Monroe Messages
Newsletter of Monroe County Schools
Georgia Milestones Testing Season Approaching
For Monroe County Schools, testing begins April 15 for Monroe County Middle School, April 22 for elementary schools, and May 7 for Mary Persons High School and Monroe County Achievement Center. The Georgia Milestones Assessment System is designed to provide information about how well students are mastering the state-adopted content standards in the core content areas of English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
   
Importantly, Georgia Milestones is designed to provide students with critical information for their own achievement and their readiness for their next level of learning - be it the next grade, the next course, or endeavor (college or career).   

Informing parents, educators, and the public about how well students are learning important content is an essential aspect of any educational assessment and accountability system.   Parents, the public, and policy makers, including local school districts and boards of education, can use the results as a barometer of the quality of educational opportunity provided throughout the state of Georgia.   
As such, Georgia Milestones serves as a key component of the state's accountability system - the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). 
 
Beginning Monday, April 23, students in grades 3-8 will be engaged in Georgia Milestones End of Grade Testing.  Students in Grades 9-12 will be engaged in End of Course testing beginning Tuesday, May 1.  Look for more specific information from your student's school.  

Students are not permitted to use, or bring into the testing environment, any electronic device that could allow them to access, retain, or transmit information (e.g., cell phone, smartphone, PDA, electronic recording, camera, or playback device, etc.). Possession or improper use of such devices during testing may result in disciplinary action in accordance with the system's student code of conduct and/or test invalidation. Devices such as those mentioned above that are brought into the testing environment must not remain in the student's possession during testing.  

End of Course and End of Grade Resource Guides for students and their families are found at:  http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/EOG-Study-Resource-Guides.aspx. and http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/EOC-Study-Resource-Guides.aspx .  See sample test question and experience the Georgia Milestones platform at http://www.gaexperienceonline.com/. 


Teachers of the Year to be Honored
at April Board of Education Meeting
At the April 9th Board of Education meeting, each school's Teacher of the Year will be recognized.  The meeting officially begins at 5:30 p.m. with executive session, and recognitions are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.  This meeting will be in the newly renovated Monroe County Schools Auditorium.  Congratulations to each Teacher of the Year! 
Meet Candice Lewis:
K. B. Sutton Elementary Teacher of the Year
We are featuring each school's Teacher of the Year as we near the April Board of Education Teacher of the Year recognitions to be held at 6 p.m. in the BOE Auditorium on Tuesday, April 9.

Meet Candice Lewis!  She is the K. B. Sutton Elementary School Teacher of the Year. She teaches fifth grade.

I grew up in Clayton County, Georgia. I graduated from Mount Zion High School in 2003. After high school, I attended Valdosta State University. I have a B.S. Degree in Early Childhood Education, M.Ed. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology, Ed. S in Educational Leadership. 

What is a funny memory or story you can share from your teaching experience?
One funny memory that I have from teaching is when I taught first grade. Sometimes, I would use peer tutors to help with concepts. About five minutes into the activity the peer tutor came to me and said "Mrs. Lewis, he needs a real teacher!"

How long have you been teaching and what have your teaching assignments been? (Grades and/or subjects taught.) How long have you been a part of Monroe County Schools? Have you taught anywhere else as well?
I have been teaching for twelve years. I have taught in Valdosta City Schools, Bibb County Schools, and Monroe County Schools. I have taught grades 1, 3, 4, & 5. I have been a part of Monroe County Schools for 3 years.

If you could provide one piece of advice to new teachers, what would you tell them?
If I could provide one piece of advice to new teachers it would be to build relationships with your students and be very forgiving. Each student should receive a new start daily!

What does it mean to you to be chosen as teacher of the year for your school?
I am very honored that my colleagues deemed me worthy enough to represent them as TOTY. I do not take this honor lightly, so I will strive to continue to exude excellence in everything that I do in and out of my classroom.

What's your favorite memory involving your teaching?
My favorite memory involving my teaching was when I had 100 percent of my EIP students pass reading on a standardized test. This was a great memory because the students were so proud of themselves. I had one parent tell me that her son had never passed anything before.

What's the most challenging thing about teaching?
The most challenging thing about teaching is worrying about your students when they are not with you. Each year, I form a bond with my students and it breaks my heart when they go though hardships. Over breaks, I oftentimes worry if they will have food, stability, and remain safe.

What's the most rewarding thing about teaching?
The most rewarding thing about teaching is knowing that you are making a difference in someone's life. I love when my old students and their parents reach out to me years later to let me know how they are doing and to thank me for the work that I do.

Why have you chosen to be a teacher?
I chose to be a teacher because I wanted to help students who struggled reach their full potential.

Was there a teacher or administrator who influenced your occupation choice?
My 3rd Grade teacher Mrs. Bolen influenced me to become a teacher. She was very loving, and cared greatly for her students.

Share about your family and your life outside of school. Hobbies? Interests?
Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my husband Michael Lewis and my 5 year old son Landen Lewis. We enjoy eating out, reading, shopping, exercising, and playing board games.

What does the future hold for you in education?
In the future, I can see myself being an instructional coach or doing something in the area of curriculum. I absolutely love teaching, but I feel that I would have the ability to impact more teachers and students outside of the classroom.

Mrs. Lewis is pictured below with KBS Principal Mrs. Becky Brown.



The Board of Education will meet for its spring work session beginning at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9 in the central office board room.  The Board of Education will convene for Executive Session at 5:30 p.m. in the central office board room.  The meeting will move to the BOE Auditorium at 6 p.m. for recognitions including the School Teacher of the Year and System Teacher of the Year honors. 

Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses: April is World Autism Month
Every April, Autism Speaks kicks off World Autism Month beginning with UN-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2.
Joined by international community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes and communities around the world light blue in recognition of people living with autism. Autism-friendly events and educational activities take place all month to increase understanding and acceptance and foster worldwide support.
You can help by registering a team and fundraising for 15th anniversary of Atlanta Autism Speaks Walk in partnership with Marcus Autism Center on Sunday, April 28 at Atlantic Station. For more information and to register please visit  www.AutismSpeaksWalk.org .  
Be sure to visit  www.AutismSpeaks.org/WAM  for ideas on how you can light it up blue or to download the Puzzle Piece Project which is a fun and interactive educational tool for teachers in grade levels K-12 to teach students about the importance of understanding and acceptance.
 

Message from Monroe County Schools Transportation Team:  Weekly Safety Reminder
The school bus driver's job is to ensure students are transported safely to and  from school. Students should always follow the bus driver's directions and be respectful.
 

Stay seated at all times. Sit facing forward with your back against the seat and feet flat on the floor in front of you.

 

It's important the bus driver can safely operate the bus at all times, which means they should be able to hear noises from the road that could be dangerous. Stay quiet at railroad crossings so the bus driver can hear an approaching train.



March is Read Aloud Month:
Take Time to Read Together

Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses:


Public Notice: 
Destruction of Old Special Education Records
The Monroe County Public School will be destroying old Special Education records in July 2019. The records scheduled to be destroyed are for persons who were served in special education and born in 1997. If you desire to have your records, please contact the Department of Instructional Student Support 478-994-2031 x1604 or x1605.  Records not picked up by August 1, 2019 will be destroyed.