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MP Literary Team Wins Region Title Again!
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Congratulations to the Mary Persons High School Literary Team, coordinator and coach Mr. Hernandez, coach Ms. Spires and Ms. Lori Greenway, and accompanist Mr. Terry Clopton for being the 2-AAAA Literary Region Champions.
We are excited to share individual results of Region Literary Competition.
Region Champion in Humorous Interpretation: Abby Hodges
Region Champion in Dramatic Interpretation: Chase Hester
Region Champions in Trio: Abby Hodges, Emily Joseph and Stephanie Nix
Region Champion in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking: Taylor Jordan
Region Champion in Rhetorical Essay: Baxter Berlin
2
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place in Boy's Solo: Charles Dean
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place in Duo Interpretation: Tim Clements and Natalie Pippin
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place in Quartet: Charles Dean, Jordan Shepherd, James Smith and Richard Smith
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place Girl's Solo: Stephanie Nix
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place in Argumentative Essay: Elizabeth Bennett
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place in International Extemporaneous Speaking: Anthony Kerr
Along with accompanying team members Grant Mitchell, Luka Rice, Cayton Sink, Liam Spence, Emmy Tane, Destiny Thompson, and James Wright, Mary Persons High School's team earned enough total points to claim the Region Championship title.
Trio, Rhetorical Essay, Humorous Interp., Dramatic Interp. and Domestic Extemp. winners will advance to the Georgia High School Association AAAA State Literary Competition that will be held at Veterans High School on Saturday, March 16
th
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Congratulations to the 2019 Literary Team for another outstanding season! See Wednesday's Mary Persons High Bulldog Beat for more details and pictures of the team.
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Meet Lauren Griffin,
Mary Persons High School Teacher of the Year
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 Each school's Teacher of the Year will be recognized at the April Board of Education meeting, and the System Teacher of the Year will be announced that evening. Each week, we will be featuring each school's Teacher of the Year. Lauren Griffin is a Science Teacher at Mary Persons High School.
"I am a native Forsythian and graduated from Mary Persons High School in 2011. After high school, I attended Georgia College and State University (Bachelor of Science, Biology) and Columbus State University as a Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellow (Master of Arts in Teaching; Secondary Science Education)."
What is a funny memory or story you can share from your teaching experience?
"Teaching Human Anatomy to teenagers is quite an adventure. I have found that teaching this course opens a strange gateway for questions like "Want to see how double-jointed I am?" and "Does my foot look normal?" followed, of course, by demonstrations. Their questions never cease to amaze me."
How long have you been teaching and what have your teaching assignments been?
"I have been in the classroom for three years, all of which have been at Mary Persons High School. I have taught tenth-grade Biology, Human Anatomy and Physiology and Advanced Placement (AP) Biology."
If you could provide one piece of advice to new teachers, what would you tell them?
"Don't be afraid to build relationships with your students. A student who knows you care about them will work ten times as hard as a student who doesn't."
What does it mean to you to be chosen as teacher of the year for your school?
"I am extremely honored to have been chosen as teacher of the year at MP because I work among the most talented, hard-working individuals in the business. It's a great feeling to know that my peers believe I am living up to the high standards for which Mary Persons is known. I will continue to work hard to ensure that I am serving my students and my community to the best of my ability."
What's your favorite memory involving your teaching?
"My favorite memory has to be the rat dissection lab conducted in Human Anatomy last year. This dissection is used to study the structures of the digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems. As I was setting up the lab I noticed that I'd been sent all female rats which meant that my students wouldn't be able to compare the internal reproductive structures of the two sexes. I was unhappy to have received the wrong order, but decided to proceed with the lab with slight modifications. In first period, one of the lab groups discovered that their female specimen looked a little odd and upon further inspection found that it was pregnant. The group was buzzing with excitement and others looked on in awe. As the lab continued, several other groups realized their specimens were also pregnant (I don't think they believed me when I said this wasn't expected!) and I told them that they could perform "C-Sections" after they were through with the routine lab procedures. In the end, our class ended up with specimens from almost every stage of fetal development and students were fascinated as they examined all of the tiny features seen at all the different stages. This unanticipated "bonus" lab led to students taking charge to research gestation periods in rats as well as student-driven discussions about development and reproduction. I don't think I'll ever forget that day and I don't think they will either!"
What's the most challenging thing about teaching?
"The most challenging aspect of teaching is juggling the numerous aspects of the profession all at once while also remembering to take time for oneself every once in a while."
What's the most rewarding thing about teaching?
"The most rewarding aspects of this profession are the relationships you build with students and the growth you see in them throughout their high school career. It is absolutely amazing to see the transformation in students' abilities and confidence as they prepare to enter into the real world."
Was there a teacher or administrator who influenced your occupation choice?
"Several of my high school teachers influenced my decision to teach. Most notably is Mrs. Natalie Sumner, my tenth-grade Biology and AP Biology teacher, who opened my eyes to the wonderful world of science. Additionally, teachers such as Mr. Allen Smith, Ms. Terri Duncan, and Ms. Jana Peacock influenced my decision to pursue a career in education by showing me the tremendous effect that great teachers have on the lives of their students."
Share about your family and your life outside of school. Hobbies? Interests?
"I have been married since October 2017 and my husband and I have two dogs and a cat that keep us plenty busy. When I find free time I enjoy cooking, reading (both fiction and science-related non-fiction), outdoor activities, and spending time with my family."
What does the future hold for you in education?
"As an educator, I plan to continue to improve my craft and work with students as long as I possibly can." Mrs. Griffin is pictured below with MP Principal Dr. Jim Finch.
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Message from Monroe County Schools Transportation Team: Weekly Safety Reminder
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For safety reasons, students should not get mail out of the mailbox until the bus has departed from the bus stop.
Students should be at their bus stop 5 minutes before the bus arrives, waiting in a safe place, clear of traffic and 12 feet away from the roadway.
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MP Chorus Program Has Superior Ratings
for the Seventh Year in a Row!
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The Mary Persons Beginning Women, Men, Mixed and Advanced Women's Choirs, director Mr. Charles Hernandez, and accompanists Terry Clopton, Anna Schmitz and Katie Thomason received straight superior ratings in performance and sight reading from every judge at the 2019 Georgia Music Educators Association Large Group Performance Evaluations.
A Superior rating denotes "an outstanding performance worthy of distinction of being recognized as among the very best."
This is the seventh consecutive year of this outstanding accomplishment!
Mr. Hernandez extends
a special thank you to the accompanying adults: Robin Head, Michelle Kelly, Belinda Penamon, Chris Peterman, Lisa Slaughter, Debra Smith, Sheri Stevenson, Fran Tapley, Conni Tane, Keith White and Gloria Williams.
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Hubbard Elementary Fourth Graders Have Sleepover at Georgia Aquarium
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 Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary fourth graders had a special weekend with an overnight
visit to the Georgia Aquarium. In addition to behind the scenes tours, the group spent the night with the fishes. "
We couldn't be any prouder of how respectful they were to our tour guides, chaperones, and other Aquarium employees," stated Kera Davis, HES fourth grade teacher. "
Our kids had a blast and will remember this for year's to come."
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MCMS Junior Beta Club Chapter
Celebrates Service
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 Last week was
National Junior Beta Club week. The Monroe County Middle School chapter celebrated the positive difference the club makes at Monroe County Middle School and throughout Monroe County. The Junior Beta Club
takes pride in volunteering throughout the community and showcasing abilities of MCMS students by participating in competitions.
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March is Read Aloud Month:
Take Time to Read Together
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Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses: Reading Aloud Is Good for Your Child's Health
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Academic achievement
Reading to young children helps a brain develop, and builds a foundation for future achievement at school and in the workplace in the future. At the end of the day (or childhood), frequently reading to your children adds up to better academic achievement. For example, research shows that children who are read to more frequently at age 4-5 perform better in school tests (including math) at 8-9 years of age.
Knowledge
Books contain information about a wide range of topics young children are learning. As you read, your child is exposed to mathematical concepts (e.g. size, shape, color, numbers) and science (understanding cause and effect, or what happens if...). Reading stories provides opportunities for children to learn about events, places, and things they do not come across in their real life.
Being read to also helps children develop problems solving skills, because stories stimulate young minds to think about and deduce (sometimes incorrectly) what will happen next.
Memory, concentration and imagination
For babies, being read to helps develop concentration, listening and imagination. In fact, hearing stories read aloud is a great way to stimulate the imaginations of children of all ages.
Being read to aloud also develops other important cognitive skills, like memory and concentration, in toddlers and pre-schoolers. When your child starts to have favorite story books that they ask you to read over and over again, it's a sign that they remember the book and what happens in it (i.e. that their memory skills are developing). When they sit and listen to you read for longer periods of time, it's a sign their attention span is increasing. Toddlers might go from starting to squirm and move around before the end of the first page, to being able to sit while you read them an entire children's book. These cognitive skills ultimately contribute to children's achievement at school.
Fine motor skills development
Reading books with your children can also be a time to help them develop their fine motor skills, that is, their ability to use their fingers to manipulate objects precisely. Any activity which requires them to move their fingers helps a young child develop fine motor skills. Encourage them to help you turn pages, or lift flaps to see what is hidden underneath, as you read to them. Choose books with appropriate types of pages to help them. For example, toddlers will probably be able to turn thick pages of board books, whereas pre-schoolers will probably be able to turn thin paper pages, but in beginning will probably turn over several pages at a time.
https://www.parenthub.com.au/baby/reading-to-kids-cognitive-and-physical-benefits/
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Monroe County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or sex in its employment practices, student programs and dealings with the public. It is the policy of the Board of Education to comply fully with the requirements of Title VI, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act and all accompanying regulations. As a result, the following people have been appointed to oversee specific areas.
Title II, Adult 504, Adult Title IX
Dr. Mike Hickman
25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, GA 31029
478-994-2031
Student and Athletic Title IX Jackson Daniel
25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, GA 31029 Student 504 Jenny Rooks 25 Brooklyn Avenue Forsyth, GA 31029 Copyright 2018. All Rights Reserved.
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