Report Cards go home on Thursday, January 12.  
Parents who subscribe to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal will be able to review grades within the portal as well.   Parents, please check your email for a message with instructions on how to subscribe to the parent portal. 
Monroe Messages
Newsletter of Monroe County Schools

Staff Professional Learning to Start 2017 #focusedonsuccess #committedtoexcellence
Monroe County Schools started 2017 with a renewed focus on professional learning.  Staff members gathered by grade level and subject area to examine and revise curriculum, learning calendars, and assessments.
MCMS Student Named Honorary 
Mercer Basketball Team Member
Representatives from the Mercer University Men's Basketball team recently surprised MCMS student Jamarion Johnson at his home. The players were thrilled to travel to Forsyth after completing semester finals for a surprise visit at Jamarion's home. During their visit, they presented Jamarion with an official Mercer game jersey  previously worn by a player recently graduated.  Also, Mercer t-shirts were given to the entire family along with posters and basketball signed by the entire Mercer Men's Basketball team.  Jamarion was provided with six game tickets so he and his family can attend an upcoming game.  Pictured with Jamarion are Mercer players  J.J. N/Ganga, graduate student; Andrew Fishler, senior; Jaylen Stowe, sophomore;  Jonathan Howard, Director of Basketball Operations;  Matt Brownback, Director of Student Athlete Support Services.

Fingers of Love Volunteers Keep Knitting to Make Scarves and Gloves to Help Keep Students Warm
Thank you to Fingers of Love volunteers who continue to knit scarves, gloves, hats, and more for the needy students of Monroe County Schools.


2017-2018 School Year Calendar Adopted
At the December Board of Education meeting, the 2017-2018 calendar was adopted. This calendar features a week long fall break, and it is similar to the 2016-2017 school year calendar.  More dates will be added in the coming weeks with parent conferences, open house, and grade reporting events forthcoming.  For a PDF of the calendar, click here.
A Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses: Winter Driving Tips
Winter has arrived, and with the change of seasons comes threat of challenging weather. Keeping up with car maintenance year-round is important, but it carries added significance in winter when being stranded can be inconvenient due to travel plans, as well as being downright unpleasant waiting at the side of the road. Time routine maintenance ahead of long-distance travel. Putting off service today can turn into an expensive problem later.
As winter driving safety is impacted by traction, it is key to make sure tires are in top shape. Check tire pressure monthly, topping off as necessary. (Cold winter temperatures can lower tire pressure.) Inspect tires for tread depth, an important factor in wet and snow traction. Tread should be at least 1/8 an inch, easily gauged by using a quarter and measuring from coin's edge to Washington's head. Look for uneven tread wear, which typically indicates poor wheel alignment or worn suspension components. If you do invest in new tires, be sure to have the vehicle's alignment and suspension checked before having tires mounted to avoid premature wear.
With the car prepped for travel, keep these tips in mind:
  • Clear off snow and ice before driving. If snow has fallen since the car was parked, take time to thoroughly brush it off the vehicle--including roof--and scrape any ice from windows. "Peephole driving" through a small, cleared spot on the windshield reduces visibility and is dangerous.
  • Accelerate slowly to reduce wheel spin. If starting from standstill on slick snow or ice, start in second gear if you have manual transmission or gear-selectable automatic so the vehicle is less likely to spin tires.
  • Reduce speed and drive smoothly. In slippery conditions, tires lose grip easily, affecting all aspects of driving: braking, turning, and accelerating. Keeping speeds down will give more time to react to slippage or possible collision, and it will lessen damage should things go wrong.
  • Allow longer braking distances. Plan on braking sooner than you normally would in dry conditions to give extra room, and use more gentle pressure on the brake pedal.
  • Don't lock wheels when braking. Locked wheels can make the vehicle slide or skid. If you have an older vehicle without antilock braking system (ABS), you may need to gently apply brakes repeatedly in pulsing motion to avoid lock up of wheels. If the vehicle has ABS, simply depress the brake pedal firmly and hold it down. Shuddering sounds and pedal feeling are expected (don't lift off brake); the system is doing its job.
  • Perform one action at a time when accelerating, braking, and turning. Asking a vehicle to do two things at once--such as braking and turning, or accelerating and turning--can reduce control. When taking a turn on slippery surfaces, for instance, slowly apply brakes while the vehicle is going straight.
  • Avoid sudden actions when cornering. A sudden maneuver--such as hard braking, a quick turn of steering wheel, sudden acceleration, or shifting a manual transmission --can upset a vehicle's dynamics when it's taking a turn. Rapidly transferring weight from one end or corner to another can throw a car off balance. In slick conditions, this can cause loss of control.
  • Be ready to correct for slide. Should the vehicle rear end begin to slide during a turn, gently let off accelerator and turn steering wheel in direction of slide. This will help straighten it out. Electronic stability control will also help keep control in a slide situation. 
  • Don't let four- or all-wheel drive give false sense of security. 4WD and AWD systems only provide extra traction when accelerating. They provide no advantage when braking or cornering.
  • Be extra wary of other motorists. They may not be driving as cautiously as you, so leave extra space, avoid distractions, and be predictable, signaling clearly ahead of any turns or lane changes.