Georgia School Superintendent Dr. John Barges Visits Monroe County Middle School Banks Stephens 7th & 8th Grade Campus
 
On his recent statewide tour of schools, Dr. John D. Barge, Georgia's State School Superintendent, visited Monroe County Middle School Bank Stephens 7th & 8th Grade Campus on Friday.  Dr. Barge, along with his staff, visited Pre-AP classes, the technology lab, chorus, and business applications classes.  Dr. Barge and his staff commented several times on how well behaved all of the students observed were during instructional and non-instructional settings.
  
Visiting with Dr. Barge from Monroe County Schools were Mr. Anthony Pack, Superintendent; Mr. Jay Johnston, Principal of MCM; Dr. Mike Hickman, Assistant Superintendent MCS; Mrs. Angie Dillon, Assistant Superintendent MCS; Mr. Jackson Daniel, Assistant Superintendent MCS; Ms. Valerie Mercer, Chief Technology Officer MCS; Dr. Gary Walker, Assistant Principal MCMS; Mr. Kevin Yancey, Assistant Principal MCMS; and Mrs. Allison Mitchell, Counselor MCMS.
  

Safety First

Escorting Students

to Classrooms in the Mornings

 

Parents/Guardians:

 

All schools will require ALL parents/guardians to sign-in when walking students to classrooms in the morning.  This will be the official procedure for ALL schools starting Tuesday morning, 8/20/2013.  If you wish to continue to walk your children to their classrooms, you will need to enter the main school entrance, sign-in, and obtain a visitor's badge prior to walking down the hall.

 

Thank you for understanding the purpose behind this new procedure is to ensure the safety of all students, faculty, and staff.

  
An Invitation to Walk and Talk with the Superintendent
  
Beginning Monday, August 19 and Wednesday, August 21, Superintendent Pack invites staff, parents, and community to participate in a special wellness opportunity on Mondays and Wednesday
afternoons.  At 4:30 p.m. on each Monday and Wednesday, Mr. Pack will be walking and talking with families and staff.  The walk begins at central office at 4:30 p.m. with a walk to and from the Education Center.  Then the group will go up to the square and turn left on to Lee Street, to Montpelier Avenue and then through the high school parking lot with a return to the starting point at central office.  The entire walk is approximately 3.2 miles. Mr. Pack invites families with students and small children to join us -- just bring the stroller and make sure that you are dressed for light exercising. 

Start and End Times for Schools

 

7:30 a.m. - Earliest Bus Arrival at Monroe County Middle School (6th Grade at William Hubbard Campus and 7th-8th Grades at Banks Stephens Campus), Mary Persons High Main Campus and Freshman Campus, and Monroe County Achievement Center.  

 

7:45 a.m. - Earliest Bus Arrival at Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary, K. B. Sutton Elementary,and T.G. Scott Elementary Schools  

 

8:00 a.m. - School Day starts at MCMS 6th Grade at William Hubbard Campus and MPHS

Main Campus; Students are tardy after this time.  

 

8:04 a.m. - School Day starts at MPHS Freshman Campus and MCAC;Students are tardy after this time.  

 

8:15 a.m. - School Day starts at MCMS 7th-8th Grades at BS Campus;Students are tardy after this time.  

 

8:30 a.m. - School Day starts at SHES, KBSES, and TGSES; Students are tardy after this time.

_________________________

2:53 p.m. - School Day ends at MPHS Freshman Campus and MCAC  

 

3:00 p.m. - School Day ends at MCMS Hubbard Campus  

 

3:00 p.m. - School Day ends at MPHS Main Campus  

 

3:10 p.m. - School Day ends at MCMS Banks Stephens Campus

 

3:30 p.m. - School Day ends at SHES, KBSES, and TGSES

 

Stay Connected
Follow Monroe County Schools on Twitter

   Twitter      
KBSutton Elementary School iinvites you to Connect With KBS

Visitor and Volunteer Information
Monroe County Schools, in accordance with state laws, requires visitors to report to the school's front office and register.  Additionally, volunteers who serve our schools are required to participate in state-mandated training on an annual basis.  For more information on volunteer training, click here.



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 an archive of past issues of Monroe Messages, click here.

Student School Day/Accident Insurance
Reasonably priced student school day/accident insurance is available to parents of Monroe County School System students through K-12 Student Insurance.  
Parents interested in this coverage -- which supplements coverage for a family's health insurance, or can serve as primary coverage for a child with no other insurance -- may visit the website by following the link below. Here, parents can browse rates and coverage options, register for an account, or ask questions about the products offered.  This insurance is offered for the convenience and protection of MCBOE students and families.  The Monroe County School System does not receive any commission nor benefits from the purchase of this coverage.
Stay Connected

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Pinterest
Monroe County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or sex in its employment practices, student programs and dealings with the public. It is the policy of the Board of Education to comply fully with the requirements of Title VI, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act and all accompanying regulations. As a result, the following people have been appointed to oversee specific areas. Title II, Adult 504, Adult Title IX  Dr. Mike Hickman  25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, GA 31029  478-994-2031  Student and Athletic Title IX Jackson Daniel 25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, GA 31029  478-994-2031 Student 504  Lisa Allred  433 Highway 41 South, Forsyth, GA 31029  478-994-2031 Any employee, student, applicant for employment, parent or other person who believes he or she has been discriminated against or harassed in violation of the above areas must make a complaint in accordance with the procedures outlined in Board Policy GAAA. Copyright 2013.  All Rights Reserved.

MONROE MESSAGES
A Publication of Monroe County Schools

Patricia Coleman is Recipient of ABCD Award
The ABCD Award was presented at Tuesday night's board of education meeting. Pictured are: (from left) BOE Chair Dr. J. Ray Grant, Assistant Superintendent Mr. Jackson Daniel, ABCD Award Winner Mrs. Patricia Coleman, and Transportation Director Mr. John Courson.
The ABCD Program (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) recognizes those persons who go the extra mile to help or provide extra-special customer service to our stakeholders. In most cases, the first contact our students, parents or community has 
with the school system is with the clerical person in the office, with a custodian in the hallway, or with a bus driver out in the community. We recognize that those "first impressions" are vitally important to our stakeholders and to the school system. In the three years the ABCD program has been in place, a number of Monroe County's support employees have been nominated for recognition. These nominations came from working peers, parents, and members of the community. Each year a committee reviews the nominations and the Monroe County Schools Support Services Employee of the Year is honored.

 

For 2013, Mrs. Patricia Coleman, a school bus driver since 2006, is Monroe County's Support Services Employee of the Year.

 

Here are the comments found in the Mrs. Coleman's nomination.

"She is an exemplary driver - dependable, punctual, safe and personable. She handles the children and her vehicle well. She interacts with the children on her bus in a positive way, even displaying their artwork on the bus from time to time." Mrs. Coleman, who has driven a bus in Monroe County since 2006, has been the Transportation Department's "Driver of the Year" two of the last three years. Thank you, Patricia Coleman, for the work you do to support the children of Monroe County, and especially for the way you do it. 

BOE Recognizes Mr. Steve Edwards for 13 Years of Service in Monroe County Schools
Mr. Steve Edwards was recognized at last week's Board of Education meeting.  Mr. Edwards served in a variety of roles in the thirteen years he was with Monroe County Schools.  Mr. Edwards completed his public education career with 32 years of service.  We wish Mr. Edwards the best as he begins a new career chapter with the Georgia Department of Corrections.

BOE Members are pictured with Agriscience Supporters. Pictured are: MCBOE member Mr. Nolen Howard, Mr. David White of Forsyth Feed and Seed, Superintendent Mr. Anthony Pack, MCBOE member Mrs. Judy Pettigrew, Agriscience Teacher Mr. Bill Waldrep, MCBOE member Mr. James P. Evans, Sr., MCBOE Chair Dr. J. Ray Grant, MCBOE member Mrs. Tammy Fletcher, MCBOE member Mrs. Eva Bilderback, Trophy Ford Manager Mr. David Sperau, and Assistant Superintendent Mr. Jackson Daniel.
ELOST Funds Provide New Truck and Trailer for Use in School System Programs
The Monroe County Board of Education surveyed the new Ford truck and animal trailer provided through ELOST funds.  The vehicle and equipment will be used for agriscience competitions.  Mr. Bill Waldrep, program sponsor, previously provided his own vehicles and trailers for use in the program.  Trophy Ford provided the vehicle at the best price found by the system, and the system is grateful to Trophy Ford and General Manager David Sperau for providing the vehicle at the best possible price to the system.

Monroe County Board of Education members and Superintendent Anthony Pack stand in front of a bus recently purchased through ELOST funds. Pictured are: (front from left) Mrs. Judy Pettigrew, Mrs. Tammy Fletcher, Mrs. Eva Bilderback, (back from left) Mr. Nolen Howard, Mr. J. P. Evans, Sr., Dr. J. Ray Grant, and Superintendent Mr. Anthony Pack.  Not pictured:  Mr. Phil Walker.
Board of Education wishes all a great school year
The Board of Education wishes all students and staff the best for the 2013-2014 school year.  The Board of Education meets for its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 10 at 7 p.m. in the Board of Education meeting room at central office.  To review agendas for the meetings, click here.
Monroe County Schools Announces
New Enrollment Requirements
In alignment with districts across Georgia, Monroe County Schools has instituted new enrollment requirements for the 2013-2014 school year.  To review those, click here.  Families which meet the qualifications should call 478-994-2031 to make an appointment to enroll with Mrs. Cindy Seymour. 




Great First Day at Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary School
It's a great first day at an elementary school when the day ends with carline students and the principal singing! Best wishes to Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary School for a great school year!

 A Message from Nutrition Services: Fuel for Learning 

FREE AND REDUCED MEAL APPLICATION - Have you returned the new free and reduced price meal application? Get an application at your child's school office or through the nutrition manager. Only one application has to be completed for each family, and all applications are kept confidential.  If your application is denied, you may re-apply at any time during the year. If you were approved for free or reduced price meals last school year, we must have an updated application on file at the beginning of this school year for your child to continue receiving the benefits.

MCMS Cafeteria recently had a makeover to emphasize wellness, positive behavior,and lifelong health.

 

MEAL PRICES Breakfast prices and reduced meal prices will remain the same, but lunch prices for full-paying students and adults will increase $0.10. The 2013-2014 meal prices are:

Breakfast

 

Lunch 

Elementary:

$1.00

 

Elementary:

$2.00

Middle/High:

$1.25

 

Middle/High:

$2.25

Reduced:

$0.30

 

Reduced:

$0.30

Employees/Adults:

$1.75

 

 Employees/Adults:

$2.95

 


Families can prepay for meals by the week, month, or year. A price list with prices extended for each grade level is available on our website. Pay for meals and check the status of your child's account at http://www.myschoolbucks.com.

 

   

Georgia sees drop in number of cars illegally passing stopped school buses

State officials urge motorists to be cautious as school resumes for the year

 

Each school day across Georgia, thousands of drivers illegally pass school buses when a stop arm is down, endangering children as they enter and exit buses.

 

Data collected voluntarily by districts statewide during a one-day survey in the spring shows that 6,807 vehicles illegally passed stopped school buses, down from 7,349 last year and 8,102 in 2011. Still, the numbers are likely higher than that because not all of the state's 178 school districts with bus programs turned in data.  "I am glad to see the numbers are declining, but more than 6,000 illegal passes of buses with stop arms down is very alarming," State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge said. "I ask the public to please pay close attention to school buses and watch for their stop signals. Student safety should be a priority for everyone in the community, not just parents and schools."  Since 1995, 13 Georgia students have died when they were struck by motorists at the school bus stop.

 

As students across the state return to school, the Georgia Department of Education and the Governor's Office of Highway Safety urge motorists to use caution when approaching a school bus and to brush up on the law regarding passing a bus.  According to Georgia law, vehicles traveling in BOTH directions must stop when a school bus activates its stop-arm on a two-lane road or a multi-lane road with no median or barrier. Vehicles travelling in the same direction as a school bus must always stop, but motorists travelling in the opposite direction can proceed (with caution) when there is an unpaved median or concrete barrier separating the opposing lanes.

 

"The reduction in violations is an indication that more Georgians are learning and obeying the stop arm law," said Harris Blackwood, executive director of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety. "However, this is still too many and we must continue to educate the public in order to better protect our students."

Georgia's survey is part of a nationwide effort by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) aiming to shed light on the dangerous habit of ignoring stop arms on buses. The statewide data was collected April 25, 2013, by 130 Georgia school districts who volunteered to participate.  This year NASDPTS reported that 85,279 stop-arm violations were recorded by nearly 108,000 school bus drivers in 29 states. Those sample results mean that during a 180-day school year, nearly 15 million motorists ignore buses' flashing red lights and stop arms.