Bear Bulletin
Week of November 14
From the Principal
Dear Ballentine Families,
We are finally settling into a cooler weather pattern. This is the time of year when students start layering clothing since it can be quite chilly in the mornings, which means our lost and found starts to fill up! Please take a moment to label your child’s jackets, sweaters, etc with a first or last name so that if they are found somewhere in the building, we can quickly get them back to the correct owner.
Because of the number of items that are misplaced daily, there may be several places that your child’s item could be located. For clothing of any type there is a rolling coat rack near the cafeteria. Lunch boxes and water bottles are also in this area. Delicate or items of value such as glasses, jewelry, electronics, etc would be turned into the main office. Medications would be turned into the health room. At the end of each semester we donate all unclaimed items to a local charity, so please take the time to check these areas if your child is missing something.
This is the last week for our friendly competition between our Clemson and Carolina fans. In the end, it is a huge win overall as all of the food items will be donated to the D5 Snack Pack program that provides food support to hundreds of students in our district. The last day to contribute is Friday, Nov 18th. See the flier below for a list of the specific items we are collecting.
As part of our Mindful Monday focus this past week, we focused on patience and how we may coach ourselves through that, especially in challenging or frustrating situations. We'd love for parents to partner with us and continue conversations at home. When the opportunity presents itself, consider giving examples of how you show patience in your daily life.
Due to the forecast of inclement weather with high winds, our Veterans Day student assembly has been rescheduled for Monday. While many activities were provided virtually on Friday, we wanted to ensure that our students also had the opportunity to honor the many men and women in our armed forces. We are so thankful for their sacrifice and service to our country.
Finally, the holidays are quickly approaching. See below for some upcoming events that you don't want to miss, as well as guidance for special snacks.
For your calendar
- Mon - Nov 14 - American Education Week
- Tues, Nov 15 - Make up picture day
- Wed, Nov 23 - Fri, Nov 25 - Thanksgiving Break
- Wed, Nov 30 - School Improvement Council mtg, 7:00am
- Fri, Dec 2 - PTO Mtg, 7:45 BES cafeteria
- Tues, Dec 6 - MAP testing - 2nd & 3rd gr ELA
- Wed, Dec 7 - MAP testing - 1st gr ELA
- Thurs, Dec 8 - MAP testing - 4th & 5th gr ELA
- Fri, Dec 10 - Reindeer Games, BES Bus Loop, 8:30 - 10:00am
Special Snacks
As we move into the fall season, please remember the District 5 Board policy ADF “School Wellness” stipulates that during the instructional day, any food that is brought to a school from home with the purpose of sharing among students be store bought, packaged and have ingredients clearly listed on the packaging. Please help us with this so we can avoid disappointment at the last minute. Treats, such as candy, cupcakes, most cookies and sweets cannot be provided to our students as they do not meet the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools.
For this reason, all special snacks must be approved by the homeroom teacher well in advance of the special occasion. To make things easier for parents, treats may be ordered through our cafeteria. We have included the order form below.
Trex Recycling Challenge
Our school is once again participating in a nation-wide recycling challenge and we would appreciate your support!
We are collecting plastic bags and plastic film, which the company Trex turns into sustainable building materials for homes. The reason we are focusing on plastic bags and film, is because these materials are incredibly light and when they end up in a landfill, they tend to blow away and end up in our bodies of water. Also, unfortunately, most recycling plants are unable to recycle these items, as they tend to get stuck in the machines and break them. As you can see, this is quite a challenge for our community and our environment to overcome, which is why we need your continued help sending these materials to a company who can help us solve this ongoing problem!
At the end of each month, we collect all of the plastic from the collection bins around school, weigh the bags, and add up the amounts to find our total data. We invite you to please keep your eyes out for all CLEAN plastic bags and film that you can collect and bring to school! Simply drop them in the box right by the front office door, or have your child bring them to his or her classroom - we can take it from there! We will be collecting the plastic film and plastic bags up until the last day of school.
We have collected over 500 lbs so far. Our goal is 1000 lbs by the end of the school year. Thank you for your participation and support!
upcoming events
How's it going?
Picture of the Week
Follow us on social media to see more pictures of all of the amazing things our kids are doing and the fun events within the school!
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BallentineElem
Twitter - @BallentineElem
Do you think your child's teacher is pretty amazing? (We do too!)
How to Reach Us
Front Office - 803-476-4500
School Nurse - 803-476-4509
Cafeteria - 803-476-4508
School Counselor - 803-476-4534
Library - 803-476-4518
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
Community Sponsors
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.