The Monroe County School System is currently participating in an on-line auction of surplus equipment.  A variety of items, including seven surplus school buses, garage and maintenance equipment, miscellaneous furniture and several appliances, can be found at

http://www.bidderone.com under Government Surplus.

The auction service, provided by L.W. Benton Company, includes surplus property from several middle Georgia governmental entities.  In all, there are 187 items or lots available at the auction website.

Bidding on the items offered for sale ends at 12 noon on Wednesday, Feb. 13.  

School is a place to learn, not only about math and reading, but also about relationships. Children learn about friendships and social problem solving at school and from you at home. It can be difficult to know what to say to a child who is upset about a disagreement with a friend. Try the following suggestions to turn hurt feelings into a learning experience about friendships.

Although your first instinct may be to protect your child and intervene, helping them solve their own problems in a responsible and respectful way will teach them to be a peaceful problem solver and great friend. Remember, there is always more than one side to a story. Ask your child what their friend might say if we asked them what happened. By putting themselves in their friend's shoes, your child may gain understanding and e in a better position to brainstorm solutions that will work for everyone. Encourage your child to talk to their friends about their feelings. Ask how they can solve the problem without hurting others. Encourage them to take action to resolve the conflict.

 

This week KBSutton stepped up the exercise in the classroom and had a special guest, Ms. Happy Wyatt from the Macon Farmers Market. Happy had the opportunity to teach the children that food can be deceiving. Students were asked if they liked fresh tomatoes and the majority said "No, they did not like fresh tomatoes." They were then questioned if they liked pizza, or dipping their French fries in ketchup and with alarming enthusiasm, they exclaimed "Yes." The fun was in the shock of informing them that pizza sauce and ketchup was made from fresh tomatoes. A similar discussion was made about grits and how it comes from a real ear of corn which prompted many looks of surprise. Students were encouraged to try a new fruit or vegetable during the week and to hopefully create their own healthy recipe at home.

The Monroe County Special Olympics Local Games will be held on March 8, 2013 at the Mary Persons High School Track, beginning at 9am.

Tracy Willis, KBSutton Elementary School Nurse

Norovirus is actually a group of viruses that affect the stomach and intestines causing severe inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Other common names include "food poisoning "or "stomach flu."

Quick Norovirus Facts:

 ● Often begins suddenly and without warning

● May have more than once in our lifetime

● Difficult virus to kill

●Can live on surfaces for weeks

●Not killed by use of hand sanitizer, must use soap and hot water

●Virus can be spread by an infected person even before the person begins to feel sick and up to two weeks after person starts feeling better

●1 in 15 Americans will contract the Norovirus each year; 70,000 persons will be hospitalized and 800 deaths are reported annually from this virus.

Symptoms:

●Severe stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and may also include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of fatigue

●Young children, elderly, and people with other health conditions are more likely to suffer complications such as severe dehydration, hospitalization and even death related to Norovirus

Prevention:

● Hand washing is key. Allison Aiello of the University of Michigan states "most people don't wash their hands properly- it takes about 30 seconds of vigorous rubbing using hot water and soap to wash away the tiny bits of virus, and that means getting under the nails too."

●Norovirus is removed from surfaces by cleaning contaminated areas using bleach-based household cleaner, or you can use a solution made with 5 tablespoons to1 ½ cups of household bleach per 1 gallon of water.

●If you have someone ill in the house and have more than one bathroom-- designate one of your bathrooms in the house as a "sick bathroom" as a way to decrease risk of exposing non-sick persons.

●Also do not share hand towels or bath towels if there is someone ill in the household.

●Persons with Norovirus should not be preparing or handling food items and should stay out of the kitchen for at least 3 days

●Carefully wash fruits and vegetables, and cook oysters and other shellfish thoroughly before eating them.

●Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with vomit or bowel movements.

References:

http://www.cdc.gov/features/norovirus

http://vitals.nbcnews.com/-norovirus-why-washing-your-hands-isn't

Children four years of age on or before September 1, 2013 are eligible to enroll. Placement is made on a first come, first served basis with COMPLETED enrollment. School assignments will be determined at enrollment.  For complete details, see the system website at http://www.monroe.k12.ga.us.