The heat advisory is finally gone, but our 23-24 school year is still heating up! Our buildings opened doors to students and families at Open House on August 21st, but our welcoming of new Bobcat staff members really started this summer before students even showed up!
Onboarding new staff has been an intentional focus for the instructional coach team. Coaches offered individualized meetings with each new-to-Benton certified staff member this summer to go over role responsibilities, curricular resources, and logistics of the building. This one-on-one time allows staff to ask questions and feel more prepared to welcome students at the beginning of the year. Our onboarding practices really hit all of our district core values.
- Teamwork - Collaboration increases our knowledge and ability to serve our students. Before they even report to the first day of professional development, our new teachers have connected with an instructional coach and are welcomed to the Benton family.
- Educational Excellence - Having personalized time dedicated to each teacher’s specific role and curricular resources allows teachers to continue to plan over the summer in preparation for students arriving in August.
- Continuous Growth - Meeting individually with each teacher allows coaches to gain a sense of each teacher’s professional goals and design appropriate supports. Support continues throughout the year through various coaching interactions. Benton Community has 4 full-time coaches to serve our staff.
- Caring and Belonging - Being included in this tremendous district means you are part of this amazing community. It has been an honor to grow up a Bobcat and I have proudly welcomed others into this family for the past 18 years while on staff.
We are lucky to have such a great group joining an already amazing staff. If you see staff members out in the community or at school events, please make an effort to introduce yourself. Let’s keep fostering what makes Benton Community a place to belong.