FAQs

How can I celebrate my child's birthday?

Parents may donate a book to the classroom in honor of the birthday. Students' birthday's will be announced monthly and students will receive a birthday pencil from BBES.

Why do some homerooms have special education classes?

Special Education students are included in the general education classes as determined by their IEP’s and based on each student’s needs and abilities.  Specific classrooms are chosen based on student age, curriculum issues, and schedules.  As members of a professional learning community, the staff at BBES believe in the unique talents and strengths of each individual.  We promote learning for all children.  Through the support of all staff, we ensure each child can and does reach their maximum potential.

What is the procedure for student drop off and for student pick up?

Please see the new procedures under the Quick Links section of our webpage.

How many buses do you have at Banneker?

There are 13 regular education buses in the morning and in the afternoon. We have two buses to pick up morning PreK children and two buses that bring our afternoon PreK children to school. Additionally, we have approximately 10 special education buses.

How do I join the PTA?

A parent or teacher may join PTA at any time, including all evening school functions. You may contact our PTA president for more information.

What procedure should we follow to volunteer in the school?

To volunteer at Banneker, please contact Kelly Gray, our parent volunteer coordinator, Kelly Gray ktgray@smcps.org.  Also, you can directly contact your child’s teacher.

Why do some children have their homerooms in the building up the hill and lunch down the hill?

Our campus includes two buildings connected by a covered walkway, but we are in fact one school.  We have chosen to effectively and efficiently utilize our resources by taking a campus approach to our facility.  For example, we have two cafeterias.  Rather than running 6 lunch periods per day, which would mean starting lunches at 10:00 AM, we have chosen to run 3 lunch periods per day, with two grade levels eating per lunch period.  This has allowed us to streamline our resources and maximize instructional time.  We were not forced to make this decision because we could not accommodate our lunch periods within our facility.  Our school team, along with Supporting Services, determined it to be a feasible option for us.  The children are escorted by an adult to and from all classes, whether they are within one of the buildings or outside on campus.  

How are special education students supported in regular education classes?

Special education students are supported in the general education classroom through co-teaching, direct service/support provided by the special education teacher and/or special education paraeducator, collaborative planning, and monitoring of student progress by all service providers (special ed. teachers, general ed. teachers, speech therapists, counselor, nurse, etc.).

If I am chaperoning, why can’t I drive my own car to and from a field trip?

Please note that field trips begin the moment a student leaves the school and end when they are safely back in the school building.  Therefore, it is essential that chaperones be present with students throughout the entire field trip.  For those parents who cannot ride the bus due to physical limitations, please think about volunteering for other activities as we have many opportunities for parents.