Benton Weekly Update

Thank you to all who joined us at Barnes & Noble last week. It was a great night celebrating student work, and we raised over $1100 for Benton classroom libraries.

We hope you enjoyed the 3 day holiday, that is the last of our holidays until Spring Break April 3-10. Hang in there!

This week, due to the forecasted rain, Benton's Soccer and Basketball games will be played at Benton on Friday after school. Games should begin right at 3pm, and spectators are welcome to enter campus through the sliding gate in the parking lot after student dismissal. Benton will be playing Los Alisos MS.

Progress Reports (a quick snapshot of students' grades in the moment) were emailed out last week. Students still have a few weeks until the end of the 3rd quarter, and parent conferences are coming up the first week of March. You don't need to wait until Parent Conferences if you have questions about your student's grades, you can reach out to the teacher any time by email at this link.

We have Scoliosis screening at the end of next week, if your student (7th Grade Girls, 8th Grade Boys, all students with IEPs) will be screened, you should have received notification by email.

In other news, the Benton PTSA Nominating Committee met and agreed on a slate of officers for next year's PTSA Board. There are still positions open for which we are seeking nominations. If you are interested, please reach out to me or PTSA President Heidi Ojeisekhoba. Elections will take place after 30 days.

Do you have a 6th Grader? All in-coming 7th Grade students must have a TDAP vaccination. Start scheduling those doctor appointments now so your 6th Grader is prepared for 7th Grade!

Do you need a new hoodie? Our PTSA is selling hoodies with Benton's "Old School" Wolverine logo. Check out the post below for a preview, hoodies may be purchased in the Benton office. Get your new, old school Benton hoodies!

Make it a great week!

See Ms. Hodge or Ms. Hernandez for details how you can enter your artwork into this contest.

The Nominating Committee of the Benton PTSA met on 2/2/26 and determined the slate of officers for the Association's consideration:

• President: Joo Yun Min
• Executive Vice President: Jane Kang
• Treasurer: Diane Delgadillo
• Secretary: Jose Lara
• Membership: Sarah Zurn

The following positions are still open:

• Programs
• Fundraising
• Auditor
• Historian

You can place an ad or well wishes for a student in the yearbook. Choose from a Full Page for $125, half page for $100, quarter page for $75, or eighth of a page for $50. Please provide finished artwork digitally to Mr. Dan at tdan@nlmusd.org and pay with cash or check payable to Benton ASB in the front office.

You can now purchase the 25-26 Benton Yearbook on our Webstore. The Yearbook is produced by Benton students and is delivered the last week of school. It's important to purchase your yearbook in advance, as we only print the number of books we sell in advance. Don't miss out, secure your yearbook now!

The Benton Yearbook needs your photos! Do you have any Back to School photos you would be willing to share with us? This includes photos you may have taken at home holding "1st Day of Middle School" type signs. If you would email a digital copy to me at rridgeway@nlmusd.org, that would be appreciated. We hope to create a collage of Back to School photos in our yearbook.

To include your 8th Grader's baby picture in the yearbook:

• Must be a digital copy
• Must be received by 3/27
• "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

Please note the times and locations of the different activities. The hours vary from one activity to another. All students must sign in each day for attendance using the QR code.

There will be no school in honor of President Washington's Birthday, as well as the federal Presidents' Holiday on Monday, February 16th. George Washington was the first President of the United States. He was a general in the Revolutionary War which brought independence from England, and he presided over the Constitutional Convention. Washington wrote, "The power under the Constitution will always be in the people".

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

The next meeting of the Benton School Site Council (SSC) will be on Thursday, Feb. 19th at 3:30pm in the Benton Conference Room. The SSC will be reviewing the Benton Safe School Plan and providing input on the purchase of student planners for 26-27. The agenda will be posted soon.

Benton's Soccer and Basketball teams will play Los Alisos MS at 3pm on Friday. Spectators may enter campus through the sliding gate in the parking lot after student dismissal.

The next Saturday School will be on 2/21 from 8:00am-12:15pm. Breakfast and lunch available, students can make up an absence by attending Saturday School, get caught up on schoolwork, and have fun. Permission slips are in the office, or print out the one linked below. Please let us know you're coming and Sign up for Saturday School at this link. Upcoming Saturday Schools will be on 2/21, 3/7, & 3/21.

We will have a minimum day schedule with dismissal every day at 1:15 for Parent Conferences. If your student is earning a D or F, be sure to reach out to their teacher to schedule a conference. Teacher emails can be found at this link.

We are thrilled to once again have Career Day for Benton students with over 30 speakers sharing insights about their professions. Students will be able to choose to hear from 3 different speakers and learn more about the opportunities awaiting them beyond high school.

Promotion and Panoramic Photos for 8th Graders will be on 3/16, and there are no make-ups, so it is important that students are present.

Mary Poppins Jr. Program Fundraiser! Every year we give out hundreds of programs to everyone who attends the Spring Musical and offer friends and families the chance to purchase ad space (for a company or tribute to a cast member), sponsorships, or shout outs. All three can be purchased on https://bentonms.booktix.com, or by filling out the attached page and returning to the front office by February 25th.

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.

Our retro sweatshirts are available for purchase in the Benton office.

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.

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.

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