BMS Patriot Press

Berkmar Middle School will provide students with quality, rigorous instruction that will develop critical and creative thinkers who will take ownership of their education in order to be successful lifelong learners.

The mission of Berkmar Middle School is to pursue excellence in academic knowledge, skills, and behavior for each student, resulting in measured improvement against local, national, and world-class standards.

Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Ready (The 3 Rs)

Greetings, Patriot Families,

Happy Friday!

We’ve had another amazing week at Berkmar Middle School! Be sure to talk with your student about their classroom activities and the exciting opportunities to get involved at school. Students will take a survey this week during Advisement to select a club to participate in during our monthly Patriot Pride Time.

This is also a great time to check in with your student about their grades. You can use ParentVue or have your student show you their current grades on their Chromebook. Tutoring is available every Wednesday at 8:20 a.m. and Thursday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions or need to schedule a conference.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for believing in the Power of We here at BMS!

With Patriot Pride,

Felecia C. Jones
Principal

Monday, September 15, 2025 - Hispanic Heritage Month Begins

Friday, September 19, 2025

• Digital Learning Day
• Progress Reports emailed to parents

Tuesday, September 23 - Thursday, September 25

• JA Biztown - Grade 6

• Chit - Chat with Jones & Silva at Chick-fil-A (5:00PM-7:00PM)

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

• Scoliosis Screening (Grade 6 and Grade 8)

Please take a moment to review the school year calendar included here. We kindly encourage you to schedule doctor’s appointments and family vacations during student holidays whenever possible, so your child can fully benefit from their learning experience. Thank you for your thoughtful planning and support—it truly makes a difference!

The search for a new superintendent is underway. Your District IV Representaive, Dr. Adrienne Simmons, will be hosting a meeting on Tuesday, September 23 from 6-8pm to elicit your input.

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is reviewing school calendar features for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 school years, and your voice matters. Families, staff, students in grades 6–12, and community members are invited to share feedback on the features that are most important to them.

Give your opinion in the 2026 - 2028 School Calendar Survey.

Where does the money go if voters approve E-SPLOST again? Renovated schools, new classrooms, updated technology, safer school entrances, new buses, and renovated playgrounds—just to name a few. Every cluster has planned improvements. #GCPS #ESPLOST

Welcome Back BMS Families!

Did you know that middle school counselors enhance the learning process and promote academic, career and social/emotional development? School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set informed career goals and realize full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community.

At Berkmar Middle School, we have one counselor per grade level. Joycelyn Harris is our 6th grade counselor and serves as our lead counselor. Lasha King supports 7th grade, and Jennifer Feinberg is our 8th grade counselor. As a team, we support a variety of schoolwide programs such as PBIS, MTSS, attendance and mentoring. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by phone, email or parent square for help throughout the school year.

This year, we plan to LEAD Through the Power of We.

We are here to Listen, Empower, Advocate and Dream for student success!

Yours In Education,

BMS Counselors

Lasha King

Lasha.King@gcpsk12.org | 770-638-2313

Joycelyn Harris

joycelyn.h.harris@gcpsk12.org | 770-279-6404

Jennifer Feinberg

Jennifer Feinberg@gcpsk12.org | 770-638-2319

Applications for the School of the Arts at Central Gwinnett High School are now open. The deadline to apply is November 20, 2025. More information is available on the flyer below.

Representatives from our community partner at Howard Center visited this week to offer information on health and wellness as well as a delicious sweet treat.

As part of our Keller Williams partnership with Kares4Kids, they provided an opportunity for Berkmar Middle School to participate in their annual Shopping 4 Kids initiative. Each year, we shop for clothing, hygiene products, and other essentials to help support local students.

We would like to wish Officer Brown well as he begins his next chapter as an SRO. He has greatly impacted the BMS staff, students, and community members. We will miss you Officer Brown.

Congratulations to Ms. Chyrack, our 2024-2025 National Beta Sponsor, along with her Beta students for earning the 2024-2025 National Beta School of Distinction status. This national award is a testament to Berkmar's commitment to academic excellence and dedication to preparing students for their future.

Ms. Holley uses small group instruction and questioning strategies during her lessons to support student engagement and critical thinking.

Ms. Rani’s students engaged in hands-on activities and observations as they learned how force, motion, speed, distance, and height work together to affect how objects move.

• Do you have access to Parent Square?
• Do you have access to the ParentVue?
• Do you have a MyPaymentsPlus account?
• Have you applied for Free or Reduced Lunch?
• Do you know when and where your child can go to get additional instructional support?
• Do you know where you can check out materials/resources to use at home with your student?
• Do you know how to become a volunteer in our school?

If you answered NO to any of these questions, please make an Appointment with Ms. Pilar Silva, our Parent Instructional Coordinator, in the BMS Family Center

You can also reach her by email: pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org or by phone 770-638-2317.

ParentSquare is a communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with your child’s school and Gwinnett County Public Schools.

ParentSquare provides a safe way for district administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to receive and send information, such as:

Weather-related closings & delays

School and class information

Share pictures and files

See calendar items

Upcoming class activities

If you need help downloading Parent Square to your mobile device, please contact Ms. Pilar Silva at 770-638-2311 or email her pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org

We are pleased to announce that the Free and Reduced Lunch Application for the 2025-2026 school year is now available for BMS families to complete. This application needs to be completed every school year. It is important for students to have a nutritious meal throughout the day to support their learning and overall well-being.

Please use the following link to complete your application:

https://www.nlappscloud.com/District.aspx#loaded

If you need assistance, completing the application, please email pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org or call her at 770-638-2317. Ms. Silva will be available every day from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

Atención Familias de Berkmar: Solicitud de Almuerzo Gratuito o Reducido para el Año Escolar 2025-2026

Nos complace anunciar que la Solicitud de Almuerzo Gratuito o a Precio Reducido para el año escolar 2025-2026 ya está disponible para que las familias Berkmar Middle la completen. Esta aplicación se tiene que completar cada año escolar. Es importante que los estudiantes tengan una comida nutritiva durante el día para apoyar su aprendizaje y su bienestar general.

Utilice el siguiente enlace para completar su solicitud:

https://www.nlappscloud.com/District.aspx#loaded

Si necesita ayuda completando la solicitud mandale un email a pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org o llama al 770-638-2317. Ms. Silva estará disponible todos los días de 9:30 AM a 3:30 PM.

Starting in September 2025, the Family Advisory Council will meet monthly to advise on academics, safety, budgets, and more. All GCPS parents are invited to attend! Learn more and view meeting dates here: www.gcpsk12.org/FAC

One of the integral parts of creating a harmonious and distraction-free learning space is our "Power Down" electronic device (cell phones, airpods, headphones, etc.) policy. We understand the importance of technology and staying connected in our modern world. However, during school hours, the focus should be on learning, collaborating, and being present.

Should there be an emergency or an urgent concern to communicate with your child, please reach out to the school's main office. We will ensure your child receives the message promptly.

Gwinnett County is partnering with Vision To Learn to provide free eye exams and prescription glasses for children in our community between September and December at various Parks and Community Resource Centers.

Booking Link: https://bit.ly/Gwinnett_VTLDays

Ages: Children 5-18 (Grades PreK-12)
Appointments: are required, see above booking link

Length of Exam: 20-30 minutes

Our Lady Patriot volleyball team scored a captivating win against Coleman Middle School ending their season on a high note. Kudos to Coach Bellamy and our student athletes on a job well done!

BMS staff and students join in on the fun to support Berkmar High School's Spirit Week.

Our Annual BMS Hispanic Heritage Celebration on Friday, October 3, 2025!
📍 BMS Gym
⏰ Event starts at 5:30 PM

✨ You will not want to miss this memorable night celebrating the diversity of Latin America!
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Look out for a post from Ms. Pilar Silva on ParentSquare with ways your family can get involved:

• Volunteer with decorations

• Share your favorite dish from your heritage country

• Help with clean-up

• …and more!

📅 Don’t forget to mark your calendars—we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

The 53rd Annual Lilburn Daze will take place Saturday, October 11 from 9am to 5pm. Proceeds from the event will go back into the community in the form of service projects such as scholarships, care team support, dictionaries for 3rd graders, Constitutions for 8th graders in addition to many other community service programs.

As we get ready to begin Hispanic Heritage Month on September 15th, I would love your support in encouraging our students and families to participate in the Voices of Strength Writing Competition, hosted by The Little Book Spot, a local nonprofit dedicated to literacy and community engagement. This special competition is held in partnership with the El Gusanito Book Festival.

This event is a meaningful way for our students and families to showcase their creativity, cultural pride, and unique voices through writing.

📚 Competition Categories

• Grades 3–5: Heroism

• Grades 6–8: Hope

• Grades 9–12: Vision for the Future

• Adults (18+): Heritage and Strength(open to teachers, parents, and community members!)

🗓 Submission Deadline: October 11, 2025

🏆 Awards & Prizes: Scholarships, monetary awards, and other great prizes.

🎉 Winner Announcement:
Winners will be announced at the El Gusanito Book Festival & Mercado Navideño on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at Plaza Las Américas (733 Pleasant Hill Road, Lilburn, GA).

👉 How to Submit:

Anyone can submit their stories by scanning the QR code attached or through the provided submission link: Writing Competition 2025 .

Please help spread the word and inspire students and families to participate as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and uplift literacy across our community.

Please reach out to Ms. Pilar Silva if you have any questions: pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org or 770.638.2317.

BMS Families,

Join our community at Plaza Las Américas in 733 Pleasant Hill Rd, Lilburn for Noche Mexicana, a night full of culture, music, and fun as we kick off the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month on Sunday September 14, 2025 starting at 4:00PM! ✨

As we enjoy and support events like Noche Mexicana in our community, we also look forward to celebrating together Hispanic Heritage Month at Berkmar Middle School. 🌎💃🎶

📅 Save the Date:
👉 Friday, October 3, 2025
📍 BMS Gym

This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the traditions, stories, and contributions of our diverse families as we come together as a school to celebrate the diversity of Latin America among our students and families.

More details will be shared soon by Ms. Silva, so stay tuned!!

💙❤️ Let’s celebrate culture, heritage, and community, because at BMS, Patriots LEAD the way to excellence!

Our students are gearing up to participate in the 6th Annual Día de La Raza Fútbol Tournament!

📌 Event Details

• Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025

• Location: Berkmar Middle School Back Field

• Time: (Time TBD – flyers will provide details in September)

📌 Tournament Information

• Since the tournament takes place during Hispanic Heritage Month, teams will represent a Latin American country to celebrate our Hispanic community.

• Each team must have 5–7 players.

• Cost: $5.00 per player

• Deadline to pay: Friday, September 26, 2025

📌 What can families do now:

• Encourage your student to:

  • Start forming a team with friends.

  • Choose a Latin American country to represent.

  • Start looking for uniforms that represent the colors of the country picked

• Look out for flyers in September with more details!

📌 Contact Information

• Coach Hastings: stephanie.hastings@gcpsk12.org

• Ms. Silva: pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org

Let’s celebrate teamwork, culture, and community at this exciting event! 🎉

#bmsleads

Want to keep up with all the exciting things happening at BMS? From school events and celebrations to important announcements, we’ve got you covered!

👉 Follow us on social media and be part of our Patriot community:

• Instagram: @berkmarms127

• Facebook: Berkmar Middle

Let’s celebrate our students, families, and staff together because at BMS, Patriots LEAD the way to excellence! 💙❤️

#BMSPatriots #WeAreBerkmar #PatriotsLEAD

Each BMS student will receive a GCPS assigned chromebook for use in class and at home to support their instructional needs. It is the family’s responsibility to monitor the use of the device to ensure that the device is returned in the condition in which it was received.

GCPS has created a 1:1 Parent Support Site to provide further information on chromebook use as well as parent and student responsibilities.

GCPS will assess fines for lost and/or damaged chromebooks and chargers. Please note that incidents of damage or loss do not reset each school year. See the district fine chart below.

Resources:

Student 1:1 Support Site

Parent 1:1 Support Site

Parent and student rights and responsibilities

Want to stay connected with BMS? Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BerkmarMS127. Follow us on Facebook Berkmar Middle. Updated communication and parent newsletters may be found on these platforms. Additionally, our school website is another great resource for learning more about our school.

Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=2086
Location: 4355 Lawrenceville Highway, Lilburn, GA, USA
Phone: 770-638-2300