AP STEM SCHOOLS: Schools with students testing in at least two (2) AP math courses and two (2) AP science courses (AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics B, AP Physics C, AP Computer Science)

AP STEM ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOLS: Schools with students testing in at least 2 AP math courses and 2 AP science courses and at least 40% ofthe exam scores on AP math and AP science exams earning scores of three (3) or higher.

Orientation for Rising 8th & 9th Graders is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4th at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at MPHS Cafeteria (Main Campus).   The session will cover the new changes to the HOPE scholarship as it pertains to students graduating from high school on or after May 1, 2017.

MCMS seventh grade parents are invited to the MCMS-Banks Stephens Gymnasium at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4.  The focus of the evening will be graduation requirements and HOPE Scholarship changes.

Parents of sixth graders taking Advanced Math are invited to a session on  March 20th at MCMS-WHC cafeteria at 6:00 pm.  This session also will address HOPE requirements.  This will also serve as make-up session for seventh grade parents.  

Ear buds can damage your hearing in the same way as chainsaws and motorcycles. That may be hard to believe because ear buds are so small, but the damage is all in the volume.

Chainsaws and motorcycle engines create about 100 decibels of sound. That much sound can start to damage a person's ears after less than half an hour. An MP3 player at 70% of its top volume is about 85 decibels. Turning the volume up and listening for long periods of time can put you in real danger of permanent hearing loss, an example of a condition called noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). This kind of hearing loss is becoming more of a problem among kids and teens.

Noise-induced hearing loss due to ear buds is 100% preventable if you use them in moderation.

So what does moderation mean when it comes to using ear buds? Doctors recommend the 60%/60-minute rule:

• Listen to music or play a movie or video game at no more than 60% of the maximum volume.
• Limit the amount of time you spend with ear buds in your ears to 60 minutes.

To find out if your ear buds are at a safe volume: Ask people sitting near you if they can hear your music. If they can, it's a sign that your hearing is being damaged. Turn the volume down until people around you can no longer hear it. In addition, listening to music at a loud volume can make you unaware of what's going on around you. That increases your chances of an accident.  

Are There Other Options?

Go retro with headphones. There's a reason they're making a comeback. Sometimes old-school is better.

Headphones that go over your ears can also damage your hearing if you use them too long or play music too loudly. They're just not as much of a risk as ear buds are: Having the source of the sound in your ear canal can increase a sound's volume by six to nine decibels - enough to cause serious problems.

Source: http://www.kidshealth.org