Benton Weekly Update

This week the voting is open for Benton's School Site Council. Please see the link below to vote, the election will close on Sunday.

As we embark on our 3rd week of school, I want to remind all students and parents that students are not permitted to bring party-size or family-size food to share with friends. This applies also to delivery of pizzas or other food for a group of students.

Does your student need to leave school early for doctor or dentist appointments? For the past few Fridays we have had a parade of students (more than 18) check out early at the end of the day on Friday. Calling this many students out of class not only interrupts learning for the student going home, but for all the students in class when we have to constantly interrupt instruction with phone calls to the classroom. If you know that your student will be going home early, please contact the office by phone or email early in the day so that we can provide teachers with a list of students and times they are to be dismissed from class. This will allow us to ensure that your student is ready in the office to go home and minimize disruptions to their class. To the extent possible, please do not remove your student early from school - if they're not here, they're not learning!

Are you the parent of an 8th Grader? An informational meeting about the 8th Grade East Coast Trip will be held on Wednesday this week at 6pm on Zoom. The link is posted below.

We are also recruiting responsible 8th Graders to serve as WEB Leaders. WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) is a leadership program that trains 8th Graders to serve as role models and mentors to new students. They plan fun, interactive activities to help new students feel welcome and involved on campus. The WEB Leaders are also the planning team behind our Back to School Dance scheduled for 9/26. An informational meeting to find out more about joining WEB will be next Tuesday 9/9 at Lunch with Mr. Barajas in Room 62.

Looking for after-school activities for your student? This week we have added Sports activities. Benton is forming teams for Cross Country, Football, and Volleyball. All students are welcome to participate in the after school practices, the NLM Middle Schools games and tournaments will be held after school on Wednesdays this year. Check out the schedule of activities posted below. Homework Club is after school on Mondays and Thursdays, and Math Tutoring on Tuesdays. Also on Tuesdays, our Green Team meets. The Green Team learns about gardening, the environment, our climate, and takes care of the Benton gardens. The Cheer Team holds practice on Wednesdays, and on Thursdays we offer Board Games. Students will learn and play various board games in a fun and interactive screen-free environment where students develop a variety of essential skills that complement their regular classroom learning; board games encourage social interaction, teamwork, cooperation, imaginative thinking, and strategic planning through diverse game experiences. Students are also able to audition for the fall play. Rehearsals will be after school most days until the performance in November.

Email is my primary method of communication, so make sure this newsletter and other emails are not going into your junk/spam folders. My email is rridgeway@nlmusd.org, you can reach Ms. Alcala at lalcala@nlmusd.org. We're on Facebook, additionally, please follow us on Instagram @BentonWolverines.

Make it a great week!

There is one vacant position for parents/community members on the Benton School Site Council (SSC). The position serves for two years. The SSC meets approximately once a month from 3:30pm-5pm during the school year and makes decisions regarding the School Plan for Student Achievement, the budget, and the School Safety Plan.

Three individuals have been nominated, Iris Barker, Jose Lara, and Joo Min. Please cast your vote using this form by Sunday, September 7, 2025: School Site Council Election

Click on the image below for instructions on how to submit your audition.

There will be no school on Monday, September 1st for the Labor Day Holiday. Enjoy your 3-day weekend! When you return to school Tuesday, it will be a B Day.

Please note the times and locations of the different activities. The hours vary from one activity to another. The schedule for sports activities is still being developed.

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

8th Grade Wolverines, are you interested in organizing school activities, such as the Back to School dance and mentoring 6th graders on campus? Then sign up for Benton's WEB Leadership Team. If your are interested in finding out more about WEB, there will be an informational meeting on Tuesday, Sept 9th at the beginning of lunch in Room 62. See you then!"

Our 7th Grade Science Camp on Catalina Island will be October 22th-24th. The total cost (including deposit) is $450. Students can register by completing the registration form and paying a $100 deposit. Deposits can be paid in the office (cash or check to Benton ASB only) or you may do so with your My School Bucks account at this link.

Our 6th Grade Science Camp in Arrowhead will be October 20th-24th. The total cost (including deposit) is $450. Students can register by completing the registration form and paying a $100 deposit. Deposits can be paid in the office (cash or check to Benton ASB only) or you may do so with your My School Bucks account at this link.

If you click on the image to the left, you will find a helpful video on navigating school pick ups and drops offs. By following the guidelines in this video, traffic will move efficiently and the parking lot can be cleared out within 10 minutes. We encourage all parents to exercise a little patience, follow the guidelines, be respectful of traffic rules and our neighbors' driveways, and help us to keep students safe. Just a reminder, please don't park in private driveways and streets, or the Beatitudes church parking lot.

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

The PTSA is a huge support to students and Benton's programs, and we hope all families choose to join, support, and get involved at Benton. Join the Benton PTSA online at this link or by scanning the QR code below.

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 nationally recognized, award winning 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