Principal Welcome Back to Families

The wait is almost over! Our halls have been far too quiet this summer, and we could not be more thrilled to open our doors and welcome our students back to school this coming Monday.

Our teachers and staff have been working tirelessly to prepare bright, inspiring classrooms and exciting learning opportunities. We are stepping into this new school year with fresh energy, high expectations, and a deep commitment to making sure every student feels supported, challenged, and celebrated.

Whether your family is returning or joining us for the very first time, thank you for partnering with us. Together, we are going to make this school year extraordinary!

Get a good night’s sleep, pack those backpacks, and we’ll see those smiling faces bright and early on Monday morning!

Sincerely,

Alexis Glenn

Principal

The Beacon Hill Middle School Leadership Team (SLT) is an elected committee consisting of Beacon Hill parents/guardians, staff members, a community member, and a district representative. The purpose of the SLT is to make decisions that support the continuous improvement of the school in accordance with the provisions of the District Charter.

The SLT is focused on school governance, student achievement, and family engagement. Some of the responsibilities of this team are to:

• Participate in personnel interviews and decisions

• Review and give feedback on the school budget

• Approve and monitor the School Improvement Plan

• Review assessment data for school decisions

• Assist with accreditation and improvement reviews

We currently have one vacancy on our SLT parent members.

If you’re interested in joining the SLT, please submit a bio/purpose statement to Principal Glenn by Friday, August 7, 2026, at aglenn@csdecatur.net

As we begin the school year, the safety of our students and staff remains our top priority. Please take a moment to review our updated Safety & Security Letter and watch the short video to learn more about our procedures and how to talk with your child about these procedures. Your partnership is key to ensuring a safe and smooth start for all.

Safety & Security letter

Safety & Security Video

Screening Times: Screening begins at 8:15 a.m. and concludes at 8:45.

Times may fluctuate as we adjust for the first week. We anticipate that the process will become even more efficient as our new staff and students adapt to this procedure and returning students recall last year's process.

At the City Schools of Decatur, the safety of every student is our highest priority. We appreciate the ongoing support from our school community

Students in grades K-8 will not be allowed to use cell phones, smartwatches or other personal electronic devices during school starting this school year. Devices brought to school will be kept in cell phone lock boxes for grades 6-8.

To help our staff manage our new cell phone lockers efficiently, we need to accurately account for the devices coming onto campus.

📋 What We Need From You

Please complete the quick Google Form linked below to notify the BHMS administration if your child will be bringing a personal cell phone or smartwatch to campus:

👉 BHMS Personal Device Notification Form

🔍 How This Information Will Be Used

• Locker Assignments: Advisement teachers will use these responses to assign specific cell phone locker slots to students.

• Accurate Record-Keeping: This helps us maintain an organized system to ensure all stored devices are accounted for throughout the school day.

💡 A Quick Reminder of the Policy:

• Cell Phones: Must be turned off and kept in designated cell phone lockers during the day.

• Smartwatches, Earbuds, & Tablets: Must be turned off and stored in standard student lockers.

⚠️ Important Reminder: City Schools of Decatur is not responsible for personal devices that are lost, stolen, damaged, or misplaced. We encourage families to carefully consider whether a device truly needs to be brought to school.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us minimize distractions and maximize meaningful learning and face-to-face interactions at BHMS. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out or visit csdecatur.net.

To improve safety and traffic flow, Beacon Hill Middle School has updated its arrival and dismissal procedures for the 2026–2027 school year. Please take a few minutes to review the attached Morning Drop-Off and Afternoon Parent Pick-Up traffic maps before the first day of school.

🌅 Morning Arrival

• Parent Drop-Off: Front of the school (College Avenue entrance)

• Bus Drop-Off: Rear bus loop

🌇 Afternoon Dismissal (NEW Procedure)

• Parent Pick-Up: Rear parent pick-up loop

• Bus Pick-Up: Front of the school College Avenue entrance)

These changes are designed to separate parent and bus traffic during our busiest times, creating a safer and more efficient experience for everyone.

Important Times to Remember

• Doors open: 8:15 a.m.

• First period begins: 8:45 a.m.

• Dismissal begins: 3:45 p.m.

• Students must vacate the building by 4:00 p.m. unless they are participating in a teacher-led after-school activity.

• There will be no student checkouts after 3:15 p.m.

Please review the maps carefully and follow all posted traffic directions and staff instructions. Your cooperation will help us ensure a smooth arrival and dismissal process while keeping our students, families, staff, and neighbors safe.

Families and students can now view final schedules for the upcoming school year through the Infinite Campus student and parent portal. You'll find team, teacher, and room numbers directly on these schedules. Please bring a copy or have it accessible for the meet and greet on July 30. You'll need these to walk through your child's schedule with them.

Click here for Infinite Campus information/assistance.

Limited Corrections Form Now Available

We want to make sure every student has a complete and appropriate schedule before the first day of school on August 3rd. We will not make schedule changes based on a change in course preference or based on teacher preference.

The form to submit errors is now available and will be open ONLY for the following scenarios:

• A student who has a period that is missing a course.

• A student who has two of the same courses.

• A student who is enrolled in an ELA or Math course that they did not request (honors/on-level/Enhanced).

• Please Note: If your student is scheduled for PE, you will see both PE and Health in the same period. That is intentional. Do not report as an error. Students should have the same teacher for PE/Health.

Additional Note: This form is NOT for requests to change world language, be with friends, or change connections courses.

Important: Class schedules will not be adjusted for friend pairings, team assignments, or specific teacher requests. Such requests will not be considered.

Important: Connections courses last 18 weeks (except music). You can request two of your four annual courses. If a requested course isn't in your first-term schedule, it will likely be placed in the second semester

We have redesigned our time together around three core pillars:

• WIN Block Continues: We are continuing "What I Need" (WIN) time directly scheduled to offer targeted academic support and enrichment.

• Advisement: Students will have structured time to anchor themselves, build community, and stay organized.

• Staggered Lunch & Brain Breaks.

Technology at Beacon Hill Middle School is a powerful tool for collaboration and innovation. Our goal is to ensure every student is set up for success while developing healthy, independent digital habits.

🚀 Getting Started: The 1:1 Chromebook Program

Every student receives a Chromebook, a protective cover, and a charger at the start of the school year.

• Distribution Schedule:

• 7th & 8th Grade: August 3

• 6th Grade: August 4

⏰ Daily Routines & Responsibilities

To keep learning seamless, students are expected to manage their devices with the following daily habits:

• Charge at Home: Chargers should stay at home. Teachers provide classroom "away stations" to safely store devices, but they do not provide chargers. Please ensure your student fully charges their device every night.

• Case Always On: The protective cover is mandatory and must remain on the Chromebook at all times to prevent damage.

• Nightly Curfew: To encourage healthy sleep hygiene, all BHMS school devices automatically shut off from 9:30 PM to 7:00 AM.

🛡️ Safety, Filter, & Accountability

We take digital safety seriously and provide multi-layered oversight to keep students focused and secure.

• Closed Communication: Student email access is strictly limited to internal CSD accounts. No external correspondence is permitted.

• Content Filtering: Our school network utilizes the Lightspeed Systems internet content filtering system, fully meeting the requirements of the federal Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

• Classroom Oversight: Teachers use the Lightspeed classroom management system to monitor student screens in real time, set specific guardrails (like limiting open tabs), and push relevant learning materials directly to devices during class.

• Financial Liability: Families may be held financially liable for up to $250 for intentional damage to school-issued devices.

🛠️ Need Help?

• Tech TLC Station: If a device is broken or a student needs assistance with digital hygiene, they can visit the Media Center for hands-on support.

• Assignment Questions? Please reach out directly to your child’s classroom teacher.

• General Tech Inquiries? Contact our school's Instructional Technology coach and Gifted Specialist, Robyn Tibbetts, at rtibbetts@csdecatur.net.

• More Info: Visit the official BHMS Technology page on our school website.

To help our students prepare for success, we have consolidated all grade-level and elective supply requirements into one central place found here. Please select your student's grade level or specific "Connections" course below to view the detailed list of required materials.

Important Reminders for Parents

• Individual Materials: Students are expected to maintain their own personal supplies, such as pencils, pens, and binders, throughout the school year.

• Connections Requirements: Some elective classes, such as Band, Chorus, and Orchestra, may have specific instrument-related needs that will be communicated directly by the teacher or at the start of the semester.

• Subject-Specific Items: Please pay close attention to requirements for specific subjects like Math (calculators), Science (special notebooks), and World Languages.

If you have any questions regarding these lists, please reach out to your student's specific teacher via email or grade level administrator.

Click For Athletic News!

We send our weekly newsletter, the BHMS Weekly Update, to families every Thursday through Blackboard, utilizing SMORE for its design and distribution. To ensure you receive these important updates, please verify that your email and contact information is accurate in Infinite Campus. In addition, teachers will share newsletters with important grade-level information that is also embedded in our weekly newsletter.

The Beacon Hill website is another valuable resource, regularly updated with news, events, and helpful information for families.

Click here for CSD back-to-school information for all ages.

• BHMS
• Bell Schedule
• Bus Routes
• Free and Reduced Lunch Application
• Infinite Campus Parent Portal
• Annual Data Update
• BHMS Weekly Updates
• Attendance routines and procedures
• Key Contacts

• BHMS Facebook page
• BHMSPTA Facebook page
• BHMS Instagram page