Lexington County School District 3 -

Students across Lexington Three had a blast on Thursday, November 20th as they participated in our Child Nutrition Department’s Big Thursday event! Decked out in their favorite team gear, students enjoyed showing off their school spirit while digging into a delicious lunch.

Today was an exciting day at B-L Elementary School as students took part in the annual Turkey Trot as part of our PBIS rewards for positive behavior! Students had a blast playing basketball, football, soccer, and so much more. One of the day’s highlights? Getting festive face paint courtesy of our awesome B-L Middle School students who volunteered as part of their Day of Service. (Don't worry moms - those are face paint pens being used...not markers!) We’re proud of our Panthers for their great behavior!

Thanksgiving spirit was shining BRIGHT across Lexington 3 on Friday, November 21st as BLMS students helped pass out all the fixings for Thanksgiving meals! ✨🦃💛
Thanks to donations received through the BLMS & BLHS food drive and the support of our generous sponsors, more than 100 Panther families will have everything they need for a wonderful Thanksgiving. While this list doesn’t capture all of of our incredible community partners, we’d like to say thank you to Christ Community Church, Batesburg-Leesville Presbyterian Church, Mt. Horeb Church, Samaria Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of Batesburg, and Steadman Baptist Church for their generosity and support. We couldn’t do this without our incredible community!

Numerous students from B-L Primary and B-L Elementary Schools were selected to participate in the Governor’s Carolighting Ceremony on Sunday, November 23rd. B-L Primary School Principal Mary Anne Tillman, a former choral teacher, had the honor of directing the children’s choir!

Our 1st and 2nd grade Montessori students lit up the Lexington Three Fine Arts Center last night with their beautiful performance of “Children of the World.” A huge shoutout to our students and staff for all of their hard work in bringing this meaningful performance to life!

Get ready to "Fuel Up" like a champion! On Thursday, November 20th, we’re celebrating our Child Nutrition Department’s Big Thursday event! Students and staff are encouraged to wear their favorite team colors (Clemson or Carolina), enjoy lunch in the cafeteria, and be entered to win a prize just for participating! A little background: Big Thursday was once a major South Carolina tradition—a yearly rivalry game between the Clemson Tigers and USC Gamecocks held at the State Fairgrounds from 1896 to 1959. Although the rivalry moved to a home-and-home series in 1960, the spirit of Big Thursday still lives on in celebrations like ours. Join the fun, show your colors, and fuel up for a fantastic day!

Some of our GT students from B-L Elementary and B-L Middle Schools enjoyed the trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C. this week! 🇺🇸 They left Batesburg-Leesville early on Wednesday morning and have spent the past few days exploring numerous memorials, participating in an illuminated tour of the city, witnessing the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery, and even visiting the U.S. Capitol. Now, they’re packing up and getting ready to head back home after an unforgettable adventure! What a jam-packed few days full of learning, discovery, and lasting memories. We love providing opportunities that broaden our students’ horizons and help them experience the world beyond the classroom.

We're sending out a BIG congratulations to our Female Strength and Conditioning Team for making school history! 🏆💪 Coach Prince, Coach West, Keira Frye, and Jayda Hinson represented Batesburg-Leesville High School at the South Carolina High School Strength Coaches Association State Strength Meet this past weekend and came home as Co-AA State Champions alongside Chesnee! A special shoutout to Keira Frye who placed 4th in the state across all classifications in her weight class. Way to show that Panther Power!

Our Panther Pals and Reading Buddies had an absolute blast at their skating party on Tuesday, November 11th! ⛸️🍕 Students enjoyed zipping around the rink, sharing laughs, and enjoying delicious pizza with their mentors. What a fun way to celebrate friendship and connection!

There were so many smiles at Batesburg-Leesville Primary School’s Fall Carnival on Friday, November 7th! Students had a blast playing games, enjoying fruit snacks, and showing off fun face and arm designs — all thanks to our amazing BLPS PTO volunteers who made the day extra special!

Batesburg-Leesville High School’s JROTC hosted a very meaningful Veterans Day program on Tuesday, November 11th, honoring those who have bravely served our country. Chaplain (COL) Michael D. Charles delivered an inspiring message, local veterans were recognized for their service, and the BLHS Chorus gave a beautiful performance of the National Anthem. Thank you to everyone who helped make this special event a heartfelt tribute to our heroes.

On Saturday, November 1st, the Batesburg-Leesville High School Panther Band took the field at the SCBDA 1A State Championships held at North Central High School — and made us Panther Proud! The band was named 1A Lower State Champions for the 7th year in a row! They also earned an impressive 4th Place in the State, missing the bronze medal by just 0.20 points — their highest state finals placement since 2022!

If you missed this weekend’s production of Bright Star by The Panther Players at the Lexington Three Fine Arts Center, you really missed out! 🌟 It was a tremendous show filled with incredible talent. We are SO PROUD of our students for their outstanding performances both on stage and behind the scenes!

On Wednesday, November 5th, B-L Middle School hosted a Veterans Day program to honor the brave men and women who have served our country. The event brought together local veterans, community members, and our school family to honor and show gratitude to those who have sacrificed so much.

It’s Red Ribbon Week in Lexington School District Three! Students across our schools have had an absolute blast dressing up and showing their commitment to being drug-free for life!

Today, B-L Middle School teachers Adena McCullough and Laura Bishop attended the MCEC Bright Ideas luncheon where they were recognized for their outstanding creativity and dedication to student learning. The dynamic duo earned a $1,000 Bright Ideas grant for their proposed project, “Turning Stories into Structures with 3-D Printing.” This innovative program will combine English Language Arts (ELA) and STEM—inviting students to bring their stories to life through 3-D printing. It’s a hands-on approach that will blend imagination and technology, helping students build both narratives and structures. Congratulations Ms. McCullough and Ms. Bishop on this well-deserved recognition! We’re so proud of the engaging learning experiences you continue to create for our students.

The B-L High School JROTC held a dignified flag retirement ceremony this morning on the front lawn of the school. This solemn ceremony, conducted in accordance with Resolution No. 440, adopted by the 19th National Convention of The American Legion in New York in September 1937, provides the proper procedure for the disposal of unserviceable American flags. During the event, JROTC cadets respectfully retired the worn American flag by following the official flag code—carefully lowering, folding, and placing it in a barrel for burning. A new American flag was then raised in its place, symbolizing honor and renewal. A sincere thank you to everyone who came out to support our JROTC and take part in this meaningful tradition!

SC Teacher of the Year Corey Bedenbaugh made his way back to B-L High School again today to visit one of our agriculture classes in celebration of South Carolina Farm to School Month! While on campus, Mr. Bedenbaugh took a moment to check out our brand new John Deere tractor, which was recently purchased through special grant funding.
We loved having Mr. Bedenbaugh back in Panther Country (pun intended 😀)!

Today we celebrated our incredible Lexington Three principals in honor of National Principals Month by surprising them with their very own cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes! 🍰
Our principals do such a sweet job of leading our schools and ensuring student success each and every day. We couldn’t think of a better way to thank them than with a delicious treat of their own to enjoy!