Here's a look at what's happening in District Five schools this week!
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Teachers, Support Employees of the Year Named
There were cheers, and a few tears, at campuses across District Five over the last week, as schools and facilities announced their Teachers and Support Employees of the Year for 2016-17!
Superintendent Dr. Scott Turner visited each school campus, along with other D5 facilities, to congratulate the winners, and thank them for a job well done. The overall District Five Teacher of the Year and Support Employee of the year will be announced in late March.
This year's Teachers of the Year are:
Carrie Maxwell (Abner Creek Academy), Sarah Horan (Duncan Elementary), Margaret
Weber (Lyman Elementary), Laura Brockman (Reidville Elementary), Megan Turner (River Ridge Elementary), Kim Richards (Wellford Academy), Tiffany Darling (Beech Springs Intermediate), Andrea Forringer (Berry Shoals Intermediate), Lee Gosnell (D.R. Hill Middle School), Terri Pate (Florence Chapel Middle School), Josie Brown (Byrnes Freshman Academy), and Blake Hardee (Byrnes High School).
Teachers of the Year
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Carrie Maxwell
Abner Creek Academy
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Sarah Horan
Duncan Elementary School
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Margaret Weber
Lyman Elementary School
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Laura Brockman
Reidville Elementary School
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Megan Turner
River Ridge Ele
mentary School
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Kim Richards
W
ellford Academy
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Tiffany Darling
Beech Springs Intermediate
School
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Andrea Forringer
Berry Shoals Intermediate
School
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Lee Gosnell
D.R. Hill Middle School
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Terri Pate
Florence Chapel Middle
School
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Josie Brown
Byrnes Freshman Academy
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Blake Hardee
Byrnes High School
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This year's Support Employees of the Year are:
Tomi Black (Abner Creek Academy), Charles Thomas (Duncan Elementary), Tim Robinson (Lyman Elementary), Elizabeth Welch (Reidville Elementary), Pamela Gaffney (River Ridge Elementary), Dorian Watson (Wellford Academy), Joe Swetman (Beech Springs Intermediate), David Barker (Berry Shoals Intermediate), Reginald Brown (D.R. Hill Middle School), Candy Fowler (Florence Chapel Middle School), Lynn Sellers (Byrnes Freshman Academy), Angie Burrell (Byrnes High School), Kim Ridgeway (Middle Tyger Community Center), Keith Thomason (District Five Maintenance), and Donna Lazar (District Office).
Support Employees of the Year
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Tomi Black
Abner Creek Academy
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Tim Robinson
Lyman Elementary School
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Elizabeth Welch
Reidville Elementary School
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Pamela Gaffney
River Ridge Elementary
School
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Dorian Watson
Wellford Academy
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Joe Swetman
Beech Springs Intermediate
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David Barker
Berry Shoals Intermediate
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Reginald Brown
D.R. Hill Middle School
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Florence Chapel Middle
School
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Lynn Sellers
Byrnes Freshman Academy
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Angie Burrell
Byrnes High School
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Kim Ridgeway
Middle Tyger Community Center
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Keith Thomason
District Five Maintenance
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Donna Lazar
District Office
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School Board Recognition Month
They are a group of people who volunteer countless hours for our schools and our students. Last month, our schools took a time out to say "thank you' to the special members of our District Five Board of Trustees.
It was all part of "School Board Recognition Month", an event held in districts across South Carolina during the month of January to honor the contributions of school boards all over the state.
As a special District Five tradition, schools "adopt" a board member, and host them on their campus for special tours and time with students. In addition, at our January board meeting, schools presented their board member with a book in their honor. A copy of the same book, with a special inscription, will be placed in each school's library as a permanent reminder of that person's contributions to District Five.
Thank you to all of our Board of Trustees members!
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Rebel Regiment Honored At State House
Our State Champion
Byrnes High School Rebel Regiment band marched into the state capitol earlier this month for a big honor!
More than 200 students, along with their instructors and staff, were recognized on the floor of the House of Representatives for winning this year's 5-A SC State Championship. Representative Rita Allison, along with Representatives Mike Forrester and Bill Chumley, congratulated the band and read a special resolution in their honor.
You can read that resolution
here.
Way to go, Rebel Regiment!
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District Five Students Selected For SC Honor Choir
A group of talented District Five students sang their hearts out recently, along with some of the best from across South Carolina!
Eighteen District Five students were selected by the South Carolina Music Educators Association for the 2017 State Honor Choir. Our students were chosen out of 600 applicants, and have been preparing since December for the special weekend.
200 students from all over SC traveled to Columbia in early February for the event, singing before educators on Saturday, February 4, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
District Five students selected were:
Lily Preston, Alyss Robertson, Emory Stratton, Arianna Wilkes (Beech Springs), Mollie Hodge, Sydnee Manteaw, Sarah Sears, Lillie Underwood (Berry Shoals), Charlotte Gardner, Abigail Hodge, Maddie Wiant (Abner Creek), Cadence Dismukes, Kayleigh Geiger (Lyman), Katelin Johnson (River Ridge), Charlotte Price, Lakota Woods (Reidville), Jennifer McIlwain, Carolena Sims (Wellford)
Congratulations to all of these talented students and their fabulous directors!
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Teacher Forum Shirts On Sale
If you're looking for some new District Five swag, the Teacher Forum has you covered! During the month of February, the Forum is holding a fundraiser selling dress, casual and denim shirts for teachers and staff throughout the district.
The shirts will feature an embroidered version of our District Five logo. The sale will run through Friday, March 3.
For more information on sizing and prices, click
here.
Happy shopping!
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New Byrnes Addition Opens To Students, Teachers
It's been a long time coming for students and teachers at
Byrnes High School, but on Monday, the wait paid off! The school's new wing, officially called "Phase 1" of the
Byrnes construction project, opened its doors to some very excited students and staff members.
The 96,000 square foot, three story addition, which began construction in June of 2015, includes 36 new classrooms and science laboratories, new teachers workspaces and conference rooms, two new Assistant Principal offices, new locker rooms, ROTC area, and a renovated old gymnasium.
Students got a "sneak peek" of their new home last week, when teachers were allowed to move into their new classrooms for the first time.
There will be an official "Open House" to allow parents and community members to see the new building on Sunday, March 12, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Everyone is invited!
To watch a story from WYFF on the new addition, click
here.
To read coverage in the Spartanburg Herald Journal, click
here.
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Florence Chapel Band Showcased At State Conference
The
Florence Chapel Symphonic Band recently showed off their talent to educators from across South Carolina!
The band, under the direction of Alicia Crutchlow, was the only middle school band in SC chosen to perform at this year's South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA) Conference. The students gave a top-notch performance, which included guest conductors D5 Board of Trustees member Phil McIntyre, and Byrnes percussion director, Austin Sanders. Jonathan Valentine, director from Berry Shoals, also performed a saxophone concerto with the band.
The group received a standing ovation from the packed crowd!
Check out a video of the band's send-off performance below:
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Beech Springs Teacher Surprised With Teacher Forum Grant
Beech Springs Intermediate School guidance counselor Ashley Chapman recently got a big surprise! The District Five Teacher Forum selected Chapman as the recipient of it's 2016-27 Forum grant competition. The win is worth nearly $1000 to fund Chapman's idea at Beech Springs!
Her winning grant proposal, entitled "Finding Calm at the Beech", spoke of creating calming-down baskets for every classroom at her school. According to the proposal, the baskets are designed to help students develop self-soothing and calming skills. By learning these resilience strategies, students will be better able to manage their emotions, and better quipped to deal with life's frustrations and challenges.
The baskets will be stocked with items like stress balls, pinwheels to help students take deep, relaxing breaths, play-doh, bubble wrap, coloring pages, and more!
Congratulations, Ashley! We know the students at Beech Springs will benefit from this great idea!
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Success Adds Up For D.R. Hill Math Team
Just call them "math masters"! Several students at
D.R. Hill Middle School
showed off their math skills recently at the Spartanburg County "Math Counts" competition. Students competed against students from across Spartanburg County, as well as the Piedmont Chapter, and received 1st place in the competition!
First place team members included:
Jacob Stone, AJ Eubanks, Maribeth Eubanks
and Gabe Hart.
The students will now move on to the state competition on March 11.They will move on to the State competition on
March 11th.
Way to go, D.R. Hill students!
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Reidville Students Take Sides For Learning
4th grade students at
Reidville Elementary School recently took part in a good old fashioned debate, all for the sake of learning!
Students in Mrs. Quinby and Mrs Klopper's class took what they learned in Social Students and applied it to ELA, staging their own Loyalists vs. Patriots debate. Students researched many of they key players in the American Revolution and the significance of those historical events.
Great job,
Reidville students!
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Lyman Students Learn From International Visitors
3rd and 4th grade students at
Lyman Elementary School recently took a trip across the world, without ever leaving their classroom! The students played host to a special group of visitors from Japan, who gave them a taste of Japanese life and culture.
The Japanese students, who are from Kakogawa, were visiting the United States as guests of Lifesong Church. The visitors answered questions from
Lyman students, sharing what their daily lives are like, what kind of foods they eat, and their experiences in school and through extracurricular activities.
They also brought each child a Japanese toy, and modeled how to play different games. It was a great experience!
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Criminal Justice Program Opens Eyes, Opportunities For Byrnes Students
Eight
Byrnes High School students are getting a unique jump on their future careers, through a one-of-a-kind program in Spartanburg County. The students, along with about three dozen others from across the county, were selected for the inaugural year of the Criminal Justice Academy, initiated by Spartanburg Clerk of Court Hope Blackley.
The Academy, which started last month, walks students through different aspects of the criminal justice system, from the detention center to the courthouse. Students attend class once a week in a different location. Participants were selected based on a desire to pursue careers in criminal justice, and their promise to positively affect change in their own communities. A graduation ceremony is planned for May at the Piedmont Club in Spartanburg.
Congratulations to these Byrnes students who were selected to participate:
Taylor Bragg, Aaron Deck, Omar Foster, Alaina Freeman, Mackenzie Marcum, Janet Medina, Shamyah Stovall, and Glorianna Wright. |
Wellford Students Get Their Game On
Students and families at
Wellford Academy
got in the competitive spirit recently with their popular "Game Night".
Students, parents, and teachers enjoyed playing a variety of games, from Heads Up, to Jenga, Candy Land and the all time favorite, Uno.
The school's PTO also gave away games for students and families to enjoy at home.
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Potter Molds Magical Lesson At Abner Creek
Students at
Abner Creek Academy got to get their hands dirty recently, with a fun visit from community favorite, Mr. Potter!
The local artist helped K5 through 4th grade students create a clay masterpiece. As shown
in the pictures, kindergarten students had fun making a snail.
Keep up the great work,
Abner Creek!
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River Ridge Goes Camping For Literacy Night
River Ridge
Elementary School students recently went on a camping excursion, without ever leaving their campus! Students and their families checked into "
Reading S'more Fun"
campsites on a recent week night for the school's first-ever
Literacy
Night.
The evening began with a mini-parent workshop on how caregivers can help their children with reading. Students then hiked to the gym to "
Read Under the Stars"
in tents and around a "makeshift" campfire. Campfire songs were projected as the campers built reading fluency singing and roasting pretend marshmallows over the fire.
The trail also included "
S'more Fun With Books"
Book Fair. When the campers were hungry, they followed a recipe to make a delicious s'more! Then, it was on to more games involving
literacy!
Students fished for rhyming words, tossed ping pong balls labeled with words with similar word patterns in buckets, and played relay tic-tac-toe.
The fun of the night was all captured as
students posed in a special photo booth for some camping pictures! Special thanks to the Middle Tyger Library for coming to the school to help students sign-up for their very own library card!
Way to go,
River Ridge!
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Byrnes FIGHT Club Gets Big Grant
T
he Byrnes High School FIGHT Club, along with sponsor Coach Debbie Holcombe, got a big boost recently!
The Greater Greer Education Foundation presented the FIGHT Club with its annual educational grant.
David Dolge, committee chairman, made the trip to
Byrnes
recently to present a check to Coach Holcombe and FIGHT Club members.
Congratulations FIGHT Club!
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Berry Shoals Earns National Distinction
Congratulations to
Berry Shoals Intermediate School for earning a big honor from the national Beta Club!
The school's Beta Club chapter was awarded the "School of Merit" distinction recently, a testament to their hard work and service to the community!
Great job,
Berry Shoals!
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Florence Chapel Students Get Glimpse Of College LIfe
Students from
Florence Chapel Middle School got a dose of inspiration and a look at college life with a recent visit to USC Upstate.
Students and teachers visited the college to hear from Brooks Harper about setting goals and achieving them. The students are part of the "Adopt a Cougar" mentoring program at
Florence Chapel. During the visit, student Dessie Canty was selected to represent the importance of maintaining a good GPA throughout high school.
Way to go,
Florence Chapel!
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Byrnes Students Receive Writing Honors
District Five is well-represented in the South Carolina Honors College Writing contest, thanks to some talented Byrnes High School students! Out of 70 statewide finalists, sixteen are from Byrnes!
Congratulations to:
Seniors: Charles Carter, Cynthia Gonzales, Stephen Greer, Kaniah Rainey, Codie Powell, Sam Beckley, Savannah St. Peter
Juniors: Adeline Rosenberger, Jason Mahaffey, Angel Rogers, Noah Barnes, Selah Hamby, Mackenzie Marcum, LaVang Bui, Reece Brown, Landon Phipps
The students will travel to USC on March 17 to enter the final round of competition. Way to go, Byrnes students!
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Free Books Give River Ridge Students A Taste of Reading
Students at
River Ridge Elementary
are getting their hands on some new books, thanks to one of their favorite pizza places!
The school's Media Center received the new books, thanks to Pizza Hut's Literacy project partnership with Fist Book Marketplace.
Molly Barker,
M
edia Specialist,
was awarded $100 in books for the school as part of the program.
The hardbacks are already making their way into eager students' hands!
Congratulations River Ridge!
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Reidville Takes The Stage
Students from
Reidville Elementary School are ready to pull back the curtain on their spring musical, "Press Start"!
Everyone is invited to witness a wonderful performance this Friday, March 3, at the District Five Fine Arts Center at 6:00 p.m.
Come support this talented cast of students, as they "Press Start" on a great show!
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Eat More Chicken For Byrnes Tennis
If you're looking for a good meal, and a way to support
Byrnes High School athletics, here's your chance!
Come out to the Duncan Child-fil-A on Thursday night, March 2, to support the
Byrnes girls tennis program! A portion of the proceeds that even will go to help the team.
Eat more chicken, and GO REBELS!
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Judging from the looks of this picture, our Rebel Regiment is off to a great start for 2017-18! At a recent practice/informational meeting, 230 wind and percussion students showed up! Combined with future guard members, this will put next year's band at just under 300 members! That would make the Regiment the largest high school marching band in South Carolina! We can't wait to see what next year brings!
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Stay Connected With District Five!
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As we begin a new year, make sure you stay connected with District Five for all your latest news, announcements, and sneak peeks into our classrooms! Here are a couple of ways you can stay connected all year long:
SOCIAL MEDIA: District Five is very active on social media, sharing all kinds of exciting news from our classrooms, and highlighting our students and teachers. Be sure and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or (brand new just this year) Instagram!
MOBILE APP: If you want your news on the go, and in the palm of your hand, the D5 mobile app is for you! Everything from calendars to lunch menus, along with emergency notifications can be found there. Download the app
FOR FREE for your Apple or Android device today. Simply search Spartanburg District 5 Schools!
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 If you have an item you want featured in D5 News, please email District Five Director of Public Relations Melissa Robinette at
[email protected]
Help us spread the good news of District Five!
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