Bobcat Bulletin
March 2023
Principal's Message
Dear BCES Community,
We excitedly enter the month of March and almost our final quarter of the school year! During this time, we reflect, collaborate and support any area of academic, cultural, or social-emotional support as we finish this final stretch of the school year strong!
One area we are working to improve is the percentage of students that are currently considered to have chronic attendance patterns. Chronic Absenteeism is defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year for any reason. All absences, lawful and unlawful, are factored into attendance percentages. Currently Ballenger Creek has 33.1% of students who have met this criteria. As we identify these students who are considered chronically absent, we will be sending communication and offering support. As we return from the pandemic we are working to support our students and families to have regular attendance patterns.
Our goal is to engage with families to support so we can partner together before students fall behind academically. Thank you for understanding the importance of every school day and ensuring students who are able are in school so we can make every day at Ballenger Creek count!
Sincerely,
Megan Stein
Principal
March Dates
Monday, March 6- Thursday, March 9: MISA Testing for 5th Grade; Penny War Start
Friday, March 17: Last Day of Penny War
Tuesday, March 21: End of Term 3
Wednesday, March 22: No School; Teacher Work Day
Thursday, March 23: Term 4 Begins
Friday, March 31: PTA Bingo Night
Enroll NEW Students to FCPS Online
Do you need to enroll a NEW student for the 2023-24 school year? Online enrollment is open for students NEW to Frederick County Public Schools for the 2023-24 school year!
Parents may enroll their child in FCPS by clicking here in English or here in Spanish. You will be prompted to create an account prior to beginning the enrollment process.
Additional information can be found online at https://www.fcps.org/student-services/enrolling-a-student.
2022-2023 Yearbooks
We are excited to share our memories of the school year in our 2022-2023 Yearbook! You may order now through April 8, 2023 by clicking the link below.
Deadline is April 8, 2023
MISA Testing for 5th grade
We want to inform you of the upcoming dates for Maryland Science Assessment (MISA) for students only in 5th grade.
During MISA testing week, please ensure that your student gets plenty of rest each night and come to school on time. If your student is absent or is unable to complete a testing session, they will be able to make-up the missed assessment on a later date.
Thank you for ensuring students are prepared and ready to take this state assessment.
Thank YOU MVCC Ballenger
PTA Updates
The PTA is currently looking for planning committee members for the three remaining large events of the year. Planning committee members will work with the event chair to make sure the event goes as well as possible for the year!
Spring Carnival - May 12th - Committee members will help plan games and activities for the children!
5th Grade Picnic - May 31st - Fifth Grade Parents needed to plan the picnic for the soon-to-be Middle Schoolers! The PTA is also looking for a committee chair for this event.
Megan Stein, Principal
Email: megan.stein@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/bces/home
Location: 5250 Kingsbrook Drive, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: 240-236-2500
Twitter: @FCPS_Stein