BHMS Weekly Update
☕️Principal's Coffee Chat Special Topic: Red Ribbon Week with our Student Support Center
🗓️ Date: Morning of October 29th (In Person!)
📍 Location: Beacon Hill Middle School
💬 Here is what we will be covering:
🐾 Real talk on substance-related issues and concerns middle schoolers face
🐾 Navigating peer pressure in a healthy way
🐾 Tools and guidance from our Student Support Center team
Come through, get involved, and support our Bulldog community! See you at 9:00 AM in the cafeteria 🐾
Red Ribbon Week Spirit Days
- Monday: Rodeo Roundup — Round up your support team!
- Tuesday: Twin Day — Stand together for positive, healthy choices!
- Wednesday: Pink Out for Breast Cancer Awareness
- Thursday: Then & Now: ’90s or Age 90. — Dress in ’90s style or as your 90-year-old self. Healthy, drug-free choices now shape your future!
- Friday: Wear Red — Show support for a healthy, drug-free future!
Expect Delays Oct. 28-30
As our 7th-grade students prepare to depart for their overnight trip to Rock Eagle, we are adjusting our morning drop-off procedures to ensure a safe and orderly departure.
Please expect delays and review the updated travel and drop-off guidelines below:
Traffic Impact & Schedule
Trip Dates: Wednesday, October 28 – Thursday, October 29
Bus Staging: Buses will be staged directly in front of the school for student boarding.
Lane Reduction: Morning traffic will be restricted to one lane (instead of the usual two) from Wednesday morning through Friday morning.
Alternative Drop-Off Locations
To help minimize congestion, families dropping off students who are not participating in the Rock Eagle trip should use the following alternate drop-off points:
Adams Street
Kings Highway
(Note: Any prior drop-off arrangements made with school administration will remain honored.)
Plan Ahead
Due to the single-lane restriction and bus activity, morning drop-off traffic will move more slowly than usual. Please allow extra time for your morning commute and drive with caution around school grounds.
Thank you for your patience and support in making this departure safe and successful for our 7th graders!
Boys Basketball Team
Girls Basketball Team
Swim & Dive
Ride Smart: E-Bike Safety for Students and Families
E-bikes are becoming a popular way for students to get around, but safe riding habits are essential. Parents and students should understand Georgia’s e-bike laws, know the difference between an e-bike and an electric motorcycle, wear properly fitted helmets, and practice safe riding before heading out on the road. Go Georgia offers helpful resources for families, including an E-Bikes in Georgia brochure and tips for keeping young riders safe.
Explore e-bike safety resources: https://www.go-georgia.org/work/safety-education
Learn more about Decatur’s Safe Routes to School program at decaturga.com/srts.
How Students are Affected by the New Screen Policy
A new policy limiting screen time has gone into effect during the 2026-27 school year at BHMS. Students have differing opinions on this change.
Micah Retchless, Investigative Journalism
A new policy limiting screen time has gone into effect in the 2026-27 school year at BHMS. This policy may have been influenced by a parent group, Ed Tech Balance, which advocates for reduced screen time and thoughtful, limited use of educational technology. Across the country, parents have been advocating for less reliance on technology in schools. Students at BHMS are affected in different ways.
A survey for this article of 42 seventh-grade students at BHMS indicates that there has been a dramatic decrease in screen time this school year. In the survey, 85% of students say that they were using their computers for over two hours during school in 6th grade. Now, only 16% of respondents say that they are using their computers for over two hours during school.
Many classes have limited screen time, too. 69% of 7th grade students surveyed were using their Chromebooks in more than five classes per day, but now, 14% of respondents are using their Chromebooks in more than five classes per day.
Seventh grade students have mixed opinions on this new policy. On a zero to ten scale of how happy they are about the new policy, with 0 being unhappy and 10 being extremely happy, most students put three or four; the average response was 3.8.
Many students like this new screen policy because they do not get as distracted (33%), they can focus on their handwriting instead of typing (45%), and because they get fewer headaches (18%). Student Ezra Retchless said, “It [the new screen policy] gives me fewer migraines because I get migraines from screens. I hope I’ll miss less school this year because of it.”
Some people believe that the older system of learning with physical books may be better than learning through computers. Neuroscientist Beth Retchless stated, “What we had before screens was a powerful education system. One of the best education systems in the world … I don’t know if it’s [using screens] going to wind up being better or worse, but I'm certainly not comfortable with the scale at which it is being implemented.”
On the other hand, some students dislike this new screen policy because they cannot goof off as much (30%), they cannot send email to their friends (50%), and because they like learning on screens (50%). Ayra Zafrullah said, “Typing is easier for me and it’s just easier for me to learn that way.”
Confidence In Connection
Growing with Grace
🎃👻PTA proudly presents the 8th Grade MONSTER MASH Friday, October 30th, from 4:00–5:00 PM in the BHMS Cafeteria.
🎃🕸️This won't be just a dance. We're setting up fun stations with something for every student, whether they love to dance, play games, or just hang out with friends. We want every 8th grader to find their thing and feel included.
If you have any of the following, please email president@bhms.org:
- Carnival games
- Giant yard games (Jenga, Connect 4, cornhole, ring toss, etc.)
🍭PURCHASE CANDY and DECOR: https://amzn.to/4AxIx7L
🧛♀️VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to help with setup, concessions, etc:
💌❄️One of our EASIEST fundraisers is back!!
Be sure to order all your Holiday Cards through Minted with the Code: FUNDRAISEBEACONHILL.
20% off for you - 10% back to us - BHMS holiday cheer is spread! Win-Win-Win!!
📚🎉 BHMS Scholastic Book Fair is Here!
The BHMS Scholastic Book Fair is coming up November 9-13 and WE NEED VOLUNTEERS to make the week go smoothly!
🕯️✨🕯️ Celebrate Decatur Diwali!
Join Decatur’s community-wide Diwali celebration THIS Sunday, October 25 (12-3 PM at Ebster Recreation Center)! Enjoy performances, local food vendors, and activities for all ages. This event is brought to you by SACHA, a new nonprofit started by CSD parents. Learn more and RSVP on our website sacha-atl.org, and sign up to volunteer at sacha-atl.org/volunteer
Volunteer for PBIS
Parents please consider volunteering for a lunch shift to help PBIS! Click HERE
Help reward our amazing students!
When our kids embody the BARK attributes, they earn points from teachers and staff—and every Friday at lunch, they get to spend those points on a well-deserved treat at the BARK Store.
We need your help stocking the shelves! Drop off any of the following items to keep the reward store booming:
Mini Drinks: Small sports drinks, juice boxes/capri suns
Bite-Sized Sweet Treats: Fun-size candy bars, non-chocolate candy
Salty Snacks: Individual bags of chips, pretzels, or popcorn
DONATE today and directly celebrate our students' good behavior!
Shine a light on BHMS by becoming a Family Sponsor!
Your donation directly supports our teachers, staff, and students during the 2026–2027 school year.
As a thank you, your family name will be proudly displayed in the school lobby to show your support for our community.
Together, we can make a difference—Be A Beacon today!
Click to sponsor: Be A Beacon PTA Family Sponsor Link
