We wish our students, staff, and families the hope, wonder, and joy that the season brings.  Staff members return on January 4 and 5 for teacher InService days.  Students return on Wednesday, January 6.
Monroe Messages
Newsletter of Monroe County Schools
Sounds of the Season from Mary Persons Chorus
Click the picture above to hear the sounds of the Mary Persons High School Chorus under the direction of Mr. Charles Hernandez.
2016-2017 School Year Calendar Finalized
Monroe County Schools has finalized the 2016-2017 school year calendar.  The Fall Break will be October 10-14 which will align with the Mary Persons High School football schedule.
Congratulations to School Level Winners!
Hubbard Elementary held their Spelling Bee recently.  Fifth grade winners are: Alexis Barlow, Nicholas Brooks, Keyshydrick Calloway, Maddie Emami - Runner-Up, Dylan Garza, Delaney Hancock, Jordan McCord - 5th Grade Winner, Lola Reyes, Cedric Shelley, and Samaria Walker.
HES 4th Grade winners are:  Trevor Boutwell, Dylan Blume, Janiya Calloway, Deshawn Frye, Lucas Horne - 4th Grade Winner, Ja'caria Munford, Kaylee Ross, J'Vyon Tatum - Runner-Up, Ethan Thomas, and Desharian Walton.
 

KBSutton Elementary held its spelling bee this week.  Fourth grade winner was
Winner:  Hannah Simpson  and runners-up were Kierra Gossett, Jesse Chipman, and Katelynn Adams.  Fifth grade's winner was Willow Waldrep and the runner-up was Lawson Harris.  Winners advance to the system spelling bee in February. 

Congratulations to LEGO League Winners!
In its first year as a team, the Monroe County Middle School Robotics team placed 1st overall in the Strategies and Innovation category at the Cherokee County First Lego League Competition this past Saturday.  24 teams, ages 9-14, competed in the tournament.  The team earned 3 out of 3 exemplary ratings in this category.  Competition team members are Tripp Shipman, Maleisha Jackson, Logan Hickman, Jason Cox, Troy Davis, Lew Story, Dawson Niblett, Holton Bell, Maradeth Leverett, and Caroline Hampton.  Practice team members are Gwyneth Cabe, Lauren Haripar, Tra Walker, Bernard Penamon, Jon Thomas Smith, Aaron Thompson, Kenia Thomas, Sailor Burton, Emilee Criswell, Griffin Morris, and Aric Mock. Their coach is Susan Adams-Curtis. Parents helping to chaperone the meet were Ronnie and Holli Shipman, Blair Hickman, Valerie Jackson, Karen Leverett, Jamie and Cristin Storey, Ryan Bell, and Jeremy Cabe.  
The Hubbard Elementary Robotics team placed 3rd overall with a score of 367 points in the Robot Table Game at the Middle Georgia Regional First LegoLeague Competition this past Saturday.  27 teams competed in the table game.  Team members are Jordan McCord, Dawson Dell, Zac Acosta, Chance Wiggins, Jasmine Weaver, Nick Brooks, Tyler Crownover, Daniel Boyer, and Brandon Alford.  Their coaches are Ashley Phillips, Jamia Williams, Marnai Boose, and Susan Adams-Curtis.  Parents helping to chaperone the meet were Mequanta McCord, Sarah Alford, Jason and Carole Acosta, Brandon Wiggins, Keith Crownover, Debbie Dell, Ken and Amy Boyer, Latoya King, and Brian and Melissa Brooks.  

Many thanks to all the MCMS and HES Robotics team members, parents, and administrators for their support!  First Lego League teams compete in 4 areas: teamwork, robot design, real world problem-solving, and robotic programming.  First Lego League encourages thorough research, innovative problem-solving, analytic thinking, and cooperation and respect for all teams.

Information about tryouts for the 2016 Hubbard Elementary 4th and 5th grade teams will be given out February 1, 2016 to rising HES 4th and 5th graders.  Information about tryouts for the 2016 MCMS team will also be available February 1, 2016 at all the elementary schools and at Monroe County Middle School.  Interested students and parents can also contact susan.adams-curtis@mcschools.org for more information.
MCBOE to Visit Schools in January
MC Logo The Monroe County Board of Education will tour schools on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 12.  After the tour, the Board of Education will participate in local board governance training from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

On Saturday, January 23, the Board of Education will meet for its annual training and planning session.  The event will begin at 9 a.m. and is expected to finish at 3 p.m.

MCACE Announces Essay Contest Winners
MCACE (Monroe County Adult and Community Education) recognized the winners of the 2015 Essay Contest on Wednesday. The essay contest was open to all 8th grade students at Banks Stephens and received about 40 student submissions. Students were charged with writing a 500 word essay explaining what "success" meant to them. The essays were judged by local community members, and three winners were selected. The judges were overall exceeding pleased with the writing quality and level of creativity exhibited by the students, and  they attributed the MCMS Language Arts teachers with obvious dedication in preparing these young students for excellence in writing. The 2015 MCACE Essay contest winners are:  Hunter Benson - First Place (iPad Mini 2) , Marcelene Leverett - Second Place ($100 gift card), and Tyler Faulk - Third place ($50.00 gift card). MCACE hopes to double the submissions next year, and we are very proud of the bright students of Monroe County Middle School.
Families are invited to learn how students may earn college credit while still enrolled in high school at the upcoming "Move On When Ready" information session on Tuesday, January 12 at 6 p.m. in the MP Cafeteria.
To sign up for the MP Baseball Winter Hitting Clinic, click here.
Bluebird Makes Donation for  Chromebooks
Thank you to Bluebird International Group which recently contributed to Mrs. Heather Wheeler's Donor's Choose project.  Mrs. Wheeler submitted a Donor's Choose project for chromebooks for her classroom.  Bluebird's Chief Operating Officer, John Kwapis, stepped up and Bluebird contributed funds to make this project possible.  Pictured are (l-r) MCMS Principal Dr. Efrem Yarber, Mr. Kwapis, MCMS Teacher Heather Wheeler, MCMS Sixth Grader Sailor Burton, Mr. Kwapis's grandson, and Chief Technology Officer Valerie Mercer.
Congratulations on a Great Football Season!

Click the video link above to view MP Football Season Rewind.

 
Staff Profile:  Do You Know Kelvin Hughley?
Kelvin Hughley is one of the system's Technology Support Specialists.  This is his fifth year with Monroe County Schools.  "I go around weekly to KBSutton Elementary, TGScott Elementary, and Banks Stephens Middle School, serving all of their technology needs.  I fix issues involving computers, phones, projectors, activboards, printers, and tablets.  I install software, hardware, and address wireless issues." 

Mr. Hughley is proud to provide technical support for Monroe County Schools.  "I'm married to my wife, Tanisha, and we have four kids, twin girls Kierra (JV Cheerleader) and Cierra (Track Star), Kelvin Jr. (Basketball star) age 7, and Jaylen (Football star maybe?) age 2.  I was born and raised in Forsyth, but I now live in Henry County. I am a 2000 graduate from Mary Persons High School." He formerly worked for Caterpillar Logistics as a Quality Specialist in Griffin. 
 
When Mr. Hughley is not pursuing his networking degree or spending time with his family, he is enjoying sports.  "I'm huge sports fan, I  enjoying watching all sports. I enjoy my family, playing basketball, lifting weights, and working on computers. When asked to share a "bucket list goal," he stated, "One item on my bucket list would be traveling the world." 

Something that people do not know is that, "I had a rare blood disorder called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) at the age of 24 and I had to get my spleen removed. The cause was unknown, this was a trying time in my life, but I can say that I made it through."  Today, Mr. Hughley is healthy, and he states that he loves technology and support students and staff of Monroe County Schools.   "
There are some really great people working for Monroe County Schools. The Technology Team is awesome." 
A Message from Monroe County Schools Counselors: Self-Reflection is a Life Skill
How does your child react when things don't go as planned?
Perhaps there's trouble with a friend. Or maybe your child got a bad grade after studying hard for a test. Does your child get mad or shrug off the incident without giving much thought to what happened? Or does she think about what occurred, how her actions affected the outcome, and what she might do differently in the future to be more successful?  If it's the second reaction, that's called self-reflection or introspection. It's a great skill for all kids to work on with their family members. It can also help those with learning and attention issues do better academically and socially.
Self-Reflection for Kids
Self-reflection might seem like something that's more for adults-thinking about problems, brainstorming ideas on how to do better, but self-reflection is also important for kids, even young children.  As your child grows up, he'll face different kinds of challenges in school and life. As he gets older, he'll be expected to think more independently (with less intervention from you) and be responsible for actions.
Kids with learning and attention issues may experience frustration at school and elsewhere. This could cause them to feel as if there's nothing they can do to improve. Self-reflection can help your child keep from doing the same things over and over if she isn't having success.  With self-reflection, your child can consider different options and pick the one that seems best to her. That can help her feel that she has some control over what's happening in her life.
The Impact of Self-Reflection
Self-reflection can help to foster success in your child. That's because self-reflection isn't just helpful when things aren't going well. It's good for kids to reflect on what's going right, too.  Acknowledging when she's successful can boost your child's self-esteem. Finding different ways to approach challenges and work through them is a powerful way to build self-esteem and help your child grow emotionally. Self-reflection can help kids with learning and attention issues acknowledge their challenges without being overly focused on them.Children with learning and attention issues may have a harder time learning this skill. You can assist your child by helping increase self-awareness, whether he's in elementary, middle, or high school. 
Monroe County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or sex in its employment practices, student programs and dealings with the public. It is the policy of the Board of Education to comply fully with the requirements of Title VI, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act and all accompanying regulations. As a result, the following people have been appointed to oversee specific areas. Title II, Adult 504, Adult Title IX   Dr. Mike Hickman  25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, GA 31029  478-994-2031  Student and Athletic Title IX Jackson Daniel 25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, GA 31029  Student 504 Jenny Rooks 25 Brooklyn Avenue Forsyth, GA 31029
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