The time changed this weekend!  Don't forget to move clocks an hour forward.  We'll see you on Monday right on time for a great week of learning!
Monroe Messages
Newsletter of Monroe County Schools
Congratulations to the Young Georgia 
Author Competition Winners!
Congratulations to all of our students who participated at the system level of the Young Georgia Authors' Writing Competition.  The annual Young Georgia Authors' Writing Competition is co-sponsored by the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Council of Teachers of English.  We appreciate the efforts of our teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators for their continued focus on literacy and for encouraging students to develop writing that represents their best efforts and for providing a context to support and celebrate the writing successes for all students.  

The students who placed FIRST for their grade level at the system competition will advance to the RESA level of competition.  We should know the winners for the RESA level of competition by mid April. System winners who placed FIRST for their grade level will be recognized at the May 9th Board of Education Meeting.  We will mail a letter to parents the last week of April inviting them to the recognition program on May 9th.

Grade
Place
Student's Name
Title of Work
School
Kindergarten
1st
Sam Nickel
Chris
KB Sutton Elem
Kindergarten
2nd
Mason Thomas
Snowing
SE Hubbard Elem
Kindergarten
3rd
Elizabeth Goode
The Sheep
TG Scott Elem
First Grade
1st
Olivia Crews
I Love You So Much
SE Hubbard Elem
First Grade
2nd
Caroline Brooks
The Dog I Found
TG Scott Elem
First Grade
3rd
Hoit Mizell
All About Trucks
KB Sutton Elem
Second Grade
1st
Ayden Horne
All About Tornados
TG Scott Elem
Second Grade
2nd
Heather Hulsey
Special Day
SE Hubbard Elem
Second Grade
3rd
Carlee Combs
The Stork and the Baby
KB Sutton Elem
Third Grade
1st
Olivia Woodgeard
How the Porcupine Got Its Quills
TG Scott Elem
Third Grade
2nd
Lydia Geer
A Horse Story
KB Sutton Elem
Third Grade
3rd
Autumn Smith
The Big Journey
SE Hubbard Elem

Fourth Grade
1st
Jade Nguyen
Sky's Journey
SE Hubbard Elem
Fourth Grade
2nd
Nicholas Howard
The Day I Caught a Spirit
TG Scott Elem
Fourth Grade
3rd
Annabelle Potts
Thief
KB Sutton Elem
Fifth Grade
1st
Ella Magda
Lost and Found
TG Scott Elem
Fifth Grade
2nd
Landen White
Stuck in the Past
KB Sutton Elem
Fifth Grade
3rd
April Williams
Playground Fun
SE Hubbard Elem
Sixth Grade
1st
Jaliyah Johnson
Dream On
MC Middle
Seventh Grade
1st
Heather Tillman
A Whispering in the Night
MC Middle
Eighth Grade
1st
Sarah Boyer
As the Moon
MC Middle
Ninth Grade
1st
Gabriel Imlay
That Fatal Spring
Mary Persons High
Ninth Grade
2nd
Andrew Barberich
Racism
MC Achievement Center
Tenth Grade
1st
Isabelle Williams
742 Alabaster Row
Mary Persons High
Tenth Grade
2nd
Mai'Asia Huston
The Green House
MC Achievement Center
Eleventh Grade
1st
Albeyon Fields
Human to Toy Story
Mary Persons High
Twelfth Grade
1st
LarRysha Simmons
Goldwine Ros
MC Achievement Center
Twelfth Grade
2nd
Kyndra Warren
Consider
Mary Persons High

Science Textbooks and Resources Up for Adoption Available for Review Next Week
Monroe County Schools is currently reviewing possible science textbook and instructional resource options for use beginning in the 2017-2018 school year.  Resources for students in grades 6-8 will be available for review at Monroe County Middle School-Banks Stephens Campus, and resources for students in grades 9-12 will be available for review at Mary Persons High School during the following dates and times:
 
Monday, March 13, 9am-2pm
Tuesday, March 14, 9am-2pm
Wednesday, March 15, 9am-2pm
Thursday, March 16, 9am-2pm
 
*Please note:  Science resource adoption for students in grades K-5 will be postponed to ensure textbooks and resources are more appropriately aligned to the new Georgia Standards of Excellence for Science. We anticipate the adoption of K-5 science resources next school year.  
 
For more information, please call Alicia Elder, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, at (478)994-2031. 

















The Monroe County Board of Education meets the second Tuesday of each month in the Central Office Board Room located at 25 Brooklyn Avenue Forsyth.  If you would like to access meeting agendas, please see our eBoard Simbli portal at https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/index.aspx?S=4117.  
Pre-K Slots are Going Fast!   
Pre-K and Kindergarten Enrollment Continues
PreKindergarten and Kindergarten students (who have not attended Pre-K with Monroe County Schools) are strongly encouraged to complete the registration process in March.

Pre-K slots are going fast!  A waiting list has already been established for one of our schools.


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.

Appointments continue through March.

Monroe County Schools require the following documentation for enrollment:
  1. A birth certificate showing proof of age of your child;
  2. Your child's social security card;
  3. Georgia Form 3231 - your child's up-to-date immunization form;
  4. Georgia Form 3300 - your child's ear, eye, dental, and nutrition record; and
  5. 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.
School Breakfast Challenge:  It's a Team Effort!
Superintendent Dr. Mike Hickman joined the Nutrition Team at Mary Persons High on Wednesday of last week to serve school breakfast to the students.  He is pictured with Nutrition Team member Rachel Bridges. Assistant Superintendent Alicia Elder is pictured with the MCMS  Hubbard Campus Nutrition Team. 

Assistant Superintendent Jackson Daniel is pictured with MCMS Banks Stephens' Nutrition Team member Celestine Shannon.

MP FFA places first in Area 3 Senior Nursery/Landscape Career Development 
Recently Mary Persons FFA placed 1st in the Area  3 Senior Nursery/Landscape Career Development Event (CDE).  Elizabeth Smith, Emsley Smith, Anna Hightower, Audrey Barr, and Kayley Dale competed at the Area 3 CDE held at Fort Vally State University on March 2nd.   Mary Persons had the top 5 scores with Elizabeth Smith being the highest scoring individual.  They will travel to the State CDE held in Athens at the University of Georgia and represent Area 3.  

They Junior Nursery/Landscape team placed 3rd in the Area 3 event.  Junior team members included Maggie Parlier, Lindsie Robbins, Samantha O'Neill, and Madison Pressley.  
 
 The Nursery/Landscape CDE is designed to test students skills in aspects of maintaining landscape plants and related products, evaluation equipment and services, and landscape design through hands-on work and a scenario to work through as a team, as well as a written exam and plant identification test that is done individually.

Great Learning at Science Olympiad on Friday
Students from the three elementary schools came together on Friday for academic science competition practice preparing for the Middle Georgia RESA Science Olympiad.  Teams of students, along with guidance from their teachers, competed in math games and science competitions throughout the day.  Congratulations students and coaches! Thank you to Mrs. Susan Adams-Curtis and the team of sponsors, volunteers, and staff members who made the day possible.


MPTV Champ Channel Offering DVDs of Recent Fine Arts Center Concerts and Play Productions
MP's MPTV Champ Channel is offering custom DVDs of recent play and concert productions at the Monroe County Schools Fine Arts Center.  The video team is offering DVDs of the HES play, the KBS play, and the recent MP/MCMS choral concert.  To purchase a  DVD of your child's performance, click here for the online order form.
Upcoming Freshmen Have Lots of MP Options
CTAE programs including JROTC, Business Education, and Agriculture were represented at the MP Transition Night last week for upcoming freshmen.
MP FFA Wildlife Team Has Great Showing
The Mary Persons FFA Wildlife Team recently competed in the Area 3 FFA Wildlife Career Development Event.  The event was held at Fort Valley State University on March 2nd. 

The Wildlife Career Development Event allows students to demonstrate their knowledge in identifying aquatic plants and animals, Whitetail Deer Management, general wildlife, plant, and tool identification, and game bird identification.  Team members are scored according to their particular event and individual team member scores are added to determine the winning team.  Senior team members include Gracie Thompson, Jessica Hammock, Brandon Pitts and Marshall Fields.  The senior team placed 2nd at the contest.  Junior team members include Jonathan Garrett, Cassy Love, Matt Fields, and Savannah Lovell.  Jonathan Garrett placed first in Deer Management and Matt Field placed first in Game Bird Biology.  The Junior team placed 1st at the contest.  Both teams will compete in the state event March 17 and 18.

FFA is a national organization of over 600,000 members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture.  FFA is an integral part of the agricultural education program in public schools.  The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

Justin Wachtel is Nationally Ranked Runner
Justin Wachtel, an eighth grader at MCMS, was recently featured as Middle School Boys Runner of the Week by Georgia Mile Split.  He ran unattached in the Annual Marietta MS Invitational to compete against some of the top ranking boys in Georgia.  He took first place both the 1600M (1 mile)  and the 3200M (2 mile). His times of  4:51 (1600M) and 10:31 (3200M) place him among the top rankings not only in Georgia, but also nationally.

Help Your Child Prepare for Georgia Milestones Test with the Practice Online Site
The Georgia Milestones Tests are coming in April/May.  Students in grades 3-8 will take the End of Grade tests.  The practice site at http://www.gaexperienceonline.com/ gives students the experience of the test. There are practice questions do not represent grade specific level questions, but the site is designed to acclimate students and parents to the upcoming test.
A Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses:
March 13-17 Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week


Mothers of Beulahland Bible Church Donate to Monroe County Schools Programs
Thank you to Mothers of Beulahland Bible Church for their generous donations to Monroe County Achievement Center and Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary School.