Bench Elementary BACK 2 SCHOOL News

Dates to Remember

August

21....KinderREADy & Kindergarten Parent Meeting @ 5 PM

27....WHO'S MY TEACHER? Check PowerSchool after 12 PM to see.

27....Meet 'n Greet / Supply Drop Off / Parent Night from 3:30-4:30 (You will not need to attend the entire time. Please plan for about 15-20 minutes per student.)

September

2.........1st Day of School ***NORMAL dismissal times (2:25 & 3:10)

9.........Dismiss 1 Hour EARLY (1:25 & 2:10) ***This and EVERY WEDNESDAY from now on.

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15-Oct 15)

9.........Family Fishing Night at Lake Elmo (licences, poles and food provided for FREE)

17........Open House @ 6 PM

25........Native American Day

KEEP READING TO FIND OUT THE TIMES AND DETAILS SPECIFIC TO THE EVENTS LISTED ABOVE.

SCHOOL STARTS AT 8:05

Annual Updates

All ANNUAL UPDATE forms are to be completed online for ALL STUDENTS, even newly enrolled students. These forms include updating Contacts/Daycare, Medical, Weapon’s Contract, Photo/Media Release, Field Trip Permissions, etc. Individuals who are not included as a contact in PowerSchool will not be allowed to pick a child up from school. Please include all possible individuals whom you may choose to have pick up your child. Please complete all forms by Thursday, September 17th. To complete forms go to www.billingsschools.org and to the PowerSchool for Parents. After you log in to PowerSchool for Parents, please click on the link on the left side that says "Forms" and go to the tab that says "GENERAL" (If you are transferring from within the district or have a currently enrolled student). If you have more than one student, make sure you are on the correct tab located at the top of the screen.

Walking School Bus

JOIN THE BENCH ELEMENTARY WALKING SCHOOL BUS! 🚌🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️

A safe, fun, and healthy way to start the school day! Join neighborhood students and families as we walk to school together every morning.

MORNING SCHEDULE

7:30 AM | Meet & Greet — Gather at the starting location to meet fellow walkers.
7:35 AM | Departure — Group begins walking South on Lake Elmo Dr toward Milton Rd.
7:45 AM | Turn East — Group turns left/East onto Milton Rd.
7:48 AM | Arrival — Arrive safely at Bench Elementary!

ROUTE DETAILS AT A GLANCE

Starting Location: Brush Meadows Apt Complex (1203 Lake Elmo)
Ending Location: Bench Elementary (505 Milton Rd)
Who Can Join: All Bench Elementary students and their families!

WHY JOIN THE WALKING BUS?

Stay Active: Get a healthy dose of fresh air and light exercise before the school bell rings.
Build Community: Connect with neighborhood friends and parents along the route.
Safety in Numbers: Walking as a supervised group ensures everyone arrives safely and on time.

Parents & Guardians: You are always welcome to walk along with the group! If you would like to volunteer or have any questions, please contact the Bench Elementary main office.

School LUNCH MENU ~ ALL Bench students eat breakfast & lunch for FREE!

Important Information

WHO'S MY CHILD'S TEACHER? Parents will be able to log into PowerSchool on Wednesday, August 26th, at 4:00 pm to see which teacher you child will have. PLEASE go to https://powerschool.billingsschools.org/public/ to ensure you can access your PowerSchool parent account with the username and password you previously set up. You may click on Forgot my Username or Password link if needed or call the office for assistance.

ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL ~

1st - 5th grade students will be greeted by their teachers outside beginning at 7:50 (SEE IMAGE/MAP BELOW). Teachers will spread out over the entire playground. Each classroom teacher will have a sign with their name and grade.
Kindergarten teachers will be in the LIBRARY; use Entrance #9.
KindeREADy students will meet their teacher in the FRONT of the school on the Southwest corner near (Milton Rd & Rex Ln).
Mrs. Phelp's staff and students will meet directly in the FRONT of the school.
Our instructional bell rings at 8:05. Students who arrive late will need to enter through the main entrance.

EVERY DAY THERE AFTER ~

After the first day morning routines will change. FRONT DOORS OPEN AT 7:45. ALL students will enter through the main entrance. Then go to the gym and eat breakfast (if they choose to). Students will begin transitioning to their classrooms at 7:55.
Instruction begins promptly at 8:05 each day. PLEASE BE ON TIME!

Exiting the School at Dismissal

Classes will exit through the doors nearest their classroom or the main entrance. Classroom teachers will walk with their class to the front of the school for dismissal.

EVERY WEDNESDAY - Dismissal is 1 hour early ***Except the first day of school.

Our Kindergarten through 3rd grades dismiss at 2:25 everyday except Wednesdays which is ONE HOUR EARLY, at 1:25. Students in 4th and 5th grades dismiss at 3:10 everyday except Wednesday which is at 2:10.

Snacks & Water are encouraged! If your child brings a snack from home, PLEASE send healthy snacks. Cookies and chips are not healthy mid morning snacks. We work with the Billings Education Foundation and other donors, often being able to provide snacks for our students; however, this is not a guarantee and your support is appreciated. Students may not have beverages in classrooms other than water unless it is for a special occasion and has been approved by their teacher. Please do NOT send your child to school with coffee, hot chocolate, koolaid, or flavored water, etc.

ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES ~ Attendance Phone 281-6203

Please call the above number if your student is sick, unable to attend school, will be tardy or need to leave school for an appointment, please call the school, send a Remind message or an email to the secretary before 9:00 AM to report the absence. PLEASE provide doctor's notes for appointments or absences so we can appropriated code medical tardies and absences.

Although it can be helpful to notify teachers of changes to your child's schedule, ABSENCES MUST BE REPORTED TO THE OFFICE. We ask that teacher forward messaged to the office but there is often a time delay, resulting in a robo call as their attention and focus in on the children while they are in the building.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL- Where do I find my teacher?

Breakfast will be served in our classrooms. Please see the image below to know where to locate your child(ren) teachers.

VIDEO ~ Click for Back to School Information from Mr. Wasson!

TOYS ~ Stay at home!

At times students bring all sorts of items to school such as toys, electronics, money, stuffed animals, squishies, sanitizer spray, make up, etc. PLEASE help minimize distractions, conflict and lost or stolen items by having your child bring ONLY necessary items to school. All staff have tools (fidgets, sensory items, etc.) for students to us for purposeful reguation and focus. If this poses challenges for your family, please talk with your child's teacher so we can work together to resolve issues before problems arise.