Monroe Messages
A Newsletter of Monroe County Schools
Monroe County Schools Board of Education will hold a called meeting on Tuesday, April 21 at 5:30 p.m. This will be a virtual meeting with the public invited to listen to the meeting and review the agenda at the Monroe County Schools Youtube Channel. 

The agenda for the meeting can be found at the Monroe County Schools Simbli Portal at https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Index.aspx?S=4117.  
You can pull last week's meeting info off of the main site and the board site. 
Alternative Learning Days
Thanks for being supportive and flexible during this most uncertain time. We also appreciate your patience and understanding as we work together to overcome this disease. Details concerning plans for this week are below. At any time, if you have questions or concerns, please contact your child's school or central office.

Instructional Resources- Digital Learning Extending Beyond the Classroom
Due to the potential number of days students could be out of school, our schools will provide the opportunity for students to continue to engage in learning. Students will participate in Alternative Learning Days through reading traditional books, traditional "at home" paper-based assignments, and through use of personal devices, GoogleClassroom, email, and other electronic and digital media to ensure uninterrupted instruction.

What will an Alternative Learning Day look like for students?
All staff and students in our district access and can utilize GoogleClassroom and GAFE (Google Apps for Education), in addition to other digital media, online texts, forums and resources, on a regular basis to communicate, collaborate, research and complete assignments and lessons. On Alternative Learning Days, students may access assignments from their teachers through their GoogleClassrooms (or other digital sources) just as they would normally do while present at school.
  • Alternative Learning Day assignments for students in grades PK-5 are posted on each school's website here.
  • Alternative Learning Day assignments for students in grades 6-12 can be accessed in the students' GoogleClassroom by logging into their @mcschools account.
  • Parents should contact their child's school or email their child's teacher if they need assistance logging into their child's account. 
  • Students who do not have internet access at home will have the opportunity to complete paper copies of assignments. Parents should contact their child's school and make arrangements to pick up their child's work at the front office at each school.

Classroom teachers will be overseeing their students' digital learning platform throughout the time students are out of school. Teachers will be available to communicate with students and parents through email, GoogleClassroom, Remind, and other forms of digital media.
Georgia's Pre-K @ Home
Looking for more age-appropriate ideas for your Pre-K student while they're learning at home? Please visit the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) website for fun activities and great family resources at  www.decal.ga.gov . This website includes educational resources and activities divided into four categories including Storytime, Virtual Field Trips, Let's Go Outside, and Screen-Free Time and are based on the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS). Enjoy this precious time at home with your child and have some fun!
The Overdrive collection is getting lots of usage while we are having Alternative Learning Days. More titles are being added daily! Contact your school media specialist for login assistance.

Every 10 years, the United States Census Bureau undertakes a mammoth task: counting all the people residing in the United States. This count affects the allocation of funding for our community's public resources (e.g., roads, hospitals, schools), how we plan for the future, and our voice in government. Learn more about the importance of the #2020Census and how to participate:   2020census.gov .
Are you curious about how many people in your community are responding to the 2020 Census? Stay up to date with a map of self-response rates from across the United States!
A Message from Monroe County School Nurses: Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19
How to Wear a Cloth Face Covering
Side view of an individual wearing a cloth face covering, which conceals their mouth and nose areas and has a string looped behind the visible ear to hold the covering in place. The top of the covering is positioned just below the eyes and the bottom extends down to cover the chin. The visible side of the covering extends to cover approximately half of the individual’s cheek.
Cloth face coverings should—

  • fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
  • be secured with ties or ear loops
  • include multiple layers of fabric
  • allow for breathing without restriction
  • be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape.

To learn more on CDC recommendations for cloth face coverings, click here. 
Public Notice: Destruction of Old Special Education Records
The Monroe County Public School will be destroying old Special Education records in July 2020. The records scheduled to be destroyed are for persons who were served in special education and born in 1998. If you desire to have your records, please contact the Department of Instructional Student Support 478-994-2031 x 1604. Records not picked up by August 1, 2020 will be destroyed.