Dear BCMS Rising Sixth Graders: 

Welcome, Bulldogs, to Bell Creek Middle School!  It is with great pleasure that I welcome you into the halls of BCMS where there is never a shortage of learning and fun.  Our goal each and every day is to provide you with the necessary tools to make sure that you have a successful middle school experience.   

Our administration, teachers, and staff have been working extremely hard this summer to get the school ready for students to return in August. At BCMS, we empower young adults to Believe in themselves and value others in an effort to Create positive communities. Every student will Maximize their potential and Succeed in every area of their education.  Our wonderful sixth grade team, which includes Mrs. Cancro (Senior Teacher/Administrator), Ms. Gathright (6th Grade School Counselor), and Mrs. Cox (Athletic Director) are great resources for you and your family.  We invite and encourage you to use these resources to identify support services available to you at Bell Creek and to learn more information about getting involved in one or more of our athletic programs. Note: If you’re interested in participating in a fall sport, a physical dated after May 1, 2024, must be on file in order to try out. Tryouts for all fall sports (football, cheerleading, girls’ basketball, girls’ tennis, boys’ soccer) start the second week of school, August 26, 2024, Getting involved in extracurricular activities not only affords you the opportunity to showcase your talents and gifts, but it is also a great way to meet new people.  

Finally, a commitment to academic excellence, which includes all areas of education, is a tradition at Bell Creek that we hold in high regard.  We strive to empower our students to succeed both in the classroom and outside of it.  Our amazing team of teachers, front office staff, custodians, and other staff members are ready to show you how great Bell Creek can be, and we are excited to spend the 24-25 school year with you.  

Below, you will find a host of important dates, events, and information to help ensure you have a smooth start to the school year. I am looking forward to meeting you and your parents or guardians in the very near future.  Welcome to Bell Creek Middle School and enjoy the remainder of your summer break. 

Tim Sanders 

Principal 

Welcome to BCMS, Bulldogs!  I am so excited to greet you in the fall!  I am Bell Creek’s ITC or Instructional Technology Coach, so you will see me a lot around the building. Unlike elementary school, as a middle school student, you will be issued a Chromebook and charger that you can take home each day to help you with your school work.  Access to this device allows teachers to create amazing learning experiences and gives you many opportunities to communicate, collaborate, and create. 

Here are some important details related to your assigned Chromebook:

• Chromebooks are the property of Hanover County Public Schools.  Since you will be borrowing it, you need to make sure you are a safe, respectful, and responsible user.

• Chromebooks go home and come back to school every day.  Just like a student’s binder or homework, a charged Chromebook is a part of coming to school prepared.  Tip:  Charge your device next to any personal devices (like cell phones) so you won’t forget to bring it to school.

• Make sure you have either a padded case or a safe place in your book bag to store your Chromebook when traveling between home and school.

• Chargers that will be sent home with you stay at home.  Chromebooks have an excellent battery life, but please make sure the Chromebook gets charged each night.  If you lose your charger, the approximate replacement cost is $35.  

• Please do not put permanent markings, stickers, or labels on the Chromebook.  You can put them on the cover that will be provided, but not the Chromebook itself. The device will be reused next year with different students. 

• Definitely make sure to have a set of headphones/earbuds that PLUG IN for school each day as your teachers may assign videos to watch or projects to create that include sound.

If you have any kind of "issue" with your Chromebook, come visit me in room 123 or Mr. Hostler, our SysOp, in the Technology Support Center in room 156! Otherwise, you can always reach out to me at ccoyner@hcps.us. 

See you soon!

Mrs. Coyner

The World Language Department of Bell Creek Middle School welcomes you to 6th grade!! As a student at BCMS, you will have the opportunity to learn three different languages: German, French, and Spanish! You also have the opportunity of taking World Languages Exploratory. WL Exploratory will take you on a journey around the world, learning a different language each nine weeks. Level one of a language is a high school credit class and will be more rigorous.  

We learn about the people who speak these languages, and we focus on spoken communication so expect to be speaking another language! Our classes require daily study outside of class and use of the language as well as organization and responsibility. In WL Exploratory, you will get a taste of each language we offer. In level one, we focus on talking about ourselves and our families; our school day and pastimes; food at school, home, and restaurants; and clothing. 

Learning a new language is lots of fun, but we would also like to remind parents that, other than WL Exploratory, World Language classes at Bell Creek count as HIGH SCHOOL credit courses.  Please talk with your child and make sure he/she is prepared for the workload and time commitment that go with the responsibility of taking level one in 6th grade.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the World Language Dept. Chair, Maria Stoneman, at mstoneman@hcps.us.