Family Communication Archive
Dear Beagle Middle School Families,
Here are some updates that we wanted to share with you at this time:
April 9th, PSAT for 8th Grade: As we have shared in previous newsletters, 8th graders have completed “Digital Readiness” for the PSAT test, which is a State Standardized Assessment, that will take place on Wednesday, April 9th in the AM. Students will use their chromebooks to take the assessment just like MSTEP and NWEA via an application known as Blue Book, which they explored during “Digital Readiness.” If students want to engage in the practice test prior to the actual PSAT, they may do so using the test ticket we provided them during Digital Readiness. The PSAT assesses student performance in both ELA and Math, taking the place of the MSTEP for these subject areas. The PSAT is a timed assessment, unlike the MSTEP, with a structured break between the two assessments. The ELA portion of the test is comprised of 54 multiple choice questions, and students in standard time testing rooms are provided 64 minutes to complete this section of the test. After the ELA portion of the test, students are provided a 10-minute break. The Math section of the assessment is comprised of 44 multiple choice questions and built-in calculator use (within Blue Book) is permitted for this test; students are provided 70 minutes to complete this assessment in standard time testing rooms. Students with approved accommodations in accordance with their IEP or 504 plans will test in accommodated sessions per the requirements of College Board. In short, College Board requirements for this assessment are very lock-step and regimented, resulting in us having to utilize the entire building and staff for testing the morning of April 9th. In addition, instruction cannot go onward during the day until all extended time rooms have finished testing. We appreciate our PTO providing snacks for our 8th graders the day of the test, and it’s important to note that students may absolutely bring nut-free snacks of their own along with water bottles to their testing session. If students bring cell phones to school that day, testing proctors are required to have students turn them in at the front of the room, verifying they are turned off per College Board requirements. After testing is completed, our 8th graders will have lunch, engage in recess, and then attend all six classes on an altered schedule, which will begin at noon.
April 9th for 7th Graders, Delayed Start: As noted above, the testing requirements set forth by the College Board for the PSAT do not allow us to feasibly have our 7th graders on campus in the morning. Therefore, 7th grade students will be on a delayed start on April 9th. We will receive 7th graders at 11:50 am that day, and classes begin at noon following an altered schedule for all six classes (no CNC). Unfortunately, given the timing logistics and constraints in giving the PSAT, we will not be able to provide lunch to our 7th grade students. 7th grade students should be sure to eat lunch at home before coming to school. 7th grade students that ride the bus will be provided transportation to school on April 9th as transportation will be making two runs that day; bus drivers will inform their 7th grade students in advance approximately when they will be picked up at their specific stop. Students and family members can also track the location of their bus using the “Stop Finder” application. We apologize in advance for the inconvenience this causes to our 7th grade families.
2nd Trimester Honor Roll: Our 2nd trimester Honor Roll list has been updated on our website. Please click here to view: https://www.glcomets.net/ourschools/beagle-middle-school/honorroll/
Choral Festival Update: As we shared last week, our Choir students engaged in Choral Festival last week on Thursday and Friday. We wanted to take this opportunity to share the outstanding results: 7th and 8th grade Tenor Baritone and 8th grade Treble Choirs scoring 118 out of 120, and the 7th grade Treble Choir scoring a perfect 120! Congratulations to our Choir students and a huge shout out to Mrs. Burton, Mrs. Karkau, and all of our Choir family members for supporting this event! Well done!
8th Grade Washington DC Trip, Family Member Meeting: There will be an informational family member meeting for DC trip attenders on Wednesday, April 16th at 6 PM in the Beagle Cafeteria. It is highly recommended that family members attend this meeting if their student is attending this trip to ensure a positive experience.
Anti-Vaping Education Session for Families: Grand Ledge Public Schools, Eaton RESA, and the Barry-Eaton District Health Department are holding a free Anti-Vaping Education session for families on 4/9 from 4:30pm-5:30pm. Family members interested in attending this session should sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1AH6h4lVIR08Bgtmd6KkOZzWgIuwErk4WwsykwRSqaS4/preview?edit_requested=true
PTO Meeting: We thank our families that attended the previous PTO meeting; your support is appreciated. We wanted to take this opportunity to remind our families that attendance at PTO meetings does not require an every month commitment; family support and input is appreciated whether it’s attending one or several PTO meetings. Our next Hayes/Beagle PTO meeting will be on Tuesday, April 8th 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:
3/21-3/31/25–Spring Break, No Students, includes Teacher PD on the 31st
4/1/25–Classes Resume
4/9/25–8th Grade PSAT in the AM; 7th grade delayed start, arriving on campus at 11:50–no lunch for 7th grade. Classes for all students begin at Noon.
4/16, 4/17, and 4/18/25–8th Grade MSTEP, Social Studies AND 7th Grade MSTEP ELA
4/23/25–Spring NWEA, ELA
4/28 and 4/29/25–8th Grade MSTEP, Science
4/30/25–Spring NWEA, Math
5/5, 5/6, and 5/8/25–7th Grade MSTEP, Math
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
