BHMS Weekly Update
Thursday, February 2 2023
February 2, 2023
Principal's Corner
Dear Families,
Principal’s Coffee Chat
Mark your calendars for a phenomenal Principal’s Coffee Chat held on March 3, 2023 at 9:00am in the Beacon Hill Media Center.
Basketball Teams Shoutout
I want to give a huge shoutout to our Boys and Girls Basketball Team. The boys had a hard fought game on Wednesday but fell short by just 6 points to end their season. They’ve made a lot of growth and really came together in the end. The girls won their playoff game on Wednesday using teamwork and precision to overcome their opponent. They’ll continue their playoff run so please come out and support.
Food Deliveries
In an effort to minimize classroom disruptions, we will not allow food deliveries for students from any food delivery services (Grubhub, DoorDash, etc.)
Derrick L. Thomas, Principal,
Beacon Hill Middle School
From the Desk of the PTA
Mark Your Calendars for the 8th Grade Dance!
- Friday, Feb 24th 4pm -5:30pm at the BHMS Cafeteria
- Tickets are $5 and you can buy them here: https://givebutter.com/BHMS8thgradedance
- There will be a DJ, snacks for sale and a fun photo wall to capture the moment.
We would love volunteers and snack donations to help make this event the best one yet. Please sign up using the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084babaa2ca6fc1-8thgrade/1445134#/
BHMS News You Can Use
Black History Month at BHMS
This week marks the first week of Black History Month. Below are a few ways that we are celebrating here at BHMS.
- Black History Trivia (aired on Bow Wow daily)
- African American Read In (see AARI Padlet)
- Black History Door Decorating Contest
- Africana Fair on February 28th-
School Counselors Celebrate During National School Counseling Week, Feb. 6–10, 2023
Please join your Beacon Hill MS counselors for National School Counseling Week February 6th-10th! This year’s theme, “School Counselors: Helping Students Dream Big,” is sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), and highlights the work of our own BHMS school counselors and more than 100,000 school counselors nationwide.
This week our counselors will be hosting special events and activities throughout the school to call attention to the many ways school counselors help all students achieve school success and plan for a career. Join us in celebrating Ms. Ragan Hudson, 6th grade School Counselor, Dr. Michelle Yancey, 7th grade School Counselor, Ms. Qushon Taylor-Bertram, 8th grade School Counselor and Ms. Kate Passin, Support Services Counselor (6th-8th) with special guest Ms. Sabrena Shields, LCSW and BHMS Student Center Counselor!
Chromebook Wellness Mid Year Check In!
Families, Students recently received a mid year chromebook health check form to update us on their assigned chromebook and charger. If you child reported lost or damaged devices/chargers you will receive a follow up email from Mrs. Tibbetts. If you do not receive a follow up email nothing is needed to be done on your end.
If your student has misplaced/lost their charger: they will need to replace it
Chromebook charger replacements can be purchased HERE. Proof of a replacement order should be sent to Mrs. Robyn Tibbetts (rtibbetts@csdecatur.net) or dropped off in the BHMS media center..
Replacement chargers should be delivered to the following address:
Student Name/Student Number (Ex. Julie Jones/#12345)
Beacon Hill Middle School
220 College Ave
Decatur, GA 30030
Attn: media center
Safe Routes to School is Helping You Navigate Arrival and Dismissal to School!
The BHMS Safe Routes to School Committee has arranged with Agnes Scott College to utilize their parking lot at S McDonough and E Dougherty as a MORNING ONLY drop off spot for students.
- Parents are heavily encouraged to use this lot to drop off their kids in the morning to alleviate vehicle congestion around the school, and avoid the long drop off line at BHMS.
- Signage has been posted on site to help navigate you way through the lot. Please see map below for details.
- It is a safe, crossing guard assisted eight (8) minute walk to BHMS from the parking lot.
- Please help us keep our students safe, let them get a few minutes of fresh air and exercise in the morning, and help our resident neighbors with less congestion on their streets in the mornings, when they are also trying to begin their day.
- Please reach out to Laura Spriggs (gospriggs@gmail.com) or Patricia Liscio (pliscio@gmail.com) if you have any additional suggestions to help our kids get to and from school safely.
6th grade Service Learning Project.
Sixth graders in Ms. Gary's gifted resource classes researched multiple opportunities to support their community, and decided to put their efforts toward helping the Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters organization make feral cat houses. Learn more about Furkids HERE. Among the many services Furkids provides is spaying and neutering the stray cat population. They also put out shelters for these feral cats, which they are asking us to help build. We are looking for the following items:
- Used 30-gallon plastic tubs with lid
- Used 18 gallon plastic tubs with lids
- Mylar blankets
PBIS Penny War Fundraiser Ends Feb 10th!
When: starts Monday Jan 23
Where: front office
Why: raising funds for pbis rewards/experiences/events
How: Add points for your grade with pennies, take away points from the other grades by donating silver coins or bills. Grade level with the most points wins!
Student-Led Conferences For 6th and 7th Grade Begin Next Week!
We are looking forward to hosting the 6th and 7th grade student led conferences next week! Please use the Signup Genius link below to sign up to participate if you have not already. The conference should take approximately 15-20 minutes. Students have worked hard to prepare for their conference. We are looking forward to providing students and parents an opportunity to share growth and goals! Parents when you arrive please report to the media center.
BHMS Teacher Tutoring Hours
All teachers at BHMS provide tutoring times and availability to support students outside of classroom instruction time. See the schedule below, and email your childs teacher with specific questions.
From the Desk of Media Specialist, Mr. Lynch
The African American Read in Starts Has Started
BHMS Club Updates
From the Desk of FAB LAB Makersspace!
We had a packed house for FAB LAB Makerspace night this weekwhere we filled all 20 spots for the gumball machine project! The kids had a blast with this and here are some pics. Special shout out to Mr. Philippi who even made a special guest appearance and made a machine himself! Stay tuned for Feb workshop
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:
CSD Athletic News and Updates
DHS Softball Player Interest Meeting
All students interested in participating on the Softball team in Fall of 2023 should plan to attend a brief player interest meeting.
BHMS Wrestling finishes the Season Strong!
Congratulations to 8th graders Lucian Brock and Nassir Braxton, and to 7th Grader Amir Jones. Lucian and Nassir both got wins in the final meet of the year, against Weber Academy and Maynard Jackson HS respectively. Amir has trained hard all year, and we look forward to him being able to officially compete next year as an 8th grader.
CSD News and Announcements
BESS Parent Information Sessions
Want to learn about the Behavior & Emotional Screening System (BESS) Pilot? Please plan to attend a virtual Parent Information Session from one of the following offerings:
Monday, February 6 from 12-12:30p
Wednesday, February 8 from 9-9:30a
Wednesday, February 8 from 12-12:30p
Wednesday, February 8 from 4:30-5p
This pilot screener will be administered to students in grades 3, 6, and 9 during the Spring semester February 27 – March 3, 2023. If you have any questions about the BESS, please plan to attend one of the virtual sessions and submit your questions here. If you would prefer that your student NOT participate in the pilot universal screening, please complete the opt-out form by clicking here. The deadline to opt your child out of completing the BESS is Thursday, February 23, 2023.
State & Federal Programs “Ask an Expert” Event
You are cordially invited to “Ask the Expert,” a virtual event being held February 2, 2023 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. for K-5 Title I, ESOL, Special Education, and General Education parents and families.
Ms. Gereen Francis, Behavior Interventionist, will give an overview of her role and upcoming CSD behavior support initiatives. Over the past two years, students, parents, and caregivers have had to adjust to changes in our world. At times, these changes are reflected in behavior. Ms. Francis will offer suggestions to pre-submitted behavior questions to help support your child at school and at home. To learn more about the speaker or to RSVP, please click the link here.
Please submit your questions here.
For questions or additional information, please contact Cheryl Grant at cgrant@csdecatur.net or Brittany Stewart at bstewart@csdecatur.net.
Google Meet Video call link: https://meet.google.com/mwz-siww-qmw
Or dial: (US) +1 865-375-0059 PIN: 938 337 249#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/mwz-siww-qmw?pin=4696257640820
Community Celebration of Black Joy!
On Friday, February 3, 2023, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM, the GPB and Decatur High School Library program partnership, ASALH, and AAHGS will host a “Community Celebration of Black Joy” at DHS. Events will include a panel discussion centered around clips from the series “Making Black America: Through the Grapevine'', spoken word performances, a student-curated gallery walk, a genealogy exhibit, and more facilitated by the DHS Black Student Union.
Click below to register for the event.
Kings Award
ALL CSD students, PK-12, are invited to apply for their school's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King Awards. This joint award recognizes student teams who best demonstrate the beliefs and visions of two great Civil Rights leaders. Complete this application (one per team) by Monday, February 27, at 4 PM EST. Contact Anthony Downer at adowner@csdecatur.net for more information.
Atlanta Hawks - City Schools of Decatur Night
Join the Atlanta Hawks on March 3, for City Schools of Decatur Night at State Farm Arena. Each ticket includes $10 worth of food and beverage credit that can be used at our restaurants inside the arena the night of the game. Special pregame performance by the BHMS Chorus!
To purchase tickets, click here. See flyer for details.
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
Decatur Education Foundation
THIS SATURDAY: Mead Road Mardi Gras Parade is THIS Saturday, February 4th starting at 1pm at F.AVE. Every CSD school is invited to march in the parade that has raised more than $30K for music and theatre grants! Let’s gather as a community to carry on this fun homegrown tradition that celebrates music and creativity! As a reminder, this is a “walk or roll only” parade, no motorized vehicles allowed (we’re keeping it old school!) Laissez les bons temps rouler!
At the beginning of each month, our BHMS snack pantry and weekend backpack programs are depleted and need to be replenished. You can help by donating directly to them using these links:
Beacon Hill Middle Snack Program: /a.co/d0HJHTr
Weekend Backpack Program: https://a.co/6Etc74W
We are also in need of a snacks coordinator/committee to organize and deliver the snacks once per month. This would be a fun, easy way for a couple of friends to volunteer together for a couple of hours each month. For more information, please contact marie@decatureducationfoundation.org.
IN MARCH: Registration is for the 21st Annual Tour deCatur is NOW OPEN at www.tourdecatur.com. Decatur’s favorite 5K and one-mile fun run is scheduled for Saturday March 11th. All adult participants who register on or before February 18th will receive a race t-shirt. Youth participants for both the Fun Run and the 5K will receive a participation medal. As DEF’s biggest fundraiser, your participation helps fund everything we do to help our students learn and thrive. Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor Mathnasium of Decatur who will be there at the race with math games and giveaways!