Dear Beagle Middle School Families,
Here are some updates that we wanted to share at this time:
Tik Tok Trend, Chromebooks: Unfortunately, there is a TikTok trend promoting students sticking a piece of pencil lead into the USB port of their school-issued chromebooks, which then results in the chromebook to begin to smoke on account of the lithium battery inside. Chromebooks can actually catch on fire and even explode from doing this. We have discussed this with our student body thoroughly, and we have informed our student body that engaging in this behavior will result in school-based disciplinary measures, which could potentially include paying the full replacement cost for the chromebook. We thank our families for continuing this conversation at home along with continuing to monitor social media access, viewing, and permissions. Based on neurological research, tweens struggle with social media (along with other things) because they are driven by emotion, impulse, and peers during this age as their frontal cortex is not fully developed to handle the temptations of the world. Through our joint efforts, we can support our children moving forward to make responsible decisions, thinking before they act.
Bathrooms: As we discussed last week, we have noticed an increase in destructive behaviors in our bathrooms–graffiti; insensitive, hurtful language; and damaged school property . At the end of last week, our administrative team along with members of central office presented to all CNC classes to address this with the student body about respecting each other and school property. We appreciate families continuing to have these conversations on the homefront with their students.
STEAM Showcase: We thank family and community members for attending our Art STEAM Showcase last night! Also, a huge shout out to Mrs. Fredricks, Art teacher, Mr. Jones, Science/STEM teacher, and Mrs. Goodwin, Science/Stem teacher for all of their hard work and efforts to provide this outstanding opportunity in celebrating the work of our students at Beagle. In addition, we wanted to thank all other Beagle staff members and family volunteers that helped with set-up and take-down after the show. Again, a great opportunity for our community and students.
DC Trip Reminders: Just a friendly reminder for 8th grade students and families attending the trip, please be sure you arrive at the Beagle parking lot by 5am on Monday, May 12th. If you still have medication to turn into our medical staff, ensure to arrive promptly at 5am as things will be busy.
Lugnut's Next, Wednesday: Next week on Wednesday, May 14th, our entire building will be going to the Lugnuts game in Lansing via school bus. Students attending the trip are to report to their CNC classes when they arrive in the morning; students will remain with their CNC class throughout the rest of the day. Buses will depart Beagle around 9:15am, and buses will arrive back at Beagle Middle around 2:15pm. We kindly ask that parents do not park in the pick-up loop in the front of the build as our buses will need to use this loop to drop students back off around 2:15pm. Students not attending the trip are to stay home for the day as we will not have staff to monitor them; they will be marked AS and it will not count against them. In closing, we thank our PTO for sponsoring this trip for our students.
Testing Updates: Good news: testing season is over! While we still have some MSTEP make-ups to complete by the end of next week before the window closes, we are by and large done with testing season. Our students did an outstanding job showing grit and perseverance throughout the spring testing season. 8th grade PSAT scores are available to parents and students via the Collegeboard portal; please look for an email sent from Mrs. Hernandez earlier this week for how to access these scores. MSTEP scores will not be made available to schools and families until October of next year; these reports will be sent home with your student. NWEA scores should be posted in PowerSchool via SchoolNet for families to access by the end of next week. We thank our students and families for their continued, positive support throughout testing season!
Grand Ledge Health Clinic at GLHS: Just a reminder that the Grand Ledge Health Clinic, located inside GLHS, is open to support students of all ages for health and counseling needs. Please see the attachment for more information: health center - friday folder.pdf
PTO Meeting: The Hayes/Beagle PTO is making things happen for our students, and we’d love for you to be part of it! There’s no cost to join—just an opportunity to connect, stay informed, and support the programs and events that make our schools great.
Want a say in how fundraising dollars support students? Looking for a fun way to give back? We need volunteers for dances, field trips, teacher appreciation, and more—whether you have an hour or a whole afternoon, every bit helps! Join us and see how you can make a difference
Our next Hayes/Beagle PTO meeting will be on Tuesday, May 20th at 6:30 pm here in the Beagle Media center. Families may also attend this meeting virtually as there is currently a hybrid offering. Please use the following link for more information: https://www.glcomets.net/ourschools/beagle-middle-school/pto/
Upcoming Events, District News, & Community Information: To review what the school district shares in newsletters about events, news, and information, please visit http://GLcomets.net/Upcoming.
Students’ of the Week: Please click on the following link to view this week’s Students’ of the Week: https://www.glcomets.net/ourschools/beagle-middle-school/studentoftheweek/
Please note that the list may not be updated until the following Monday as students are celebrated on Friday mornings.
Upcoming Important Dates:
5/12–8th grade DC trip for participating students
5/14–7th and 8th grade Lugnuts field trip
5/23–No school; teacher PD
5/26–Memorial Day–No School
6/6–Last day of school; half-day
These are all of the updates that we have at this time. Again, we thank you for your continued support. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Take care,
Dave and Kelly
