Spartanburg Day School
Encyclopedia
Spartanburg Day School is a private K–12 school, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina
. It consists of a lower school for 4K-4th graders, a middle school for 5th–8th graders, and an upper school for 9th–12th graders. A pre-school program was added in 1967 for five-year olds, and a readiness program in 1974 for four-year olds. The school is located directly across the street from Mary Black Memorial Hospital. It calls the grades 9–12 "upper school" and grades k4-4th grade "lower school", both common names for private day schools.
, volleyball
, soccer, physical education
, tennis
, basketball
, swimming
, cheerleading
, baseball
, lacrosse
, golf
, and track and field
. The school does not deny students from participating in its athletic programs due to inexperience or ability. SDS has enjoyed much athletic success in recent years, including back-to-back baseball state championships in 2001 and 2002 as well as state championship teams in men's and women's tennis.
, and is often the opponent in Homecoming
games. The day before the games, upper-school students decorate their wagons according to a specific theme to support the Griffins in a day called Wagon Wahoo Night. Students also create a banner and a skit to support SDS. Seniors typically poke fun at the faculty during their skit.
, Italy
, Toronto
, and working with Habitat for Humanity. Activities located on campus include Independent Women, The Art of Movies, and Photoshop. Each student is required to either attend a special studies activity or come up with their own.
Upper School:
Middle School:
100% of seniors in the past 10 years have been accepted into a four-year college or university.
Toward a happy mind fulfilled
Recognizing sound achievement
As the rock on which we build.
Finis Coronat Opus
The end crowns the work
Is our steadfast rule.
Finis Coronat Opus
The motto of the Spartanburg Day School.
For our goal we build a spirit
Great in power and clear in form
Bending not to moral whirlwind
Standing fast in every storm.
Finis Coronat Opus
The end crowns the work
Is our steadfast rule.
Finis Coronat Opus
The motto of the Spartanburg Day School.
We are proud and we are strong
Let us wave our colors red and blue
Let us cheer for students brave and true
We will fight and we will win
Never ever giving in
No matter where you go
You will always know
Our SDS team is marching on!
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
. It consists of a lower school for 4K-4th graders, a middle school for 5th–8th graders, and an upper school for 9th–12th graders. A pre-school program was added in 1967 for five-year olds, and a readiness program in 1974 for four-year olds. The school is located directly across the street from Mary Black Memorial Hospital. It calls the grades 9–12 "upper school" and grades k4-4th grade "lower school", both common names for private day schools.
History
Spartanburg Day School was established on September 12, 1957 at the Drayton Mill Community Building, with 35 students in 1st–5th grades. As more upper-level grades were needed, a new location for SDS was established on Skylyn Drive, where the school is currently located. In October 1962, the new campus was officially opened. The lower school, however, did not move to the current campus until 1993.Athletics
Each student from grades 7-12 is required to participate in one athletic team each academic year. SDS offers cross countryCross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, soccer, physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. The school does not deny students from participating in its athletic programs due to inexperience or ability. SDS has enjoyed much athletic success in recent years, including back-to-back baseball state championships in 2001 and 2002 as well as state championship teams in men's and women's tennis.
Events
Spartanburg Day School provides students with a number of exciting after-school programs throughout the year.Fall Festival
The activities at the Fall Festival are aimed towards lower school students, however all students are welcome to attend. Games and prizes motivate the students to come. Juniors are required to attend Fall Festival because it is a main fundraiser for the Junior-Senior prom.Homecoming and Wagon Night
The major athletic rival of SDS is Carolina Day SchoolCarolina Day School
Carolina Day School is an independent, co-ed, college preparatory school serving grades pre-k through 12. The school is located in the historic Biltmore Forest neighborhood of Asheville, North Carolina. It consists of a lower, middle, and upper school...
, and is often the opponent in Homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
games. The day before the games, upper-school students decorate their wagons according to a specific theme to support the Griffins in a day called Wagon Wahoo Night. Students also create a banner and a skit to support SDS. Seniors typically poke fun at the faculty during their skit.
Special Studies
Beginning in 1996, one week out of every year in March, students are able to "engage in a non-traditional learning activity". Examples of special studies activities include trips to Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and working with Habitat for Humanity. Activities located on campus include Independent Women, The Art of Movies, and Photoshop. Each student is required to either attend a special studies activity or come up with their own.
Clubs
Spartanburg Day School provides various clubs that students can join. Some are more educational in nature, while others do not require anything but the student's interest.Upper School:
- The Griffin (school's literary magazine)
- Chess Club
- Sci-Fi Club
- The Delta (the yearbook)
- Youth in Government
- Spanish Club
- ASTRA (girls service club)
- Interact (boys service club)
- The Talon (student newspaper)
- Tailgate Club
- Enviro Club
- Drama
- French Club
Middle School:
- Robotics Club (This was in the 2005-2006 school year.)
- Need-to-Read Book Club (Since expanded to include other schools)
- Chinese Club
- Chess Club
Bands
Spartanburg Day School currently has five bands, all directed by James Barnes. He also teaches ballroom dance and jazz history to sixth and seventh grades, while also remaining busy with teaching the 5th grade to play the recorder. The bands are the Middle School Concert Band, the Middle School Honor Band, the Middle School Jazz Band, the Upper School Band, the Upper School Jazz Band. Several of these bands do require an audition, but not all. The bands have done consistently well at all State Festivals. None of the bands ever made grades above an Excellent. However, on March 3, 2007, the Middle School Jazz Band made a Superior at the State Jazz festival. This was the first time the school had ever made a Superior at any State Festival. The SDS Middle School Honors Band was awarded the Outstanding Performance Award in the spring of 2007 after receiving enough Superiors at the state Solo and Ensemble festival. In 2009, all 6th grade students signed up for Beginning Band, even though the course was completely optional.Seniors
Seniors at Spartanburg Day School have special privileges, which include a special room that only seniors can enter, called The Senior Room. Seniors are also the only students who may leave the campus, and seniors are not required to attend their study halls. Collectively, these are called Senior Privileges. Senior Privileges can be revoked at any time, by any faculty member. Typically, however, seniors lose privileges for breaking dress code or being tardy.100% of seniors in the past 10 years have been accepted into a four-year college or university.
Alma mater
We with zeal pursue our studiesToward a happy mind fulfilled
Recognizing sound achievement
As the rock on which we build.
Finis Coronat Opus
The end crowns the work
Is our steadfast rule.
Finis Coronat Opus
The motto of the Spartanburg Day School.
For our goal we build a spirit
Great in power and clear in form
Bending not to moral whirlwind
Standing fast in every storm.
Finis Coronat Opus
The end crowns the work
Is our steadfast rule.
Finis Coronat Opus
The motto of the Spartanburg Day School.
Fight song
SDS is marching onWe are proud and we are strong
Let us wave our colors red and blue
Let us cheer for students brave and true
We will fight and we will win
Never ever giving in
No matter where you go
You will always know
Our SDS team is marching on!