleveland Teachers Staff Development
Wednesday, July 31 - Friday, Aug 2
Cleveland Teachers Staff Development
Monday, Aug 5
Cleveland First Day of School
Monday, Aug 12 - Friday, Aug 16
D7 Staff Development
Monday, Aug 19
D7 First Day of School
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Introducing Drayton Mills Elementary School's New
Vision, Mission and Core Values
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Drayton Mills has unveiled their new mission, vision, and core values following a broad-based, inclusive community process that followed the Franklin Covey model.
Members of the DMES community are eager to introduce them to you! Their method of storytelling in this video reflects the very message they aimed to deliver.
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As the saying goes, time flies when you're having fun and, so it is as we wave goodbye to students and staff for the summer and wish the Spartanburg High School Class of 2019 a fond farewell! It's been an amazing year! It is the goal of the Office of Communication to keep you up to date on the news, so please stay tuned to the District's Facebook and Twitter pages over the summer break. We'll see you back for our August 2019 edition!
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610 Dupre Drive Spartanburg, South Carolina
P: 864.594.4400
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