Beacon News

fiOur 2022 Spring Firefly Festival was fantastic. Everything was executed with excellency and excitement. A big thank you to Ms. Reed for leading this event and organizing our volunteers. Having our school family together again was so refreshing, even in the midst of a very hot and humid evening. I am looking forward to future events with our Firefly family!

This week begins testing for our Track 1 students. Please make sure your child is fully rested and attends school every day. Our EOG tests will be taken on the computer. Please remind your child to take the allotted time given and to review their answer choices. Also, remind students to do their best but know that test scores are only one measure of student achievement. They are not the only measure and their self-worth is not reflected by a single score. We are very proud of all our students and the growth they have made this school year. We know each of them will go on to do great things and make a difference in their communities.

Track 1:

• ELA: Tuesday, May 24th, 2022
• Math: Wednesday, May 25th, 2022
• Science: Thursday, May 26th, 2022

5th Grade Picnic - All Tracks June 1st - 9:30am-3:00pm

• 10am - Staff/ Student Kickball Game!
• Lunch around 11:30am - pizza lunch will be provided for students (parents will have the option to purchase pizza lunch)
• Ice Cream truck after lunch! Students will be provided ice cream (parents will have the option to purchase)
• We plan to have several game stations ranging from water relays to yard games.
• To sign up to volunteer to set up, run games, or help clean up, please scan the QR code or email besadvocacy@gmail.com. (All volunteers need to be approved by WCPSS.)

The reception will take place outside, where Mrs. Moniz will present each student with a certificate and have a photo opportunity. Cake and refreshments will be served, and there will be photo stations for families to get photos with their Fireflies! Each student will get a small gift bag from the PTA to commemorate their time at Ballentine. Moving up reception.

TRACKs 3&4 June 27th - 10:00AM - 12:30PM

The reception will take place outside. Mrs. Martin, Ms. Degree, and Mrs. Lehmkuhl will have tables set up to present each student with a certificate. Students will have an opportunity to take a photo with their teacher. Cake and refreshments will be served, and there will be photo stations for families to get photos with their graduating Fireflies! Each student will get a small gift bag from the PTA to commemorate their time at Ballentine.

Grade Level Gift

5th Grade families are donating a Polywood Bench from the class of 2022 for the playground. If you would like to donate towards the purchase of the bench, please contact Melody Reed at melody.reed1@gmail.com. The bench has been ordered and we hope to have it delivered and installed in early June.

Our class has been learning about how kids can help others and make a difference in our world. We have decided to help address the problem of people who are hungry in our community. Our class is holding a food drive next week to give food to the Fuquay Varina Emergency Food Pantry for people who don't have food. We want you to donate to the cause. A flier is coming home in Monday Folders with more information and a list of needed items. Remember, if it is not on the list, don't get it.

There will be 6 boxes in the lobby to put food donations in starting on Monday May 23rd. There is a competition between the grade levels. So make sure you find your grade level box. If you win you get a shout out on the GLOW show!

Thank you for helping our class make a difference!

We often get asked about resources for parents that can be used to support learning at home. We were recently made aware of an excellent resource designed to support parents in helping their children acquire literacy skills. These resources were put together by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and are organized by grade level skills. We encourage you to explore these resources, which include both videos and print materials that provide explanations about the skills, as well as practice activities! You can access this information here: Literacy Resources for Home

June

• Thursday, June 2nd: Spring Concert 6:30-7:30 pm
• Monday, June 6th: Track 1, 5:00-6:00 pm Meet the Teacher
• Wednesday, June 29th: Tracks 2-4, 5:00-6:00 pm Meet the Teacher

EOG Dates

Tracks 2-4: (Grade 3 Only)

• ELA: Thursday, June 16th, 2022
• Math: Friday, June 17th, 2022

Tracks 2-4: (Grades 4 & 5 Only)

• ELA: Tuesday, June 21st, 2022
• Math: Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022
• Science:Thursday, June 23rd, 2022

We have numerous unclaimed clothing items in our lost and found area. This week we will roll the cart out each morning for families and students to have the opportunity to find lost items. All items will be donated to Goodwill on June 10th. If your child is missing a jacket, sweatshirt, or other clothing items, you may find them in our lost and found area.