This semester brings many exciting opportunities for partnerships in Forsyth County! As students continue to prepare for upcoming region and state competitions with their Career & Technical Student Organizations (CTSO's), they are also celebrating the successes of first semester. Join us over the next few months as we begin strategic planning with UGA's Carl Vincent Institute, Community Mock Interview Weeks, Building Your Brand Seminars, CTSO preparation sessions, and many other ways to ensure our students are connected with business/industry. 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. 
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.
As part of our local initiative, Workforce Forsyth , the district will continue our long-range planning work for career and technical education. In partnership with the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, please email Valery Lowe at vlowe@forsyth.k12.ga.us if your business/industry leadership would be willing to assist us in each of the meetings below:

Industry Needs Assessment - February 15
Environmental Scan - March 9
Workforce Forsyth Planning Session - March 29
Each year, over two thousand high school juniors and seniors participate in community-led mock interviews through their third-year career pathway course or through their participation in Work-Based Learning and Honors Mentorship. This event is community-driven, as volunteers from across the county spend time creating an experience that will expose students to what is expected in a job interview, while providing constructive feedback on all aspects of the interview process. 

Interested in volunteering? We are searching for interviewers from the business community and would appreciate any help you can give us in finding volunteers. Interviews do not have to have interviewing experience, as a script will be provided. 

Course Registration
High school course registration is quickly approaching.  Click here  for a deeper look into the career pathway offerings available for students in Forsyth County. This guide contains specific school-related information, as well as more specifics around CCD initiatives ongoing throughout the year!

HS Summary Page - Click Here !
February is CTE Month!
FCS College and Career Development is joining with the  Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE)  and the entire CTE community to celebrate CTE Month! CTE Month 2018, with its tagline of "Celebrate Today, Own Tomorrow!", gives the district an opportunity to inform others of the innovation and excellence that exists within our local CTE programs and raise awareness of the crucial role that CTE plays in readying our students for careers and our nation for economic success.
Volunteen Summer Program
The Northside Forsyth VolunTeen program offers high school teens, 16-18 years of age, a comprehensive six week summer program in the health care industry. A teen is assigned to one department and volunteers one day a week for a four hour shift. Two Lunch and Learn events are offered to the teens during the summer session. For more information, please visit:  http://northsideforsythauxiliary.com/volunteen.php.
Staff Spotlight
Susan Fagan - Lambert HS

Susan Fagan, a 29-year veteran with Forsyth County Schools, is a business teacher at Lambert HS. Prior to education, she worked as a Staff Accountant in public accounting. Since there was not much personal satisfaction in preparing tax returns, she moved into education to instill her love for accounting in her students and to empower them with strong financial skills. During her career, she has also served as the lead adviser for the award-winning Lambert FBLA. Her other roles have included pathway lead for Business & Finance, CTAE department chair, work-based learning coordinator, and teacher mentor.  

"Susan Fagan is a cornerstone in our finance pathways! Her tireless work to grow her program by investing in students, along with her incredible work with our FBLA organization continue to make her a living legend. We are so proud to call her a Longhorn! ” 
-Ashley Johnessee, Lambert HS Assistant Principal
Jon Welsch - North Forsyth MS

Jon Welsch, current engineering and technology teacher at North Forsyth MS, grew up in Cumming and attended Otwell MS, Vickery Creek MS, and South Forsyth HS. While in school, he found his passion for technology education in Penny Reese’s middle school computer classes and his passion for robotics in Emil Decker’s classes at South Forsyth HS. Instead of his planned engineering degree at Georgia Tech, Jon enrolled at the University of Georgia for a degree in Engineering Education. Jon has taught several different engineering disciplines before finding his way to his dream job,   teaching mechatronics at Alliance Academy for Innovation next school year.

"Jon obviously has a passion for both his job and his field and he continually gives back to both. He is a leader in competitive robotics and our teams have shown tremendous growth under his leadership.” 
-Todd McClelland, North Forsyth MS Principal
As part of Dress for Success days in Forsyth County, students involved in career and technical education demonstrate professional image through appearance, behavior, and language required by business and industry. Dress for Success Days allow students to:

  • foster confidence and continue to develop a positive self-image
  • understand the importance of dressing well for an interview
  • analyze various types of attire for the workplace
  • describe components of acceptable dress for an interview
  • explain various definitions of business casual dress and discuss why companies have different definitions of business casual
Teacher Externship Spotlight
Chris Smith, CPA and owner of Cumming-based CB Smith & Associates P.C., enjoyed having Carla Yonk (L), business education at South Forsyth HS, and Carol Larkin (R), business and computer science at Lakeside MS, for a day of learning! They were busy gathering information in the field required as part of industry certification for our teachers!
Student Internship Spotlights
Abhinay Sharma
Forsyth Central HS

Abhinay Sharma is a Marketing WBL student from Forsyth Central High School who works at PrideStaff in Alpharetta. He performs a vital role on PrideStaff's marketing and sales team. He successfully schedules appointments for their sales team and helps them develop their leads pipeline and enters the information into their CRM system.

" Abhinay is self-motivated and has demonstrated the ability to accomplish tasks with little direction. He quickly learned our systems and processes in order to make a positive overall contribution to the company during the course of his internship."
 - Jonathan Stelling, Manager
Madison Bell
West Forsyth HS

Madison Bell is a Fine Arts WBL student at West Forsyth High School currently interning at Dance Now. As a fine arts intern, Madison teaches and supports student dancers for the organization.
 
"Madison is a breath of fresh air. She is a dancer, teaches dance, and also assists with administrative duties here at Dance Now. She seamlessly transitions between tasks assigned. She is an excellent teacher, and her patience with students is incredible. She is wonderful!"
- Diane Busbee, Supervisor

For more information on the Honor Mentorship and Work-Based Learning Programs, visit these links: Work-Based Learning   Honors Mentorship
School Spotlights
Business Ethics Experience at The Collection at Forsyth

In October, The Collection at Forsyth hosted Forsyth County high school students at the third annual BEE-2 Business Ethics Experience. Activities immersed students in business environments and provided "real-life" scenarios to enhance their understanding of how ethics impact business. Thank you to Barnes & Noble, Jim N Nicks BBQ, Mellow Mushroom, The Joint Chiropractic, Carta Bella Paper Co., Springfree Trampoline, Aria Salon and Spa, and the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce!
South Forsyth HS
Business & Computer Science

FBLA students at South Forsyth HS recently executed an activity as part of their PWB project to be submitted for state competition. The students made all of the contacts, arrangements, and served healthy snacks to participants. Kim McKenna gave a "Fitness Talk" meeting with 30+ chapter members. She discussed healthy eating, exercise options, and short-term goal setting to improve overall health. She also educated students about the details contained on nutritional labels and about the impact of YMCA in the community.
South Forsyth MS Healthcare Science

During the month of December, South Forsyth MS's HOSA created Christmas cards for patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, thanks to Laurie Cole (Community Development Officer at CHOA). South Forsyth MS's HOSA believes that the best gifts are handmade and that any small idea can turn into brightening up anyone’s day. The chapter hopes to continue to brighten up their peers day, grow, give aid to those in need, and to “Create [their] Future” under the direction of HOSA Advisor Julie Smith.

Lambert HS Food & Nutrition

Lambert HS Food & Nutrition has been busy learning the curriculum and participating in different food labs. Food for Life organized children's parties to cater to certain food allergies. Each had a theme and preferences that they had to cater to. Food Science had a blast making rock candy, as it was amazing to see different changes every day. Food & Nutrition wellness enjoyed a recent guest speaker, Chef Greene from The Art Institute of Atlanta. He showed the class how to make mango bruschetta. This pathway is under the direction of Shirley Azbell.

South Forsyth HS
Business & Computer Science

Approximated 80 students in the Business & Computer Science Pathways at South Forsyth HS earned Microsoft certifications in one or more programs during the first semester of school. Earning a MOS certification goes far beyond having a working knowledge of the applications. Students drilled and practiced in class before sitting for the timed test at school. Students were awarded certificates and have the accomplishment to add to their resumes while improving their skills. Certification testing will continue through May.
South Forsyth MS DECA

South Forsyth MS is celebrating several students who placed at region competition now moving on to state. Please congratulate Lily Barnett (Business Speech), Navya Shankar (Principles of Business Management and Administration), Rashi Moday (Principles of Hospitality and Tourism), Elena Torgerson (Principles of Marketing), and Luke Weems (Principles of Finance)!
North Forsyth HS Food & Nutrition

North Forsyth HS's Farm to Table program recently hosted Mrs. Bouqui's fourth grade class from Coal Mountain ES. Students got to practice converting measurements, learned proper safety and sanitation skills and help the high school students cook a delicious healthy meal. The students were then led on a tour of the greenhouse and discovered the hydroponics process. Each student was also able to harvest a head of lettuce to take home and make their own delicious salad for dinner. North Forsyth HS offers field trips to the local elementary schools monthly and is looking forward to sharing their new facilities and Farm to Table program with the community and student learners.
North Forsyth HS
Teaching as a Profession

Students in the Teaching as a Profession pathway at North Forsyth HS have had a very busy few months. They have participated in Future Educators Day at the University of North Georgia, completed observations at different middle schools to observe the teaching process, and made presentations of education and the cultures of other countries. All of these activities happened under the leadership of Tracy Mooney.
Lambert HS FBLA

Lambert HS FBLA recently kicked off the 2 nd semester for 2017-2018 with an officer planning session and dinner at Taco Mac. Pertinent items for discussion were membership, region and state competitions, upcoming service projects for March of Dimes and Bert’s Big Adventure, and the Spring Banquet and Senior Farewell. Lambert HS FBLA is currently the largest chapter in Georgia FBLA with over 500 members and is under the leadership of Susan Fagan, Mary Beth Jager, and Michael Saxton.
North Forsyth HS FBLA

Congratulations to the FBLA members who have earned a FBLA National Business Achievement Award. These students are under the direction of Shannon Anderson-Rush, Josh Craddock, Lisa Harrell, and Don Hilton.

Future Level
Sydney Miller
Chase Weaver
Madison Abts
Nickolas Young
Adriana Domingo
Sydney Segraves
Hunter Camp
Chad Choudhry
Chloe Daniel
Tyler Hitt
Lauren Murphy
Connor Mixon
Drew Carpenter
Logan Collins
Whitnie Riverse
Emerson Brodzinski
Mason Coplon
Devin Elliott

Business Level
Chad Choudhry
Emerson Brodzinski
 
National Community Service Award
Nickolas Young
Adriana Domingo
North Forsyth HS Food & Nutrition

North Forsyth HS hosted its 5 th annual chili cook off in October. Over 150 students from Food Science and Agriculture classes participated. In this year’s cook off students were able to use fresh herbs, tomatoes and peppers from the farm-to-table garden. This program maintained a garden over the summer which allowed students to go into the garden and choose tomatoes, peppers, and herbs that they needed to use in their chili. The now famous Dr. Pepper Chili and Pig Out Chili walked away with the title. Congratulations to all of the award winners!
West Forsyth HS A/V

Congratulations to the following students for moving onto state competition with SkillsUSA unfer the direction of John White. Each broadcast news team (four students) will be given a prompt, write a script, and then have an allotted time to produce their news broadcast in a multi-camera setup. Two students will be the anchors, one the director/technical director and one as the floor director. Good luck to students Conner Waters, Pri Kolli, Colin Spruill, and Channing Bridges!
Riverwatch MS
Business & Computer Science

Riverwatch MS business and computer science students are working with the professional Georgia Swarm lacrosse sales team to learn about sports marketing and sales. Kyle Smith, a Georgia Swarm ticket sales representative, has visited the 8 th graders to discuss marketing, networking and sales and assigned the students the task of promoting a regular season game. The students will be rewarded for their hard work with a money prize for the number of tickets sold. They are under the leadership of Suzy Ruckert.
South Forsyth HS Marketing

South Forsyth HS Marketing Principles students are currently creating promotion plans for this year’s Forsyth County Ghost Out and Teen Maze which will be held in March. This opportunity is proving our students with real-world experience and is assisting the organizers of this year's event under the leadership of Katie Urbanovitch.
North Forsyth HS
Business & Computer Science

Congratulations to the following students that have received their MOS Certification this year!

Office Excel 2016
Keegan Burnham
Alexander Chastain
Wesley Neuhaus
Brody Sharp
Office Outlook 2016
Emerson Brodzinski

Office PowerPoint 2016
Hunter Chernak
Michael Stamey
Skylar Surguy
Matthew Telfor

Office Word 2016
Alexander Abcunas
Sarbani Adhikari
Joshua Ball
Andrew Carpenter
Andrew Collett
Adelina Garcia
Payton Giffen
Tyler Hitt
Sydney Miller
Lauren Murphy
Justin Perdew
Mersadi Puskus
Sydney Segraves
Michael Stamey
Eric Weaver
Office Word 2016 Expert
Sadie Floyd
Lambert HS Culinary Arts

Recently the Lambert HS Culinary Arts collaborated with the French department at the school to celebrate National French Week. Each day instruction in culinary focused on various French dishes, proper French terminology, regions of France explored, as well as flavor profiles of each area. Culinary Arts students demonstrated French Crepes and French Madeline cookies to the student body during lunch that week. The Giddy Up Grill prepared a French inspired lunch of Braised Beef Pot Roast with Mushroom Bordenaise sauce, Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee for our faculty and staff. The week concluded with a guest French Chocolatier, Chef Carl Vivier from “A Cacoa Affair” , who came to do a French Chocolate demonstration for Culinary Arts and French advanced students. This was a great week for our Culinary Arts students under the leadership of Laura King.
Come With Us To Germany and Italy!
Forsyth County Automotive, Engineering, & Manufacturing Pathways

We are thrilled to announce that we will be traveling to Germany and Italy during Summer 2019 and would like to invite you to learn more about this opportunity. We’ll be visiting some of the world’s most amazing cities that highlight your student’s curriculum and opportunities moving forward! 

Mandatory Informational Meeting:
When: Thursday, February 8 th at 6:30 PM
Where:  Classroom 1627 - West Forsyth HS

Open to all Forsyth County students in automotive, engineering, and manufacturing!

How: Go to forsythengineeringgoestoeurope.eventbrite.com to RSVP by Wednesday, February 7 th