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

Greetings,

We have a handful of volunteers but need a few extra folks to help hand out programs and guide guests to ADA seating. If you are interested in helping out, please email jmitacek@pps.net. We would need you at Viking Pavilion by 3:30 and you would be finished at 4:30 and are welcome to stay for the ceremony.

Joe Mitacek he/him

Vice Principal

Benson Polytechnic High School

Dear Benson Tech Community,

With graduation rapidly approaching, we wanted to reach out and let you know the steps we’re taking to ensure a safe, secure, and joyful event for everyone.

Graduation season is obviously an opportunity to spotlight the growth and accomplishments of our amazing students as they trade one stage of their lives for an exciting new chapter. It’s also a chance to recognize the hard work of our dedicated staff and our wonderful families in helping our students across the finish line. It’s important that we take the time to savor this moment together.

But we also want to acknowledge that, given the on-going federal immigration enforcement activities, there might be some anxiety around large public gatherings for many in our community. The fear people are feeling is real, and we understand why many families might want extra reassurance this year.

A few things to remember:

• We have a thorough and effective off-campus event safety plan that covers every aspect of event security.

• We work hand-in-hand with the PPS Security Team, venue security personnel, and local law enforcement leading up to the event to ensure adequate coverage and active collaboration between teams.

• All PPS graduations are private, ticketed events accessible only to staff, students, and select guests.

• We do not share student information with venue staff or any outside party. This includes immigration status.

• Staff and volunteers working graduation events have received training on secure off-campus event protocols and procedures, as well as PPS’s Federal Agent Safety Plan, which prioritizes heightened awareness, care, and readiness.

• We do not anticipate the presence of federal agents at our graduation ceremony, but we are prepared to act within our rights and in accordance with Oregon law at all times. This means not assisting or providing information to aid federal immigration actions unless required by court order.

We are fully committed to hosting a safe and secure graduation ceremony that honors the incredible achievements of every member of the Class of 2026. We cannot wait to celebrate alongside you.

Warmly,

Principal Wilson

Dear Families of PPS Graduates of the Class of 2026,

Congratulations to you and your graduates on their upcoming graduation from Portland Public Schools! Please review the following information for important guidelines for students and families at your graduation.

We know that this event is a major milestone in students’ lives, and we are hopeful that it creates lasting positive memories for all involved. We are excited to be holding graduations this year at Portland State University's Viking Pavilion, located at 930 SW Hall Street in downtown Portland.

The following guidelines are meant to ensure that all families are able to celebrate safely and to make the most of this memorable event.

The Viking Pavilion Guidelines include:

• Forbidden items: Please do not bring any balloons or liquids to the ceremony. There are water fountains and bottle filling stations for those who need to hydrate.

• Bags: Please note that bags will be checked at the Pavillion entry. Please limit any bags you bring. This will help keep the entrance lines moving.

• Seating/Photographs: Please do not leave your seat during the ceremony to approach the graduates for any reason. Professional photographers will be present at all ceremonies and families will have options to purchase professional photos or take pictures before or after the ceremony.

• Gathering: Families will have space to gather in the park blocks right outside the Viking Pavilion after the ceremony. Please be sure to exit the Pavilion immediately after the ceremony.

Thank you in advance for helping all graduates and their loved ones have a peaceful and positive graduation experience!

Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors:

All Chromebooks and chargers must be turned in no later than Friday June 5th. Students DO NOT have the option to keep Chromebooks over the summer.

The library will have Textbook and Chromebook returns after finals during FLEX, 12:02PM-3:34PM, on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of June.

Summer School:

Chromebooks will be available there.

There will be no Chromebooks collected over the summer.

Benson Tech Administration

Greetings Benson Tech Families,

It has been especially touching to work on the Senior's last day and prepare for the graduation ceremony this upcoming week. As we were handing out graduation tickets it was great to see so many students who had made improvements since march and were able to get extra graduation tickets.

A reminder to parents that we have our finals schedule on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week for our 9th-11th graders. This means there are about 6 total hours of FLEX this week in which students can make a last second push to get help or improve their grades - FLEX begins at 2:02 on Wednesday and Thursday and 12:23 on Friday. Many students who have finished all their work may be making it home a bit earlier this week.

Here is a look at how Benson's student body is wrapping up the school year (including excused absences: 86.7%

Regular attenders by grade level:

9 - 67.4%

10 - 57%

11 - 49.5%

12 - 32.3%

Joe Mitacek he/him

Vice Principal

Benson Polytechnic High School

Dear Benson Tech Community:

The Benson Wellness Center is open this summer by appointment! Please see the attached flyers for more information.

Sincerely,

Caroline Bleckmann, LCSW, She/her

School Social worker, Benson Polytechnic High School

I am unable to schedule meetings over email. For all meeting requests click here or use google calendar for PPS employees.

Benson staff referral form

Benson Wellness Center

Benson Community Resources

Cell/Non-urgent texting: 503-729-3486

Monday-Friday, 8-4:00

How can the School Social Worker help me?

Outside of office hours, if you or your loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the Multnomah County Crisis line at 503-988-4888.

TechBoosters is currently seeking a Treasurer for the 2026–27 school year.

Our board has a vacancy in the Treasurer role. If you are interested in supporting Benson students through budgeting, fundraising, and community engagement work, we’d love to hear from you! Email bensontechboosters@gmail.com to share your interest.

TechBoosters also recently elected new board members for next school year. Alum and current Benson parent Josh Piper will serve as President, Alli Grice as Secretary, and Rachel McDonald will continue as Vice President. Lonnie Bowden will remain as interim Treasurer while we seek his replacement. Together, the incoming board will continue supporting fundraising, sponsorships, Teacher Appreciation efforts, concessions, and funding opportunities for Benson teams and student organizations.

As outgoing president, I want to sincerely thank the Benson Tech community for the opportunity to serve over the past four years. It has been an honor and a joy, which I will always remember fondly.

Hope to see you at the community gathering on August 22nd!

Benson Tech Boosters

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. If you wish your Junior to have accommodations, you must submit a request to the College Board by August 24, 2026. Here is a link to the request form Accommodations Request Form. PPS will not cover the cost of the test, so it will be at the families expense. The cost is $18.00 paid to the Benson bookkeeper by October 1, 2026.

Tom Ustach

Benson Tech

Testing Coordinator

Dear Benson Tech Students,

Benson Band will meet next year every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 7:45-8:25am in the Band Room for rehearsal.

Please be sure to see Ms.G for more information or if you have any questions (Room 277 or hgoertzen@pps.net)

Heide Goertzen

Benson Tech Students,
As we begin to wind down this school year with less than 3-weeks of school remaining one of the concerns that we are starting to see is an uptick of Cell Phones and AirPods creeping up among students in and out of classes.

Please be aware that Cell Phones and Air Pods are banned items by Benson Tech, Portland Public Schools and the Governor’s office. Once school begins at 8:30am Cell Phones and AirPods and other electronic devices need to be out of sight and off and away all day including in the hallways and at lunchtime. If we see these items we will ask for them and you can meet with the Benson Tech Administration staff regarding the return of these banned devices back to you.

I know that we are getting close to the end of the school year and students are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel for summer but I am asking you all if we could just stay the course with Benson's cell phone policy over these last few weeks and bring in the summer on a high note.

We got this!!

Principal Wilson

Summer School Registration is now open!

Need to make up credit for a failed academic core class?

Here is Information with a list of course offerings and at which high school.

Please let your student's school counselor know by email or students can make appointments in the counseling department.

BHS counselor's contact information HERE

Christy Clement (Wheeler) she/her

School Counselor, students with last name Mc-Sn

503-916-5100 x 88419

Benson Polytechnic High School

546 NE 12th AVE

Portland, OR 97232

https://bensonhs.net/

To schedule an appointment, use the following link: Ms. Morgan

TriMet is removing transportation barriers for high school students, ages 14-19, all summer long with the TriMet Summer Pass. This free transit pass empowers students throughout the Portland area with greater access to jobs, education, social opportunities and a whole lot more. All students— regardless of their economic resources— are eligible. A pass will automatically be loaded to your Portland School District student ID. Find out more at trimet.org/summerpass

Thank you,

Lena Leon (she/her)

Administrative Assistant I | Registrar

Benson Polytechnic High School

Postseason Update

Track and field

Our track and field athletes competed valiantly this weekend at historic Hayward Field in Eugene. Head Coach Duy Do led four of our athletes - three seniors and one freshman - this weekend to the state meet. Below are their results. Great job!

Miles Gray, senior

• Finished 11th in the boys triple jump

Edwin Chang, senior

• Finished 15th in the boys 400m dash

LaShya'h Vincent, senior

• Finished 10th in the girls triple jump

• Finished 6th in the girls long jump

Zara Pahl Armsbury, freshman

• Finished 16th in the girls shot put

Free Sports Physical Exams from Providence

On Tuesday, June 2, Providence Medical Group is providing free physical exams for student-athletes at Benson. The flier with more information is linked here.

Summer Athletics Offerings at Benson Tech

Most of our athletic programs plan to offer activities this summer! Please click this link for more information. Is your sport not listed? Reach out to the athletic director or head coach for more information.

Free Sports Physical Exams from Providence

On Tuesday, June 2, Providence Medical Group is providing free physical exams for student-athletes at Benson. The flier with more information is linked here.

Summer Athletics Offerings at Benson Tech

Most of our athletic programs plan to offer activities this summer! Please click this link for more information. Is your sport not listed? Reach out to the athletic director or head coach for more information.

Jessica Russell

Athletic Director

Benson High School

Benson Tech Community Celebration

Saturday, August 22nd, 2026

Noon-3pm

546 NE 12th, 97232

Join us for an afternoon of celebrating all things Benson Tech!

This family-friendly event is an excellent opportunity for current, former, and future students and their families to (re)visit Benson Tech before the new school year gets under way.

The celebration will include:
- Tours of the school

- The opportunity to engage with members of the school community
- Food trucks
- Benson Tech gear for sale in the student store
- Class Reunions (1966, 1996, 2001, and 2006)

For more information, please visit the Benson Polytechnic High School group on Facebook, or email the BPHSAA (Alumni Association) at info@BensonTechAlumni.org

Parents/Guardians: As a reminder, cell phones and wireless listening devices are BANNED items on campus. As the sun has been coming out more, so have banned devices. Students who bring a cell phone/wireless listening device into the building (knowing its banned and can be confiscated), should keep the item in a bag or locker (i.e. out of sight).

Also please note that tablets and Meta Glasses are considered banned items as well.

Colleen Johnston

Dean of Students

Meta Glasses are considered a "Personal Electronic Device" and, as such, have been banned by the district. If a student wears them to school, the glasses will be confiscated like a cell phone or wireless listening devices would be.

Please leave the Meta Glasses at home.

-

p.s. You matter -- you really, really do.

Benson Polytechnic High School

Dean of Students & School Climate Coach

Office phone: 503-916-5100 ext. 88208‪

(pronouns: she/her/hers)

Dear Benson Tech Parents and Guardians,

We would like to share an update on how to report student attendance at Benson.
The following options can ONLY be completed by a parent or guardian:
ParentVUE
Benson Attendance Reporting Form (it can also be found on the Benson website)
Call the Attendance Office: (503) 916-5109
• Please leave a detailed voicemail if we are unable to answer your call.

When notifying the school of an absence, please include:

• Student’s full name (ID number if known)
• Your phone number
• Date(s) of absence
• Reason for absence
• If a COVID or flu test was taken: test date and result
• If the absence is due to illness, please list symptoms
  (Based on the information provided, our school nurse may contact you for follow-up.)

• Students arriving more than 15 minutes late must sign in at the Attendance Office.
• Students leaving early must sign out at the Attendance Office.
• If returning the same day, students must sign back in at the Attendance or Main Office.

Eva Martinez Mercado

Administrative Assistant II-Counseling

(503) 916-5100 ext. 88413

Parents/Guardians,

Please click on the link and attachments below to read about the Governor's/Portland Public Schools/Benson Tech Cell Phone Policy which goes into affect for the 2025-26 school year.

Students have done a great job during the 1st semester of the school year in not utilizing their cell phones when they enter the building and we want to continue on with that shift in cell phone use. Remember that we will be asking students to turn in their cell phones to the main office to be held by our Dean of Students or an Administrator if the cell phone is seen within the building during the school day.

Principal Wilson

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13jOZHqb2eYPXRSeXipBxTYU4NjmIUflA5_G6DR3sAEg/edit?usp=sharing (Cell Phone Letter to Parents/Guardians)

Cell Phone Reminder:

9th and 10th graders are expected to keep their cell phones in their lockers. Ipad's are not allowed, as they are basically large cell phones. Please keep those at home.

Additionally, wired headphones to a chromebook or CD player are okay with teacher permission on time/place. Wired headphones should NOT be connected to a cell phone (b/c it's a banned item).

Benson Polytechnic High School

Dean of Students & School Climate Coach

Office phone: 503-916-5100 ext. 88208‪

(pronouns: she/her/hers)

Benson Tech Parents/Guardians,

Picking Up Students: When needing to pick up your students from school during the day please be sure to call the attendance office ahead of time to let us know that you're coming to the school as we will need that time to locate your students class and have your student ready for you for pickup upon your arrival to the school.

Just call (503-916-5100) and you will be transferred to the attendance office.

Student Notifications: When calling to let the Attendance office know if your student will be out for a class period or more or for the whole day, PLEASE provide the reason why they will be late and/or absent. This will help us update their attendance correctly for them and you.

Thank you.

Benson Tech Attendance Office