Bear Bulletin

In this edition of the Bear Bulletin, you will find information about

• Our Boosterthon kick off and how you can support our students, register your child, volunteer at the Fun Run, or just come cheer your child on!

• This week's lunch menu, as well as links for setting up your child's account, adding money to your child's account, or to apply for financial support for meals.

• Volunteer opportunities at BES - these are updated frequently, so check back often!

• How you can plug in as a BES Mentor.

• A great parent resource - SC State Standards with Success Criteria by Quarter
  

• Information about the D5 Bond Referendum and how it will impact BES families

• Future opportunities to support the D5 Education Foundation (and support D5 Students & Teachers in the process!)

• Fall pictures will be taken on Friday, September 27 - say cheese!

A completed "Meal Modification Form" from your healthcare provider is required in order for nutrition services to omit or provide a substitute for any food allergies. Please return completed forms to the school nurse.

We are so excited to kick off our annual Boosterthon event this week at BES!

Boosterthon is our main fundraiser for the year and all money raised will be used to fund the annual PTO budget. It is through this budget that our wonderful PTO is able to give back over $30,000 to BES annually through supports such as teacher allotments for classroom supplies and extras, student incentives, family nights, staff thank-yous, professional development, and most recently our new digital marquee - just to name a few!

Boosterthon, however, is far more than a fundraiser. While they do help us meet the needs of our school financially, they also provide valuable character lessons of respect, good behavior, and good citizenship while also incorporating physical fitness and healthy choices. This is one of the primary reasons we have selected Boosterthon over other fundraising means.

The culminating Boosterthon Fun Run has established itself as one of the highlights of the school year, enjoyed by students, faculty and parents. Every child, whether they raise money or not, receives a Boosterthon t-shirt and has the opportunity to participate in the Fun Run, so everyone is included in the fun!

It's time to get your child registered! 💻 Sign up online at MyBooster.com

👟 Fun Run Day – 10/03, look for details & times in your HR Teacher's newsletter

Volunteer to help at the Fun Run HERE!

Lexington-Richland School District Five will host a series of virtual Lunch & Learn events with Superintendent Dr. Akil E. Ross, Sr. regarding the proposed Bond Referendum on the November election ballot.

Sessions will be held virtually from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. and will be tailored to the attendance zones for the district. The events will provide information about how the Bond Referendum would impact schools and the community. To submit a question to be addressed during the Lunch and Learn or included in a FAQ document click the following link: https://tinyurl.com/LR5BondQuestion.

• The Chapin community event will be Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/LR5BondChapin

• The Dutch Fork community event will be Friday, October 4, 2024.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/LR5BondDutchFork

• The Irmo community event will be Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/LR5BondIrmo

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions and feedback virtually.

If you are unable to attend the Lunch & Learn, the events will be recorded and shared on the District website.

In addition to the Family Friendly Standards that were distributed to all BES families during the BES Preview Nights, D5 has created a document that has the SC State Standards for every grade level along with the timeline of when it is taught. We hope that parents will appreciate the "Success Criteria" and the "I Can" statements that explain what students should be able to do by the end of each quarter based on the grade level standards. This will be a great resource as we partner together to ensure your child's success.

We'll need volunteers and candy donations.

Check with your child's homeroom teacher to see how you can help!

We have crossed the mid-point of the first nine weeks we'd love to get your feedback on the start of school and how things are going for you and your child. Please use the form or the link below to answer just a few questions and provide any other thoughts you'd like to share. If you have more than one child, please complete a survey for each one as the feedback requested is student/teacher specific.

BES Families and Community Members - Are you interested in supporting some of the BESt kids we know? It is not a huge time commitment at all, but the impact could last a lifetime. We'd love to have you! You can apply through the link below. If you have questions, contact our School Counselor, Ms. Siders.

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. 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.