In observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, Monroe County Schools will be closed on Monday, January 19.  Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 20.  

Report cards along with student growth model reports went home with students on Thursday, January 15.  Please review with your child.  To learn more about Georgia's Student Growth Model Reports, click on the video link below.

Georgia Student Growth Model

The Monroe County Board of Education recognized Transportation Employees for their years of service at the January Board of Education meeting.  The mechanics recently had a inspection for all 81 buses in operation.  Pictured are Superintendent Anthony Pack, Assistant Superintendent Jackson Daniel, Mechanics Foreman Jerry Napier, Mechanic Shannon Mason, Mechanic Cody Jones, Transportation Coordinator Tina Nelson, and BOE Chairman Dr. J. Ray Grant, Jr.

Transportation employees were recognized for their years of service. 

February 2, 2015	PreK Registration Packets will be available for pick up at the Monroe County Board of Education from 7:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday.
February 9, 2015	PreK Parent(s)/Guardian may call the Monroe County Board Office to schedule an appointment to register their PreK child. (Phone: 478-994-2031) Appointments will be scheduled at 15 minute intervals, from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm on Tuesday and Thursday. Appointments will only be made through phone calls. No onsite visit is necessary to schedule your appointment.
February 19, 2015	Pre-K Registration Appointments begin. Parent(s)/Guardian will receive a letter confirming the school zone and Pre-K slot when all necessary documentation has been received.

 

What documentation do I need to register my child for PreK?

 Information concerning enrollment and residence requirements can be found on the Enrollment Process and Requirements webpage.

 

What if there are no remaining seats for PreK at the school for which my child is zoned?

 Your child will be placed on a waiting list for your zoned school.   

 

My child's immunizations expire before school starts.  What do I need to do?

If your child's immunizations will expire after the registration period and before the first day of school, simply obtain an updated immunization form,  Form 3231, from your child's doctor or the Department of Health and return it to the school's Registrar.

 

I do not have an Eye, Ear, and Dental form for my child.  What do I need to do?

Children enrolling in a Georgia Pre-K Program are required to have a hearing, vision, and dental certificate on file with the school.  Form 3300 can be obtained by your child's doctor or the Department of Health.

 

Can I make my appointment for registration when I pick up my packet?

The change in the Pre-K registration process was made to become more accommodating to the needs of parents.  In other words, we wanted to prevent parents from feeling the pressure of having to wait in a long line in uncertain weather conditions to register their child.  If appointments were made during packet pick-up, longer lines for packet pick-up will be eminent, dissolving the goals of restructuring the process.  Continued improvement is always being considered.  This includes the appointment scheduling process.

 

Does the System Registrar call me to make my appointment?

No.  Registration packets are picked up randomly.  Parents will need to call to make a registration appointment during the specified dates and times.

 

Should I call or visit the board office to make by appointment?

Parents should call to make their Pre-K registration appointment.  Visiting the board office to make an appointment slows the scheduling process drastically.  Due to walk-ins, parents are required to remain on hold for lengthy periods of time while the visiting parent's questions are being answered.  Please call to make your appointment.  Your questions will be addressed during the scheduled appointment or during school visitation.

 

What if I forget about my appointment or lose my confirmation notice?

We will use our automated call-out system to remind parents of their appointment.  However, we must have a valid phone number on file to ensure the call is sent correctly.  Please provide the System Registrar with your contact information.

 

Will my child be tested for PreK?

No.  PreK students are not assessed before entering PreK.  Assessments are made continually throughout the year on the instructional standards.  The results are shared with parents at the end of each semester.

 

What supplies will my child need?

No supplies are needed for PreK students.  Teachers may request that parents bring a change of clothes to remain at school, and perhaps a sheet to cover the mat used at nap time.  The teachers will communicate with parents which items to bring when school begins.

 

Is the PreK Program a full day?

Yes.  School begins at 8:30.  The school day ends at 3:30.

 

Is after-school care available? 

Please contact your child's school of enrollment concerning questions regarding after-school care.

 

Can my PreK child ride the bus?

Yes, transportation services to and from school are available.

 

What about breakfast and lunch?

Breakfast and lunch are available each day.  Your child may also bring their lunch, if desired.

 

What are the age requirements for Pre-K?

Students registering for Pre-Kindergarten must be 4 years old on or before September 1st.  If your child is 5 and you want the child to attend the Pre-K Program, the following criteria is required.

• the child has never attended the Pre-K Program before

• the child has a late birthday or

• developmental delays affect the child's readiness for school

Family and friends joined Monroe County Middle School sixth graders last week for the Junior Beta Club Induction Ceremony.   Junior Beta Club is a service organization comprised of students showing outstanding academic achievement.

Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary School students, parents, and staff enjoyed STEM Night last week as families participated in science, technology, engineering, and math activities.

Congratulations to Monroe County Middle School Spelling Bee winners.  They are pictured with MCMS Assistant Principal Kevin Yancey and MCMS Assistant Principal Pat Hightower.  The winners advance to the system level competition to be held on February 9 at 6 p.m. at Roberts Chapel at the Tift Campus.  The students are: Cayton Sink, Brittney Smith, Charles Herndon, Henrietta Marlowe, Ava McKallip, Jasmyn Jenkins, Chloe Crownover, Trey Wellbrook, Isabelle McCaskill, and Timethius Terrell.

The Monroe County Achievement Center is hosting its "Fit to Achieve" 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run on March 28, 2015.  As part of our service learning project for our students we are promoting a healthy lifestyle by encouraging everyone to exercise and make healthy food choices.  The race is a 5K course beginning and ending at the Monroe County Achievement Center.  

 

When: March 28, 2015

 

Time: 7:00AM Check-In, 5K begins at 8:00AM, 1Mile Fun Run begins at 8:30AM

 

Where: Monroe County Achievement Center

 

Entry Fee: $20

 

T-Shirts are guaranteed to runners registered by March 24th

 

Awards: Top 3 male and female in the following age groups

6-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64

 

3 Ways to Register

Register online at https://www.racerpal.com/races/FitToAchieve.html  

Register by mail: Print Registration Form from https://www.racerpal.com/races/FitToAchieve.html  

Register in person: Visit us at the Monroe County Achievement Center to register

 

All proceeds benefit the students of the Monroe County Achievement Center by assisting in purchasing technological needs. 

For more information, please contact Dr. Margie Campbell.

Parents, please take a few moments to complete the survey at http://apps.gadoe.org/schoolclimate/parents.nsf/Survey.xsp.  This data becomes a part of each school's CCRPI report.  CCRPI is a comprehensive school improvement, accountability, and communication platform for all educational stakeholders that promotes college and career readiness for all Georgia public school students.

After 37 rounds, KBSutton Elementary School announced a spelling bee winner.  Jasmine Miller is the KBS Spelling Bee Champion, and Lawson Harris is runner-up.  The winners are pictured with Mrs. Peggy Trammell, KBSutton Elementary School.

At last week's system leadership team meeting, MCAC Director Grady Caldwell enjoyed a sandwich made of "Wow Butter," a soy-based peanut butter alternative.  At right, Superintendent Anthony Pack is serving a wow butter sandwich to Assistant Superintendent Angie Dillon.  Wow butter is similar in consistency to peanut butter, but it is a healthy alternative for students who have nut allergies.  Wow butter is gluten free, dairy free, and tree nut free.  Look for more information coming soon from your child's school as wow butter comes to our cafeterias.

Congratulations to TGScott Elementary School Spelling Bee winners.  They are: Anabel Storey, Basia McBride, Luke McBride, Samuel Kelsay, and Ava Nelson.

Are Electronic Cigarettes better for you than a regular cigarette? What makes tobacco smoke harmful?The smoke from cigarettes is a complex mixture of burning tobacco leaves and the chemicals that are added to the tobacco to make the cigarette flavored. Tobacco smoke is made up of more than 7,000 chemicals, including over 70 known to cause cancer. You might be surprised to know some of the chemicals found in tobacco smoke include:

• Cyanide
• Benzene
• Formaldehyde
• Methanol (wood alcohol)
• Acetylene (the fuel used in welding torches)
• Ammonia

Tobacco smoke also contains tar and the poison gases carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide. The ingredient that produces the effect people are looking for is nicotine, which is a highly addictive drug.

How Does Nicotine work?

With each puff of a cigarette, a smoker pulls nicotine and all of chemicals used in the manufacturing process into the lungs, where it is absorbed into the blood. It takes just 8 seconds for nicotine to hit the brain. Nicotine locks onto brain receptors, which causes rapid changes in the brain and body-such as increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.

What chemicals are in the electronic cigarette juice?

E-cigarettes work by heating a liquid cartridge containing nicotine, flavors, propylene glycol, and glycerin into an e vapor. Because e-cigarettes heat a liquid instead of burning the tobacco, what is released is considered a vapor, it is smokeless. - Remember, the dangerous part of smoking is the inhalation of the burning tobacco and all of the chemicals that are also burned. Propylene glycol, which is used in electronic cigarette liquid, creates the vapor that is release when you exhale. It is commonly used in pet-friendly anti-freeze solutions.

The nicotine in the electronic cigarettes is concentrated so absorbing it through the skin or swallowing it is far more likely to require an emergency room visit than eating or swallowing a regular cigarettes. Fifty years of research have resulted in enough information that shows clearly that smoking tobacco cigarettes often leads to cancer and can cause heart disease. Currently, very few studies have been conducted in the world with electronic cigarettes.  Glycerin and propylene glycol are chemicals that are widely used to make many household products. They have been studied extensively and have been determined to be safe when their vapors are inhaled during the manufacturing process. However, no research has been conducted to see what happens when you heat these chemicals and inhale them directly into your lungs over a period of years.

 

The Surgeon General's Report, released in 2014, doesn't conclude whether e-cigarettes are a healthy option to regular cigarettes, but says more study of these products are needed in order to weigh their risks and benefits.

  

Parents should not consider the e-cigarettes to be a viable alternative to traditional cigarettes for their child.  In a 2014 report at http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/e-cigarettes-may-serve-as-gateway-to-smoking-for-teens-study-suggests/?_r=0, it was reported that e-cigarettes may serve as a "gateway drug" for other harmful habits including traditional smoking, so e-cigarettes may or may not be as harmful, but parents and families should promote a healthy lifestyle.  

References: http://www.cancer.org   

http://nhpr.org/post/surgeon-general-report-breaks-new-ground-e-cigarettes  

http://www.medicinenet.com/nicotine.htm  

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/e-cigarettes-may-serve-as-gateway-to-smoking-for-teens-study-suggests/?_r=0   

Mary Persons High School announced 180 Degree Award Winners this week. These are students who have worked diligently to make changes, and they have shown academic progress.  The 180 Degree Winners are: Tymeshia Lyons, Brandon Reese, Gage Harbin, and Drake Navarro.