Benton Weekly Update

Welcome Back! It was nice to have a 4-day weekend and time to reflect on and honor our Military Veterans.

Congratulations to our October Students of the Month and students with Perfect Attendance who were recognized at our Homeroom Assembly last week. Students are selected by their teachers for demonstrating Benton's P.R.I.D.E. characteristics of Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Excellence. Well done, Wolverines!

At our Homeroom Assembly last week, in addition to recognizing outstanding Wolverines, our counselors presented a lesson on resolving student conflict, and our ASB students presented the Benton Broadcast. Be sure to click the link below to view the Benton Broadcast and see what's happening here at Benton!

On Wednesday this week, Benton's Football and Volleyball teams will compete in the NLM Middle Schools Sport Tournament. Spectators may enter the campus through the sliding gate in the parking lot after 9:30am. The tournament will begin at 10am. Good luck, Wolverines!

On Friday this week, Benton presents our fall play, Silver's Secret! You won't need a treasure map to find your tickets, you can go online to bentonms.booktix.com to purchase your tickets now.

On Thursday this week, 8th Graders will visit their future high schools, La Mirada HS, John Glenn HS, and Norwalk HS. Make sure all to turn in your permission slips to the front office. In the evening, 8th Graders and their families should attend the La Mirada HS Future Matador Night to find out more about the programs and pathways at La Mirada HS, and why LMHS is the right choice for your 8th Grader!

This past week we emailed home to 8th Grade families Promotion Status letters. The letters give 8th graders and their families an update of their current status for Promotion. 8th Graders need to maintain a 2.0 GPA and cannot fail (letter grade of F) the same class in both semesters. In addition, 8th graders cannot have more than 3 unverified absences or more that 5 tardies for a single class period. We hope these letters help 8th graders stay on track for Promotion Ceremony and 8th Grade Activities eligibility. If you have specific questions about your 8th Grader's eligibility or need support in helping your 8th Grader remain eligible, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Administrators or the Counselors.

How is your attendance looking? Consider attending Saturday School this upcoming weekend to make up attendance and/or get support on school work. One Saturday School will clear 1 full day absence. Experts say it takes three school days to catch up from one day's absence; consider how much more challenging that is with Benton's block schedule. To the extent possible, all students should be here every day, all day.

Open Enrollment is coming up in December, and our Showcase for new and prospective students will be on Wednesday, November 20th from 5:30-7:30pm. Families can tour the Benton campus, speak with our teachers, and attend a presentation by Ms. Ridgeway on Benton's programs and what makes Benton great. We appreciate the opportunity to share our unique programs with prospective families and students. Please spread the word if you have friends looking for a great middle school for next year! Please feel free to forward our flyer linked below.

Make it a great week!

Benton's Mock Trial team has been working hard with Coach Mr. Udeobong. The team had its first round of competition with the Defense last Thursday. The team did well, and we are awaiting results. The Prosecution team will compete this upcoming Thursday. Good luck, Wolverines!

There is no school for students on Monday, November 11th in observance of Veterans' Day.

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

The NLM Middle Schools Volleyball & Football Tournament will be at Benton on Wednesday, November 13th. The first games should begin at 10am. Spectators may enter campus through the sliding gates in the parking lot after 9:30am. Good luck, Wolverines!

Students may attend Saturday School to make up an absence, get caught up on school work, get support for schoolwork, have fun, and learn some new skills. We have 8 more Saturday School sessions coming up through March 2025. Upcoming Saturday School activities are Gardening with Ms. Robertson, Film Critique with Ms. Divine, Mock Trial with Mr. Udeobong, History Day preparation with Mr. Muñoz, and Study Skills with Ms. Ruiz. The next Saturday School will be on November 16th. All students are welcome. Please turn in the permission slip to the office. Both breakfast and lunch are available.

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