Bear Bulletin
Week of August 22
From the Principal
Dear BES Families,
What an amazing start to the 22-23 school year we have had! It could not have gone any more smoothly. The smiling faces, the chatter of excitement to be back to school, seeing old friends and making new ones! Everyone is learning new procedures, routines, and are settling nicely back into the swing of things.
But students aren't the only ones working on learning new routines! Parents and guardians are as well! Please take a moment to review the car line procedures further down in the newsletter. We are working on improving the efficiency of the car line and we need your help. One of the easiest ways to make a huge difference is to make sure your child knows his/her car line number. Also, we know it's exciting to see your child at the end of the day, but it is important to focus on the adults giving directions in the car line so that we are working together to move as many cars through as quickly and as safely as possible. We've also included a video to help you understand the flow of the traffic.
As we move through the next few weeks, we'd love some feedback on the start of school. Parent input and feedback are always appreciated as we work through new routines and procedures. Whether through a phone call or an email, we welcome your thoughts and ideas. The Administrative Team at BES is always available to help in any way we can! You can contact us by calling the main office at 476-4500 or emailing us directly.
Principal Robin Bright rbright@lexrich5.org
Assistant Principal Zach Keister zkeister@lexrich5.org
Assistant Administrator Allison Babb ababb@lexrich5.org
Follow us on social media as well!
Facebook @BallentineElementarySchool
Twitter @BallentineElem
To facilitate communication between home and school, here are two links that we hope families will find helpful throughout the year.
To submit an absence note for your child, use this form: Student Absence Form
To notify the nurse of Covid contact or illness, use this form: BES Student - Reporting Covid Issues
Both of these links are also located on our school website under Quick Links and also under Parent Resources.
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to make this our BESt year yet!
New Safety Procedures - OpenGate Screening System
As we continue to refine our safety procedures, a new layer added to all D5 schools is the OpenGate Weapons Detection System. All visitors seeking access to the building will be screened through the OpenGate devices. This will be set up in the front office of the school. To facilitate and expedite this process, please limit what you carry on your person and in your pockets. We highly recommend limiting items to car keys and a cell phone. All other items/bags should be left in your car.
Car Line Updates
THANK YOU PARENTS! The first few days in the car line has gone very smoothly and will only get better as students learn their car tag numbers.
As a reminder, each family received a sheet of 5 car tags. Some hang from the mirror, others are smaller, similar to business cards. These are perfect to give to grandparents or other caregivers that occasionally pick up from school. Another good option is to attach one of the smaller card-sized tags to your child’s backpack to help them remember their number. Knowing this number will significantly help the flow of our car line.
Important Cafeteria Information for 2022-2023
For those students who bring lunch from home: Please make sure your child is able to open all items independently. While Lunchables and yogurt sticks are convenient and easy to pack, most younger students are unable to open them. Please practice opening these items at home or repackage them into baggies that students can open independently. ***If your child needs a carton of milk to go with their lunch, the cost is $.50. See below for information on how to add money to your child's lunch account.
For those students who purchase meals from the cafeteria: The cost of meals for the 22-23 school year are as follows:
- Student breakfast: $1.50
- Student lunch: $2.85
- Free/Reduced breakfast: $ .30
- Free/Reduced lunch: $ .40
- Adult breakfast: TBD
- Adult lunch: $4.90
Use the following link to set up & deposit funds into your child's lunch account - www.K12paymentcenter.com. You may also send in cash or check. To ensure the money is directed to the cafeteria and is put in your child's account, please place the cash/check in an envelope with your child's full name on it and write "Cafeteria" on the envelope.
Free/Reduced lunch applications are processed online only, www.lunchapplication.com.
Picture of the Week
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BallentineElem
Twitter - @BallentineElem
Car Line Traffic Flow
Using the image below, the blue/green dotted line shows the entrance/exit for car riders.
- Please note that this is a one-lane entrance.
- If accessing the parking lot, you will need to wait on Bickley Road until you are able to fully enter the driveway.
- Cars should use both lanes of the car line to double-stack cars entering BES. There is not a passing lane, so drivers needing to access the parking lot may be required to wait until traffic is moving.
- As cars approach the student drop off area, the two lines of traffic will merge into one line. At this point, anyone needing to park will turn left into the upper parking lot.
- Drivers needing to access handicap parking in the lower lot should have parking placards clearly displayed. Families using the drop off area will follow the traffic flow to the right.
- The exit onto Bickley Road is one lane and is RIGHT TURN ONLY.
This traffic pattern has been developed with the assistance of the SC Department of Transportation and the D5 Safety Officers to assure maximum safety not only for you and your child, but for all drivers on Bickley Road. This also provides plenty of space for cars to line up while waiting for arrival/dismissal of car riders. Please pull as far forward as possible so that we may load/unload multiple cars at once. Also, to ensure the safety of all, please remain in your car at all times. Students should have all items gathered and be ready to exit the vehicle when it stops. If parents need to get out of the car for any reason, please park in a designated parking place to do so.
***SEAT BELTS: If your child needs assistance with the seat belt, please use one of the parking lots so you are able to park and safely get out to help.***
Student breakfast: $1.50
Student lunch: $2.85
Our Mission…
The mission of Ballentine Elementary School is to join together community, staff, students, and families to ensure that all students are provided a world-class, rigorous education.
Our Vision…
In partnership with the community, staff, students, and families, Ballentine Elementary School will exemplify excellence in education in a positive, safe and nurturing environment in order to prepare our students to be fully participating citizens and leaders. We will foster the development of creative thinking, encourage curiosity and problem solving, promote respect for individual differences and uphold high ethical standards.