Monroe County Elementary Schools will host an open house this week for new students. This is a great opportunity for you and your student to visit the school they will be attending this fall and meet the administrative team and faculty. We look forward to meeting you!

New Student Open House Schedule:

Each school will be open for visits from 9:00am until 11:00am on these dates.

• Katherine B. Sutton Elementary-Monday, May 19, 2014
  • 1315 Highway 83 North
  • 478-994-9906
• Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary-Tuesday, May 20, 2014
  • 558 Highway 83 South
  • 478-994-7066
• Thomas G. Scott Elementary-Wednesday, May 21, 2014
  • 70 Thornton Road
  • 478-994-3495

For more information, please visit the Monroe County Schools' Website to access your school's webpage! http://www.monroe.k12.ga.us   

Summer is on its way, but that shouldn't mean books are left on the shelf. When students don't read during the summer months, they lose educational ground - a phenomenon that lowers achievement potential and widens the achievement gap.  Watch the video Monroe County Schools Media Specialist Misti Sikes created.  This video gives details of the reading challenge for families. 

GA Summer Reading Challenge Misti Sikes May 2014

"No student should have to start the school year having fallen behind," State School Superintendent John Barge said. "That's what we know, and that's what we're committed to preventing - because that loss is preventable. When students read over the summer, they can actually make gains in achievement. All of Georgia's students deserve that."

To ensure that Georgia's students don't fall behind while school is out of session, the Georgia Department of Education is working alongside the Get Georgia Reading campaign, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, and the Council of Chief State School Officers to encourage summer reading. Representatives of those organizations announced Georgia's 2014 Summer Reading Challenge today at Timber Ridge Elementary School in Cobb County.

All students are challenged to read every day this summer, for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Parents and students are encouraged to visit the Find a Book, Georgia website and make a Summer Reading Pledge. Then they can use the site to find book recommendations throughout the summer, all tailored to a student's interests and Lexile score. (If the child's Lexile score is not known, the site can estimate reading level based on answers to a few simple questions.)

Suggested summer reading goals for students based on grade levels are:

• K-2 students: 10 books
• 3-5 students: 8 chapter books
• 6-12 students: 5 fiction books and 5 non-fiction books

Students need strong reading skills in order to be successful at school and, later, in the workplace. Research shows that students who read proficiently by the end of third grade are more likely to be successful later in life. Students who fail to meet this milestone falter in the later grades.

Research has found that when children leave the structured environment of the classroom for summer break, many stop reading - and their reading abilities start to slip. Strong readers plateau. Struggling readers fall even farther behind.

Research also shows that summer loss has an greater impact on low-income children, and can widen the achievement gap. Low-income students lose more than two months in reading achievement during the summer months, despite the fact that their middle-class peers make slight gains. More than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income students can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities.

Summer reading also provides a solution to a problem parents encounter during the summer months. It is the most difficult time to keep children engaged and involved in productive activities, many parents report.  A simple solution to that problem is finding books in which students are genuinely engaged - books that are centered around their interests.

2014 Summer Reading Challenge Website:

Information on summer reading loss: http://www.lexile.com/using-lexile/summer-reading/  or http://www.summerlearning.org/?page=know_the_facts 

Sports

• Always wear a helmet when on a horse, bike, skates/skateboard, four wheeler or motorbike.
• Always wear protective knee, elbow and wrist pads when a on skateboard/skates, four wheeler or motorbike.

Water Sports

• Learn to swim-it could save your life someday!
• Always swim with a buddy.
• Never swim without an adult or parental permission.
• Always wear a life vest when on a boat or if you are in the water and cannot swim.
• Do not go in the river or a creek without water shoes. They protect you from cuts and punctures.
• Do not jump in the water unless you know how deep it is and what is in it.

Sun Safety

• Always wear sunscreen and reapply after 2 hours or when getting out of the water.
• Wear a hat and sunglasses on sunny days.
• Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.

General Safety

• Play outside everyday!!!
• Wear shoes when outdoors to protect your feet.
• Wear your seatbelt in the car.
• Watch where you step-snakes are out.
• Learn what poison ivy looks like and stay away.
• Wear insect repellant when outdoors especially from dusk to dawn. That is their feeding time.
• Wear reflective clothing if you are out at night. Avoid wearing dark colors.
• Take a cell phone with you.
• Always tell someone where you are going, who you are going with and when to expect you back.