Banta Unified School District

Following Governor Newsom's recent announcement regarding new statewide masking guidelines, masks will no longer be a requirement inside schools and childcare facilities. As of Monday, March 14, BUSD will adopt new indoor mask policies that remove the requirement to mask indoors in our schools. However, masks will be "strongly recommended" in keeping with updated guidance. Per CalOSHA, these new guidelines also apply to employees.

We are registering incoming TK and Kinder students! Please call the school office if you have any questions!

As a little kid, I loved the idea of being lucky. The idea that leprechauns and pots of gold were real, and if I could only get to the end of the rainbow, all of my dreams would come true!

As a mom, I spent countless hours helping my children make leprechaun traps, testing out various leprechaun baits, and reassuring disappointed children, that perhaps we would catch a leprechaun next time. Each Saint Patrick’s eve would find me painting small footprints throughout my house, sprinkling gold glitter on countertops, and depositing chocolate gold coins in shoes and bathroom drawers. Seeing the look of wonder and excitement on my children’s faces made it all worthwhile!

One year, our dog Buster, who had a sweet tooth for milk chocolate, silently watched where I hid the candy. After I went to sleep that night, he got up, found, and ate the candy coins, only leaving gold foil remnants scattered throughout the house. Somehow that dog had also gotten himself into the paint and mysteriously had leprechaun footprints down his back, on his face, and pretty much everywhere!

That year, my children believed that the leprechauns had been very naughty and had eaten the candy themselves! They had visions of leprechauns riding the dog like a horse, creating chaos and mayhem, while we all slept upstairs.

As you begin your hunt for four-leaf clovers this month, I encourage you to find the magic in the everyday world around you. Point out the beauty of the cherry blossoms, the phenomena of the rain puddles, and the wonder in the eyes of your children.

Happy March and Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Mrs. Pearlman

March 2- Spring Pictures

March 7-11- Read Across America

March 7-21 SEE's Candy Fundraiser

March 14-25th- March Madness

March 18th- No School

March 23 PFA/LCAP Meeting- 6 PM- School Cafeteria

We are starting our See's Candy Spring Fundraiser on March 7th, with orders due to the school office on March 21st!

Proceeds will be used for student activities, supplies and end of the year activities!

Please support Banta School! Kids' will come home with flyers next week!

The top two selling classrooms will receive reward parties from the PFA!!

Next Meeting: March 23

6:00 p.m.

School Cafeteria

Please join us at our monthly parent meeting! We need you!

We have open potions for Vice- President, Treasurer, Fundraising coordinator and Spirit Wear organizer!

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.

According to a new state law, more children will be eligible for TK starting with the 2022-2023 school year.

For the 2022-23 school year, TK is for students who will be turning age 5 between September 2, 2022 and February 2, 2023. (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

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.http://bantasd.org/

Perseverance is not giving up, having the tenacity to hold on in following a course of action. It is a belief or a purpose; steadfastness.

“Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.” ― Friedrich von Schiller

During the month of March Banta will focus on Perseverance. Perseverance is commitment, hard work, patience, endurance. It is being able to deal with difficulties and uncertainty calmly and without complaint. One can persevere when they try and try again.

No matter what the challenge, perseverance is important because it is the drive that helps you get through the obstacle to the easier bit on the other side. Even though it feels so hard when you are working through a challenge, perseverance keeps pushing you through to your goal and to the good feeling that comes with knowing you did your best.

Taking the easy way out by cheating, quitting, or avoiding a situation doesn’t make the challenge go away. It just makes you have to deal with it at a different time. Perseverance helps you get through the challenge, even though it’s hard, and gives you that warm feeling in your heart of knowing you did the right thing.

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO TO TEACH PERSEVERANCE?

• Explain the meaning of perseverance.

• Share your experiences with them. Let your child know that you aren’t perfect.

  • Explain a difficulty or struggle in your life and how perseverance helped you.

• Encourage them throughout the process. Give them compliments, high fives, and hugs!

• If they have struggles, let them know it is ok and is expected.

• If they fail, let them know that it happens and it doesn’t reflect their efforts.

• Assess the reasons for not reaching their goal together and encourage them to try again

Special thanks to T. Maxie at RI Academies for her words on perseverance

Banta Elementary School students wrote messages as to why they feel lucky on shamrocks that are on display in the school library.

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 2022-2023 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 6, 2022.

Another successful month is behind us. Meal counts continue to grow on some days and stay steady on others. I visited Mrs. Mate's 5th-grade class at Banta to touch base with students' likes and dislikes. I really appreciated their feedback, and have conveyed their thoughts to our kitchen staff.

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.

Librarian’s Corner,

What can I say, we are getting ready for March Madness in the Library. We have had a generous donation by Sue Barnes of Door Dash so that we can provide athletic equipment and science learning kits to Banta students. Students have been voting on 16 books which distill down to the elite eight, final four, and then top two! The top two left in our book tournament are Holes and Dogman. Who will win? The final day to vote is this Friday. The winners for our raffle will be announced by March 4th.

We also have had a volunteer in the library, Mrs. Bella Diaz who has been sorting, shelving, weeding, and checking out books to some of our older kids. Thank you so much for your help as we are grateful. If you are ever interested in helping in the library feel free to contact me at emcdaniel@bantasd.org or by phone at 209-647-0774.

In April we will bring yoga story time to Mrs. Robinson’s class, Debbie Wolski of Village Yoga Center in Modesto will be coming to share her wealth of knowledge and we will read a yoga picture book as well as color some mandalas. Details to follow as this program will happen later on in the spring. April is also poetry month, so stop by if you have a favorite poem to share

Our fabulous canines will finish out the school year by visiting our 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Five of our furry friends just made a visit to the kindergarten classes on 2.22.22 and boy did everyone have fun.

We are excited about our library expansion and have been in the process of ordering new books. If students have any books in particular that they would like to see in the collection, please come and write them in the black notebook on my desk.

This month’s book review: How to Catch a Leprechaun

In this zany, creative book targeted at grades K-3, a leprechaun is trying to escape as no one can trap him. Kids try all kinds of things from mousetraps, string in a shoebox, unicorn slingshots, walnut crackers, nets, iron cages, and the like. It is a silly read with images that will delight both children and adults for St. Patrick’s day. Pick up a copy at your local library today.

Dr. McDaniel

Hank and Scout love to go places- but with COVID-19 still a concern, they have had to curtail their trips and outings So, each month, they thought it would be fun to bring you a place or two that might be fun for you to visit online, someplace that Hank and Scout would love to play!. Hank and Scout will be happy when COVID is behind them, but until then- enjoy exploring!!

This month-

Welcome Back! We are excited to start a school year where everyone can enjoy being on campus! In the new school year, we look forward to your continued support. With you, we can create family fun events to celebrate our community; and, we can raise necessary funds to support classroom activities.

In our monthly meetings, we actively share ongoing academic successes and needs for all students, especially those learning English as a second language.

Please join us this year as we continue to honor Banta’s rich history and community involvement.

Meeting Days and Time Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00 p.m. In the school cafeteria.

● March 23, 2022

● April , 2022

This month's Look Who's At Banta profile features physical education Teacher Albert Garibaldi, and sixth grade Teacher Nadia Robinson. Each month "Banta Bios" will highlight a Banta Elementary School staff member's educational background, training and what they like to do outside the classroom

Physical Education Teacher Albert Garibaldi, 49, originally from Stockton, California

Family:

Wife Julie and children Alberto, Amelia and Jacob

Educational background:

Bachelor’s degree of Arts from University of California San Diego, and teaching credentials and administration credential from Stanislaus State University in Turlock. His Masters in Education came from Western Governors University in Utah. He has been at Banta Elementary School for 22 years in various capacities, including teaching a number of grade levels, but he has been in the educational profession for 27 years.

Hobbies:

He enjoys sports and currently coaches sports in high school. As an athlete himself, he transitioned into coaching to teach others the skills he acquired as a youth. “I like being with the kids, that’s the best part,” he said. When he is not teaching the next generation of athletes, he enjoys working on his golf game at various golf courses. When it comes to relaxation time, he enjoys being outside and fishing on a quiet river. Traveling is also one of his favorite activities, particularly within the United States. He has managed to visit most of the western states, as well as east coast spots such as Washington D.C., Virginia, New York and New Jersey. He said he enjoys staying active and keeping busy.

Sixth grade Teacher Nadia Robinson, originally from central valley, California.

Family:

Partner Curt and son Nicholas

Educational background:

Bachelor’s in social sciences from Chapman University in Orange, California. She also obtained her teaching credentials and a Masters degree from Chapman.

Hobbies:

When she is not on campus, she enjoys being outdoors and hiking trails in different parks to find scenery such as waterfalls with her family and friends. She is also an avid traveler going abroad having been to Mexico, England, Iraq, Canada and numerous states throughout the U.S. She said she enjoys going to the tourist spots, but also going off the beaten path when she travels. Another fun thing she enjoys doing is roller skating, which was a childhood activity. During quiet times you will find her reading a book on such genres as mystery, fiction and crime stores. She particularly enjoys the works of authors James Patterson and Barbara Kingsolver. Cooking is also high on her list, particularly trying out new recipes and creating charcuterie boards for her family and friends. When it comes to an enjoyable night out, she loves to spend an evening watching musical theatre, and among her current theatrical favorites are the productions of “Hamilton” and “Wicked.”

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, Special Education, at (209) 541- 9992.

Fourth graders in Teacher Teresa Lorentz's class are learning about farming by planting their own vegetables in the school Ag Center. The students planted seed for Kaleidoscope Carrots, Watermelon Radish and sweet Peas. They hope to harvest their vegetables before the end of the school year.