5th Grade Course Request

It is time to verify your student's course requests for the 2025-26 school year! Please login to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to review the following selections:

• ELA & Math: Request changes for on-level, honors, or Enhanced courses.

• Two Connection Courses: Ensure all students requested two connections of their choice.

• Music: Verify intent to return to the program, join for the first time, or request removal from the program.

• World Language: For rising 6th Graders only.

How to Complete the Verification Process

To ensure your child’s requests are accurate, please follow these steps within the portal by clicking here. Please note that if you request a change, you must complete the comment box that coincides with the change.

Important Deadlines & Policies

• Deadline: All families must verify their selections by Tuesday, January 20.

• Policy on Changes: Email requests for changes will not be honored. All updates must be submitted through the official Infinite Campus form.

• Final Schedules: Schedules will be finalized over the summer, and students will receive a paper copy on the first day of school.

Support Resources

• IC Course Verification instructional Guide: How to view requests and verify.

• Login Support: Assistance with Parent Portal credentials.

• Course request Landing page for 5th-8th Grade

If you have additional questions about courses, please submit them via this form for our admin team to review and answer. If you need further technology support, reach out to Robyn Tibbetts (rtibbetts@csdecatur.net)

Thank you for your help,

Welcome to the Beacon Hill Middle School Family! We are thrilled to begin the journey toward 6th grade with you. The first big step is selecting courses for next year, and we are here to guide you every step of the way. Please bookmark this SMORE—it will serve as your "Course Request HQ" containing all the descriptions, charts, and updates you need.

How the Process Works We want your student to feel confident in their choices. Here is how we will support them:

• Core Academics: 5th Grade teachers will facilitate lessons to help students complete Decision Guides for Math and ELA. These will be sent home for your review.

• Connections & World Languages: BHMS staff and students will visit 5th graders to showcase our exciting elective options.

• Resources for You: Course descriptions, progression charts, and "How-To" videos for Infinite Campus are posted below.

• Finalizing Choices: Guardians will log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to review and verify student selections.

📅 Key Dates for Families

• Week of Dec. 12: Look for Honors/Enhanced ELA & Math decision guidance sheets in your child's backpack.

• Dec. 18 @ 6:30 PM: Course Information Webinar (Zoom link below).

• Jan. 8: BHMS visits Talley 5th graders.

• Jan. 9: BHMS visits FAVE 5th graders.

  • Note: Students begin making selections in Infinite Campus (IC) on the day of their school visit.

We look forward to welcoming your kids to BHMS!

Students are required to select courses each year in the following core areas:

• Mathematics

• English Language Arts (ELA)

• Connections (Electives)

Additionally, students make a one-time selection for their World Language course, which continues through 8th grade. The Connections offerings include more than ten elective choices plus the option for a year-long Music Program commitment (Band, Chorus, Orchestra). We encourage students to rotate and try a variety of offerings. Students select courses annually for the following core areas, with specific options available:

*** Music Programs (Band, Chorus, Orchestra): Our music programs are year-long commitments that students can choose to participate in annually. Please note: These programs are separate from, and do not count as, the two Connections course selections students make each year. Year-long music participants will still select two additional connections courses, and we will work diligently to accommodate those selections based on state requirements and overall scheduling capacity.***

Did you miss the webinar? Catch the recording and the slides by clicking below.

Look for these in backpacks the week of Dec.12! To ensure every student is placed in the environment where they will thrive, we are asking 5th graders to complete a self-reflection guide for Math and Language Arts. These forms are not tests—they are tools to help your family decide the best fit for next year. Your child's 5th grade teacher will facilitate this in class and send them home with you.

What to Review with Your Student: Each guide asks students to reflect on their work habits, enthusiasm for the subject, and resilience when facing challenges.

• Math Decision: Choosing between Math 6 and Honors Math 6.

  • Math 6: A rigorous, grade-level course building a strong foundation for future success.

  • Honors Math 6: The Honors course goes beyond the standards in appropriate places to increase the rigor and depth of the course. Students with a gifted strength in math must take the Honors course or an Enhanced course to be served as gifted in mathematics. Suggested criteria for success in this course includes: 75% or higher on STAR assessments, Proficient and Distinguished on GMAS Math, Grades of 3 and 4 (A/B) in mathematics.

• ELA Decision: Choosing between ELA 6 and Honors ELA 6.

  • ELA 6: Covers all grade-level standards with high-quality texts and writing instruction.

  • Honors ELA 6: Features advanced text complexity and a faster pace. It is best suited for students who deeply love reading and writing and are self-motivated to analyze themes independently.

    
    

Your Role: Please review the "Student Self-Assessment" section with your child once your 5th grade teacher sends it home and discuss their choices with them.

Where do these choices lead? While we are currently focused on selecting courses for 6th grade, we know it is helpful to see the "big picture." We have created visual roadmaps to show how the decisions made now can shape your student's academic journey through middle school and into high school.

Click the files below to view the progression for each subject:

Q: Who is able to take Honors courses? A: All On-Level and Honors 6th-grade Math and ELA courses are OPEN to all students entering the grade. We encourage families to review the decision guides to find the best fit for their student.

Q: What is the difference between On-Level and Honors Math? A: Both courses cover the exact same standards. The difference is rigor and depth. Honors goes beyond the standards with more complex problem-solving and is required for Gifted students to receive services. We recommend Honors based on the student's achievement, motivation, and goals, as reflected in the decision-making guides.

Q: Does my child's current teacher, counselor, or staff recommend them for specific courses? A: No. Teachers and staff do not make formal course recommendations or placements. However, they play a vital role in supporting students through the decision-making process and helping them complete their self-reflection guides in class.

Q: How do I know if my child is ready for an Honors course? A: Review the Decision Guides that come home with your student. They can also be found on our website by clicking here.

Q: How many Connections (elective) courses do students take? A: Students will take a total of four Connections courses throughout the school year. If a student has a music class, they will be enrolled in the music course PLUS one additional Connections each term. During the registration process, all students will request two specific Connections preferences.

Q: Is Music (Band, Chorus, Orchestra) a semester or year-long commitment? A: If a student selects Band, Chorus, or Orchestra, this is a year-long course. Students remain in the ensemble for the full school year to develop their skills.

Q: Will music students still get to select two Connections courses in addition to selecting a music program? A: Yes. They will request an additional two Connections courses along with their music course.

Q: Can I switch my World Language after selection or during my time at BHMS? A: No. The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) is designed for sustained language acquisition. Students continue with the language they started in 6th grade through the remainder of their time at BHMS to achieve proficiency.

Q: How do Honors classes work for students with support services? A: Students with disabilities are all different, with varying abilities. Some students are also twice exceptional, meaning they are gifted-identified and also have a diagnosed disability and/or health condition. The IEP is supposed to provide access to the general education curriculum. For all students with IEPs, the final decision maker on the appropriate supports, goals, services, and placement is the IEP team. When considering placement into Honors or other advanced courses (AP, IB, etc), the IEP must consider whether the student meets the recommended academic indicators as well as whether the accommodations or modifications required by the student fundamentally alter or reduce the requirements of the course. It is not advisable to place a student into a course for which they do not meet the academic indicators or for which they need accommodations and modifications that would fundamentally alter the requirements of the course.

Q: How are Gifted Services provided for 6th Graders at BHMS? A: 6th graders receive gifted services based on their annually determined areas of strength. We provide support through Honors courses in ELA and Math, the Cluster Service Model in Social Studies and Science, and a specialized Gifted Resource Connections course. In the spring gifted specialist will host an in-depth webinar on gifted services at BHMS.

Q: My child is identified as Gifted. Do I need to select their courses? A: All 6th-grade gifted students will be automatically enrolled in Honors ELA and Honors Math to ensure they receive their required gifted services. These students will not have the option to select "On-Level" courses in the system. Note: If you believe Honors is not the right fit for your gifted student, an opt-out option is available during the verification window.

Q: What if my child is absent on the day BHMS visits? A: Don't worry! The window remains open until January 12. Students who miss the session will be provided support to ensure they enter their requests before the deadline.

Q: How will I know what my child selected in Infinite Campus? A: We encourage you to log into your Infinite Campus Parent Portal the evening the course selection window opens to check selections. You will be able to view their "Requested Courses" tab to see exactly what was entered. We also recommend discussing the Decision Guides with your student the week prior, so you are both on the same page before they make their selections.

Q: How do I confirm my child's choices? A: The official verification window is January 13–16. During this time, you will be guided to log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to review the final course requests, confirm selections, and request a change if something is wrong.

Q: If we choose an Honors course and my child struggles, can we switch back? A: We have a drop window during the first two weeks of the school year only. No class changes after the drop period will be made. We encourage students to embrace "productive struggle," as it is a key part of the learning process. Students may choose to take On-Level or Honors at the start of each school year. If they select Honors in 6th grade, they can choose Honors or On-Level for 7th grade. We also want students to be successful. If a student is consistently struggling and failing despite receiving support, a process is in place for extreme cases.

Q: If we choose an on-level course and my child wants to move to honors, can we switch? No - Students may choose to take honors or on-level courses before each new school year. If a student requires differentiation, it will be addressed in the on-level classroom. The official verification window in January is the time to verify and change (January 13-16).

Q: What if my child wants to change a connection's classes? A: We make every effort to accommodate the two specific requests students submit during registration. In addition to these preferences, we rotate students through a mix of Arts, CTAE, Design, and PE courses. This ensures that by the time a student leaves BHMS, they have experienced a diverse range of courses across all IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) subject groups.