Schools Plowing Forward After Snow

The snowfall may be finally clearing, but problems are still piled up and waiting to be resolved at Forsyth County Schools.  After five snow days last week, there are many classes to make up, important state tests to be taken, and lost athletic and after-school activities to be rescheduled.

“I don’t know I’d classify it as a hassle, but it has definitely been a new challenge for us,” said Jennifer Caracciolo, Director of Public Information and Communications with Forsyth County Schools.

More than 35,000 students attend FCS, and 1,000 students are in after-school athletics and activities such as basketball, wrestling and theatre.  Try-outs are also underway for spring sports like baseball and tennis. Each school’s administration is tackling those schedule changes and posting the new dates and times on its Web site.

Getting students physically to school is one thing; getting them back in the swing of things mentally is another.

“We only had four full days of instruction since winter break. Then to pull them out another six days (including the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday), the teachers are now having to reengage the students and get them back on task,” said Carracciolo.

But according to Robin Neal, Sawnee Elementary School Counselor and Forsyth County Teacher of the Year, doing that was easier than expected. “Wow--they were practically bouncing in the doors this morning,” she wrote in an email to Cumming Patch. 

Eighth grader and Vickery Creek Middle School student Alec Schneider agreed. “I was excited to get back.  All my teachers did not yell at all.  They seemed very rested... the best part was we were going to have a bunch of tests and quizzes, but they got postponed because everybody forgot everything.”

All 8th graders missed their Georgia Writing Assessment, which they need to pass to be promoted to high school. That testing has been rescheduled for February 26.

On Wednesday, school district officials are meeting to hash out the options for making up some or all of the lost days. On the table are the following days:

• Friday, February 18; Monday, February 21 (President’s Day); Tuesday, February 22
• Monday and Tuesday, April 25 and 26
• Thursday and Friday, May 26 and 27

The last option might be easiest for the district according to Caracciolo, because that would mean tacking on two days after the planned last day of school Wednesday, May 25. Some parents may already have summer vacation plans, though, so district officials are weighing all options before Thursday night’s school board meeting at 6 p.m.

Their decision will be posted to the school district's Web site that night.

No matter what the board decides, the students and teachers are ready for this semester to begin anew.

“I am looking forward to spending the remainder of the year with my students and helping them to be successful. We have a lot to do, but we are refreshed and motivated to get to work,“ wrote teacher Robin Neal.