Banta Elementary School
October Update 2024
Custodian Appreciation Day Oct. 2nd! Help us celebrate our awesome custodians!
Superintendents Corner
I have always loved the Fall. From Halloween costumes to the smell of wet leaves on the road and memories made in the kitchen, it has always been one of my favorite times of the year. When I was a young girl, I had one Aunt who lived locally. Her name was Esther, and she was someone that I loved to be with, especially in the late summer and Fall. She was the mom to three boys, so time spent with her was always girl time!
She was a very petite German woman who taught third grade, was a great baker, and had a voice that commanded respect! I have great memories of her doing jazzercise to the TV in the seventies, setting beautiful tables for the holidays, and taking me on great walks throughout the Graeagle area!
My aunt was small but mighty. She had a good handicap on her golf game, played a mean hand of bridge, and walked many miles every day, even when it was snowing! When I first started teaching third grade, my aunt retired from teaching and gave me all of her wonderful resources and projects! For many years, my students made turkey glasses and pilgrim people, and I would send my Aunt photos, showing her how much my students loved her projects. In her retirement, my aunt continued to teach students at the Plumas-Eureka State Park as a living history docent. She was a wealth of knowledge about California and the history of gold mining!
Over the years, we had many conversations about the latest and greatest mystery book and its author. We spent time playing Zilch, a dice game that she was very good at, hands of Canasta, and, of course, we spent time making her famous cheesecake. My favorite memory of my aunt was one summer evening when we were at her small cabin in Graeagle. The whole family was coming over for dinner, and she, of course, was making cheesecake! She had the cake ready to go into the oven, and I was sitting with my uncle playing cards. All of a sudden, we heard a loud crash from the kitchen, and my aunt was using some very colorful language! When we ran into the kitchen, the cheesecake was on the floor, the walls, the ceiling, everywhere- as the bottom had dropped out of the pan! I am not sure who was more upset, my aunt or my uncle, knowing that we weren’t going to have cheesecake that night!
As seasons change, so does our family. This past week, I lost my 94-year-old aunt, and I have been constantly reminded of how much she shaped me to be the educator that I am today. She spent almost 40 years in the classroom, and although I did not make it that long, I am still in awe of the wonderful educator that she was.
I wish you all a wonderful Fall. I hope you can take a little time to connect with your extended family, maybe reach out to a cousin or an aunt, and remember how important the seasons of our lives are and how those who came before us shaped our own lives. I thought I would share her Cheesecake recipe with you. I hope your family loves it as much as mine did.
Dr. Pearlman
Important Dates for October
October 2 - Custodian Appreciation Day
October 7-11 - School Fall Break
October 14-PFA /Community Meeting 5:00 PM
October 16-Fall Picture Retakes
October 17- Spelling Bee
October 18- Halloween Dance 6-8 pm
October 25- KAT Country Pledge
October 26-Hay Day
October 28 - Red Ribbon Week- See scheduled days!
October 31 - Halloween Parade 10:15 AM
October 31- Early Release 1:15 PM
School Calendar for 2024-2025
Character Counts -Pillar of the Month- Responsibility
Do what you are supposed to do • Plan ahead • Persevere: keep on trying! • Always do your best • Use self-control • Be self-disciplined • Think before you act — consider the consequences • Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes • Set a good example for others
Each month a different Pillar of Character will be emphasized in the classrooms through Character education.
Employment Opportunities with Banta Unified
The Librarian's Corner
Two months into the new school year and we are off to a strong start! The library has been quite the hub of activity this past month. It all started with Ms Jackson’s class (our 6th & 7th grade combo class having a calm and happy reading day with our 4 legged friends. Each student got the opportunity to read to each dog, pet them, learn about them and even earn some cards and bookmarks. But that was just the beginning of our adventure…
Next all students had fun being detectives to solve the pet mysteries. We have a bulletin board of pet pictures that belong to various staff members and students had to work to figure out which pet belonged to which staff member. They asked us all some great questions, and a lot of discussion followed about why a student came to different conclusions. A great activity for everyone, even staff had fun guessing and getting to know about each other a bit more.
But that wasn't all. We also had a very active pirate-themed week. Class visits each got to do a treasure hunt through the library, and on National Talk Like a Pirate Day, the library opened up for recess for all sorts of Pirate games, crafts, and videos. Students got to learn about different areas in the library, plus a few fun pirate facts.
It was a month of great brain-storming, problem-solving, and using our imaginations! And never forget that reading improves your concentration and memory as well as increases your imagination and creativity. So read on!
-Mrs Eichele
Nurses Corner
Importance of Dental Care for Children
· One out of 10 two-year olds already have one or more cavities
· By age three, 28% of children have one or more cavities.
· By age five, nearly 50% of children have one or more cavities.
· American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend that all children see a pediatric dentist and establish a “dental home” by age one.
· Early checkups prevent cavities and tooth decay, which can lead to pain, trouble concentrating, and other medical issues.
· If you are in need of dental resources, please reach out to our school office.
Does your child have Covid -19 Symptoms?
If Yes:
- Keep the sick student
- Notify the school office of the illness
- If you would like, test the student for COVID-19
- If you decide to test for COVID-19, notify the school of the results
- Follow distance learning schedule
- Return to school on the return to school date given to you by the school nurse or office
Covid-19 Symptoms
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore Throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Return to Campus After Illness
Due to COVID-19 and the similarities between routine colds and allergies, any student that goes home sick or stays home sick with any cold, allergy, fever, or stomach/GI issues, will be required to meet the following criteria to return to campus.
Must be fever free for 24 hours with no fever reducing medications
AND
Have a Negative COVID-19 test result (at home tests are accepted)
T-dap Booster
Immunizations for incoming 7th Grade students
(current 6th graders)
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 2025-2026 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 before the first day of classes.
Always follow up with your health care providers with concerns
Does Your Student Have Health Concerns?
Our priority here at Banta is to keep your kids safe at school. The best way for us to be able to do that is to be aware of any medical or health needs that your child may have. This could include medications that need to be brought to school or health conditions that we would need to know about in an emergency.
Did you know: California state law allows for students to keep medications at school? The law requires that the physician of the child complete a form that gives us all of the information that we would need to know to safely give that medication to your child. The form is attached to this newsletter for your convenience.
Help us keep your kids safe at school!
Food Service
Straight From the Banta Garden!
Cucumbers Fresh From the Banta Garden!
Farm Fresh Tomatoes!
Yummy Pears From Our Trees!
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PFA (Parent Faculty Association)
Alexa Manzo - President
Teresa Lorentz - Vice President
Sarah Zuniga - Treasurer
Maribel Manzo - Secretary
Leticia Moreno - Fundraising Chairperson
Rechelle Pearlman - LEA Representative / Principal
PFA currently meets weekly on Mondays from 5:00 - 6:00 in the Library for our Hay Committee Meetings. Please join us! We need your help.
Fun Web Site for Kids
Have you seen National Geographic Kids? It is an amazing website with cool videos, game and stories about animals. Check it out– it’s Awesome!