Bear Bulletin

Dear BES Families -

Throughout the year you have provided great feedback to us so that we could work together to make this year the BESt it could possibly be for our students. We rely on this input to make decisions regarding what is going well and what needs to be refined and improved. We are asking for similar feedback for the SC State Department of Education Parent Opinion Survey. The responses to this survey help school and district leaders understand how parents feel about the school. A link to this survey will be sent to the parents or guardians of every student in South Carolina. If you have multiple children, you might get several links. We are only asking you to complete one survey for each school your children attend. You are permitted to complete one survey for each of your children if you want, but only one survey for each school is needed. Be on the lookout in your email for your survey request/link within the next week or so.

I know it is hard to believe, but it is that time of year when we start planning for the next school year. An important part of that process is setting up our advisory and support groups such as the School Improvement Council (SIC) and the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) board. In this edition of the Bear Bulletin you will find information about how you can get involved at BES – whether it is once a year or once a week. I encourage anyone interested to run for one of our vacant elected positions. If you are interested in learning more about how you can get involved at BES, please see the information below about upcoming opportunities.

For parents of 3rd - 5th grade students, please see the information below regarding Parent Portal. If you aren't set up in Parent Portal yet, please reach out to Mrs. Spell, our registrar.

Parent Portal is a wonderful tool for parents to access their child's information. In addition, you can use it to keep tabs on attendance and for students in grade 3 - 5, you can see grade updates.

Ecollect is a new forms collection tool that is housed inside PowerSchool, the database from which Parent Portal pulls information. Within the next few days, the SC Dept of Education will start using Ecollect to collect data from our district including surveys from parents of students in grades 3 - 5. In addition, this is how students attending either Chapin Intermediate or CrossRoads Intermediate schools will be registering for electives and core classes for their 5th grade year. (There will not be an email with a google form, like the past couple of years.)

The only way a parent can utilize Ecollect is through PowerSchool's Parent Portal, so it's important that we get everyone signed up and ready to go! Most families already have access to Parent Portal, but some still don't. Access to Parent Portal is password protected and is student specific, so, if you have not already accessed Parent Portal or don't remember your password, please reach out to Mrs. Spell, our registrar, at dspell@lexrich5.org or call 476-4500.

• Fri, Mar 1 - PTO Mtg, 7:45 BES library

• Mon, Mar 6 - Deadline to purchase Mother/Son Bowling tickets, SC Social Worker Week - we are very thankful for Mrs. Parker and all she does to support our students and families.

• Tues, Mar 14 or Wed, Mar 15 - Mother/Son Bowling (see below for ticket information)

• Mon, Mar 20 - Fri, Mar 24 - BES Arts Week (get involved - see below for more information!)

• Tues, Mar 21 - end of 3rd quarter, 4th & 5th gr MAP testing (ELA)

• Wed, Mar 22 - Early Release Day, dismiss at 11:40

• Thurs, Mar 23 - 2nd & 3rd gr MAP testing (ELA)

• Fri, Mar 24 - 1st gr MAP testing (ELA)

We are so excited about our 2nd Annual Arts Week here at BES. During the week of March 20 - 24, we will showcase each Related Areas content with guest speakers, dance groups, special student activities, and a Latin concert. Participants would share their talents for a few minutes during the school day. We would love to include parents or grandparents that would like to share any cultural practices/experiences, dance, musical or artistic talents during our morning arrivals, lunch, or hallway transitions. If you would like to participate, please fill out the Arts Week Google Form. For more information about participating please contact Mrs. Colchin.

Are you a working parent with limited time to participate in school activities? If you have great ideas or are interested in being a part of the BES support and advisory groups, then we have just the spot for you!

Our School Improvement Council is an advisory group of elected parent, community, and teacher representatives that work together to support the school’s initiatives. We meet monthly at 7:00am, so it is the perfect way to be involved, and still make it to work on time! The SIC is a great opportunity to hear about and be a part of the school decision-making process firsthand. We have two open positions for the upcoming school year.

Our PTO is a more active group that can be seen throughout the building. We have a very involved parent group, so much of the work is just helping to plan events and coordinate support for activities. There will be several PTO Board positions open, as well as committee chair opportunities.

Both groups provide easy opportunities for all parents to be involved in the school. We value parent input - your ideas, suggestions, and feedback help us make decisions that keep our school moving forward!

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

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.