Dear Benjamin Parents & Guardians,
I hope all Benjamin families are soaking up the sun and enjoying the last couple weeks of summer before returning for the 2025-2026 school year. I am looking forward to having the students return to BMS on August 27th. We have been working hard to prepare for the new school year.
One of the big changes that students and families will see is we have brand new larger student lockers in each grade level. This should give the students more room to hold their belongings and create more space in the hall when they go to their lockers. In addition we expanded on the renovations that started in the 5th grade wing last year and were able to give complete renovations to 10 additional classrooms/learning spaces and have new floors in the 6th and 7th grade hallways and the multi-purpose room. New science seating was also purchased for our science labs. The building looks great and will be completed next summer in year three of our three year capital plan.
This year we will be launching a new science curriculum resource, Savvas Elevate Science, in 5th and 6th grade. This curriculum was carefully selected after a year-long review process which included a pilot in some grade levels last year. Our teachers have completed both online and in-person professional development for this curriculum and will continue to be assisted by our instructional coaches and more PD throughout the year. Also, we have updated our 5th grade Into Reading ELA curriculum resources. This new version will align teacher resources to help further facilitate the instruction in foundational reading skills.
On Wednesday, August 20th at 3:00 pm student schedules will be available on PowerSchool for registered students. It is important to understand that the master schedule for a school of our size does not allow for much flexibility and most requests to change a student schedule cannot be accommodated. However, sometimes mistakes are made so please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions.
On Thursday, August 21st we will have a student orientation at 1:00 pm. This is exclusively for families that are new to the district as I provide a tour of the building and answer questions they may have.
On Tuesday,August 26th from 12:30 pm-1:30 pm we will have our annual 5th grade supply drop off. This is a great opportunity for 5th grade students and parents to meet the 5th grade teachers and walk the building following their student schedule, as well as dropping off supplies to their homeroom classroom. I will be around to answer any questions that you may have. This event is usually scheduled at the end of the day but in order to coordinate with Evergreen’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony we moved up our drop off time. I only mention this, as parents and students will need to leave the building promptly at 1:30 pm as there are other scheduled meetings that teachers will need to attend. All other grade levels will bring their supplies with them on the first day of school on August 27th.
Wednesday, August 27th is our first full day of school. We will keep the same drop off and pick up procedures as last year. First Student will be providing our bus service. The bus routes/stops will be found on the district website and will also be housed in your parent powerschool account when they are finalized. It is my recommendation that students arrive at their stop five minutes before their pick up time until the driver has the route down and normal pick-up times can be established. When the buses arrive at school they will drop students off in the upper parking lot and will be met by staff supervisors including myself. Buses arrive at school between 7:20 am and 7:35 am. At 7:35 am students will be brought into the school and will have seven minutes to be ready for their first period class which starts at 7:42 am. There will be plenty of staff to help students find their way. If you are dropping your student off to school please pull into the lower lot and pull past the staircase, your child can be let out on the sidewalk side and take the stairs to the upper parking lot. If you arrive at 7:35 am or after, pull all the way up to the front door so your child can be let into the building. Please allow extra time in the morning and use caution in the parking lot so everyone arrives on time and safely for school. Student dismissal is 2:35 pm. Students taking the bus will exit the main gym to the upper parking lot and will be helped on buses by staff to make sure they get on the right bus. If you are picking your child up from school you can pull into either lane of the lower lot. Students will be exiting the main entrance and will be helped to your automobile by a staff member. Do not move your automobile forward without a staff member signaling for you to do so. Please have patience and do not move around another car. The whole dismissal process only takes about 8 minutes.
Benjamin's Curriculum Night Is Wednesday, September 3rd from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm. A more detailed email will follow but this night is an excellent opportunity for parents to walk their students' schedule, meet their teachers and get to know some of the classroom expectations. It is also a great opportunity to meet the PTA and attend our Scholastic book fair that benefits our library. Our new superintendent, Dr. Patrick McGill, will also be in the library during curriculum night so you can meet him and say hello.
PTA Back to School Event: The PTA will have their annual back to school event on Friday, August 29th from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm in the upper parking lot at Benjamin Middle School. This event is open to all Benjamin SD 25 families and is always a fun time for all.
It is also important to note that our fall sports start up right away on August 27th with cross country having their first practice and girls volleyball and boys soccer having tryouts. Everyone trying out for a sport must have a current sports physical on file. I have attached the summer sports camp packet as it contains the fall sports tryout and participation dates and times.
Reminders: Please make sure that students are not dropped off before 7:20 am and are picked up right after school is completed at 2:35 pm. Unless students are involved in an activity/sport there is no supervision before and after these times. Also, please make sure you and your child review the Benjamin Handbook. We will be posting the updated handbook on the Benjamin Middle School website. Also, please make sure your child has completed the five hours of summer math and reading to start the year. These resources can be found on the Benjamin Middle School Website under News.
Activity Bus: Benjamin will have an activity bus again this year. There will be more information coming out on this soon. This bus is specifically meant for students in clubs and/or after school academic programs and not for sports. The bus leaves Benjamin around 3:45 pm and sports practices go beyond that time. While we are excited to have this additional service at our school, parents must keep in mind that there will be limited stops that cover a wide area as it is one bus covering our school boundaries. Last year we were able to modify the stops based on student usage. We will send information out at the start of the school year for the start date of the activity bus along with bus stops and times.
Clubs: We have many clubs at Benjamin. While most of them meet after school, a few meet in the morning and a couple meet during the school day during lunch period. A full schedule will be available for parents at Curriculum Night.
As I close out this letter, I want to stress the importance of communication to a successful school year. We will be using the school website calendar, email and text blasts along with the newsletter to communicate important information. Please be proactive in calling our school to ask questions, find information or express concerns. We will do our best to answer your questions and get back to you if we do not have an immediate answer. I also want to stress talking with teachers as the first line of communication. If you have a question or concern they are often the best source of information. If the problem is not resolved after talking with the teacher, please communicate with me as I will always give options on how something can be handled.
I hope everyone continues to have a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Michael Fitzgerald Ed.D.
Principal
Benjamin Middle School
Assistant Superintendent of Learning & Teaching
Benjamin School District 25