Banta Unified School District
October Update 2025
Superintendents Corner
It’s my favorite time of year! It’s FALL! I am not sure if it is the turning of the leaves, the fact that the days are getting cooler, or maybe it’s the pumpkins and the smell of spices in the grocery store aisles – but I love everything about Fall.
I get excited thinking about my annual trip to Apple Hill, where I pick enough apples to make my spiced apples for a year's worth of apple pies. I love watching the pomegranates on my tree turn a ruby red, in anticipation of jam-making! Most of all, I love the sound of my wind chimes as the fall breezes start making their appearances each evening.
Fall triggers in me the need to clean things out, to organize, and put things in order. My husband says that I have a Fall nesting instinct that lies dormant 10 months of the year, and then wakes up the first day of October!
Fall is also a time filled with wonderful memories. October at my dad’s nursery always meant a time to reorganize and clean in preparation for the delivery of Christmas trees in November. October also meant trips to the pumpkin farm, huge piles of leaves, and my mother canning homemade tomato sauce, pickles, and pumpkin.
When I was a kid, Fall also meant Halloween. My favorite holiday as a kid! These were the days when we took a pillowcase and ran for miles, collecting pounds of candy with the kids from the neighborhood.
I have terrific memories of dressing up in elaborate costumes that my mother spent weeks making on her sewing machine at the dining room table. She was extremely talented with glitter, taffeta, and a glue gun, and could make my sister and me into anything! My favorite costume, though, was actually one that my mother did not make – it was a rabbit made out of a paper bag. I loved that costume!
As I had a family of my own, Fall continued to represent a breath of fresh air, a time of organizing, and, of course, a time of elaborate Halloween costumes! A few years back, I was cleaning out the attic and realized that I had almost 50 costumes stored away in bins. From the wicked witch and the Pea pod to the cheerleader and scientist, to a tele tubby– I had over a decade of costumes for three children. As I donated these costumes to the high school drama department, I was struck by how many memories were tied to these bins of wigs, props, and costumes.
As we head into Fall, my wish for you is a month full of pumpkin spice, organizing, crafty costumes, wonderful memories, and maybe even a paper bag rabbit! Happy Fall!
Dr. Pearlman
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 that no extensions have been granted by the state due to COVID-19, and the TDAP requirement remains in effect.
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
Fresh Squash!
Farm Fresh Tomatoes!
Enough lettuce to serve at lunch time!
