BMS Patriot Press Newsletter

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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!

Greetings,

What a fantastic, high-energy week at our Berkmar Middle School! A special thank you to all the families who joined us for our Family Engagement Orientation. Your presence and partnership set the tone for an amazing year ahead. Between wrapping up our iReady testing, connecting with our families, and seeing our students dive deep into their daily learning, our school community is moving full speed ahead. Middle school is a journey of rapid growth, and your support at home makes all the difference.

Thank you for showing up for our school and believing in our scholoars every single day. When school and home work together, there is nothing our students can't achieve.

"When schools and families work together, learning has no limits."

Warm Regards,

Felecia C. Jones

Principal

Mark your calendar!

Monday, August 24

• Volleyball: BMS vs. Lilburn MS at Home, 6:00 pm

Wednesday, August 26

• Wednesday Help Day Begins
• PBIS Store
• Volleyball: BMS vs. Richards at Home
• Greece Interest Meeting, 6:30 pm

Thursday, August 27

• ⭐ Curriculum Night, 6:00 pm
• All families, please make plans to attend Curriculum Night!

Friday, August 28

• Atlanta Food Bank Distribution

Monday, August 31

• Volleyball: BMS at Five Forks, 6:00 pm

Monday, September 7

• Labor Day - No School

Friday, September 18

• Digital Learning Day #1 - All students learn at home

Join us for Curriculum Night on Thursday, August 27 at 6:00 PM!

This is a great opportunity to connect with your child’s teachers, learn more about classroom expectations and the AKS curriculum, and discover how we can work together to support your child’s success this school year. We look forward to seeing all of our families!

Great teachers don't just teach. They inspire, encourage, and leave a lasting mark on every student who walks through their doors.

We are proud to announce our Teacher of the Year Finalists: Mr. Jackson, Mr. Jaiteh, and Mr. Nguyen!

Whether it’s bringing lessons to life, supporting students beyond the curriculum, or constantly raising the bar for excellence, these three educators embody the absolute best of our school community.

Please join us in celebrating their extraordinary dedication and well deserved achievement!

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all of our BMS families who attended our 26-27 Family Orientation Title I Meeting! Your participation and commitment to your child’s education make a tremendous difference.

At BMS, we believe that strong family-school partnerships are essential for student success. We were excited to share important information, resources, and the many tools available through our BMS Family Center to help support students and families throughout the school year.

If you were unable to attend, we would still love to connect with you! Please contact Ms. Pilar Silva, Family Instructional Support Coordinator, at 770-638-2317 or pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org for an overview of the information that was shared and to learn more about the resources available to your family.

Thank you for partnering with us as we work together to make this a successful school year for every BMS student! ❤️💙🤍

Last Tuesday, the students of the BMS 6th grade Orchestra participated in instrument test drive night. Over 40 young aspiring musicians got the chance to try out the four different instruments of the Orchestra (violin, viola, cello, and double bass), with different string teachers from across Gwinnett county- including the Berkmar High School Orchestra director- helping students find their personal size for their preferred instrument. After this, students got to sign a poster (like a movie star!) that shows off the choice they made. Instrument test-drive was hugely successful in helping many new Orchestra students start their first year in Orchestra on the right foot!

Berkmar Middle School families,

If your child currently receives Free or Reduced-Price Meals through carryover status, please be aware that this temporary approval will expire on September 16, 2026.

To continue receiving meal benefits and ensure your child remains eligible, you must complete a new Free & Reduced Meal Application as soon as possible.

Why is this important?

Students approved for Free or Reduced Meals may qualify for benefits that can help support their educational experience, including:

✅ Reduced or free school meals
✅ Eligibility for fee reductions for certain school programs and activities
✅ Additional educational resources and support opportunities
✅ Funding that helps Berkmar Middle School provide valuable programs and services to students and families

Even if your child qualified last year, a new application may be required to avoid an interruption in benefits.

Need Help Completing the Application?

Ms. Pilar Silva is available to assist families with the application process.

📍 BMS Family Center
🕤 Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
📞 770-638-2317
📧 pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org

Please don't wait until the deadline. Completing your application before September 16, 2026 will help ensure your child continues to receive the benefits for which they qualify.

We're here to help and support your family every step of the way!

#focusforward #BMSFamilies #FreeAndReducedMeals #FamilyEngagement #StudentSuccess

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.

Yours In Education,
BMS Counselors

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

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

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

Dear families,

We’re thrilled to announce our upcoming trip to Greece in Spring 2028, and your student is invited! This life-changing experience will help students build confidence, independence, and global perspective.

If you are interested come to our informational meeting to share everything you need to know for the trip. Spanish Translation will be available.

When: Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Where: Berkmar Middle School Cafeteria

Time: 6:30PM

Register in the link below!

👉 Find meeting info and RSVP here: Spring 2028 Tour to Greece!

We hope to see you there and look forward to sharing how this trip can be a powerful and unforgettable chapter in your child’s life. Please note this is a non-school-sponsored trip.

If you need assistance registering, contact Ms. Silva at pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org or 770-638-2317 or Ms. Batres at maria.batres@gcpsk12.org

• Food distribution at Berkmar Middle School
• 🗺️4355 Lawrenceville Hwy, Lilburn, GA 30047
• 📅Friday, August 28, 2026
• ⏰10:30 AM
• While supplies last
• Volunteers are needed!
• For more information, reach out to Ms. Silva at 770-638-2317 or pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org

Kroger offers a Community Rewards program that will allow BMS to benefit from a portion of your purchases. See the flier below and consider adding Berkmar Middle School as your Kroger Community Rewards recipient.

Support Berkmar Middle School

Please use your Kroger Account to support Berkmar Middle School!

• Go to Kroger.com or the Kroger app
• Log into your account
• Choose the 3 lines menu at the top corner of the screen
• Scroll down and choose Rewards
• Choose Community Rewards
• Search for Berkmar Middle School
• Click on Enroll
• Exit out and you are finished with the process.

PBIS Team Volunteer Day

• Student Recognition
• Event Setup
• Positive Coaching
• Decorating

Join us on August 26 to support the Berkmar Middle School PBIS team! We need dedicated parent volunteers to help reward students for maintaining a positive school environment.

Date: August 26

All Parents Welcome!

Sign Up Now!

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions & Support

Focusing Forward with Families: We would love your support!

We need donations!

Candy, peppermints, chips, Takis, popcorn, mechanical pencils, gel pens, cool erasers, fruit snacks, stickers, gift cards, fidget toys, stress balls, silicone wristbands, Uno, yo-yo, Chapstick

Please bring any of your thoughtful donations to the front desk and leave it for PBIS.

Why do we need donations?

• Berkmar Bucks are used by teachers to recognize students for demonstrating the 3 R's throughout the day: being ready, responsible, and respectful.
• The Berkmar Bucks are redeemed once a month in our PBIS Store for a variety of candy, toys, school supplies, fun class rewards, and more.
• We are always looking for volunteers to help work the store. The first sale will occur on August 26.

Berkmar Middle School's PBIS Team is looking for parent volunteers to help at the PBIS Store on Wednesday, August 26!

Volunteers will assist by selling popsicles, pencils, erasers, and other school supplies.

Volunteer Time Slots:

🕚 11:00 AM – 12:20 PM
🕧 12:20 PM – 1:35 PM

We need approximately 6 parent volunteers per time slot.

Your support helps make this a fun and rewarding experience for our students!

📧 Interested in volunteering?

Please contact Ms. Pilar Silva at pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org for more information or to sign up.

Thank you for helping make our PBIS program a success! 🎉👏

• Do you have access to the ParentVue?
• Do you have a MyPaymentsPlus account?
• Have you applied for Free and/or Reduced Lunch, if applicable?
• 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 Pilar Silva, our Parent Instructional Coordinator, in the BMS Parent Center.

Research shows student achievement rises when families are involved in their children's education. This is true for all grade levels. The start of a new school year is a great time to renew your commitment to supporting student achievement.

Here are some tips to ensure that you are making a difference in your children's education!

Homework

• Make sure they have a regular space to do their homework
• Make sure the space is free from distractions and equipped with school supplies and study tools.

• Make it a part of your family's routine. Spend at least 20 minutes reading and then talk about what you read.
• Make sure you have a variety of materials to read in the home.

Screen Time

• Set limits on recreational screen times.
• Encourage activities that does not involve an electronic device such as walking outside, yardwork or crafting.

Encouragement

• Ask your student to try to take a challenging academic course.
• Motivate the student to be involved in extracurricular & volunteer activities

Support your Local School

• Support the school's efforts to develop and enforce rules for student safety and discipline.
• Ask about ways you can volunteer where needed at the school

For more information contact Ms. Silva at 770-638-2317 or pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org

Let's keep your information up to date!

Steps to update your address:

1. Log in to ParentVUE.
2. Complete Online Registration.
3. Enter your new address.
4. Upload the required documents:

• Current lease or mortgage statement
• Current water or electricity bill

IMPORTANT: Please use Forgot Password if you cannot log in, or contact the local school.

Volunteer opportunities may vary throughout the school year based on school needs and upcoming events. Parents and family members can choose opportunities that best fit their interests and availability.

Every volunteer makes a difference at Berkmar Middle School!

Families, is your scholar interested in running or conditioning for another sport? They can join the Cross Country team. No tryouts, but an updated physical is required. Find the form on the BMS website under athletics and have your student turn it in to the 6th grade office. Practices Wednesday and Friday 4:30 - 5:30pm. Team fee pay for race entry fees and team shirt. Races on 9/12, 9/19, 9/26, 10/10 in the morning with bus transportation provided from Berkmar MS to the race. Contact Ashley Bolton at ashley.bolton@gcpsk12.org for more information.

Step up and join the team!

Yes, you! We want you!

• Boys and girls; All grade levels
• 📅 Monday & Wednesday, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
• 📍 Berkmar Middle School

See Ms. Bolton in the 6th grade office for more information.

GCPS encourages families to follow these steps to resolve concerns:

1. Teacher - First, talk to your child’s teacher or a counselor at school for assistance. Most concerns are resolved at the classroom level.

2. Assistant Principal - If the concern is not resolved at the classroom level, please visit with your child’s assistant principal.

3. Principal - If working with the AP does not adequately address the issue, please meet with the school principal.

4. Cluster Superintendent - If the issue persists, please call 678-301-6000, and ask to speak to the cluster superintendent who is assigned to the school your child attends.

5. Chief of Schools - If, after following steps one through four, your concern has not been resolved to your satisfaction, please contact the Chief of Schools for School Improvement and Operations.

Other Resources
If you are experiencing an emergency, dial 9-1-1. The GCPS Hotline for anonymous reporting of potential violence is 770-822-6513. If you have a non-emergency criminal concern, please contact local law enforcement.

Please select one of the files below for a downloadable view of this information:

• English
• Español
• Tiếng Việt
• 한국어
• 中文

To see this information in other languages, use the language translation dropdown at the top of this page, or visit the GCPS web page for this topic and choose translation options there: Addressing Concerns at School - Gwinnett County Public Schools

This calendar is available to download as a PDF or image in multiple languages and in an accessible version: Altruistic August | Action for Happiness

Do you 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:

• Follow us on Instagram

• Follow us on Facebook

Let’s celebrate our students, families, and staff together because at BMS, Patriots Focus Forward, leading the way to Excellence! 💙❤️

By following us, you’ll stay up to date, see the great things our students and staff are doing, and remain informed about all things BMS. Thank you for being an engaged and supportive part of our school community; we’re better when we stay connected!

💙❤️🤍

#TeamBMS #PatriotPride #WeAreBerkmar #FocusForward

Website: berkmarms.gcpsk12.org
Location: 4355 Lawrenceville Highway, Lilburn, GA, USA
Phone: 770-638-2300