6th & 7th 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.

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)

Leveling Up: Course Requests for Rising 7th & 8th Graders

It is hard to believe, but it is already time to start planning for the 2026-2027 school year! As current Beacon Hill students and families, you know the ropes, but next year brings new opportunities to select new classes, and for our rising 8th graders—potential high school credits.

📌 Please bookmark this SMORE! This is your hub for course descriptions, progression charts, and the timeline for finalizing your schedule.

How the Process Works (In-School Support) We are dedicating school time to ensure every student feels supported:

• Core Academics: During the week of Dec. 12, Math and ELA teachers will facilitate lessons to help students complete their Decision Guides. These will be sent home for your review.

• Electives: Students will view presentations on their Connections options during the school day.

• Selection Day: All current students will make their course requests in Infinite Campus during WIN Time on January 7. The window for course selections will close on January 12th.

• Verification: Guardians will view the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to review and verify selections Jan. 13-16.

🗓️ Key Dates for Returning Families

• Week of Dec. 12: Honors/Enhanced ELA & Math decision guidance sheets sent home.

• Dec. 18: Course Information Webinar for all families (Details below!).

• Jan. 7: Selection Day! Students begin to request courses in Infinite Campus during WIN Time.

• Jan. 12: Selection window closes.

• Jan. 13–16: Course Request Verification (Families confirm choices via IC).

Did you miss the webinar? Check out the recording and presentation below.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, there is a change to the 8th-grade curriculum:

• Physical Science: All 8th-grade students will be required to take the high school credit course Physical Science.

Students in 6th and 7th grade are required to select courses each year in the following core areas:

• Mathematics

• English Language Arts (ELA)

• Connections (Electives)

*** 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 Connections courses, and we will work diligently to accommodate those selections based on state requirements and overall scheduling capacity.***

Check backpacks the week of Dec. 12! To ensure proper placement, all students will complete a self-reflection guide for Math and Language Arts. These forms are tools to help your family decide the best balance of rigor and workload for next year.

What to Review with Your Student:

• Math:

  • Rising 7th: Choosing between Math 7 and Math 7 Honors.

  • Rising 8th: Choices include Math 8, and Enhanced: Algebra: Concepts & Connections (High School Credit, compacted course of 8th and 9th Grade standards).

  • Note: Students with a gifted strength in math must take an Honors or Enhanced course to be served as gifted.

• ELA:

• Rising 7th: Choosing between Grade Level ELA and Honors ELA.

• Rising 8th: Choosing between ELA 8 and Enhanced ELA (High School Credit, compacted course of 8th and 9th Grade standards).

• Note: Students with a gifted strength in ELA must take an Honors or Enhanced course to be served as gifted.

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.

Visualizing the Path to High School For our rising 8th graders especially, the choices made now can impact High School course sequences. We have created visual roadmaps to show how the decisions made at BHMS lead into Decatur High School.

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

Q: What if I am absent on January 7 during WIN Time? A: Don't worry! The window remains open until January 12. Students who miss the WIN time session will be provided support to ensure they enter their requests before the deadline. We will send plenty of reminders!

Q: How will I know what my child selected in Infinite Campus? A: Since students are making selections at school during WIN Time on January 7, we encourage you to log into your Infinite Campus Parent Portal that evening. 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 selection.

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 list of requests. You will be asked to verify that the courses listed match your family's decisions and make any requests.

Q: Who is allowed to take Honors or Enhanced courses? A: All On-Level and Honors/Enhanced 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. Enhanced Math is for 8th grade only. 7th graders may select Honors or On-Level for math and ELA.

Q: Does my child's current teacher recommend them for specific courses? A: No. Teachers do not make formal recommendations or placements for courses. 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: If we choose an Honors or enhanced math course and it is too difficult, 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? A: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: How are the Honors/Enhanced courses different from gifted services, and will gifted still be applied if a child chooses Honors? A: Students identified as gifted will receive their math and ELA gifted services via the Honors Courses; therefore, students who are identified as gifted in math and/or ELA must take the Honors class to receive gifted services in that area in 6th-10th grades. Honors classes will cover grade-level standards and go beyond the standards in appropriate places to increase the rigor and depth of the course.

Q: My child is identified as Gifted. Do I need to select their courses? A: All gifted students will be automatically enrolled in Honors/Enhanced ELA and Honors/Enhanced 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 confirmation of course process.

Q: Are gifted students served in Connections? A: Yes. Gifted students are encouraged to request Journalism or STEM (Advanced Content Enrichment Courses) and receive priority placement in those courses. Depending on course availability and the schedule rotation, gifted students may be selected for these courses to fulfill one of their four required Connections rotations for the year.

Q: How many Connections (elective) courses do students take? A: Students will take a total of four Connections courses throughout the school year. During the request process, students may request two specific Connections preferences. The two selections do not include year-long music program courses.

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: My child will be in 8th grade, but wants to try a music course. Is that an option? A: Yes! Students may start and participate in a music program at the start of each year.

Q: Can I switch my World Language? A: No. The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) is designed for sustained language acquisition. Generally, students continue with the language they started in 6th grade to achieve proficiency. Students may choose a new language when they begin high school; however, they are strongly encouraged to continue with the same language to achieve true proficiency and to position themselves to take IB DP World Language courses in 11th and 12th grades if they wish to do so.

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.

Q: I am a rising 8th Grader. Do my grades count toward high school credit? A: Certain courses taken in 8th grade carry Carnegie Units (high school credit). These grades will appear on your high school transcript. The courses that receive high school credit earned (not counted toward DHS GPA) are Enhanced Math, Enhanced ELA, World Language I/II, and Physical Science.

Q: I am a rising 7th Grader. Do my grades count toward high school credit? A: World Language I is a high school credit course. The courses that receive high school credit earned (not counted toward DHS GPA) are Enhanced Math, Enhanced ELA, World Language I/II, and Physical Science.