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Check Out Events Coming to Fine Arts Center
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Upgrades/Changes Happening in our Facilities
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| | Facilities Update January 2017 |
The Monroe County Board of Education recently received a facilities update from Maintenance and Operations Director, Roger Onstott. In the video, you'll see highlights of recent maintenance/facilities upgrades. This includes: updated MP track, new lights at the tennis courts, new heating units at the BOE replacing aging boilers, MP's seventh computer lab, MP gym commons area and bathrooms updated with new paint, new baseball netting, new shed for mowers and equipment, new playground at TG Scott Elementary, new LED high efficiency lights at MCMS Banks Stephens Campus, new handicapped access to the rear of Hubbard Elementary, and new lighting for parking lot areas surrounding MP Freshman Campus , stadium, and fine arts center. Look for more changes and updates to come in the months ahead. Thank you to Roger Onstott and his maintenance team for all of their hard work and dedication to the upkeep of our facilities.
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BotDawgs: Great Showing at Competition!
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 Two of the four Monroe County Robotics Teams competed this past weekend at the Georgia First Lego League Super-Regional tournament. The 7th/8th grade team, the Bulldog Bots, coached by Heather Wheeler, improved their scores from the regional competition, and the Monroe County Elementary Team, the Chaotic Creatures, coached by Leanna Linnenkohl and Ashley Phillips did also! Both teams competed in the areas of robot design, team building, their human-animal interaction projects, as well as the robot table programming. |
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District Honor Choir Includes 22 MP Singers
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 Twenty-two Mary Persons singers earned the honor of singing in the Georgia Music Educators' District Honor Choir on January 19 and 20, 2017. Singers qualified based on their Georgia Allstate Choir audition scores. These auditions require both music sight reading skill and solo singing talent. Sopranos Natalie Pippin, Zoe Potts and Stephanie Nix, Morgan Lawson, Anastasia Miller and Sydney Everett represented Mary Persons. Kennedy Finch, Isabelle Williams, Haley Thompson, Leia Williams, Sunny DeVane and Naomi Sanders brought Monroe strength to the alto sections. Tenors Richard Smith, Tim Clements, Jackson Harvey, Liam Spence, Jared Williams, and Beau Watson qualified. Mary Persons basses in the choir were Jess Rodriquez, Charles Dean, Pierce Tapley and Michael Shannon. "I am incredibly proud of these students' musical talent and skill being recognized and encouraged through this enrichment opportunity," said Charles Hernandez, Director of the Mary Persons Choral Program. "We so appreciate Monroe County's support." This year's choir, led by Dr. Shannon Jeffries, Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at Georgia State University, included singers from the twenty counties that comprise GMEA District XI. The singers' two days of rehearsals culminated in a concert at 6:00 PM at The Assembly in Warner Robins on January 20. The concert included African, baroque and contemporary music. |
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MP Choral Director Singing at Carnegie Hall
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Charles Hernandez, Ed.S., Director of the Mary Persons High School Choral Program will be singing at Carnegie Hall in New York City February 19, 2017 at 8:00 PM.
Carnegie Hall representatives invited Dr. Stanley L. Roberts, Associate Dean of Mercer's Townsend School of Music and Arthur Lowndes Rick Professor of Choral Conducting, to bring a choir. Dr. Roberts will be conducting the Mercer Singers, the Mercer Orchestra as well as invited musicians such as Mr. Hernandez from across the region as they perform the Rutter Requiem.
Mercer University president, William D. Underwood, as well as a large group of Mercer alumni plan to attend. The hall is already seventy percent sold for the performance.
"We are thrilled that Mr. Hernandez is being recognized in this way, for he has done so much for the Mary Persons choral program and our students," said Dr. Jim Finch, Mary Persons' principal. "When I recruited him to join the Mary Persons faculty in 2012, I knew of his talent. I'm so glad others recognize it as well."
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Pre-K and Kindergarten Enrollment February 21
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PRE-K: Children four years of age on or before September 1, 2017 are eligible to enroll for the 2017-2018 school year. Placement is made on a first come, first served basis with COMPLETED enrollment. School assignment will be determined at enrollment appointments.
KINDERGARTEN: Children five years of age on or before September 1, 2017 are eligible to enroll for the 2017-2018 school year. School assignment will be determined at enrollment appointments.
Students currently enrolled in the Monroe County Schools Pre-K program are not required to complete the enrollment process for Kindergarten.
To enroll your student, you must provide a completed enrollment packet at the time of your enrollment appointment. Below is the timeline for enrollment for Monroe County parents/ guardians.
February 21, 2017 Pre-K and Kindergarten registration packets will be available for pick up at the Monroe County Board of Education from 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
February 27, 2017 Pre-K and Kindergarten parent(s)/guardian(s) may call or go on-line to schedule an appointment to register their child. A link will be available at http://www.monroe.k12.ga.us to make the appointment or the parent/guardian may call Cindy Seymour, System Registrar, 478-994-2031 to schedule the appointment.
March 6, 2017 Registration Appointments begin.
Monroe County Schools require the following documentation for enrollment: -
A birth certificate showing proof of age of your child;
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Your child's social security card;
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Georgia Form 3231 - your child's up-to-date immunization form;
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Georgia Form 3300 - your child's ear, eye, dental, and nutrition record; and
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Three Proofs of Residency. See our website for more enrollment details.
Please contact Cindy Seymour, System Registrar, at 478-994-2031 with any questions or concerns.
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Georgia Parent Survey Open through March 3
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The Georgia Parent Survey contains 24 questions. Parents may complete the survey using a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet. For parents without Internet access, school computers may be used to complete the survey. All parents are encouraged to participate in the Georgia Parent Survey. Data will be used as part of the calculation of the School ClimateStar Rating. Survey responses are anonymous and will be submitted directly to the Georgia Department of Education for analysis. Results from the Georgia Parent Survey will not be available to the public and will not be posted online. Parents, thank you for taking a few minutes to complete this survey.
Georgia Parent Survey:
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GADOE Releases School Climate Star Ratings
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For School Climate Star Ratings, 15 percent of schools earned 5-star rating (excellent), 39.8 percent earned 4-star rating (above average), 28.9 percent earned 3-star rating (average), 11 percent earned 2-star rating (below satisfactory), and 3.7 percent earned 1-star rating (unsatisfactory) - an increase of 3.6 percentage points in number of schools earning top (5-star) rating. In addition, 1.6 percent of schools did not receive a rating because they are virtual schools, which are not traditional brick-and-mortar schools. In Monroe County Schools, all schools scored at four or higher on School Climate Star Rating. KB Sutton, and TG Scott scored five stars. HES, MP, and MCMS scored four stars.
To view School Climate Star Rating, visit ccrpi.gadoe.org. Choose a school district from the drop-down menu, then select the school, and then select a report type: elementary, middle, or high school. Click on the "School Climate" tab. To view a school-level rating, follow steps above, and narrow down to an individual school after choosing a school district from the drop-down menu.
School climate refers to quality and character of school life - "culture" of a school. A sustainable, positive school climate fosters youth development and student learning, essential elements for academic success, career-skill improvement, and overall quality of life. School Climate Star Rating assesses climate of a school on a 1-5 scale using the following indicators:
* Survey - measure of student, teacher, and parent perceptions of school's climate
* Student Discipline - measure of student discipline using weighted suspension rate
* Safe and Substance-Free Learning Environment - school discipline incidents and student survey responses on use of illegal substances and prevalence of violence, bullying, and unsafe incidents within school
* Attendance - average daily attendance of teachers, administrators, and staff members and percentage of students with fewer than six unexcused absences
Each school in Georgia receives a 1-5 star rating, with five stars representing an excellent school climate, and one star representing a school climate most in need of improvement. Interpretations of each possible star rating are below; this information can also be found in the enabling legislation.
* 5-star schools ranked excellent according to the school climate index
* 4-star schools ranked above average according to the school climate index
* 3-star schools ranked average according to the school climate index
* 2-star schools ranked below satisfactory according to the school climate index
* 1-star schools ranked unsatisfactory according to the school climate index
The below chart represents the year-to-year change in School Climate Star Ratings for each possible rating level.
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2015
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2016
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1 star: 87 schools (3.8%)
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1 star: 83 schools (3.7%)
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2 stars: 224 (9.9%)
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2 stars: 251 (11%)
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3 stars: 660 (29.1%)
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3 stars: 665 (28.9%)
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4 stars: 1,014 (44.96%)
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4 stars: 904 (39.8%)
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5 stars: 258 (11.4%)
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5 stars: 341 (15%)
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Message from Monroe County Schools Counselors: Tips on Reducing Stress
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As educational requirements get more stringent in all levels of education, students everywhere experience considerable school stress.
Stress relief tips and tools for students are vital for minimizing school stress. Use these in life to learn study skills, prepare for exams, and minimize stress levels to make learning easier. When you find stress management techniques that work for you and make them habits in your life now, you can draw upon these strategies as you face stress throughout life.
Manage Time Wisely
It's important to give plenty of time to work on studies if you want to do well, and you can save a lot of stress if you plan ahead with good time management skills. Setting up a schedule for study, breaking up your studies into smaller chunks, and other time management skills are essential.
Get Organized
Have a system of organization for note-taking, keeping track of assignments, and other important papers. Being organized can bring you peace of mind that comes from knowing where everything is, remembering deadlines and test dates, and clearing your mind of some mental clutter that disorganization brings. Keep a calendar, a schedule, and a filing system for school assignments, and you'll find it prevents significant amounts of stress! Create a Good Study Environment
Creating a soothing environment can reduce stress and help you learn. Playing classical music as you study can also soothe you and help you learn (unless you find it distracting). Source:
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A Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses: Is it a Cold or the Flu?
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Your child is sent home from school with a sore throat, cough, and high fever - could it be the flu that's been going around? Or just a common cold? Although the flu (or influenza) usually causes symptoms that make someone feel worse than symptoms associated with a common cold, it's not always easy to tell the difference between the two. The answers to these questions can help determine whether a child is fighting the flu or combating a cold:
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Flu vs. Colds: A Guide to Symptoms
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Questions
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Flu
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Cold
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Was the onset of illness ...
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sudden?
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slow?
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Does your child have a ...
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high fever?
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no (or mild) fever?
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Is your child's exhaustion level ...
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severe?
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mild?
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Is your child's head ...
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achy?
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headache-free?
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Is your child's appetite ...
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decreased?
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normal?
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Are your child's muscles ...
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achy?
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fine?
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Does your child have ...
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chills?
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no chills?
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If most of your answers fell into the first category, chances are that your child has the flu. If your answers were usually in the second category, it's most likely a cold, but don't be too quick to brush off your child's illness as just another cold. The important thing to remember is that flu symptoms can vary from child to child (and they can change as the illness progresses), so if you suspect the flu, call the doctor. Even doctors often need a test to tell them for sure if a person has the flu or not since the symptoms can be so similar!
Some bacterial diseases, like strep throat or pneumonia, also can look like the flu or a cold. It's important to get medical attention immediately if your child seems to be getting worse, is having any trouble breathing, has a high fever, has a bad headache, has a sore throat, or seems confused. While even healthy kids can have complications of the flu, kids with certain medical conditions are at more of a risk. If you think your kid might have the flu, contact your doctor.
Treatment
Some kids with chronic medical conditions may become sicker with the flu and need to be hospitalized, and flu in an infant also can be dangerous. For severely ill kids or those with other special circumstances, doctors may prescribe an antiviral medicine that can ease flu symptoms, but only if it's given within 48 hours of the onset of the flu. Most of the time, you can care for your child by offering plenty of fluids, rest, and extra comfort. And if the doctor says it's not the flu? Ask whether your child should get a flu vaccine.
Source: http://kidshealth.org/en/Parents/flu-vs-cold.html?ref=s2af
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