The Burgaw Beacon

Good afternoon, BMS families,

Burgaw Middle School had another great week of learning, growth, and school spirit! Our students have settled into their classes and daily routines, and it has been wonderful to see them becoming more focused, confident, and engaged in their learning.

Our teachers continue to work hard each day to provide meaningful instruction and ensure that students are building the knowledge and skills they need at each grade level. We appreciate the commitment our staff shows to supporting every student and helping them grow academically.

A special shout-out also goes to our BMS athletic teams! Our softball and football teams have been playing extremely well and have already earned more wins this season than we have seen in many years. We are proud of the dedication, teamwork, and perseverance our student-athletes have demonstrated both on and off the field.

Keep up the great work, BMS—we are proud to be part of such a strong school community!

Important Upcoming Dates:

• 9/14: Softball Game vs. SCMS @ BMS (4:30pm.)
• 9/16: BMS Pep Rally @ 2pm.
• 9/16: SIT/MTAC Meeting @ 3pm. (Media Center)
• 9/16: Football Game vs. CFMS @ BMS (4:30pm.)
• 9/16: CIS Parent Orientation 3pm.
• 9/17: Softball Game vs. TMS @ BMS (4:30pm.)

Attendance is important because students learn best when they are present, on time, and able to participate in the full school day. While we certainly do not want students to come to school when they are sick, we do want them at BMS each day when they are healthy and able. So far this year, we have had 157 absences, 115 tardies, and 69 early checkouts—adding up to more than 61,000 minutes of missed instructional time. Thank you for helping us make every day and every minute count!

We would like to invite any interested BMS family members to join Burgaw Middle School’s School Improvement Team (SIT)/MTAC team. This team provides an important opportunity for families, staff, and school leaders to work together as we review school data, discuss priorities, and identify ways to strengthen student learning and overall school success. Parent participation is an important part of the school-improvement process.

Our regular meeting dates for this school year are:

• September 16

• October 21

• November 18

• December 16

• January 20

• February 17

• March 17

• April 21

• May 19

In addition, we will have a special meeting on October 5th with members of the PCS Cabinet and district directors to discuss next steps and opportunities to continue growing academic achievement at Burgaw Middle School.

If you are interested in serving on the SIT/MTAC team, please let me know. We would be grateful for your voice, ideas, and continued partnership.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Burgaw Middle School!

At Burgaw Middle School, we are proud to offer athletics and value the commitment of our student-athletes. At the same time, being a successful student must always come first. To remain eligible, students must meet county academic expectations by passing at least 70% of their classes and maintaining a 70% overall average; students with an F will be ineligible to participate until the grade improves. Grade checks will take place throughout each season.

Attendance also matters: students with excessive absences may be ineligible until their attendance improves, and students must be present for at least half of the school day to participate in practice or a game that day. Thank you for helping us reinforce that BMS student-athletes are students first, athletes second.

Girls Soccer Pre-Season Workouts begin Tuesday, September 15th, from 3:00 to 4:30 PM.

Students must check with Mrs. McCaleb to confirm that a completed sports physical is on file prior to participating, and athletes are required to have transportation arranged. Following Tuesday's workout, an email will be sent to parents containing the pre-workout schedule, the soccer season calendar, and practice times for the remainder of the season.

Huge congrats to our softball team — they pulled off a 9-6 win over Cape Fear to earn their third victory of the season! Way to go, ladies — grit, teamwork, and hustle paid off.

Mrs. Messick's class created a Classical Poet bulletin board to highlight ELA standard RI 8.7. Each card has a line where readers guess if it was written by a hip hop artist or poet and the song or poem the line was written. Readers then lift the card showing the answer. Well done Ms. Messick and her class!

Mrs Petersons class working collaboratively on a related media assignment about inclusion. Great job!

6th Grade Newsletter

7th Grade Newsletter

8th Grade Newsletter

Electives Newsletter

• Families, we need your help ensuring students bring their Chromebooks to school each day. Also, we ask that non-essential electronics (Airpods and Beats headphones) be left at home. If your child has a lost or damaged Chromebook fee, please pay that fee as soon as possible.
• Battle of the Books information will be released in the next coming weeks. If students are interested, they can stop by the library to check out this year's books!

Please CLICK HERE for the August/September lunch menu.

BMS celebrated Being Present Matters Day with Communities In Schools! Students shared what motivates them to show up each day, including their new teachers, earning good grades, joining the After School Program, and feeling safe at school. Students also received bracelets as a reminder that showing up matters!

CIS Mentor Groups will now be held during the 21st Century After School Program! After School begins September 21st, so encourage your students to get their staff recommendations soon. We are excited to provide students with even more opportunities for mentorship, connection, and support!

Our BMS PTO is always looking for families who are interested in supporting our school, students, and staff. Our BMS PTO is seeking volunteers to assist with concessions at home athletic events, including Senior Night at Pender High School on October 7.

If you would like to get involved or learn more, please contact the PTO at bmspto@gmail.com. You can also follow the Burgaw Middle School PTO on Facebook for updates and upcoming opportunities.

We look forward to seeing you and working together to support our Red Devil community!

For the safety of all students, please do not drop off students before 7:10 a.m. Staff supervision begins at 7:10 a.m., and students should remain in vehicles until Mr. Mortensen or another staff member is present in the car line to begin unloading.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, orderly, and welcoming arrival process for all Burgaw Middle School students.

Please have students at their bus stop 10 minutes early. Parents and students should also expect minor bus delays during the first week of school as Transportation works to update and adjust bus routes. Thank you for your flexibility with this!

As we prepare for a successful school year, we encourage all students and families to carefully review both the Burgaw Middle School Parent/Student Handbook and the Pender County Schools Parent/Student Handbook.

These handbooks contain important information about school and district procedures, expectations, attendance, student conduct, communication, transportation, safety, and other policies. Reviewing them together will help ensure that students and families are informed, prepared, and ready for a positive year at BMS.

Important Policies:

Please review the following policies with your child/children:

• Policy Code 4318 – Use of Personal Electronic Devices: This policy outlines the acceptable use of personal electronic devices and consequences for inappropriate use on school campuses. Review Policy Code 4318
• Policy Code 4316 – Student Dress Code: Please review the dress code expectations with your child before the school year begins. Review Policy Code 4316

Thank you for partnering with us to support a safe, respectful, and successful learning environment for every Red Devil!

2026-27 Established Student Beginning of Year Information Update Application is ready to go! This Beginning of Year Information Update is a requirement so your student will be approved for a Chromebook and more.

If you have your Infinite Campus Parent Portal Log In already set up, please log in and there should be a pop up to guide you through. If you need any assistance please let me know. You can use the App or the web link: Infinite Campus Parent Portal

If you do not have an Infinite Campus Parent Portal Account yet please contact our office and I will help you get it set up to save you time. Parent Portal Access Needed Click Here

School Calendar:

Here is a copy of our 26-27 Calendar and links to items that might help you through the school year!

• Hours: Our regular school days begin at 7:30am each day. We expect students to be in their seats on time daily. If they are not in class on time they will need to be brought into the main office to be checked in at the tardy kiosk at the front desk. Our day ends at 2:45pm.
• https://www.pender.k12.nc.us/page/school-bell-schedule

We are so excited that our students receive free breakfast and lunch here at Burgaw Middle School. Please see the link below to access menus and more information.

• https://www.pender.k12.nc.us/page/dining
  

• Bus Riders (Here Comes the Bus App):
  
• Step 1: Pender County Schools offers the Here Comes the Bus app for tracking your child's bus location. To get started, you'll need our district code: 29081. This five-digit code is essential for registration, so keep it handy.
• Step 2: Once you have the district code, click here to begin your registration. You can complete this process using a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
• Step 3: If you're using a smartphone or tablet, download the Here Comes the Bus app from the Google Play Store or App Store. The app provides added convenience with features like push notifications when the bus is near and, if available in our district, alerts when your child scans in using Student Ridership.
• Car Riders: Students may be dropped off each morning starting at 7:10 am in the parking lot by the gym & cafeteria.
• Walkers: Please make sure that you have completed the Walker Permission form for your student.

This is your go to spot for attendance, grades, updates, and more!

• Keep us up to date on any phone number and email address changes so you don't miss anything.
• Are sick notes getting lost in the bookbag? Use the Infinite Campus Parent Portal App to keep absence excuse notes from disappearing! Here's how!
• Here are some more tips and tricks about the Infinite Campus Parent Portal!

Steps to Activate your Account:

• Step 1: Get your student’s activation code here: Lookup Activation Code
• Step 2: Use your code to create your account here: Infinite Campus Login

We have got you covered!

• All student supplies (paper, pencils, binders, glue and more) have been purchased!
• Bring your own book bag and be ready to learn!