Starr-Iva Middle School

Old school fun was had at Starr-Iva Middle School as students celebrated the end of state testing with an exciting Incentive Day! 🎉

From kickball and karaoke to inflatable slides and more, students enjoyed a day filled with laughter, friendly competition, and well-earned fun after all their hard work. We are so proud of the effort they showed throughout testing season! 🐯💛

Congratulations to Mrs. Carrie Caldwell, Starr-Iva Middle's 2026–2027 Teacher of the Year! 🍎✨

As SIMS’ Agriculture Teacher, Mrs. Caldwell has already made an incredible impact in her first year at the school, bringing with her eight years of experience, endless positivity, and a renewed energy for agricultural education. Thanks to her leadership and passion, the agriculture program has made an exciting return to SIMS this year! 🌱🐄

Her philosophy of “fail forward” encourages students to try new things, learn from mistakes, and keep growing. She is intentional in everything she does and consistently brings together staff members, students, and community groups to create experiences that involve and uplift the entire school. From beautifying the campus to building strong relationships, Mrs. Caldwell’s impact is evident everywhere at SIMS. 💛

Congratulations to Mr. Gene Barnett, SIMS 2026–2027 Support Staff of the Year! 👏✨

As a valued member of the facilities team, Mr. Gene is truly a rockstar at SIMS! Every single day, he shows up with a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and a genuine love for the school community.

Mr. Gene goes above and beyond in everything he does, giving 100% — and then some — to ensure the school is the best it can be. He takes great pride in SIMS and encourages others to do the same. Beyond his work, Mr. Gene builds meaningful relationships with students and staff alike. His caring heart, positive spirit, and sense of humor make him such a blessing to the SIMS family. He keeps everyone smiling while helping the school run smoothly each and every day!

We are always thankful for our community partnerships, especially as we reflect on another great year at SIMS! Milky Way Farm has been such a blessing to our school, especially to our AG program. From donating milk for projects to providing prizes for students, their generosity and support mean so much to us. And let’s be honest, homemade ice cream is always better with Milky Way milk! 🍦🐄 Thank you, Milky Way Farm, for investing in our students and supporting our school community!

Day 1 of Teacher Appreciation Week was a sweet success! 🍩☕ A huge thank you to Mrs. Cowan from Total Life Restoration Ministries and Mrs. Vernon from Joy Comes for sponsoring delicious donuts and custom coffee treats for our staff today. Your kindness and support mean so much to us! We are truly blessed with the very best teachers and an amazing community that loves and supports them well. We’re looking forward to tomorrow’s celebration as we continue honoring the incredible educators who make a difference every single day! ❤️

She is truly all that and a bag of chips!! 🥔🧂

A leader who shows up every day with heart, dedication, and a commitment to making a difference for our students and staff. From supporting academic success to building strong relationships, Mrs. Wilson does it all with grace and grit!

Happy belated National Principals Day to our very own Principal Wilson!🎉🐯

Happy School Nurse Day to the one who makes sure we are all taken care of at SIMS: Nurse Leann Shaw! 🖤💛🩺 At SIMS, we know we have someone truly special caring for our students and staff every single day. Nurse Leann is the perfect combination of calm, compassion, patience, humor, and love. No matter how busy her office may be, she greets every student and staff member with kindness, consistency, and a caring heart. She has a way of making people feel safe, valued, and cared for : all while keeping everyone smiling along the way. Her positive spirit and steady presence help make SIMS a better place every single day. And on the rare occasion she is away, she is MISSED! Simply put, there is no one like our Nurse Leann, and SIMS is beyond blessed to have the very best!

From seed to skillet! 🌱🌮 Do you know what’s better than planting and growing kale in ag class? Making delicious tortilla bowls with the kale they grew themselves! Our students are learning the full process: plant, grow, harvest, cook, and serve -all while building real-world skills and teamwork. And judging by those aprons, we may have some future chefs from SIMS! 👩‍🍳

If you missed our band concert last night at CHS in "The Commons," you missed out! They sounded amazing, and we are so very proud of how they have grown this year. Thanks to Mr. Wilcox for his commitment to our program at SIMS!

SIMS FCA celebrated their final morning meeting last week with games and breakfast. Thank you to our community partners who made this possible and often served and volunteered with our FCA this year. We are looking forward to another great year next year. A huge shoutout to Mrs. Bowen (sponsor) and Ms. VanVlake (staff volunteer) along with our FCA Leadership Team for making FCA a success at SIMS.

Congrats to these kiddos for positive referrals this week!

Today we celebrate our incredible school lunch heroes! 🍽️ They brighten our days with encouraging words and warm smiles, and they do so much more than serve meals—they help create a welcoming, joyful space for our students and staff. Their hard work, dedication, and delicious food fill both our bellies and our hearts. They truly make our school a better place to work and learn… and they’ve turned the cafeteria into Mrs. Wilson’s favorite restaurant-lucky for her, she gets to dine there 180 days a year! The second picture is proof that our school lunch heroes don’t play around on burger bar day! 🍔

Huge congratulations to our SIMS students for earning 1st Place in the Rookie Division at the South Carolina Youth Shooting Foundation (SCYSF) State Championship! 🏆 Your hard work, focus, and teamwork truly paid off, and we couldn’t be more proud of how you represented our school. This is an incredible accomplishment and just the beginning of even greater things ahead! Way to go, kiddos! 🎉

Congrats to our April Staff Spotlight: Sunshine Rogers. She makes her name come to life as she lights up our cafeteria with her warm smile and incomparable work ethic. She's a joy, and she's aced the attendance and commitment parts of our ACE vision.

Mark your calendars. May is the last month, but it's a BUSY one! Please let us know if you have any questions.

Mr. Wilcox and some incredible chaperones took our 8th grade band on a well-earned trip to Carowinds after performing at Lewisville High School where they received an excellent rating! 🎶 From a strong performance to thrilling rollercoasters, it was the perfect way to celebrate their hard work and success. 🎢 And if you look closely… you might even spot a treble clef making a special appearance in the background! 👀 We are so proud of our band students and their continued dedication!

Mr. Russell and Mr. Hewell recently welcomed a guest speaker, Mr. Perry, who shared his experiences in Uganda, Africa with our students. 🌍 Students learned about the country’s location, resources, culture, and daily life and even had the opportunity to see and touch items from Africa firsthand! It was an engaging and memorable experience that brought learning to life in a powerful way. We’re grateful for opportunities like this for our students!

Last week, Mrs. Zinn, our SIMS and A3 Teacher of the Year, was honored at the annual South Carolina Teacher of the Year Gala at the State House. ✨ We are incredibly proud of Mrs. Zinn and the teacher she is each and every day. We are blessed to call her ours and are so thankful for the way she has represented our school and district this past year.

Mrs. Dicce brought learning to life by using a breakout room to engage 8th grade science students in reviewing tectonic plates! 🌍 Through collaboration, discussion, and targeted support, students strengthened their understanding and stayed actively involved in the learning process. Great job creating an interactive and meaningful learning experience!

The Cory White Diversity Award from the Anderson County Human Relations Council honors students who lead with love, acceptance, and strong character, values that reflect the legacy of Cory White.

Congratulations to Kylan Ware of Crescent High and Griffin Smith of Starr-Iva Middle for representing Anderson 3 so well. 👏🎉

Kylan is now a two-time recipient, first earning this honor in 8th grade.

We are proud of the impact these students are making!

Mrs. Caldwell recently took a group of our Ag students to McCormick for a Woodlands Clinic, and what a great experience it was! 🌲 Students had a fantastic time learning and competing, and we’re especially proud of Ava Junkins for bringing home the Overall Individual Win in Compass and Pacing! 🧭🏆 We are so proud of all our students and the incredible OPPORTUNITIES that Ag has provided them at SIMS this year!