Parents/Guardians
Parents you can also see and read about some of the good things happening here at Benson via my Benson Twitter Page. You can follow me via the @BensonTechPride link via Twitter.
November 17th 2014
8th Grade Information Night
Parents of current Benson students please help in spreading the word that Benson’s 8th Grade Information Night will be happening here at Benson Tech on Tuesday November 18th from 6pm-7:30pm. This is an opportunity for current 8th graders to come in and get a “snap shot” of what Benson has to offer and to also answer questions that parents/guardians may have concerning Benson’s programs. Please spread the word to your friends and family members if they are interested in checking out Benson for the 2015-16 school year.
Benson Administration
A Message From Our Curriculum Vice Principal Jeandre Carbone: New English Teacher/Classes
We are pleased to announce that Benson, along with other Portland high schools, recently received new funding for the purpose of hiring additional teachers. Benson has been able to hire a new English teacher, Celeste Karzon, which will allow us to reduce class sizes so that students are able to receive more individualized attention and increased service. The new classes started on the first day of the second quarter, Wednesday, November 12th.
Unfortunately, offering additional course sections requires changes to some students’ schedules. We have worked hard to minimize those schedule changes by keeping students with the same teachers as much as possible. Nevertheless, some students will experience the discomfort that comes along with change. We feel confident that in the long run, the benefit of smaller classes and more individualized service in the area of reading and writing will be well worth the initial discomfort.
Jeandre Carbone
Vice Principal
Benson Polytechnic High School
Benson Will Be On A Regular Thursday Tutorial Schedule This Coming Thursday Nov. 20th
Period 1 8:15-9:37
Period 3 9:42-11:04
Lunch 11:04-11:34
Period 5 11:39-1:01
Period 7 1:06-2:26
Tutorial 2:33-3:15
PTSA Meeting
The PTSA (Parent, Teacher, Student Association) will be meeting on Tuesday Nov. 18th starting at 7pm in the Library Conference Room. Parents/Guardians please come and support Benson Tech.
A Message from Linda McLellan: Benson’s Fit2Live&Learn Teacher
Parents/Guardians please see the attached item which will list the STUDENTS OF THE QUARTER in the Fit2Live&Learn class. These students have the highest class percentage for the 1st quarter. Congratulations to these fine students.
Linda McLellan
An Important Message from our Counselor Amy Henry Regarding Seniors
Important Senior Information: Financial Aid Night
Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 pm, Benson Band Room (translator available for Spanish)
Scholarship Workshops: Lots of help for applying for scholarships!
Literary Arts Scholarship Workshop: Saturday, November 22, 1:00 – 3:00 pm, Literary Arts Office
925 SW Washington St. (Downtown)
PCC Future Connect Scholarship Workshop: Thursday, Dec. 11 at 2:30 pm, Benson Counseling Center
(great opportunity for any student planning on attending PCC)
Winter Break Scholarship Workshop: Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 10:00 am, Benson Counseling Center
(this is open to any student who needs help with writing scholarships; great opportunity for students applying to the Gates Scholarship which is due right after winter break)
Recommendation Letters:
If you are applying to a Private College and need letters of recommendation, you need to see your counselor before Thanksgiving break.
Amy Henry
A Message from Christin Chambless (Benson’s PTSA President)
Hello Benson families
We have a great opportunity for you to get fresh milk, dairy products, bread and coffee delivered right to your door. The Milkman is Back was recently featured on the 11 o’clock news. It was really neat to see how this program works. Many other schools in the PPS district are also participating in this same program.
We are working with Local Farmers Delivery to raise money for Benson High School. They are offering free home delivery of milk, bread, eggs, juice, coffee, and more. There is no contract, no delivery charge, and the products are fresher than what you can buy in the grocery store. It’s all about local products, local schools, and creating jobs in the local community. If you decide to try the free service, Local Farmers Delivery will donate $25 in your name to help pay for teacher’s supplies, and other programs at BHS. Just click the link below and fill out the simple form with your contact info. Someone from Local Farmers Delivery will be in touch to answer any questions you might have, and help set up your first delivery.
If you order 3 items, shipping is free. It might be cool to check it out and see if this is an option for your family and help to raise some funds for Benson High School PTSA.
Here is the link to the electronic referral form: https://localfarmersdelivery.wufoo.com/forms/local-farmers-delivery/
Thank you
Christin Chambless
BHS PTSA President
New 2014-15 Bell Schedule
Parents I’ve attached the new district wide high school bell schedule. Please open the attachment and review the new bell schedule carefully with your Benson High student(s).
A Message From Our Counselor Steve Wren (The BLACKReach flyer is attached to this newsletter)
BLACKReach Opportunities
The University of Oregon in collaboration with Portland Public Schools, Self Enhancement Inc. and the Black United Fund of Oregon invite ALL African American students and their families to the Opportunities BLACKREACH program on Wednesday, November 19 from 5:30 to 8:00 pm at Self Enhancement Inc. This is a great opportunity for students to get answers to their questions about the admissions process, learn about financial aid and scholarships opportunities to pay for college, important deadlines and all college related questions. Parents also have the unique opportunity to learn how to support their students to pursue higher education. Younger students will have an opportunity to learn what it takes to prepare for college and interact with college students from similar backgrounds. Dinner and childcare is provided so the entire family can attend. Please contact us if you have any questions, 541-346-1067, [email protected]
A Word From Your Library Media Specialist, Mrs. Ferrell-Burns: Oregon Battle of the Books
As your Benson HS Librarian I am excited to be able to share with you that we have been awarded a grant from the Oregon Association of School Libraries towards funding of the Benson Library Battle of the Books Club. This will be the first year that Benson Tech has participated in this reading program and the opportunity to compete with other high schools throughout the state. Students who have a passion for reading meet others and share their love of literature. We form teams of 4-5 players, read from a list of 12 books and then participate in a fun competition with other teams of students. Our club meets on Thursdays during Lunch or Tutorial. Students are invited to join the club with a registration form from the Library.
For more information, contact Mrs. Ferrell-Burns at [email protected].
Oregon Battle of the Books List 2014-15
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall
Elaine Ferrell-Burns
Library Media Specialist
Creston, K-8 (Mon, Tu, Wed pm)
Benson HS (Wed am, Th, Fri)
A Message From Our Counselors
Parents there has been a change in our Counseling Center. Benson now has three full-time counselors! There has been some shuffling of the counselors’ student case loads, but now students will be able to remain with their counselor all four years. Students will be assigned to counselors by last name:
Students A – G will have Amy Henry [email protected]
Students H – O will have Peg Schoettle [email protected]
Students P – Z will have Steve Wren [email protected]
The counselors will work together closely to make sure all students continue to receive the support they need to be successful.
Peggy Schoettle
Benson High School Counselor
(503)916-5100 x77135
New Scoreboards for the Winter Season
A personal “Thank You” goes out PPS Athletic Director Marshall Haskins for working with the Benson Administration in getting us two new scoreboards for the new gym. The old scoreboards were on their last leg and Mr. Haskins was able to get the new scoreboards into the building and installed before the beginning of the winter sports season.
Benson Administration
This Week In Athletics
No Athletics This Week
Winter Sports
Tryouts begin on Monday November 17th for Winter Sports (Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Wrestling & Swimming). Please be sure your child has turned in their clearance papers before they turnout for tryouts. Students may pick up the paperwork in the Athletic Office or the Main Office.
Mr. Bedi
Benson’s Athletic Director
A Message from Linda McLellan (Benson’s Fit2Live&Learn Teacher)
Congratulations to the following FRESHMEN voted by their peers to represent their class as
the CEO of the upcoming HEALTH FAIR. Go Leaders!
Alana Graves; Simon Criswell; Camille Franklin; Joseph Justice; Kainow Kaio; Chyna Mathews; Brylie Jenkins; Julian Scherer; Chantall Lewis; Sylvia Horvath; Jose Cruz-Flores;
A Message from Dave Mylet (Benson’s Yearbook Advisor)
Senior Baby Ads
Isn’t it amazing how far the class of 2015 has come? Show your appreciation for your future grad’s accomplishments through a baby ad in the 2015 Benson Yearbook. Reasonable rates for anywhere from a full page to 1/8th of a page. E-mail Dave Mylet at [email protected] with inquiries and orders.
Size Cost
Full page $100
1/2 page $50
1/4 page $35
1/8 page $20
Thanks,
Dave
Parents: An Important Message From Jostens
Jostens will be here on Monday November 17th to deliver rings and collect Graduation orders. They will be in center hall during lunch working with your Senior students.
Attendance/Tardy Policy
One of the main reasons students struggle in school is poor attendance. Please help ensure students attend every day and arrive to school on time. We have an automated phone system that calls parents when a student is marked absent from a class. You may also receive a call from teachers and/or administrators when a student is not attending classes on a regular basis or has an inordinate amount of tardies.
Benson has implemented a new tardy policy that started Monday September 8th in that if a student is late to class then he/she will need to go to the main office to get an admittance slip in order to get into class. Our goal is to get students focused on arriving to school and to class in a timely fashion so that classroom instruction can be maximize to its fullest potential and this can only happen if students are arriving to school on a daily basis and are also arriving to their classes on time.
A Message from Dave Mylet (Benson’s English Teacher/Yearbook Advisor)
Parents of Seniors:
The Benson yearbook is now accepting Senior Portraits and Senior Quotes. E-mail pictures to [email protected] or drop a clearly labeled photo CD in Mr. Mylet’s box.
The deadline for submissions is Winter Break (December 19).
Thanks,
Mr. Mylet
Dress Code Reminder
Parents please me mindful and remind your students that as the late summer/early fall weather is still warm outside 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.
LÁMP:ARA
Latinos Adelante Mentor Program: Apoyo y Recursos Académicos
This year, Benson Polytechnic High School is excited to announce the development of a new Latin@ mentor program. Pairing Latin@ College Coaches with Freshman and Sophomore Benson Latin@ high school students, LÁMP:ARA (Latinos Adelante Mentor Program: Apoyo y Recursos Académicos) provides students academic, professional, and personal support. Through personalized mentorship, academic support, professional guidance, college preparation, and leadership trainings, the program aims to support participants in achieving their college/career goals and full potential as students at Benson High School.
Benson has Latin@ parents to thank for this new academic and professional resource.
Last year, Latin@ parents attended group meetings with Benson Staff to express how they felt Benson could best support their students. Latin@ parents felt that their children needed the following: a mentor program, more academic supports—tutoring, support classes during the day—and parent community meetings. In response to this expressed need, LÁMP:ARA was developed.
LÁMP:ARA aims to improve the academic and professional success, retention rates, and graduation rates of active program participants while fostering in students core civic and leadership proficiencies that will serve them personally and professionally.
While LÁMP:ARA focuses on offering services to a limited group of Latin@s, others are always welcome to visit room 122 to ask about college and career resources or to sign up for particular Days of Service.
Thanks
Teaghan Phillips | AmeriCorps Member
LAMP:ARA | Latin@s Adelante Mentor Program: Apoyo y Recursos Académicos
Benson High School
Tel: 503.916.5100 (ext. 77266)
Free Math Tutoring will be available in the Career Center during Thursday’s Tutorial (2:33-3:15)
Benson Robotics Club
Parents, is your child interested in building robots? Benson has been home to a robotics club for almost 9 years! Please have your kids come to room E-127 after school on Fridays and build robots with the robotics club!
If your students are interested in forming/joining a club here at Benson
Student Clubs:
New and existing clubs! You need to fill out a club form for all new and existing clubs so that we can make sure we have the correct information on file about your advisor, who the student leaders are, when & where you meet and the purpose of your club.
Please have your students see Mrs. Murchison (Spanish Teacher) if they have any questions regarding clubs here at Benson.
Parents: Programs For Your Seniors
The Ace Mentor Program– the program gives your Senior an opportunity to work with professionals in the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering fields.
Applications are due in the College Career Center by November 25th
Scholarships
Parents please encourage your Seniors to apply for these scholarships if interested.
Please see Ms. Ryan or one of the two Counselors (Mr. Wren or Ms. Henry) in the College and Career Center for further details.
The Oregon Community Quarterback Scholarship: Application Is Attached To This Newsletter
Established by Joey Harrington, founder of the Harrington Family Foundation and former NFL quarterback, the four-year renewable scholarship will be awarded to Oregon high school students who demonstrate outstanding leadership skills, and will attend an Oregon university, college or trade school.
Attached is the 2015/16 school year application, also available for download on our website. Please note the application deadline is March 2, 2015.
Nancy Marshall, Executive Director
http://harringtonfamilyfoundation.org/
More Scholarship Opportunities:
- AXA Achievement Community Scholarship begins October 2014
- Scholarship America Dream Award begins October 2014
- Buick Achievers : for more information, got to www.buickachievers.com
- Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Deadline: January 9, 2015
- Gates Millennium Scholarship: Deadline: January 9, 2015
PPS Bond Development Committee Recommends Benson High School for the 2016 Bond Measure
Benson Polytechnic High School is one of the three high schools recommended for the planned 2016 bond. The PPS Bond Development Committee (BDC) delivered its recommendations for the high schools to be included in the planned 2016 & 2020 school improvement bonds.
The committee, made up of 21 volunteers from across Portland, provided its recommendations to Superintendent Carole Smith in a memo after meeting five times during the past six months.
In its memo, dated Oct. 8, the BDC recommended:
Continue the plan of re-building/modernizing high schools first, and include three high schools in each of the next two bonds.
Complete master planning for three high schools prior to Fall 2016 in preparation for a potential November 2016 ballot measure. In order to complete this master planning with full community participation, dedicate $1.5 million in 2012 school building improvement bond funds for master planning of three high schools.
The three high schools identified for 2016 consideration are Benson Polytechnic, Lincoln, and Madison. The three high schools identified for 2020 consideration are Cleveland, Jefferson Middle College, and Wilson.
“We are at the beginning of a 30-year program to re-build all of Portland Public Schools facilities, most of which are 60 years or older. We have been able to begin this historic effort thanks to the overwhelming support of Portland voters in 2012,” said PPS Superintendent Carole Smith. “I want to thank the volunteer members of the PPS Bond Development Committee for their service and for their thoughtful recommendations for the potential 2016 and 2020 school improvement bonds.”
In making the recommendations, the committee noted that an August survey of Portland voters by DHM Research gave PPS high marks for its management of the current school improvement bond.
“The committee was pleased to learn from the DHM survey that awareness of the bond is relatively high and that of the approximately 50% who are aware of the bond, PPS receives very high ratings for its implementation and management of the bond thus far. We strongly believe in the PPS plan to modernize and replace its entire infrastructure of school buildings by 2042,” wrote the committee.
The BDC informed Supt. Smith that it used three criteria for selecting the three high schools to be recommended for the 2016 bond.
“The committee was dedicated to making a high school recommendation based on clear criteria. The committee spent two full meetings considering different criteria and looking at how they would impact our recommendation. The committee also considered the results of a survey conducted by DHM Research which asked Portland residents to consider and rate criteria for prioritizing high schools for the 2016 bond (survey results and analysis attached),” wrote the committee.
The committee decided to prioritize the following criteria for developing its recommendations:
Facility Condition
Improving facilities for the highest number of historically underserved students
High enrollment/overcrowding
The committee also concluded that each of the next two bonds should have two neighborhood high schools and one focus option high school.
The committee made special note of its decision to recommend Jefferson Middle College for the 2020 bond, despite rating high on two of the three criteria.
“The committee felt that it would be imprudent for Jefferson to go quickly into a master planning process when it is just now gaining momentum that could lead to much different & greater facility needs in the future,” wrote the committee. “It is the committee’s view that those needs…will allow for a much more successful master planning process at that time.”
The superintendent and the Office of School Modernization are expected to deliver their final official recommendations for PPS Board consideration and action in November, 2014. If approved, the high schools for the 2016 bond will be put on a timeline to complete master planning prior to voter consideration of the 2016 bond. Grant High School is scheduled to begin master planning as part of the voter approved 2012 bond in 2015.
Have a Great Week!
Curtis Wilson Jr., Principal
Benson Polytechnic High School
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