Sept 3

The Bear Bulletin

www.lex5.k12.sc.us/Ballentine.cfm

A South Carolina Red Carpet School An Exemplary Writing School 2006 State Winner of the S.C. International Reading Assoc. Exemplary Reading Award

The Bear Bulletin VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1

SEPTEMBER 3, 2009

From the Principal Robin W. Bright “Excellent” Report Card Rating 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 & 2008-09 Closing the Achievement Gap Recognition 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 & 2008-09

Calendar of Events September •

Sept. 7: Labor Day Holiday! All schools closed.

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Sept. 8: MAP Testing Begins, grades 2-5

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Sept. 13: Happy Grandparents Day!

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Sept. 23: Early Release Day, 11:40 dismissal

October •

Oct. 5: Sonic Night, 5-8 p.m.

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Sept. 9: Picture Day!

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Oct. 12: Student Holiday, Teacher Professional Development Day

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Oct. 22: Early Release Day, 11:40 dismissal

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Oct. 27: Health Screening Day

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Oct. 31: Happy Halloween!

This is the LAST Bear Bulletin EVER! Well, not really, but it is the last paper version that you will receive! Ballentine Elementary is doing our part to conserve our resources. We will continue to communicate school events and other instructional tips through The Bear Bulletin, just not in paper form. We will update The Bear Bulletin weekly and post it on our website and also send it electronically to our teachers to send home via email with their classroom newsletters. This will save approximately 3000 copies per week! That’s a lot of paper! We hope that you will continue to stay abreast of the happenings at BES and join us as we do our part to make the world a better place!

Car Line Info In response to the many parent requests we have received to address the safety issue of the car line entrance and exit, we have consulted with the Richland County Sherriff’s department, the State Highway Patrol, our District Transportation office and our District Coordinator of Security and Safety. As a result, there are two important changes to the entrance/exit that you will need to become very familiar with. First, there will be a one entrance lane and one exit lane. Orange traffic cones will be placed to help designate the lanes. Secondly, the exit lane will be a RIGHT TURN ONLY lane during the hours of 7:00am – 8:00am and 2:00pm – 3:00pm. These changes will take place immediately and will be enforced by local law enforcement agencies. We also encourage you to explore alternate routes home to avoid long lines at the end of Bickley Road. For example, turning left onto Wise Rd and then taking the next left will bring you right back up to just past the CVS. The most efficient way to get children to school on time and home quickly is to let them ride the bus. In the afternoons, the busses leave school grounds before car line students are even dismissed, and most arrive home before 3:15. For more information, contact our District Transportation office.

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THE BEAR BULLETIN

Car Line Info Continued. Parents who need to park should proceed slowly and with caution when passing others in the car line. Please note - priority will be given to cars unloading and loading in the car line and you may be asked to wait for traffic to pass before being allowed to cross. We are monitoring the traffic around our school in general as this area grows with new businesses popping up almost daily. We are hoping that the local community and parents will look into alternate routes that will facilitate morning and afternoon commutes. Thank you for your input regarding the safety concerns of the carline. We appreciate your cooperation and support as we work to implement these new procedures.

In order for the car line to run as smoothly, efficiently and safely as possible, please adhere to the following procedures. Morning drop off ⇒ Students may not enter the school building before 7:10. BES will not provide supervision of students prior to 7:10 a.m. Staff members will be on duty at 7:10 to assist with the unloading of car riders. ⇒ The drop off area runs the entire length of the sidewalk. When dropping off your child, please pull as far forward as possible, so we can unload multiple cars at one time. Please do not stop in front of the cafeteria doors. This causes traffic to back up and makes the drop off process less efficient. ⇒ Students may not be dropped off in the parking lot to cross by themselves. You must park in a parking space and escort your child across the crosswalk. Please note - priority is given to cars in the drop off line and you may be asked to wait for traffic to pass before being allowed to cross. ⇒ Parking along a curb is not permitted and causes more congestion. In addition, please refrain from using the handicap spaces unless the child or the parent escorting the child into the building has a genuine need and proper handicap decals are clearly displayed. ⇒ When exiting the driveway onto Bickley Road, please note that during drop-off times (7am – 8am) you may only turn right. This will strictly be enforced by local law enforcement.

Afternoon pick up ⇒ The end of the school day is very busy with students and teachers moving through the hallways in preparation for dismissal. Therefore, for the safety of our children, we ask that you remain in your car in the carpool line during dismissal. Never leave your car unattended in the car line. This causes traffic to back up and makes the pick up process less efficient. ⇒ Please refrain from congregating inside the building, the hallways or outside of the school building during dismissal time as this increases congestion. ⇒ Car riders will be dismissed from the car line only. Teachers will not be allowed to dismiss children from the classroom or hallways during dismissal time. If a parent wishes to pick up a child before the designated dismissal time, please follow the early dismissal procedures as outlined in the student handbook.

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1

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⇒ The loading area runs the entire length of the sidewalk. Please do not leave open spaces, even if your child is near the car. When picking up your child, please pull as far forward as possible, so we can load multiple cars at one time. ⇒ When exiting the driveway onto Bickley Road, please note that during dismissal times (2pm – 3pm) you may only turn right. This will strictly be enforced by local law enforcement.

Thank you for helping to make the car line as safe and efficient as possible for everyone!

WELCOME BACK! Dear Parents and Students, Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! Another exciting year has been planned at BES that is sure to be full of wonderful learning opportunities for your child. This year’s theme of “Doing our part to make the world a better place” will serve as a reminder to us all that it is up to each one of us to do our part, to make a positive contribution to society in some way. Whether through recycling at school and at home, increasing our awareness of energy conservation by turning off extra lights, or by showing kindness to our classmates, we believe that we can make a positive difference in our world, and it starts with each one of us pulling our weight, doing our part. At Ballentine, the faculty and staff are committed to making the world a better place and we strive to do our part by being a strong, successful school and team. We encourage parents and community members to “do your part” and become involved in the school and our many initiatives! Our faculty and staff eagerly await the opportunities that a new school year brings. We encourage your participation in this effort and seek your support and cooperation as we work together to make this our BESt year yet! My door is always open to you, so please feel free to stop by, call, or email me. If I am not able to talk with you immediately, I will contact you as soon as possible. Sincerely,

Welcome to Our New

Robin W. Bright Principal

Faculty & Staff Ashley Briggs – 3rd Grade

Absence Notes Parents, please remember that no child can be expected to be successful in school if attendance is irregular. A student should be in school every day that he/she is physically able. Whenever possible, medical, dental and other appointments should be made for non school hours. Please make every effort to plan family vacations and trips around student holidays and in-service days. In addition, you must send a note with your child when they return to school following an absence. All absence notes must be sent to the office within 3 days of the absence regardless of the reason for the absence. A student is considered truant if they are absent for 3 consecutive days without a note or if they are absent for 5 non-consecutive days without a note. Truancy will result in a referral to school administration to assist parents in developing a plan to address this issue.

Brenna Kendrick – 5thGrade Annette Farrell – PT Spanish Dawn Reitz – PT Music Malanda Goode – Custodian

Quick Tips for Success in Parent Conferences Write down your questions in advance. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Stay focused on the needs of your child. Take notes. Share information freely. Relax! We are in this TOGETHER!

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THE BEAR BULLETIN

Be on time! Being tardy causes students to miss important instructional time. It is imperative that children are brought to school on time. The school day begins at 7:50 a.m. A student arriving after 7:55 a.m. will be marked tardy. Students arriving after 8:15 should be escorted to the office by a parent to sign in and obtain a tardy pass before reporting to class. A written excuse explaining the reason for tardiness is required. Only valid reasons (car trouble, sick, etc.) will be marked as “excused tardy.” Oversleeping or traffic in the car line are NOT considered “excused” tardies. The principal will notify parents when a child has ten or more tardies and a conference may be required to develop an attendance improvement plan.

Welcome to Ballentine! We welcome visitors and guests to our school! We do require that you stop in the office to sign in and obtain a VISITOR/GUEST sticker before entering the halls or classrooms. This is done for the protection of your children. Our “open door” policy encourages parents to visit in their children’s classrooms as long as their presence does not disrupt instruction. We do ask that you not interrupt instruction to speak with your child’s teacher. Younger siblings may not be brought to the classroom during instructional time. Thank you for your help with this!

… The TERRIFIC KID for this week is: Molly Salas STUDENT COUNCIL….. Our first Student Council meeting is September 11th at 7:10 A.M. HANDY HELPERS…. Handy Helper applications will be going out in the next two weeks. Parents, please make sure you sign your child’s application before sending it back to Mrs. Weaver. Thank you! NEW STUDENTS... Welcome to our new students. We are so glad you are here. You are now in Bear Country! We are Ballentine!

Elementary District Honor Choir Auditions 2009-2010 Our Elementary District Honor Choir will hold auditions for all interested 4th and 5th graders. If you were in this choir last year as a 4th grader, you still must audition for this year. This group meets once a week on Wednesday afternoons from 3:45 - 5:00 at Irmo Elementary. They prepare fun and challenging vocal music for performances throughout the year. Some of our previous events have been: • Singing at the Governor’s Carolighting • Singing in Washington DC • Singing in Walt Disney World • Competing at Carowinds Choral Festival If you love to sing and would like to explore new and exciting music, you should audition for this Choir! Auditions will be held at BES the week of September 8-11. If you are interested, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Mrs. Lee.

School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex or handicap in admission to, treatment in or employment in its programs and activities. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Dr. Angela Bain, Title IX Coordinator, and Marlene Metts, 504 Coordinator, 1020 Dutch Fork Road, Ballentine, SC 29002, (803) 476-8100.

Ballentine Elementary 1040 Bickley Road Irmo, SC 29063 Phone: (803) 476-4500 Fax: (803) 476-4520