Monroe County Board of Education to Meet Nov 12
Monroe County Board of Education will meet for its fall work session on Tuesday, November12 beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the central office board room. For the complete agenda, click here.
Monroe County Schools invites you to complete the 2014-2015 school year calendar survey.  Your input will be considered as the Board of Education adopts the 2014-2015 school year calendar. Find the survey here.  This survey is set to close on November 11.
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Data from the Georgia Parent Survey will be used to calculate the School Climate Star Rating within the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) to determine a correlation between the student responses on the Georgia Student Health Survey II and school personnel responses on the Georgia School Personnel Survey.  

  

The Georgia Parent Survey will remain open through Friday, January 31, 2014.    The Georgia Parent Survey has 20 questions and it should take no more than 5 - 10 minutes to complete it.  Survey responses are anonymous and will be submitted directly to the Georgia Department of Education for analysis.

 

After you click on the link, a drop-down menu will appear and the parent will use the drop-down menu to select their school district and their school.
To complete the survey, click here.
MCMS Social Studies Night
MCMS Social Studies Night is coming up on Tuesday, November 19. It will be on the MCMS William Hubbard Campus from 6:00-7:30 pm.
A Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses

When More Than a Band-Aid May Be Needed

Submitted by Amanda Bell, MCMS Nurse  bandaid

Do you know what to do next time your child gets a nasty cut or wound?

Rule #1: Stitches need to be placed within 12 hours of the injury. Otherwise, closing the wound increases the risk of infection. So, you've got to decide before the office opens the next morning.

Rule #2: If you cannot get the bleeding under control, or you can see fat or bone (usually deeper than 1/4 inch), you need to seek medical attention.

Rule #3: Cuts to the eyebrows and lip/skin lines usually need stitches for the best cosmetic result. Since both areas have a definite line, you want the two sides of the wound to have the best chance of finding each other.

Rule #4: Injuries to the mouth and lips bleed heavily, but rarely need stitches. All that blood flow to the area also allows the wounds to heal very quickly.

Rule #5: If the wound is due to a human or cat/dog bite, it needs to be cleaned really well and usually require antibiotics. But, these wounds usually do not get stitches.

Rule #6: Wounds that are getting red are tender or are draining need to be seen by a medical provider.

Rule #7: If your child is up to date on his shots, he probably won't need a tetanus shot. But, check with your doctor to be sure.

Rule #8: Sometimes staples or Dermabond (human superglue) can be used instead of stitches. But regardless of which method is used, all wounds need to be kept clean.

Rule #9: Stitches and staples need to be removed and the length of time will depend on the location of the injury. The person who places them will give you specific instructions for follow-up.

Rule #10: Don't freak out! Your child will do better with a calm parent.

Source: http://answers.webmd.com/answers/1190543/when-does-a-cut-need-stitches  

Thank you,
Dr. Clell Morris!

A special thank you to Dr. Clell M. Morris, D.M.D. in Forsyth.   Dr. Morris has donated a Save-A-Tooth Kit to each school in Monroe County.   Dr. Morris is pictured above with HES Nurse Patti Nesmith. 

Monroe Messages
This is the newsletter of Monroe County Schools in Forsyth, Georgia. This newsletter is distributed to over 3000 subscribers every week during the school year.  For an archive of past newsletters, click here.
A Message from Monroe County Schools Counselors
Understanding your Grade Point Average
Submitted by Teresa Roller, Mary Persons High School

A grade point average (GPA) is a calculated average of the letter grades you earn in school following a 0 to 4.0 scale. Throughout high school, you'll also maintain a cumulative GPA, which is an ongoing average of all your grades beginning with freshman year. When you apply to colleges, they will receive a  transcript featuring your current cumulative GPA. Colleges use this number to measure your overall performance in school and compare you to other prospective students.

Your GPA is important for your future because:

  1. For admission, prospective colleges consider both your GPA and your class, which is determined by your GPA. So the higher the GPA, the better your chances are of getting into the college of your choice.
  2. Your GPA is a major consideration for both academic and athletic college scholarships as well as financial aid.

Many colleges want to evaluate your GPA using their own methods. Often, they'll disregard "easy A's" you earned in gym or art class and focus on the fundamentals of your education, calculating your GPA from the grades you earned in science, English, social studies and math. So even if you're acing several classes, it's most important to do well in the core academic classes. Some colleges also look at both your unweighted and weighted GPA's, which means you can't rely on your AP and honors courses to raise GPA.

You can't wait until your junior or senior year to start worrying about your cumulative GPA. Every single class you take during the four years gets averaged in, so your freshman and sophomore year grades are just as important. If every class in the first year or two doesn't go well, then it will be very challenging to graduate with an above average GPA. For example, if you receive all D's or 1.0's in 9th and 10th grade and all A's or 4.0's in 11th and 12th grade, your cumulative average GPA will be 2.5, which doesn't meet the minimum many schools require for admission.

A little planning and hard work during your ninth grade year can go a long way toward a better cumulative GPA and make all the difference when you send in your college applications. In fact, the GPA on your college application may only reflect the first 3 or 3 � years of high school anyway since you'll need to apply before your first semester grades of senior year are calculated.

  • Work hard in your freshman and sophomore years. 
  • While a low GPA won't keep you from getting into college, some four-year colleges do require a 3.0 or higher for admission
  • Don't slack off once you receive your acceptance letter. Your future college will continue to monitor your grades through the end of your senior year and expect a final transcripts.  

http://www.campusexplorer.com/college-advice-tips/BAD94AE7/What-is-a-GPA/  

STEM in the HES Merry Media Center

Students who came to story time during the week of October 28th were in for a treat when they arrived! The students enjoyed listening to the Georgia Book Award nominee title, The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen. During the course of the story, the ship sinks with fifteen circus animals on board. The students had the opportunity to build their own aluminum foil boat and try to make it float. After placing the boat in water, the children added fifteen circus animals (pennies) to see if their boat would continue to float. The students had a fantastic time learning about literature and science in a hands-on way!

MONROE MESSAGES
Monroe County Schools Newsletter
Mary Persons is High5Sports Team of the Week
Fox5Atlanta visited Mary Persons High School on Thursday as the students and staff showed their team spirit.  MP beat out four other teams across the state of Georgia through an online poll process. MP had over 135,000 votes to be this week's Team of the Week. Find more pictures at the https://twitter.com/MaryPersonsHigh feed. Check out the video at http://www.high5sports.com/story/23821051/team-of-the-week-mary-persons-bulldogs.


MC Logo
Parents, Guardians, Students, Faculty, Staff, and Community:
Thank you for supporting Mary Person High School over the last week in voting to have the Bulldogs on Fox 5 Atlanta's High 5 Sports - http://www.high5sports.com .

On Thursday, October 31st, the MP Bulldogs were awarded the High 5 Sports Trophy by Fox 5 Atlanta.  The Pep Rally scheduled for the award presentation was a HUGE success. The Bulldog Marching Brigade, Cheerdawgs, MP Student Body, MP Faculty and Staff, and Community turned out for the awarding of the trophy and an awesome event in preparation for Friday Night's Regional Championship Game against Veterans High School, Warner Robins.

In less than 36 hours, the MP Administration, Faculty, and Staff prepared for the Pep Rally.

As Superintendent, I want to extend a sincere thank you to our AWESOME community for supporting Mary Persons High School and Monroe County Schools.  Your continued support shows how much you care about the boys and girls of Monroe County.

Superintendent
Monroe County Schools
Southern Rivers Energy Provides E-Book Grant
Southern Rivers Energy provided Mrs. Margie Pierson, MCMS Media Specialist, a $784 grant for e-books.  Congratulations!  Pictured above are:  Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mike Hickman, Southern Rivers Energy representatives, MCMS Media Specialist Mrs. Margie Pierson, and MCMS Principal Mr. Jay Johnston.
KBS PK Students Have Public Safety Tour

PreK classes of Mrs. Marquita Self and Mrs. Alisa Helms recently visited the Fire and Police Station in Forsyth. They had a great time and learned a lot about community helpers.


MCAC Students Win State Contest

There are two winners from Monroe County Achievement Center who placed in the 2013

Statewide Fire Prevention Week Contest. These are: London Bryant - Third Place Statewide Fire Safety Essay contest winner for ninth grade, and Michael D. Brown - First Place Statewide Fire Safety Essay contest winner for tenth grade.

MCMS Emphasizes Anti-Bullying this Week

MCMS celebrated Anti-Bullying this week with an array of activities, but this activity is one of the student's favorites. Each student draws their hand, cuts it out, and write their name on it. Then each hand goes on the school wall for "In the Hands of Time be a Friend and Not a Bully." MCMS students and staff wore purple to support Anti-Bullying!  

Hubbard Elementary has GAPSS Review
Monroe County Schools participate the Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards (GAPSS) Analysis, an onsite assessment of a school's progress toward meeting the School Keys.  The latest analysis was at HES last week. The School Keys are Georgia's standards for schools and describe what Georgia's schools need to know, understand, and be able to do, in the same manner that the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) describe what Georgia's students need to know, understand, and be able to do.


Open Enrollment for Health Benefits is open through November 8.  Open Enrollment for the State Health Benefit Plan will close on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 5 p.m.  The website for the OPEN ENROLLMENT process is here. Through November 8, you will be able to make your health coverage selections for the coverage year Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2014.  A Decision Guide is available through the website.

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.