Monroe County Schools will be closed on Monday, February 18. Classes resume on Tuesday, February 19. 
Monroe Messages
Newsletter of Monroe County Schools
MCBOE Recognizes TGS Students and Staff
The T. G. Scott Elementary School Robotics Team and their sponsors were recognized at Tuesday night's Monroe County Board of Education meeting.  Pictured above are members of the TGS Robotics Team: Matthew Biers, Carlie Rawlins, Tyler Dowdy, John Rainey, Eriona Fuller, Carolyn Goode, Isaac McKallip, Lauryn Fox, Grayson Bennett, Jason Biek.  Robotics teams sponsors are Paula Mitchell and Tamarkis Taylor.  They are pictured with Superintendent Dr. Mike Hickman, MCBOE Chairman Nolen Howard, and TGS Principal Dr. Richard Bazemore.

MCBOE Recognizes TGS Staff Members
for Dedication and Years of Service
The T. G. Scott Elementary custodial team was recognized by the Board of Education.  They were recognized for their dedication  and going above the call of duty by keeping the school clean while being short-handed for several months. Members of the team are:  Curtis Moore, Michelle Zellner, Helen Allen, Sharon Johnson, and Mamie Gray.
They are pictured with Superintendent Dr. Mike Hickman, TGS Principal Dr. Richard Bazemore, and MCBOE Chairman Nolen Howard. 
  
T. G. Scott Elementary staff members were recognized for achieving their years of service in Monroe County Schools.  Five years:  Mallory Crenshaw, Rebecca Daniel. Ten years:  Ashton Watts, Jennifer Giles. Fifteen years:  Charlene Cass, Kimberly Brown, Helen Allen, Michelle Zellner. 25 years:  Mandi King.  30 years:  Wanda Crowder.  TGS staff members are pictured with Superintendent Dr. Mike Hickman, TGS Principal Dr. Richard Bazemore, and MCBOE Member Eva Bilderback.
MCBOE Recognizes Nutrition Staff Members
MCBOE recognized the Monroe County Middle School Nutrition Team which merged to become one team when two campuses combined at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.  MCMS Nutrition Team members are:  Tonia Copelan, Rebecca Williams, Celestine Shannon, Mattie Johnson, LeEllyn Fitzgerald, Bettie Jones, Gloria Taylor, Kay Ball.  They are pictured with Superintendent Dr. Mike Hickman, Nutrition Services Director Lisa Singley, and MCBOE Member Eva Bilderback.
MCBOE recognized Nutrition Services Team members for their years of service.  Five years:  Regina Alford, Cindy Hill, Gussie Glover, Portia Lyons, Joann Mitchelle, Kathy Stewart. Ten years:  Katrina High, Barbara Moore, Minnie Ralls, Belinda Watson. Fifteen years:  Gloria Taylor. Twenty years:  Shirley Elaine Johnson, Brenda Zellner. They are pictured with Superintendent Dr. Mike Hickman, Nutrition Services Director Lisa Singley, and MCBOE Member Eva Bilderback.
Congratulations Brycen Young!
First Top Six Finisher in MP Wrestler History
Congratulations to @MaryPersonsHigh Brycen Young 4A 152 pound. He is the first top six finisher in Mary Persons High Bulldog wrestling history. Congrats Brycen on 6th in the state!  He is pictured with Coach Barron Hamlin and Coach Douglas Fletcher.  Thank you to Marvin James of 13WMAZ for continued coverage of MP Athletics.

If you have a rising PK or K student entering Monroe County Schools for the first time or if you know a parent who has a rising PK or K student coming in 19-20, please note our enrollment dates are upcoming.  PK spots fill quickly, so please help us spread the word that PK and first time in our system K registration process is in February.  If you have questions about the process, you can connect with Cindy Seymour, System Registrar at cindy.seymour@mcschools.org.

NOTE: This is the week for PK and K appointments.  Please note appointments will take place in the BOE Annex -- the building NEXT to Central Office. If you are facing the Auditorium, you will go to the building on the hill to your right.  If you have questions, please call us at 478-994-2031. 

Message from Monroe County Schools Transportation Team:  Weekly Safety Reminder
Here are this week's Transportation Team safety reminders...

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.

 

 
Students must remain totally silent at railroad crossings so the bus driver can look, listen, and make sure there is not a train approaching.

 













Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses:  What You Need to Know About Pertussis
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a respiratory infection caused by bacterium  Bordetella pertussis  (or  B. pertussis). It affects babies younger than 6 months old who aren't yet protected by immunizations, and kids 11 to 18 years old whose immunity has started to fade. Whooping cough causes severe coughing spells, which can sometimes end in a "whooping" sound when the child breathes in. 
Signs & Symptoms
The first symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of a common cold:
  • runny nose
  • sneezing
  • mild cough
  • low-grade fever
After about 1 to 2 weeks, dry, irritating cough evolves into coughing spells. During a coughing spell, which can last for more than a minute, a child may turn red or purple. At the end of a spell, the child may make characteristic whooping sounds when breathing in or may vomit. Between spells, the child usually feels well. While many infants and younger kids with whooping cough develop the coughing fits and accompanying whoop, not all do. And sometimes babies don't cough or whoop as older kids do. Infants may look as if they're gasping for air with a reddened face and may actually stop breathing (this is called apnea) for a few seconds during very bad spells. 
Adults and teens may have milder or different symptoms, such as a prolonged cough (rather than coughing spells) or coughing without the whoop.
Contagiousness
Pertussis is highly contagious. The bacteria spread from person to person through tiny drops of fluid from an infected person's nose or mouth. These may become airborne when the person sneezes, coughs, or laughs. Others then can become infected by inhaling the drops or getting the drops on their hands and then touching their mouths or noses. Infected people are most contagious during the earliest stages of the illness for up to about 2 weeks after the cough begins. Antibiotics shorten the period of contagiousness to 5 days following the start of antibiotic treatment. 
Prevention
Whooping cough can be prevented with the pertussis   vaccine, which is part of the   DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis) immunization.
DTaP immunizations are routinely given in five doses before a child's sixth birthday. For additional protection in case immunity fades, experts recommend that kids ages 11-18 get a booster shot of the new combination vaccine (called Tdap), ideally when they're 11 or 12 years old.
The Tdap vaccine is similar to DTaP but with lower concentrations of diphtheria and tetanus toxoid. It also should be given to adults who did not receive it as preteens or teens. The vaccine is also recommended for all pregnant women during the second half of each pregnancy, regardless of whether or not they had the vaccine before, or when it was last given.
Getting the vaccine is especially important for people who are in close contact with infants, because babies can develop severe and potentially life-threatening complications from whooping cough. An adult's immunity to whooping cough lessens over time, so getting vaccinated and protecting yourself against the infection also helps protect your infant or child from getting it.
People who live with or come into close contact with someone who has pertussis should receive antibiotics to prevent the spread of the disease, even if they've already been vaccinated against it. Young kids who have not received all five doses of the vaccine may need a booster dose if exposed to an infected family member.
Incubation period (the time between infection and the start of symptoms) for whooping cough is usually 7 to 10 days, but can be as long as 21 days.
Pertussis usually causes prolonged symptoms - 1 to 2 weeks of common cold symptoms, followed by up to 3 months of severe coughing. The last stage consists of another few weeks of recovery with gradual clearing of symptoms. In some children, recovery period can last for months. 
Call the doctor if you suspect that your child has whooping cough. To make a diagnosis, the doctor will take a medical history, do a thorough physical exam, and may take nose and throat mucus samples to be checked in a lab.   Blood tests  and a chest X-ray also might be done.
Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics. Many experts believe that antibiotics are most effective in shortening the length of the infection when they're given in the first stage of the illness,  before  coughing spells begin. But even if antibiotics are started later, they're still important because they can stop the spread of the pertussis infection to others.  
Some kids with whooping cough need to be treated in a hospital. Babies and younger children are more likely to be hospitalized because they're at greater risk for problems like   pneumonia. Whooping cough can be life-threatening for infants younger than 6 months, so they almost always need hospital treatment.
Other potential complications include difficulty breathing, periods of apnea, needing oxygen (particularly during a coughing spell), and   dehydration.
Home Care
If your child is being treated for pertussis at home, follow the schedule for giving antibiotics exactly as your doctor prescribed.
During recovery, let your child rest in bed and use a cool-mist vaporizer to help soothe irritated lungs and breathing passages. Keep your home free of irritants that can trigger coughing spells, such as aerosol sprays; tobacco smoke; and smoke from cooking, fireplaces, and wood-burning stoves.
Kids with whooping cough may vomit or not eat or drink much because of coughing. Encourage your child to drink lots of fluids. Watch for signs of dehydration, including thirst, irritability, restlessness, lethargy, sunken eyes, a dry mouth and tongue, dry skin, crying without tears, and fewer trips to the bathroom to pee (or in infants, fewer wet diapers).
When to Call the Doctor
Call the doctor if you think your child has whooping cough or has been exposed to someone with whooping cough, even if your child has already had all scheduled pertussis immunizations.
This is especially important if your child has long coughing spells and:
  • the coughing make your child's skin or lips turn red, purple, or blue
  • your child vomits after coughing
  • there's a whooping sound after the cough
  • your child has trouble breathing or seems to have brief periods of not breathing (apnea)
  • your child seems very sluggish
If your child has been diagnosed with whooping cough and is being treated at home, get immediate medical care if he or she develops difficulty breathing or shows signs of dehydration.



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.