This year has been one for the record books for career and technical education in Forsyth County! Our students have explored and experienced the world around them, including several groups recently returning from state and international competition. Thanks to the support of our Career Path Partners, CTSO sponsors, and local business/industry, our students have taken their classroom experiences into the community. Students have also learned more about the career pathway programs available to them at the high school level and how these programs can lead them to a more defined career-path and the ability to make smarter college decisions as they explore their passions! Teachers have also had the ability to work with local business/industry through advisory council participation and classroom involvement to more closely align learning expectations. See below for our end-of-year recap! Reminder: As we continue to grow the resources available for students and teachers, please let our office know how your occupation and life experiences can help influence our programs and consider becoming a partner with us. For more information about career and technical education in Forsyth County, visit www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/ccd or email vlowe@forsyth.k12.ga.us.  Dr. Valery Lowe, Director of College and Career Development

General Information and Opportunities to Get Involved

By becoming a Career Path Partner with Forsyth County Schools, your organization allows students to go beyond the classroom and into the community to consider different career fields, learn basic workplace behavior, and develop specific skills within an industry. Through these experiences, students can apply what they are learning in the classroom as they prepare to transition into post-secondary education and training. Click here for the Career Path Partner form or here to download a PDF version.

Summer Camps

Led by Forsyth County Schools career and technical education teachers, youth in our community are invited to participate in any of the following summer camps being held in our state-of-the-art labs. Sign-up today, as space is limited!

AUTOMOTIVE CAMP In this camp you will learn how to maintain your automobile with auto basics, preventative maintenance, including brakes, tires, oil changes and more. You will also learn what to do in an emergency roadside situations, such as flat tires and jack operation. This camp will also increase your general automotive knowledge. Parents are welcome to attend the class for free with a paid registration for their child. Campers will receive s t-shirt. The camp will meet in the FCHS Automotive Lab. Head Instructor is Marlo Miranda, ASE Master Accredited Teacher and 2016 FCS Teacher of the Year. AGES      DAYS   TIME                   DATES         LOCATION    INSTRUCTOR       FEE 13-18       M-F      8:30am-12pm    Jun 12-16     FCHS            M. Miranda           $150.00  13-18       M-F      8:30am-12pm    Jun 19-23     FCHS            M. Miranda           $150.00 To register or for more information, click here:  Registration/Information

CULINARY ARTS CAMP Want to be a chef? If you are a rising 7-9th grade student and would like to have a blast learning some basic cooking techniques, join us for our first Forsyth County Culinary Arts Camp! The camp theme is “A Whole New World of Food!” Camp will be filled with hands on cooking emphasizing international cuisine and includes demonstrations from local chefs and various cooking techniques. Registration includes all cooking supplies and equipment. Each camper will receive a chef’s hat, apron and a T-shirt. A $20 consumable fee is due on the first day of camp to cover the food that the students will prepare for lunch each day. Camp will meet in the LHS Culinary Arts Lab. AGES       DAYS     TIME            DATES         LOCATION    INSTRUCTOR      FEE 12-14          M-F       9am-3pm     Jun 19-23     LHS               L. King                 $300.00 To register or for more information, click here:  Registration/Information

VEX IQ ROBOTICS CAMP Team OTTO is holding a summer robotics camp, OTTObotics, during the summer of 2017. Signup your child for one or two weeks of robotics fun. We will be learning how to build, program and operate VEX IQ robots. The end of the week will culminate in a fun, awards-filled competition where your student's creation will compete against other student's creations! AGES       DAYS     TIME            DATES         LOCATION    INSTRUCTOR      FEE 7-12         M-F        9am-2pm     Jun 5-9         FCHS            J. Lillie                 $375.00 7-12         M-F        9am-2pm     Jun 12-16     FCHS            J. Lillie                 $375.00 To register or for more information, click here:  Registration/Information

VEX IQ ROBOTICS CAMP NFHS Robotics Team will be offering 22 spots for VEXIQ students from the 4th - 7th grade levels. We will be working on the 2017-2018 competition game. AGES       DAYS     TIME            DATES         LOCATION    INSTRUCTOR      FEE 9-12         M-F        9am-3pm     Jun 12-16     NFHS            J. Marshall            $195.00 To register or for more information, click here:  Registration/Information

VEX IQ/VDR ROBOTICS CAMP This summer, South Forsyth High School will be hosting their 1st Annual SFHS VEX IQ/VEX VDR robotics camp. The camp is designed to peak the interest of a student in the area of robotics. Rising 3 rd – 5 th graders will be introduced to VEX IQ robotics while rising 6th – 9 th graders will be introduced to VEX EDR robotics. Students will be able to learn about robot design, build aspects, programming, and competition of VEX robotics.  AGES       DAYS     TIME            DATES       LOCATION    INSTRUCTOR   FEE 8-14         M-F        9am-2pm     Jun 5-9       SFHS            J. Olney             $150.00/$175.00 To register or for more information, click here:  Registration/Information

Forsyth County Schools hosted the FCS College and Career Fair in February at the Forsyth Conference Center. The event provided 4,000+ middle and high school students the opportunity to explore 80+ business and industry opportunities in Forsyth County, speak with 30+ colleges and universities, and meet high school counselors and teachers to ask questions about high school career pathway choices.  Click here to see a glimpse into the event: goo.gl/OFYdga

In March, 2500+ high school juniors and seniors participated in community-led mock interviews through their third-year career pathway course or through their participation in Work-Based Learning. This event was community-driven, as volunteers from across the county spent time creating an experience that exposed students to what is expected in a job interview, while providing constructive feedback on all aspects of the interview process. We truly appreciate the time donated by our 300+ volunteers.

Perfectly Polished "Building Your Brand" Workshops

Forsyth County high school student interns recently took part in a three-hour Perfectly Polished etiquette training workshop taught by nationally known etiquette speakers Debra Lassiter and April McLean. Students learned about self-presentation (business dress, introducing oneself, meeting/ greeting, appropriate handshake/ eye contact) and practiced these skills with other attendees. These two also worked with high school career pathway completers with a seminar on resume and cover letter writing to prepare students for community mock interviews.

Alliance Academy for Innovation will be Forsyth County Schools' seventh high school. Located on approximately 23 acres in the City of Cumming, the campus is slated to open in August 2018 on Lanier 400 Parkway. The mission of Alliance Academy is to provide pathways for students to own their future in college, career, and life. Career pathways, innovative courses, and personalized learning will be an integral part of Alliance Academy. Students will complete Georgia high school graduation requirements as well as participate in real world experiences in simulated work environments, complete internships, and receive industry certification. We anticipate opening with five interest-themed academies or schools, which include:   •School of Aerospace & Logistics •School of Criminal Justice & Law •School of Healthcare & First Responders •School of Hospitality & Design •School of Mechatronics & Energy Alliance Academy will provide an interdisciplinary curriculum with a culture of teamwork, creative thinking, collaboration, and communication.  The five interest-themed academies will be aligned to a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) including  DECA ,  FRC ,  HOSA ,  SkillsUSA  and  TSA .  Advanced Placement  courses,  Move on When Ready,  Work-Based Learning , and  Honors Mentorship  opportunities will also be offered.  Alliance Academy is an excellent choice for Forsyth County students interested in pursuing their passion in high school. Join us in August 2018 as we embark on a unique, exciting, and innovative journey for students to own their future in college, career, and life. Please visit our webpage for more information: www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/alliance .  Follow us on social media @AllianceAI .

Staff Spotlight

Jodie Marshall -  North Forsyth HS Jodie Marshall, engineering teacher at North Forsyth HS, grew up in Lawrenceburg, KY and graduated from Eastern KY University. Jodie began her career at the UK Medical Center as an electronic technician and then moved to Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington to serve 12 years as a Biomedical Engineer. Jodie moved to Cumming in 1996 and began to sub when her son started first grade. She worked with RTI students in math at Coal Mountain ES for one year and then received a call about taking a special education paraprofessional position to help students with science and math. Jodie worked in this capacity for two years before taking on a position as the engineering teacher at North Forsyth HS. Her 19 years at the school has been a true adventure through classroom projects, robotic competitions all over the United States, and TSA/electric car competitions. "Jodie Marshall is the hardest working, most dedicated teacher that I have had the pleasure of working with." - Shannon Anderson-Rush, North Forsyth HS CTAE Department Chair

Student Internship Spotlights

Jordan McGinnis North Forsyth HS Jordan McGinnis is a Work-Based Learning student at North Forsyth HS currently working in the bakery at Ingles. Jordan takes customer orders, packages orders and assist with baking all items offered in the bakery.  " His manager was recently on medical leave, and Jordon was asked to fill the role as manager, during her absence.  He was excited that he was given the opportunity to practice his management skills and was honored that his superiors would entrust this responsibility with him.  He accepted this challenge with great pride and did a great job managing the bakery department ." - Debra Moore, Career Development Coordinator

Juliana Sandoval Forsyth Central HS Juliana Sandoval is a Honors Mentorship student at Forsyth Central HS currently interning at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Forsyth. She has had the opportunity to job-shadow under three physical therapist mentors in the sports medicine department.  “My mentorship at CHOA has definitely shown me that I want to major in science to lead me into the medical field. This mentorship helped me with this because I know it will give me a great advantage on my resume by showing determination, responsibility, and eagerness to learn. Along with this, I know the experiences from my mentorship will stick with me and provide me with an early insight to my future.” - Juliana Standoval, Student

For more information on the Honor Mentorship and Work-Based Learning Programs, visit these links: Work-Based Learning     Honors Mentorship

National CTSO  Scholarship Spotlights

Kristen Nicholson - Forsyth Central HS DECA, Inc. Scholarship ($2,000)

Xiara Velasquez - Forsyth Central HS National Technical Honor Society/Jon H. Poteat Scholarship ( $ 1,000)

Royce Dickerson - Lambert HS National Technical Honor Society/FBLA-PBL Scholarship ($1,000)

Laura Hancher - Lambert HS DECA/ Pepsi Company Chilled Scholarship ($2,000)

Faith Settipani - Lambert HS National Technical Honor Society/Jon H. Poteat Scholarship ($1,000)

School Spotlights

West Forsyth HS Engineering In March, West Forsyth HS Engineering Program, led by Dan Biskup and Anthony Tarantino, accompanied 53 high school students on a trip to Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, GA. With students ranging from freshman to seniors, the “future engineers” were exposed to the world of Nuclear Engineering at one of the largest Nuclear Power plants in the United States. Students were able to take a guided tour of the plant grounds and witness the inspection process of one of the 550ft+ cooling towers tasked with keeping the reactors from going critical.

Shiloh Point ES Robotics Shiloh Point's Rocking Robots brought home the Excellence Award in late April from VEX-IQ World Competition in Louisville, Kentucky. The Excellence Award is the highest prize in the world! way to go Rocking Robots!

South Forsyth HS Marketing Students in Marketing and Entrepreneurship class at South Forsyth HS completed a real-world project for North Atlanta Kid's Directory. Students created new content for the directory, made social media recommendations, and assisted with ad effectiveness.  South Forsyth HS Computer Science Congrats to South Forsyth HS students Prishna Nanda Kumar, Sneha Nagarajan, and Mindy Demars for being  selected as 2017 Winners of the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Program. Only 30 students were selected state wide!

North Forsyth HS Healthcare Science Students in Healthcare Science at North Forsyth HS assisted instructor Kerri Graczyk with obtaining blood pressure of students athletes at Lakeside MS for their health physicals.

South Forsyth MS HOSA Julie Smith, Healthcare Science teacher and HOSA Advisor at South Forsyth MS, was awarded as the 2016-2017 HOSA Advisor of the Year at the Georgia HOSA State Leadership Conference.

Forsyth Central HS Cosmetology Forsyth Central HS Cosmetology students had the opportunity to welcome North Forsyth MS students for a fun day of makeovers!

Lambert HS Food and Nutrition Students in Food For Life at Lambert HS held a senior citizen day. Residents from Villas at Canterfield came to visit. Students helped assist in cooking, gardening, crafting, and learning about technology. The residents and students both had a blast!

South Forsyth MS HOSA Fifteen students from South Forsyth MS HOSA participated in the Metro Atlanta Mass Casualty Exercise in February. The event was a bombing with an active shooter at the new Atlanta Braves Stadium at Suntrust Park. Students were assigned to Emory Johns Creek. Each student was moulaged with the injuries sustained to make it look like a real life injury. The student entered through the ER and explained their symptoms. They rotated through each department as deemed necessary by the ER doctors. Students were able to see what an active ER looked like as well as the steps and paths taken for diagnosing and treating mass injuries at one time.

South Forsyth HS Culinary Arts South Forsyth HS recently unveiled their new culinary arts and hospitality suite officially named 585 South. This new instructional space includes an industrial kitchen, 70-seat dining room, classroom space, and a computer lab. The grand opening celebration included a fully decorated dining room and plated hors d’oeuvres catered by South Forsyth HS culinary arts students. Future plans for 585 South include a morning coffee house, catered lunches for staff, and full service meeting space led by instructors Dawn Martin and Suzanne Smatt.

Otwell MS Engineering 8th grade students in engineering at Otwell MS had to design, create, and test a car with a safety restraint system that would protect an egg during a crash. There were several creative solutions including a fan favorite of peanut butter.

West Forsyth HS Cosmetology Good luck to the 14 West Forsyth HS seniors who will take the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology exams in June. These students have completed their training through the four-year licensing program at West Forsyth HS. Upon graduation and passing their state board exams, they will receive the  Master Cosmetologist  license.

North Forsyth HS FFA The North Forsyth FFA Chapter has participated in multiple community service activities this month including donating their hydroponic lettuce to local food banks and working with the City of Macon doing park cleanups. FFA members have also competed in Career Development Events and attended State FFA Convention.  Two members received their State FFA Degree, the highest award given on the state level. The chapter also held its annual plant sale and raised funds for leadership activities for FFA members.

North Forsyth MS Engineering Throughout the year, North Forsyth MS students learned basics of construction and power tool use in Mr. Welch's engineering class. They also worked in conjunction with the drama department to use their knowledge and build the set for the upcoming production of Annie. While working on the set, students learned how walls and decks are built.

Highlights & Year-End Review Forsyth Central HS Automotive Technologies Forsyth Central HS DECA Forsyth Central HS FBLA Lambert HS DECA Lambert HS FBLA Lambert HS FCCLA Lambert HS HOSA Lambert HS TSA North Forsyth HS FCCLA North Forsyth HS FFA South Forsyth HS Culinary Arts South Forsyth HS DECA  South Forsyth HS FBLA South Forsyth HS FCCLA South Forsyth MS DECA South Forsyth MS HOSA

Staff Retirements

Ann Williams - Forsyth County Schools Ann Williams, Career Development Coordinator, grew up in Birmingham and received degrees from University of the Montevallo and the University of Alabama in Birmingham as well as doing coursework at the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia. She worked one year in industry and then taught English for twelve years with Jefferson County Schools (Birmingham.) She moved to Georgia in 1985 to begin her career with Forsyth County Schools where she taught English.  She also served for several years as Governor’s Honors County Coordinator and state-level Communicative Arts judge as well as being Forsyth County’s WBL/YAP coordinator for sixteen years.  She is a third-generation teacher and will be retiring in May after forty-four years in education.

Kristine Hunt - North Forsyth HS Kris Hunt, Family and Consumer Science teacher at North Forsyth HS, grew up in Cincinnati and attended Marshall University. After graduation she transferred to Georgia and began working for NCR as a Field Service Engineer. She continued her career with Kodak for 15 years. In 1998, she decided on a career change accepting a job at South Forsyth HS in the Project Success program and started the swim team. She then taught at Piedmont (Gateway), North MS, and South Forsyth MS teaching Challenge, Health & PE, and Career Exploration. In 2008, Kris moved to North Forsyth HS and began teaching engineering and computing while also taking over the Raider Swimming & Diving Team. She concludes her 19 years of coaching and teaching as a family and consumer science teacher conducting classroom instruction and hands-on cooking labs.

Congratulations on your retirement!  We thank you for your service to the students of Forsyth County!

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