Benton Weekly Update

We kick off School Counselor Week and invite all students to send some love and appreciation to our amazing counseling team for all the work they do to support our students. Many thanks to School Counselor Dr. Tanya Sweney-Black, Intervention Counselor Ms. Stephanie Ruiz, and Wellness Specialist Ms. Amy Tanner-Neely. You are all amazing and provide a vital service to Benton!

Congratulations to Ms. Jessica Murray who has been chosen as Benton's Teacher of the Year. Benton's Classified Employee of the Year is Ms. Denise Rodgers, who serves as Supervision Aide. These ladies were selected by their peers as outstanding employees for the service they provide to students and to Benton. Congratulations, Ladies!

Is your car a little dusty and dirty after all the fires and winds? Benton's ASB has the solution for you! On Saturday this week from 8am-12noon, the Benton ASB/Leadership students are hosting a car wash in the Benton parking lot with all proceeds donated to support wildfires relief. You can get your car clean and support a good cause!

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!

PARKING LOT CLOSURE REMINDER:

I'm excited to announce that Benton will be installing a solar panel array on campus. We expect construction to begin on February 17. Most of the parking lot will be fenced off during construction. Parents will NOT be able to enter the parking lot at all to pick up or drop off your student(s). Please start now locating a new spot to pick up or drop off your student; many parents have their students walk down to Oxford or Ocaso and pick up their students there. By making a plan now, you can avoid frustration and confusion in February when the parking lot will be blocked off to parents. 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!

7th Graders: Sign up now for Science Camp on Catalina Island in May. Visit our Science Camp page for more details. And if you want to find out more about the 8th Grade East Coast trip, there's a meeting for 7th Grade students and families on Wednesday via zoom.

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!

This past Saturday, February 1st, Ms. Nitschke and the Benton Jr. Thespians attended the 2025 California Jr. Thespian Festival at OCSA. Students competed against middle school theatre programs from all over California and attended workshops in acting, accents, dance, makeup, and more! Benton students earned a total of six superior rankings! You can view photos and videos at this link. Way to go, Benton Thespians!

Last Wednesday was Lunar New Year. Students in Ms. Chang's Korean classes as well as many other students came during lunch to enjoy the rice cake soup and kimchi. It was the first time many of the students experienced this food, and based on the long line of students waiting to get some kimchi, they loved it! Students were also able to try some traditional Korean games, gonggi and ddakji. Many thanks to Ms. Chang and especially our parent volunteers who helped with this celebration!

(The following schedules are subject to change due to weather/rain)

Boys' Soccer Practice: Monday & Thursday 3:00-4:15

Girls' BB Practice: Monday 3:00-4:15 & Wednesday 2:00-3:15

Girls' Soccer Practice: Tuesday & Thursday 3:00-4:15

Boys' BB Practice: Wednesday 2:00-3:15

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

7th Graders: Are you interested in finding out about the 2026 8th Grade East Coast Trip? Registration is open now, and you can find out more about this fantastic trip. Be sure to join the meeting over zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 5th at 6pm.

There will be no school on Monday, 2/10 in observance of Abraham Lincoln's Birthday.

The Benton Performing Arts Boosters will meet on 2/11 at 5:30pm in Room 85. Join the Boosters and support the arts at Benton!

The NLM Middle Schools Basketball & Soccer Tournament will be at Benton on Wednesday, 2/12. Spectators will be able to enter campus after 8:45am through the sliding gate in the parking lot. Will Benton sweep this tournament, too? Go Wolverines!

8th Grade Students will take their Promotion Photos on Thursday during periods 1A-2A. There are no make up days for these photos, so please ensure your 8th Grader is present on Thursday. Students will be robed in a blue gown for these photos. At the end of period 3A, all 8th Graders will assemble for the Panoramic Photo. Your student should bring home the order forms for these photos, Panoramic Photos are $20.

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

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.

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