BHMS Weekly Update

A huge shout-out to three outstanding BHMS teachers John O’Keefe, Jennifer Peterman, Shani Vickery, who were awarded the Extra Mile Award by the Decatur Education Foundation during the CSD opening ceremonies! They were nominated by students who shared how these educators made them feel seen, supported and successful not just in class, but in school as a whole. Their dedication, compassion, and unwavering belief in their students’ success make a lasting impact every day. Their unwavering commitment and inspiring efforts to help our students reach ever higher are truly appreciated. Thank you, John, Jennifer and Shani, for going above and beyond!

What a memorable first week! A heartfelt thank you to our teachers and staff for their dedication, energy, and meticulous preparation. Their warm welcome created an immediate sense of community for our new and returning families alike. We are officially off to a remarkable start—here’s to a fantastic school year!

The Beacon Hill Middle School Leadership Team (SLT) is an elected committee consisting of Beacon Hill parents/guardians, staff members, a community member, and a district representative. The purpose of the SLT is to make decisions that support the continuous improvement of the school in accordance with the provisions of the District Charter.

The SLT is focused on school governance, student achievement, and family engagement. Some of the responsibilities of this team are to:

• Participate in personnel interviews and decisions

• Review and give feedback on the school budget

• Approve and monitor the School Improvement Plan

• Review assessment data for school decisions

• Assist with accreditation and improvement reviews

We currently have one vacancy on our SLT parent members.

If you’re interested in joining the SLT, please submit a bio/purpose statement to Principal Glenn by Friday, August 7, 2026, at aglenn@csdecatur.net

📅 Time: 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

📍 Location: Beacon Hill Middle School

Get ready to experience a day in the life of your Bulldog! Join us for an immersive Curriculum Night where you'll walk your student’s daily schedule, and visit all 7 classes for 10 minutes each. Come experience the hustle and bustle of hallway transitions, meet our teachers, and learn what’s ahead for this school year. We can't wait to see you there! 🐾

A huge thank you to our students for their hard work during Star Reading this week—they truly put their best foot forward and showed great focus!

This Monday, students will take the Star Math assessment. To help them shine and show what they know, please help us prepare them with two quick reminders:

• 😴 Get a Good Night's Sleep: A well-rested brain is ready to tackle big math problems!

• 🔋 Charge Those Chromebooks: Please ensure your child’s device is fully charged Sunday night and ready to go for Monday morning.

📋 What We Need From You

Please complete the quick Google Form linked below to notify the BHMS administration if your child will be bringing a personal cell phone or smartwatch to campus:

👉 BHMS Personal Device Notification Form

🔍 How This Information Will Be Used

• Locker Assignments: Advisement teachers will use these responses to assign specific cell phone locker slots to students.

• Accurate Record-Keeping: This helps us maintain an organized system to ensure all stored devices are accounted for throughout the school day.

💡 A Quick Reminder of the Policy:

• Cell Phones: Must be turned off and kept in designated cell phone lockers during the day.

• Smartwatches, Earbuds, & Tablets: Must be turned off and stored in standard student lockers.

⚠️ Important Reminder: City Schools of Decatur is not responsible for personal devices that are lost, stolen, damaged, or misplaced. We encourage families to carefully consider whether a device truly needs to be brought to school.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us minimize distractions and maximize meaningful learning and face-to-face interactions at BHMS. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out or visit csdecatur.net.

Save the Date August 27 4:30-5:30

We’re balancing morning coffee chats with after-school sessions this year to better fit your schedule!

Please join us for our first "After the Bell with the Principal" to discuss Ed Tech at BHMS. Come hear how we’re using technology to enhance learning and how you can support your child from home. After a brief overview, you'll get to choose one of three breakout sessions to dive deeper into a specific software we use.

What to Expect:

• General Overview: Discover how instructional technology enhances daily learning in our classrooms and how you can best support your student at home.

• Breakout Sessions: Choose one of three focused discussions designed to help families navigate key digital tools for the start of the school year.

Check out all the club and extracurricular activities on our website!

First Home Game is this Saturday Aug 8 starting at 9am! Come out and cheer them on!

A huge shoutout to Ms. Boswell and our amazing yearbook staff, who are already hard at work behind the scenes documenting every event, project, and Bulldog smile! Don't miss out on securing your piece of BHMS history. Reserve your copy early to lock in the lowest price of the school year.

• Dates: August 31st – September 3rd

• Google Classroom Code: p6mo2c4n

Everything you need to prepare—including audition specs and schedules—is available in our Google Classroom. Enter code p6mo2c4n to get started!

The BHMS Boys' Soccer program is committed to developing great people, great students, and great soccer players. We are looking for student-athletes who are willing to work hard, compete with a positive attitude, encourage their teammates, and represent Beacon Hill Middle School with pride both on and off the field. All students interested in participating in tryouts should complete the INTEREST FORM HERE.

Teams

• Combined 6th & 7th Grade Team – Coach Derrick
• 8th Grade Team – Coach Jeff

Tryout Dates

• Monday, August 17 - 4:05 PM – 5:30 PM - Ebster Field
• Tuesday, August 18 - 4:05 PM – 5:30 PM - Ebster Field
• Wednesday, August 19 - 4:05 PM – 5:30 PM - Ebster Field

Students interested in trying out for the BHMS Volleyball program should attend tryouts from August 11-13. Tryouts will be held in the Beacon Hill Gymnasium from 4-6 PM.

Interested students should complete the INTEREST FORM HERE to receive communication from coaches.

Applications due: Sunday, August 16th, 2026 11:59 pm

What is FLL? First Lego League (FLL) is a STEM-based program where teams research a real-world problem, design and program LEGO robots, develop innovative solutions, and compete in exciting challenges.

Who should apply? If you enjoy problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity, then the BHMS FLL Robotics Team is for you! No prior experience with robotics is needed, but active interest and participation is expected. Please note, this is a competitive team, not a club.

• Grades: Open to 6th through 8th graders at BHMS

• Meetings: After school, 4:00-5:30 PM, one day a week - day TBD, August-February

• Competitions: 1-3 competitions in the Greater Atlanta area between November and February

• Fee: $125 per team member for supplies and registration (need-based scholarships available)

How to Apply: Complete the application by August 16th (Spots are limited: Don’t wait! Apply early!)

Application link

Questions? Use this form and a parent volunteer will respond: BHMS First Lego League Questions

Read this week's CSD Weekly for district-wide news and information.

• BHMS Website
• Personal Electronics Protocol
• Bell Schedule
• Bus Routes
• Free and Reduced Lunch Application
• BHMS Weekly Updates
• Attendance Routines and Procedures
• Key Contacts

• BHMS Facebook page
• BHMS PTA Facebook page
• BHMS Instagram page
• CSD Grading Handbook
• Grade Level News