BHMS Weekly Update
Thursday, August 17, 2023
October 13, 2023
Upcoming Events
10/13: 8th Grade Fall Dance 4-5:30 pm
10/16-10/20: Spirit Week
10/14: BHMS Cross Country @ GA MS Championships
10/14: BHMS Market Place 12pm-4pm
10/25: Early Release 1:45
10/27: Principal's Coffee Chat @ 9:30
11/7: Digital Learning Day
Principal's Corner
Dear Beacon Hill Students and Families,
Spirit Week
We are looking forward to celebrating spirit week in conjunction with DHS homecoming next week.
Principal’s Coffee Chat
Mark your calendar. Our next Principal’s Coffee Chat will be held on Friday, October 27, 2023 at 9:30 in the Beacon Hill Media Center
Go Bulldogs!!
See you soon!!!
Derrick L. Thomas, Principal
Beacon Hill Middle School
It Only Takes One
📰 BHMS News You Can Use 📰
🔦Staff Spotlight BHMS Announces Professional Employee of the Year🔦
Congratulations to Brian Bell for being awarded the 2023-2024 BHMS Professional Employee of the Year! Brian is the best at his job. As a leader of the BHMS custodial team, he is one of the most caring and hard-working team members at BHMS. He works hard to maintain the cleanliness and safety of BHMS. His strong sense of responsibility contributes to the maintenance of the building, but it's his relationships with staff and students that make our learning environments better for all. He inspires students and helps them understand the “WE” and “ALL” in keeping the school safe and clean.
How Is My Child Doing?
Progress Report Notification
We are excited to inform you that your child's progress report for mid-semester will be available in the Parent Portal at 8:00 AM Friday, October 13th.
We want to emphasize that these progress reports are not static grades. Instead, they represent a snapshot of your child's academic journey at this point in the semester. Teachers will continue to enter grades and feedback throughout the term, and these progress reports will evolve accordingly.
Please take this opportunity to review your child's progress, celebrate their achievements, and identify areas where they may need additional support. Remember that open communication between parents, students, and teachers is key to a successful educational experience.
If you have any questions or concerns about the progress reports or your child's academic performance, please don't hesitate to reach out to the teachers or school administration. We are here to support your child's growth and development.
Gradebook in Infinite Campus- CSD uses Infinite Campus for all grades. You should be able to login and see new grades posted weekly (either formative or summative).
Click here for information on viewing grades.
Mr. Thomas hosted a Parent Chat in August to share general information about grading here at BHMS. The recording of information shared at that Parent chat can be found here. There is detailed information about grading on our school website.
Other Ways to Help you Know How Your Child is Doing:
Parent Connections- At this point, our goal is that every parent has had the opportunity to hear from (at least) one of your child’s teachers concerning their progress this year. Building relationships with your child’s teachers and reading weekly newsletters is the best way to stay informed and connected with what is happening at school.
- Student MAP reports were sent a few weeks ago.Your child’s last core teacher handed out MAP reports that include information about how your child performed this fall on the Measures of Academic Progress assessment they took in August/September. Teachers will use this information to support planning for differentiated instruction as well as measure growth throughout the school year. WIN time is also used to share MAP data with students and set growth goals.
A Week In the Life Of A BHMS Bulldog
YLOE and GENTS participated in a Careers in Physical Therapy event!
Our students learned from Emory Doctor of Physical Therapy students as they shared their experiences and exposed them to engaging activities related to physical therapy.
Thanks to club sponsors for hosting:
Alexis Glenn, Anthony Downer, Qushon Taylor-Bertram, Johnnie Stroy, Tamara Braxton, Cori Bowe, Dr. Melvin Ratcliff, and Dr. Charlie McAdoo
8th Grade Science Adopt-a-Stream Program Underway!
A big Shout out to Mr. Bauer for incorporating the Adopt-a-Stream program into science classes! The 8th grade science team has been awarded a Decatur Education Foundation (DEF) grant to create and expand an Adopt-a-Stream program at Beacon Hill Middle School. Eighth-grade science students are participating in a chemical monitoring workshop with the GA Adopt-a-Stream program to learn how to use chemistry to test local waterways for stream health. Each class will monitor the Wylde Center stream throughout the year and submit data to the GA Adopt-a-Stream online database. Thank you so much to the Decatur Education Foundation, GA Adopt-a-Stream, The Wylde Center, and the 8th-grade families for their support!
Fall Chorus Concerts
A big shout out to Dr. Hirschorn and the chorus program! The 6th Grade Treble Chorus performed Monday night and Tuesday night the 6th grade Cambiata along with 7th and 8th grade chorus performed their fall concert. The students' talent and Dr. Hirschorn's work in preparing them did not go unnoticed; both concerts were beautiful!
Food Bank Field Trip Success for 8th Grade Gifted/Exploratory Resource Class!
Did you know that 1 in 9 people in many parts of Georgia report being food insecure?This means that they lack regular and consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Beacon Hill 8th graders in the gifted resource/exploratory class learned firsthand about food insecurity and how they can make a difference in a field trip to the Atlanta Community Food Bank on Monday. Students worked in the warehouse sorting food and then participated in a simulation to learn about many challenges people face when living with food insecurity. This field trip is part of a service-learning unit where students will present, plan and put into action a service project that supports a chosen community issue.
Get Involved!
Get Involved!
Check out some of the club and program opportunities Below and you can find more located here
Best Buddies contacts: lstroer@csdecatur.net sstephenson@csdecatur.net niemeyer@csdecatur.net
G.E.N.T.S contact: cmcadoo@csdecatur.net
Math Counts contact: stroy@csdecatur.net
FROM THE DESK OF THE BHMS FAB LAB-
The October FAB LAB MAKERSPACE workshop has been announced! This month's workshop we will be making Halloween-themed printed apparel!
Please see the registration form HERE if interested in attending and participating!
If you would simply like to just purchase a t-shirt or hoodie and not participate in making the apparel, you can order HERE
Calling all CSD K-8th grade students!
Please check out the details below if you're interested in seeing what it's like to be a part of the DHS Marching Band Color Guard with a pregame performance opportunity!
📚From our Media Center📚
Book Fair Volunteers Needed
This year’s PTA book fair with Little Shop of Stories will run from November 13 to November 17. We’re still looking for volunteers, so sign up here if you want to help!
Thank you to the PTA for organizing the volunteers and supporting this event!
Maintaining the Media Center Collection!
The beginning of this year, the AJC contacted CSD seeking records about books removed from the collection in August. Due to water damage, Beacon Hill removed five books from the collection. Invariably, it seems some books are destroyed when it rains in the district. Nonetheless, books are weeded from the collection, much like weeds from a garden.
Using the criteria of MUSTIE (misleading, ugly, superseded, trivial, irrelevant, or obtained elsewhere), many books, either worn out or dated, have been removed from the media center’s collection over time. This is part of the process of maintaining a vibrant collection. If this did not happen, the media center would have been overwhelmed.
That being said, none have been removed from Beacon Hill due to an actual challenge.
Regards,
Mr. Benjamin C. Lynch, MLIS, EDS
Media Specialist
Weekly Grade Level Newsletters
Every Thursday, each grade level will publish its newsletter. Please check them out after you read the school Eblast. Here are the links:
💙💛From Our PTA💙💛
Last Call for Eighth Grade Dance Tickets
The Eighth Grade Dance Party, organized by the BHMS PTA, will begin after school on Friday,
October 13 in the BHMS Cafeteria and run until 5:30 p.m. In the interest of student safety,
students should not plan on leaving the event before 5:30 p.m. All attendees must be BHMS
eighth graders. Admission is $5.
Tickets must be purchased in advance of the dance at https://givebutter.com/8thgradedance2023.
Snacks will be sold for $1 each. (Please send small bills.)
We also need volunteers to make the event a success. Sign up here to volunteer.
NOTE: The first 50 students to arrive at the dance will receive a flashing LED bracelet brought to you by Green Orthodontics. Thank you to all our 2023-2024 PTA sponsors for their generosity in helping to make events like this happen: Quest Orthodontics and the Isani Family/Imtyaz and Shamsha Isani, Chick-fil-A Decatur, Green Orthodontics, Keller Knapp Realty and Jim Ellis Automotive Group.
Thanks for a Great Seventh Grade Dance
Thank you to all our seventh grade families for an awesome dance on September 29. Together
we raised roughly $2,500 to support our teachers and students. View photos by clicking here.
Attention: Sixth Grade Families…Spirit Wear Return
The PTA is aware that some of the sixth grade T-shirts came from the printer with a typo. If your
child received a shirt with a typo, then please return it to school this Friday. Homeroom
teachers will collect them. We are in the process of getting the shirts reprinted, and everyone
will get a corrected shirt ASAP. Thank you for your patience. We will have some amazing spirit
wear options available for order later this month.
Have You Seen Our Paw Wall?
Our Pawtastic families are now on display in the front lobby near the monitor. The PTA thanks them for their generous support.
Welcome to our newest donors:
The Schroeder Family
The Gross Family
The Angelo Family
To become a Pawtastic sponsor, please click on the following link:
Fall Fun for Families
Our friends at Glennwood Elementary are hosting a Fall Carnival and Chili Cook-off on Saturday, October 21 from 11 am to 2 pm (440 East Ponce De Leon Avenue). All BHMS families are invited to attend. The event will include carnival games, a bouncy house, face painting, music and a costume competition. Tickets are $20 each, $10 for the cook-off only. BHMS students who are looking for volunteer hours should sign up at https://bit.ly/glennwoodfestivalvolunteers. (Students may sign up for any available spots except classroom spots.)
CSD Celebrates Diwali
Join the City Schools of Decatur PTA DEI committees in celebrating the Indian Festival of Lights from 5 pm to 7 pm on Saturday, October 28 at Oakhurst Elementary School (175 Mead Road). There will be food, music, dancing, mehndi (henna) and more. The programming is appropriate for all age
groups with opportunities for BHMS students (and adults!) to volunteer.
CSD News and Announcements
Grading Feedback Surveys
On Tuesday, October 10th, the initial draft of the grading policy was introduced during the CSD board meeting. We kindly request teachers, students, and parents to offer their feedback on this draft by participating in the following surveys. These surveys will remain accessible from October 11, 2023, through midnight on October 19, 2023.
Flu Vaccine Event
The CSD School Health Team is partnering with the Dekalb County Board of Health to offer flu vaccines to the City Schools of Decatur school community. Students, staff, and families are welcome to attend. Parents/Guardians interested in their student receiving the flu vaccine must be present at time of service. Please bring your ID and insurance card for billing. Accepting private and Medicaid Insurance, with the exception of Kaiser and TriCare Insurance plans.
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
A Season of Giving
A Season of Giving is a neighbor led organization which helps purchase gifts directly for local children and seniors in need!
To apply for assistance, please complete an online application at https://aseasonofgiving.org/child-application/ by November 4th.
**NEW** Applications may be submitted for any child ages infant through 12th grade!
If you are not in need of assistance, please consider supporting our efforts. To become a donor for A Season of Giving, complete the form at https://aseasonofgiving.org/sponsor/.
To volunteer, complete the form at https://aseasonofgiving.org/volunteer/.
Support Positive Behavioral Health with the Decatur Education Foundation
At the Decatur Education Foundation, we're passionately committed to transforming the lives of our students and creating an environment where they can truly thrive. We understand that there are significant challenges that our students face every day — Last year, we provided over $28,000 in behavioral health grants through Joe’s Fund and empowered 60 CSD employees and community members with vital suicide intervention skills through the ASIST training.
But here's the truth: We can't do it alone. We need your help. By supporting the Decatur Education Foundation, you're investing in the future of our community. You're ensuring that our students have the support they need to overcome challenges and thrive. Join our Step Up Circle, a circle of dedicated families and local businesses who make an annual commitment to #ourkids. Discover how you can be a catalyst for change by visiting www.decatureducationfoundation.org. Together, we can make a difference.