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!

Welcome to November, Patriot Families!

As we begin Native American Heritage Month, we take time to honor and celebrate the rich history, diverse cultures, traditions, and contributions of Native Americans while fostering appreciation and respect for the many cultures represented in our school community.

Thank you for another great week at Berkmar Middle! Last week, our students celebrated Red Ribbon Week by promoting healthy choices and the importance of living a drug-free life. We also recognized students who have received no disciplinary referrals this school year with a fun PBIS Bingo event! We are proud of our students for making positive choices and demonstrating our Patriot expectations of being Ready, Respectful, and Responsible.

We appreciate our families for their participation in early release conferences and their continued partnership in supporting student success. A special thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers who provided a delicious spaghetti dinner for our staff during conferences. Your kindness and generosity were greatly appreciated!

Progress reports were emailed to families on Friday! We encourage you to review your child's grades, celebrate their successes, and discuss areas for growth. As we approach the end of the semester, please help your child set academic goals, complete missing assignments, attend school every day, and take advantage of available academic support opportunities.

Together, we can help every student finish the semester strong! Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to your child's success.

Have a wonderful week, Patriot Families!

Warm Regards,

Felecia C. Jones

Principal

November

• November is National Native American Heritage Month

November 2 - November 6

• Sunday, November 1 - Standard Time begins (move clocks back one hour) / Fall Back
• Monday, November 2 - Deadline to pay your A-Day Connections teacher for Fall Festival
• Tuesday, November 3
• Election Day
• Digital Learning Day #2: All students learn at home
• Thursday, November 5 - Fall Festival during Connections ($3)

• Thursday, November 12 - Band Concert

November 16 - November 20

• Tuesday, November 17- ML Family ACCESS Workshop (by invitation only)

• Thursday, November 19 - National Parent Involvement Day

• Monday, November 23 - Friday, November 27 - Thanksgiving Break (No School)

The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST) is now accepting registration applications for the 2027–2028 freshman class. GSMST focuses on advanced studies in engineering, biosciences, and emerging technologies.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for enrollment in the 9th grade class, students must:

• Be an 8th-grade student residing in the Gwinnett County school district attendance zone.

• Be successfully promoted to 9th grade by the end of the spring semester of 2027.

• Successfully complete an 8th-grade math curriculum that is a full unit of Carnegie-eligible Enhanced Algebra: Concepts & Connections or higher.

• Additional eligibility requirements can be found on the GSMST website.

Important Dates and Deadlines

• Registration Window: November 2, 2026 – January 15, 2027

• Informational Meetings: Held at 7:00 PM at GSMST:

  • November 12, 2026: Clusters for Archer, Brookwood, Dacula, Grayson, Mill Creek, Mountain View, Parkview, Shiloh, and South Gwinnett.

  • December 8, 2026: Clusters for Berkmar, Central Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Discovery, Duluth, Lanier, Meadowcreek, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Peachtree Ridge, and Seckinger.

  • January 7, 2027: Make-up meeting date.

How to Apply

Visit the GSMST Admissions Page to complete the application: https://gsmst.gcpsk12.org/

Families, help us reach our school reading goals this year by helping your student to log their reading in the Beanstack app! See Ms. Sprague in the School Library if you have any questions.

Students: How to Access Beanstack

1. Log in to your GCPS Portal.

2. Click your Launchpad tab at the top of your screen.

3. Click on the Library Resources folder.

4. Click on the Beanstack app icon.

How It Works When Beanstack Is Open

• Username: Student ID
• Password: 4-digit birthday (Example: January 12 is written as 0112)

Step 2: Log Your Reading

• Log your books or audiobooks to earn virtual badges.
• Make sure to log all of your reading!

Step 3: Reach Our Goal

• Help us reach the Berkmar Middle School Community Reading Goal!

A special shoutout to our wonderful BMS moms for providing a delicious meal for our teachers and staff who stayed late for Parent-Teacher Conferences! ❤️ After a long day, a delicious home-cooked meal made with love was exactly what our hardworking teachers and staff needed! This is what makes Berkmar so special! We are FAMILY, and we take care of one another! 🤍 Again, thank you, BMS Moms, for always showing up and showing love! 💙 If you are interested in being a volunteer, please reach out to Ms. Silva 770-638-2317 / pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org

It was a beautiful day to serve our community! We had a good number of family & friend volunteers this time; it truly felt like family!

Today's Impact:

This food distributed to our community was mixed produce, frozen chickens, pumpkins, peanut butter, beef vegetable stew, butter, black beans and dish washing soap!

264 families were served, reaching a total of 1,069 individuals, out of which 113 were (60 +) Senior Citizens and 428 were children ages 18 and under.

Our next distribution is scheduled for December 18th, the last Friday before the Winter Break!

I hope to see you there, if you can! If you are interested in being a volunteer please reach to Ms. Silva 770-638-2317 / pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org

Berkmar Middle School was filled with superheroes today for Red Ribbon Week! We saw so many amazing heroes walking our halls, but our favorite superhero doesn’t wear a cape every day… it’s our very own Principal, Mrs. Jones! ❤️🤍💙 Thank you, Mrs. Jones, for always showing up for our students, staff, and families! You’re BMS SUPERHERO!

For the last day of Red Ribbon Week, Berkmar Middle School teachers and staff showed their Patriot pride by wearing all red to stand together in support of healthy, drug-free lifestyles! ❤️💙 Our BMS family is proud to promote positive choices and set a great example for our students. Together, we stand united for a drug-free future!

At Berkmar Middle School, Club Day provides students with engaging opportunities to extend their learning beyond the classroom. This month, we are proud to spotlight the BMS Newcomers Club, sponsored by Ms. Silva, and the BMS Garden Club, sponsored by Mrs. McGowan and Ms. Bledsoe.

In the Newcomers Club, students strengthen their language and communication skills through interactive activities and games such as Headbandz. These activities encourage students to use vocabulary to describe people, places, and objects while practicing important literacy strategies, including answering and asking Who and What questions.

In the Garden Club, students experience science in action by exploring plant growth, ecosystems, and environmental stewardship through hands-on gardening activities. By connecting classroom concepts to real-world experiences, students develop critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills while creating a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Together, these clubs support academic growth, student engagement, and lifelong learning.

Today, we celebrated our amazing Patriots who have not received any referrals so far this semester! They are a true meaning of what it means to be READY, RESPONSIBLE, and RESPECTFUL! ❤️🤍💙 Students enjoyed a fun game of BINGO as a reward for making positive choices! We are so proud of our Patriots! 🏆 If you or your business would like to support our PBIS program and help us continue celebrating our students, please contact Ms. Silva at 770-638-2317 or pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org.

• 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.

BMS Family Center

Pilar Silva, Family Coordinator

770-638-2317

pilar.silva@gcpsk12.org

Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

When families and schools work together, students thrive. Family engagement is more than attending events; it is building meaningful partnerships that support student success both at school and at home. Research consistently shows that students achieve higher grades, have better attendance, develop stronger social skills, and are more likely to graduate when families are actively involved in their education.

At Berkmar Middle School, we believe every family plays an important role in their child's learning journey. Whether attending school events, communicating with teachers, volunteering, participating in workshops, or supporting learning at home, family involvement helps create a strong school community where every student feels supported, valued, and empowered to succeed.

Together, we can inspire, encourage, and prepare our students for a bright future. Family Engagement = Student Success!

The annual Fall Festival is coming up Thursday, November 5th. This will be an opportunity for students to have fun with their friends from different classes during Connections. The festival will include soccer, badminton, football, volleyball, walk and talk, a chill station, snacks for sale, and much more. The cost to attend is $3.00 and students will need to pay their A-Day Connection teacher by Monday, November 2nd in order to attend.

Please use this LINK to purchase tickets on GoFan for the girls and boys basketballs games played Saturday, October 31, at 9 am and 10:30 am.

• Wednesday, October 21, Home at Berkmar HS; NOTE: Game time is 6:15 PM
• Saturday, October 24, Home at Berkmar HS
• Saturday, October 31, Away at Collins Hill HS
• Wednesday, November 4, Home at Berkmar HS
• Saturday, November 7, Away at Duluth HS
• Wednesday, November 11, Home at Berkmar HS
• Saturday, November 14, Away at Peachtree Ridge HS
• Monday, November 16, Away at Discovery HS
• Wednesday, November 18, Away at Brookwood HS
• Wednesday, December 2, Home at Berkmar HS
• Saturday, December 5, Home at Berkmar HS
• Wednesday, December 9, Home at Berkmar HS
• Saturday, December 12, Home at Berkmar HS
• Wednesday, January 6, Away at Norcross HS

Weeknight games begin at 5:30pm except for October 21.

Weekend games begin at 9:00am

This calendar is available to download as a PDF or image in multiple languages and in an accessible version: All Calendars | 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