Principal's Weekly Newsletter

Please be sure to follow me on X (Formerly Known As Twitter @BensonTechPride.) (X)

Please be sure to go to our PPS/BHS Website at www.pps.net/benson for important school information, events and school activities that will be happening throughout the school year. (PPS/Benson Tech Website Calendar)

Parents/Guardians please be sure to download the Trivory App for up to date information regarding Benson Tech. This is a great communication tool for Benson Tech and we highly encourage all parents/guardians and students to stay connected with the school by downloading the app. https://trivory.com/

(Trivory App)

Principal Wilson

¡Feliz mes de herencia Latina e Hispana!

Happy Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month!

September 15th through October 15th is Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month. What is the difference between Latinx and Hispanic? Latinx has to do with geography: where the country is located. Latin America starts with Mexico and continues into all of South America, but also the Caribbean. Hispanic has to do with language: Spanish, which came from Spain in Europe.

National Hispanic Heritage Month link to research and information:

https://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/

Benson's Latinx Student Club is hosting a Latinx-themed Spirit Week to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! This year's Spirit Week will run from Monday, September 28th through Friday, October 2nd. You do not need to identify as Hispanic or Latino to participate. Check out the flyer for more information.

SOMOS BENSON.

Special Schedule/ Early Release on Wednesday, October 14th

Wednesday, October 14th is a special schedule for College Prep testing and Post High School Planning Activities

School will start at 8:30 as usual, with lunch at 12:00pm, Flex from 12:40-1:40 and Early Release at 1:40.

8:30-11:55 Grade level activities:

11:55-12:40 Lunch

12:40-1:34 Flex/Tutorial

1:34 Early Release, buses

1:30-3:30 Teacher Lunch and Planning

If you missed the 9th grade family presentation at back to school night, here it is! Please click on the link below for access to the information we shared.

bit.ly/B2SN2026

Ilsa Bruer [she/her]

Instructional Coach 9th grade Team Lead AP Coordinator

Benson High School

KBPS Broadcasting students had a special visit from nationally syndicated radio hosts Anna and Raven. The New York based pair is heard on over 100+ stations around the world and locally at Live 95.5 FM Monday-Friday 5a-10a. Anna and Raven were joined by the local crew from Live 95.5, sharing great stories, advice, and answering engaging questions from students. They even surprised students with a Salt and Straw ice cream treat, and joined student broadcasters on-air on AM 1450 for a live radio interview. Students learned a lot about media content, the types of stories listeners like, and what it takes to grow a podcast into a nationally syndicated program heard by millions. Anna also strongly encouraged more girls to get involved in today's broadcasting environment, explaining that companies and listeners are seeking more diversity in voices than ever before. More women are hosting national shows, programing stations, and leading the way into the future of media content creation.

Progress Reports Now Visible in ParentVue/StudentVue

Quarter 1 progress reports are now available in ParentVue/StudentVue. PPS no longer automatically mails report cards, so this is the primary way for you to find them. Here is a link to the instructions as well as how to opt out of paperless if needed. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b3QtyT9nTKUGUUFyRRYnDD3KihhBkEMoVVkQkwfqVT8/edit?usp=sharing

--

Sara Callies (she/her/hers)

Vice Principal

Benson Polytechnic High School

503-916-5100

A Message from the Benson Swim Team:

Swim Team season Starts November 16th!! Benson Swimming has grown tremendously in the last 4 years and have had some great success! We always need new swimmers to keep growing! So if you can swim well and would like to join other swimmers at Benson for the Winter sports season, DO NOT WAIT, sign up now it is not too soon.

Steve Espe

Benson Tech Swim Coach

Seniors and Parents and Caregivers of Seniors:

Please join us for FAFSA/ORSAA Completion Night on Wednesday, October 21, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. in the Benson Library.

Financial aid experts and knowledgeable volunteers will be available to help students and families complete the FAFSA or ORSAA and access financial aid for four-year colleges, community colleges, scholarships, and trade/career programs.

Please bring:

• Your Chromebook
• Social Security Number, if you have one
• A copy of 2025 tax returns for parent(s)/caregiver(s) and the student, if applicable

Pizza will be provided, and Spanish interpretation will be available.

Dear Benson Tech Parents/Guardians,

KBPS has your tickets to see the Disney “World’s Collide” Concert Tour! Featuring the movie stars from the Descendants, Zombies, and Camp Rock. Happening live at Moda Center on Tuesday October 6th. Follow us on Instagram @1450KBPS to find out how you can see the show! Thanks for helping grow the audience of the Portland Public School radio station and good luck!

Best,

Jacob Patterson (he/him)

KBPS Broadcasting Instructor

Office 503-916-5100 ex. 88130 or 88132

Listener Line (503) 916-KBPS

jacpatterson@pps.net

www.kbps.am

Join Benson Band Come have fun and play some music - all are welcomeWe meet every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 7:35 AM-8:25AM in Room 009 (in the basement under the auditorium). Email Ms. G with questions or for more information at hgoertzen@pps.net

Do you like to argue? Do you want to understand the proceedings in a courtroom and how to engage? Then Benson’s Mock Trial Team might be for you. Come check it out! We practice every Tuesday and Thursday after school from 3:40pm-6pm. Dinner is provided! Email Ms.G with questions or for more information at hgoertzen@pps.net

Any student that requested a locker through the sign up form has been assigned a locker! Students should check their PPS email and look for one from the Dean of Students, cojohnston@pps.net.

Colleen Johnston

Dean of Students

Fall 2026 Portland Evening Scholars

• Classes will run from September 28 - January 14.
• Classes meet once per week, from 5:00 - 8:00pm.
• Registration will begin in early September.
• Students must meet with their high school Counselor to be enrolled into Evening Scholars.
• In-person attendance is mandatory.
• Classes will be held at the following locations:
  • Benson HS, 546 NE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97232
  • Franklin HS, 5405 SE Woodward St, Portland, OR 97206
  • Roosevelt HS, 6941 N Central St, Portland, OR 97203

Sincerely,

Morgan McFadden

School Counselor- Benson High School

Work Cell (with text): 971-231-4149

Caseload: Last Names G-Ma

Contest Schedule This Week

Monday, 9/28

• Boys soccer vs Franklin (Delta Park), 4:00 PM

• Volleyball vs Lincoln, 4:30 / 4:30 / 6:00 PM

Tuesday, 9/29

• Girls soccer vs Lincoln (Delta Park), 4:00 PM

Wednesday, 9/30

• Cross country @ PIL meet (Grant HS), 4:00 PM

• Volleyball @ Cleveland (Marshall Campus), 4:30 / 4:30 / 6:00 PM

• Boys soccer @ Grant HS, 4:15 / 7:00 PM

Thursday, 10/1

• Lower level football @ McDaniel, 4:00 PM

Friday, 10/2

• Girls soccer vs Forest Grove (Delta Park & Senior Night!), 4:00 PM

• Varsity football vs McDaniel (Marshall Campus), 7:00 PM

Saturday, 10/3

• Varsity volleyball @ Mt. Hood Invitational Tournament (Barlow HS), 8:00 AM

Gearing up for winter sports

Please sign up for sports at Benson using this link. Winter sports include swimming, wrestling, and basketball. Athletes who want to participate on the first day of the season need to register by November 9 at midnight. The first day of the season/tryouts is November 16. All athletes need to be fully cleared (including the physical exam form filled out by a medical provider) to participate.

Preseason practices begin next week. If you’d like information about preseason offerings, you need to sign up for your winter or spring sport! Coaches will send the schedule to those who have registered on Arbiter.

ASB Stickers

Benson Tech will offer ASB stickers for purchase this year to benefit the Athletics Department. If a student or their family purchases this sticker, the student will have free admission to all regular season contests held at Benson HS for the entire 2026-27 school year. A student ticket for a regular season contest costs $5 a game, and we are selling the stickers for $20. The sticker will go on their school ID card, so they can show that at the ticket booth for free admission to regular season home games at Benson HS. Students may pick up the stickers from the athletic office or the bookkeeper after they have purchased it on SchoolPay, or in person. Funds from the ASB sticker sales will go back to Benson Tech athletes to pay for varsity letters, athletic training supplies, uniforms, team gear, and equipment.

Attendance Reminders

Fall rosters have been finalized, so we will begin running attendance reports and holding athletes out from contests and practices if they are in violation of the PIL/PPS athlete attendance policy. I've included the policy below for reference.

Athletic Attendance Procedure
1. Attendance at school for the entire day is a prerequisite for participation in an athletic contest or practice. School related activities or appointments with at least 24 hour notice and approval by the administration do not fall under this regulation. Emergency situations may be reviewed by the administration.

2. As soon as it is verified that a student athlete has an unexcused absence from any class (including being marked late after tardy), they will not be permitted to participate in the practice or contest that day.

Pre-arranged absences that are excused:

• A school-related activity

• An appointment, but only if an athlete’s parent/guardian received prior approval for the absence from the athletic director or a school administrator

• A situation deemed to be an emergency by the athletic director or a school administrator

Unexcused absences:

• The athlete attending an appointment that parent/guardian did not obtain prior approval

• The athlete not attending a class for reasons not deemed to be an emergency by the athletic director or school administrator

Jessica Russell

Athletic Director

Benson High School

The race to the trophy has begun! Help lead your graduating class to victory by donating to the Ready! Set! Go TECH!! fundraiser today.

https://bensontechboosters.org/ready-set-go-tech

The Sophomore Class is currently in 3rd place in our fall fundraiser.

We've still got a LONG way to go until we reach our goal to support Benson's students this year. Donate today!

Learn more about our fall fundraiser:

https://bensontechboosters.org/ready-set-go-tech

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The Benson Tech Boosters

Benson Gaming Club Is Back!

Play Games • Make Games • Meet People

The Benson Gaming Club is heading into its third meeting, and things are starting to take shape.

Do you like video games, board games, card games, Minecraft, Roblox, tournaments, or making your own games? Come hang out after school, try something new, meet other students, and help shape what the club becomes.

Our D&D group is forming now, so this is a great time to join if you want to create a character, roll some dice, and jump into an adventure.

Our next meeting is after school on Wednesday, October 1st in Computer Science Room 274.

Everyone is welcome, and no experience is needed.

Questions? See Mr. Beckler.

From the Bookkeeper

SchoolPay is the online tool for families to make payments for fees and donations easily from home or a mobile device. We recommend that you sign in and use your account so you have a saved history of your payments in one place. Here are some of the direct links for specific items.

Athletic "Pay to Play Fee" For students participating in PIL Benson teams, the fee is $200 per sport for the first two sports per year and the fee for a third sport is waived. If you qualify for Free/Reduced Meals, the fee is $35. If you have not yet paid for fall sports, please do so as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please contact the bookkeeper, Sheli Bryan.

ASB Sticker Purchase a $20 sticker for your student's ID to get them into any home game during the regular season. Proceeds go to support Benson athletic programs. The regular cost of student admission is $5 per game. The sticker can be picked up from the bookkeeper in room 120 once purchased.

PE Uniform for 9th Graders All families of 9th grade students are asked to pay $20 to cover the cost of the PE shirt, a combination lock, and to help support the costs of the PE/Health course.

Student Activity Fund Families who are able are asked to contribute funds to school-wide activities each year. The school operational budget does not cover all the needs for our programs. We rely on voluntary contributions to enhance the overall experience for our students. As the school year progresses, we will highlight needs as they arise for teachers and student groups. Individual teams and teachers may be sharing information as well. If you are able to contribute a suggested $25, or whatever you can afford, to our Student Activity Fund, these dollars will help support activities and events. Thank you!

Sheli Bryan (she/her)

Bookkeeper

Benson Polytechnic High School

546 NE 12th Ave.

Portland, OR 97232

503-916-5100 ext. 88412

Pre-order the Benson Blueprint (2027 Yearbook)!

This year's staff is assembled and excited to get started making the book.

Follow THIS LINK to Josten's website to take advantage of early-bird pricing. Hurry! Prices go up in October!

Dear Benson Tech Families and Students,

Welcome to the 2026/27 school year. As a reminder the School Board adopted new policy and the Governor's Office enacted an Executive Order pertaining to cell phones. Board voted to ban cell phone use in schools for all PPS students and Governor Kotek’s Executive Order 25-09 prohibiting the use of personal electronic devices in all K-12 schools during the instructional day.

At Benson Polytechnic High School, we recognize that cell phones are an important part of our students' lives and can be used for various purposes such as communication, education, entertainment, and safety. However, we also believe that cell phone use in the classroom can be a source of distraction, disruption, and disrespect and cell phones can sometimes interfere with our students’ learning process and our school climate. We have had our current cell policy in place since the beginning of the last school year and as we head into the beginning of this current school year we want to begin to prepare our students for being able to navigate the school day without the use of cell phones starting this school year.

1. Students cannot/should not/will not use their personal electronic devices from 8:30 am - 3:34.

This includes not using their non-PPS devices in:

• Hallways

• Bathrooms

• Lunch

• Stairwells

• Classrooms

• Courtyards during school hours

2. What's considered a Personal Electronic Device?

• Tablets

• Cell phones

• Personal laptops

• Smart Glasses and Smart Watches or other Smart Devices

• Wireless Earbuds and Wireless Headphones
  

• If it’s not a PPS Supplied Electronic Device -- it can’t be used

3. We ask that parents call the school office at (503) 916-5100 if there is an emergency and they need to reach their child. The office staff will relay the message to the student or the teacher as soon as possible. Please do not call or text your child directly throughout the school day as this may disrupt the learning environment.

If a Student Violates the Benson Tech Cell Phone Policy:

1. 1st Time In the Entire School Year:

2. 2nd Time In the Entire School Year:

3. 3rd Time In the Entire School Year:

4. Progressive consequences will continue to follow if the behavior continues throughout the school year.

Please note that due to some extenuating circumstances there will be a few exceptions to this policy. We appreciate your cooperation and support in enforcing this cell phone policy. We believe that this policy will help us create a positive and productive learning environment for all our students and staff as we continue to move forward with the Governor’s Executive Order of “Off and Away All Day.”

While we recognize that technology has made communication between families and their children more convenient, an essential part of education is helping students develop independence, self-discipline, and the skills they need to succeed without constant access to technology.

We understand that limiting student access to technology may at times feel inconvenient for families. However, this policy is intentional and grounded in our commitment to the academic growth and success of every student. We ask our entire community to be patient, supportive, and consistent as we implement these expectations. Together, we can create an environment where students are focused, engaged, and empowered to take responsibility for their own learning.

We are aware that families use their personal devices to be in frequent contact with each other throughout the day and that this will be a hard transition for some students and parents/guardians. We will support students as they work to gain self-sufficiency and independence, and we will do our best to facilitate student-family communication when it is necessary.

I strongly encourage families to begin having conversations with their students about this policy change so that they know what to expect when school begins on Wednesday August 26th for our 9th grade students and for all students starting on Thursday August 27th.

Please:

• Review the expectations and guidelines with your student.

• Do not call/text students during class time. Should you need to get a hold of your student during the school day, please contact the main office directly at 503-916-5100. We can send a note to your student or pull them from class to take your phone call.

Please remember that children tend to mirror their adults' reactions. It is important for guardians to talk to their children about this expectation in positive terms. Highlight the mental health, social, and academic benefits of taking a break from electronics during the school day. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via email.

Curtis Wilson Jr.

Principal of Benson Polytechnic High School

Research:

Teens spend 9 hours a day on devices (Dodgen-Magee, 2018).

Students earned an average letter grade and a half higher in the absence of mobile devices (Kuznekoff & Titsworth, 2013).

There are correlations between time spent looking at phones and reports of teen depression (Twenge, 2017)

https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/cellphone-bans-school-are-back-how-far-will-they-go

https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/23/surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-about-effects-social-media-use-has-youth-mental-health.html

Service Learning trip to Peru in summer 2027!

Earn school credit, travel to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, support sustainability in community focused projects, learn from local guides, experience cultural immersion, and expand your mind!

Details: EF Trip led by Benson teacher Willow Weir-Mayorga

Sign up early and get $150 off.

Informational Meeting: October 1st at 6:30 in Benson's community room

We will cover our itinerary, logistics, safety, pricing, enrollment, and answer your questions. Sign up for the meeting here: Peru Service Trip Meeting

(Meeting will be at Benson unless city traffic changes interfere, then it will go online)

Link to enrollment/information: www.eftours.com/2969503XB

Email for questions: wweirmayorga@pps.net

Families of Juniors in the 2026-27 school year who wish their student to take the PSAT on Wednesday October 14, 2026 must submit their name to Mr. Ustach for registration in Room 155 or email at tustach@pps.net. Only Juniors may register. PPS will not cover the cost of the test, so it will be at the families expense. The cost is $18.00 paid on SchoolPay or to the Benson bookkeeper by October 1, 2026.

PSAT registration for Juniors will close Friday September 18. Benson Tech will not accept registration requests after this date.

Tom Ustach

If payment is a financial burden, a waiver can be requested through the student's counselor. We do not want cost to be a barrier so please request the waiver as needed.

Tom Ustach

Benson Tech

Testing Coordinator