Bennington High School Newsletter
April 2024
Welcome back from spring break and to the final stretch of the 2023-24 school year. April is full of athletic contests, activity performances, concerts, recognition nights, and the ever-popular state testing (ACT). The administration and staff at BHS will do our best to keep up with the fast-paced month and communicate progress, changes, and accomplishments happening at Bennington High School.
A special thank you goes out to the staff at Bennington High School for their continued focus and dedication to students during the 2023-24 school year. The failed bond issue on Tuesday, March 12 could have been a massive distraction to the learning environment and educational experience for students, but the BHS staff reported to work the next day (and continue to do so) with a focus on student learning and doing what is best for kids. The BHS administration and counseling department have started the planning process for the 2024-25 school with all but one teaching position filled which includes additional teachers for Social Studies, Math, Special Education, FCS, and Physical Education. The staff will finish the 2023-24 year strong then turn our attention to the 2024-25 school year.
Another huge thank you goes out to the parents who support and contribute to Teacher Appreciation Week, as well as Post Prom. The organization, contributions, and partnership parents provide Bennington High School and the students at BHS is appreciated and recognized by the staff and school district. THANK YOU!
For planning purposes, the administration believes getting end-of-the-year dates to parents for planning purposes is important in April. Here are a few items of note:
Graduation will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 2:00pm. The Graduation Ceremony is planned for Badger Stadium.
Without additional snow days, Semester Finals for all 9th-11th graders will be Monday, May 20 and Tuesday, May 21, and Wednesday, May 22. May 22 will be the last day of school with a 12:00 pm dismissal—pending approval by the Board of Education.
BHS asks families to plan accordingly for the end of the school year. Only students missing days for school-related activities will receive accommodations to complete Final Exams PRIOR to the dates listed above and on the school calendar.
April tends to bring a high level of anxiety for anyone involved with education. Whether you are a student, parent, teacher, administrator, counselor, custodian, or secretary you feel the pressure with the end of the year in sight. Please remember that everyone is doing their best and assume positive intent from all. Keep the communication lines open over the next eight weeks and reach out to the appropriate school personnel with questions or concerns. Thank you again for your support and commitment to the education Bennington High School provides for students.
Important Dates in April, 2024
April 8: Board of Education Meeting – 6:00pm @ District Office
April 9: Early Release – 12:00pm Dismissal
SENIORS = ADMINISTRATION WILL CONTACT SENIORS REQUIRED TO REPORT.
JUNIORS = ACT
SOPHOMROES = Pre-ACT
FRESHMEN = Class Assembly, Academic Support Time, Homeroom Activities.
April 15: Spring Band Concert – 7:00pm
April 16: Early Release – 12:00pm Dismissal
April 20: Prom @ A View on State 8:00 – 11:00pm
April 10: Board of Education Meeting – 6:00 pm @ District Office
April 24: National Honors Society Induction – 7:00pm @ BHS Auditorium.
April 28: Bennington Foundation Scholarship & Awards Reception – 2:00 pm
May 1: Early Release – 12:00 pm Dismissal
May 2: Honors Concert – 7:00pm @ BHS Auditorium
Seniors (and every BHS student) must attend a Public Meeting to satisfy the requirements of LB 399. The upcoming Bennington Board of Education meetings are: April 8 and May 13. Here is the link to LB 399 and the student resources: https://bhs.benningtonschools.org/students/graduation_requirements/civics_requirement
** Final Week for Seniors:
Monday, May 13 – Regular School Day
Tuesday, May 14 – Senior Semester Finals Day #1 (90-minute testing blocks)
Wednesday, May 15 – Senior Semester Finals Day #2 (90-minute testing blocks)
Thursday, May 16 – OFF / Senior Final Make-up & Last Chance for Service or Credit
Friday, May 17 – Graduation Rehearsal, Checkout, and Class BBQ
** Graduation is Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 2:00 pm in the Bennington High School @ Badger Stadium
Gates / Doors will open 1 hour prior to the ceremony (1:00 pm)
Seating at the Stadium will be unlimited & first come / first serve.
IF the Ceremony is moved inside each graduate will receive up to 8 tickets. Graduates will receive the tickets on Friday, May 17 during rehearsal at BHS.
Live streaming will be available on the Bennington YouTube channel.
Reserved seats for handicapped or elderly will be coordinated by the administration and Mrs. Jennifer Roberts – jroberts@bennps.org Reserved SEATING IS LIMITED.
**2nd Semester Finals: Will occur the week of May 20-22 pending Board of Education approval at the April 8 meeting.
Social & Emotional Learning website link: https://www.benningtonschools.org/departments/curriculum__instruction___assessment/social_emotional_learning/high_school
Safe2Help Hotline & Website: https://www.safe2helpne.org/
Please remind your student(s) that their conduct at both home and away events is governed by Bennington High School’s Student Code of Conduct. While our students have met expectations related to fan behavior during the 2023-2024 school year, a refresher conversation never hurts! Examples of spectator actions that could carry sanction from BHS administration could include:
Swearing
Words/actions that personally attack or demean game officials or game participants
Any action that could be reasonably deemed to be racist, sexist, and/or provocative to any ethnic or religious group
In addition to school consequences, the aforementioned actions could also have ramifications to the reputation of Bennington High School and the community. Please let your student(s) know these types of actions will not be tolerated.
Spring event cancelations due to weather can be found at https://www.easternmidconference.org/public/genie/428/school/1/ – you can sign up for notifications as they relate to your specific sport. You can also follow @WeRBennington on Twitter for news and schedule changes. Finally, you can download the “Activity Scheduler” App to follow our calendar as well.
Attention Parents / Caretakers of Seniors – New for 2023 – 2024
In the past, some athletes who have committed to compete in their activity at the college level have wished to sign their commitment paperwork at BHS in front of invited teammates and family. This year, we will be holding these signings in signing day ‘windows’ around the college signing periods. Signings will take place in the Aux Gym before school OR in the Activities Entrance after school during the following windows:
May 6 - 10
If your athlete would like to sign at BHS, please reach out to the Activities Office and schedule a time during one of these windows. For more information about dates and Athletic Letters of Intent, please head here: http://www.nationalletter.org/signingDates/future.html
Prom is scheduled for Saturday April 20, 2024 at A View on State. Post Prom will be held at BHS following the dance.
Student-athletes failing 2 or more classes at mid-quarter will become ineligible for one week of competition. Coaches can withhold the student-athlete from further action if grades are not improving to a satisfactory level OR from parent request. Thank you for your efforts to use athletics as a vehicle for improved academic performance.
Information for Athletic Summer Camps and team workouts will be released by coaches soon. All summer information will be available for families by May 1, 2024.
Senior Parent Night Recognitions:
Track and Field and Unified Track and Field: April 16th during the Bennington Invite
Baseball April 22nd v. Omaha Northwest
Girls Soccer April 18th v. Blair
Boys Soccer April 23rd v. Waverly
Girls Tennis – TBD: Coach List will provide more information.
Boys Golf – TBD: Coach Nichols will provide more information.
Spring Sports Awards Night will be held Monday, May 20th at 630pm in the main gym at BHS.
BHS School Counseling Website: https://sites.google.com/bennps.org/bhscounselingteam/home
Jennifer Smith | A-G
Mandy Boesch| H-N
Lisa Bade | O-Z
UPCOMING EVENTS: ***Juniors & Seniors, stay up-to-date and sign up to attend college representative visits through Naviance at BHS, or reach out to your counselor for more information. Reps from the following colleges will be available in the counseling office during the listed dates and times below:
Winona State University - Wednesday, April 10, 9:00 a.m
ACT & SAT TESTING INFORMATION:
All juniors will take the ACT during the school day on April 9, 2024. Parents and caregivers do not need to register their student for this test. Students wishing to take the ACT again, outside of the school day, can register using the link below.
2023-2024 ACT TEST DATES:
Bennington High School code number for the ACT & SAT: 280240
Visit https://my.act.org/account/signin?location=https://my.act.org to sign-up for the ACT.
2023-2024 SAT I and SAT II TEST DATES:
Visit https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register to sign-up for the SAT.
ATTENTION CURRENT JUNIORS: The American Legion Junior Law Cadet Program:
Current Juniors: The American Legion Junior Law Cadet Program gives students the opportunity to experience the various aspects of law enforcement, such as firearms training and emergency vehicle operations. You will also learn the latest in law environments technology, tactical medicine, and K-9 Handling. Students interested, please click on this link for more information.
TWO-YEAR SCHOOL/COMMUNITY COLLEGES:
Students entering a two-year school will take a placement test administered by the college. This test will place the students in the appropriate classes in their program. Any student with a high school diploma is eligible to attend a two-year school/community college.
Scholarships: (Find more information in Naviance)
(RHOP) Rural Health Opportunities Program allows students to receive automatic acceptance into the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Students spend 3-4 years at either Peru, Wayne, or Chadron State College and then continue on with their education at UNMC. Students attend the state colleges on a tuition waiver.
(KHOP) at University of Nebraska-Kearney works the same way as RHOP.
NSCS Board of Trustees Full Tuition Scholarship is available to students attending Peru, Wayne, or Chadron State. The NSCS Governor’s Opportunity Award (Half Tuition) is available to students with a 3.0 GPA or higher. ACT scores are optional, but may enhance a student’s application.
College Bound Nebraska is a tuition waiver for students attending the University of Nebraska who are eligible for Pell Grants.
First Responder Education Waiver (Dependent Requirements Only) This is available to eligible law enforcement officers, professional firefighters, and their dependents pursuant to the terms of the First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act. This is for Full tuition, but must reapply annually.
SENIORS…..THE MUST DO’s for this semester!
Create a Federal Student Aid account at studentaid.gov (both you and a parent will need an account). This is the site you will use to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We encourage you to create a Federal Student Aid account now, as you will need the FSA ID to complete the FAFSA.
Complete the FAFSA at studentaid.gov. The FAFSA is your application for federal, state, and college-based financial aid. The opening date for the FAFSA has not yet been announced but is expected to open sometime in December.
GET FREE HELP FROM EDUCATION QUEST:
Attend an Education Quest Virtual Financial Aid Program to learn about financial aid and the FAFSA. During the presentation, you can register to win a $500 scholarship!
Find free FAFSA Tools at EducationQuest.org to help you prepare for and complete the FAFSA.
Call the location nearest you to set up an appointment for free help:
Omaha – 888-357-6300
Lincoln – 800-303-3745
Kearney – 800-666-3721
Bennington 2024 SUMMER DRIVER EDUCATION
Requirements!
1. Must be 15 years of age by the start of class.(We are unable to accept 18 year olds)
2. Students must have a Learners Permit or School Permit from the DMV of Nebraska.
3. All students must have access to a computer or cell phone and email for online testing. Student will need to bring a writing utensil and notebook to class.
4. All students must complete 20 hours of classroom instruction.
5. Limit of 25 students per session.
6. The driving lessons are to be arranged with the instructor. Students are expected to practice outside of class. The student will need to pass a DMV approved road test to complete the class.
CLASSROOM DATES: June 3 - June 13
(Class held Monday through Thursday) No Friday Class
Session 1: 8:00-10:30
Session 2: 11:00 - 1:30
At Bennington HS
BEHIND-THE-WHEEL:
Driving arranged with instructor June 3 through July 3rd
The cost is $425.00
Once a class enrollment reaches 25, that class will be unavailable for sign up. If all classes are full you will need to contact ESU#3 to be put on a waitlist.
Complete the registration form.
**Registration is available Tuesday May 7th, 2024 on-line at ESU#3 website. It will remain open until Class is full.
Complete payment
**You are confirmed in the class once payment is received.
Questions or concerns, please contact:
Rachel Brinkman (rbrinkman@esu3.org) 402-597-4809
CAP & GOWN UPDATE
It's almost April 1st, and to date we are missing around 2500 Cap & Gown orders. We have seen a huge increase in foot traffic in our store the past few weeks, and online sales continue to trudge ahead as well! The number, of orders we are missing, is very similar, albeit slightly more than last year at this time. I am not too concerned yet, but I am reaching out to everyone to help us push those seniors to get their order placed now! Please have them go online to Jostens.com or come see us at out store location. Either way is fine, and we are very happy to help them with their graduation product needs and questions as well. If you could mention that they can see our vast collection of Class Rings at our store location, that would be great! Our store hours are Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00-5:30 pm.
Also, we will be moving our store in the next 2-3 weeks. The new store is literally 100 yards from our current location. We wanted to move in June, but our landlord wanted the move to happen this month.
Old Address: 12100 West Center Road, Suite #901. New Address: 12100 West Center Road, Suite #202
We will notify everyone when the exact move in date happens. We anticipate no interruptions with our service. If there are any questions or concerns, please reach out!
Thank you,
Reid Brakke
BHS Summer School 2024
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
BHS is once again offering Credit Recovery to students that are in need of credits for graduation or to remain on track for graduation with their class. This year, summer school is June 3-21. Summer school will be offered through an on-line learning program called Apex. Students will be required to attend Summer School in person and bring their school-issued chromebook. The specific session dates and times are below:
Session 1: June 3 to June 21 from 8:00 am to 11:00 am.
Session 2: June 3 to June 21 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
If your child has received a letter about attending Summer School, please return the form to Mr. Bobolz or your child’s Guidance Counselor at Bennington High School by May 1, 2024. Availability in each session is limited to 25 students. The course administered through Apex will mirror information that students received during the school year. Algebra and English 9 are offered in person.
If you have questions or concerns about the program offerings please contact either Mr. Bobolz or your child’s Guidance Counselor. Confirmation of your child’s assignment to a summer session will be communicated by May 17, 2024
As part of the confirmation process families will receive a copy of the 2024 Summer School Expectations form. The form includes the attendance policy, grading policy, supplies, and registration fee. There is a $100 activation deposit for Summer School participants. The $100 is returned to the family once the student successfully completes one class in the assigned session. Summer School policy is governed by the existing 2023-24 rules and regulations in the BHS Parent-Student Handbook.
Please e-mail Cody Bobolz or Lisa Bade with any questions.
The Omaha Hot Shops Art Center is hosting the Annual EMC Art Show from April 1st- 17th.
20 students from our school were chosen to represent BHS with their artwork. We have student sculptures, paintings, and drawings that can be viewed during business hours at the Hot Shops Gallery. We encourage the community to check out their work and support our talented students.