A Newsletter for Monroe County Schools

Monroe County Schools announces the Monroe County Schools app, now available for free via the iTunes store.  The android app is in production, and it is expected to be released in April.  Now you can find lunch menus, twitter feeds, calendar events, and more on your iPhone or iPad with simple, easy access.  Click here to download the app for free today.

        

Spring Break is March 31 through April 4.

Staff Makeup Inclement Weather is April 12.

MCBOE Spring Work Session is Tuesday, April 8.  Student and Staff Recognitions are at 7 p.m.

MPHS FFA Spring Plant Sale

 

Potted Annuals and Perennials ($2-$5/ea),  

Trays of Flowers and Vegetables ($8/flat, or $2/6 pack)  

Bones are tough stuff, but even tough things can break. Like a pencil, bones will bend under strain; but if the pressure is too much, or too sudden, bones can snap. A break in a bone is called a fracture. A break can be anything from a thin crack going part of the way through the bone to a bone that snaps into two pieces and separates like a broken tree branch.

When a Bone Breaks

Usually but not always, it hurts to break a bone. The pain is often like a deep ache. Some people may experience sharper pain and some people may not feel much pain at all. Sometimes, people won't even be able to tell that they have a broken bone. If you think you or someone else has broken a bone, the most important things to do are:

• Stay calm
• Make the person who is hurt as comfortable as possible, do your best not to move the injured part.
• If the person has neck or back pain, DO NOT move them at all, call 911
• Take the person to the doctor or hospital, call 911 if the injury is severe

The worst thing for a broken bone is to move it. Moving a broken bone can make the injury worse. If an arm or leg is broken, you can support the area with a splint. A splint keeps the bones from moving, prevents pain and prevents further damage. A splint can be made using umbrellas, pieces of wood and/or sticks or rolled up magazines or newspapers. If a splint is not available, towels or pillows can be used to cushion the area. One important tip: If you're not sure what bone is broken or you think the neck or back is broken, do not move the injured person. Wait until a trained medical professional has arrived.

Different Types of Fractures A doctor might be able to tell whether a bone is broken simply by looking at the injured area. But he/she will order an X-ray to confirm the fracture and determine what type it is. Different Fracture types that the doctor may refer to include:

• hairline fracture: a thin break in the bone
• single fracture: the bone is broken in one place
• segmental: the bone is broken in two or more places in the same bone
• comminuted fracture: the bone is broken into more than two pieces or crushed

To treat a broken bone, the doctor first determines what type of fracture has occurred. Then he will set the bone by realigning it into the bone's proper position, if needed. The next step is to put a cast on to keep the bone in place for about 1 to 2 months in order for it to heal. With breaks in larger bones or when a bone breaks in more than two pieces, the doctor may need to perform surgery and insert metal pins or screws to help set the bone.

Preventing Fractures

Accidents happen, but injuries can be prevented by wearing safety equipment when playing sports or during other physical activities. Building strong bones also prevents breaks. Activities that improve bone strength include:

• Physical exercise, especially jumping and running.   
• Feeding the bones the calcium and vitamin D they need to stay strong. That means drinking milk or eating calcium-rich foods, such as broccoli and calcium and vitamin D fortified foods and drinks.

Source: http://www.kidshealth.org

 

A Message from Monroe County Schools Counselors:  Spring is Coming!

As spring gets underway and the Spring Break is in the distance, there are several ways to enjoy the nice weather and time away from school. Below are a few fun suggestions for the time away from school.

1)     Plant a few flowers- Lively up your indoor or outdoor space by planting a few flowers. Allow everyone to grow a few of their own and watch the progress of the various flowers.

2)   Game Day - Theme days are an easy way plan your time. Have everyone pick their favorite game...mom, dad and kids. The games don't have to be board game, they can be video games. Everyone has to play each game. Keep score or don't. Turn the day into a tournament of champions...or make it all about fun.

3)    Get Outside and Play - Pick an outdoor activity that everyone can participate in. Sports - go skating, sledding, skiing, swimming, play soccer, baseball or basketball. You may also want to take a nature hike, go bird watching, head to the beach, pack a picnic lunch or take a sketch pad into the woods. Is your tween uninterested in being outside? Start with small outings; spend a little time cleaning up your backyard or garden, go for a quick walk to the corner store...find a way to get outside.

4)   Fort Day -Kids love building forts. Bring out the blankets. Build a fort in the living room, basement, bedroom or backyard. Extend the fort building by encouraging your child to name the fort/building, create signage. If the fort is a shop then make the accessories. If the fort is a tree fort, then make some bugs and birds for the fort. Do not knock the fort down quickly. Although it might be taking up most of your living room, let it stand. Watch how the kids keep going back to the fort. They really are magical.

5)   Movie Day - Pick a movie to watch, pretty simple. What about making a movie? Get the kids to write the script, make the props, do the filming and screen their movie at the end of the day. Make some popcorn and watch their movie before the feature film.

Adapted from  

Kitchen Counter Chronicle

Thank you to the Otis Redding Foundation for providing students with musical instruments.

Thank you to the Mary Persons High School Student Focus Group who served as hosts and hostesses for the 2014 Middle Georgia RESA Recruitment Fair.

5th grade biologists at KBS dissected vertebrates and invertebrates in Ms. Jenkins' class. Students were able to identify and examine the physical characteristics of vertebrates and invertebrates in order to understand how these animals are classified.

In addition to using scientific instruments to dissect animals, the groups used iPads and the STAGE app to display their work for classmates.