BHMS Weekly Update
Thursday, February 9 2023
March 30, 2023
Principal's Corner
Dear BHMS Community,
What a busy and exciting week for our staff and students! I want to send a note of gratitude to everyone. In the midst of a great instructional week, we also held a "lock-down" drill. For some, the timing may not have been the best given the recent event in Tennessee. For others, the timing was perfect to reassure us that we would know how exactly to respond in a worst case scenario. Our students and staff handled the drill masterfully.
Then we went on to host our student-teacher basketball game which showed community and teamwork at its finest. The kids, parents, and other guests enjoyed themselves throughout. The most enjoyable part for me was the connection with staff and students and seeing all of the smiling faces behind our aching bones. I think I can speak for all that it was extremely fun, not to mention it felt good beating our students.
Then, lastly I got to see our two recipients of the MLK/CSK Awards, Josephine Atkins and Ellie Stewart, at the MLK/CSK Awards program at the Wilson Center on Tuesday. Their presentation was truly amazing as were all of the recipients throughout the district. Our district is really lucky to have such thought-provoking students who even at the earliest of ages understand the ideals of Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What a great way to end a very full week leading into what will be a much deserved Spring Break.
Principal’s Coffee Chat
We are so excited to host our next coffee chat on Friday, March 31st at 9:00. The topic will be “test anxiety” as we prepare to move into the Spring testing season. Please share this with your parents. For those unable to attend in person, they can access the meeting virtually here: meet.google.com/kph-wayc-zgw
Beacon Hill Water Drive
Water, water, we need more water. Parents, we are seeking to collect donations of bottled water to help those in need in tornado affected areas. We are hoping to collect at least 5000 bottles of water which is just 209 cases to help support our mentorship club and the relief efforts for tornado-hit communities. Your support will go a long way in helping those affected by this disaster.
We are hoping to collect all donations by Friday, March 31st so that we can begin distribution to the affected community shortly after.
Thank you for your consideration and support. Your kindness will make a significant difference to those affected by the tornado and will also help our mentorship club continue to make a positive impact in our school and community.
Derrick L. Thomas, Principal,
Beacon Hill Middle School
Teacher Spotlight
This week's teacher spotlight is on 8th grade Science teacher Maria Mendoza. Ms. Mendoza consistently models the IB learner profile traits of inquiry, knowledgeable, and risk-taker. Ms. Mendoza also serves as a tennis coach to students in the district, and has stepped up to serve on the City Schools of Decatur District Science Team. The entire team of teachers to 8th grade science is new this year, and Ms. Mendoza did not shy away from stepping up to lead her collaborative planning team by sharing resources and supporting with creating collaborative pacing guides. Ms. Mendoza also supports students in the after school tutoring program. She consistently engages with students and connects with them to build relationships and optimize learning and growing of all students in their science and engineering practices. We are so glad Ms. Mendoza joined our BHMS community, and appreciate her willingness to jump in and lead!
BHMS News You Can Use
BHMS Light it Up Blue Spirit Day March 31st!
To kickstart Autism Awareness month in April and end Disability Awareness month we are having a "Light it Up Blue" Spirit Day this Friday! Wear your blue Friday! We would love to see everyone participate in the "Light it up blue" campaign that celebrates and supports individuals with autism and their caregivers. "Light it up blue" for our students and community with autism.
Congratulations to Our MLK Award Students
Congratulations to our 7th grade students Josephine Atkins and Ellie Stewart for winning the district’s 2022-2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Award. The students were celebrated Tuesday night for their poetry compilation entitled, "Why are We Considered Less". The joint award goes to the student team who best demonstrates the beliefs and values shared by Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr during the civil rights movement.
BHMS Faculty vs. Student Basketball Game FUN!
A great time was had by all!
8th Grade Spends a Day in the Sweet Auburn Historic District!
8th Grade students had a great time preparing and going on their tour of the Sweet Auburnn historic district. Students took Marta and walked the area touring historic buildings and sites, such as the birth home of Dr. King and the famous Ebenezer Baptist Church. They also learned about the neighborhood's history of segregation and racial discrimination, as well as the efforts of its residents to fight for civil rights and social justice.
The students prepared to take turn being docents on the trip and explained the various import parts of the tour the walking tour. It was a unique and informative experience, giving them a greater understanding and appreciation of the important role this neighborhood played in shaping the history of the civil rights movement in the United States. Thank you to all the parents for volunteering to chaperone and to the 8th I&S team for making this trip such a valuable experience!
March Geography Mapping Madness!
Mrs. Coyle’s 7th grade silver team students participated in a 7 day March Madness Geography Challenge. They all started in a bracket and each day they competed against another student to show their knowledge on different geography maps. We narrowed it down to our top two finalists, Nico Utz and M Eastman. They participated in a mock Geography Bee and M Eastman was our final winner. Everybody had lot of fun checking the bracket each day and competing against each other. Another great way to celebrate March Madness!
Calling All Artists!
CSD is hosting our annual student Art Exhibition at the Solarium in Oakhurst from April 19th- 21st, 4-7pm. Deadline for submission, Monday, April 10th at 4pm..
Ms. Nathaniel and Ms. Boswell will be selecting artwork from their classes, but students can also submit work they made outside of art class. If you would like to exhibit artwork or photography outside of school.
Submission Guidelines:
Photography-share original image electronically with kboswell@csdecatur.net via google drive or google photos OR Bring an 8x10 print of your photo to room 1616.
Artwork-Please submit artwork to Ms Nathaniel in room 2106.
On the back of the work...
first name, last name, grade level,
title of your work, and the medium (material).
ALL Deadlines this Monday, April 10th at 4pm.
Forward Focus Mentorship Program with DHS!
Come find out about the Forward Focus Mentee program on Monday, April 11th via Google Meets. Parents pair your child with a responsible DHS student by clicking here.
PBIS Raffle!
We are still collecting donations for our PBIS Raffle!
BHMS Club Updates
Congrats to the Beacon Hill Debate Team for winning 2nd Place in the state for The Atlanta Urban Debate League 2022-23 Season!
This past Saturday BHMS took 2nd place overall team in the state this year! Winning this recognition was the result of the hard work of everyone involved. Congratulations Team and a special thanks to Ms. Diane Bailey-Isaacs, Mr. Tommy Sharp and Vivian Dawson for leading the team!
In addition to winning the 2nd place sweepstakes, BHMS was also recognized for several other team and individual awards at the state tournament, including:
- Gia Saindane and Annabel Kim - 6th Place Varsity Team in State (AMAZING as they were the only 6th graders who placed!!)
- The teams of Maisie Burbridge/Audrey Grills and Lily Frost-Boyce/Andrea Roytershteyn were both among the top JV teams in the state.
- Coach Diane Bailey-Isaacs was recognized as an Outstanding New Coach.
What a great season!
Y.L.O.E & G.E.N.T.S Take College Tour!
On Friday, March 24th, The Young Ladies of Excellence (Y.L.O.E.) and Gentlemen Exceeding with the Necessary Tools for Success (G.E.N.T.S.) of BHMS & DHS attended their 1st Annual College Tour. Students were invited to explore and experience Auburn and Tuskegee University. The day consisted of interactive activities focusing on career and educational explorations. The campus visits and exposure to local culture helped the students identify what is interesting, exciting and important to them for their future. They return home more engaged in their college search and with a better understanding of what types of schools to visit with their families.
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
BHMS Girls Soccer
The BHMS Girls soccer team recently defeated Paideia 4-0 to go 3-1 on the year! They currently have 16 goals for and only 2 against!-- The season is going well! go Bulldogs
Congratulations to the Beacon Hill ("Decatur White") baseball team!
Congratulations to the Beacon Hill Middle School Baseball program for a successful season. The school had three teams this year (Gold, Blue, White). The white team made it to the championship! The team finished their season with a 10-3 record! The Bulldogs advanced to the championship game, but fell short against rival, Lakeside Vikings. Beacon Hill and Lakeside were evenly matched and split their season series; and the boys are already looking forward to a rematch next season. Great season, Bulldogs!
DHS Football Interest Meeting, April 12 for Rising 9th-12th graders
Attention, all students interested in playing football, our DHS Football program will hold an interest meeting on April 12 at 5:30 pm in the DHS gymnasium. Parents, current players, and future players are encouraged to attend. We are excited to introduce our coaching staff, talk about the upcoming season, and go through a checklist of things to expect from the program. Rising 9th through 12th-grade students are invited to attend. Please contact Coach William Felton (wfelton@csdecatur.net) with any questions.
BHMS Cheer Interest Meeting, April 12
Attention, all students interested in cheering for BHMS next school year should plan to attend a mandatory informational meeting on April 24. The meeting will be held in the BHMS gym from 4:15-5:15. This first meeting is for students only.
Cheer packets will soon be available in the front office with Ms. Jackie and on the athletics webpage. See the details below regarding the upcoming cheer clinic and tryouts.
Contact Coach Evans with any questions (cevans1@csdecatur.net)
Summer Lacrosse Opportunities
If your student is interested in playing lacrosse this summer, our Decatur Recreation Department has opportunities for middle and high school students. This is a great time to hone your skills and/or start to learn about the game! See this graphic below for more information.
DHS Alumni, Jordan Walker, Makes MLB Debut
Congratulations to Jordan Walker, c/o 2020! Jordan will make his Major League debut today with the St. Louis Cardinals. Since his time at DHS, Jordan has been quick to humbly thank everyone who has supported him as a student, an athlete, and a person as he pursued his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player. Today, as Jordan walks onto the field as a Cardinal, we want to thank him for helping to pave the path for the next generation of CSD students who are working hard to realize their own dreams. Go Cardinals!!
Click below for an inside look at the moment Jordan found out he would be on the St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day roster.
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
Decatur Education Foundation
Decatur Education Foundation
Two Ways to Help!
As we enter a new month, our food pantries’ stocks are low. And with spring break next week, our students who rely on school meals will need the supplemental food from the weekend backpack program. Can you help by donating to our Amazon wish lists? Here are the wish lists for both the middle school’s snack pantry and our Lighten the Load Weekend Backpack program:
Beacon Hill Middle Snack Program: /a.co/d0HJHTr
Weekend Backpack Program: https://a.co/6Etc74W
Volunteers needed: Your skills could help a Decatur student in just one hour per week as a Virtual Pal Tutor! We pair 2nd-8th grade students with upper high school or adult tutors to help with homework, organization and motivation. It’s an easy way to give back to your community in a meaningful way (and for high school students to earn volunteer hours!) Click here to sign up: https://forms.gle/SnUp5TNx3JZRTNja7
Two Live Music Events!
Tickets now on sale! Amplify Decatur is hosting their Spring Concert in the Square on Saturday, April 29th and DEF is so pleased to be one of the beneficiaries. The line-up is chock full of some amazing musicians – check them out and purchase tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/amplify-decatur-music-festival-tickets-527859721637. Your evening of live music will support DEF, Decatur Cooperative Ministry and Giving Kitchen.
Come see some of our talented Decatur High musicians perform at No Ordinary Joe! Benefitting DEF’s behavioral health initiative, Joe’s Fund, No Ordinary Joe will feature Decatur High School’s Songwriter’s Club members for an evening of live music at Waller’s Coffee Shop on Thursday, May 4th starting at 7pm. Tickets are now on sale at www.decatureducationfoundation.org/noordinaryjoe: $25 for adults/$10 for students. Big thanks to Waller’s for donating their space!