Banta Unified School District

These past few weeks, as I’ve been driving to work each day, I have slowed down, rolled down my windows, and breathed in the sweet smell of the almond blossoms in the orchards. The fragrance reminds me of growing up in the Central Valley and the promise of change. I have always viewed change as a good thing that we should encourage, embrace, and treasure. Sometimes though, it's the change in the little things that gives us the most joy.

I was thinking about when my kids were little, and how Easter was a time for being with family, wearing pretty dresses, going to church, and, of course, having a huge egg hunt. As the kids got older, the egg hunts dwindled, and the big Easter dinners turned into family barbeques, but one thing stayed constant: everyone received an Easter basket from the bunny ( my mother). She filled them with little trinkets, candy, and, of course, something fun to play with.

A few years back, I extended an Easter invitation to my daughter's medical school class so that anyone who didn't have a place to go for Easter could come to our house in the mountains for a BBQ and an epic egg hunt. In addition to family, we added an additional five wayward medical students. My husband and I spent weeks making all of the Easter baskets, trying to find fun things for big kids to play with, while they stressed over their exams. So play dough and finger puppets, slide whistles, bubbles, and Slinkys became the toys of the season, and apparently, they were all banned from lecture halls the following week!

We had a large egg hunt where the eggs held treats, money, and even a few lottery tickets- there was quite an incentive to run around the acreage looking for the colored eggs, with the promise of a few extra dollars to spend the following month! One of the kids told me that he was an out-of-shape medical student, but he was bound and determined to out-egg- hunt his friends! It brought us so much joy to watch these 20-something kids run around with their baskets, looking for the eggs and screaming in delight as they found hidden treasure!

This year, we will have a smaller gathering, but the big kid egg hunt is still on. But this year our grand baby, Sophia, will have her egg hunt! My nephew is 13 this year and is quite excited to be included in the big kid egg hunt with his older cousins. No more jelly beans for him- he's hoping to find a lottery ticket this year!

Traditions change, guest lists change, and even what's in the plastic eggs changes. But what doesn't change is the feeling of being with family and those you love for a few hours, sharing a meal, playing games, and just spending time with one another. From my family to yours, I wish you all a lovely Easter, a fantastic egg hunt, and a wonderful month where you are reminded that change is good and can be just what you need.

Dr. Pearlman

9 - State Science Testing for 5th and 8th graders

7- PFA Community Meeting

11 – Third Trimester Progress Reports

16 – Promotion Pictures (K-8)

23 - State Math Testing Grades 3rd-8th begins

23 - Secretary's Day

May 5-9- Staff Appreciation

Transitional kindergarten (TK) bridges the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten years. It is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that has been implemented in California for children who are not old enough yet for kindergarten but want to build their social, developmental, and academic skills.

TK classrooms are taught by a multiple-subject credentialed teacher and the TK curriculum is based on the California Preschool Learning Foundations and the Kindergarten Common Core Standards.

According to a new state law, more children will be eligible for TK starting with the 2022-2023 school year.

For the 2025-2026 school year, TK is for students who will be turning age 4 by September 1. (California law requires that children be age 5 on or before September 1 of the school year to be eligible for kindergarten, and age 6 on or before September 1 of the school year to be eligible for first-grade.) See the age chart below.

Students who complete TK will be required to apply for kindergarten the following year.

Interested parents should contact the Banta school office (209) 229-4650 or the Banta District Office (209)229-4651 for information on registration. Registration forms are available on the district webpage.http://bantasd.org/

Students show determination by persisting and having a strong desire to achieve a goal despite obstacles, challenges, or setbacks.

Another successful month is behind us. Meal counts continue to grow on some days and stay steady on others. This month, we tried blood oranges, and in March, we have two new items- a BLT sandwich and a Philly cheese steak bowl! I visited classes at Banta to connect with students and their likes and dislikes. I appreciated their feedback and have conveyed their thoughts to our kitchen staff.

If there is a favorite item you would like to see on the menu, please send me an email with your student’s favorite items to Jaanderson@bantasd.org.

Greetings Banta Community!

Spring is here, and just like plants, our young readers are blossoming and growing. One of the most exciting things about working in the library is seeing students find new books they love and reach new levels on their reading journey. From discovering a new series, reading their first chapter book, or hitting the next reward point for accelerated reading. It is not unheard of for me to give a small cheer or dance of joy upon the discovery of any achievement they may have accomplished.

On the morning of writing this, I spoke to a student about how her brother “used to” like a series butcher thought that now he must not because he doesn't read them anymore. When I shared how it isn't that he doesn't still like them but that he has discovered a new series to enjoy for right now, her face lit up to learn her big brother was still finding books to love and is one of the top readers at Banta. She is now determined to be just like him! Moments like these are truly magical.

We’ve had a busy past couple months in the library. From Tea Parties, Legos, Marble runs, magnetic tile builds, and more, the library has been a place of creativity! A new favorite book has been discovered for the students called ‘Butt or Face.’ Upon first pulling this book out to read to the class, I don't think teachers or students quite knew what we were in for. The kids had fun looking at close-up pictures of parts of an animal and guessing if they were looking at the face or backside of the animal. Many were shocked at the results. Each picture came with several fun facts about the animal they got to learn about. We had our monthly visits with Paws4Friends, 4th grade won a reading challenge, and our Second, Third and Fourth grade students got to play a game of Scoot while learning to tell the difference between fiction and nonfiction.

We now have our fiction room fully gentrified so that students learn what types of books they like best; they can now easily see other similar books to read for their next checkout. Not only is this room revamped to look more spacious and organized, we also now have a student store where they can buy fun school supplies and other goodies, such as pencils, scented gel pens, keychains, 3d erasers and more! New items are added regularly, and the kids love it! The school gets 100% of the profit, and it will all go toward fun programs and rewards for the students!

Still to come, we are playing Bookish ‘hangman’ where students work together to solve and spell out the names of several book series titles and a fun spring craft coming up to start off the new month. To end our library journey for this school year we have our Spring Book Fair coming up in May so be sure to check that out when we open.

In the meanwhile, I want to encourage you to read daily. Read to your child, with them, and have them read to you. Even as they get older, buddy read a book with them. It is always more exciting when you have someone to share a book with.

-Mrs Eichele

Welcome Back! We are excited to start a school year where everyone can enjoy being on campus! In the new school year, we look forward to your continued support. With you, we can create fun family events to celebrate our community, and we can raise the necessary funds to support classroom activities.

In our monthly meetings, we actively share ongoing academic successes and needs for all students, especially those learning English as a second language.

Please join us this year as we continue to honor Banta’s rich history and community involvement.

Meeting Days and Time Mondays 5-6 PM. In the school cafeteria.

Banta Elementary School had a few special guest readers on campus in early March for Read Across America. The event's goal is to motivate students to read more books. We had community helpers visit our Preschool and TK classes! A big shout out and thank you to the local Firefighters and police officers who made our day!

Consistent with Federal and State regulations, the Banta Unified School District engages in ongoing “Child Find” services to locate, identify, and evaluate all students with disabilities residing within its jurisdiction. We will provide appropriate special education services to students who qualify. If you know of a child who is 2 through 21 years of age who may have individual needs that result from disabilities or developmental delays and who is not enrolled in a school program, don't hesitate to get in touch with Dr. Danyelle Gonzales, Special Education, at (209) 541- 9992.