Weekly Update

This week, Beacon Hill Middle School had the special honor of welcoming representatives from The Wallace Foundation’s Equity-Centered Pipeline Initiative (ECPI) — a national effort dedicated to preparing and supporting equity-centered school leaders. Their decision to visit BHMS was a proud moment for our school community and a recognition of the meaningful work happening here every day.

The visit began with a “Lunch & Learn,” where our Superintendent, Dr. Gyimah Whitaker, and I shared how leadership in the City Schools of Decatur is rooted in equity and opportunity for all students. One of the most powerful moments came during our Student Leadership Panel. Students from groups like YLOE (Young Ladies of Excellence), GENTS (Gentlemen Excelling with the Necessary Tools for Success), and our Principal Advisory Committee (PAC) spoke candidly about their experiences and growth as leaders at BHMS. Hearing their voices affirm our vision of students being Seen, Supported, and Successful was inspiring for everyone in the room.

After the panel, our student leaders guided guests through classroom visits and tours. Visitors saw firsthand the energy, innovation, and care that fill our hallways and classrooms — a true reflection of the BHMS spirit.

I want to sincerely thank our staff and students whose preparation and leadership made this day such a success. Your efforts continue to show the excellence and community that define BHMS.

With appreciation and pride,

Alexis Glenn, Interim Principal

Beacon Hill Middle School

This week, in honor of National Coaches Day, the entire BHMS community gives a huge thank you to our incredibly dedicated athletic coaches!

Our coaches do more than just manage games and run practices—they are invaluable mentors who inspire our student-athletes every single day. They teach the vital lessons of teamwork, discipline, and perseverance that set our students up for success both on and off the field.

On Wednesday, October 29th, from 8:45–11:50 a.m., all 8th grade students will take the PSAT 8/9, an assessment created by the College Board. The purpose of the PSAT 8/9 is to give students an early opportunity to practice and prepare for future college readiness exams, while also helping them identify their academic strengths and areas for growth. No grade will be placed into the gradebook for this assessment. This test is not something students need to study for. It is simply a tool to support their learning journey and guide teachers in providing the best instruction possible. We want students to feel encouraged and confident, knowing this assessment is only one step along the way in preparing for high school and beyond.

The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) has recently been administered to 6th grade students and serves as one of the many tools we use to better understand how each child learns and thinks. It provides helpful insight into reasoning and problem-solving skills, but it is not the sole measure of a student’s abilities. Test results were sent home with your child on Monday 10/6, along with a guide to help you interpret and understand the data as a parent. Our goal is to use this information to support your child’s learning journey and celebrate their unique strengths.

Seventh grade students are invited to gather for great music, snacks and photo opportunities at our fall dance next Friday (October 10) from 4 pm to 5:30 pm in the BHMS Cafeteria. The cost is $5 per student; purchase tickets here. (Add your student’s name in the “Comment” section when you donate.) Snacks and beverages will be sold for $1 each. Please send small bills. We also accept credit cards and most payment apps.

Important Reminder: Students will not be able to leave the dance early. Dismissal will begin promptly at 5:15 p.m., and all students should be picked up no later than 5:30 p.m.

Volunteers/Donations Needed! View our sign-up form here. Purchased items may be dropped off at the Front Office (labeled “Seventh Grade Dance”), or you may ship donations directly to BHMS (marked, “Attention: Seventh Grade Dance”). We appreciate your time and generosity.

Purchase your tickets by clicking here.

The BHMS Football season has officially wrapped up. While the boys finished with a 1-5 record, we are incredibly proud of their effort, as the stats show this has been the best BHMS team post-COVID! This season was a big step forward with some significant highlights:

• Losing Streak Ended: BHMS won its first football game in almost four seasons!

• Closer Games: The team had the closest scoring between games in three seasons, showing their competitiveness.

• Record-Setting Players:

• Elijah Holbrook was the first unanimously voted team captain.

• Adrien Pierson was the first person to lead a game in tackles three separate times (despite missing two games).

• Ta'shawn Barret scored three touchdowns this season, the most by a single player in three years.

• Matthew Kamanga was invited to a city all-star game!

A Special thanks goes out to Ms. Glenn for providing play-by-play announcements at the games. This was a first for BHMS, and her support was noticed and deeply appreciated!

Coaches Jordan Muse and Justin Hardwick, thank you for coaching and leading these young men on and off the field! We also could not have made the season happen without our community coaches Noah Boyer and Billy Jones.

A HUGE congratulations to all of our Cross Country runners for an outstanding regular season finale! At the last regular season meet in Winder, GA, our runners dominated:

• The Boy runners took 1st place out of 17 schools!

• The Girl runners took an impressive 2nd place out of 16 schools!

The team brought home team titles, two trophies, and several medals, along with many new personal best times! We are so proud!

Now, the team is gearing up for the Georgia Middle School State Cross Country Championships in Cochran, GA on Saturday, October 11th! Good luck to the following runners who showed incredible performances in their last meet:

Varsity Middle School Boys race (165 runners)

• 5th place - Cohen Jacobs
• 10th place - Cabot Williams
• 17th place - Isaac Sollie

Varsity Middle School Girls race (150 runners)

• 4th place - Arianna North Councill
• 7th place - Eva Terry
• 9th place - Helena Orozco
• 14th place - Camden King
• 15th place - Jessie Roberson

Get ready to press Start! The 2025-2026 Semester 1 edition of the Bow Wow Arcade has arrived, showcasing the incredible talent of our Computer Programming students in Ms. Bolton's class!

This semester, these young developers have coded some truly exemplary, unique, and creative games. You won't believe the imaginative worlds and clever mechanics that only these budding programmers could dream up!

We encourage you to dive into the arcade and check out their hard work and click the link below.

Celebrate their achievement and explore the Bow Wow Arcade today!

Decatur Commissioner Kelly Walsh dropped by Ms. Gary's journalism classes last week for a live press conference! Students successfully stepped into the role of reporters, gaining invaluable experience in local politics and interviewing skills.

The 2025-2026 Cybersecurity Awareness Poster Contest is now open. This year’s theme is:

“Online Safety is No Game – Play It Smart”

Deadline: October 31, 2025

First-place winners will receive a prize and get the chance to meet State School Superintendent Richard Woods!

Learn more and access contest rules, forms, and resources here: https://url.gadoe.org/tx40x

Let’s work together to keep Georgia students safe online.

#Cybersecurity #PlayItSmart

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. Want a super creative and fun way to make a difference in your community? We're inviting you to participate in the International Dyslexia Association's (Georgia) Rock for Dyslexia Awareness 2025 Competition!

1. Learn & Create: Get involved with some cool, in-class activities to learn about dyslexia.

2. Paint a Rock: Use your artistic skills at home to paint an awesome, eye-catching rock with a dyslexia awareness theme.

3. Spread the Word: Hide your painted rock in your community to raise awareness! (The competition concludes October 31, 2025!)

Get Featured: If you participate, share your work: https://ga.dyslexiaida.org/rock-for-dyslexia/

The high school Decatur Robotics team is hosting this event where you will learn about designing and folding paper planes. The event is free of charge and will take place October 18, 2-3:30pm in the BHMS cafeteria. Participation is limited to the first 25 students. Please register here. For questions, contact us at outreach@decaturrobotics.org.

As coursework ramps up, many middle schoolers stumble when reading complex vocabulary in novels, science texts, or social studies articles. This fall, try turning vocabulary practice into something simple and meaningful, less about memorizing, more about making words their own.

Build a “Word Jar for the Week”

• Have your student jot down unfamiliar or interesting words from class readings or homework.

• Each night, pick one word to discuss, what does it mean in their world? (e.g., “revolt” might remind them of a movie or news story.)
  Keep it lighthearted; connection builds memory better than correction.

Stretch Word Awareness

• Encourage them to use one new word in a sentence at dinner.

• Play “synonym swap”,replace everyday words like good or bad with stronger alternatives.

• Create a “Word Wins” board to track when they use a new term correctly in writing or conversation.

Middle schoolers learn best when words feel relevant, not random. When they own language, they own confidence.

👉 Want grade-level word lists or creative ways to make vocabulary engaging? Reach out to Mrs. Braxton | Reading Specialist at BHMS at tbraxton@csdecatur.net for guidance and additional resources.

This article was written in collaboration with the Decatur PREP Project (Parent Reading Engagement Program) and made available through our partnership with the Decatur Education Foundation the Beacon Hill Middle School PTA and the BradAlTon Foundation for Family Elevation.

Read the October 9, 2025, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

Seventh grade students are invited to gather for great music, snacks and photo opportunities at our fall dance next Friday (October 10) from 4 pm to 5:30 pm in the BHMS Cafeteria. The cost is $5 per student; purchase tickets here. (Add your student’s name in the “Comment” section when you donate.) Snacks and beverages will be sold for $1 each. Please send small bills. We also accept credit cards and most payment apps.

Volunteers/Donations Needed! View our sign-up form here. Purchased items may be dropped off at the Front Office (labeled “Seventh Grade Dance”), or you may ship donations directly to BHMS (marked, “Attention: Seventh Grade Dance”). We appreciate your time and generosity.

Take a night off from cooking and support BHMS by dining at Universal Join Decatur in Oakhurst on Tuesday, October 14. Ten percent of all sales will be donated to our school. Please mention BHMS when ordering. Thank you!

The annual Diwali Celebration organized by the City Schools of Decatur PTA/PTO DEI committees will be held Saturday, October 18 from 5 pm to 7 pm at BHMS. All are invited to attend the event, which features food, drinks, crafts and music. RSVP here.

Our next monthly PTA Board Meeting will be Tuesday, October 21 in the school Media Center. Please note our special start time of 5 pm. We will present committee reports and discuss upcoming activities. All BHMS families are invited to attend. Can’t be there in person? Join us through Google Meet.

Take a night off from cooking and support BHMS by ordering from Universal Join Decatur on Tuesday, October 14. Ten percent of all sales will be donated to our school. Please mention BHMS when ordering. Thank you!

The annual Diwali Celebration organized by the City Schools of Decatur PTA/PTO DEI committees will be held Saturday, October 18 from 5 pm to 7 pm at BHMS. All are invited to attend the event, which features food, drinks, crafts and music. RSVP here.

Sign up for our passive fundraising opportunities, as every little bit helps. Gearing up for the holiday season? Take advantage of this special opportunity with Minted.

Are you a BHMS family or local business owner interested in supporting our school community? (Do you know a business that would like to help?) Then consider becoming a BHMS sponsor. Learn more about sponsorship levels here. Questions? Reach out to our fundraising chair.

The PBIS Store is officially open! Please volunteer to help run the BARK store. It is an easy process, and experienced parents will be there to guide you if you have not volunteered before. We also are always looking for donations to stock our store. Volunteer needs and a link to our wishlist can be found in the links below. Thanks!

• BHMS Website
• Personal Electronics Protocol
• Bell Schedule or Bell Schedule by Grade
• Bus Routes
• Free and Reduced Lunch Application
• BHMS Weekly Updates
• Attendance Routines and Procedures
• Key Contacts

• BHMS Facebook page
• BHMSPTA Facebook page
• BHMSInstagram page
• Grading Quick Facts 6-12
• CSD Grading Handbook
• Grade Level News