BHMS Weekly Update
Thursday, January 4, 2024
January 25, 2024
1/26: Principal's Coffee Chat @9:30am Topic: Attendance
1/26-1/28: BHMS Musical: Mary Poppins
1/31: Early Release
Principal's Corner
Dear Beacon Hill Students and Families,
A missed school day is a missed opportunity for students to learn. Did you know that in the after-math of Covid, students who are chronically absentโmeaning they miss at least 10 percent of days in a school year, whether excused or unexcusedโhas nearly doubled? Come hear from our experts on the importance of school attendance and how to address any concerns parents have around their studentโs attendance at the next Principals Coffee Chat on Friday, January 26, 2024 at 9:30.
See you soon!!!
Derrick L. Thomas, Principal
Beacon Hill Middle School
โIt Only Takes Oneโ
๐ฐ BHMS News You Can Use ๐ฐ
Upcoming: Student Led Conferences 6th and 7th Grade
During the week of February 5th-9th, you will have the opportunity to participate in a conference led by your child. These student-led conferences will be conducted throughout the school day. Please use the Signup Genius below to sign up to participate and to read details about the process. The conference should take approximately 15-20 minutes. Students have begun to prepare for their conference in a series of lessons led by their teachers. We are looking forward to providing students and parents an opportunity to share growth and goals!
Parents click Below to select your time slot!
A Week In the Life of a BHMS Bulldog
๐ Spotlight on 8th ELA Journalism Unit๐
Our 8th Grade ELA classes are currently embarking on a comprehensive journalism unit that inquires into the significance of storytelling as a means of informing and building culture. This unit is designed to empower students with the skills and knowledge necessary to become effective journalists in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Students will engage in research, collaborative projects that foster critical thinking, writing proficiency, and an understanding of the ethical responsibilities of journalism. Our students have been investigating models of local student journalism by evaluating elements of the DHS โCarpe Diemโ Magazine. By the end of the 8th-grade journalism unit, students will not only have acquired practical skills in news reporting and writing but will also have gained a heightened awareness of the impact and responsibilities associated with being a journalist in today's interconnected world.
Mary Poppins Jr. Opens This Weekend!
Tickets on sale now! BHMS performers are excited to show off all their hard work! Buy your tickets now! We look forward to seeing our BHMS performers shine on the stage this weekend!
๐Congratulations BHMS Nuha Muneer for being the CSD Spelling Bee Champ!๐
After several intense competitions, we are thrilled to announce that the winners of the CSD District Spelling Bee were from BHMS! Six of our best spellers put in countless hours of hard work studying, practicing, and participating in multiple rounds of competitive spelling to make it to the district level. Nuha Muneer, an 8th grader, is our CSD Spelling Bee Champion. She will now represent CSD in the Regional Spelling Bee at the end of February. Aizah Zafrullah, a 6th grader, was the runner-up. The competition surpassed all expectations even leaving the judges momentarily stumped, prompting a 15-minute word gathering session. Ultimately, Nuha was crowned the winner. We would like to express our gratitude to all of our judges, parents, students, teachers, and Instructional coach Mrs. Prophet for their unwavering support throughout the competition. Congrats to both Nuha and Aizah!
BHMS Students Participated in the 2024 State German Convention in Georgia!
German students from Beacon Hill Middle School won several competitions at the German State Fair, including second place in the Quiz Bowl competition. Their hard work and dedication to learning German paid off, and their success is proof of their commitment and perseverance. Congratulations to the winners and the entire team for their achievements, and thanks to the teachers for their role in making this happen.
BHMS Celebrated Reach Higher Week!
The REACH HIGHER INITIATIVE is the former First Lady Michelle Obamaโs effort to inspire every student in the US to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.
The Reach Higher initiative will help make sure all students understand what they need to complete their education, including:
- Exposing students to college and career opportunities
- Understanding financial aid eligibility that can make college affordability a reality
- Encouraging academic planning and summer learning opportunities
- Supporting high school counselors who can help more kids get into college
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:
๐๐ From Our PTA๐๐
PTA General Meeting
All BHMS families are invited to our general meeting this Friday (January 26), after the Coffee
Chat with Principal Thomas. We will meet in the media center.
We Love Our Supporters!
Thank you to all of our sponsors who have helped make this a wonderful school year so far:
Quest Orthodontics and the Isani Family/Imtyaz and Shamsha Isani, Chick-fil-A Decatur and
Green Orthodontics, Keller Knapp Realty and Jim Ellis Automotive Group.
CSD News and Announcements
Use Infinite Campus to tend to your child(ren)โs lunch balance
The Infinite Campus Parent Portal has resources to help families monitor and add funds to their child(ren)โs food service balance, including automatic recurring payments and low-balance notifications. The Portal is also the preferred way to apply for federal free or reduced-priced meal benefits. The Portal support page includes several guides on these topics and more, including walkthrough videos
Infinite Campus mobile app push notifications
Push notifications for Infinite Campus iOS and Android apps are active! App notifications are available not only for a low food service balance, but also for attendance and grades being posted or updated. The Portal support page includes information on turning on notifications.
Winter Listening Sessions with Dr. Whitaker!
Arabic I Chinese I Pashto I Somali I Spanish I Swahili
Dr. Whitaker will host her winter series of listening sessions around the City Schools of Decatur to listen and learn from students, staff, families, and community leaders. Initial sessions were held in the fall as part of the first phase of Dr. Whitakerโs three-phased entry plan into the district entitled GEM - which focused on gathering information, reviewing the findings to envision a plan forward, and maximizing the results.
The meetings will be held virtually and in person. Here is a list of the sessions:
Winter Listening Sessions:
Wednesday, February 21 - Oakhurst in Gym at 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 27 - Beacon Hill in Media Center at 5:30 p.m.
Friday, March 1 - Virtual at 11:30 a.m. https://csdecatur.zoom.us/j/91210511997
Early Release Day Reminder
City Schools of Decatur's upcoming Early Release Day is Wednesday, January 31.
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, 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.
6-12 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.
CSD Community Partners
Get Involved with Decatur Education Foundationโs Community Impact Teams โ Meet & Greet Next Week!
Calling all members of CSDโs PTAs, PTOs, PTSAs, SLTs, superstar parents & interested community members:
The Decatur Education Foundation is kicking off a new initiative next week โ Community Impact Teams. Our Community Impact Teams are similar to advisory committees for our Programs, Governance, Equity & Inclusion, and External Relations. We'd love for you to be involved!
We're hosting two "meet-and-greet" sessions if you'd like to learn more:
Informational Meet-and-Greet โ Tuesday, January 23, from 6:00-7:00 PM at the DEF Offices at Legacy Park in Decatur
Virtual Information Session โ Wednesday, January 24, from 12:00-1:00 PM via Zoom
To reserve your spot or for more information, please email Ricky Hyde (Executive Director) at Ricky@DecaturEducationFoundation.org. Thanks!
Run With the Dogs 5K Is This Saturday
Thereโs still time to sign up! RWTD5K is a Peachtree Road Race qualifier and a fundraiser for Decatur Bulldog Boosters. All proceeds go to support athletics at DHS and BHMS. Be sure to grab your friends and join us for this great community event on January 27. Find out all the details about the 5K and free, one-mile Pup Trot HERE.
Special thanks to our event sponsors:
Ava's Grilled Flatbread Crisps (Primary Sponsor)
Amy Widener (Presenting Sponsor)
Bad Daddy's Burger Bar (Associate Sponsor)
Chad and Christina Carter Real Estate (Associate Sponsor)
Chick-fil-A North Decatur (Associate Sponsor)
Dynamo Swim Club (Associate Sponsor)
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Decatur (Associate Sponsor)
Call For BASH Donations
On March 9, 2024, Decatur Bulldog Boosters will host our annual Bulldog Bash at Legacy Park to support athletics at DHS and BHMS. The adult-only fundraising event features food trucks, bands and a silent auction โ all to raise money for Decatur Athletics.
Please save the date and look for more information to come. In the meantime, we are looking for donations for the silent auction. Donated items are tax-deductible and can include anything from gift cards and art to products, services, trips and experiences. This is a great way to market your business while supporting Decatur Boosters.
Click HERE to make a donation and follow us on Instagram (@DecaturBulldogBash) for all the latest party and auction updates.