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The Cardinal NewsNewsletter for Parents & Students - December 2014

Live Right...Learn Right...Southside

Greetings Benton Students, Parents, and Patrons,It has been a fantastic fall here at BHS! Students and Staff are working hard in the Classrooms and our Clubs, Teams, and Activities are doing very well. Our Softball Team won Districts this year and ended with an extremely good record. We sent 4 Cross-Country Runners to State where they represented Benton very well. Football had a much improved year and is optimistic as we move to next year. We had 10 Student-Athletes make the All-City Team! Our Girls’ Tennis Team was also fabulous with one of the best records in the history of Benton High. And we are in the midst of our play Glitz as I write, and were very pleased to have all 4th and 5th Grade Southside Students as well as a few from SGMS here with us for our Dress Rehearsal Production. It is a very fun Musical that the Students really enjoyed. There are many other Activities and Clubs that are also enjoying great success. If you have a Son or Daughter who aren’t involved in something after school, I would encourage them to find something to belong to. Research has shown that Students involved in Extra-Curricular Activities do much better in School.

As we enter the Winter Months, it is important to make sure you are all registered for the District’s ParentLink Alert. This is the best way to be notified of snow days or emergency information from the St. Joseph School District and Benton High School. To register, just go to http://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/sjsd and on the right side under “Resources” click on “Parent Alert System.” You can sign up for both District news/alerts as well as Benton only alerts.

If you have a smartphone, I also would urge you to get the free app St. Joseph School District where you can always have the latest BHS calendar as well as other SJSD school calendars/news and receive alerts and notifications.

We plan to start a “daily announcement” email to Students, Parents, Grandparents, and anyone else interested soon. This might take the place of our Quarterly Newsletters and be much more up to date and informative to anyone interested in what is going on at Benton. We will begin with emails that we have on file, but anyone that would like to be added or dropped can let us know at any time. Kelly Lock, our Media Specialist in the Library will be in charge of sending this each day.

Here are some upcoming dates that will be of interest:November 17th - December 4th Pre-EOC formative testing in some EOC areasDecember 3rd Benton-only 1 hour early out for Teacher In-ServiceDecember 11th ASVAB TestingDecember 17th -18th End of Semester ExamsDecember 19th Last Day of School for 2014January 6th First Day of School 2015, Red Day – Students will report to CAMP first thing to get S2 ScheduleJanuary 19th No School, Martin Luther King DayJanuary 23rd Progress Reports sent home with StudentsJanuary 28th & January 30th 10th Grade Class to Hillyard Technical Center for visit, ½ class each dayFebruary 4th Benton-only 1 hour early out for Teacher In-ServiceFebruary 12th Progress Reports sent home with StudentsFebruary 13th - 16th No School. President’s Day/Teacher Professional Development

Again, thank you for all your support of Benton High School. We enjoy the time we spend with our Students, and we are really looking forward to the rest of this School Year. Please come out and support our Winter Sports and Activities. From all Benton Cardinals, we wish you a Happy Holiday Season!

Respectfully yours,Beery Johnson

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POLICY AND PROCEDURES TO REMAIN ELIGIBLE @ BHSALL SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES REQUIRE STUDENTS TO FOCUS ON COMMITMENT TO THEIR EDUCATION AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES OF THE MISSOURI STATE HIGH

SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION AS WELL AS THE SJSD & BENTON HIGH SCHOOL.

A great Start to a New Year at BHS!

Congratulations to all Students, Parents, Coaches, and Sponsors for beginning the year with spirit and enthusiasm. It is evident that Athletics and Activities have proven to be a vital part of success in the Classroom. Our Students have proven this belief for many years when they dedicate themselves to learning and yet make the commitment to be an involved Student in Activities and Athletics. We thank them for their involvement.

As we look to the future of BHS Activities, we must continually emphasize Education and Grades in order to remain eligible, especially for all MSHSAA sponsored events. According to the Missouri State High School Activities Association, every Participant must be enrolled and passing 80% of His or Her classes each previous Semester. For Benton, that means each Participant must be enrolled in a minimum 7 of 8 classes and passing above Failure in 7 of those 8 classes.

The SJSD and Board of Education instituted policy that encourages Students to take ownership in their academic success by stating that all Students must pass Semester Classes with GPA of 2.0 and/or hold a Cumulative GPA of 2.0 during their career at Benton High School. I am proud to say that in emphasizing this as a School District we have created a higher Student success rate among our programs.

Student success obviously is our goal, and in order to be successful you must focus on the Subjects you are enrolled in during your Career in Education.

The final phase of eligibility pertains to a financial commitment. In these difficult economic times, we realize that money is stretched and in no way want Students and Parents to take away the growth of your Sons or Daughters, however Student fees must be paid in a timely fashion. The following deadlines must be met to remain active and eligible for any School extra-curricular sponsored event. During registration, payment in full can be made, yet we understand that a payment plan may be a selected option and partial payment on a quarterly basis can be another opportunity. This option is based upon 1/4 payment at Registration, 1/4 payment at the nine week grading period, 1/4 payment prior to Semester (or 16 weeks), with final payment by the completion of the Third Quarter. Please feel free to contact myself or Mrs. Vining to assist with these options.

Education, Activities and Athletics are vital to the success of all Students of BHS. Thank you for your commitment to Benton High School.

Meet the Winter Head Coaches:Girls Basketball - Head Coach Brett GoodwinWrestling - Head Coach Brad HubbardBoys Basketball - Head Coach Gary BelcherSpeech/Debate - Head Sponsor Barb Bell

Mike Ziesel BHS Activities/Athletics

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COUNSELING CENTER ON TWITTER

Follow the Benton Counseling Center on twitter - @BHS_Counseling - for information, news, and updates.

SAVE THE DATES!!

December 19th End of 2nd Quarter

December 22nd - January 2ndChristmas Break

Last Day of School in 2014

January 5th No School

Staff – Professional Development

January 6thFirst Day of School in 2015

January 19th No School – Martin Luther King Day

February 13thNo School

Staff- Professional Development

February 16th No School – President’s Day

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat

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4 * 5 * 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

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PD for Staff

January 2015

February 2015

December 2014

PD for Staff

2nd Qtr Ends

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TEST AND REGISTRATION DEADLINES

Test Date Registration Deadline Late Fee Required Photo Upload Deadline

December 13, 2014 November 7, 2014 November 8 - 21, 2014 December 5, 2014 February 7, 2015 January 9, 2015 January 10 - 16, 2015 January 30, 2015 April 18, 2015 March 13, 2015 March 14 - 27, 2015 April 10, 2015 June 13, 2015 May 8, 2015 May 9 - 22, 2015 June 5, 2015

• To register for the ACT students must go online to www.actstudent.org• Benton High School is a testing site please use this code 211020 when signing up for the ACT• Please use our school CEEB code 262890 to send your scores to Benton High School• Remember...Colleges/Universities require that all students have their standardized test scores sent directly from

ACT or the College Board (SAT) to the University. These schools are no longer taking test scores from high school transcripts. It is the student's responsibility when registering for the ACT and/or SAT to designate which Colleges and/or Universities they wish to receive their scores. A fee will be assessed if a Student requests scores be sent to a College or University AFTER taking the test. ACT and College Board (SAT) both allow you to send your score to four (4) Colleges or Universities for free at the time of registration.

• Test Fee: ACT No Writing $38.00 / ACT Plus Writing $54.50 (check the ACT Website to see if the Colleges and/or Universities you are considering require or recommend the ACT Writing Test). Students who have qualified for free/reduced lunch can request a fee waiver form from their friendly counselor. There is a limit of 2 waivers per student during their high school career.

COMMUNITY SERVICEEach Benton High School Student must have a minimum of 10 hours of Community Service to graduate and walk with their Senior Class. Verifications forms can be picked up and turned back in to the Counseling Center. It’s never too early to complete your hours!!!

CAMPUS CUPBOARDThe Campus Cupboard is your at-school resource for hunger-free evenings or weekends! This program is a food pantry on School grounds in which Students and their Families can have ready access to nutritious food. The cupboard is available to any enrolled Benton Student and their Family Members, and is stocked with healthy food supplied by Second Harvest Community Food Bank.

For more information, contact the Counseling Department at 816-671-4030

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HEALTH CORNERYes, it’s that time of year for colds and the flu!

PLEASE...if your child is sick, keep them home !!! DO NOT send them to School or have them come see the Nurse only to have “her” send them Home.

The number one fight against the flu and colds is HAND WASHING !! Other steps that will help are: avoid touching your eyes and mouth, cover your cough and sneezes, DO NOT share drinks, and get an Influenza vaccine!

Things to do when you have a cold:1 - Rest2 - Drink plenty of fluids (not soda, preferably water)3 - Take over the counter cold medications. These won’t “cure” you, but it will make the cold more tolerable.

If you have a fever greater than 101 degrees, severe body aches, chills, non-productive cough (dry), or chest discomfort - see your doctor...you may have the flu! A great website for reference is www.dhss.mo.gov. It has information about the Enterovirus D68 Virus (EV-D68) and Ebola Virus. Also, our SJSD website has health information and health forms.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns you might have. You can reach me via email carol.stephenson@sjsd.k12.mo.us or call me at 671-4030 (extension 142). Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!!!

Carol Stephenson, RNBenton High School Nurse

YEARBOOK NEWSYearbooks are currently on sale!!! If you would like to order one, the cost is $60 and needs to be ordered by December 15th. After December 15th, the cost of the yearbook will be $70.00 and will also be in limited supply. If you are unsure if you have placed a yearbook order, please see Ms Vining.

Also, if you have any School related pictures that you think would be useful in the Yearbook, please e-mail to them to Jessica Rice, Benton’s Yearbook Advisor, at jessica.rice@sjsd.k12.mo.us

BHS SEASON PASS In order to accommodate our Cardinal Families, we have Season Passes for sale that will get you into all Home Sports Events. Cost of these Season Passes are per person and are $35 for Adults and $20 for 7th and 8th Graders. No charge for Children 12 and under but will need to be accompanied by an Adult

For more information or to purchase a BHS Season Pass, contact Carlene Vining.

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A+ NEWSIt is nearing the half way mark for this school year and what has your student done about getting involved in the A+ program? This is a state program designed to help pay for two years of college for qualified graduates.

It’s not too late involved, but don’t delay...contact Debbie Fite, A+ Coordinator, e-mail Debbie.Fite@sjsd.k12.mo.us or phone 816-671-4030.

PARENT AND STUDENT PORTALStudents and Parents have access to grades, attendance, assignment descriptions, Teacher comments, and more by accessing the PowerSchool Parent and Student Portal. Students - please see your CAMP Teacher for your log-in information. Parents, please contact BHS at 816-671-4030 for information on how to gain access.

WHERE DO YOU FIND SCHOLARSHIPS

Visit our website (www.bentoncardinals.org) then under CARDINAL LINKS click on “Apply for Scholarships”. You will find a list of Scholarships available to our Students, which are arranged by Month. Be sure to look ahead for deadlines.

JROTC NOTES

Saturday (November 22nd) was the Benton JROTC annual Military Ball. This was the 92nd Annual Ball for the St Joseph School District’s three JROTC programs. Our staff was high lighted during the Grand March including our Battalion Commander, Jerika Blue, the Executive Officer Kaitlynn Roberts, the Battalion Command Sergeant Major Michael Forsberg, the Adjutant Mariah Trauernicht, the Public Affairs Officer Jacob Davis, the Supply Officer Sterling Cavalier, the Community Service Officer Henry Blacketer, the Provost Marshal Mark Green and the Communications Officer Jesse Whitley. Also recognized was the Benton JROTC King and Queen Austin McCallum and Jerika Blue.

Benton High School JROTC is continuing our activities in the community and in school. To date we have over 140 hours of Community Service hours and 21 Color Guards for the School and the Community. As Winter rolls around, we move to our support to Basketball, Wrestling and the beginning of our Drill Competitions. We have 21 Sporting Events and 3 Drill Meets scheduled between now and the end of February. Current Drill meets are January 10th at Leavenworth, January 31st at Lee’s Summit and February 21st at Lee’s Summit North.

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STUDENT FEE PAYMENT PLAN INFORMATIONFor those Students who have a payment plan resulting from fees at registration, this is a reminder that the third payment is due at Semester break when grade cards come out.

To take advantage of paying online, log onto www.sjsd.schoolwires.net/page/12570. To begin you will need to select the number of students at Benton you will be paying fees for then enter their student ID and names. Once you have entered this information you will need to follow directions in order to complete your transaction.

Please note: a $2 convenience fee will be assessed to each transaction.

FAFSA INFORMATIONCome and learn more about the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Not only will you leave knowing all you need to know about FAFSA but you can also get your questions answered about grants, scholarships, loans and work study to help fun your education!

FAFSA Night for Seniors & Parents at Benton High School, Thursday, January 15th at 6:00 p.m.FAFSA Frenzy held at MWSU on Sunday, February 22nd, from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

JOSTENS CALENDAR FOR BHS STUDENTS Mark your calendar’s for important visits from our friends at Jostens that you don’t want to miss.

December 4th - Junior ring deliveryDecember 17th - Additional Junior ring delivery

March 11th - Senior announcement deliveryMarch 18th - Additional Senior announcement delivery

April 28th - Senior Cap & Gown delivery

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!!

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BHS 2014 CROSS COUNTRY

The Benton Cross Country team rode the wave of change while achieving great success during the 2014 season. Benton’s distance runners bade farewell to their beloved coach, Duane Kimble, who retired after 27 years service to BHS and the Southside. Coaches Dan Benz and Katie McCullough had the daunting task of earning the trust of a number of veteran runners on the team who had achieved great success under Coach Kimble. Fortunately, the veterans’ talent, experience, and understanding of the BHS program, coupled with the arrival of a very promising group of new runners enabled the Cardinals to sustain Coach Kimble’s outstanding legacy.

Senior Andrew Zackus qualified for the 2014 State XC meet after four years of dedication, drive, and a disciplined approach to training. Juniors Simon Holly and Kaitlyn Slagle returned to the State meet for s second time and used their experience and confidence to place well against Missouri’s best high school runners. Junior Jackson Beaver also qualified for State after his first year running Cross Country at any level.

Graduating seniors Michael Forsberg, Whitney Lackey, Austin Wethered, and Andrew Zackus, Tiffany Zackus will be sorely missed. However, the Cardinals’ strong and experienced younger runners will step up and lead the way to even greater success in the coming year!

HILLYARD TOUR

The Benton High School Sophomore Class will be taking a tour of Hillyard Technical Center on Wednesday (January 28th) and Friday (January 30th). This tour gives High School Students who are thinking of enrolling in a Hillyard Program, an opportunity to explore all courses that are available.

INFORMATION FROM NUTRITION

Our December menu will include new items such as a Roasted Turkey Sandwich, All American Sliders, Chili Mac and Bistro Sliders. We have our Christmas Holiday Feast scheduled for December 17th. Visit menus.opaafood.com for convenient access to daily menus, nutrition education information and monthly features.

Please check the balance of your Child’s Lunch Account. A great way to stay on top of your child’s balance is to visit Mypaymentsplus.com. Happy Holidays from Opaa! Nutrition Services.

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SCHOOL TO BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

The School to Business Partnership Program allows one more way for the District to be engaged with and reach out to the community for assistance. These Partnerships provide opportunities for students to receive various time, energy, and resources from the business community to enhance their educational experiences. Partnerships encompass many activities from employees serving as volunteer mentors in classrooms and internship programs to financial assistance for field trips and student rewards. There are 8 businesses that are actively involved with Benton High School. They include Buffalo Wild Wings, Drury Inn & Suites, LifeLine Foods, Little Caesars Pizza, J McBee Photography, Panda Express, Rolling Hills Auto Plaza, Triumph Foods, LLC and Wal-Mart. Thank you to each and everyone of you!

Check out some of the sites Benton High School has on the web:

Website: http://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/Domain/8Power School Parent/Student Portal: http://ps.sjsd.k12.mo.us/public/home.html

Calendar of Events: http://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/domain/3819Announcements: http://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/domain/1312

Scholarships: http://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/Page/9004