BMS Patriot Press

Berkmar Middle School will provide students with quality, rigorous instruction that will develop critical and creative thinkers who will take ownership of their education in order to be successful lifelong learners.

The mission of Berkmar Middle School is to pursue excellence in academic knowledge, skills, and behavior for each student, resulting in measured improvement against local, national, and world-class standards.

3 R’S Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Ready!

Greetings, Patriot Families,

Happy Friday!

It's been another amazing week here at BMS. The first semester is in full swing, and we are working hard to ensure teaching and learning are occurring.

We continued our Berkmar Connects (Advisement, SEL, and PBIS) lessons. Student learning focused on team building, diversity, inclusion, and computer device care. As we move throughout the year, we look forward to our continued partnership.

You can help BMS by:

• asking your student about school.
• checking his/her grades via ParentVue.
• keeping regular communication with teachers.
• having your student attend Wednesday Help Sessions at 8:20 a.m.
• ensuring your student attends provided support opportunities.

I wish everyone a Happy Labor Day weekend. Please enjoy this time with your student and take a moment to check in with him/her regarding school.

We look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday, September 3th. As always, we appreciate your continued support.

Your Proud Principal,

Felecia Jones

School attendance is important because it shows students that being present and on time for learning is an expectation, not a choice. Georgia state law (HB 1190) requires that students between 6-16 years old must be enrolled in school (public, private or homeschool). Excessive absences may result in legal consequences for the student and the parent/guardian. Let’s work together to make a positive impact on attendance by reviewing our attendance policies.

What do I do when my student is absent?

Please submit an excuse note within 5 days of your student returning to school. For an absence to be excused, a parent note, or medical excuse must be turned into the student's grade level office upon student's return to school. If you know that your student will be absent for more than 3 days, please contact your grade level counselor and teachers as soon as possible.

What are excused and unexcused absences?

• Excused Absences: Student illness, serious illness, death in immediate family, court order by government agency, religious holidays, military deployment & medical appointments.
• Unexcused Absences: Failure to attend school, with or without the knowledge of the parent/legal guardian, for reasons other than those specifically outlined as excused absences.

What does the school do when my student is absent?

• Families of students having more than 15 unexcused absences last year will be notified and grade level counselor will work with those families to decrease absences this year.
• At 3 unexcused absences, you will be contacted by your child’s homeroom teacher.
• At 5, 7 and 10 unexcused absences, a letter will be provided to notify you of the absences.
• After 10 or more unexcused absences, a Student Attendance Review Committee (SARC) meeting will be scheduled to create an attendance plan. This committee includes teachers, counselors, administrators, and our social worker.
• Families with excessive tardies and early check outs will be contacted by grade level counselor for support.

What is the school doing to support attendance?

• Incentives for students with good and perfect attendance.
• Support for families who are having problems with student attendance.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s attendance or if you child is experiencing problems that impact their attendance, please contact your grade level counselor for support as soon as possible.

September 2- Labor Day (Student/Staff Holiday)

September 4- Volleyball: Berkmar vs. Pinkneyville (Away)@ 6:00 pm

September 5 - Title I Annual Meeting at 5:30 pm

September 5 - Curriculum Night at 6:00 pm

September 9- Volleyball: Berkmar (Home) vs. Lilburn) @ 6:00 pm

September 20- Digital Learning Day #1

GCPS School Calendar - English

GCPS Student Calendar - English

Calendars in other languages can be found on this GCPS page.

We are pleased to announce that the Free and Reduced Lunch Application for the 2024-2025 school year is now available for BMS families to complete. It is important for students to have a nutritious meal throughout the day to support their learning and overall well-being.

Please use the following link to complete your application:

SY25 Online Free & Reduced Application.

SPANISH:

Atención Familias de Berkmar: Solicitud de Almuerzo Gratuito o Reducido para el Año Escolar 2024-2025

Nos complace anunciar que la Solicitud de Almuerzo Gratuito o a Precio Reducido para el año escolar 2024-2025 ya está disponible para que las familias Berkmar Middle la completen. Es importante que los estudiantes tengan una comida nutritiva durante el día para apoyar su aprendizaje y su bienestar general.

Utilice el siguiente enlace para completar su solicitud:

SY25 Online Free & Reduced Application.

• Do you have access to the ParentVue?
• Do you have a MyPaymentsPlus account?
• Have you applied for Free and/or Reduced Lunch, if applicable?
• Do you know when and where your child can go to get additional instructional support?
• Do you know where you can check out materials/resources to use at home with your student?
• Do you know how to become a volunteer in our school?

If you answered no to any of these questions, please make an Appointment with Pilar Silva, our Parent Instructional Coordinator, in the BMS Parent Center.

You can receive ParentSquare message notifications 3 ways: email, text, or in the phone app. The GCPS website has a page that explains how to setup or change your notifications. We encourage you to go in to your ParentSquare account and make sure that you are getting the notifications in a way that makes the most sense for you!

Click the link and make sure you are getting notified.

Parents can use their smartphones to access ParentVUE to find grades, schedules, and more! Please click here for more information on downloading ParentVue.

https://www.gcpsk12.org/families/parent-vue

Greetings Berkmar Middle School Families and Welcome Back!

Did you know that middle school counselors enhance the learning process and promote academic, career and social/emotional development? School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set informed career goals and realize full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community.

At Berkmar Middle School, we have one counselor per grade level. Joycelyn Harris is our 6th grade counselor and also serves as our lead counselor. Lasha King supports 7th grade and Jennifer Feinberg is our 8th grade counselor. As a team, they support a variety of schoolwide programs such as PBIS, MTSS, attendance and mentoring.

Our Counseling Department is looking forward to working with you this year and making an impact on your child's academic success!

Joycelyn Harris

joycelyn.h.harris@gcpsk12.org

770-279-6404

Lasha King

Lasha.King@gcpsk12.org

770-638-2313

Jennifer Feinberg

Jennifer.Feinberg@gcpsk12.org

770-638-2319

6th Grade students purchased goodies from the PBIS Treasure Box using Berkmar Bucks. Students earn Berkmar Bucks when they are observed demonstrating Ready, Responsible, and Respectful behaviors.

If you are interested in supporting PBIS this year, please send donations to the grade level counselor.

6th- Ms. Joycelyn Harris

7th- Ms. King

8th-Ms. Feinberg

Each BMS student will receive a GCPS assigned chromebook for use in class and at home to support their instructional needs. It is the family’s responsibility to monitor the use of the device to ensure that the device is returned in the condition in which it was received.

GCPS has created a 1:1 Parent Support Site to provide further information on chromebook use as well as parent and student responsibilities.

GCPS will assess fines for lost and/or damaged chromebooks and chargers. Please note that incidents of damage or loss do not reset each school year.

Resources:

Student 1:1 Support Site

Parent 1:1 Support Site

Parent and student rights and responsibilities

Students will not receive another chrome book until all fines have been paid.

Book Mobile 5K and Fun Run: It's a Fall Event!

We are excited to announce the annual Book Mobile 5K & Fun Run! The event, previously held in May, has moved to the fall and will take place at the ISC on Saturday, November 2, 2024.

The Book Mobile program depends on sponsorships and donations to purchase new books to give away at school events. Did you know that schools only pay $1 per student who selects a brand new book to take home and keep? Support our mission to get books into kids' hands by registering or making a donation.

• Register or donate here

• If you have any leads for a sponsor, please email Jan Wilson. Sponsorship grid for Book Mobile 5K & Fun Run

• Book Mobile Fact Sheet

Follow Us On Social Media

Want to stay connected with BMS? Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BerkmarMS127. Follow us on Facebook Berkmar Middle. Updated communication and parent newsletters may be found on these platforms. Additionally, our school website is another great resource for learning more about our school.

Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=2086
Location: 4355 Lawrenceville Highway, Lilburn, GA, USA
Phone: 770-638-2300