Here's a look at what's happening in District Five schools this week!
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District Five Teacher, Support Employee of the Year Honored
It was a shining moment for two very special District Five employees Friday, as they received one of the highest honors in the district!
Superintendent Dr. Scott Turner surprised
Laura Brockman, a teacher at
Reidville Elementary School, with the news that she has been selected as the 2017-18 District Five Teacher of the Year!
Laura teaches 1st grade at
Reidville, and has been in the classroom for 21 years. She says she grew up wanting to be a teacher, after being inspired by her mother, who was an educator in Greenville County.
Laura strives to create a fun and magical classroom each year for her students, whom she affectionately calls "Brockman's Butterflies".
The honor places
Brockman in an elite group of educators from across the state, who will now go on to compete for the title of South Carolina Teacher of the Year.
Congratulations also to
Dorian Watson, of
Wellford Academy, who was selected as District Five's Support Employee of the Year this year!
Watson is a parent educator at Wellford who spends her days helping preschoolers gain skills necessary to succeed in the classroom, and helping struggling families find the resources and services they need. The
Wellford educator believes "success starts at home", and is passionate about providing parents the tools they need to help their children become great students.
Congratulations to
Laura Brockman and
Dorian Watson! You both represent the excellence of District Five!
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2017-18 School Calendar Released
It might be hard to believe, but it's already time to mark your calendars for the 2017-18 school year! District Five's Board of Trustees has approved the 2017-18 school year calendar, allowing our parents and families to go ahead and start preparing for next year.
The approval comes after Governor Henry McMaster signed into law a one-year waiver that allows the state's school districts to start their academic year earlier than the traditional 3rd Monday in August. District Five, like all other districts in Spartanburg County, will now begin class on Thursday, August 17, 2017.
Under the new calendar, students will have winter break from December 22, 2017- January 5, 2018. The last day of school for 2017-18 will be May 31, 2018.
You can view the full calendar
here.
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Community Comes Out For Byrnes Open House
 Hundreds of members of the District Five community recently got their "first look" at the newest addition to
Byrnes High School!
The school opened its doors to parents, students, and general members of the community to get an upclose view of the new three-story facility. The building houses 36 classrooms and science labs, a new JROTC area, and new administrative offices and conference rooms.
It also includes the Rebel Cafe, a unique dining opportunity for students and teachers, serving everything from sushi, to coffee and breakfast pastries.
During the event, JROTC cadets served as tour guides, showing off the new building to visitors. The event also featured performances by the Byrnes Singers and orchestra.
To see more pictures from the event, visit our
Facebook album.
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District Band Directors Honored
Several District Five band directors recently received high honors from the state!
Alicia Crutchlow, of
Florence Chapel Middle School, was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu National Bandmasters Fraternity in early March. Phi Beta Mu recognizes the top band directors in the state.
Crutchlow joins
Byrnes director
Bryan Bone, as a member of the prestigious organization.
Also,
Bryan Bone, of
Byrnes, and
Jonathan Valentine, from
Berry Shoals Intermediate, were elected to the SCBDA (South Carolina Band Directors Association) state-wide committees. Bryan was elected to the All-State Committee and Jonathan was elected to the Marching Committee. They were elected by their peer band directors from around the state and will serve for a three-year term.
Congratulations to all three of these outstanding members of the D5 family!
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D5 Students Shine At All State
Some of District Five's finest musicians made sweet sounds recently at the annual SCBDA All-State Band Clinic!
The event, which was held at Furman University on March 10-12, including the state's top band students. Students spent Friday and Saturday rehearsing with nationally renown clinicians, before performing a concert on Sunday. The list of District Five's participants is the district's largest group in 15 years!
Congratulations to:
Florence Chapel Middle School
Sarah Scholz, Amerie Washington, Will Eubanks, Carson Ponce, Cal Lee, Payton Lee, Jacob Sareault, Noah McKinney, Clay Gurley
Byrnes High School
Thomas Scholz, Payton Kennemore, Connor Gregory, Carson Ruffing, and Quinn Kinzie
We are proud of all of you!
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Mentors Needed For Citizen Scholars
District Five is excited to have a new class of Citizen Scholars this year! The current 6th graders are participating in a six year program to help them become college and career ready.
Students will attend Saturday classes, volunteer with the community, and participate in a variety of activities to prepare them for a successful future. These Citizen Scholars need adult mentors with a variety of backgrounds and education. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact Dr. Amy Kitts at
[email protected] or call (864) 949-2300.
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Byrnes Students Set Record For Writing Contest
Walk the halls of Byrnes High School this year, and you just might run across a future member of the New York Times Bestseller list! Some aspiring young writers at Byrnes are making a name for themselves again this year, as finalists in the USC Honors College annual essay contest.
This year, Byrnes can boast an amazing 16 finalists in the competition, which includes high school juniors and seniors from across South Carolina.
Last week, the students traveled to Columbia to be honored for their selection from hundreds of students across the state. There, they competed in the final round of competition, which included a timed impromptu written portion. All first round winners have their essays published in a USC Press Anthology in the Young Palmetto book series.
Congratulations to these students:
Noah Barnes, Sam Beckley, Reece Brown, LaVang Bui, Charlie Carter, Cynthia Gonzales, Steven Greer, Selah Hamby, Jason Mahaffey, Mackenzie Marcum, Landon Phipps, Codie Powell, Aydian Rainey, Angel Rogers, Adeline Rosenberger, and Savannah St. Peter.
Great job, Byrnes students!
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Florence Chapel and D.R. Hill Bands Travel To Atlanta
Band and orchestra students from
Florence Chapel and
D.R. Hill Middle School recently took their tunes on the road!
Earlier this month, the two schools traveled to Atlanta to compete in the Southern Star Music Festival. The combined orchestras of Florence Chapel and D.R. Hill and the D.R. Hill Band earned silver ratings.
The Florence Chapel band earned a gold rating and won the Grand Championship Award!
Way to go
Florence Chapel and
D.R. Hill!
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D.R. Hill Teachers Bring Hobbies To The Classroom
Students at
D.R. Hill Middle School got a unique glimpse into the lives of their teachers this week! During homeroom, the school hosted "special interest" time this week, highlighting hobbies or skills that they love with their students.
Students were given a list of all the special interest groups and were able to pick four that appealed to them. They could do everything from join Dumbledore's Army (for Harry Potter fanatics), to learn American Sign Language, to play a pickup game of soccer! Other interests included: Backpacking/Hiking, Lacrosse, Men's and Young Men's Fashion, Nutritional Snacks, Origami, and more!
Keep up the great work,
D.R. Hill!
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Duncan Staff Meets Nationally Known Educator, Author
 Teachers from Duncan Elementary School took on the role of "learners" last week, as they joined educators from across the state at the SC ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) Conference in Columbia.
While at the conference, Duncan's team had the chance to meet and hear from internationally known educator, author and speaker, Ron Clark, founder of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta.
It was a great day of learning!
 
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Byrnes Artists Have Record Showing At Local Show
Aspiring artists from
Byrnes High School are getting a chance to put their work in front of a large audience, as they were selected for the "Young Women In Art" juried art exhibit at Converse College.
Over 400 pieces of student artwork were submitted for the show, which features the work of 9-12th grade students from Spartanburg and Greenville County. Only 100 pieces are selected for the show, and
Byrnes had 12 student pieces chosen!
Congratulations to the following students:
Tayla Barnhart, Emmalee Boyles, Francesca Buti, Hannah Landaverde, Breanna Owens, Jennifer Rivera, Alisha Robb, Angelica Rogers, Shania Tran, Quiauna Wood, Daniel Benay, and Rini Karma.
The show will be on display at Converse College through April 15.
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Abner Creek Readers Go Camping
2nd grade students at
Abner Creek Academy set up their own campsite in their classrooms this week, as part of Camp Read-a-Lot!
Students participated in fun reading activities throughout the day, including flashlight reading, fishing for an author's purpose, and many others.
It was a great day of reading!
Good job,
Abner Creek!
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Byrnes Leadership Travels To Big Apple
A major winter storm couldn't keep
Byrnes High School Leadership students from their annual trip to New York City! The group had to delay their trip, and scrap plans to stop in Boston, due to snow and ice left from winter storm Stella, but still had a great time in the Big Apple!
Highlights of the trip included: a dinner cruise in New York harbor, trips to the 9-11 museum, One World Trade Center, Wall Street and the World Essex Cafe. Students were also "surprised" with VIP passes to be part of the studio audience of the "Live with Kelly" show.
The trip was capped off with a night on Broadway, as students, teachers and chaperones enjoyed the new 9-11 musical, "Come From Away".
Leadership Byrnes would like to thank their generous corporate sponsors for making the experience possible: Denny's, AFL Communications, Dr. Eric Nease, Hendricks Heating and Air, and HKA Corp.
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Berry Shoals Beta Club Has Busy Spring
Members of the Beta Club at
Berry Shoals Intermediate School have had their hands full this spring, giving back to our D5 community!
128 5th and 6th graders at the school were inducted into the club in early February, kicking off a great year learning about service and leadership.
In March, students got their hands a little dirty by volunteering to pick up litter on Shoals Road. The Beta Club partners with the Adopt-a-Road program, teaching students how important it is to keep their community clean!
Finally, the club deserves a big "congratulations" this year for earning recognition from the National Beta Club as a "School of Merit". Congratulations to
Berry Shoals Beta members, and club sponsor,
Andrea Forringer.
Way to go,
Berry Shoals!
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Wellford Hosts Poetry Slam
4th grade students at
Wellford Academy recently put their poetry skills to the test, as the school hosted a "Poetry Slam".
Students in Jessica Glay and Anna White's 4th grade classes selected a favorite
poem
to recite in the first-ever event. To prepare, students practiced performing with fluency, expression, rhythm, and volume. Then, they made or found a prop that would help them perform their
poem.
The students dressed up as
poets
for the
poetry
slam and had a great time performing for their friends and family!
Keep up the great work,
Wellford!
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River Ridge Class Puts Up Pennies For Good Cause
Students from
River Ridge Elementary School pinched their pennies recently to give back to others! The school participated in the annual "Pasta for Pennies" campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
As part of the challenge,
Marise Sizemore's 4th grade class raised over $1000! As a special treat, Sam and Jake Brown had an ice cream social with the class. Sam, a current
Byrnes High School student, is a Leukemia survivor, and was once a student at
River Ridge. Jake is Sam's twin brother. During the party, Sam passed out t-shirts and signed posters for the students.
In total,
River Ridge raised more than $4000 for the charity. Way to go,
River Ridge!
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Byrnes Shows Off Socks For Fellow Student
Students and faculty members at
Byrnes High School let their feet do the talking last week, as they supported one of their own!
Tuesday, March 21, was designated as "World Down Syndrome Day", and as part of the day, supporters across the globe were encouraged "rock their socks" just as those with Down Syndrome "rock their extra chromosome".
Students and staff at
Byrnes came to class decked out in their wackiest socks for their occasion, all to support fellow student, Zach Gibson, a Senior who has Down Syndrome.
Great job,
Byrnes!
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Math, Science and Technology Take Center Stage At River Ridge
It was a fun night of learning recently at River Ridge Elementary School, as the school opened its doors for "Math, Science and Technology Night".
Parents and students were invited to come out on March 16th for an evening of excitement as they participated in fun and engaging
math
,
science
, and
technology
activities. The event began with a Dreambox Challenge drawing for baskets filled with goodies for a grade level winner and three sessions of hands-on activities.
Some of the fun included: Lava Lamps, Stick to It Magnet Exploration, Up, Up and Away (catapults), Alka Poppers, If You Had Wings, Reptile Adaptations, QR Codes, a Science Fair Gallery Walk and a Sky Lab presented by the Spartanburg
Science Center.
The evening was filled with laughter, exploration and fun while learning! Way to go Pandas!
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Service Learning Helps Good Cause At Reidville
Students at
Reidville Elmentary School are learning it's better to give, than to receive.
The school is currently hosting a service learning project called Bottles for Babies, benefitting the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes is very special to the Reidville family, since several students there were born prematurely and benefited from the help of the organization.
While the whole school's generosity was impressive, one particular student's kind and generous heart stands out.
Lilly Lawson is a K5 student in Mrs. Clark's class, and brought in $214.40 in coins
in 2 weeks! While each class had a baby bottle to fill with change during the challenge,
Lilly brought in her own bottle, full of coins, saying she wanted to "keep the babies from being sick".
Lilly says she's been saving for a while, and earns the extra change through chores done at home.
Way to go
Lilly, and way to go,
Reidville!
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Thespian Society Welcomes Berry Shoals
Drama team members at
Berry Shoals Intermediate School have a new set of credentials: as members of the International Thespian Society!
The school's drama team recently qualified for the designation as a Junior Thespian Troupe. Around 20 students were inducted into the society during a swearing in ceremony early this month.
They'll head to state competition at Summerville High School in April. Good luck
Berry Shoals drama students!
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Rebel Runners Excel At Invitational Event
Congratulations to the
Byrnes High School track team for their recent victory at the Golden Corner Track and Field Invitational! The event, held at Seneca High School, featured 6 1st place finishes for the
Byrnes boys, and 8 1st place honors for the girls.
Way to go,
Rebels!
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Spring Plant Sale Coming To Byrnes
Spring has officially sprung, and that means it's time for Byrnes High School's annual spring plant sale! The sale, sponsored by the school's RATE program, will begin Monday, April 10, and last until the supply runs out!
Teachers, students, parents, and members of the community are welcome to drop by anytime during the school day and purchase plants. The greenhouse is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students will be available to assist you with selections, and deliver your purchases to your classroom or vehicle.
You can visit the sale website for more information on varieties and pricing.
Come out and see the hard work of these students, and support this fantastic program!
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Things got a little lucky at
Berry Shoals Intermediate School recently, as the school held its "Lucky Leprechaun" fundraiser as part of Relay for Life.
Students chipped in their cash to vote for which teacher they wanted to dress up as the Lucky Leprechaun. Coach Dwayne Haun was the winner!
But, of course, the real winner was the Relay for Life organization, as the school raised $547 through the fun event!
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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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