BHMS Weekly Update
Thursday, August 17, 2023
October 5, 2023
Upcoming Events
10/6: BHMS Soccer vs. Sutton 5pm
10/7: BHMS Football vs, John Lewis 10am @DHS
10/10: Picture Retake Day
10/10: BOE work session (5pm) and regular meeting (5:30pm)
10/10: Swim Time Trials 7:30pm
10/12: 7th Grade Adventure Quest Field Trip Panola
10/13: 6th Grade Adventure Quest Field Trip
10/13: 8th Grade Fall Dance 4-5:30 pm
10/14: BHMS Cross Country @ GA MS Championships
10/27: Principal's Coffee Chat @ 9:30
Principal's Corner
Dear Beacon Hill Students and Families,
Fall is here.
Parents, we are so excited to move into the Fall season. The leaves are falling and the air is crisp and it’s the perfect time to take learning opportunities outside. At Beacon Hill, we’ll take this opportunity to discuss the science behind the changes that happen in the Fall. We encourage you to engage your students in fun outdoor activities as much as possible and enjoy the season.
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
đź“° BHMS News You Can Use đź“°
🔦Staff Spotlight BHMS Announces TOTY🔦
Congratulations to Laura Stroer for being awarded the 2023-2024 BHMS Teacher of the Year! Her dedication and commitment to her students is truly inspiring. As a special education teacher who works with students who have intellectual disabilities, Ms. Stroer always prioritizes her students' needs above all else. She is a true advocate for inclusion and has found ways to include her students in authentic ways.
Stroer's efforts go beyond the classroom, as she started an inclusive club for students, called Bulldog Buddies, which provides opportunities for both neurotypical students and students with disabilities to interact and form meaningful relationships. Her hard work has also been instrumental in organizing MOID classrooms when a large number of students matriculated to the middle school. She collaborated with special education leadership to assign students to two different classes based on their learning needs, which helped in the level of differentiation required for the broad spectrum of needs across this cohort.
Stroer's unwavering dedication to her students has not only inspired them but has also influenced other students to engage with diverse peers in authentic and meaningful ways. Her passion for teaching and advocacy for inclusion is truly remarkable, and she is a shining example of what it means to be a “Beacon” of light and hope.
8th Grade International Perspectives Class Visits DHS Fraiser Center!
8th graders in International Perspectives had an amazing time at the DHS Fraiser Center! Ours students were "all in" as they taught the 3-4 year olds at the Frazier Center. It's wonderful to hear that there were even potential future teachers present in the group- which highlights what a great job our kids did!
Students also had a fantastic opportunity to explore the culinary labs and other labs at the Career Academy at DHS. These types of hands-on experiences can really ignite a passion in students and help them discover their interests and potential career paths.
Soup Season! A Lesson on the Power of Community
International Perspectives students reenacted Stone Soup, a folktale where individuals come together to prepare soup to feed the community. They learned they could feed themselves as well as donate their abundance (30 quarts of soup!) to people who experience food insecurity in Decatur. A huge thank you to the families who donated produce and containers as well as the parents who gave their time to support our students!
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
picture make up day
đź“šFrom our Media Centerđź“š
Digital Citizenship
This week students began learning digital citizenship in the media center. Topics covered included balancing your digital life, dealing constructively with digital drama, and how to manage digital media’s attempts to hook you.
If you’d like to continue these conversations, check out these links below:
Media Balance and Well Being Family Activity
Family Activity: Cyberbullying and Digital Drama
Family Tip Sheet: Help Kids Balance Their Digital Lives
Hopefully these will prove useful to you and your family, if only as a refresher!
Book Fair Volunteers Needed
The BHMS Book Fair will be held from November 13 through 17. Family volunteers are needed to set up the event as well as work the sale each day. Sign up to help at https://bit.ly/BHMSbookfairvolunteers. Thank you to the PTA for organizing the volunteers and supporting this event!
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💙💛
Be Pawtastic!
Be Pawtastic!
The BHMS PTA is pleased to offer a new level of sponsorship suited to individual families and
family-owned businesses. Donate a minimum of $200, and you can be a Pawtastic sponsor.
Benefits include:
- Your name displayed on the PTA website and the digital community board in the Beacon Hill front
lobby.
- A Paw with your family’s name on the Paw Wall in the Beacon Hill lobby near the digital community board.
- A “thank you” in the PTA eBlast at the end of each semester.
Following are our newest Pawtastic sponsors:
The Terry Family
The Sjogren Family
The Madsen Family
The Beck Family
The Schooler Family
The Olson Family
Whether or not you become a Pawtastic sponsor, thank you for being part of our very
supportive Beacon Hill community. Have a Pawtastic day!
Eighth Graders…Are You Ready to Dance?
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.
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 News and Announcements
City Schools of Decatur embarks on Year 2 of universal screening for social, emotional, and behavioral challenges
In our continuing efforts to support the well-being of all students, City Schools of Decatur (CSD) will administer a universal screener of social, emotional & behavioral health. CSD adopted the BASC-3 BESS as the universal screener for behavior and administered the screener to grades 3, 6, and 9 as a test pilot during the spring of 2023. Students in the same grades will take the student self-report of the screener at their school during the fall and spring administration dates. The Fall administration of the BASC-3 BESS opens on October 9th and will remain open through October 27th.
Parents of students in grades 3, 6, and 9 who do NOT wish for their students to participate in the screener should complete and submit the Opt-Out form by Sunday, October 8, 2023. To learn more, access the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). School counselors are available via email to respond to additional questions.
Planning is underway to progressively add grade levels each year into the annual administration plan until all students in grades 3-12 have an opportunity to take the BASC-3 BESS. It is our hope that this proactive approach toward student well-being helps to ensure that early screening and intentional support aligned to the needs of our students will make a difference in their overall academic, emotional, social, and life success.
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
City Schools of Decatur Board of Education Announces October 10 Board Meeting Schedule
Meeting schedules will be adjusted and publicized monthly
DECATUR -- The City Schools of Decatur Board of Education has announced the board meeting schedule for Tuesday, October 10. Meeting times will adjust each month according to the length of the agenda and published monthly in compliance with the Georgia Open Meetings Act.
In August, the board announced the decision to hold earlier meeting times, aligning with the board's strategic goals of ensuring organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Except for the executive session, all meetings will continue to be live-streamed and open to the public.
The October 10, 2023, board meeting schedule is as follows:
Executive Session: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Prework Session: 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Work Session: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Board Meeting: 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Public Comment: 6:30 p.m. – 6:50 p.m.
The following agenda items will be discussed:
2025-26 Calendar
Legislative Priorities
Policies: Visitors to Schools, Controversal Issues, and Grading Systems
Beginning 2023-24 Assessment Data Update
Dyslexia Awareness Month Presentation
Dr. Whitaker’s 90-Day Plan
Board Salary and Benefits
Cybersecurity Presentation
BASC-3 BESS Universal Social, Emotional, Behavior (SEB) Parent Reminders
The Fall administration of the BASC-3 BESS Universal Social, Emotional, Behavior (SEB) screener opens on October 9th and will remain open through October 27th. Parents here are a few reminders:
Parents of students in grades 3, 6, and 9 who do NOT wish for their students to participate in the screener should complete and submit the Opt-Out form by Sunday, October 8, 2023.
Parents are encouraged to access the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to learn more, and may follow-up with their school counselor or email SEBScreenerQuestions@csdecatur.net if they have questions.
If you would like more information, have any questions regarding the screener or screening process, or would like to inspect the screener, please plan to attend one of the remaining Virtual Parent Information Sessions on Friday October 6, 2023 from 12:30pm-1pm OR 3:30pm-4pm and submit Q & A questions here. Zoom link: https://csdecatur.zoom.us/j/8181881752
Saturday School
Does your child need tutoring, or time to complete make-up work? Sign up for Saturday School today! CSD teachers will provide academic support to students in grades 6-12. This program is free to CSD families. The time is from 9a - 12p at Beacon Hill Middle School.
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/.
Help DEF “Lighten the Load” for Decatur’s Students in Need
Did you know that more than 50 families in the City Schools of Decatur are experiencing homelessness and financial instability? The burden of being temporarily unhoused or food insecure can be overwhelming, particularly for young people. This is where the Decatur Education Foundation’s Lighten the Load program steps in, offering hope, support, and opportunities to those students who need it most.
DEF collaborates closely with City Schools of Decatur social workers, McKinney-Vento administrators, counselors at the Beacon Hill Middle School and Decatur High School student centers, and the Decatur Housing Authority. Together, we provide a comprehensive range of support services. Through the Lighten the Load program, we ensure students have access to snacks during the school day and weekend food packs, guaranteeing that hunger is not a barrier to learning. We provide students with clothing, toiletries, and essential personal items to boost their self-esteem and confidence. And for families facing immediate crises, we offer emergency assistance to provide a safety net during tough times.
Your support can truly make all the difference. With your generous contributions, you have the power to keep a child in school, provide nutritious meals, and offer a safe and secure place to sleep at night. You can join this life-changing mission by contributing to the Lighten the Load program at www.decatureducationfoundation.org/donate.