Benton Weekly Update

I hope everyone had a lovely 3 day weekend and Valentine's celebration. There was a lot of Valentine's celebrating here at Benton last week with flowers, balloons, candy, gifts for friends. Much of this is NOT ALLOWED. While it's beautiful to see such an outpouring of affection and friendship, I wanted to make sure that we clarify some school/district rules so that we don't ruin someone's planned celebration. On pages 13 & 14 of the Student Handbook, you will find the following:

Please refrain from sending balloons or flowers to school, as they will remain in the office until the end of the day. Birthday parties or special lunch celebrations are not allowed. Lunch is provided for all students with no cost. Students are encouraged eat a school lunch or bring lunch from home. Food items, meant for sharing in groups, are no longer allowed on campus (Board Policy 5030). Parents should refrain from using food delivery services (DoorDash, GrubHub, etc). The office staff is not responsible for the communication of deliveries from food delivery services.

The Benton Student Handbook can be found on our website at this link, and these rules are reviewed with students at the beginning of the school year. Going forward, these rules will be strictly enforced.

PARKING LOT CLOSURE REMINDER:

No vehicles will be able to enter the parking lot for student drop offs/pick ups. Construction fencing is up for our solar panel array installation. We will have a supervision aide stationed at the bottom of the driveway to check for parking passes, please understand that she is following my directive and will turn away any cars without the required permit. Thank you for your understanding and your patience. Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions.

8th Graders:

• Get your Baby Picture in the Yearbook. See the blurb below for more details!
• Tickets are on sale NOW through March for Disneyland. You can purchase your ticket after school on Tuesdays & Thursdays, or online with Zelle. See the flyer below for more information. Don't miss out on the 8th Grade Disney trip!
• 8th Grade parent interested in volunteering? Click on this link for ways to help out with end-of-year activities.

7th Graders: Sign up now for Science Camp on Catalina Island in May. Visit our Science Camp page for more details.

For families needing support during this time due to fires or other factors, please see the flyer below for resources. Norwalk-La Mirada Unified is here for all of our students; let us know how we can help!

Make it a great week!

Please find an alternate spot to pick up or drop off your student; the parking lot will be closed and inaccessible to any unauthorized vehicles. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

There will be no school on Monday, 2/17 in observance of George Washington's Birthday and Presidents' Day.

Students will attend periods 1A – 4A on Wednesday. This Wednesday, like all Wednesdays, we have early dismissal at 1:45pm.

Do you need to make up an absence or get caught up on school work? Be sure to attend Saturday School on 2/22 from 8:00am-12:15pm. There are only 4 more Saturday Schools left this year! Permission Slips are available in the office and linked below.

Agenda to be posted soon, the SSC will update the SPSA, and review the Benton Safe School Plan.

Due to the forecasted rain, we have cancelled the 8th Grade Promotion & Panoramic Photos originally scheduled for Thursday, 2/13. Photos have been rescheduled to Monday, March 3rd.

The NLM Middle Schools Basketball & Soccer Tournament has been rescheduled to Wednesday, March 5th.

Spectators will be able to enter campus after 8:45am through the side gate (by the brick wall/lunch tables) in the parking lot. Will Benton sweep this tournament, too? Go Wolverines!

Our Parent Conferences in Spring are intended for students who are earning Ds or Fs in their classes. Please reach out to your student's teachers to schedule a conference. We will be on a Minimum Day schedule with dismissal at 1:15pm every day this week.

Benton was thrilled to host a site validation visit this past week from Schools to Watch (STW). Thank you to our students and parents and community members who met with the team to discuss their experience at Benton. The STW program identifies model middle schools that are academically engaging, developmentally responsive, socially equitable, and have a culture of collaborative leadership. The California STW program is led by the California League of Educators and supported by the California Department of Education. Look for an official announcement in March!

To include your 8th Grader's baby picture in the yearbook:

• Must be a digital copy
• "8th Grade Baby Picture" in the subject line
• Student's First and Last Name in the body of the email

Email photo to Ms. Degener at edegener@nlmusd.org

8th Grade Students and Families, we have a newsletter curated just for you! The 8th Grade newsletter contains information specific to you, 8th Grade Students and Families, to help you make the most of 8th Grade, and to plan for the end of the year. Click here to read the 8th Grade Newsletter.

Parents, please help us by checking your student's outfit before they leave for school. If students are out of dress code, the students may be asked to change into P.E. clothes or a loaner shirt or shorts.

As you can see below, we have A Days and B Days. Students have periods 1A-4A on A Days, every Monday and Thursday, and periods 5B-8B on B Days, every Tuesday and Friday. On Wednesdays, we alternate between A Days and B Days.

Benton Middle School is a Visual & Performing Arts Magnet school. Follow us on Instagram @Bentonwolverines.

Email: rridgeway@nlmusd.org
Website: benton.nlmusd.org
Location: 15709 E. Olive Branch Drive, La Mirada, CA 90638
Phone: (562) 210-2500
Facebook: facebook.com/bentonmiddleschool

Instagram: @BentonWolverines