Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2C
August 3, 2016
^Reporter
Message from the Superintendent
From buses to robotics, M.C. Schools are ready
he Monroe County
School System is
looking forward to
the
start
of classes on
Friday, Aug.
5th. There is
much excite
ment about the
upcoming 2016-
17 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 mem
bers in our school district.
It is indeed a pleasure and
honor to serve our stakehold
ers in Monroe County.
As a school district, our mis
sion is to motivate and inspire
a passion for learning so all
students learn, grow and
succeed to their fullest poten
tial. We also encourage the
creation of relationships with
students and parents that fos
ter positive and nurtur
ing learning environ
ments in our schools.
In this way, our school
system will continue to
be recognized for devel
oping students with the
knowledge and skills
necessary to be success
ful in a global environ
ment.
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.
• Classrooms, office space,
shooting range, and equip
ment 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.
• Upgrades including inter
nal 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.
• The old MPHS Varsity
Locker Room is being remod
eled 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 gymna
sium has been remodeled
and upgraded and will serve
as the new C-Team Football
Locker Room.
• A new Hydroponics Lab
will be housed at Monroe
County Middle School (Banks
Stephens Campus). This
lab will allow students the
opportunity to grow, moni
tor, obtain data, and service
plants in a controlled space
through a water medium.
• K.B. Sutton Elementary
will house the new Robotics
Lab for our new elemen
tary system Robotics Team.
Students from all three ele
mentary schools were given
an opportunity to apply for
spots on the new team.
• 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 informa
tion on this transition.
• 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.
• Instructional staff will be
undergoing training to help
prepare for the implemen
tation of the new Georgia
Standards of Excellence in
science and social studies in
2017-18.
• Computer labs across the
system were upgraded this
summer with over 200 new
computers placed at elemen
tary, 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 oppor
tunity to work with you and
your child this year. This is
going to be a great year!
Dr. Mike Hickman
Superintendent
Message from Asst. Supt.
for Teaching & Learning
he Monroe
County
School
System
is
T
ready for the
start of a new
school year. We
look forward to
the many oppor
tunities to work
collaboratively
with our stu
dents, staff, and
stakeholders to
help ensure our
school system continues
to be noted as an incred
ible place for students to
learn, grow, and develop
the skills necessary for
success in a global envi
ronment.
As we uphold our tra
dition of excellence, we
expect our staff to help
all students maximize
their full poten
tial through
equitable
access to a
quality educa
tion. We take
great pride in
honoring the
past, while
creating the
future and
pledge to hold
each other
accountable for ensuring
high student achieve
ment and success.
Through our aligned
and comprehensive sys
tem for planning, moni
toring, and communicat
ing student achievement
Alicia Elder
results, the implementa
tion 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 focus on our
top priority...our stu
dents! Let’s have a
great 2016-2017 school
year together!
Alicia Elder, Ed.S
Assistant
Superintendent for
Teaching and Learning
What’s cooking for
school meals
elcome
back every
one to
school year
w
2016-17, which
should be another
terrific year in
Monroe County
Schools. For
School Nutrition,
the motto this year
is “The Future
is BRIGHT and
HEALTHY!” As
always, we are
ecstatic about
feeding Monroe County
students, staff and stake
holders and playing an
important role in fueling
our students for learning.
Additionally, there is
so much excitement to
look forward to this year
with the introduction of
new menu items, celebra
tions of National School
Lunch Week and School
Breakfast Week, and
plenty of other surprises
on the horizon. School
Nutrition is making BIG
plans to enter the 21st
century by introducing a
nutrition application at
Mary Persons High School
that allows us to receive
immediate feedback from
our customers, provide
vital nutrition informa
tion and an opportunity to
interact with our custom
ers about menu develop
ment. Stay tuned!
Monroe County Schools
Nutrition Program has a
new look that reflects the
culinary professionalism
our staff adheres to every
day. Come experience the
Lisa Singley
friendly service and qual
ity meals that the nutri
tion staff prepares daily at
breakfast and lunch.
As a reminder,
free & reduced
applications
were mailed to
each household
this year, and
if you did not
receive a bright
orange applica
tion in the mail,
don’t forget
that our free &
reduced meal
applications are available
online at www.school-
lunchapp.com. By using
the online option, the pro
cess for approval is faster
and no paper application
is needed.
Additionally, free and
reduced applications
are available from your
Nutrition Manager at
your child’s school. If you
have multiple students
within the same household
attending different schools
in Monroe County, only
one application is needed.
A new meal application
must be completed every
school year.
We look forward to serv
ing our customers healthy,
great tasting meals with
a great big smile and
a hearty thank you for
choosing Monroe County
Schools Nutrition Program
for school year 2016-17.
We are so happy to see
you back!
Lisa Singley, Director of
School Nutrition
2016-17 Monroe County School
System Economic Impact
Total number of employees—604
72 percent reside in Monroe County
Monthly payroll—$2.89 million (includes salaries & benefits)
Annual payroll—$33.9 million (includes salaries & benefits)
For 2016-17, there will be a one time supplement paid in January for
teachers equal to 3 percent average. Classified employees will se a 2.5
percent increase.
2015-16 Quick Facts for Monroe
County Schools
Student population—4,030
Teaching staff—270
Administrators—24
Classified staff—310
Number of schools—6
Graduation rate—(State calculations not available) 276 grads in 2016
Poverty rate—52 percent
Students in gifted education—11 percent
Teachers react as Monroe County Middle School principal introduces new assistant principal Chad Sand
ers, center. (Photo/Diane Glidewell)
Teachers ready for a new year
With the theme “Their
futures are so bright,” Monroe
County Schools held its
Welcome Back convocation
for teachers and staff on Aug.
1. Highlighted by selected
theme songs, the six principals
introduced new additions to
their staffs, and new Assistant
Supt. Alicia Elder introduced
a ‘troublemaker’ from each
school who demonstrated
thinking outside the box.
“We as educators have to go
above and beyond traditions,”
said Supt. Dr. Mike Hickman,
after showing a video about
Blockbuster’s demise following
its failure to innovate.
Mary Persons principal Dr.
Jim Finch said MP had 267
spring graduates plus eight
summer graduates for the
largest number of diplomas in
a year ever and also the great
est number of honor gradu
ates, 40.
Assistant Supt. Jackson
Daniel said the comple
tion date for the new Fine
Arts Center is the end of
November. He told teachers
they can expect an extra pay-
check on Jan. 15 that will be
between $1,300-1,900, depend
ing on the individual, and
other system employees will
see a raise in monthly checks.
Teacher of the Year
Elizabeth Holloway gave five
keys to success: relationships,
positivity, grace, purpose and
solutions. School board mem
bers J. Ray Grant and Nolen
Howard gave the crowd a ren
dition of the old Mary Persons
Alma Mater to send them
forth into the 2016-17 school
year.