BGMS Bulletin
November, 2025
November Family Newsletter
A message from your admin team
Dear Bison Community,
We truly appreciate every opportunity to partner with you, our BGMS families. Children thrive when the adults in their lives are on the same page, supporting their growth and success together. Your involvement means the world to us!
We want to celebrate some of the wonderful highlights from October:
- Fall sports thrilled with many exciting moments and achievements for our student athletes. Thank you to the students, coaches and families that made volleyball, cross country, cheer and football possible. It was a wonderful fall sports season!
- Our FFA chapter recently took a memorable trip to Indianapolis, expanding their horizons and learning beyond the classroom. Thank you to Mrs. Lotts for your extraordinary leadership.
- We’re also proud to share that the BGMS FFA represented our school with distinction by leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the October Board of Supervisors meeting. Thank you FFA!
- We had 11 students audition for Valley Honor Band, with four students selected, and another earn a first alternate selection. These are extraordinary results! Kudos to Mr. Evans and all of our band students!
- We held our first pep rally of the year, and it was a fantastic way to build school spirit and community. Thank you to everyone who helped make it so special!
- The BCC celebrated our staff with Crush floats to celebrate the end of the first quarter. Thank you BCC for taking care of our community!
- We had two talented students compete in the Bob Hanson Young Artist Competition on Sunday, October 26th! Congratulations to Natalia Blakeney on winning first place. She will perform with the Stonewall Brigade Band in their winter concert on December 15th!
November can sometimes feel like a challenging month for students and families alike. After being in school since August, it’s natural for students to start thinking ahead to the upcoming holiday breaks. However, this is a crucial time to reinforce our high expectations—both academically and behaviorally. The extra effort students put in now will pay off in improved grades, positive behavior, exciting opportunities, and overall happiness.
As we move through November, let’s keep encouraging our students to stay focused and motivated. Let's look at everything that is so wonderful about our beautiful part of Augusta County and encourage each other. Together, we can make this a successful and joyful month for all.
We feel fortunate to work alongside you and your students, and deeply appreciate every chance to make BGMS Bison Strong TOGETHER!
Student Testing and Events 11/5 - 11/7/25
- Monday, 11/3
- No School for Students
- Tuesday, 11/4
- No School for Students
- Wednesday, 11/5
- 3:30 - 7:00 - Auditions for Spring Musical - Cinderella
- 3:15 - 4:30 - MS Girls Basketball Open Gym
- Thursday, 11/6
- School Picture Make-Up Day
- 3:15 - 4:30 - MS Boys Basketball Open Gym
- Friday, 11/7
- Activity Day
- Science 7 Test
- Math 8 Test
We love chances for families to participate in the life of BGMS. We have many opportunities throughout the year for families to join us on field trips, supervise events and help in classrooms. If you would like the school to have a volunteer form on file, please download the attached form, fill it out, and send it back to school with your student.
STOPit App
As the year begins, we want to remind you that STOPit is still here to support your student’s safety and well-being. The app provides a safe, anonymous way for students to report concerns, get help, or find resources—anytime, anywhere.
With STOPit, students can:
- Submit a Tip — Share something serious without giving their name
- Crisis Text Line — Connect 24/7 with a trained mental health counselor
- Resources — Access help for needs like food, shelter, bullying, or anxiety
Your encouragement can make a difference—please take a moment to remind your student how to access STOPit:
- Open the app or download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play
- Search for our school in the list or enter the school code
- Accept the terms—and they’re ready to go!
Thank you for helping us keep our school community safe and supported.
ACPS School Communications Between Home and School - 2025-2026
BGMS PARENT ORGANIZATION
BISON COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Calling all parents! The Bison Community Council is our new parent organization and they need your participation.
The mission of the Bison Community Council is to:
● Support the teachers, staff, and students of Buffalo Gap Middle School;
● Encourage family and community involvement in the life of the school;
● Promote a culture of volunteerism and engagement within the school;
● Strengthen relationships between the school, families, and the greater Buffalo Gap
community.
Please consider ways you can help support our school this year. Many hands make light work!
BGMS loves the BCC! Thank you for making everyone's Halloween sweeter!
UPCOMING EVENTS
See Sports Section Below for Athletic Schedules
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MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS
Middle School Basketball
Middle School Basketball is underway! Students must have updated (May 1, 2025 or later) VHSL physical, concussion and athlete's pledge forms submitted to participate in ANY basketball activity. Please see Mrs. Sanger with any questions or email her at jsanger@augusta.k12.va.us.
OPEN GYM TIMES - 3:15 - 4:30 pm
TRYOUT TIMES - 3:15 - 5:00 pm
SEE DATES AND TIMES BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS
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Tentative Middle School Basketball Schedule
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Cafeteria Information
Breakfast and Lunch are offered free again this year for ALL students. A la carte items can be purchased during your student's lunch period. Students may either pay in cash or by having money on their account.
Safety
Students and visitors will enter the building and move through our weapons detectors daily. Just as last year, note that zippered binders are not permitted due to weapons detector procedures. Regular notebooks/binders and zippered pencil pouches are acceptable; however, some items must be removed from the backpack and reviewed by our staff at the detector stations. Items such as Chromebooks, umbrellas, glasses cases, large scissors, and certain other metal items must be removed before students are able to pass through the detectors.
Chromebook Charging
Students are asked to charge their Chromebooks each evening so they are ready for use each day.
Cell Phones/Smart Watches
Cell phones and smart watches can be a huge distraction in the educational setting. Since our students have Chromebooks, they have all the technology they need for the academic setting. Phones and smart watches must be turned off and stored in backpacks, and students are not allowed to use these during the day at school. If you need to contact your child for an emergency, please call the front office. Students may also come to the office to call home if needed.
RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
BGMS FAN GEAR!!
Looking for some BGMS Gear? CLICK ON THE PHOTO ABOVE! We've got you covered! Shenandoah Awards and Apparel has created a merch store with several designs for purchase. Some designs have our HERD acronym and others contain the logo or another BGMS design. All orders can be placed online, but they will need to be picked up at Shenandoah Awards and Apparel, 220 Frontier Drive, Staunton, VA 24401. Buyers will receive an email when orders are ready. More designs and products will be added. Join the HERD and get yours today! Click the picture above to be linked to the store.