Glasses

We have several

pairs of glasses that

have been found

and turned in to the

office. If your child

is missing a pair of

glasses, please con-

tact our office at

(309)557-4410.

news-

letter. We hope you enjoy them!

Sincerely,

Marlys Bennington

Marlys Bennington

Principal

benninmm@unit5.org

Dear Benjamin Families,

Welcome back from Spring Break!

We hope your children (and you!)

were able to rest and rejuvenate.

We are excited about the final nine

weeks of school, and we look for-

ward to finishing strong.

We will take our final set of MAP

tests between April 14th and May

21st. It is always thrilling to see

the growth that takes place in our

students from fall to winter to

spring.

The students and staff enjoyed the

Student Council sponsored Spirit

Days during the week before break.

We have included some photos of

these fun days throughout this

W E L C O M E , B E N J A M I N F A M I L I E S

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A P R I L 2 0 1 4

V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 7

B E N J A M I N B R O A D C A S T

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

S T A T E C H E S S

T O U R N A M E N T 2

P B I S C A R T 2

G R O W L W I N -

N E R S 3

E V A N S J R .

H I G H I N F O R -

M A T I O N F O R

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C A R N I V A L 4

C A L E N D A R 5

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T A L E N T S H O W

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Science Fair and Family Science Night Coming to Benjamin

on April 15th from 6-7:30 PM

Join us for an evening of science! Science Fair projects by 4th and 5th

graders will be on display, as well as demonstrations and hands-on activities.

Some of the planned activities include: geocaching, astronomy, physics, engineering,

and much more! Be sure to mark your calendars for this fun and educational event

for the whole family!

Benjamin Art Show

Benjamin Elementary is going to have its first Art Show on Monday, April 7th from 6:30-8:00

P.M.!! Our Benjamin artists will have their artwork in a gallery style display, available in our

gym. Family and friends are welcome to join us in celebrating our creative Benjamin Bears!

All completed artwork, will be double matted and framed by Artome, the company I am work-

ing with for this event. The artwork is available for families to purchase. Framed & matted

artwork will cost $25 on the night of the show (Cash or Check ONLY). Parents do not have to

purchase the framed work. Unpurchased artwork will be returned to the students without a

mat or frame, shortly after the event.

A portion of the raised money will go to the Benjamin Art budget and to the Community Can-

cer Center, in Normal.

Ms. Traynor traynorg@unit5.org

Again this year, Unit 5 will implement

14 Late Start Wednesdays, which

will have all students arriving one

hour later than regular school start

times. Elementary schools will start

at 9:45 A.M. on these days. Trans-

portation pick up times will run one

hour later on these days than on reg-

ular days.

During our March Late Start, the

teachers took the staff version of the

Illinois 5 Essentials Survey. They also

spent time analyzing our student writ-

ing benchmark assessments and be-

gan to organize instruction for their

opinion writing units of study.

Late Start Dates:

April 9th & 30th

May 14th

L A T E S T A R T S D U R I N G T H E 2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4 S C H O O L Y E A R

Congratulations to the Benjamin Chess Team for their amazing performance at the State Chess

Tournament in March!

Our Elementary Team took 5th place! Congratulations to Advaith Prabu, Arnav Sriram, Foster

Baird, Nishant Bhamidipati, Owen Parker, Tyler Tanton, Rahul Darbhakul, Jay Ganesan, Colin

Reedy, and Adithya Azhakiamanavalan. In the Elementary Division, Adviath Prabu won 3rd Place

Overall, as well as the prestigious Warren Junior Chess Scholar 2014 award!!

Congratulations to Nicholas Bruha, Niroop Krishnakumar, Vervin Fernandes, Avighnav Vasude-

van, Kale Hunt, Kavin Saravanan, Anish Deshpande, Bryson Baird, and Umika Kuricheti from the

Benjamin Upper Primary Team! They earned 4th place.

Our Lower Primary Team won 5th place overall. Congratulations to Pugazhendhi Saravanan,

Rudy Sathish, Ishita Ravi, Nikhit Bhamdidipati, and Aditi Srinivasan! Pugazhendhi also earned

the title of 10th place overall in the Lower Primary Division!

Congratulations to our Coach, Mr. Pete Karagianis, for receiving the 2014 Colley Kitson Chess

Coach of the Year award!

We are proud of all of our chess members! A special thank you to our Chess Sponsor and Benja-

min parent, Lori Baird, for her hard work and dedication!

Before/After School

If you need to leave

your vehicle for any

reason, please park

in a designated

parking place. The

Red Zone is

reserved for moving

traffic. Thank you

for helping to keep

our students safe.

Page 2 B E N J A M I N B R O A D C A S T

Chess State Tournament

PBIS Cart Donations

As part of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) initiative in our building, the students

receive “Bear Bucks” for demonstrating positive behaviors, both academically and socially. Students are

allowed to spend their “Bear Bucks” in their classrooms for different items or incentives and for school wide

rewards. The PBIS cart contains items that students can purchase with their “Bear Bucks”. Students are

allowed to purchase one item from the cart. The cart will be visiting classrooms at the end of each month

for the remainder of the year. The cart is optional for students as they may choose to save their Bear Bucks

for the other incentives, and we have asked for their feedback after the last two cart days. Each month the

cart options change. If you are able to donate any of the following items, please bring them to the front of-

fice before Thursday, April 17. Our cart will travel next on April 25! Your help is appreciated!

Fruit Roll ups, Caffeine Free Pop (Rootbeer, Pepsi, Cherry Pepsi, or Coke), Water Bottles,

Sour Cream and Onion potato chips (snack size), BBQ potato chips (snack size),

Fun-Sized M&M’s, Fun-Sized Skittles, Twizzlers – individually wrapped, Mustache Pencils,

Multi-colored pens, Big Erasers or fun erasers, or Huge Pencils Thank you! The PBIS Committee

4th Grade Families – If your

child is interested in being a

part of the Band and Or-

chestra Program for next

year, please be sure to reg-

ister online, or return the

form your child received

before the break by Friday,

April 18. For online infor-

mation please go to the

Benjamin Website and click

on the link or

www.unit5.org/

explorationnight. If you have

any questions, please contact

Kimberly Martin at mar-

tink@unit5.org.

Upcoming Musical Per-formances:

All performances will be held in the auditorium at Normal

Community High School (not West) on Raab Rd. From

Benjamin, go west on Ireland Grove Road. Turn right and

go north on Towanda Barnes

Road. Take a left on Raab Rd. The High School will be

on your right.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

5:15 p.m. K/1st Grade Pro-gram

6:15 p.m. 4th Grade Program

7:30 p.m. Chorus Concert

M U S I C N E W S

F E B R U A R Y G R O W L W I N N E R S

Xavier Zarza (2G), John Larson

(2K), Maggie Perkins (2K),

Marzuq Azam (2V), Alissa

Briggs (2V), Josie Hummel

(3HC), Zach Ferrante (3HC),

Ashy Madhushankar (3LC),

Makenna Vinson ((3LC), Niko-

lette Becker (3G), Ethan Hoo-

ver (3G), Hailey Hasty (3P),

Kylee Thomason (3P), Andria

Merkle (4C), Makayla Thomas

(4C), Somya Jha (4G), Jonah

Kramer (4G), Bennett Hakimi

(4R), Arnav Sriram (4R), Tyler

Frankowiak (4S), Krithi Kan-

dury (4S), Harshith Gorla (5G),

Ju-Won Park (5G), Vivek Nu-

kala (5J), Will McGaugh (5J),

Olivia Carby (5L), Sophia Hart-

ley (5L), Ananya Balagonda

(5S), and Arya Kolte (5S).

How does a Benjamin Bear receive a

GROWL? GROWLS are earned by

going above and beyond our expecta-

tions in the areas of respect, respon-

sibility, or safety. These are im-

portant behaviors that will allow them

to become successful adults.

Each month, two students from each

class will be drawn from all of the

GROWL winners from that month.

These students will be rewarded with

a pizza luncheon with the principal.

They also receive a GROWL certifi-

cate. We hope to recognize quality

character in many of our students

throughout the year.

Congratulations to the follow-

ing students who were our

January GROWL winners:

Beckett Weber (PE Delveaux),

Quentin Becker (PE

Delveaux), Victor Fernandes

(PE Myers), Walter Olson (PE

Myers), Aden Gilbert (KF), Lilly

Wheeler (KF), Alexis Clark

(KLL), Aiden Hogan (KLL),

Kella Kindred (KPL), Sammy

Wehmeyer (KPL), Aubrey

Balota (KW), Beckett Weber

(KW), Akshay Pespunuri (1A),

Aditi Srinivasan (1A), Dhrithy

Kakani (1G), Baasil Rehman

(1G), Anshuman Chhawcharia

(1S), Ishita Ravi (1S), Mady

Bresney (2F), Brooklyn Sayers

(2F), Lauren McCormick (2G),

Congratulations to

Nishant

Bhamidipati (5G)

for being awarded

a Ben Carson

Scholarship! He is

one of only 510

students in the

country to receive

this honor.

Page 3 V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 7

SAVE THE DATE: BENJAMIN BEAR CARNIVAL - FRIDAY, APRIL 11TH FROM 5-8 P.M.

Here is how you can help: *Contact us if your business would like to make a donation to our basket raffle or sponsor a game. *Send in baskets or containers that could be used for our basket raffle. *Email us any fantastic ideas that you might have for the carnival!

Please send your donated items clearly labeled, "Carnival Donations." Continue to check the school webpage for updated carnival information. We hope you can join us for a night of fun on Friday, April 11, 2014, from 5:00-8:00 P.M.! Ebony Nebel & Heidi White dandenebel@hotmail.com

Evans Junior High will be having their 6th grade Orientation Night on Thursday, April 24th at 6:00 P.M. Infor-

mation will be presented about the sixth grade curriculum, as well as sports/club opportunities and general

information regarding Evans. The Evans PTO will also be there to disseminate information and to sell Evans’

spirit wear. All of our 5th grade students and parents are invited to attend.

On the morning of May 16th, our 5th grade students will visit Evans. They will be partnered with a current

6th grader and will visit that student’s classes. They will also meet with the Evans guidance counselors that

morning to hear a little bit more about next year. These experiences help prepare our 5th graders for start-

ing junior high in August.

As the weather becomes warmer this month, we will begin lining up outside during the morning duty time,

8:25-8:40 A.M. Students riding the bus will line up on the north side of the school, and students dropped

off in cars will line up on the south side of the school. Teachers will be on duty on both sides, beginning at

8:25 A.M.

Benjamin Elementary School

6006 Ireland Grove Rd

Bloomington, IL 61705

Phone: 309-557-4410

Attendance: 309-557-4459

Fax: 309-557-4511

E-mail: benninmm@unit5.org

M C L E A N C O U N T Y U N I T

D I S T R I C T 5

April 1st 3:30-4:15 P.M. Student Council Meeting

April 2nd 3:30-4:30 P.M. Chorus

April 7th 6:30-8:00 P.M. Benjamin Art Show

April 9th 9:45 A.M. Late Start

April 9th 3:30-4:30 P.M. Chorus

April 11th Progress Reports Sent Home

April 11th 5:00-8:00 P.M. Benjamin Carnival

April 14th PTO Meeting in IMC

April 15th Science Fair/Family Science Night

April 16th 3:30-4:30 P.M. Chorus

April 18th No School—Board Holiday

April 23rd 3:30-4:30 P.M. Chorus

April 24th 6:00 P.M. 6th Grade Orientation at Evans Jr. High

April 30th 9:45 A.M. Late Start

May 1st 5:00 P.M. Kindergarten/1st Music Concert at NCHS

May 1st 6:15 P.M. 4th Grade Music Concert at NCHS

May 1st 7:30 P.M. Chorus Concert at NCHS

May 6th 3:30-4:15 P.M. Student Council Meeting

May 7th Young Authors Celebration

May 8th 1st Grade to Children’s Discovery Museum

May 12th 6:30 P.M. PTO Meeting in IMC

May 14th 9:45 A.M. Late Start

May 14th 3:30-4:30 P.M. Chorus

May 14th & 15th 4th Grade Instrument Exploration Session at Normal

West

I M P O R T A N T D A T E S

We are on the web! www.unit5.org NEW IMMUNIZATION REQUIRE-MENTS FOR ILLINOIS SCHOOL

STUDENTS!

Beginning with the 2014 – 2015 school year, Illinois law requires ALL students entering school at ALL grade levels (K – 12) to show proof of receiving:

2 (full) MMR vaccines

2 varicella (chicken pox) vaccines

The Hepatitis B series of 3 vaccine require-ment moved from 5th grade to 6th grade.

The Tdap requirement also continues requir-ing ALL students entering 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades to receive:

1 Tdap vaccine

Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year students entering 6th and 12th grades will be required to receive:

1 dose of meningococcal vaccine (6th grade)

2 doses of meningococcal vaccine (12th grade)

UNIT 5 STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO START SCHOOL WITHOUT THE REQUIRED IMMUNIZATIONS!

The physical exam requirement is the same – a new exam dated within the past year is re-quired for:

Early learner programs

Kindergarten

6th grade

9th grade

Make an appointment NOW for a physical and immunizations! Avoid the rush.

No appointment cards will be accepted in place of a completed physical exam form and immunization record.

The McLean County Health Department is now accepting private health insurance for adult and child immunizations as well as Medicaid. Call today for an appointment: 888-5455.

Winter MAP Scores

Your child’s MAP scores, including our most recent Winter MAP results, are now available on Skyward Family Ac-

cess. After students take the Spring MAP tests, we will send home a paper copy with your child’s results. These

results will show your child’s scores for the entire school year.

Young Author Representatives—2014

Congratulations to our Benjamin Elementary Young Author Winners: Sophia Stevens (2K), Natalie Curtis (3P), Som-

ya Jha (4G), and Avery Melrose (5S). We are very proud of you! Their books and posters are currently on display at

the Normal Public Library through April 30, 2014.

A special congratulations goes to Natalie Curtis (3P) for her story, ABC Tips for Being a Successful 9 Year Old Girl,

and to Avery Melrose (5S) for her book, Blizzard: One Dog & One Girl Can Do So Much, who are our district winners

this year! They will advance to the Young Author Conference that will be held on May 17, 2014 at Illinois State

University.

The Benjamin Annual Talent Show is Coming!

The 2014 Benjamin Talent Show, sponsored by Student Council, will be held on Friday, May 23, 2014.

There will be two shows, 9:00 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. Start preparing now, if you are interested. More infor-

mation will be coming soon. We cannot wait to see all of that Benjamin Bear talent!!