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,

We’ve had a wonderful early release week and truly enjoyed meeting with many of you to share updates about your child’s progress. Thank you for partnering with us to support your student’s growth. Your involvement makes a tremendous difference.

This week, we also celebrated Red Ribbon Week, National School Lunch Week, and Bus Driver Appreciation. Each of these celebrations reminded us of the many people who contribute to our students’ success, from encouraging healthy choices, to providing nutritious meals, to ensuring safe and reliable transportation each day. We’re grateful for the teamwork and care that make our Berkmar School community so strong.

It’s hard to believe the end of the first semester is quickly approaching. Now is a great time to check in with your student about their progress and help them set goals for continued success. Our school continues to offer Essential Safety Nets such as Academic Redemption and Wednesday Help Days. Please encourage your student to take advantage of these opportunities for extra support.

Thank you for your continued partnership!

With Patriot Pride,

Felecia C. Jones
Principal

Tuesday, October 28

• PSAT Testing (8th Grade Only)
• BMS Trunk or Treat Literacy Night

Thursday, October 30

• Fall Festival during Connections

Wednesday, October 29

• Wednesday Help Day (tutoring)@ 8:20 am

Thursday, October 30

• Chick-fil-A Night 5:00 pm- 7:00 pm

Friday, October 31

• Progress Reports emailed home
• BMS & Atlanta Food Bank Distribution

Tuesday, November 4

• Digital Learning Day

Tuesday, November 18

• ML Parent Night

• Thanksgiving Break

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 Gwinnett County Public Schools Student & Family Handbook includes important policies and expectations for students, including behavior guidelines, technology use, attendance, and more.

🔗 Click here to read the 2025–26 GCPS Handbook

We are so excited to invite you all to participate in our book character dress-up day in conjunction with Literacy Night. This is a fundraiser for our school. Students and staff have the option to pay $3 or donate a bag of candy for our Trunk or Treat. Although we are excited about this chance to show our school spirit, the following are NOT allowed:

• Face Paint

• Face Masks

• Hats or Head Coverings

• Capes

Red Ribbon week is an opportunity to discuss prevention and promote a drug-free, healthy lifestyle with our students. Tuesday was Team Jersey Day as we "Team Up Against Drugs!" On Wednesday students took a pledge to remain drug-free.

Berkmar Middle School invites all families to our Chit-Chat at Chick-fil-A with Mrs. Jones & Ms. Silva this Thursday, October 30, 2025, from 5:00–7:00 PM at 4801 Lawrenceville Hwy NW, Lilburn, GA 30047.

✨ Enjoy dinner, connect with other BMS families, and support our school!

📱 If you order on the app, use code BMS25 or mention Berkmar Middle School when placing your order — 10% of sales go back to our school!

🎉 Don’t miss the chance to meet our amazing BMS Cheerleaders!

Let’s show our Patriot Pride and make this a great community night! 💙❤️

BMS Families!

Join us on Tuesday, October 28 at 5:30 PM at Berkmar Middle School Bus Lanes for a fun-filled evening celebrating reading and family!

📖 Students and families can join in the fun by dressing up as your favorite book character!
🍬 Enjoy treats, games, and exciting literacy activities for all ages.
💡 Learn simple and fun literacy strategies to support reading at home.

It’s going to be a night full of learning, laughter, and community spiri!! You don’t want to miss it! 👻✨

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.

Ms. Brittain’s 6th Grade math class worked in small groups to help deepen their understanding of ratios including equivalent ratios, ratio tables, context problems, graphing, and proportional ratios.

• 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.

The Plan / The Purpose is now available for you to view anytime on our BMS Website under the For Parents Tab → Title I → Promise/Plans
This document is an important part of how we partner with families to support our students’ academic success and ensure that we are working together as a school community.

✨ The Plan / The Purpose explains:

• How Berkmar Middle School will use Title I funds to support student achievement.
• How families, students, and staff can work together to strengthen learning.
• Opportunities for parents to be involved and provide feedback throughout the year.

If you would like a hard copy, please stop by the BMS Family Center or contact Ms. Silva:
📞 770-638-2317
📧 pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org

We encourage every family to review this resource so you can stay informed and engaged in your child’s education.
Together, we are Ready, Respectful, and Responsible: Patriot Pride! 💙❤️🤍

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.

From Gwinnett County: Mobile Food Distribution

Families can receive free fruits, vegetables, and shelf-stable foods — no ID required.

🕒 Begins at 3:00 PM
✅ Free, contactless, drive-thru style
📦 While supplies last – first come, first served

📍 Upcoming Locations & Dates:

• Best Friend Park (Norcross) – October 28

• Rhodes Jordan Park (Lawrenceville) – October 14

• Bryson Park (Lilburn) – August 26, November 18

• Rock Springs Park (Lawrenceville) – December 9

• Lenora Park (Snellville) – November 4

🔗 More food resources here
🔗 Another resource recently shared with us

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: facebook.com/BerkmarMS

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

Rank One Link

Is your child planning on playing basketball this year? If so, you need to get them registered with Rank One. Make sure to get this done soon.

BMS student Patriots took the assignment seriously as they continue to recognize the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness.

Saturday, October 25, 2025

Instructional Support Center

5K start time: 8:30am

Fun Run start time: 9:30am

When the PBIS store is open, our student Patriots bring their earned Berkmar Bucks and digital points to make exciting, well-deserved purchases and showing what it means to be a PBIS Distinguished School. Thank you to the PBIS committee for working so hard to bring our store to life. #patriotsleadthroughthepowerofwe

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.

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