Benton Elementary School

06/18/2026

Thank you for stopping by Benton this morning and showcasing our students and staff during summer school!

06/17/2026

🎒 Back-to-School supply lists are ready

👉 Click the link: https://app.teacherlists.com/districts/1000216879-neosho-school-district

📲 Or save the photo below and then long-press the QR code or simply scan the QR code for immediate access!

🎒 Back-to-School Shopping in one spot 🎒

We're making things easy this year. You can find your child's school supply list in just a couple of clicks:

👉 Click the link: https://app.teacherlists.com/districts/1000216879-neosho-school-district

📲 Or save the photo below and then long-press the QR code or simply scan the QR code for immediate access!

⚠️ NOTE Grades 7–12:
Junior High and High School lists are not included on this link. Those supply lists will be distributed directly by teachers according to their specific class syllabi once school starts.

06/13/2026

📚 Congratulations to one of our Benton families on the opening of their new bookstore in downtown Neosho!

We love seeing our Benton families investing in our community and creating spaces that encourage a love of reading.

Join us in celebrating this exciting milestone and welcoming this new addition to downtown Neosho.

Thank you to the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce for sharing the ribbon-cutting ceremony!

06/06/2026

🍎 Celebrating 25 Years of Service 🍎

We are proud to recognize Mrs. Stephanie Helton for an incredible milestone—25 years at Benton Elementary!

For a quarter of a century, Mrs. Helton has been an important part of our school community. From her time serving students in Special Education to her current role on our fourth-grade team, she has remained committed to helping students learn and grow.

Mrs. Helton has a gift for seeing students' potential and helping them make meaningful academic progress. She is especially skilled at supporting students with IEP services and helping them reach levels of proficiency they may not have achieved previously. Year after year, her high expectations and dedication help students accomplish more than they thought possible.

In addition to her work with students, Mrs. Helton has been a valued member of our team and has helped shape the Benton experience for countless students and families over the past 25 years.

Thank you, Mrs. Helton, for your years of service and commitment to Benton Elementary. Congratulations on 25 years!

06/05/2026

📚🌞 Keep Reading All Summer Long! 🌞📚

Mrs. Fehring has our Little Free Library freshly stocked with new books and magazines and is ready for Benton families to enjoy all summer long!

One of the best ways to keep growing over the summer is through reading. Whether your child is just learning to read, loves picture books, enjoys nonfiction, or is looking for a new adventure, we have something waiting for them.

📖 Stop by anytime.
📖 Take a book (or a few!).
📖 Read together as a family.
📖 Return books when you're finished or keep them moving by sharing them with another reader.

Research shows that just a few minutes of reading each day can help students maintain and even grow their reading skills over the summer months. Every page helps us continue our mission of building strong readers!

We invite all Benton families to take advantage of this free resource and help us keep the joy of reading alive all summer long.

💙🐾 Read today. Read tomorrow. Read all summer. Because Wildcats are Built for More! 🐾💙

05/31/2026

☀️🎒 Welcome to Summer School at Benton Elementary! 🎒☀️

We are excited to welcome our Wildcats back beginning Monday, June 1! Our team is ready for a summer filled with learning, growth, and fun.

🚗 Parent Drop-Off & Pick-Up Information🚗

To help keep all students safe, please do not use the front of the building (Carl Sweeney Parkway) for drop-off or pick-up.
This area is reserved for bus traffic only.

Instead:

➡️ Enter from **Melody Lane**
➡️ Turn right onto **Stratford**
➡️ Follow the designated route through the parent loop
➡️ Pull forward to one of the 15 loading/unloading spots
➡️ Once stopped, students may safely exit or enter the vehicle

Our sidewalk is protected by bollards to keep pedestrians safely separated from traffic. To help us load students quickly and safely, please have your parent pick-up name tag visible during dismissal.

Need an additional tag for another approved family member? Please contact Mrs. Branscum at [email protected]

🚌 Bus Riders🚌

Bus route and stop information can be found here:

https://www.neoshosd.org/SummerSchool26

📍 Please review the drop-off and pick-up map below before Monday morning.

Thank you for helping us create a safe and efficient arrival and dismissal process for all students. We can't wait to see everyone Monday morning and kick off a great summer at Benton Elementary!

If you have questions regarding summer school, please contact summer school principal, Mrs. Burr.

05/26/2026

Our Million Word Club readers got to celebrate with donuts in the library alongside our superintendents on the last day of school! 🍩📚

The best part of the morning was listening to our students ask thoughtful questions about leadership, education, and our schools:
⭐ “How do you make decisions about our school?”
⭐ “What do superintendents do?”
⭐ “What education do you need for your job?”

Then Mr. Davis asked the students what makes Benton special:

💛 “Everyone works together to get to the goal.”
🖤 “Teachers have very good ways to teach.”
💛 “People ask for help from others.”
🖤 “It’s a safe environment.”

When asked what they would change about school, the ideas were just as thoughtful:
⭐ “Let 5th and 6th graders come to Benton!”
⭐ “Maybe have a different order of specials.

We are incredibly proud of these students — not just for reading ONE MILLION words, but for the way they think, reflect, collaborate, and care about their school community. Benton is built by kids like these. 📖✨

05/25/2026

We are celebrating a very special group of Benton Wildcats — our students who met their AR goal ALL FOUR QUARTERS this school year! 📚🏆

As a reward for their consistency, commitment, and love of reading, these students earned a trip to the YMCA for a day of fun, swimming, and celebration together!

We are so proud of the grit and perseverance these students showed all year long. Reaching one AR goal takes effort… but reaching it every single quarter takes dedication, responsibility, and a true commitment to growth.

At Benton, we believe readers become leaders, and today was a celebration of students who kept showing up, turning pages, and growing stronger all year long. 💛🖤

Thank you to our staff and families for encouraging reading at home and at school. And congratulations to our AR All-Stars — you earned it! 🌟

05/25/2026

✍️📚 We are so proud of our Benton students who represented our school at the Crowder College Young Authors Conference!

Ten Benton Elementary students had the opportunity to attend and celebrate the power of storytelling, creativity, and student voice alongside other young authors from across the region, they even got to meet local writers!

Events like this remind us that our students are Built for More — more imagination, more courage, and more opportunities to share their ideas with the world. We are incredibly proud of these Wildcats for stepping forward as writers and creators! 💙💛

A huge thank you to the teachers and families who encourage our students to read, write, and dream big every day.

05/23/2026

We are so proud to share that our own Ms. Brown received the Mentor of the Year award from NSD! 🎉

The Mentor of the Year award is nominated by a new teacher who has experienced firsthand the guidance, encouragement, expertise, and support of an outstanding mentor during those important first years in education.

Did you know that teachers who have strong mentors are more confident, more effective, and more likely to stay in the profession long term? Mentors help shape not only great teachers, but great classrooms and school communities too.

Ms. Brown embodies what it means to lead with heart, patience, wisdom, and service. She invests in people, helps others grow, and makes Benton stronger every single day. We are incredibly grateful for the impact she has on both students and staff.

Congratulations, Ms. Brown — this recognition is so well deserved! 💛🖤