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Welcome to the 2016-2017 School Year!
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The Monroe County School System is looking forward to the start of classes on Friday, August 5th. There is much excitement about the upcoming 2016-2017 school year! As we plan and prepare for the upcoming school term, it is our sincere hope that this will be a safe and successful year for the students, staff, parents and community members in our school district. It is indeed a pleasure and honor to serve our stakeholders in Monroe County.
As a school district, our mission is to motivate and inspire a passion for learning so all students learn, grow and succeed to their fullest potential. We also encourage the creation of relationships with students and parents that foster positive and nurturing learning environments in our schools. In this way, our school system will continue to be recognized for developing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in a global environment.
Each school year brings new changes and opportunities: -
The Fine Arts Center is scheduled to be completed by November or December of 2016. We have already scheduled school events for the new facility and the system is finalizing plans for a grand opening in early 2017.
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Classrooms, office space, shooting range, and equipment storage for the new JROTC Program is complete at the Monroe County Schools Education Center and we are looking forward to serving high school students in the new program.
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Upgrades including internal remodeling to create more space and the addition of new flooring, new weights, and new racks are nearly complete at the MPHS Varsity Football Fieldhouse.
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The old MPHS Varsity Locker Room is being remodeled and upgraded and will now house the B-Team Football Program. The locker room space at the rear of the Monroe County Schools Education Center gymnasium has been remodeled and upgraded and will serve as the new C-Team Football Locker Room.
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A new Hydroponics Lab will be housed at Monroe County Middle School (Banks Stephens Campus). This lab will allow students the opportunity to grow, monitor, obtain data, and service plants in a controlled space through a water medium.
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K.B. Sutton Elementary will house the new Robotics Lab for our new elementary system Robotics Team. Students from all three elementary schools were given an opportunity to apply for spots on the new team.
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Infinite Campus will replace Powerschool as our new Student Information System in Monroe County Schools. Our Technology Department is in the process of scheduling training for teachers, staff members, and parents on how to navigate the new information system. Stay tuned for more information on this transition.
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The school system has purchased five new school buses to replace old buses that are no longer part of the transportation bus fleet. Buses that are taken off the fleet are either auctioned off or kept in system to serve as replacement buses.
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Instructional staff will be undergoing training to help prepare for the implementation of the new Georgia Standards of Excellence in science and social studies in 2017-2018.
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Computer labs across the system were upgraded this summer with over 200 new computers placed at elementary, middle, and high school settings.
If you have any questions or concerns about the upcoming school year, please feel free to contact your child's school or contact the Monroe County Board of Education. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to work with you and your child this year. This is going to be a great year!
Dr. Mike Hickman Superintendent
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New Staff Members Completed Teacher Induction Program Last Week
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Welcome from Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Mrs. Alicia Elder
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The Monroe County School System is ready for the start of a new school year. We look forward to the many opportunities to work collaboratively with our students, staff, and stakeholders to help ensure our school system continues to be noted as an incredible place for students to learn, grow, and develop the skills necessary for success in a global environment. As we uphold our tradition of excellence, we expect our staff to help
all students maximize their full potential through equitable access to a quality education. We take great pride in honoring the past, while creating the future and pledge to hold each other accountable for ensuring high student achievement and success. Through our aligned and comprehensive system for planning, monitoring, and communicating student achievement results, the implementation of research-based teaching and learning practices will continue to positively shape our performance culture. During the course of the year, we will continue to aim big and remain committed on school improvement efforts. Most of all, we will maintain focused on our top priority...our students! Let's have a great 2016-2017 school year together!
Alicia Elder, Ed.S
Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning
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Watch for School Buses: Safety for Our Students
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As students return to school, the Georgia Department of Education and State School Superintendent Richard Woods are urging motorists to use caution when approaching a school bus and to brush up on the law regarding passing a bus.
According to Georgia law, vehicles traveling in BOTH directions must stop when a school bus activates its stop-arm on a two-lane road or a multi-lane road with no median or barrier. Vehicles traveling in the same direction as a school bus must always stop, but motorists traveling in the opposite direction can proceed (with caution) when there is an unpaved median or concrete barrier separating the opposing lanes.
"I urge the public to pay close attention to school buses and get familiar with the law regarding passing stopped buses," State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. "Following this law may very well mean saving a child's life. The safety of our students as they travel to and from school is of primary importance, and I ask for the participation of all Georgians in making sure our students can travel safely."
 A warning that a bus stop is about to take place will always be given with the flashing amber lights on the front and rear of the school bus. Upon seeing these flashing amber lights, vehicles approaching the school bus from both the front and rear should immediately slow down and prepare to stop. All drivers must pay special attention to children, be focused, and exercise caution when in the vicinity of a school bus stop, as student riders can sometimes be unpredictable. Once the bus is fully stopped, the flashing red lights will activate and the stop arm will deploy. Vehicles must stop and should remain stopped until all loading students are aboard in the morning or all unloading passengers have cleared 12 feet off the roadway in the afternoon. Motorists should proceed with caution only after passengers have cleared the roadway, the stop arm is canceled and the flashing red lights are deactivated. "As our school buses begin to roll again, I urge drivers to be alert and exercise patience and caution, especially around children waiting at school bus stops or loading and unloading school buses," Superintendent Woods said. "Patient, informed, and law-abiding drivers ensure that our children can arrive safely at school each day, ready to learn."
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Do You Have Your Tickets to See MP Play HoCo at the Corky Kell Classic at Mercer?
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 Mary Persons Bulldogs open the season with a special game against Houston County at the 2016 Corky Kell Classic at Mercer University Five Star Stadium on Thursday, August 18 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available at local banks, MP main office, and any Touchdown Club member. The Corky Kell Classic kicks off the Georgia high school season with a series of games also broadcast live on Fox Sports South and streamed live on Fox Sports Go. Launched in 1992, the MetroPCS Corky Kell Classic is a Georgia high school football event and was the first event ever to be held at the Georgia Dome. The Classic kicks off the highly competitive high school football season in Georgia every August with partial proceeds benefiting the Kell Foundation to fund scholarships. Throughout the years, the games have included top talent in both Georgia and across the nation. |
| Pippin is New District Six School Board Member | |
 BOE District Six voters last week elected Stuart Pippin to the Monroe County School Board. Pippin, who will succeed Tammy Fletcher, will begin his four-year term in January of 2017.
 Fletcher, who has served four consecutive terms on the board, chose not to seek reelection to the Board seat she has held for 16 years. Her current term on the board ends Dec. 31, 2016.
Pippin, 40, is a native Monroe Countian who works with United Bank in Forsyth. He is the son of Janice Pippin who retired as a teacher from Monroe County Schools, and the late James Pippin. He is married to Laurie Barton Pippin who is a teacher with Bibb County Schools. The Pippins have two sons -- a first grader and a two-year-old.
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Infinite Campus: Review Grades and Attendance for Your Student
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Monroe County staff members, students, and parents will use a new student information system upon returning to school for the 2016-2017 school year. Infinite Campus will serve as the Web-based student information system (SIS). It is used by thousands of K12 districts across the United States. Infinite Campus currently manages data for over 7.3 million students in 44 states. Monroe County Schools will join 96 other school systems in Georgia that use this web-based software to track attendance, grades, and other student information such as health, contact information, and discipline. The platform allows districts to streamline student administration, enable stakeholder collaboration and individualize instruction.
Parents and students will be able to log into Infinite Campus from any computer or mobile device and have access to schedules, grades, assignments and attendance information. Parents may use a tablet, computer, or smart phone to access the Parent Portal. The app is available for download for free via the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Teachers will be able to record grades, post assignments and take attendance among other features. This is just a few items Infinite Campus will provide Monroe County Schools.
Information regarding parent and student accounts will be shared as the new school year begins. Monroe County Schools looks forward to the benefits Infinite Campus will provide to students, parents, and staff.
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Thank you System Partners in Education
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| | July 2016 Partners in Education Reception |
 Thank you to our system Partners in Education for all of your support in the last school year. In July, we invited our system partners to a reception to honor our partnerships. We invite businesses and non-profit organizations to partner with us. Contact Deidre Powers at deidre.powers@mcschools.org for more information. |
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Successful Back to School Bash Collects
School Supplies for Needy Students
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 Thank you to Ms. Gwen Byrd and the Monroe County Sheriff's Department along with staff members and volunteers who helped make this year's school supply collection a great success.  |
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MCMS Students Go Global with a Trip to China
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 Monroe County Middle School students and their chaperones made the trip of a lifetime this summer with a journey to China.  |
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A Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses: Zika Virus Guidance from the CDC
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed interim guidance for
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Monroe County Schools nurses are ready to start the school year to provide support to students_ staff_ and families. They are pictured at their summer professional learning conference.
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kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) district and school administrators for public health actions pertaining to Zika virus infection. This guidance is intended to address concerns about the risk for Zika virus infection in K-12 schools in the United States, provide school districts with information for planning school-related activities, and recommend actions that can be taken, in consultation with local public health authorities and government officials, to reduce the potential risk for Zika virus transmission on school premises and among students. This guidance provides an overview of the potential roles and responsibilities of public health authorities and school officials, describes prevention measures that schools can take to reduce mosquito exposure, and provides information on responding to a case of travel-associated Zika virus infection or confirmed local mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus. To view the Zika Virus Response Planning: Interim Guidance for District and School Administrators, access this link: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/schools.html .
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Forsyth Police Department Back to School Rally
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 The community came together Saturday afternoon to celebrate the start of the school year at the City of Forsyth Police Department. |
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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
Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved.
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You are reading Monroe Messages, a weekly electronic newsletter for students, parents, staff members, and the community. Don't miss important dates and times listed below for all opening of school events! See our website 
We welcome our new staff members for the 2016-2017 school year! These professionals have had five days of Teacher Induction Program and Learner-Focused Schools Training. 
