Benton Community School District

"My favorite thing about being a Bobcat is the sense of togetherness that is constantly present. I can enter any of our buildings with the feeling that I am in the presence of people who are here to work collaboratively and do what it takes to meet the needs of all of our students."

Our youngest learners started the 2023-24 school year today! Preschool programs got kicked off for both 3 and 4-year-olds at Atkins Elementary and Keystone Elementary. The students who started 3PK today will be the graduating class of 2038 and the students who started 4PK today will be the graduating class of 2037. We are excited to fill those years in between with opportunities that lead to learning and growth for each and every one of them. #APlaceToBelong

Bobcats roll to shut out Vinton Shellsburg in non-district football -courtesy of Jim Magdefrau- Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, at Van Horne Benton 49, Vinton-Shellsburg 0 VS 0 0 0 0 – 0 BC 21 14 7 7 – 49 Benton Community shut out Vinton-Shellsburg in the first week of 3A non-district football action on Friday, Aug. 25, at Van Horne. Benton passed for 55 yards. Owen Tjelmeland was 2 for 2 for 25 yards. Brenden Heying was 3 for 3 with 30 yards. Jace Biery caught two passes for 25 yards. Easton Pfiffner caught three for 10 yards. Benton had 348 yards rushing. Owen Tjelmeland had 11 carries for 164 yards and three touchdowns, the longest being a 54-yard run. Brenden Heying had six carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns, the longest being 12 yards. Blayke Heying had five carries for 28 yards. Carson Bruns had 12 carries for 80 yards and one touchdown. On defense, Brennen Blegen had six solo tackles and one sack. Ty Kulbartz added four solo tackles. Troy Kupka and Blegen had one sack each. Ryan Koehler recovered one fumble, which he returns for an 85-yard touchdown. Brody Timmerman returned one kickoff for 35 yards. Caleb Gessner had eight kickoffs for 424 yards. He was also 7 of 7 for points after touchdown. The Bobcats face Marion on Friday, Sept. 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Van Horne as non-district action continues.

Lady Bobcats open 2023 volleyball season -Courtesy of Jim Magdefrau- Benton Community Volleyball Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, at Vinton-Shellsburg quadrangular Anamosa 2, Benton 1 A 25 22 15 BC 13 25 13 Emma Townsley had seven assists. She added eight kills. Piper Nelson had seven kills. The team had 21 kills in 86 attempts with 10 errors. Townsley had 15 digs. Nelson added 13. Kennedy Donald had nine. Aubrey Kelly had two blocks. The team was 44 of 51 in serves with two aces. Townsley was 12 of 12. Avery Palmer was 15 of 16 with one ace. Mabry Sadler was 7 of 8. Piper Nelson was of 6 with one ace. Donald was 4 of 5. Benton 2, Midland 1 M 24 18 9 BC 21 25 15 Sadler had 13 assists. Townsley added 11. The team was 31 of 89 for kills with 13 errors. Nelson had 15 kills. Townsley added nine. Donald had 17 digs. Townsley had 10. Benton was 53 of 60 for serves with eight aces. Townsley was 6 of 7 with one ace. Palmer was 8 of 9 with one ace. Haiden Moore was 5 of 6 with one ace. Donald was 8 of 9 with two aces. Kelly was 1 of 1. Nelson was 8 of 11 with two aces. Sadler was 17 of 17 with one ace. Vinton-Shellsburg 2, Benton 0 VS 25 25 BC 22 13 With five assists each were Sadler and Townsley. The team was 14 of 70 in kills with 13 errors. Nelson had eight kills. Nelson had 13 digs. Townsley had 11. Benton was 36 of 36 in serves with two aces. Donald was 8 of 8. Townsley was 6 of 6. Palmer was 7 of 7. Moore was 6 of 6. Nelson was 6 of 6. Sadler was 3 of 3 Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, at Independence Volleyball Tournament Benton 2, Alburnett 0 A 11 13 BC 21 21 Statistics are coming. Benton travels to the Comet Round Robin on Saturday, Sept. 2, at BCLUW. They will face South Tama, North Polk, BCLUW, Hudson and Wapsie Valley.

Reminder of School Picture Day coming up this week! #BeABobcat #APlaceToBelong

Bobcats win 49-0

Benton Community Marching Bobcats!

My name is Anna Selk and I am beginning my twelfth year as an employee at Benton Community. I have served in a variety of positions throughout the district and currently have the great pleasure of serving as Associate Superintendent. My favorite thing about being a Bobcat is the interactions with the wonderful people that make up this amazing school community. I am fortunate to live, work, and grow in a district where my personal core values align with the core values of the organization I care so deeply about. The overwhelming sense of pride that students, staff, parents, and other community members have in living life the “Bobcat Way” is truly special, and I feel fortunate to be a part of it as a parent, patron, and employee. I lead with both my head and my heart, and my heart lies in Bobcat Country. Benton Community truly is A Place to Belong. I look forward to continued service and opportunities to build and foster that belief and feeling throughout our system.

"My favorite thing about being a Bobcat is being around great families and students that have a passion for growth and hard work. I am so appreciative to be a part of this special community and look forward to seeing what our future holds."

The first day is off to a great start! So many smiling faces as we get this school year started. Check out the opening ceremony at Norway Intermediate.

1st day of school at the MS/HS!

Hello, students and parents! We're thrilled to welcome all K-12 students back to school tomorrow! Preschool will begin Monday, Aug. 28th. Tomorrow is a full day of school with August 30th being our 1st Wednesday 1:00 p.m. early out. The start of a new academic year is always a time of excitement, learning, and growth, and we can't wait to have you all back in our buildings. With school back in session and the hot temperatures forecasted for the week, it's important to tackle the challenges of both learning and the heat. We're excited to have everyone back in the classrooms, but let's make sure we're taking care of ourselves, as well. 💧 Stay Hydrated: Hydration is key, especially when it's hot outside. If possible, bring a refillable water bottle to school and keep it with you throughout the day. Sipping on water not only helps keep you cool, but it also helps you stay focused and energized for your classes. 🔥 Dealing with the Heat: As the temperature rises, staying cool becomes a top priority. While all of our district classrooms in each attendance center are equipped with air-conditioning, some areas of the building are not. We will be closely monitoring the indoor environment to make sure it’s comfortable for all students. We have also decided that recess for students will be indoors due to the extreme heat. As announced yesterday, activity practices have been adjusted to early morning or later in the evening, as well. 🚌 Bus Rides in the Heat: For those who use our bus services, we want to make sure you're comfortable during your commute as well. Our buses are not equipped with air-conditioning, but we’ll be working to do all we can to manage the heat. We will have bottles of water on afternoon routes for drivers and students if needed in order to help create a pleasant and safe journey for everyone. Let's all work together to make the most of this school year while keeping ourselves safe and healthy. If you have further questions, please reach out to your student's attendance center office. Stay cool, stay hydrated, and have a great 1st day of school! Go Bobcats! Dr. James Bieschke, Superintendent

Wow, Bobcats! What a great day and evening seeing so many of you across all attendance centers! If you have any questions prior to our first day, please reach out to your student's teacher, building secretary, or administrator. We are so excited to get this year started!

Benton Community Practice Schedules as it relates to the Weather... Obviously the weather is supposed to get crazy hot. We will NOT be practicing OUTSIDE right after school thru Thursday. Football, Cross Country, and Band practices are either in the morning....or after 6:30 pm. HS Football practice schedule.... Tuesday: 7-9 am Wednesday: 6:30-8:30 pm Thursday: 6:15 - 7:45 am MS Football practice schedule.... Thursday: 6:30 am (First Practice) Band practice schedule... Monday: 7:30-9:30 pm Cross Country practice schedule... Tuesday: 8:00 - 9:30 am Wednesday: lifting and pictures only - after school Thursday: 6:00 am Friday: 5:30 am MS Cross Country practice schedule... Thursday: Directly after school...indoor practice will be held at the high school. (First Practice) Volleyball....ALL LEVELS will practice as normal. 9-12 grade at the HS, 7th grade in Norway, and 8th grade in Atkins. Shuttle buses will be running on Thursday (6:00 pm) and Friday (5:30 pm) this week. Coaches will be communicating as well. Thanks for your help and understanding!! Contact your coach or the activities office if there are any questions.

Benton Community will continue to monitor the temperature and heat index to keep all students safe! Practice times and plans have been altered for the safety of students in all activities. Coaches and directors will communicate with students regarding practice times and format. Our priority is to keep our students safe while allowing practices to continue with modified plans. Thank you and stay safe!

#BeABobcat #APlaceToBelong

#BeABobcat #APlaceToBelong

#BeABobcat #APlaceToBelong

#BeABobcat #APlaceToBelong

Good Morning, Bobcats! If you haven't already registered your students for school, please do so ASAP. We are so excited to welcome Bobcat students and families on Monday for tours and meetings with teachers. Please see the schedule pictured below or check out the Benton website for additional information.