Starr-Iva Middle School

🎲✨ Learning + Fun in Mrs. Pendleton’s class! ✨🎲 8th grade students are reviewing word parts through interactive games like Memory and Spoons. These activities help them sharpen their skills so they can break down and solve the meaning of unfamiliar words when they encounter them while reading. 📚💡 Way to make learning engaging, Mrs. Pendleton! 👏

✨ FCA at SIMS is in full swing! ✨ Last week, students reflected on the theme of carrying burdens and supporting one another. FCA meets Wednesdays in the gym at 7:30 AM, with grade levels rotating: • 8th grade started two weeks ago • 7th grade gathered on 9/10 • 6th grade is up this Wednesday, 9/17 🎉 Also pictured: an epic Rock-Paper-Scissors tournament! 🪨📄✂️ A big thank you to our student leaders for organizing FCA and to our advisors—Mrs. Bowen (sponsor), Ms. Van Vlake (co-sponsor), and Ms. Dotson (area advisor)—for guiding and supporting them!”

Another week of school at SIMS means another group of students making great choices and getting recognized for it. Congrats to these students for receiving positive office referrals this week. Parents, check your email to see why!

🌟 Classroom Spotlight 🌟 Big shoutout to Mrs. Thompson’s 7th grade ELA class! While Mrs. Thompson was away, one of our wonderful subs, Mrs. Peterson, was so impressed with the class that she wanted to give the entire group a positive referral for consistently doing the right thing each day. 🙌📚 Way to go, 7th graders—you showed responsibility, respect, and pride in being SIMS students! 💙💛

🚧 Slippery Slopes Ahead! 🚧

Christy Upton, Anderson 3’s Mental Health & Wellness Coordinator, recently talked with students at Starr-Iva Middle about slippery slopes like friends, bullying, attendance, dating, drama, and social media. Her reminders were simple: choose good influences, be a good influence, don’t bully others, date slowly, avoid drama, and stay off social media.

Thank you, Mrs. Upton, for helping our Tigers make positive choices every day! 💛🖤

Welcome to the #A3TeachingTeam, Ms. Amber Magyari! 👋🎉

Ms. Magyari has joined the 6th Grade Team at Starr-Iva Middle as a Math teacher! Amber’s journey in education began in Anderson 5, where she taught for the past two years at Whitehall Elementary. Before pursuing a degree in Education, she served Anderson 3 as a Bus Driver and Nutrition Services Operator.

A proud Starr native, Amber loves being part of the Anderson 3 family once again. Outside of school, you’ll often find her kayaking, tackling creative projects, and spending time with her close-knit family and friends.

Welcome back, Ms. Magyari! 🐾✏️

🔬✨ Our 6th grade scientists are zooming in on the microscopic world! Students worked with both hand lenses and microscopes to compare what each tool reveals. They observed living cell samples and non-living materials, recorded their findings, and discussed how microscopes allow us to see the fine details of cells that a hand lens just can’t capture. A big shout-out to our 6th grade science teachers for guiding students through this hands-on learning experience that brings science to life at SIMS! 🌱🔍🧫

📸 It may not be the best picture, and Mrs. Wilson may not have the best photography skills… but her favorite view is always from the back of a classroom—watching teachers powerfully present instruction and students ACE their learning through Attendance, Commitment, and Engagement! Today’s beautiful view came from Mrs. Pujols’ 8th grade math class, where students were actively engaged in learning about angles and triangles. Way to go, Mrs. Pujols and our 8th grade mathematicians! 👏✨

🍎🍊 Classroom Spotlight – Mrs. Magyari’s 6th Grade Math! 🍇🍌 Our 6th graders in Mrs. Magyari’s class brought math to life this week by visiting Mrs. Magyari’s Market! Students practiced Standard 6.NS.3 (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing multi-digit decimals) while creating their very own fruit bowls. 🥭🍍 By calculating the cost of different fruits, students learned how decimals connect to real-world problem solving—all while having fun with hands-on learning! We’re so proud of the way our students are collaborating and applying math skills in meaningful ways. Way to go, Mrs. Magyari and our 6th grade mathematicians! 👏✨

What a way to roll into the weekend-with a positive office referral! Parents, check your emails to see what teachers had to say about these kiddos this week! ❤️

🎉 Student Spotlight! 🎉 SIMS is beyond proud of Lee Allen, now a 7th grader, who earned TWO perfect scores on last year’s SC Ready Assessments in both math and science while in 6th grade!🏆📚 A huge shoutout to his teachers as well: Mr. Keown (Math) and Mrs. Lollis (Science)—for their dedication and support. Lee will be honored at the October Anderson District Three Board Meeting for his outstanding achievements. Way to go, Lee! You are a shining example of hard work and excellence at SIMS! 💛🖤

🌟 Classroom Spotlight: Mrs. Hanna 🌟 Learning in Mrs. Hanna’s class is all about thinking like a reader and writer! 📚✨ Her students are practicing big skills: analyzing a text’s central idea, using context clues and reference sources to unlock unfamiliar vocabulary, and applying the RACE writing strategy to explain how an author’s life impacts their work after some research. 📝🔎 The walls are filled with evidence of hard work and growing minds. We are so proud of our students for digging deep, building strong vocabulary, and showing off their critical thinking skills every day! 💡👏

Anderson 3 is proud to partner with local emergency services for our annual school safety walkthroughs. Representatives from Anderson County Emergency Management, Anderson County Fire, including surrounding volunteer fire stations, Anderson County EMS, Iva Police Department, and Anderson County Technical Services, toured our campuses this week with district leaders. Together, they reviewed changes, noted strengths, and identified ways to further strengthen our crisis plans and safety measures. 🚓🚑🚒

What makes Anderson 3 unique is our commitment to inviting emergency personnel into our schools to provide direct feedback on our procedures. This collaboration has become a yearly practice and continues to shape how we refine and improve safety across the district.

This year’s walkthrough highlighted the addition of even more safety cameras, fencing, equipment and other improvements. Dr. Nixon, Deputy Superintendent, mentioned this year's application for state Building Safety Grant Funds included ballistic film for exterior windows and doors.

We are grateful for the expertise and dedication of our community partners as we work together to keep our students and staff safe. 🏫🔒

September's Tiger Times is here! Make sure you check out the important dates including makeup pictures tomorrow, Tdap vaccine deadline for 7th grade students, home sporting events, and grading deadlines. We are looking forward to a wonderful month with our kiddos at SIMS!

Reminder: There is no school on Monday, September 1st in observance of Labor Day. Enjoy the day! We look forward to having everyone back in the building on Tuesday, September 2nd.

Another week at SIMS means another round of Positive Office Referrals. Check your email to see why your student was recognized this week! Go Tigers!🐅

🎨🎶🌱 At SIMS, our Related Arts classes are where engagement truly comes alive! From creativity in the art room, to teamwork and expression in music, to hands-on learning in Intro to Agriculture—our students are thriving because of the relationships built with their teachers and the fun, meaningful learning experiences happening every day. Our Related Arts teachers are not only sharing their passions, but they are also making sure every student feels connected, valued, and excited to learn. The smiles in these pictures say it all! 💛🐾 We’re proud to celebrate the E in ACE: Engagement—where staff and students grow together.

🌟 August 2025 SIMS Staff Spotlight 🌟 At SIMS, we are excited to kick off our monthly Staff Spotlight, where we celebrate the amazing people who make our school such a special place. This month, we are proud to recognize Mr. Gene Barnett, a valued member of our Facilities Team! Mr. Gene exemplifies the C in ACE: Commitment every single day. He takes great pride in his work, brings a positive attitude to everything he does, and is dedicated to making SIMS a better place for both students and staff. His commitment and care shine through in every detail, reminding us how important it is to give our best in service to others. 👏 Thank you, Mr. Gene, for your hard work, positivity, and pride in making SIMS a safe, welcoming, and beautiful place to work and learn. We are grateful for you! 💛🐾

This past week was filled with more positive office referrals, more positive parent contact, and a little lunch room fun! ❤️

🎉 Congratulations to Anderson 3’s 2025–2026 District Teacher & Support Staff of the Year! 💛

🎨 Teacher of the Year – Mrs. Martina Zinn, Art Teacher @ Starr-Iva Middle
🍎 Support Staff of the Year – Mrs. Kelly Brown, Paraprofessional @ Starr Elementary

These amazing women inspire, serve, and go above and beyond for our students every single day. We are blessed to have them on the #A3Team! 🫶 #A3Uncommon