Fuel for Learning
FREE AND REDUCED MEAL APPLICATIONS
Have you returned the new free and reduced price meal application? Get an application at your child's school office or call 478-994-2031. 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.
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BOE Meeting Reminder
The Monroe County Board of Education will meet for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 10 at 7 p.m. in the central office board of education meeting room. For the full agenda, click here.
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What Are Elementary Students Learning this Nine Weeks?
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Walk and Talk with the Superintendent
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 is 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. The group then takes a route through the square and down Montpelier Avenue to MPHS. They finish with a return to Central Office. Please bring your family, and wear clothes for walking.
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 Happenings
Thursday, September 12
First Nine Weeks
Progress Report
September 16-20
ITBS Testing
October 10
Last Day of
First Nine Weeks
October 11
Teacher In-Service Day
(no school for students)
October 14
Fall Break
October 15
First Day of
Second Nine Weeks
October 17
First Nine Weeks
Report Cards
November 14
Second Nine Weeks
Progress Reports
November 25-29
Thanksgiving Holidays
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Superintendent Pack 
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HES Recognizes
Good Behavior
Hubbard Elementary School held their first PBIS class reward of the 2013-2014 school year on Friday, September 6, 2013. Classes that had earned enough Tiger Bucks enjoyed snow cones as their reward! Pictured above are Parent Volunteer Amanda Sosebee passing out snowcones, and Mrs. Markert's class.
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MCMS to Hold First TAPS Meeting of the 2013-2014 School Year
TAPS is a parent-led organization that is "Teachers and Parents for Students." The first TAP meeting series will be held on Monday on both MCMS campuses.
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Visitor/Volunteer Information
In accordance with state laws, our schools 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.
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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.
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PowerSchool Parent and Student Access Apps for Your Phone
PowerSchool, the software that Monroe County School System uses to house student data, has several ways for students and parents to access the student's information. Parents and students can go to the Monroe County Schools PowerSchool website and use the school supplied credentials to access the student's grades, attendance, and teacher-generated notifications.
Through PowerSchool for Students App and the PowerSchool for Parents App, students and parents can now use their iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to access grades and information regarding the student's attendance and progress. These apps are free through the Apple App Store.
These apps require that a parent set up an account to access their child's information, and even if you do not use either app, you'll need to use the following information to get to your child's information in PowerSchool. If you set up an account LAST SCHOOL YEAR, then you DO NOT need to create a new account this year - simply access the parent account that you used last year. See your school's registrar for information on creating your single sign-on PowerSchool account.
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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.
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A Publication of Monroe County Schools
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TG Scott Elementary Celebrates Grandparents
Grandparents were recently invited to TG Scott Elementary School in celebration of Grandparents' Day this month. Grandparents visited classrooms with their students.
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 TG Scott Elementary Receives CGEMC Grant
As of a result of writing a grant, TGScott Elementary received a grant from Central Georgia EMC Foundation in the amount of $1,305.00 to purchase more technology for our school. Three iPad minis have been purchased with the funding from this grant and students are eager to get started using them. |
A Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses: Acne Prevention Tips for Teens
Cleanse
It's important to cleanse your skin daily to remove dirt, oil, and dead skin flakes. Washing your skin also rids the skin of excess oil, which can prevent acne. You will need to use a daily cleanser that contains salicylic acid, if you have oily or normal/combination skin. This ingredient is used in many popular "acne washes" such as the Neutrogena products. Salicylic acid controls oil production and increases hydration.
A cleanser containing glycolic acid can help rid skin of dead cells. It's useful for teens who can't tolerate prescription retinoid creams (like Retin-A and Renova). Read the label to see if your cleanser contains these ingredients.
Hydrate/Moisturize
When you hydrate your skin, you simply add water, such as when washing your face or taking a bath. To moisturize your skin, you add water, oil, or both. Never put heavy cream on oily skin that is prone to breakouts. For oily skin, the moisturizer should be oil-free, but have hydrating qualities. Always apply moisturizers after cleansing and hydrating your skin.
Treat
Many teens need to treat skin conditions such as acne, which occurs when pores on the surface of skin become clogged. This happens when oil glands produce too much oil, and pores get blocked with dirt, bacteria, and debris. Sometimes, moisturizers and greasy cosmetics contribute to the development of acne. Oils or dyes in hair products can worsen acne by blocking pores. While soaps and astringents remove oil from the skin, they don't alter the oil production. Scrubbing the skin sometimes causes irritation, which triggers acne instead of resolving it. Skin products containing benzoyl peroxide may help to treat mild acne if you use sparingly (once daily in the evening). The goal is to treat all oily areas of the face -- forehead,  chin, nose, and cheeks -- not just where you notice pimples.
Some of these products can cause the skin to become dry if overused. Try the topical benzoyl peroxide again the next day. Be aware that you must use benzoyl peroxide daily for a least a month before you'll see the full effect.
Protect
After cleansing your skin, protect it daily from the sun and other environmental factors. Use a moisturizer or foundation with a sunscreen of SPF of 30 or higher year-round. Wearing sunscreen with protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, pants and wide-brimmed hats, while avoiding the sun's peak ultraviolet rays (from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.), may provide some protection against premature aging and skin cancer. Water is an essential part of healthy skin. Normally, hydration moves from the inside of the skin to the outer layer. When skin lacks hydration, it becomes dry and flaky. Without adequate moisture, skin looks dry and dull. No matter what your skin type, if you are unsure how to treat acne or other skin problems, talk to your primary health care provider or a dermatologist. Treating your skin properly each day is the key to avoiding more serious skin problems.
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Join Coach Robby Jones and Coach Jim Waite on Friday, September 13,
as they call all the action against Henry County live .
Mary Persons High School streams home games at
http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/66220. Play-by-play action and color commentary are called by Monroe County Achievement Center's Jim Waite and Mary Persons High School's Robby Jones. This year, Mary Persons broadcasts all home games live an  d in real time on the NFHS Network, and the school plans to expand to all football games, home and away, included in the streamcast next year. Other athletic team events will be featured as students are trained to produce and engineer the events for quality streamcasts. Mary Persons High School football events and other athletic team games will be subscriber-based events, and you can learn more about subscribing to watch the games on your tablet, smartphone, computer, or smartTV at http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/channels/mary-persons-forsyth-georgia/subscribe. Subscribers have the option to use the NFHS app for iPhone. Mary Persons High School will receive subscription funds which will be used to fund student learning opportunities. Student activities like concerts, honors programs, and graduation will be streamed without a subscription requirement.
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 MCMS Students BYOT in Science Class
Ms. Heather Lacefield's sixth grade students are learning to communicate effectively and demonstrate their understanding of the process of the rock cycle in an essay. Students reviewed different types of rock and the processes within the rock cycle. Students were allowed to bring in personal electronics to use for research purposes, and classroom computers were also available for those who did not have their own. Ms. Lacefield also checked out several library books to use as resources. Students were provided with an exemplar essay to show expectations, but after reading we discussed what could be added to make the essay more interesting such as more engaging facts. Students learned foundational concepts of researching and citing sources properly. The students researched a variety of sites on their iPhones, iPods, iPads, and kindles, as well as classroom computers. |
KBS Adopts Cabot the Puffin  KB Sutton Elementary is excited to participate in the National Audubon Society's Project Puffin. This program has restored a former nesting colony in Maine, where Atlantic puffins had completely disappeared due to hunting in the late 1800s. The project is in its 40th year and boasts around 1,000 pairs of puffins on five islands off the coast of Maine.
KBSutton students will be studying Cabot, their adopted puffin, in art class. They will be able to closely monitor Cabot's movements by the small geolocator he wears around his ankle. In addition to learning about science, geography, and conservation, students will be participating in art and writing activities based on their study of puffins.
In addition to the cross-curricular connections to science, the puffin adoption will be a catalyst for art-related writing activities, which will become part of the students' writing notebooks in art. Acting as scientist explorers / researchers, the students will learn about and observe puffins through interactive media such as the Audubon Puffin Cam, which offers live video feed of puffin activity. They will then complete various grade-appropriate writing activities following the writing styles prescribed in the Writing Instructional Guide, accompanied by illustrations as further evidence of their observations. To learn more about the project, see http://projectpuffin.audubon.org http://projectpuffin.audubon.org/adopt-puffin-0
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 TG Scott Students Make Quality Writing a Priority
Students at TGS have been Writing, Writing, and Writing some more! Every student from Kindergarten to fifth grade has had numerous opportunities to express their thoughts and ideas through the writing process. Ms. Amy Calley, the TGS Art teacher, is working hard to incorporate writing throughout her lessons with "Artist's Statements" and by students providing descriptive feedback about their work. Fifth grade students in Mrs. Marie Moore's class and Mrs. Tammy Martin's class have just finished up reading Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street as a springboard to prepare for narrative writing. Students followed up the story with going on a walk around TGS to write about what is "really happening" at the school. The students have enjoyed focusing on the details, supporting details, and idea development of the writing process. |
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Reporting Student Behavior Concerns
If you have student behavior concerns in the school, on school grounds, or on a bus, please contact the assistant principal or principal of the school your child attends to report the issue. When an incident occurs on a bus, the driver will issue a discipline referral to the appropriate school administrator for the student(s) involved. The school administrator will determine the discipline action. The transportation department does not issue consequences for inappropriate behaviors.
Inappropriate behaviors occurring while students are under the jurisdiction of the school system will be addressed according to the progressive discipline plan established in the student codes of conduct for elementary, middle, and/or high school as applicable to each student involved in the behavior. When considering the consequence to be imposed, the administrator will review the severity, intensity, and history of the student involving same or similar types of behaviors.
Individual student behavior issues are not a matter of public record and must be handled according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
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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.
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