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

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month to all our Hispanic and Latinx community at Benson Tech!

Here are some events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.

On Saturday September 28, ¡Viva Salem! hosts an afternoon of festivities at Riverfront Park.

El Tigre Fest: Tigard’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration will include authentic Latin American food, arts and crafts, dancing, live music and activities in a family-friendly environment.

Noon-9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, Cook Family Park, 17005 S.W. 92nd Ave., Tigard; free to attend; tigard-or.gov/explore-tigard/community-events/el-tigre-fest

Nuestra Cultura: For the second Nuestra Cultura event, JuntosPDX will host another festival focused on the flavors of Latin America. This event will feature a market with food, drinks, artisan goods and various vendors.

1:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, Tany’s Cafe Con Pan, 24173 N.E. Halsey St., Wood Village; tickets are $10-$15; juntospdx.net

¡Viva Salem! Todos Unidos: Salem’s annual festival will return this year to celebrate Hispanic culture with live music, performances and food and craft vendors.

Noon-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, Riverfront Park, 200 Water St. N.E., Salem; free to attend; cityofsalem.net/vivasalem

Sabroso: Sabroso will perform at ilani’s Rock & Brews restaurant, offering a lively mix of Latin rhythms and funky soul beats. This event will celebrate Latin music and culture, complemented by locally sourced dining.

9 p.m., Friday, Sept. 27, ilani Hotel, Rock & Brews restaurant, 1 Cowlitz Wy, Ridgefield; free to attend; ilaniresort.com/events-and-promotions/schedule-of-events, search “Rock & Brews.”

Portland Latin American Film Festival: For the past 18 years, this film festival has been a cornerstone event at the Hollywood Theater, showcasing contemporary Latin American cinema, with a lineup of nine film screenings.

Sept. 25-Nov. 24, Hollywood Theater, 4122 N.E. Sandy Blvd.; tickets are $9-$15, hollywoodtheatre.org/series/portland-latin-american-film-festival

Parents/Guardians and Students,

Please note that we will be having our first of two required lockdown drills this school year on Wednesday, September 25th at 11:10 am. During the drill an alarm will sound, teachers will lock their doors, make sure all window shades are closed and students get out of sight in the classroom. While we know that these drills can be unsettling to students we try to be as trauma informed as possible. This is our first lockdown drill in the renovated building and we expect it to last 15-20 minutes while we clear all the classrooms in the building.

Vice Principal

Benson Polytechnic High School

Benson TechBoosters Fall Fundraiser: Ready! Set! Go Astros!

We’re excited to share that our Fall Fundraiser, “Ready! Set! Go Astros!” has officially launched, and it kicked off in style at Benson Tech's grand re-opening on Saturday, September 14.

This new tradition brings together our Benson Tech community in a spirited competition to see which class—past, present, or future —wins the honor of raising the most funds for our school. Since September 14, the current lead in the competition is the Class of 2028 with $210. But this can change!

Here’s How You Can Join the Fun:

Until the strike of midnight on October 12, simply visit one of the following donation links below. Your choice of link will indicate how you'd like your donation to be directed. Be sure to include your graduating class year or affiliation in the notes section when making your donation. This way, we can accurately track contributions and ensure your favorite class gets the credit it deserves.

• Freshman Football: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=WAD7W5L54T2S2
• Teacher Appreciation: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8LU3AS39M9FS6
• TechBoosters General Fund: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ZVWA7BT723RCJ

Why Participate? Your generous donations will help provide uniforms and equipment for our new Freshman Football team, show appreciation to our dedicated teachers & staff, and support Benson Tech sports, student groups, and our school community.

Competition Details:

• Participants: All alumni & students, their families, and friends of Benson Polytechnic High School.
• Objective: Help your favorite class raise the most funds by the end of the competition on October 12, 2024.
• Recognition: The winning class will be celebrated with an engraved plaque displayed on the new Benson Tech campus.

Thank you to everyone who has already shown their support and to those who will contribute in the coming weeks. Let’s make this fall one to remember and show our Tech pride!

The Benson Tech Boosters

Parents/Guardians,

Please note that the Benson Tech Site Council will be meeting Thursday September 26th from 4pm-5:30pm in the Benson Tech Community Room 110. The Benson Tech Site Council is a recommending body of Parents, Staff and Students who work with the Principal for the betterment of the school.

We would love for you to be able to come and join us this coming Thursday and participate on the Site Council committee.

Thanks

Principal Wilson

Benson Tech Students,

The Student Body Government is up and running and ready to welcome any new members. If you would like to get more involved at Benson, join us for an upcoming lunch meeting in Ms. King's room 261. We typically meet on B days on either Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

(See the calendars below)

Our next meeting is Wednesday, the 25th, during lunch.

In October, we'll be meeting on the 1st, 9th, 23rd, and 29th, B days during lunch.

Students from all grades are welcome! Hope to see you there :)

Torin King (she/her)

Benson Polytechnic High School

Leadership, AP Art History, & Intermediate Art Teacher

Activities Director

Student Government Advisor

If you are needing to pick up your student(s) during school hours for appointments, etc..please allow at least 30 minutes BEFORE they need to leave for their appointment / pick up.

Due to the size of our new building, it gives staff time to find your student and have them meet you in the office or out front.

You can call or email the attendance office with these requests.

PH: (503) 916-5100 --- choose attendance line

Email: bensonattend@pps.net

Thank you for your assistance.

Need to make up credit? Pre registration for Evening Scholars is now open! For information on location, days/times please go to this link: https://www.pps.net/pess. If you are interested in attending, please see your counselor for registration.

Are you a native language speaker and/or were in an immersion program? Registration for the STAMP test is now open. Please see your counselor to sign up.

Amy Henry (she/her)

School Counselor

Benson Polytechnic High School at Marshall Campus

Working with Students with the Last Names A-Gq

503-916-5100 x88418

Below are the contests Benson Tech athletes are participating in this week.

Monday, 9/23

JV girls soccer plays Jefferson at Delta Park, 4:15 PM

JV2 boys soccer hosts Jefferson at Lents Park, 4:15 PM

Tuesday, 9/24

Volleyball hosts Roosevelt, JV at 4:30 PM and varsity at 6 PM

Varsity boys soccer hosts Lakeridge at the Marshall Campus, 7 PM

JV boys soccer hosts Lakeridge at Delta Park, 4:15 PM

Wednesday, 9/25

JV girls soccer hosts Lincoln at Delta Park, 4:15 PM

JV2 boys soccer travels to Delta Park to play Lincoln, also playing at 4:15 PM

Volleyball travels to Willamette HS for a 5:15 PM JV game and 6:45 PM varsity game

Thursday, 9/26

Varsity boys soccer hosts Dallas at the Marshall Campus at 7 PM

Saturday, 9/28

JV volleyball is headed to Milwaukie HS for a tournament

GO ASTROS!

--

Jessica Russell

Athletic Director

Benson High School

• Sign up for sports at Benson here!
• Do you know of a current or former athlete who has done something awesome? Click this link to share their accomplishment with us.
• Need a blank physical exam form? Links are below.
  Languages: English | Spanish | Vietnamese | Chinese | Russian | Arabic | Chuukese | Japanese | Somali | Ukrainian | Marshallese | Swahili
• Here is a link to the Benson Wellness Center, where you can schedule a physical exam.

AP Students and Families,

Sign-ups for the AP test will begin on September 15th and run to November 1st. Students have begun registering for AP Classroom (this will continue in AP classes next week) and will receive instructions on how to register and pay for the exam on 9/15. If you have any questions, please contact Christy Thomas (AP Coordinator) in Room 237 on A days, or email her at cthomas3@pps.net.

Christy Thomas

Benson Tech High School

AVID 11 /Government/Econ teacher

Pronouns: She/Her

** I work part-time on A days and will respond to emails when I'm in the building. If you need immediate assistance, please contact the main office at 503.916.5100.

Parents/Guardians of our Senior Students,

Please be sure to read the attached letter from my office regarding the venue change for our Graduation Ceremony scheduled in June.

Principal Wilson

Seniors -- if you have an early release and/or late opening please be sure to stop by the Counseling Office and pick up a Blue Early Release/Late Arrival Form.

Benson Tech Counseling Office

Students with Late Arrival and Early Dismissal must have signed a contract of expectations regarding this privilege by the end of the week, or they will be given a class. Stop by the counseling office to pick up a form and have it signed and returned ASAP.

Benson Tech Administration

If interested please be sure to click on the attached document below which talks about potential free Dental Care for our students.

Patty Locke, BSN RN (she/her)

School Nurse

Benson High School

546 NE 12th Ave

Portland, OR 97232

Phone: 503-916-5100 Ext# 88209

FAX: 503-916-2690

email: plocke@mesd.k12.or.us or plocke2@pps.net

Multnomah Education Service District

Educate • Inspire • Empower

www.MultnomahESD.org

11611 NE Ainsworth Cir

Portland, OR 97220

Reserve your 2025 Yearbook today!

Dear Benson Tech Community,

You can pre-order a 2024-2025 yearbook today! Click THIS LINK TO ORDER.

Follow the prompts on Josten’s website to find Benson’s order form. Early-bird special is $50 through September. Don’t wait! The Cost goes up on October 1st 2024.

For the Families of Seniors:

Honor your graduate with a Yearbook Recognition Ads! They are the perfect way to commemorate achievements and celebrate milestones. In addition, revenue from recognition ads goes towards our “sponsor a yearbook” for members of our community in need.

To purchase your ad online, follow the instructions on the link above or call (800) 358-0800. Josten’s is responsible for our school's yearbook ad sales. Please do not send images and text to the school, but the yearbook advisor, Greg Huntington (ghunting@pps.net), is happy to answer any questions.

Senior Portraits are a tradition that many families have. The Benson Photography department also holds a free senior portrait event later in the year. Please be sure to be on the lookout for information on how to submit professional portraits as the year unfolds.

The Benson Blueprint

Career News: Astros, there are many amazing internships, jobs, and career exploration opportunities. Please check out Benson Tech's Career Opportunities board for an updated list of current opportunities for all grade levels. If you have any questions or need help applying, please connect with Katie Clark, College Coordinator, kclark@pps.net

Katie Clark (she/hers)

College & ASPIRE Coordinator

Benson Polytechnic High School

Cell: 503-894-4660 (Text/Call)

Schedule a meeting with me here!

Find out about college support and events here!

Please stop by the College/Carer Center for support and information on upcoming events.

Seniors: It is time to start thinking about college and scholarship applications. You must set up your list of colleges in Maia Learning, and you can begin applying through the Common App or directly on colleges' application pages. We are here to support you with applications, building college lists, essays, and anything related to college.

Check out our COLLEGE NEWSLETTER for info on the Common App/Maia Learning process, upcoming events, scholarships, colleges visiting Benson, and more. For questions or an appointment, reach out to:

Kathleen Reid

College Counselor/AVID Coordinator

kreid@pps.net or 971-238-8322

Sign up for an appointment with Kathleen here

OR

Katie Clark

College Coordinator

kclark@pps.net or 503-894-4660

Sign up for an appointment with Katie here

Dear Benson Tech Parents/Guardians,

If you did not get a chance to see my "Start of the School Year" letter, please be sure to click on the attachment below to review the letter.

Thanks

Principal Wilson

Parents/Guardians,

Please be sure to read the attached memo from my office that covers Benson's New Cell Phone Policy.

Thanks

Principal Wilson

Action Required- Complete your Yearly Verification on ParentVUE

Please take some time to log into your ParentVUE account and complete the "Yearly Verification." HERE is the link with more information and to log in. We need you to verify your current address and contact information each year. If you have multiple students, you need to complete this process for each one. ParentVUE is where you can view your child's schedule, see and report attendance information, and get your student's report card. Note that this year, all parents have been opted into a paperless report card as the default. If you wish to receive a paper report card mailed to you, you need to make that change on ParentVUE. If you have any trouble accessing your account, you can contact the bookkeeper, Sheli Bryan. If you need to complete a paper version of the verification, contact the main office.

Sheli Bryan (she/her)

Bookkeeper

Benson Polytechnic High School

546 NE 12th Ave.

Portland, OR 97232

SchoolPay Information for Payment of Fees and Donations

SchoolPay is the online tool for families to make payments for fees and donations easily from home or a mobile device. We recommend that you sign in and use your SchoolPay account so you have a saved history of your payments in one place. HERE is the link with more information and to get started. If you have any questions, please contact the bookkeeper, Sheli Bryan.

ATHLETIC PAY TO PLAY FEE LINK For students participating in PIL athletics, the fee is $200 per sport for the first two per year and the fee for a third sport is waived. If you qualify for Free/Reduced Meals, the fee is $35.

PE UNIFORM FOR 9TH GRADERS LINK All families of 9th grade students are asked to pay $25 to cover the cost of the uniform, a combination lock, and to help support the costs of the PE/Health course.

Suggested Donations

STUDENT ACTIVITY FUND LINK Families who are able are asked to contribute funds to school-wide projects, classes and programs each year. The school operational budget does not cover all the needs of our students, classrooms, programs, activities, and building/equipment improvements. We rely on voluntary contributions from families to enhance the overall experience for our students. As the school year progresses, we will highlight needs as they arise for teachers and student groups. Individual teams and teachers may be sharing information as well. If you are able to contribute a suggested $25, or whatever you can afford, to our Student Activity Fund, these dollars will help fund school-wide activities for all students. Thank you.

Sheli Bryan (she/her)

Bookkeeper

Benson Polytechnic High School

546 NE 12th Ave.

Portland, OR 97232

Puerto Rico 2025!

Don't miss out on our virtual meeting about the 2025 tour to Puerto Rico this Tuesday, 9/24! Please RSVP through here:https://rsvp.efexploreamerica.com/bfn9fnk. This is an amazing opportunity for your student to learn more about Puerto Rico, gain new perspectives, get out of their comfort zone and build skills for the future. Join us for the chance to enroll and go over everything about the trip including:

• What we’ll see and do
• Travel logistics
• Safety and flexibility
• How to earn high school credit
• Affordable payment options and more

When: Tuesday, September 24th at 6pm

Where: Google Meet

Questions? Email me: bensonhstravels@gmail.com

If you can’t make the meeting, but would still like to learn more, select: “No, but send more information” to stay informed.

Laura Arias (she, they / ella, ellx)

Benson Polytechnic High School

Trip Leader for Puerto Rico 2025