Congratulations to Tamarkis Taylor of TGScott Elementary School and Timothy Wiggs of Monroe County Middle School.  Both of these new teachers join an elite group of Georgia educators who have recently been recognized by Georgia Power.  They are among the 42 new teachers statewide to receive $1,000 New Teacher Assistance Grants from Georgia Power.   

Congratulations to MCMS Teacher Timothy Wiggs (center). He is pictured with (l-r): Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mike Hickman, Superintendent Anthony Pack, Mrs. Theresa Robinson of Georgia Power, MCMS Principal Dr. Efrem Yarber, MCMS Assistant Principal Pat Hightower, and Dr. Edward Hill, Dean, College of Education of Fort Valley State University.

Congratulations to Mrs. Sandy Watson, our STAR Teacher for the month of November. She was nominated by Mackenzie Pye.  STAR stands for Superbly Talented and an Amazing Role Model.  Mrs. Watson will be featured on our Knightly News show next week.  

Mrs. Watson is the chorus teacher at KBSutton Elementary School.  She is the 2014 Teacher of the Year for KBSutton Elementary School.   Additionally, she serves on the system's GLISI (Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement) 2014-2015 Team.  

Seventeen students from the Monroe County Achievement Center recently went on a college visit to Central Georgia Technical College in Macon. Here is what a few of them had to say about their experience.

"The tour of the college was helpful to me because it allowed me to see how a college campus is setup. I was able to learn about the courses they offered as well as the requirements needed to be accepted."-Colton King

"I think the trip was great and I learned a lot about the school that I didn't know. I like the fact that everything about the school was hands on work and not just sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher lecture."- Johnathon Nicholson

"I learned many useful things including a lot about computers and how they work. Going into the technology lab was very interesting to me because I got to see some of the first computers ever made. Visiting this college really influenced my decision on where to go to school"-Joe Thompson

"Central Georgia Tech is an opportunity to become a better student and the staff shows that they care. The programs there seem very promising. I like the daycare that they provide which is a good thing for students that have children."- Decorius High

1st Annual Winter Hitting Clinic Mary Persons High School

Ages: 1st Grade-8th Grade

Saturday, January 10th, 2015  9:00am-2:00pm

(Camp Shirt and Lunch provided)

The camp will be conducted by Ty Megahee (Mercer University assistant baseball coach), the Mary Persons Coaching Staff, and a variety of current Mercer Baseball players. The First Annual Winter Hitting Clinic will be conducted at the Mary Persons Baseball Facility on the campus of MPHS.

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is implementing the Georgia Student Growth Model (GSGM) in order to provide an additional perspective of student learning, improve teaching and learning, and inform accountability and educator effectiveness. Historically, Georgia's assessment system has only enabled educators and other stakeholders to ask questions such as, "What percentage of students met the state standard?" or, "Did more students meet the state standard this year compared to last year?" The GSGM will allow Georgia to move beyond questions about status to ask critical growth related questions such as:

• Did my child grow more or less than academically similar students?
• Is my child growing as much in math as in English?
• Is my child on track to reach or exceed proficiency?

The GSGM report will provide you with Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs). SGPs describe how much academic progress your student made relative to academically-similar students -other students across Georgia with the same achievement history - from one state assessment to the next. This provides you with an apples-to-apples comparison on how much growth your student demonstrated, relative to other students who started in the same place. With this model, all students have the ability to demonstrate all levels of growth. The public growth model visualization tool is located at http://gastudentgrowth.gadoe.org .   

 The Hour of Code is December 7 as a part of Computer Science Education Week which is December 8-14.  Computers and mobile devices surround us in our personal lives, in our schools, and in our workplaces, but computer science is still new for many computer users.  The Hour of Code is an international initiative to change this.  There are lots of great coding resources in the links below including some "unplugged" coding opportunities which require no computers or devices.  Most of the activities outlined do not require a full hour, and most do not require any previous coding experience. Join us by coding with your child this week!  (No experience necessary for you or your student.) 

See http://www.tagedonline.org/georgia-day-of-code/  for Georgia resources.

http://youtu.be/rH7AjDMz_dc  Official 2014 video.

http://code.org/educate/hoc   Ideas for coding.

https://learn.code.org/   All about coding in schools. 

http://studio.code.org/s/frozen   The characters from Frozen help students code.

Hour of Code for High Schoolers https://codehs.com/hourofcode/   

Hour of Code Ideas for Middle School http://csedweek.org/learn   

Mrs. Jennifer Bain's class recently won a $25 gift card to Powell's Books because they entered "Mrs. P's Be A Famous Writer Contest!" Mrs. Bain's class submitted Max Nickel's story entitled "Time Warp."  Max is pictured at right with Mrs. Bain.  Mrs. Bain's class is pictured below. 

Wash your hands often.

Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Wash your hands with soap and clean running water, and rub them together for at least 20 seconds. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands.

Cold temperatures can cause serious health problems, especially in infants and older adults. Stay dry, and dress warmly in several layers.

The holidays don't need to take a toll on your health and pocketbook. Keep your commitments and spending in check. Balance work, home, and play. Get support from family and friends. Keep a relaxed and positive outlook. Make sure to get proper sleep.

Whether you're traveling across town or around the world, help ensure your trip is safe. Don't drink and drive, and don't let someone else drink and drive. Wear a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle. Always buckle your child in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt appropriate for his/her height, weight, and age.

Avoid smoking and breathing other people's smoke. If you smoke, quit today! Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or talk to your health care provider for help.

Exams and screenings can help find potential problems early, when the chances for treatment and cure are often better. Vaccinations help prevent diseases and save lives. Schedule a visit with your healthcare provider during the holidays for needed exams and screenings. We want your child here and healthy. Ask what vaccinations and tests you and your family should get based on age, lifestyle, travel plans, medical history, and family health history.

Children are at high risk for injuries. Keep a watchful eye on your kids when they're eating and playing. Keep potentially dangerous toys, food, drinks, household items, choking hazards (like coins and hard candy), and other objects out of kids' reach. Learn how to provide early treatment for children who are choking. Make sure toys are used properly. Develop rules about acceptable and safe behaviors, including using electronic media.

Injuries can happen anywhere, and some often occur around the holidays. Use step stools instead of climbing on furniture when hanging decorations. Leave the fireworks to the professionals. Wear a helmet when riding a bicycle or skateboarding to help prevent head injuries. Keep vaccinations up to date.  Most residential fires occur during the winter months. Keep candles away from children, pets, walkways, trees, and curtains. Never leave fireplaces, stoves, or candles unattended. Don't use generators, grills, or other gasoline- or charcoal-burning devices inside your home or garage. Install a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector in your home. Test them once a month, and replace batteries twice a year.

With balance and moderation, you can enjoy the holidays the healthy way. Choose With balance and moderation, you can enjoy the holidays the healthy way. Choose fresh fruit as a festive and sweet substitute for candy. Limit fats, salt, and sugary foods. Find fun ways to stay active, such as dancing to your favorite holiday music. Be active for at least 2˝ hours a week. Help kids and teens be active for at least 1 hour a day.  Adapted from http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HealthyTips/.