The Transition & Resource Fair is for students with disabilities and their parents.

  

The Transition & Resource Fair is an event for parents and students.  Families get the opportunity to speak with college and agency representatives about their options after high school.  Vendors representing colleges, technical schools, employment, independent living, healthcare, Medicaid waivers, and many more will be participating.

  

Free supper will be provided for students and their families, so please RSVP to Leslie Gavin.

  

Sponsored by:  The Department of Instructional Student Support

  

For more information, contact:  Leslie Gavin, Parent Mentor at 478-994-2031 x.1615

 

Vote every day from now until March 15th for the Hubbard Elementary School video entry for the Follett Challenge. The entry is called "The Merry Media Center: A Recipe for Student Success." You will need to enter your e-mail address to vote each day. 

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

MPHS has published a presentation for upcoming freshmen (current eighth graders) and their families.  Find the presentation here.

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 full details of PreK registration, see http://www.monroe.k12.ga.us.

  Pat Hightower, TGScott Elementary Assistant Principal and Counselor

 Here are some practical ways to make your child's screen time more productive and safe. 

TV Time:

• Limit the number of TV-watching hours. Don't allow your child to watch TV while doing homework. Treat TV as a privilege that kids can earn.
• Watch TV with your child and preview programs. Make sure the programs are appropriate before your children watch them.

Video and Computer Games:

• Look at the ratings and preview the games or even play them, before letting children play. The game's rating may not match what you feel is appropriate for your child.
• Use game time as a privilege and reward

     Internet Safety:

• Keep the computer in a common area where you can monitor your child.
• Establish reasonable rules for computer use and post them near the computer as a reminder.
• Spend time online together and bookmark your child's favorite sites.
• Teach your child to never give out personal information on the computer.

The average American eats 14 pounds of chocolate per year. Popular mythology says that chocolate is good for your heart and that dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate. But is it true?

 

Several studies have suggested that dark chocolate has some potential heart health benefits including decreasing blood pressure and blood clotting, reducing the rate of heart disease and diabetes and lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body.

 

Dark chocolate is rich in a group of antioxidants called Flavanols. Flavanols lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation in the body. They even help protect skin from the effects of the sun but don't throw away your sun screen! Flavanols give chocolate a bitter taste and are often removed by candy manufacturers.

 

Small amounts of chocolate can be part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. One ounce of dark chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa daily produces the best health benefits. More chocolate on a daily bases results in unwanted extra calories and can increase risks to your health. So enjoy your chocolate in moderation.

Source

MONROE MESSAGES is published weekly during the school year.  It is an electronic newsletter that provides parents, community, students, staff, and others to learn more about Monroe County Schools. 

MONROE MESSAGES is distributed to over three thousand subscribers. 

For more information, send correspondence to Monroe Messages.   For an archive of past issues of Monroe Messages, click here.

MONROE MESSAGES

A Publication of Monroe County Schools

BOE Recognizes Friends of Education

At the February Board of Education meeting, Friends of Education were recognized. 

Mr. Todd West of Heritage Healthcare was recognized at the Board of Education meeting. Pictured (from left): Mr. Jim Finch, MPHS Principal; Ms. Sandy Colwell, CTAE and Federal Programs Director; Mrs. Penny Howard, Healthcare Science Teacher; Mr. Todd West, Heritage Healthcare; Dr. J. Ray Grant, BOE Chair; and Superintendent Anthony Pack.

Mr. Todd West of Heritage Healthcare was recognized for Heritage Healthcare's partnership with the Health Occupations Program of Mary Persons High School.  Mrs. Penny Howard, MPHS Healthcare Science Teacher, nominated Mr. West and Heritage Healthcare.  She stated, "Mr. Todd West is the administrator at Heritage Healthcare of Forsyth. He and all the employees at Heritage Healthcare have been very gracious to provide clinical experience activities for my advanced students and this allows them to actually apply the skills learned in our classroom. They get the chance to practice infection control techniques, measure vital signs, and to work with residents that have a variety of ability levels. Our CNA level students also utilize Heritage Healthcare for their clinical experience and this helps them on their way toward becoming certified and ready for employment. Heritage hires quite a few of our students after they become CNAs."

The Board of Education also recognized Ms. Judy Bell of Retina Associates for her partnership with the MPHS Healthcare Science Program.  Mrs. Penny Howard, MPHS Health Occupations Teacher, also nominated Ms. Bell.  She stated, "Mrs. Judy Bell is the office administrator for Retina Associates in Macon, GA and she works for Drs. Nelson, Allee and Bachhawat. They are the premier retina doctors for the whole southeastern region of the United States. Mrs. Bell has made it a priority to hire, train and mentor many of our students. They use skills such as registering patients, filing charts, monitoring blood pressure and well as receive training in use of high-tech equipment to assist the physicians as they see patients. Some of our Work-Based Learning students go straight to work before going to school while others get out of school early to go to work. Our students love working with them so much that some continue their employment on throughout their college years!"

David and Julie White, owners of Forsyth Feed and Seed, were recognized. Pictured (from left) are: Mr. Jim Finch, MPHS Principal; Mr. Bill Waldrep, Agriculture Education Teacher; Ms. Sandy Colwell, CTAE and Federal Programs Director; Mr. David White, Forsyth Feed and Seed; Mrs. Julie White, Forsyth Seed and Feed and Monroe County Schools Teacher; Dr. J. Ray Grant, BOE Chair; and Superintendent Anthony Pack.

David and Julie White of Forsyth Feed and Seed were also recognized as Friends of Education.  They were nominated by Mr. Bill Waldrep, MPHS Agriculture Education Teacher.  Mr. Waldrep wrote of the couple in his nomination, "David and Julie White have been supporters of the Agricultural Program and our FFA Chapter for as long as I have known them. Our families met for the first time at a lamb show and have been really good friends ever since. Even before Jessica (the Whites' daughter) got into our high school and the FFA, the Whites' were big supporters. They have assisted hauling livestock projects, chaperoning trips to competitions, and helped sponsored livestock shows. They were a big part in the planning and foundation of our FFA Alumni. We honored David and Julie in 2011, with Honorary Membership in our FFA Chapter. They are wonderful supporters, but the name Friends of Education is the best, because they truly are friends."

The Board of Education also recognized Parent Leaders at its February meeting.

  

The Board of Education recognized Hubbard Elementary School Parent Leaders. Pictured are: Sandy Colwell, CTAE and Federal Programs Director; Susan Wood, Parent Coordinator, Superintendent Anthony Pack; Blair Hickman, Treasurer; Latier Gray, VP for Family Engagement; Angie Dillon, Assistant Superintendent; Trellis Grant, Corresponding Secretary; Karen Leverett, PTA President; Dr. J. Ray Grant, BOE Chair; and Dr. Marcy Hunt-Harris, HES Principal. Also recognized, but unable to attend were: Recording Secretary, Keri Hill; VP for Fundraising, Kathleen Crownover; and VP for Membership, Melanie Sosebee.

KBSutton parent leaders were recognized at the BOE meeting. Pictured (from left):  Sandy Colwell, CTAE and Federal Programs Director;  Carol Miller, Parent Volunteer; Superintendent Anthony Pack; Laura Moore, Parent Volunteer; Lynn Dean, PTO President; Angie Dillon, Assistant Superintendent; Diana Haire, Parent Coordinator; Michelle Bogulski, PTO Vice President; and Dr. J. Ray Grant, BOE Chair. Also recognized, but unable to attend were:  Jennifer Cooper, Parent Volunteer; Patti Gainey, Parent Volunteer; Sherrill Henderson, PTO Secretary; Brandi Pye, PTO Treasurer.

TGScott Parent Leaders were recognized at the BOE Meeting.  Pictured are:  Ms. Sandy Colwell, CTAE and Federal Programs Director; Dr. Virginia Wilcox, PTO Treasurer;  Mrs. Jenny Young, PTO Secretary; Superintendent Anthony Pack; Mrs. Marci Sink, PTO Vice President; Mrs. Angie Dillon, Assistant Superintendent; Mrs. Lisa Marshall, PTO President; Ginger Baldwin, Parent Coordinator; Dr. J. Ray Grant, BOE Chair; and Dr. Richard Bazemore, TGScott Principal.

 

  

MCMS Parent Leaders were recognized. Pictured are (left): Dr. Mike Hickman, Assistant Superintendent; Mr. Jay Johnston, MCMS Principal; Ms. Sandy Colwell, CTAE and Federal Programs Director; Mrs. Kelley Butler Freeman, Parent Coordinator; Dr. Virginia Wilcox, Mrs. Sheri Baker, Mrs. Tammy Rafferzeder, and Mrs. Angela Perkins-Davis, Dr. J. Ray Grant, BOE Chair.

 

Superintendent Anthony Pack and Monroe County Schools personnel recently visited with Monroe Reads volunteers.  

Superintendent Pack congratulated the volunteers on their success in registering children. Monroe Reads with Ferst is now sending books to half of the children in Monroe County under five years old. Registered children receive high quality, age-appropriate books and activity newsletters every month at no cost to families. Pack said this is a great achievement and will pay dividends for these children and the school system for years to come. Pack commented that the Monroe Reads with Ferst program is the best volunteer program we have in Monroe County to help prepare our children for achieving success in school.  

Jane Walker, current chair of the group, is a retired teacher who spent many years working with Monroe students. This program exposes children to reading and vocabulary at the earliest ages, helping them enter school prepared for learning. 

 

Monroe Reads with Ferst is an affiliate of the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy. The Ferst Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that conducts a state-wide program and operates through Community Action Teams (CAT). The local CAT registers children and raises funds to purchase the books and pay the mailing costs. It costs the Monroe County Team $28 to purchase and mail the twelve books to one child for one year. 

 

Over 7,715 books were mailed to Monroe County children in 2012. Monroe Reads expects to mail over 9,700 books to children in Monroe County during 2013. Walker said that Monroe Reads with Ferst needs donations to help pay for books and newsletters that will be mailed. Donations may be mailed to Monroe Reads with Ferst, P.O. Box 815, Forsyth, GA 31029 with checks made out to Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy. All donations are tax deductible.