Banta Unified School District
February Update 2023
Kinder and TK Registration is Open February 6th!
We are registering incoming TK and Kinder students starting next week! Please call the school office if you have any questions!
Superintendent's Corner
As a kid, I loved the month of February! Aside from Groundhog’s Day and my birthday, it was the month of Valentine's! When we were young, my mom always had us make valentines for our classmates. Doilies, construction paper, glitter, and glue would cover our kitchen bar, as my sister and I cut out hearts and made intricate valentine creations! I remember the sense of pride I felt bringing my works of art to school. My teachers always oohed and awed over the glittered hearts, as I inadvertently showered their classrooms with sparkles!
Valentines, though, also meant having to work in my dad’s flower shop. Valentine's Day was big business and meant all hands on deck! Hundreds of dozens of roses would be delivered Valentine's week, and each rose had to be scraped of leaves and thorns.
Sitting in the back of my dad’s shop, I would scrape thorns from roses, one at a time. It was tedious work– and, aside from the radio, it was boring work, but it had to be done. I remember scrapping as fast as I could and barely keeping up with the designers as they made their beautiful arrangements for the big day!
Working in the flower shop taught me the meaning of hard work. It taught me that sometimes the tedious and monotonous jobs are the most important. It also taught me the value of earning a dollar and that the people working in the background, the ones that you do not see, are some of the hardest working people in the company.
Schools I have learned are a lot like flower shops. There is a lot of work happening in the backroom to ensure that our programs are exemplary. From the office preparing for registration, the teachers planning lessons and planning for valentines, the kitchen staff preparing 1000's of meals a week, the compliance person working on the countless state reports, and the custodians patching up leaks and keeping our facility clean, everyone's efforts are helping us maintain a sense of normalcy on our campus.
Speaking of hard work– our students and teachers have diligently been preparing for the state exams this year that will take place this Spring. We are working on concepts, analyzing past scores, and ensuring that all students have what they need before starting State testing! We know that our students will take what they have learned and do their best on their tests!
But the lives of our students are much more than test scores and grades. We know that students succeed best when they feel safe, loved, and supported. Hopefully, the successes students feel academically, socially, and emotionally throughout their school years continue as they leave our classrooms each day and live as positive citizens in our community.
With that in mind, we’re going to work hard to do well on our State Exams. We’re going to make our Valentines and use lots of glitter and glue, and we’re going to try to recognize all of those that work hard each day to make our school district a wonderful place to be.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Mrs. Pearlman
My dad
Flowers
My mom and Dad
Important Dates for February
Feb 6th - Read-a-thon kick off
Feb 8th - Family Science Night 5 PM - 6:30 PM
Feb 13th – No School
Feb 14th – Valentine’s Day
Feb 15th - Parent, Faculty Association/ DLAC / LCAP 6 PM
Feb 17th - Royal Ball 6 PM - 8 PM
Feb 20th – President’s Day – No School
Feb. 24th - PFA Movie Night- 6 pm
Feb 24 - Early Release/ Report Cards
March 2 - Read Across America Day
PFA/ DLAC / LCAP Meeting
Next Meeting: January 18, 2023
6:00 p.m.
Please join us at our monthly parent and staff meeting!
The Principal's Playground
February is a busy and exciting month at our school. On Thursday, February 2nd we will celebrate Groundhog day. I am hopeful that Punxsutawney Phil will not see his shadow which means that we will have warm spring weather sooner, rather than later. I am excited for Spring and warmer weather to arrive!
This month our students will be doing a lot of reading! February 6th marks our kick-off for our Read-a-thon Fundraising event. Read-a-thon is a reading program for students that encourages and incentivizes reading. Students will set a reading goal and track their progress to earn a chance to win prizes. Students will share their progress with families and friends to receive donations for our fundraiser. The goal is to give students opportunities to fall in love with reading.
One of my fondest childhood memories was when my mother enrolled me into Kindergarten. My teacher, Mrs. Blatcher would send home books for me to read. I'd read them all so quickly, my teacher couldn't keep up with my reading demands. She had suggested my mom take me to the public library. I remember my mother telling me that I had to be able to write my name perfectly on my library card. I practiced all week and learned to write my name. I was so proud of myself - and my new library card. I would spend hours pouring over books, learning about the world and immersing myself in new adventures. This experience instilled in me a love of learning and a lifelong appreciation for books. I hope that our students get to experience the same joy and love for reading as well.
We're also gearing up for our Banta Royal Ball school dance. This is a great opportunity for our students and their parents and/or guardians to come together, have fun and create memories that will last a lifetime! I look forward to seeing you at our Royal Ball on Friday, February 17th.
Wising you all a month filled with lots of love, hugs, and laughter - and of course - reading!
Stay warm,
Mrs. Maxie
100 Days of Learning!
Transitional Kindergarten Questions and Answers!
What is Transitional Kindergarten?
Transitional kindergarten (TK) bridges the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten years. It is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that has been implemented in California for children who are not old enough yet for kindergarten but want to build their social, developmental, and academic skills.
TK classrooms are taught by a multiple-subject credentialed teacher and the TK curriculum is based on the California Preschool Learning Foundations and the Kindergarten Common Core Standards. TK is offered at select SFUSD Early Education Schools and elementary schools.
Who is eligible for Transitional Kindergarten (TK)?
According to a new state law, more children will be eligible for TK starting with the 2022-2023 school year.
For the 2023-24 school year, TK is for students who will be turning age 5 between September 2, 2023 and April 2, 2024. (California law requires that children be age 5 on or before September 1 of the school year to be eligible for kindergarten, and age 6 on or before September 1 of the school year to be eligible for first-grade.) See the age chart below.
Students who complete TK will be required to apply for kindergarten the following year
How to Apply for Transitional Kindergarten?
Interested parents should contact the Banta school office (209) 229-4650 or the Banta District Office (209)229-4651 for information on registration. Registration forms will also be available by February 7th on the district webpage. https://bantaesd.sharpschool.net/
For the 2023-24 School year, if your child will be..
School Calendar 2022-2023
Character Counts -Pillar of the Month- Integrity
Having integrity means doing the right thing in a reliable way. It's a personality trait that we admire since it means a person has a moral compass that doesn't waver. It means having "wholeness" of character, just as an integer is a "whole number" with no fractions. Physical objects can display integrity, too — if you're going over a rickety old bridge that sways in the wind, you might question its structural integrity
Valentine's Day crafts
Transitional Kindergarten students in Brookelyn Murphy's class created Valentine's Day art pieces for their loved ones using cut-out pieces of paper to create hearts.
Banta Royal Ball
Nurse's Corner
Healthy Habits February
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of children with obesity has continued to rise over the past two decades. Some of the reasons this is concerning are:
· Increased risk of being bullied, social isolation, depression, and lower self-esteem
· Higher risk for having other chronic health conditions such as asthma, sleep apnea, bone and/or joint problems, and Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
What can you do?
+ Balancing Calories: helping kids develop healthy eating habits at a young age.
+ Encourage healthy eating habits
+ Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products
+ Include low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products
+ Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils, and beans for protein
+ Serve reasonable-sized portions
+ Encourage your family to drink lots of water
+ Limit sugar-sweetened beverages
+ Limit consumption of sugar and saturated fat
+ Help kids stay active
+ Children should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week, preferable daily. Remember that children imitate adults. Try starting by adding physical activity to your own daily routine and encourage your child/children to join you.
6th Graders It's Time for the Tdap!
Dear Parent/Guardian:
As your student prepares to enter 7th grade in the upcoming school year, it is important that they are up to date on all of their immunizations. As required by the state of California, your child will need to provide proof to the school that they have received their Tdap Booster immunization prior to entry into 7th grade.
If we do not have documentation of this immunization, unfortunately, we will not be able to place your child on a class list come the start of the 2023-2024 school year. Please note, there have been no extensions granted by the state due to COVID-19 and the TDAP requirement remains in place.
Please provide proof of your child’s Tdap immunization to the school no later than June 2, 2024.
Food Service
Banta Elementary is excited to add and try new menu items this school year. Some new items we have introduced include Spicy Buffalo Pizza, Chicken Fajitas, Fiesta Stuffed Pizza, Holiday Shaped Nuggets, Jello, Breakfast Sandwiches and Taco Hummus. The kids have shown excitement for the new items. Banta has also committed to 40% scratch cooking beginning 23-24 school year so you will be seeing new items leading up to the transition.
If there is a favorite item, you would like to see on the menu, please send me an email with your student’s favorite items to Jaanderson@bantasd.org.
The Librarian's Corner
So much is happening in the library, that there is something for everyone! We are hosting our doggy friends on February 14th with Mrs. Mate’s 4/5 combo class at 10:30 for our latest Read-to-a-Dog visit. The dogs will be dressed in Valentine gear and outfits as will the handlers.
We will also be having a Valentine scavenger hunt starting on February 10th and it will run the next week as well during student library times. There will be 10 fortune cookies hidden in the library. If your group is the first to win and collect all the fortunes, a prize of conversation heart candies or valentine bubbles are available. In addition, we will be doing our “Blind date with a Book” program where students of all levels can check out a book and then unwrap it for a fun surprise. Currently, books of all levels are wrapped and are available for check out from February 10th - 22nd. One last thing we are doing for Valentine’s day is if you write a Valentine to the library, the library will write you one back. Drop your valentine in our Valentine Rainbow Mailbox any time before February 14th to participate.
Do you prefer Pokemon or Minecraft? We will have a voting bulletin board up in the library and you can either put up a Pokeball or create a Minecraft cube so we can see which our students prefer. This is a passive but fun program for all students to participate in if they wish.
We just finished our glow-in-the-dark story times for all of our younger grades were we did a draw-in-tell, sang a song with glow sticks and mini glow sticks in Easter eggs as well as played with glow-in-the dark play dough, glow-in-the dark markers as well as decorating our glow eggs. This program was enjoyed by many students as the feedback was very positive from students and teacher alike.
We also have been promoting our Makey Makey Stem Invention Literacy Kit with our 6th graders and will continue to utilize the kit with our 7th and 8th graders. The kit will be available in the library for all teachers to check out with their students if they wish once we have presented it to our upper grades.
Another positive thing we have been doing in the library this year is creating story boards, the first one being, “It looked like Spilt Milk” by Charles Shaw. The boards are created with felt and then come alive as the storyteller tells the story.
Finally, we have been enjoying the story of Nubby Bowlin the dog with only two legs through the book put out by the dodo called Nubby’s Story and reading it aloud with our 3, 4th and 5th grades. You can learn more about Nubby here: Nubby Bowlin | Conroe TX | Facebook
The Banta Library is happening place and there are always so many fun things going on to increase not only literacy but also a love of reading. In Italian we say, “C’e qualcosa per tutti!” There is something for everyone! No matter your reading level or interest, we have something you can check out, enjoy, create or love in the school library.
Librarian
Dr. Elisa McDaniel
Chinese New Year Celebration!
Parent, Faculty Association/ DLAC / LCAP
In our monthly meetings, we actively share ongoing academic successes and needs for all students, especially those learning English as a second language.
Meeting Days and Time Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
● February 15, 2023
● April 19, 2023
Child Find
Consistent with Federal and State regulations, the Banta Unified School District engages in ongoing “Child Find” services to locate, identify, and evaluate all students with disabilities residing within its jurisdiction. We will provide appropriate special education services to students who qualify. If you know of a child who is 2 through 21 years of age who may have individual needs that result from disabilities or developmental delays, and who is not enrolled in a school program, please contact NelLaine Kilgore, Director of Special Education, at (209) 541- 9992.
Boys Basketball Season Underway!
Banta Unified School District officials are taking proactive measures to help lower Covid-19 outbreaks. In addition to providing every student at Banta Elementary School with a free at home Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test kit, the school is also serving as a Covid test site for San Joaquin County residents. Residents can make an appointment or walk-up to get tested by county health officials inside the tent that is located in front of the school multipurpose room Monday through Friday during business hours. For more information go to: https://sjready.org/events/covid19/testing.html