Founded in 2002, Stern Enhancement School is housed in the historic Carrie Stern Elementary building. With a student body of approximately 400 students in grades kindergarten through sixth, the school focuses upon two distinct programs: the Enrichment Program for non-readers or students reading below grade level and the Challenge/Advanced Program for high-achieving students in need of an accelerated curriculum. Anticipating the "No Child Left Behind" Act, the Greenville Public School District's Board of Trustees established the enhancement school as an innovative parental choice educational institution.

Stern Enhancement School is truly the most exclusive school in Washington County.

The School of Tomorrow

Carrie Stern Elementary School was built in 1939 at the cost of $140,000, supported by a bond issue and a Public Works Administration grant. Designed by architects Overstreet and Town, the state-of-the-art facility was called the "School of Tomorrow." The building was named for the late Miss Caroline Stern, who had devoted her life to the education of Greenville children. Writer and artist as well as teacher, Miss Stern influenced the careers of a number of eminent Delta writers, including Shelby Foote, David Cohn, and William Alexander Percy. When Mrs. Norman O'Bannon, Stern Elementary School's first principal, opened the school in 1939, she declared, "This school stands for three things: Happiness, Learning, and Creative Opportunity. Each child is to have his chance and every teacher is to feel free to work out her ideas and plans." Today, Stern remains as forward-looking as its founders intended it to be!

Programs and Curriculum

The two programs offered at Stern are the Enrichment Program, for those students reading below grade level (or not reading at all), and the Challenge/Advanced Program, for students who are high academic achievers. C/A students benefit from being in classes with other high-achievers. All district gifted classes are housed here.
Concentration is upon reading, composition, vocabulary, and math skills in the Enrichment group. Our goal is to bring them up to grade level in reading and return them to the base school.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Because of strong parent and volunteer support, Stern students enjoy a number of extracurricular activities.

Monday Clubs (art, video, cooking, chess, drama, science and math)

Cheerleaders and Athletics

Choir

Big Brothers and Big Sisters

Family Reading Night

The Carrie Stern Arts Festival

Nearly all parents belong to the PTA, and we have recruited 23 participants to be our partners in education.

Among the adopters of our school are:

Challenge/Advanced

Challenge/advanced students receive instruction in all disciplines at an accelerated pace, with emphasis on research and independent projects. Challenge/advanced students may remain at Stern until they complete sixth grade. Field trips and resource speakers are encouraged for both programs to take learning outside the walls of the school. There are about 400 students enrolled in the school, approximately 1/2 in the Enrichment Program and 1/2 in the Challenge. The 13 to 1 student-teacher ratio ensures that each student receives the attention and intensive instruction he or she deserves. As a participant in the Whole Schools Arts Program, we are better able to bring the Arts into the curriculum through visiting artists and professional development. Additionally, our own Arts Specialists work alongside homeroom teachers to ensure that all types of learners are reached.

Enrollment Process

The students selected for admission to Stern Enhancement School are recruited from Greenville and the Greenville School District. Principals and teachers from the district's elementary schools recommend pupils for each of the two programs, based upon test data and teacher grades. Parents interested in enrolling their children go through an interview process, during which they are questioned regarding their willingness to support the school and to participate in their children's education. Students are then invited to enroll; parents are required to sign a parent contract to complete the process.

Highly Qualified Staff

Comprised of 33 certified teachers, 11 assistant teachers, and 2 administrators, the Stern faculty complies with the "highly qualified staff" requirements of the No Child Left Behind legislation. Support Staff currently includes an art teacher, physical education teacher, a math/science tutor, school nurse, counselor, librarian, home/school coordinator, a speech-language pathologist, and a technology coordinator.

Our teacher assistants are also highly qualified. Parents are welcome to review documentation of faculty members' qualifications. Parents are also welcome to visit classes and participate in activities throughout the year.