Bear Bulletin
June 2022
Lost it? We may have found it!
A final reminder to check out the Lost and Found by the cafeteria for jackets, sweaters, and sweatshirts that may have gone missing during the school year. Any items left on June 6th will be donated to charity.
Medication Pick Up from the Health Room - Final Call!
The end of the year has come and we are closing of the health room. For safety reasons, we cannot send medications home with students nor can we store them in the health room over the Summer.
*** Per DHEC guidelines, any medication not picked up
by 5:00 pm on Monday, June 6th
will be discarded ***
Kindergarten registration has begun!
Online registration for students in School District Five who are eligible for five-year old kindergarten has begun! If you have a student who will attend five-year kindergarten next year, please make plans to enroll your child as soon as possible. If you know of someone who has a child who needs to register, please share this information with them.
To register for kindergarten, your child must be five years old on or before Sept. 1, 2022. Parents of children meeting this eligibility deadline should complete all sections of the ONLINE form, then call the school’s registrar, Mrs. Spell, at 476-4500 to make an appointment to complete the process. You will need to bring the following documents to the meeting with the registrar:
Your child's legal birth certificate
A current South Carolina Certificate of Immunization or a South Carolina Certificate of Medical or Religious Exemption
A property tax receipt or a rental lease showing all occupants
Two utility bills showing your correct home address
Registering your child early helps us and helps you! Registering early allows us to know how many students to expect in our classes and make plans to accommodate our enrollment with allocated classroom space, supplies, and personnel.
Click HERE for more information about Kindergarten for 2022-2023.
Proof of Residence Required of All D5 Students
Once again this year, all District 5 students will be required to provide THREE proofs of residence for the upcoming school year. In order for your child to be scheduled into a homeroom, you will need to provide the following by August 4th:
1) Property tax bill / Lease / or Real Estate Closing documents
2) TWO bills dated June 15, 2022 or later. These can be electric, water, sewer, cable, satellite, phone, vehicle tax or voter registration card.
You may drop by the school at your convenience as this process truly takes about two minutes. Our front office is open from 7:00am – 4:00pm through June 3. From June 6 – August 4, the school hours will be 7:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Thursday.
You can also fax them to BES at 476-4520. Please write your child(ren)’s name(s) on them so we can make sure the info is recorded for the appropriate student(s).
*** When a student and his/her parent/legal guardian move in with a family in an existing home/apartment, the parent/legal guardian must still provide proof of acceptable address through the affidavit process. The homeowner must provide the three proofs of residence above and an affidavit must be completed and notarized.***
Please call 476-4500 and speak to Mrs. Spell, our registrar, if you have any questions.
From Our Community Partners
Irmo-Chapin Recreation Commission:
- Summer Safari registration is open and available! Forms can be accessed online at https://www.icrc.net/activities or at our Crooked Creek Park location to register.
- Afternoon Safari information for the 22-23 school year will be made available in May.
- ICRC specialty summer camps are also open and registering. Some have filled but there are still some great camp offerings available, Crooked Creek, Saluda Shoals and Seven Oaks Park.
Richland County Public Library:
- Building Confident Readers—Looking for ways to support your struggling reader this summer? We invite you to attend the Building Confident Readers workshop for parents, caregivers, and educators with children in first grade and older. Learn reading strategies from certified reading experts from the Dyslexia Resource Center and receive a free copy of the book, Helpful Hints for Reading. Spots are limited, so be sure to register online. (LOCATION - Richland Library Main)
- Reading Skills Camp for Rising 3rd Graders: The RCPL is holding an 8 day in-person Summer Reading Skills Club for Rising 3rd Graders at Richland Library Main, 1431 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201. In this club, led by Richland Library Reading Specialists, children will learn basic phonics word attack skills through fun games and activities. Reading Skills Club sessions are available in June, July, and August. Each session will run for two weeks Monday-Thursday, 9:30-12:30.
Sign up for one of these sessions:
Each child that attends will receive books to build a home library, reading games, word attack workbooks, and a free Lexia Core 5 account. We are accepting both rising 3rd and 4th graders who are reading below grade level. Please call Emily or Amanda at 803.929.3434 or email us at readingspecialist@richlandlibrary.com and we will send along the registration information.
- Children’s Book Battle Richland Library Ballentine
Book Battle is a quiz-bowl type tournament competition that tests knowledge of books from a list selected by Richland Library. Locations with participating teams will practice during July and compete in a Final Battle at Richland Library Southeast on August 6, 2022.
Here are the books they will be reading:
Jukebox, Nidhi Chanani
Legend of the Skeleton Man, Joseph Bruchac
Dragons in a Bag, Zetta Elliot
Look Both Ways, Jason Reynolds
These are the current scheduled VIRTUAL practices:
10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Saturday, July 9
2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m., Tuesday, July 12
2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m., Tuesday, July 26
Registration forms will be available at locations at the beginning of June!
How to Reach Us
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
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to make this our BESt year yet!
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.