BHMS Weekly Update
Thursday, August 17, 2023
November 9, 2023
Upcoming Events
11/11: Basketball Home Season Opener 10am
11/11: BHMS Saturday School 9-12pm
11/13-11/17: Book Fair
11/13-11/17: 6th Grade Aqua Vita
11/14: CSD Board meeting 9:30am
11/20-11/24: Thanksgiving Break
11/27-11/29 7th Grade Rock Eagle Trips A & B
11/29: Early Release
11/30 - Young Georgia Author’s Submissions due by 9:30 am
12/1: Principal’s Coffee Chat
Principal's Corner
Dear Beacon Hill Students and Families,
We would like to thank everyone who came out to our most recent Principal’s Coffee Chat. Our next chat will be held on Friday, December 1, 2023 at 9:30. We will have guest speakers, including our counseling team, discuss mental health in adolescents. Feel free to invite your neighbors as this topic is important for all to hear.
See you soon!!!
Derrick L. Thomas, Principal
Beacon Hill Middle School
“It Only Takes One”
📰 BHMS News You Can Use 📰
Beacon Hill Middle School extends heartfelt gratitude to the teachers among us who have served in the military. Your dedication and service are truly appreciated. Thank you for your commitment to both education and our country.
🔦Staff Spotlight BHMS Celebrates our Assistant Principals🔦
Let's give a round of applause to the superhero assistant principals of BHMS! Ms. Coleman, Mr. Johnson, and Ms. Talton-Buck are the driving force behind our school's success. They excel at listening to both students and teachers, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued. Whether they are using humor to uplift our spirits, organizing schedules to ensure we stay on track, or creating a nurturing environment for learning, these leaders are committed and ALL-IN for BHMS. Their commitment to aiding our students is noteworthy. They consistently go the extra mile to provide the necessary support and help so our Bulldogs can achieve their goals. These three amazing leaders are advocates for inclusivity and diversity who work to create a positive environment for all. Their dedication to empowering students with the tools to become global citizens is awe-inspiring! BHMS is lucky to have such a power-packed trio as our assistant principals. Hats off to you, Ms. Coleman, Mr. Johnson, and Ms. Talton-Buck!
A Week In the Life of a BHMS Bulldog
Saturday School this Saturday!
Click on the picture below to sign up for Saturday School. For questions bout BHMS Saturday School email hbyars@csdecatur.net
A Peek into a Reading WIN Time Class!
The WIN reading classrooms have been bursting with energy and excitement lately! Mr. Gillham’s WIN squad has sharpened their inference skills while solving intriguing mysteries. Ms. Crockett's class has been exploring figurative language with "The Secret Sheriff of 6th Grade" by Jordan Sonnenblick, while Dr. Williams and Ms. Pierre's classrooms are investigating apartheid in South Africa while reading Trevor Noah's critically acclaimed memoir, "Born a Crime." Meanwhile, in other reading WIN sessions, our students are actively involved in analyzing morphology and the formation of words. Every time students add a new word to their toolbox, they're unlocking a world of wonder. With every new word, they build pathways, opening doors to the intricacies of our world. To top it off, some WIN reading groups have been flexing their vocab muscles with the Vocabulary.com quiz bowl, diving headfirst into intense competition, with their eyes on the prize.
YLOE and Gents Explore Medical Careers with Emory!
YLOE, GENTS, and the Emory University School of Medicine chapter of SNMA collaborated for the fifth year to expose mentees to medical careers. Students asked questions and engaged in interactive activities with medical students who look like them. To our surprise, a former student and mentorship group member, Alessio Griffin (first-year medical student), returned to give back to his middle school. Thanks to all who helped make this student mentorship experience a success.
BHMS students and Families Participate in Trees Atlanta Service Learning
16 students and parents learned about the local ecosystem and helped collect native seeds for planting in other areas around the city. Trees Atlanta provided an excellent service learning experience for some of our families. Thank you Mr. Bauer for encouraging your students to connect learning their learning to a service project!
Get Involved!
Y.L.O.E Hosting a Food Drive
Support Y.L.O.E in their work to create Sandwich bags for those in need!
Farm to School Dine Out!
Treat yourself to a meal out on November 15, 2023! Wylde Center's Farm to School Program will be hosting a fall dine- out featuring 21 local restaurants. Each of these restaurants has generously agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds on November 15 to Decatur Farm to School. This fundraiser helps support Farm to School Programs in Decatur including mini garden grants, garden education, and school garden maintenance.
World Language Thanksgiving Food Basket Drive
Dear families, the BHMS World Language Department has a tradition of creating festive baskets full of ingredients for traditional Thanksgiving meals to donate to our local community. Our last day to accept donations is next Wednesday, November 15th! There are a few slots open on the Sign Up Genius for aluminum roasting pans that we need to make our baskets complete. All other items should be brought into BHMS as soon as you can. :) Thank you all for your donations!
📚From our Media Center📚
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with the Beacon Hill Media Center!
The media center has a display up with a selection of Native American centered books, fiction and nonfiction! I’m personally a big fan of 1491, by Charles C. Mann, which he revised for younger readers. It challenges many of the prior beliefs about life in the Americas before Columbus arrived in 1492. If you haven’t read it, I wholeheartedly recommend it!
The book fair is next week! Support the media center and Little Shop of Stories next week! If you’ve any questions, contact the media specialist at blynch@csdecatur.net!
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💙💛
Friday Lunchtime Volunteers and Donations
Thank you to all the parents who have volunteered to help
with our PBIS Store. Our first few weeks have been a big
success! To help move students through the line faster, we
are seeking four volunteers for a full 50-minute shift during
each lunch period on Fridays. Also, donations are
appreciated of the most popular items selected by students
(Gatorade, chips and assorted candy). Sign up at
https://bit.ly/PBISvolunteers. Snack donations may be left
at the front office, labeled “PBIS/Blankstein.”
Fall Book Fair
Don’t forget…The Fall Book Fair with Little Shop of Stories
and the BHMS PTA will be held November 14 through 17
from 8:30 am to 4 pm. Students can shop with their ELA
classes, request a pass to the Media Center or drop in after
school. Purchases may be made by mobile tap-to-pay or
card. Cash also is welcome.
We Love Our Sponsors!
Thank you to our newest Pawtastic sponsor…the Khullar
Family. See the names of all our Pawtastic families on the
Pawtastic Wall in the BHMS front lobby.
We also appreciate the generosity of our growing list of
Presenting, Gold and Blue sponsors: Quest Orthodontics,
the Isani Family/Imtyaz and Shamsha Isani, Chick-fil-A Decatur, Green Orthodontics, Keller
Knapp Realty and Jim Ellis Automotive Group.
CSD News and Announcements
Reminder!! City Schools of Decatur's upcoming Early Release Day is Wednesday, November 29.
Pre-K - 12:15 PM
Lower Elementary - 12:50 PM
Upper Elementary - 12:15 PM
Middle School - 1:45 PM
High School - 1:35 PM
College Heights' infant through preschool program will remain on its normal schedule.
The remaining schedule of Early Release Days includes the following dates:
Wednesday, November 29
Wednesday, December 20
Wednesday, January 31
Wednesday, February 28
Wednesday, March 27
Wednesday, April 24
Schools will communicate more specific details related to the schedule for the day, dismissal, and extracurricular activities.
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
Decatur Education Foundation: Mead Road Mardi Gras Inspires Sweet Music in Decatur
DEF Salutes Mr. Goode & The Grocery Spot
The Decatur Education Foundation celebrates teachers who are rockstars both in and out of the classroom! Meet Mr. Jonah Goode, a teacher at Beacon Hill Middle School and co-founder of The Grocery Spot, a local nonprofit dedicated to improving food access and fighting for food justice. Mr. Goode and The Grocery Spot have been instrumental in providing snacks for the BHMS and DHS student centers and collaborating with the district's McKinney-Vento coordinators to combat food insecurity in Decatur. Support their mission at thegroceryspot.org through donations, volunteering, and advocacy, and donate to DEF's Lighten the Load program at decatureducationfoundation.org. Thank you, Mr. Goode, for your invaluable contributions to our community!
Wylde Center Decatur Farm to School
Treat yourself to a meal out on November 15, 2023! Wylde Center's Farm to School Program will be hosting a fall dine- out featuring local restaurants. Each of these restaurants has generously agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds on November 15 to Decatur Farm to School. This fundraiser helps support Farm to School Programs in Decatur including mini garden grants, garden education, and school garden maintenance.