A Message From Principal Wilson:
Parents/Guardians,
Please note that with only 2 months of school left on the academic calendar that it’s imperative that students are focused and on track to finishing out the school year on a positive note. If you have any concerns regarding your students classes or other concerning issues related to your students please be sure to make contact with your child’s teachers or contact your student’s counselor here at Benson. This past Thursday, April 10th was the end of the 3rd Grading Quarter and parents/guardians should be getting progress reports on their kids sometime this week.
Dress Code Reminder
Parents remind your students that as we move into warm weather that clothing with inappropriate symbols or signs relating to gangs, drugs, tobacco, alcohol or anything else is not acceptable. No sunglasses, du-rags, hats, bandanas, sagging pants, halter tops, exposed midriffs, low necklines, spaghetti straps, or holes and tears in clothing. No bare feet, spike jewelry, hanging belts and chains. Dresses and skirts, with arms at your side; need to be at the end of your fingertips in length. Skorts and shorts need to have a 4 inch inseam. Thank You!!
-Benson Administration
Benson Clean Up Day (Parents We Need Your Support)
Mark your calendars! Benson Clean-up day is on Saturday, April 19th from 9am-1pm. We need as many volunteers as we can to help us weed, clean, prune and beautify the grounds of Benson. Parents and Community please come out on Saturday and show your Tech Pride and help beautify our school grounds.
Extension of the School Year:
Parents/Guardians please note that the Portland School Board approved calendars for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years on March 31 and added two days to the current school year to make up for snow days. School will end this year on Friday, June 13. PPS closed all schools three full days this school year due to inclement weather: Dec. 11, Feb. 7 and Feb. 10. To make up the missed class time, June 12 and 13, originally scheduled as teacher planning days, will now be full school days. School will let out for summer break Friday, June 13 and planning days will move to Monday and Tuesday, June 16 and 17 for teachers.
Parents/Guardians please remember that freshmen have a daily planner that will help parents monitor daily homework needs and due dates from teachers. The daily planner also contains contact information and email addresses of their teachers. Please also be aware of the automated phone calls from the school alerting you (parents) of absences/skipping by your child. This will allow you the opportunity to follow up with your child before the absences become a chronic issue.
A Message from Ilsa Bruer: (Language Arts Teacher) in regards to the Poetry Slam Event:
Parents/Guardians:
On Friday, March 21st ten (10) students also performed their original poetry in Benson’s poetry slam. Each student did a great job demonstrating poise, courage and creativity in their performance and they all should be commended. Ms. Bruer would like to congratulate the following students: Claudia McGinnis, Neema Doti, Zarah Boling, Theo Nguyen, Devon Straub, Kahlea Casanova-Fish, Aaron White, Deazhane Carter, Warren Yoakum, and Alexis Whitney!
Our three finalists, Warren Yoakum, Aaron White and Alexis Whitney will represent Benson at the Verselandia Poetry Slam on Tuesday, April 29th at 7pm at the Gerding Theater.
For more information check out http://verselandia.wordpress.com/
Thank You
Ms. Bruer
Parents/Guardians
Attached to this email is an important message with information regarding safety when selecting transportation services during prom season. Additional information can be found at www.portlandoregon.gov/revenue/LegalLimo or by calling Frank Dufay at 503-865-2487.
Parents; Clearance for the Prom
Parents please help remind your Seniors that Prom is slowly approaching (May 10th). Ticket sales start on April 28th, and Guest forms will be available on the 21st. But before your student can buy a ticket he/she must be cleared in the bookkeeper’s office. Please remind your Senior to go and check with the bookkeeper to see if they are cleared.
-Benson Administration
Parents; The District’s Sixty (60) Day Rule
Commencement Disqualification- Seniors may be disqualified from participation in commencement exercises and related activities if within 60 days of the last senior school day (June 3rd 2014) they are found to be in violation of the District’s Drug and Alcohol policy or any Level 3 or greater violation resulting in a disciplinary action of suspension.
THE 60 DAY RULE BEGAN ON Friday APRIL 4, 2014
Please make sure your Seniors are mindful of this as we move into PROM season and SENIOR celebrations!
-Benson Administration
Site Council
Parents: Site Council will be meeting on Wednesday April 16th from 4pm-5:30pm in the Library Conference Room (located in the Library) if you would like to be a part of this important meeting.
PTSA
Parents: PTSA will be meeting on Wednesday April 16th from 6pm-7:30pm in the Library Conference Room (located in the Library) if you would like to join this meeting.
A Message from Linda McLellan (PE Teacher; Fit 2 Live and Learn Class)
Freshmen Parents: If you want to check on whether your child has completed daily homework, the list of homework (which they do have each night) assignments & expectations are listed in their daily planner. Please ask to see that planner. In that planner you will also find teacher’s email addresses and other resource information to help your child navigate their High School experience.
A Message from Barry Philips (Vice Principal)—Parents We Need Volunteers!!
Hello Parents and Guardians of Benson Students,
The Freshman class is going on a fieldtrip to OMSI on Wednesday April 23rd 2014 for the ACT Testing Day Freshman Activities 8:00am – 12:30pm.
OMSI requires a 1:10 staff/volunteer to student ratio in order to attend. Benson needs 10 parent volunteers to be able to take the freshman to OMSI. If you are available to volunteer 04/23/14 from 8am-12:30pm please call or email Mr. Phillips ASAP at 503-916-5100, extension 77104 or email bphillips @pps.net **Because you will not be left alone with students you do not require a security clearance for this event.
The Freshman Activity is a trip to OMSI. Two attractions (there are others) our students will focus on and enjoy are Tony Hawk Rad Science and What I Eat (see descriptions below).
Extreme Sports. Extreme Science.
In this cool new exhibit, world-renowned skateboard legend Tony Hawk demonstrates how physics principles like gravity, force, velocity, acceleration, inertia and balance make radical tricks possible in sports like skateboarding, BMX and snowboarding (teacher packet coming soon). In addition to his impressive athletic achievements, Hawk’s name is synonymous with top selling boarding products, mainstream clothing, video games and impressive charitable activities including the development of public skate parks in low-income communities. He understands how physics make his sport possible and makes these challenging science concepts relevant, accessible and engaging for young visitors.
What I Eat
Ever wondered what a boy in Bangladesh eats for lunch? How about a sumo wrestler in Japan or a camel herder in Egypt?
Based on Faith D’Aluisio and Peter Menzel’s wildly popular book, What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets, OMSI’s new photography exhibit invites you to explore what the food we eat says about how we live and who we are (teacher packet attached).
The exhibit features portraits of 20 people from around the world and the food they eat in the course of a day – right down to serving size and caloric value. Ranging from 800 to 8400 calories, fresh ingredients to processed staples, rich and hearty to lean and light, the differences in a single day’s worth of food provide a glimpse into the way people (live and eat) all over the globe.
B. Phillips
Vice Principal
A Message from Dave DeMaris (Math Teacher)
This past week Chris Fischborn of Z-Tech Engineering, a Professional Surveyor working with a Program called TrigStar visited with Advanced Algebra, and Pre-Calculus students. He introduced the students to surveying as a career. He included a brief history of surveying in the US and on the football field and he also demonstrated how Mathematics is used every day…particularly trigonometry. At the conclusion of his visit a test was given where prizes of $50, $30, and $20 was awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place on the test finishers.
Winners of the contest were: 1. Harry Herzberg 2. Rose Adrian 3. Zachary Schroeder
Harry will go on to represent Benson in a regional competition in May.
Congratulations to these students and thanks to Mr. Fischborn for visiting Benson Tech.
A Message from Sally Niedermeyer (Health Occupations Teacher)
Health Occupations had 18 Health Science students who competed at the Oregon HOSA Spring Leadership Conference this past week. Sophomore, Evangeline Matley, was elected as president elect and will be a HOSA state officer for the next two years. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of Benson students attending placed in the top 3 of their events and earned medals! Benson Tech had a new school record with senior, Phuong Uyen Nguyen, receiving 11 medals. Also senior Kien Tran was the top scorer in the Kaiser Permanente Health Care Issues Exam, a particularly difficult written test on current health issues. Many of the students qualified to attend the National Leadership Conference in June to be held in Orlando, Florida. Congratulations students and Go Tech!!
A Message from Matt Pellico and John DeLacy from the Robotics Club: Trip to West Super-Regional FTC Championship in Sacramento Calif.
At the Oregon FTC State Robotics Championship, which was held at Benson High School on March 2, Benson High School Team 267, EMP, won a slot in the Western Super-Regional Championship in Sacramento, California. From that moment, we held several fundraisers and made pleas for financial help from sponsors and alumni. Overall we raised enough money to send eight students and two adults to Sacramento for four days. The five Benson students who participated as Team 267 are Gavin Beck, Mitchell Angulo, Trevor McClung, Harry Herzberg and Zachary Schroeder.
Furthermore, three students from the other Benson teams signed up as volunteers at the tournament, so they went with us. They were Rose Adrian, Bronson Kim and Keala Cottrell. They helped with the Audio/Visual work during the three days of the tournament. On Wednesday morning, March 19, we left Benson and arrived in Sacramento about 9PM.
Thursday, the first day of the tournament, was spent setting up and decorating our pit area and getting our robot inspected. Team and pit judging also took place on Thursday. Three practice fields were available for the team to perfect their programs and practice driving.
Friday morning was the start of the qualifying matches. Team 267 took part in seven matches on Thursday. We were in the winning alliance on two of them. The robot had some mechanical and software problems that affected a couple of the losing matches, but we also had the bad luck to have one match in which the Field Control System failed completely to connect to our robot. And in another match, the alliance partner’s robot failed to operate.
On Saturday morning, Team 267 had their eighth and last qualifying match. We were allied with E = MC Squirred, an old friend from Beaverton, and our alliance won handily. It was a very good end to the qualifying portion of the tournament.
Unfortunately, Team 267 did not get on an alliance for the final rounds, but the students felt very good at the way their robot operated and the team conducted itself amid some real difficulties. Since this robotics program is designed to expose students to the real world of engineering, where unpredictable and negative things can happen, I feel the Benson students came through very well. They were not discouraged and came away with unforgettable experiences and ideas, and some new friends.
Every student had a lot of fun, made many new friends and learned invaluable lessons in life and engineering.
We stayed on for the final rounds and awards ceremonies and rooted for the four or five Oregon teams who made it into the finals.
We returned to Benson on Sunday, exhausted but happy.
John DeLacy
Matt Pellico
A Message from Amy Henry & Steve Wren (School Counselors)
For the next two weeks, the Benson Counseling Department will be forecasting students for the 2014-15 school year (see schedule below). In addition, we will be talking about other topics such as credit recovery, post high school planning, etc. We will be sending home the following information with your student:
1) Letter from the school district stating the benefits of taking eight classes
2) Student’s transcript
3) A form the student has filled out which lists their career goal, their forecasted classes for next year and a credit recovery plan (if needed).
Please review the information with your student. If you have any questions, we can be reached at Amy Henry, [email protected] (working with last names A-L) and Steve Wren, [email protected] (working with last names M-Z).
Forecasting Schedule:
Current Juniors (Class of 2015): April 4-10 in US History/AP US History Classes (Done)
Current Freshmen (Class of 2017): April 14-17 in Biology Classes
Current Sophomores (Class of 2016): April 18-22 in Modern World History Classes
Amy & Steve
A Message from Steve Naganuma (KBPS Radio)
Parents/Guardians,
KGW-TV did a Flashback news story on KBPS Radio. Here is the link to the video.
http://www.kgw.com/thesquare/Flashback-Monday-Benson-Highs-KBPS-AM-253304811.html
Steve Naganuma
A Message from Jeandre Carbone (Benson Vice Principal): Additional Math Tutoring for Juniors
Benson is providing additional math tutoring for juniors preparing to retake the OAKS math test. Details follow:
Teacher: Ms. Leech
Location: Room 226
Times: 3:30 to 4:30 on Wednesdays – Beginning March 19th
Period 4 -Beginning March 20th
-Ms. Carbone
A Message from the Benson Counseling Staff of Amy Henry and Steve Wren:
Parents here are a few things we want to make sure you don’t miss and communicate with your students.
Juniors: Now is the time to start studying for the ACT test. Come to the College and Career Center for help.
SENIORS–KEEP WORKING ON POST HS PLANS:
Going to an apprenticeship after Benson? – See your major teacher; update your resume.
Math Tutoring: The counseling center is now offering FREE math tutoring on Thursdays from 3:30-5:00pm for students in Algebra 1 – Pre-Calculus. Feel free to drop in any Thursday and get help with math in the counseling center.
The 22nd Annual Asian American Youth Leadership Conference is Friday, May 22. If you have students who are interested in attending, please have you child pick up a student information packet in the counseling office. Permission slip and payment is due to Ms. Henry by Friday, April 18th.
Ms. Henry
A Message from Miranda Ryan (College & Career Coordinator)
Coming to Benson:
Upcoming Career Days:
Port of Portland Career Day: If you have ever flown out of Portland International Airport, worn clothes from Columbia Sportswear or perhaps even purchased something from Fred Meyer, the Port helped bring those experiences to life! From communications to problem solving, this career day will put your skills to the test in an emergency simulation exercise and a tour of the airfield. Discover why the Port of Portland is crucial to our region. The Port has already impacted your life, now it is your turn to make an impact. Come see what the Port can offer you! Featured careers include: media relations, wildlife management, fire/police, retail management, dredge operations, engineering, environmental, airfield operations and communications center dispatch and TSA just to name a few.
Scholarships:
Please make sure to contact your counselor if you’re interested in either one of these scholarships.
SAT Prep Sessions:
COLLEGE VISITS:
All visits will be held in the Counseling Center. You must sign up in the Counseling Center for these visits.
Portland Community College and Intel are excited to announce the 2nd Annual Hermana’s Conference for Latina girls, grades 9 – 10 to be held on Friday, April 25th from 8am to 2pm at the PCC Rock Creek Campus. Conference Mission: To increase the number of underrepresented female students choosing to go to college by inspiring them to pursue an engineering and science education and envision future careers in a technical field. Registration is free and lunch will be provided. See your counselor for more information.
New Opportunities for Benson Students
Chick Tech- is a free year long program that introduces 100 high school girls to technology and local tech community. The program provides a fun, positive learning experience designed to build participants’ confidence in their technical abilities, give them positive role models, create connections with other young women from the Portland metro area, and create a positive association with technology creation.
Must be a sophomore or Junior to apply.
The EAGLE: (Early Adventures in Golf for a Lifetime of Enjoyment)
This program is a paid internship that encompasses all phases of the golf course operation. Only sophomores are eligible to apply for this two-year program. You do not need to know how to play golf.
Come to the Career Center to pick up an application.
Instant Admit Days:
Internships:
Summer Opportunities For Your Kids:
PLACE (Planning and Leadership Across City Environments): By signing up for PLACE you will work on real projects that directly involves you in planning Portland’s future. During this dynamic, interdisciplinary, and experiential summer program, you will learn from the city’s best minds as they grapple with decisions that shape Portland’s Future. Sign up in the Career Center.
International Summer Science Institute: Applicants to the international Summer Science Institute must have excelled in their science studies and demonstrated their interceded in scientific research beyond the classroom—in extra research projects, science competitions, summer programs, etc. Pick-up applications in the Career Center.
C. Wilson
Principal of Benson Polytechnic High School
