Bennington High School Newsletter

First quarter report cards were posted Friday, October 20. If you are unable to access your student’s grades through NEBSIS please contact the counseling office: Mrs. Smith – jsmith@bennps.org; Mrs. Boesch – aboesch@bennps.org; Ms. Bade – lbade@bennps.org. If you completed the verification process in August you will use the same credentials to access your student’s information through the NEBSIS parent portal.

As a reminder, quarter grades at BHS are used to determine academic honors for the first nine weeks of the school year. Students qualify for the President’s List with a GPA of 3.75 or higher. Students who achieve a 3.5 to 3.74 GPA qualify for the Dean’s List. Underclassmen must be enrolled in seven courses to qualify while seniors must be in six courses to qualify for the President’s List and four courses for the Dean’s List. The quarter grade is not recorded on the official transcript for the student. The grade at the end of the semester determines if the student will be issued credit for the course.

On November 9 BHS students will have the opportunity to participate in the SHARPS survey. The survey is coordinated by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and includes three components: Nebraska Risk & Protective Factors Survey, Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and Youth Tobacco Survey. SHARPS will be made available to students during Homeroom on November 9. Participation in the survey is voluntary for all students. A specific set of questions and information with SHARPS will be sent to parents for review prior to November 9.

Talk of Bond Issue for High School #2 is becoming more common at the building level. As the school board considers options for students at the secondary level here are a few pieces of information to consider:

• 9-12 Enrollment: 2023-24 – 1,028 / 2024-25 – 1,088 / 2025-26 – 1,176 / 2026-27 – 1,286. Capacity for BHS is 1,150.

• BHS has 50 classrooms designed for large-class instruction. ALL classrooms are occupied by a teacher for 7 of 8 periods. 8 of the classrooms are used for instruction all 8 periods per day.

• New staff hired for 2024-2025 will not have their own classroom. Teachers will move throughout the building in the same manner students do to deliver instruction each period of the day.

As the school year transitions to November inclement weather becomes more of a concern for our student drivers. A few items recommended by the BHS administration and SRO Ramaeker include an ice scraper, jumper cables, a blanket, and a small snow shovel. BHS staff is always willing to assist students on property who experience car trouble – please have your student report to the office if they need assistance with their vehicle. Additionally, BHS administration will work to coordinate a bus for 9th grade drivers from the East parking lot to the building to start the school day. The administration will communicate additional details to parents on this schedule.

Announcements related to school cancellations, postponements, or delays will come from the district office through School Messenger. Additional information related to building specific activities – games, practices, rehearsals, and performances will be communicated by the BHS administration, coaches, and sponsors.

Dr. Greg Lamberty

• November 8: Early Release – 12:00 pm DISMISSAL

• November 13: Start of the NSAA Winter Sports’ Season

• November 13: Board of Education Meeting – 6:00 pm @ District Office

• November 14: Play Production Home Performance – 7:00 pm

• November 22-24: NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Break

NSAA State Volleyball Information: https://nsaahome.org/nsaa-volleyball-championships-central/

NSAA State Football Playoffs: https://secure.nsaahome.org/nsaaforms/officials/fbbracket.php?class=B

**1st Semester Finals: December 19, 20, and 21.

** Senior Finals will occur the week of May 15.

** Graduation is Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 2:00 pm at Bennington High School.

**2nd Semester Finals: Will occur the week of May 20-24 depending on the number of snow days.

Students absent from finals will be required to make final exams up over Winter Break or at a time agreed upon with the teacher & BHS administration.

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/

• Winter Sports Season begins Monday November 13th. Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, and Wrestling coaches will be communicating with players and parents prior to this date. If you are not receiving information please contact:

• Girls Basketball – John O’Connor: joconnor@bennps.org

• Boys Basketball – Luke Olson: lolson@bennps.org

• Wrestling – Alan Pokorny: apokorny@bennps.org

• A reminder that Parents of 9th graders going out for winter sports are expected to attend sport-specific parent meetings. Parents of athletes in grades 10-12 are encouraged to attend these meetings as well.

• Important information related to team policies, season calendar, and player expectations will be shared at these meetings.

• Winter Sports Specific Parent Meetings:

• Wrestling – 630pm on Tuesday, November 14th in the Library

• Girls Basketball – 10am on Saturday, November 18th in the Main Gym

• Boys Basketball – 10am on Saturday, November 18th in the Aux Gym

• Fall Awards Night will be held on Tuesday 11/7. We will begin the program in the main gym. Individual teams will break out to classrooms from there.

• The program will begin at 6:30 pm.

• Business casual dress attire is preferred by those attending the event.

• 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:

November 6 – 10

December 14 – 20

February 5 - 9

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

• NSAA State Football Playoff Schedules:

https://nsaa-static.s3.amazonaws.com/textfile/fbl/playsched.pdf

• Quarterfinals November 3, 2023 at home vs. Norris @ 7pm

• Semifinals November 10, 2023 – TBD

• State Championship November 20, 2023 – 715 PM

• Admission is $8 for Adults & $6 for Students

• No Passes will be accepted for these NSAA events.

• CURRENT PHYSICALS MUST BE ON FILE FOR YOUR CHILD TO PARTICIPATE ON THE ATHLETIC TEAMS AT Bennington High School – NO EXCEPTIONS.

• Students need to be cleared without restrictions by a physician

• All students must have an updated physical for the 2023 – 2024 school year in order to participate in athletics.

• NSAA / Children’s Hospital Consent Forms must be on file as well

• These need to be signed by both a parent / guardian AND the student

• Eastern Midlands Conference Play Production Competition will be held at Bennington High School on Tuesday November 21, 2023. Start time is 1:30pm – Bennington will perform at 5:30pm.

• Cost of entry for all is $3.00

• Thanksgiving Break is November 22 – November 26, 2023. Please double check with the coaches of winter sports on practice times and schedules before making plans. Winter sports teams do continue to practice and compete throughout the winter months (except during the NSAA Moratorium 12/23-12/27).

• Congratulations to the Girls Golf team for their 6th place finish at the State Meet in Scottsbluff.

• Congratulations to the Cross Country team on their finishes this season. Both the girls and boys varsity teams won district championships. The girls team then finished 4th at the state meet in Kearney; the boys placed 5th.

• Congratulations to the Football team on their fourth straight District Championship. The Badgers defeated Elkhorn, Elkhorn North, Blair, Mt. Michael, and Westview to win their District.

• Congratulations to the Volleyball team on their District Championship on 10/28/23. The team defeated Duchesne to win their district. They will play Gretna East at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln on 11/1/23 at 11am.

• Congratulations to the Badger Marching Band for their Superior Rating at the NSBA State Marching Band Festival in Lincoln.

• Thanks to Tye Hanke and the BHS Vocal Music Department for their excellent Halloween Concert on 10/26/23. A great time was had by all!

UPCOMING HOME EVENTS:

November 1 – Booster Club Meeting: BHS Library – 5:30pm

November 3 – State Football Playoffs v. Norris – 7:00pm

November 9 – Unified Bowling v. Ralston @ Maplewood Lanes – 4:00pm (Varsity is away at the EMC Tournament in Lincoln. Please look for communication from Coach Wood on your participants’ location)

** November 10 – State Football Semifinals

November 14 – One Act Play, Home Performance - 700pm

November 14 – Unified Bowling Tournament v. Elkhorn, Bellevue East, Bellevue West, Gretna, and Seward @ Maplewood Lanes – 4:00pm

November 21 - Unified Bowling v. Elmwood-Murdock @ Maplewood Lanes – 4:00pm

** November 20 – State Football Finals @ Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE – 7:15pm

**Must win to qualify

November 2023 Vol. 4

BHS School Counseling Website: https://sites.google.com/bennps.org/bhscounselingteam/home

Jennifer Smith | A-G

Mandy Boesch| H-N

Lisa Bade | O-Z

Becky Nicks | School Counseling Administrative Assistant

UPCOMING EVENTS:

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 to students attending the University of Nebraska and are eligible for Pell Grants.

• First Responder Education Waiver (Dependent Requirements Only) This is available to eligible law enforcement officers, professional firefighters, and their dependent 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 fall!

1. Apply to your top college choices. Click here to find a college application checklist and other helpful resources.

2. 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)

3. 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. We encourage you to create a Federal Student Aid account now. You do not have to wait for the FAFSA to open to create this.

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

3 C’s REMINDER:

Students, don’t forget about working on and completing your 3 C’s! See Mrs. Guynan if you have any questions.

Twenty-two students attended the SkillsUSA Fall tour on October 25th. These students had the opportunity to tour Bellevue University and Claas of America.

The link will be live November 6th- November 17th. Please direct any questions to rbtoelle@cox.net

Four young ladies competed at the Young Woman's Quiz Bowl Meet in Seward on October 4th. The team did not win but gained experience and had a great time. The entire quiz bowl team will next travel to Ralston on October 21st and then St. Mary's on November 11th.

Three members of the Bennington High School Quiz Bowl team competed in Ralston on Saturday, October 21st. The team did not bring home a trophy but had a great time at Spook-A-Rama! Winners of the meet were 1st place- Creighton Prep, 2nd place- Omaha Central, and 3rd place- Elkhorn. The Bennington Quiz Bowl team will compete again on November 11th at St. Mary's in Bellevue.

On Friday, November 10, the speech team will travel to Millard West for our first novice tournament of the year. Go Badger Speech!

Bennington Trap Team is hosting an informational and team sign up meeting November 28st at 6:30pm. Meeting will be open to all 6th-12th graders and will be held at the Valley Trap Range 27818 Pawnee Road, north of Valley near 276th Street and Highway 36. If you are not able to attend and would like information emailed to you please contact Kerry Huntley at 402-305-1466 or email benningtontrap@gmail.com

Looking for service hours or just have a heart to help out?! The Bennington High School Dance Team is looking for volunteers to help crafters unload their items at Bennington South Middle School on Friday, December 1st from 4-9pm and Saturday, December 2nd from 6am-8am. Food will be provided! Must be able to LIFT items! Grab a friend and come help us out! Reach out today to sign up!

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30E0944A5AF22A31-45564130-craft

Questions may be directed to Felicia Weaver at Fweaver11@gmail.com or 4023210421.

Notice of Non-Discrimination

The Bennington Public School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, color, religion, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, or other protected status in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Students: Mr. Dan Bombeck, Director of Student Services, 11620 North 156th Street, P.O. Box 309, Bennington, NE 68007 (402) 238-3044 (dbombeck@bennps.org). Employees and Others: Dr. Matt Blomenkamp, Assistant Superintendent 11620 North 156th Street, P.O. Box 309, Bennington, NE 68007 (402) 238-3044 (mblomenkamp@bennps.org). Complaints or concerns involving discrimination or needs for accommodation or access should be addressed to the appropriate Coordinator. For further information about anti-discrimination laws and regulations, or to file a complaint of discrimination with the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education (OCR), please contact the OCR at 601 East 12th Street, Room 353, Kansas City, MO 64106, (800) 368-1019 (voice), Fax (816) 426-3686, (800) 537-7697 (telecommunications device for the deaf), or ocr.kansascity@ed.gov.

Title IX

The Bennington Public School District is committed to offering employment and educational opportunity to its employees and students in a climate free of discrimination. Accordingly, unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation of any kind by District employees, including, co-workers, non-employees (such as volunteers), third parties and others is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.