Are you ready for an epic learning adventure? Bentley Little Bulldogs enrollment for the 26/27 school year is now open! If your child is currently 4 or will be 4 by December 1st they are eligible for FREE full day preschool. Visit our preschool enrollment page below to begin.
In case you missed this week’s Workshop Board of Education meeting on March 9, 2026:
BHS Student Representative Gabe Prast reported that the Snowcoming dance was fun, JaeLynn West and Abigail Jones were crowned Snowcoming Prince and Princess of the Class of 2026.
At the State Varsity Powerlifting finals, Jordan Jarrell and Abigail Rose landed in 10th place in their respective weight class.
Tyler Johnson won the State JV Powerlifting Championship with a total of 1,250 pounds.
The 2026 Hot Fudge Run was a big success thanks, in part, to all the NHS and robotics students who volunteered their time. It is reading month…high school students are looking forward to reading to their younger peers at Barhitte and Bentley Little Bulldogs. Spring sports have officially started. The daddy/daughter dance was successful. And, all in all, there is a chill vibe at BHS.
The Board approved the hiring of Marisa Hughey to provide literacy intervention at Barhitte through the end of this school year. The literacy intervention position will then be posted internally for the 2026-27 school year.
Social Emotional/Therapy Dog Update: retired BHS teacher Mrs. Bloom shared her joy that this initiative was student generated by high school students two years ago. In that time, she and her husband trained their dog, Hailey, who now regularly visits Barhitte, BMS and BHS. Sometimes, students come to visit her in a separate room and at other times Hailey visits a whole class–always identifying first if there are any fears or allergies. She shared that in the last year that they’ve been visiting, six students have been identified as having had a fear of dogs, but have come to love Hailey. Mrs. Bloom explained that a therapy dog works for about 60-90 minutes before taking a break. She also talked about how the training process works, both for the dog and also for those who handle therapy dogs.
The district is narrowing down which organization they will partner with to bring three therapy dogs to the district: one at Barhitte, one at BHS and one to be shared between BMS and Bentley Little Bulldogs (BLB). The district is using grant money for student health and safety to move this initiative forward, and while the dogs will belong to the district, each will reside with a staff member. Staff at each building have expressed interest in hosting a dog. The organizations that provide therapy dogs have applications to help determine the best placement for each dog.
Academically speaking, Bentley High School was highlighted, which coincides with the State’s memo highlighting that Michigan ranks 9th for increasing student participation in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and 13th for improving scores high enough to qualify for college credit. Over the last ten years, Bentley has moved from 1% of students to 19% of students taking AP courses, and of those, 47% earned a score leading to college credit in 2024-25. Additionally, BHS audits students’ grades in order to help them stay or get back on track. And, Mrs. VanVallis and Ms. Trammell encourage students to take classes that offer the right amount of challenge…not too easy and not too difficult.
The Board identified Cheryl Blosser as the delegate to the GISD budget meeting in April and Marisa Downs as the alternate.
The School of Choice window opens on March 16 and closes Friday, August 28th.
BMS positive behavior field trips will continue this year with 6th graders attending the Great Lakes Loons baseball game at Dow Diamond on April 24th, the 7th graders attending Michigan’s Adventure on May 22nd, and 8th graders attending Cedar Point on May 29th.
The Board of Education decided their first ever golf fundraiser to raise money for scholarships for graduating seniors will be held June 15 at Sugar Bush. The first scholarships will be awarded in June 2027.
STEMFest - SC4 2026
Saturday, March 7 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
St. Clair County Community College
323 Erie St. Port Huron, MI
SCIENCE - TECHNOLOGY - ENGINEERING - MATHEMATICS
150+ Hands-On
STEM EXPERIENCES
Featuring Michigan Technological University Mind Trekkers, Cranbrook Institute of Science, Mad Science-Detroit, Reptarium of Utica, Saginaw Valley State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan.
FREE ADMISSION
REGISTRATION REQUESTED
https://sc4.edu/stem-fest/
Free admission is made possible through the generous support of donors:
2026 Star Sponsors
Barton Malow
Watson Brothers
The SC4 Foundation
Stephenson Electric
The Michigan Association of
Superintendents and Administrators
(MASA) is inviting students, families, and
staff to share their thoughts about Artificial
Intelligence (AI) in education.
Your feedback will help schools in Bentley
and across Michigan understand how AI is
being used and what support is needed to
make it effective, safe, and beneficial for
everyone.
By completing the survey, you will help
shape future programs and resources for
students, families, and educators
statewide.
Results will be provided at the district and state levels. We would appreciate your participation.
If you would like your voice to be heard, please complete the survey by February 28th, 2026.
Survey Link: https://tinyurl.com/MI-AI-Survey
Preschool Information Night
February 26th, 4:00pm-5:30pm
1198 N Belsay Rd, Burton, MI 48509
810-591-9126
Are you ready for an Epic Learning Adventure?
* Tour our new center
* Meet our teachers
* Explore our nature based model
* Information on enrollment, open March 1st
PreK 4 All is free for all children who will be 4 by December 1st.
The February Bentley Middle School Newsletter is being emailed to parents today—be sure to check your inbox!
Our yearbook staff has worked incredibly hard putting this together to highlight student experiences, school events, and all the great things happening at Bentley. We’re proud of the time and effort they’ve put into creating something special for our community.
Take a few minutes to read through and celebrate their hard work!
- Mr. Bednarski
Time is running out to order your middle school student’s yearbook! Be sure to purchase yours soon so your child can capture all the memories from this school year.
If you have any questions, please contact our middle school yearbook teacher, Mrs. April Mannor, at amannor@bentleyschools.org.
Order today and don’t miss out on a great keepsake!
Here are some pictures from our recent visit with therapy dog Hailey! Students loved the opportunity to spend time with her and enjoy a calming, positive break in their day.
A special thank you to Amy and David Bloom for bringing Hailey in and sharing such a wonderful experience with our middle school students. We truly appreciate your time and support!
- Mr. Bednarski
Be sure to check out the attached image for our Middle School Theme Days and get ready to show your school spirit all week long. We’re excited to see everyone participating and having fun together!
❤️ Valentine’s Dance Reminder:
The Middle School Valentine’s Dance will take place on Friday, February 20th from 3:00–5:00 PM in the middle school cafeteria. Students attending can look forward to an afternoon of music, friends, and celebration to wrap up the week.
Let’s make it a fun, positive, and drama-free Snowcoming week for everyone!
- Mr. Bednarski
You can enjoy some pictures from that event by clicking on this link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/P5fBktuCD6cNVXy37
You can watch the remarks made and see the ribbon cutting by several of our preschoolers in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkWm2Pw5hc4
You can also read about it in Mlive's Sunday edition:
https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2026/01/from-medical-exam-rooms-to-classrooms-new-preschool-opens-at-former-mclaren-site-in-burton.html
There is a tribe in Africa called Masai whose traditional greeting to each other is “Casserian Engeri.” It means, “And how are the children?” They do not ask each other, “How are you?” or “How’s your day?” but rather they ask about the next generation. And how are the children? The traditional response to the Masai greeting is, “All the children are well,” meaning that if the children are well, the community has what it needs to be safe, peaceful and prosperous.
The creation of this learning space for our children is evidence of our community's commitment to the next generation. Bentley Little Bulldog Learning Center is a way of ensuring that the children are well. I'm grateful to live here in Burton with people who also value our greatest resource...our kids. And I'm especially grateful to all those who made this possible, including (and this is not an exhaustive list): the Bentley Board of Education, McLaren Health Care Corporation (especially James Proctor), Progressive Companies (especially Tom Frey, Terry Farley and Rachel DeGood), Mayor Haskins, Senator Cherry, Representative Martin, For-Mar, Burton Chamber of Commerce, Burton Kiwanis, Burton Rotary, Todd Schultz, Chelsea Horton, Dianna Slusarzyk, the custodial and maintenance teams, and the preschool staff. ~Dr. Spann
Middle School parents/guardians, please check your email for important yearbook information from Jostens and if you’d like to customize your student’s yearbook this year, be sure to follow the link provided in the email.
Thank you for helping make this year’s memories extra special!
-Mr. Bednarski
This is just a reminder that we will celebrate the opening of our new Bentley Little Bulldogs Learning Center this Friday, January 16th at noon. The preschool is located at 1198 N Belsay Rd, Building 2. You are welcome to join us for this ribbon cutting event!
Mr. James Johnson–Carman Ainsworth board member, past president of MASB, and current MASB Region 5 representative–talked to the board about his passion for serving this region and, especially our youth. THis was further underscored by his participation on several national committees. He talked of the importance of getting accurate information to the region and back to MASB.
Miss Cobb–Barhitte kindergarten teacher and Bentley Education Association secretary–presented the board with homemade cookies and a banner made by her young scholars recognizing the board as “the chocolate chips in the cookie of life”. She also shared a letter of gratitude from the BEA extending their sincere appreciation for their “willingness to serve our school community, which requires a significant commitment of time, thought and care.” Additionally, she added, “We appreciate your dedication to supporting public education and working toward the continued success of our district.”
This was also the annual organizational meeting. Our board members will continue in their previous roles:
*President: Mrs. Amanda Mobley
*Vice President: Mrs. Cheryl Blosser
*Treasurer: Mrs. Marisa Downs
*Secretary: Mrs. Dawn McDaniel
*Trustees: Steven Bentley, Kevin Burge, and Hayley Downs
We reviewed the bond change orders for the 2025 bond on the new preschool. Final touches are being completed, and landscaping will happen in the spring. :We are very excited to celebrate the opening of the Bentley Little Bulldogs Learning Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony this Friday at noon. Our band will be there to recognize this momentous occasion in addition to a number of local dignitaries. And our young scholars will begin there on Tuesday, January 20th.
Finally, we approved the hire of Bentley alumna Briana Asbury as the 7th grade volleyball coach and Corey Reid, JV baseball coach from 2014-16, as the new Varsity baseball head coach.
Holiday Fun At Bentley Middle School!
Due to the possibility of inclement weather and the resulting low number of sign-ups, we have made the decision to cancel the upcoming Middle School Lock-In.
The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority, and with weather conditions remaining uncertain, we feel this is the most responsible choice at this time.
If you have already paid, you may receive a full refund by visiting the office, or you may choose to have your payment applied to the next Middle School Lock-In, which is being rescheduled for January.
We appreciate everyone’s understanding and interest, and we look forward to offering future events when conditions allow. More information about upcoming middle school activities will be shared soon.
Thank you for your continued support.
-Mr. Bednarski
The BCS holiday band concert on Wednesday, December 16 showcased the musical learning of 6th through 12th graders. Click the link ( https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vmrohPcIRbDelKD-_ABll6yzXKpJWo9M?usp=sharing ) to listen to their pieces. The sing-along with middle and high school students at the very end was especially engaging. Thank you Mrs. Nolan for making band fun and Mrs. Forys for helping the band to raise money for camp, music literature, and more! Your quilts and stuffed bulldogs are awesome!
Holiday Lock-In Event – Thursday, December 18, 2025
Dear BMS Parents & Guardians,
The Bentley Middle School Student Council is excited to host a Holiday Lock-In Event for our students! To ensure safety and proper planning, students must have a signed permission slip or a Thrillshare message submitted by Wednesday, December 17 in order to attend. This also helps us plan for pizza quantities.
📌 Important Expectations (Please Read Carefully):
All students must go home after school and return for the event at 3:30 PM. Students may not wait at school or nearby businesses.
Once students enter the building, they will not be allowed to leave for any reason.
Students may not visit businesses on Belsay Road, wait outside for rides, or walk home.
Students must be dropped off and picked up by an adult.
If a student leaves the event without permission, parents will be contacted for immediate pickup.
No bags allowed, including book bags.
Pickup is promptly at 6:30 PM.
Inappropriate behavior will result in removal from the event and parent pickup.
The school and staff are not responsible for lost or misplaced items.
A signed permission slip or Thrillshare message is required to participate. (The permission slips will be handed out on Monday, December 15th.)
🎉 Event Details:
📅 Thursday, December 18, 2025
⏰ 3:30 – 6:30 PM
📍 Bentley Middle School
🎬 Holiday/Festive Movies, Activities & Stations
💵 Admission: $10
🍕 Pizza & juice included with admission
🍿 Concessions available ($1–$3): chips, candy, drinks, and more
Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping us provide a fun, safe, and festive event for our students!
-Mr. Bednarski
The board of education met on Monday, December 8, 2025. You can see the highlights by clicking on this link ( https://aptg.co/_QvxRS ) or looking at the attachment. Enjoy!
Bentley Bands were also represented at the 2025 Lake Orion Lighted Christmas Parade on Saturday evening. BMS band students Stephanie Kinsman, Layla Hockin, Sophie Mudge and Allison McNiel joined the BHS Marching Band.
It is a great day to be in the Bentley Bulldog Bands!
