Welcome Summer Edition! 2023
The Joy of Crossing the Finish Line
Celebrating the Class of 2023
Our seniors finished the year strong! On Saturday, May 20th, 398 deserving young men and women marched across the stage at Viking Stadium for Spartanburg High School's commencement ceremony. Principal Dr. Vance Jones set the tone as he addressed the class with a heartfelt send-off. 

I want you to follow what inspires you. With that in mind, it takes courage to be different. Do you want to have the audacity to believe you can be who you want to be, do what you want to do, and achieve what you want to achieve? Being your best self requires courage. The class of 2023 definitely has courage...Once you recognize your talents and the gifts you have to offer the world, you should invest time in developing them because doing so will help you become the person you want to be and achieve the things you've always wanted to achieve." Dr. Jones also honored each SHS community member's role in helping the school earn recognition as one of the top high schools nationwide. At the end of April, SHS was once again named to U.S. News & World Report's list of America's Best High Schools. 

Valedictorian Anna Buchart and Salutatorian Aaron Grieshop were applauded for their achievements and for representing the Class of 2023 with the highest caliber and character. Our Tribute Ad to the Class of 2023 the Spartanburg Herald Journal highlights all the accomplishments of this special class. Photos from the Spartanburg Herald Journal
On graduation eve, Spartanburg High School seniors walked the halls of their elementary schools, cheered on by their former teachers and by young students who look up to them as they envision their own graduation one day. These special moments are a sight to behold - enjoy a glimpse through the video below:
Custom engraved brick pavers are installed surrounding District 7's "Forward Together" sculpture in our Fine Arts Center plaza. Engraved pavers make the perfect gift for a special Viking alum, teacher, senior, or other loved one. Each tax-deductible paver is $100 and benefits the D7 scholarship fund. Pavers can accommodate up to three lines of text.

ORDERS PLACED BY JULY 30 WILL BE INSTALLED BEFORE THE FALL.

Order your brick(s) by submitting this form along with payment.
End-of-Year i-Ready Update
In our third year of implementing i-Ready to help teachers and students create a more individualized pathway to learning, we have made tremendous progress with understanding and embracing the power of this tool. Over the next few years, District 7 will continue to deepen our implementation and more fully benefit from the tools available to our teachers and parents. Key to this process are the “i-Ready champions” at each school who are leading and cheering on our teachers to keep momentum going. This group is led by Dr. Edwina Perrin, who has been point person at the district level from the inception of this effort.

Dr. Perrin not only leads our i-Ready initiative, but her primary role is District 7’s math coordinator. Her love of equipping and inspiring other teacher leaders spans both the i-Ready realm and the mathematics realm, where she leads at both the state and national levels. As president of the South Carolina Leaders of Mathematics Education, she was one of three national grant recipients to attend the prestigious National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics annual conference this year. Interestingly, Dr. Perrin did not grow up loving math, which she attributes to not being taught the “how” and the “why” of the subject. When she began to finally understand, it planted the seeds that ultimately inspired her to help future generations of students understand and enjoy math, and to appreciate its everyday usefulness in our lives. It is this spirit of “coaching” that suits her so well to leading our i-Ready initiative.

“I am so excited about our district's growth with implementing i-Ready. We are seeing academic growth across the community” says Dr. Perrin. “i-Ready aligns well with our South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards and it meets our learners where they are. It alerts us when students are facing difficulty with a concept and allows the teachers to use resources in the Teacher Toolbox for additional support and enrichment. This toolbox enables your child's teacher to spend more time providing support than searching for help. Our teachers are excited about how this helps them accelerate student learning.”
Teachers such as Cassie Oakes, who teaches 7th grade ELA at McCracken Middle, are experimenting with how to put i-Ready tools to work in their classrooms every day. This year, she has developed an approach with a different focus each day of the week. Mondays are focused on each student’s personal pathway in i-Ready, including student/teacher conversations to set goals based on the data. “It is important for students to be able to understand what the numbers/data mean. It gave them a trajectory on their own personal goals, based on where they felt they struggled or needed help.” Tuesdays are small group work on vocabulary, with groups formed around students with similar needs based on their i-Ready data. “Usually, we work on activities that are either from the I-Ready Tools for Instruction or something that is similar,” she said. Wednesdays are for independent writing, during which Ms. Oakes works individually with the small groups. Thursdays typically begin with a closed reading assignment that is differentiated by using I-Ready data. “Each student is given a passage that was driven by data to build either their fluency or comprehension,” she says. The greatest amount of growth has taken place with her students that are one or more grade levels behind, with students gaining between one and two full years of growth between the fall and spring i-Ready assessments.
 

“I-Ready has been a great tool to help us differentiate our groups and identify which students need help and in what areas. It allows us to differentiate our classrooms much easier,” said Ms. Oakes
Orchestras Earn Performance GOLD Awards
Spartanburg High School and McCracken Middle School orchestra programs earned the top award from the South Carolina Music Educators Association, the Outstanding Performance Award for the 2022-2023 school year. This is the highest achievement for an orchestra program in the state of South Carolina, and fewer than 30 schools statewide qualified to receive it. Selection criteria include success in Region and All-State Orchestra, Concert Performance Assessment, and Solo and Ensemble.

District 7 takes great pride in this recognition. Special thanks and congratulations to SHS orchestra directors Jeff Kuntz and Helen Tipton, and to MMS directors Allison Key and Jenny Diehn!
Register/Enroll for 2023-2024 NOW!
4/5K ENROLLMENT for NEW Students:
Kindergarten enrollment is open for NEW 4K/5K students for the 2023-2024 school year. District 7 supports kindergarten readiness by incorporating 4K classrooms in every elementary school. All 4K programs in D7 require a kindergarten assessment for admission. For information and to apply, visit spartanburg7.org/Kindergarten

Children who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2023, MUST enroll in public or private kindergarten, unless their parent or legal guardian signs a waiver. Bring your documents to your neighborhood elementary school between the hours of 8:30am – 2:30pm, Monday through Thursday through June 8. Our dedicated faculty will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

RETURNING Student Enrollment:
ALL new and returning students should complete the annual enrollment process for 2023-2024 now (this process is in addition to course registration). Visit spartanburg7.org/studentenrollment to complete the process. If you are a returning family, the easiest way to complete enrollment is through our PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you have not yet activated your Parent Potal account, instructions are on our PowerSchool Parent Portal webpage.
NEW THIS YEAR:
Submit Returning Students’ Proof of Residency During “Document Drop-Off Weeks"

As part of the enrollment process, District 7 is requiring proof of residency for all students every school year. Proof of residency provides verification that students attend the school based on where they reside, in accordance with Federal, State, and District guidelines. To make this easier for everyone, our schools are hosting two Document Drop-Off Weeks: 

June 5-8 (schools are closed Friday, June 9) and 
July 31-August 4
Drop Off Times: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Click here for more details including what to bring!
New "EDUCARER" Award Honors Early Childhood Teachers
District 7 visionaries have established Spartanburg County’s first Educarer of Year Award to recognize the invaluable contributions of those who teach pre-school aged children. The team, led by Franklin School Director Shawna Bynum and including several D7 educators who share her passion, solicited nominations from early childcare directors from throughout the county and received 24 exceptional applicants for the award. The finalists were chosen by a committee of community experts, led by District 7's Stephanie Seay, and were selected based on an essay submission, interviews, and classroom videos. Numerous community organizations sponsored the inaugural award celebration at USC-Upstate, where each finalist was recognized and the winner, JaVona Lipscombe, was presented with a $2,000 cash award. Congratulations to all of our outstanding early childhood educators!

D7 In the News
D7 Educators Honored by SCASA
Margaret Peach, principal at McCracken Middle School, was honored this week with a lifetime achievement award from the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA). This is the highest honor awarded by the organization. Ms. Peach retires at the end of this school year after 38 years in education, 34 of which have been in District 7. For the last 14 years, she has served as the principal of McCracken Middle where she consistently led her students under the motto “Inspire and Equip Every Child with Every Opportunity Every Day!” Guided by the belief that children must come first, she worked to cultivate a school culture that fostered a positive and productive learning environment for each child—encouraging her students to make contributions each day that add to their school’s history of excellence in education.

Under Ms. Peach's leadership, McCracken was recognized with the Palmetto Gold and Silver Award for Academic Achievement, the Palmetto Silver Award for Closing the Gap, and was designated a National School to Watch. Ms. Peach has also served on the SCASA Board as the Middle Level Affiliate representative, on the Innovative Ideas Institute Committee, and the Middle Level Affiliate Executive Committee as the Middle Level Affiliate President.
Erin Black, another D7 trailblazer, was also honored at SCASA's event with the honor of South Carolina's Adult Education Director of the Year. Mrs. Black is in her seventh year as director of Spartanburg County Adult Education, a complementary program managed by D7 that serves adults in all Spartanburg County school districts. Her leadership has also been recognized by the Chamber of Commerce's Spartanburg Young Professionals group. Since joining the Spartanburg community about ten years ago, Mrs. Black has enthusiastically jumped into becoming involved as a member of the Upstate Workforce Investment Board's Youth Committee, on the advisory committee for the Northside Development Group, as part of the Generational Family Literacy working group of the Spartanburg Faith Initiative to End Poverty, and on the Community Action Team for OneSpartanburg. She also serves as a board member for the South Carolina Association of Adult Education Directors.
BEGIN YOUR ADULT EDUCATION JOURNEY THIS SUMMER!

A wide array of classes are offered during both the day and evening at multiple locations throughout the county. Classes are offered year-round, including an abbreviated summer schedule. The program's impact is powerful, both for the individuals served and for advancing our Spartanburg community. The team at Spartanburg County Adult Ed would enjoy speaking with you to help you explore the possibilities! Get more info here.
Standout Student Plays Carnegie Hall
Spartanburg high school senior John Kuntz recently represented his school and community as a performer in one of the most historic music halls in the world. On Sunday, April 23, John played cello with the Carolina Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

John has been a member of the ensemble for five years. His parents, Janet and Jeff Kuntz, music educators in D7, said it was amazing to sit in a sold-out audience to watch a high school regional youth orchestra from South Carolina perform.

While Mr. and Mrs. Kuntz have guided their son over the years, they say John's success is due to his own understanding of the value of hard work and its yield. Next fall, John will attend the University of South Carolina to pursue a double major in political science and cello performance.
D7 Cafeteria Manager Turns Entrepreneur
We are proud of Rosalind Wallace, who is ending her tenure as a D7 cafeteria manager to follow her dream of being a entrepreneur! After working in the food service industry in District 7 for over 20 years, she is opening a restaurant in June on Cannons Campground Road in Spartanburg - Nana's Soul-Licious. READ MORE
Scene Around Seven
Super Selfies
Celebrating Our Induction Year Teachers
Being a first-year teacher is a BIG DEAL, and we were thrilled to honor ours at the annual Induction Teacher Celebration. We are proud of the way they have embraced Belonging in 7 and the spirit of excellence in District 7. Congratulations to our induction class on their first year!
A Grand Send-Off for Our Retirees
Cheers and bravo to our incredible group of retirees who have contributed so much to their school community during their time with Spartanburg School District 7. On behalf of all the children you have inspired, we wholeheartedly thank you!
Save the Date
May
26
Friday, May 26
Half Day for Students/ Last Day of School
Friday, May 26
Half Day for Students/Last Day School 

Monday, May 29
Memorial Day Holiday

Tuesday May 30
Staff Development Exchange Day

Week Beginning Monday, June 5
Summer Schedule: Schools & Offices Closed on Fridays
Tuesday, June 6
School Board Meeting

Wednesday, June 14
Flag Day

Sunday, June 19
Father’s Day

Monday, June 19
Juneteenth Holiday - Schools & Offices Closed


610 Dupre Drive Spartanburg, South Carolina
P: 864.594.4400