MONROE-GREGG SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
MAY 13, 2019
At the May meeting of the Monroe-Gregg School Board, the spotlight was on the recently revived Future Farmers of America program. The Monrovia FFA Chapter was one of the first established in Indiana in 1929. The program was discontinued in the late 80’s but revived 4 years ago. It features over 90 students in Middle and High School gaining experience in all aspects of agriculture. Shelby Gore directs the program and says the students are gaining experience with aquaponics, construction, small engines and welding. They earned 600 dollar from a recent plant sale. They are raising egg producing chickens to benefit the Food Pantry and they attend National and State FFA Conventions.

In regular business, Elementary Principal Melissa York offered an update to the state mandated ILearn test which replaced ISTEP. Principal York says the new procedures made for long days of testing but was proud of her students, faculty and staff who stayed focused throughout.

1.4 million dollars in claims were approved. Textbook and curriculum changes were adopted at the Elementary and High School. Safety Director Kyle Swafford was given the okay to apply for a 50-thousand dollar matching school safety grant. The Communication Department was given the approval to sell surplus equipment; a Common School Loan was approved for the Middle and High School and changes were made to the Auditorium rental agreement.

In the personnel report, the resignations of Middle School English Teacher Brian Burke and Middle School Science Teacher Sierra Armour were approved, along with the resignation of High School Science Teacher David Snyder. New hires and route changes were approved within the Transportation Department. Several assistant coaching positions were finalized and the recommendations for summer employment were approved.

Students of the month were also introduced, sponsored by the Alumni Association:
Lincoln Blakenship and Aubrey Pierson from the Elementary
Sam Allen at the Middle School
Seth Wertz and Grace Beaman at the High School
Lexi Reed was also introduced as the Daughters of the American Revolution Statewide Scholarship winner. She is the first honoree in the history of the Monrovia Chapter. 

By:  Mark Jaynes 
        

MONROE-GREGG SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
APRIL 8, 2019
In Board approved personnel matters, Ms. Stacey Martin will shift from the Elementary to the Middle School in the Fall. The Board approved hiring a new teacher at Monrovia Elementary to replace Martin, who will teach STEM, Project Lead the Way as-well-as a section of 6^th grade Science at the Middle School. Casey Wirey was approved as a new Aide at the Elementary School.

Shawn Swopes was approved as the new secretary for the Athletic Department. Long-time Secretary Gina Speck will now focus solely on the needs of the transportation department. Spring sports coaching staffs were filled out for baseball and softball at the middle and high school.

Three new buses are on their way the Monroe-Gregg Schools. The Board approved the purchase of a 78 passenger, 72 passenger and 12 passenger bus. All are equipped with radios and cameras. They also feature 12 extra Star Seats for students with special needs. The cost totals 265-thousand dollars.

Middle School Principal Rebecca McPherson submitted the estimated instructional costs for summer school. IREAD will be offered at the Elementary School with Band and SAE Supervised Ag Experience among the offerings at the High School. The 26-thousand dollar cost will be reimbursed through the 2019 Summer School grant. It was unanimously approved.

In-line with changes to the high school last month, changes to the elementary and middle school handbooks were okayed.

MHS Band Director Brian Willett shared news of a prestigious award his department recently received. The National Association of Music Merchants has designated Monrovia as one of the 12 best communities in Indiana for Music Education. It is the smallest school honored in Indiana and one of only 623 nationwide.

Students of the Month, sponsored by the Monrovia Alumni Association were introduced. Kylie Ruben and Mairead Ryan representing Monrovia Elementary; Kierra Rowe Monrovia Middle School and Leah Craig representing Monrovia High School. Building Administrators Melissa York, Rebecca McPherson and Mike Springer introduced the honorees.

From the Monroe-Gregg Administration Office in Monrovia
By:  Mark Jaynes   

  pdf Board Meeting Highlights  3-11-2019

Winter Weather is upon us.  There will be early mornings when decisions must be made about whether or not to cancel or delay the start of school.  It is rarely an easy decision and is one that is made with a great deal of thought.  The Superintendent and the Board of Education hope that school can be open every day; however, to ensure student safety, school may need to be delayed or closed some days, during the school year, due to dangerous weather and road conditions. The safety of our students is always a top priority. 

 School closings or delays will be announced to parents through our Skylert notification system. The automated message system will send out voice messages to the numbers that are listed in our Skyward Student Data Management System. Please keep us informed of any changes to your contact information. This can be done by contacting the school that your child attends.

Information on school closings due to inclement weather will be announced on the following media outlets:

WCBK 102.3	WISH (CW) Channel 8
WIBC 1070 AM	WXIN (FOX) Channel 59
TPI 99.5 FM	WTHR (NBC) Channel 13
SPIRIT 95.1 FM	WTTV (CBS) Channel 4
WFMS 96.5 FM	WRTV (ABC) Channel 6

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School & Student Safety
Monroe-Gregg School District is pleased to announce the continued enhancement of a safe and secure learning environment for our students, parents, and staff. The district has added new camera surveillance and campus security throughout the district. We believe in today’s ever changing environment, it is best to be proactive when meeting the safety challenges, needs, and concerns of our community.

School Bus Safety - The Danger Zone
What is the "danger zone"? It is the area surrounding the bus where children are hard to see. We want your children to be safe when they travel to and from school. Please help us by::

1. If your student misses the bus at their regular stop, do not follow the bus to the next stop and let your child walk/run beside the bus to get on. The driver cannot see the student in the danger zone, especially if it is dark and could possibly hit them as they pull away from the stop. Take your student to school.
2. Make children stay at least 10 feet away from the bus until they begin to enter. Children will be able to see the driver and the driver can see them.
3. If children must cross the street to the bus they should cross the street 10 feet (five giant steps) in front of the bus where they can see the driver and the driver can see them.
4. Warn the children that, if they drop something, they should never pick it up. Instead, they should tell the driver and follow the driver's instructions. If they bend over to pick up a dropped object, they might not be seen by the driver and could be hurt if the driver pulls away from the stop.
5. Remind children to look to the right before they step off the bus. Car drivers in a hurry sometimes try to sneak by the bus on the right hand side.
6. Teach your child to secure loose drawstrings and other objects that may get caught in the handrail or door of the bus as they are exiting.
7. If you meet your child at the bus stop after school, wait on the side where the child will be dropped off, not across the street. Children can be so excited at seeing you after school that they may dash across the street and forget the safety rules.