Principal's Message 2025-2026
4 days ago
Greetings Bobcat Family,
It is hard to believe that the end of the 2025 – 2026 school year is fast approaching. February, March, and April are busy times at Benson High School. Many of our seniors are now receiving notifications from their respective colleges and universities. Winter sports are wrapping up, with our spring sports just around the corner.
Our staff has been working with our students to ensure they meet our Arizona state standards to be prepared for whatever the future holds for them. All juniors will take the ACT beginning April 14th, and all freshmen will take the ASPIRE test on March 30th and 31st. Our overall ACT scores and attendance have an effect on our State Report Card. The better our scores and attendance, the better our overall school grade will be, and more importantly, school funding! We look forward to monitoring the progress our students are making in all academic areas. More importantly, the ACT can help when looking at possible scholarships, and best of all, we are providing this important assessment FREE of charge!
Arizona Science Test:
Arizona Science Test is a Standards Based Assessment that measures student proficiency of the Arizona Academic Content Standard in Science. A passing score on the Arizona Science Test is not required for graduation, but it does have an effect on the overall school report card. All juniors are required to take this assessment, which will be given on Wednesday, April 1.
This is an important time for many students. As you know, it takes 25 credits to graduate from Benson High School. Credits are earned at the end of each semester. If a student earned a semester grade of D or higher, he or she earns credit for that semester in that class. Certainly, it is important for students to do their best, to pass all facets of the courses they are taking. Please stress to your son or daughter not to let his or her grades slip as the end of the semester nears. Failure to earn credit for the semester may result in the necessity of repeating the entire semester. Now is the time for students to take responsibility, so we are not discussing retaking courses in summer school or at online recovery classes.
Civics Test:
In 2015, the Arizona legislature passed the American Civics Act (House Bill 2064). This bill requires students to pass a civics test based on the United States Immigration and Naturalization Civics Test questions. Students are required to score 70% or higher to graduate from high school.
Goal:
I encourage you to take this opportunity to set new goals with your child that will help him or her succeed academically. High school is just one step in the educational process. It is vital that parents and educators work together to ensure that students are prepared for the next step after graduation, whether that step is college, a career, or the military.
Graduation:
Our seniors are beginning preparations for graduation and for all graduation-related activities. Parents of seniors, please check with your son or daughter regarding their senior class meeting, which was held on Thursday, January 15. Please review the handout given to seniors to find a list of important dates and early release procedures.
Pre-Registration:
If you are the parent of an underclassman, please begin to discuss next year’s course choices with your son/daughter. A tremendous amount of preparation, time, and effort goes into the scheduling process. Mrs. Reynolds, guidance counselor, and Mrs. Sturgeon, Academic Advisor, will meet with students in February to explain the process of requesting courses for the following school year. I hope you will take time to look through the course selections with your son or daughter to help them select appropriate classes. Good decisions about scheduling now help to avert disappointments and regrets in the fall.
Attendance:
Parents, please continue to reinforce good attendance habits with your child. Attendance and accuracy of attendance are extremely important in school. Excessive absences result in missed work, which may be difficult to make up. This may cause a loss of continuity in learning and may produce an irresponsible attitude toward daily obligations, ultimately resulting in failure in school and loss of credit(s).
It’s our desire that the second half of the school year be excellent for all. If you need to meet with a teacher, guidance counselor, assistant principal, or me, please do not hesitate to contact us. We encourage parents call to schedule appointments before coming to school. Our goal is to be ready to meet with parents promptly. We respect your valuable time.
We look forward to seeing parents and guardians at the next Parent/Teacher Conferences, which will be held on Thursday, March 5th, from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the high school gymnasium.
In the meantime, I hope all Benson families have a great 2026. Together, we can make Benson High School an excellent place for all students to learn. Rising Above to Be the Best – The Benson High way!
"Go Bobcats"
Jeff Thompson, Principal
Back-to-School Night 2025
Hello Bobcat Families,
This year we are holding our annual Back to School Night July 21st from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. Everyone starts in the auditorium for a welcoming speech by Mr. Thompson. Then your student will walk you around using their school schedule.
Hope to see you there,
BHS Staff