Parents are invited to visit schools on Thursday, October 24, 2013  from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Monroe County Schools also will host Parent Conference Night on   March 27, 2014 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in all schools.

The Monroe County Board of Education and Administration of Monroe County Schools desires to maintain an effective working relationship with the news media.

As such, news releases concerning the operations, plans, or programs of the school district will be released from the Superintendent's Office with the approval of the Board as appropriate.  Releases concerning only the functions or programs at individuals schools may be approved by the principal upon consultation with the Superintendent or his/her designee.

News media personnel are to contact school principals to request permission to enter a building to requests interviews, take pictures, or cover an event.

 Please dress comfortably as it relates to your volunteer task, but please remember that as adults, we serve as role models for our students.  To review our dress code for volunteers, click here. The administration reserves the right to make decisions concerning the dress code as situations arise. 

Walk Safely

• Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
• Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. 
• Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk.  Don't run across the street.
• Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
• Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to left as possible.  Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
• Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.

Trick or Treat With an Adult

• Children under 12 should not be alone without adult supervision. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, they should stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.

Keep Costumes Both Creative and Safe

• Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
• Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child's vision.
• Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers. 
• When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls. 

Drive Extra Safely on Halloween

• Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
• Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.
• Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
• Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
• Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours.

A special feathered guest, a carrier pigeon with a message attached, landed at TGScott Elementary this week.  As usual, secretaries Mrs. Neleeta Davis and Mrs. Kim Kendrick gave five star service.  Mr. Ralph Simmons helped in read the code that was attached to the bird, and the secretaries made phone calls and wrote letters making sure the carrier pigeon found his way back home to his owner.

Open Enrollment for the State Health Benefit Plan will open next Monday, Oct. 21, at 12 a.m., and will close on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 5 p.m.  The website for the OPEN ENROLLMENT process is http://www.myshbpga.adp.com. .   This website is now open for registration, but the OPEN ENROLLMENT portion of the website will not be active until 12 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 21.   Once you have registered and beginning Oct. 21, you will be able to make your health coverage selections for the coverage year Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2014.    A Decision Guide which will compare the coverage options should be available through the website when the OPEN ENROLLMENT process begins. For a video that explains the 2013-2014 open enrollment process, click here.  Employees, please review the open enrollment email message that was recently sent to you for more details. 

The Monroe County Board of Education and Administration of Monroe County Schools appreciate continued support our parents and community members provide in an effort to offset expenses to taxpayers by researching and applying for grants on behalf of either the school system or an individual school.   

As such, all grant applications completed on behalf of Monroe County Schools must be submitted to the superintendent or his/her designee for approval prior to submitting the documents to the individual or organization issuing the grant.  Grants submitted will be reviewed based on the use of the funds to enhance the curriculum for students, the appropriateness of the purpose of the grant based on the curriculum and age level of the learners involved, the intended outcomes to enhance student achievement, the requirements for the administration of the grant, and in-kind funding requirements.  Grants sought for a particular school should be submitted to the principal of the school who will review with the appropriate system grade-level assistant superintendent who will then discuss with the superintendent.   

The principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent will gather input from appropriate staff members and review the proposal seeking additional information as needed from the individual or group seeking the grant.  Grants applied for on behalf of the system or group of schools will be submitted to the superintendent for approval.  The superintendent and assistant superintendents will review the grant seeking faculty input where needed and additional information from the individual or group writing the grant.  Data and any other information required for grant completion will be provided when and if the grant application is approved.   

Monroe County Schools adheres to student and family privacy requirements as outlined in the Federal Education Rights to Privacy Act (FERPA).  Monroe County Schools has the right to decline acceptance of grants not meeting expectations as outlined above.  Furthermore, grants which have not gone through the appropriate approval process may be declined or returned to the grantor.

The Give 5 Club at Mary Persons is hosting a "Running for Resources" 5K road race to benefit Monroe County Schools students in need.  This race will take place on November 2nd with a fun run at 8:30 am and the 5K will follow at 9am.  The cost of the race is $20. Pre-register at http://www.macontracks.com or click here to print a race form and mail it in to the school. You can also register the day of the race.  Race shirts will be guaranteed for pre-registered participants.  Come join the fun as we help students succeed in Monroe County!  Click here for the full race entry form PDF.