Bobcat Bulletin

Good Afternoon Ballenger Creek Families!

We are hopeful that we can settle into a consistent schedule again and that warmer weather is just around the corner. Our students were busy in February showing what they know as we completed our reading and math mid-year assessments as well as our mathematics multi-unit assessments. While this may seem like a lot of testing, this updated data allows us to truly know what the students are learning and how we need to alter our instruction. Everyone has been working so hard.

Please welcome Mrs. Tess Blumenthal, as acting Assistant Principal at BCES. She will be supporting our school over the next six weeks through Spring Break. Mrs. Blumenthal is a retired FCPS principal and is excited to work with the students, staff, and families at Ballenger Creek. Mrs. Queen wanted everyone to know that she is enjoying being at home with Savina and looks forward to returning next school year!

Thank you for your ongoing partnership, it’s a true partnership.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Davis

Principal, Ballenger Creek Elementary School

All 5th grade students will participate in the Maryland Integrated Science Assessments (MISA) starting on Monday, March 2nd - Friday, March 6th. The MISA assessment will include four, 40 minute sessions and each session will be administered throughout the week. Make-up testing will occur during the week of March 9th.

During MISA testing week, we kindly ask that you help your child get plenty of rest each night and arrive at school on time. If a student is absent or unable to complete a session, they will be required to make up the missed portion on a later date.

We appreciate your continued support during this important testing period. If you have any questions regarding the assessment, please feel free to contact Candace King via email at candace.king@fcps.org.

• March 2 - March 13: MISA Testing for 5th Grade Students
• March 3: Talent Show Auditions- 4:15-5:30
• March 5: Talent Show Auditions- 4:15-5:30
• March 6: Spirit Day: BCES Spirit Wear
• March 9: Spring Class & Individual Picture Day
• March 19: - Term 3 Ends, 2-Hour early dismissal for students (dismissal will be @1:45 pm)
• March 20: Teacher Work Day, Schools Closed
• March 23: Term 4 Begins
• March 24 & March 26: Quarter 3 Bobcat Best Celebrations (Parent/Guardian invitations sent for award recipients)
• March 26: Talent Show Dress Rehearsal- 4:15-5:30
• March 27: Talent Show- 6:30 pm

We love to read at BCES! Please review the exciting activities our students will participate in next week as we celebrate Read Across America Week! We are looking forward to a week full of literacy, creativity, and fun as we encourage a love of reading across our school community.

This is a friendly reminder that the deadline to purchase the 2025–2026 yearbook is March 11, 2026. The ordering link can be found on our school website. Please note that we do not order extra copies, so if you are considering purchasing a yearbook, be sure to place your order by the deadline.

Price starts at $21.00 soft cover $26.00 hard cover.

Traditionsschoolphotography.inter-state.com. Don't let the memories of this amazing year be forgotten.

We work hard to ensure every student is represented in the yearbook. If your child missed picture day or enrolled after pictures were taken, Mrs. Duong takes their photo so they are included. Even if students say they may not want a yearbook now, it truly becomes a keepsake filled with special memories from the school year!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Amber Duong @ leigh.duong@fcps.org.

Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) is thrilled to partner with family and community members who are interested in joining efforts to support our students and schools with their time and talents by way of volunteering. Last year, we welcomed over 12,700 volunteers into our school system contributing over 76,550 volunteer hours. THANK YOU!

This year, FCPS collected the feedback from our volunteers and staff to modify the volunteer process, while prioritizing the safety and security of our students, staff and community. As a result, we have streamlined the process of registration and training to be completed by all volunteers across the county. All volunteers will be equipped with the necessary information they need to partner with our schools.

Family and community members interested in volunteering should begin the volunteer process by visiting our FCPS Volunteer Webpage (select the sta image to access the webpage). Applicants will be directed to:

1. Complete a registration form.

2. Complete a training module on Unified Talent.

3. Await school approval on application.

4. Sign-up for volunteer opportunities facilitated by individual schools.

*Complete ONE registration form only per person. Additional school selections may be added after original approval.

Please note: To avoid delays, you must complete the registration form and training using the exact same full name and email address each time. Do not use nicknames, abbreviations, hyphen variations, or alternate spellings or email addresses.

The volunteer registration and training process is completed annually for each school year. Volunteers must complete the process before being signed up for volunteer opportunities. FCPS encourages family and community members interested in volunteering to complete the process early as processing times can vary.

For technical support in Unified Talent, volunteer applicants may contact unifiedtalent@fcps.org. For all other volunteer related questions, volunteer applicants may contact: FCPSVolunteers@fcps.org. FCPS is grateful for the generous support from our family and community volunteers.

For more information on the volunteer program and process, please see our FCPS Volunteer Handbook.

Email Contact Information:

• Jonathan Davis, Principal- Jonathan.Davis1@fcps.org
• Candace King, Assistant Principal- Candace.King@fcps.org

Website: https://education.fcps.org/bces/home
Location: 5250 Kingsbrook Drive, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: 227-203-1880