Principal's Connect Ed Messages

September 4, 2023

Good Evening Brown Summit Middle School Families,

Thank you

I want to thank all our students, staff, and parents for an outstanding first week of school. The students have done an amazing job of getting adjusted to being back into a routine.

Morning Arrival

As we continue to increase the efficiency of students entering the building each day, we want to provide students with a few updates for passing through the scanners. Beginning on Tuesday, September 5, students will need to take three-ring binders, Trapper Keepers, eyeglass cases and umbrellas, out of their bookbag before entering the school. These items will be placed on a pass-through table and manually checked by staff as students pass through the scanner.

Students must also be prepared to scan their OneCard upon entry.

Safety Procedures

During the upcoming weeks, we will practice our school safety and crisis response procedures. Please take a few minutes and explain to your student the importance of listening and following the teacher’s directions quickly so we can practice keeping our entire school community safe and secure.

PTSA Communication

If you missed the PTSA at Open House and would like to become a member, please visit https:// https://brownsummit.memberhub.com.

PTSA Membership Drive

THANK YOU to the families, students and faculty who have joined PTSA this year so far and for all of you who connected with us during the Open House events! Our goal this year is 150 members, and we already have 57 members! If you haven’t already, please take a moment to join us at https://brownsummit.memberhub.com/store. Families, students and faculty are all invited to join.

Join BSMS on Social
If you haven’t already, give BSMS a follow @BSMSphoenix on Insta and Brown Summit Middle School for Advanced Academics on Facebook! These pages are a fantastic way to stay in touch with everything that’s going on at BSMS.

Spirit Events - Save the Dates for Socializing & Earning Funds for BSMS (more details later)

September 23rd: Chipotle @ 1420 Westover Ter, Ste A (4:00-8:00 pm)
October 21st: Skyzone @ 1572-A Highwoods Blvd (1:00-5:00pm)
November 20th: Big Burger Spot @ 510 A Nicholas Rd. (5:00-8:00)
January 18th: City BBQ @ 2647 Lawndale Dr. (11:00am-8:00pm)

Earn Dollars for BSMS While You Shop

Link your Lowe’s Fresh Rewards card HERE (look up by phone number or Fresh Rewards number). Link your Harris Teeter VIC card HERE (our school code is 5637).

Purchase a BSMS Car Magnet

Show your BSMS pride and add some swag to your ride with a BSMS car magnet! Purchase at brownsummit.memberhub.com/store for $7 + $.90 fee and email Liz Sedgwick at essedgwi@gmail.com to let her know and PTSA will direct a magnet to your child at school.

Spirit Wear

Spirit Wear is here (anywayyousayit.com/shop/ols/categories/brown-summit-middle-school), and it's an awesome way to show your BSMS pride AND pick up the REQUIRED PE tshirt. The cutoff for this round of orders will be Friday, September 8 so order ASAP! We recommend ordering PE tshirts even if your child does not have PE until next semester. NOTE: Please do NOT pay shipping as products will be hand-delivered to your child at school. Contact Kelly Simpson at psimpson5@triad.rr.com with any questions.

Reserve the Spirit Rock Today!

Celebrate a special student, teacher, or event with the BSMS Spirit Rock! The rock is visible from NC-150 and the gym, so your child will receive reminders of your message throughout the day. Your $40 donation benefits BSMS AND gets you access to a whole week of the rock! Sign up today at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B44ABAC2FABFE3-rent for your desired week, and we'll email you detailed paint suggestions, guidelines, and payment info.

Middle School Sports - Did you know?
Do you have a student interested in playing school sports? BSMS students are eligible to try out for sports teams at their district middle schools each season. Contact your student's zoned middle school for information on tryouts for fall, winter and spring sports if interested.

September PTSA Meeting

Our first PTSA meeting of the year will be Tuesday, September 19 at 7pm via Zoom. All parents and faculty are invited to attend. We will vote on approving the PTSA budget at this meeting and must have 20 members in attendance to vote. A Zoom link will be shared communications before the meeting.

Feather the Nest Save the Date!

PTSA’s annual fundraiser, Feather the Nest will kick off September 25 and run through October 31. This is a donation campaign where 100% of all donations go to support the students and staff of BSMS through PTSA programs and special events. Details to come in the following weeks–if you'd like to go ahead and give and get this off your plate, you can do so at https://brownsummit.memberhub.com/store.

Questions about PTSA can be sent to Liz Sedgwick at essedgwi@gmail.com.

September 1, 2023

Good evening Phoenix Families, Happy Friday!

I want to thank my team at Brown Summit Middle for the energy and the greatness they brought to ensure all of our students had a great first week of school! I would also like to thank our students and families for your patience and cooperation as we navigated the newness of the first week of school and our new morning procedures.

As a reminder, school is closed for students and staff in observance of Labor Day on Monday, September 4th. Students return to school on Tuesday, September 5th.

Have a great weekend!

August 28, 2023

Dear Phoenix Families,

Please read below for important PTSA Communication.

SpareTime Thank You!

A huge thanks to everyone who came out and joined us at Spare Time Spirit Night! We hope you bowled plenty of strikes and made some new friends. As a result of your support our BSMS PTSA will receive $200 to fund PTSA programs and school events.

PTSA Membership Drive

Join BSMS on SocialIf you haven’t already, give BSMS a follow @BSMSphoenix on Insta and Brown Summit Middle School for Advanced Academics on Facebook! These pages are a fantastic way to stay in touch with everything that’s going on at BSMS.

Spirit Events - Save the Dates for Socializing & Earning Funds for BSMS (more details later)

September 23rd: Chipotle @ 1420 Westover Ter, Ste A (4:00-8:00 pm)
October 21st: Skyzone @ 1572-A Highwoods Blvd (1:00-5:00pm)
November 20th: Big Burger Spot @ 510 A Nicholas Rd. (5:00-8:00)
January 18th: City BBQ @ 2647 Lawndale Dr. (11:00am-8:00pm)

Earn Dollars for BSMS While You Shop

Link your Lowe’s Fresh Rewards card HERE (look up by phone number or Fresh Rewards number). Link your Harris Teeter VIC card HERE (our school code is 5637).

Purchase a BSMS Car Magnet

Spirit Wear

Reserve the Spirit Rock Today!

Middle School Sports - Did you know?Do you have a student interested in playing school sports? BSMS students are eligible to try out for sports teams at their district middle schools each season. Contact your student's zoned middle school for information on tryouts for fall, winter and spring sports if interested.

September PTSA Meeting

Feather the Nest Save the Date!

Questions about PTSA can be sent to Liz Sedgwick at essedgwi@gmail.com.

August 27, 2023

Welcome Back Newsletter

August 27, 2023

Dear Phoenix Families,

The countdown begins for the first day of school on Monday, August 28. We are so excited to have students back in the building on Monday, August 28.

Our school day begins at 8:20am and students will be dismissed at 3:20pm. We encourage students to get to school each day at 8:00am for breakfast.

We have amazing teachers, staff and families, and I look forward to working with each of you to make this year great.

New school years always bring a sense of renewal and promise.

Please be aware that the first week of school is a time for transition and adjustment.

Welcome back and see you on Monday!

A yellow school bus on a white backgroundDescription automatically generated Bus Information

Bus information was available beginning today, Tuesday, August 22, 2023. Please check this information. Parents can access their bus information using any of the tools below:

Here Comes The Bus (HCTB) - Parents must create an account to sign-up to receive bus assignment information. Brown Summit will not be able to utilize the tracking feature of HTCB but your will be able to see your student’s bus information. The GCS school code (87491) and the student ID number. See the attached documents for more information.

In order to prepare you for your student’s transportation needs, we encourage all parents and guardians to claim their PowerSchool Parent Portal account. The PowerSchool Parent Portal will serve as a valuable resource to access essential transportation information for your child and you may access directions on our website at gcsnc.com/Page/17246.

Parents can also call the Transportation Call Center at (888) 511-4427 with any questions or concerns. The Call Center is open Monday – Friday from 6am – 9pm EST.

Traffic Flow

All car riders and carpool vehicles will enter the parking lot from the back of the school via Caber Rd. Please pull forward and drop students off at the sidewalk closest to the main entrance. This is a new procedure for this school year.

New Procedure: Car rider will enter through the main door. This is a new change for this school year.

For car rider dismissal, students should be picked up on the side of A building near the awning that faces the soccer field. Car rider dismissal will follow the same procedures from school year 2022-2023.

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Arrival

As a reminder, students may enter the building at 8:00am and report to their first block class. Student car riders who arrive earlier than this time are asked to remain in their vehicle. Families are asked to be prepared to move quickly when students exit the car. The most efficient way to drop off and pick up your student is the car rider line. Please do not park in parking spaces to drop off your student or allow students to exit your vehicle on highway NC 150. Please pull forward to the sidewalk leading to the main office.

Every morning students will enter and pass through the body scanner.
Beginning the 2nd day of school, students should be ready to present/scan their GCS OneCard which will be provided on the first day of school.
All students should report directly to their 1^st block class unless they need to go to the cafeteria to pick up breakfast and then report immediately to class.
All students should be checked in and seated in their first block class by 8:20am when the instructional day will begin.
Students who arrive after 8:20am should be dropped off at the main office so they can check-in before reporting to class.

Dismissal

All car riders will be kept in the building during dismissal time until their name/number is called for dismissal. The safety of our students is our first and foremost concern. The most efficient manner to pick up students from school is to drive through the carpool line. Car rider tags will be used to alert staff when a student should be sent out to car riders.

Please do not pick up students at any other location than the designated car rider line.
The car rider line closes at 3:40 pm. If you arrive after the car rider line is complete, you will need to come to the front door to sign your child out and the person picking up the student must show a photo ID that matches the name listed on the Emergency Contact Form.
If a student is picked up later than this time repeatedly, alternate arrangements will be needed.

Please review with your student before school how they will be dismissed from school so we can ensure all our students get to their correct afternoon dismissal location.

Transportation Changes

If your child's mode of transportation changes, we must have a written note from the parent/guardian. All emergency requests must be called in to the office no later than 2:00pm.

Early Release

Making sure that all students get home safely is our number one goal, so please make your child’s dismissal as routine as possible. To maximize instructional time, maintain an orderly school environment, and safe dismissal, we are asking that families do not check students out of the front office after 3:00pm, unless it is an emergency. Your cooperation is appreciated.

E-Collect

Now you can update your student information directly through the PowerSchool Parent Portal! Using a new feature called Forms, parents and guardians can make changes to their contact information and medical alerts, provide an absence notice in the event of a student absence, and submit other required paperwork. PowerSchool Parent Portal also gives you access to grades, assignments, and attendance information, right from your phone or computer. All beginning of year forms will be completed on E-Collect.

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Student Schedules

Student schedules are available through the Power School Student Portal and Parent Portal.

Log in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal Account to begin the process. If you need help setting up a Parent Portal account, contact your school’s data manager.

Click on this link to navigate to our Online Enrollment System.
Here is a short video parents may use to learn about navigating ECollect. Ecollect - Parents

Students needing a new copy of their schedule should see their AA teacher.

A green apple and orange lettersDescription automatically generated Lunch Application

There will be a daily charge for breakfast and lunch. You may visit www.lunchapplication.com prior to the start of school to see if you qualify for free or reduced meals.

PTSA Communication

SpareTime Thank You!

PTSA Membership Drive

Spirit Events - Save the Dates for Socializing & Earning Funds for BSMS (more details later)

September 23rd: Chipotle @ 1420 Westover Ter, Ste A (4:00-8:00 pm)
October 21st: Skyzone @ 1572-A Highwoods Blvd (1:00-5:00pm)
November 20th: Big Burger Spot @ 510 A Nicholas Rd. (5:00-8:00)
January 18th: City BBQ @ 2647 Lawndale Dr. (11:00am-8:00pm)

Earn Dollars for BSMS While You Shop

Link your Lowe’s Fresh Rewards card HERE (look up by phone number or Fresh Rewards number). Link your Harris Teeter VIC card HERE (our school code is 5637).

Purchase a BSMS Car Magnet

Spirit Wear

Spirit Wear is here (anywayyousayit.com/shop/ols/categories/brown-summit-middle-school), and it's an awesome way to show your BSMS pride AND pick up the REQUIRED PE tshirt. The cutoff for this round of orders will be Friday, September 8, so order ASAP! We recommend ordering PE tshirts even if your child does not have PE until next semester. NOTE: Please do NOT pay shipping as products will be hand-delivered to your child at school. Contact Kelly Simpson at psimpson5@triad.rr.com with any questions.

Reserve the Spirit Rock Today!

Middle School Sports - Did you know?
Do you have a student interested in playing school sports? BSMS students are eligible to try out for sports teams at their home school each season. Contact your student's zoned middle school for information on tryouts for fall, winter and spring sports if interested.

A close-up of a logoDescription automatically generated

September PTSA Meeting

Feather the Nest Save the Date!

Concerned About Something?

Any time you have a problem or a concern about something that has taken place at school, please contact the school at (336) 656-0432. We welcome the opportunity to speak with you. Teachers may be reached by email and after school by phone after 3:30pm. Because instructional time is valued and appreciated, phone calls will be sent to voicemails when teachers and staff are working with students. Your phone call/email will be returned within 48 hours.

Quick Links

Brown Summit Middle School: School Website

BSMS PTSA: PTSA Website

GCS Athletic Forms: Sports Forms / Forms- Physical, Concussion, Fees and more

Bus Transportation Request: Transportation / Requesting Transportation

Free/Reduced Lunch Form LunchApplication.com

K12 Payment Center: Online School Payments for K-12 | K12 PaymentCenter

August 17, 2023

Dear Phoenix Families,

Interested in forming a PTSA carpool to Brown Summit? Please fill out this form by 11:59pm Thursday, August 17: https://forms.gle/YRtn9U8tTrhQYEhB7. Expressing interest does not compel you to participate in a carpool--this is simply a low-pressure way to be linked with families who live in your community. After the deadline, PTSA will be in touch with contact information for interested families in your neighborhood.

Join the Brown Summit community and connect with friends new and old at Spare Time Spirit Night on Friday, August 18 from 6p to 8p (registration starts at 5:30)! $12 gets you unlimited bowling, shoe rental, and a $5 game card. Advance payment is recommended (at https://brownsummit.memberhub.com/store) but the PTSA will accept cash at the door if needed. All family members welcome.

August 16, 2023

Dear Phoenix Families,

Thank you so much for joining us today for our 6^th grade RISE Orientation & Open House. We hope that you and your student left today more at ease about the transition to middle school and Brown Summit. We also hope that you found each session informative.

As we plan for this event next year, we would love to hear your feedback regarding your experience at the 6th Grade Rise Orientation & Open House on August 16, 2023. At your earliest convenience, please take a few minutes to complete our survey located here. The survey link will be open until August 28, 2023. If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the school at (336) 656-0432. Have a great evening!

August 14, 2023

Dear Phoenix Families,

The transportation department has added additional stops to the Brown Summit Middle School community stop list posted last week. You may find these additional community stops posted to our school website here. You may also find a copy attached to this email. If you need additional support, please call the school at (336) 656-0432.

August 11, 2023

Dear Phoenix Families,

When you support the Brown Summit PTSA, you can be sure your donations go directly towards initiatives that support your child's school community in ways that are needed most, from teacher grants to special events to facility and supply enhancements. We'd love for you to join us! To join the PTSA, just visit https://brownsummit.memberhub.com/store or grab a paper form during Open House. PTSA board members will be present at Open House to assist with membership and chat about your ideas.

Join the Brown Summit community and connect with friends new and old at Spare Time Spirit Night on Friday, August 18 from 6p to 8p (registration starts at 5:30)! $12 gets you unlimited bowling, shoe rental, and a $5 game card. Advance payment is recommended (at https://brownsummit.memberhub.com/store) but we will accept cash at the door if needed. All family members welcome.

Interested in forming a PTSA sponsored carpool to Brown Summit? Please fill out this form by Thursday, August 17: https://forms.gle/YRtn9U8tTrhQYEhB7. PTSA members will be in touch to link BSMS families who live in the same area.

Please take thirty seconds now to go to https://tie.harristeeter.com/together-in-education and link your Harris Teeter VIC Card to Brown Summit Middle School (our code is 5637).

Be on the lookout for Spirit Wear order information coming soon!

August 4, 2023

Dear Phoenix Families,

On behalf of the entire staff and faculty at Brown Summit Middle School, the Center for Advanced Academics, I want to extend a warm and enthusiastic welcome to our new and returning students. I cannot believe we are inching closer and closer to the 2023-24 school year!

Transportation

I also wanted to send a reminder about transportation for the 2023-2024 school year. For the upcoming school year, any newly accepted students (6-8th grade) and rising 7th grade students will utilize community stops. Any 7th or 8th grade student granted a home/neighborhood stop during the 2022-2023 school year, will continue with that home/neighborhood stop. If there has been an address change since last school year, your child will utilize a community stop. No house or neighborhood stops will be made.

You may select which community stop you would like to use from the list located at the school. If you wish to use a community stop, you will still need to complete a Transportation Preference Form. The community stop address will be entered in the AM and/or PM alternate address field.

The Transportation Department spent the summer preparing for buses to hit the road to provide safe, efficient and reliable transportation this school year. In order to prepare you for your student’s transportation needs, we encourage all parents and guardians to claim their PowerSchool Parent Portal account. The PowerSchool Parent Portal will serve as a valuable resource to access essential transportation information for your child and you may access directions on our website at www.gcsnc.com/Page/17246. You are also encouraged to download the Here Comes the Bus app for real-time tracking, allowing you to monitor your child's bus location and estimated arrival time conveniently from your smartphone. The app can be found in the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android), and will be available on August 28. If you have questions or concerns about transportation, please contact our Transportation Call Center at (888) 511-4GCS (4427) or the school.

Open House:

We look forward to seeing 6^th Graders at our 6^th Grade Rise Orientation & Open House on Wednesday, August 16 from 8:30am-12:00pm.
We look forward to seeing you at Brown Summit Middle School’s Floating Open House on Wednesday, August 23 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm for 7^th and 8^th Graders.

Tdap:

If you’re the parent of a rising seventh-grader/senior, this summer will be a busy time of planning for middle school/senior year, but please don’t forget to check one important requirement off your list before the new school year starts on Monday, August 28^th.

Seventh graders/12th graders are required by state law to get an updated Tdap vaccination if five or more years have passed since their last dose. They are also required to have an MCV vaccine. Your student will be asked to show proof of having the Tdap shot and MCV shot when they start school in August. If they don’t get the vaccine and show documentation of it, schools are required by law to suspend them.

Please remember these requirements as you check off your list of the many other things your family will do to get ready for the new school year. It’s just as important as getting your child’s class schedule and shopping for school supplies, so don’t wait to make an appointment. Summer vacation is the perfect time to get the vaccines.

Tdap & MCV are available at your family doctor’s office or by appointment at the

Guilford County Department of Public Health offices. Call 336-641-3245 to schedule an appointment. Offices are located at 1100 E. Wendover Avenue, Greensboro and 501 E. Green Drive, High Point.

General Info:

Students begin the new school year on Monday, August 28, 2023. Please plan to arrive early as traffic may be particularly heavy the first week of school. Students may arrive to school at 8:00am.

Cell Phones

I know middle school can be the beginning of your child's cell phone experience. Please note that we have a "silenced and away" policy for all cell phones, earbuds, air pods, etc. If a student has their electronic device out without the permission of an adult, the device will be collected, and a parent or guardian will need to come retrieve it. Please talk to your child now about making sure their focus is on school while they are there.

Family Engagement:

Research shows that family engagement is critical to student success. Thus, we look forward to your involvement at BSMS. Joining the PTSA is one-way families can become involved.

When you support the Brown Summit PTSA, you can be sure your donations go directly towards initiatives that support your child's school community in ways that are needed most, from teacher grants to special events to facility and supply enhancements. We’d love for you to join us! PTSA board members will be present at Open House to assist with membership and chat about your ideas.

To join the PTSA, just visit https://brownsummit.memberhub.com/store or grab a paper form during Open House.
Please take thirty seconds now to go to https://tie.harristeeter.com/together-in-education and link your Harris Teeter VIC Card to Brown Summit Middle School (our code is 5637). Also, select Brown Summit Middle School PTSA for the smile.amazon.com charity.

Interested in forming a carpool to Brown Summit? The Brown Summit Carpool is sponsored by the PTSA. Please fill out this form by Thursday, August 17: https://forms.gle/YRtn9U8tTrhQYEhB7. PTSA members will be in touch to link BSMS families who live in the same area.

Finally, Join the Brown Summit community and connect with friends new and old at Spare Time Spirit Night on Friday, August 18 from 6p to 8p (registration starts at 5:30)! $12 gets you unlimited bowling, shoe rental, and a $5 game card. Advance payment is recommended (at https://brownsummit.memberhub.com/store) but we will accept cash at the door if needed. All family members welcome.

We are committed to our continued work in meeting the needs of each student and highly value your partnership in achieving this goal.

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer. As always, it's a GREAT day to be a Phoenix!