Forsyth County Schools Welcome 300 new teachers

Forsyth County Schools is welcoming more than 300 new teachers to the school system for the 2008-2009 school year.

This week was the system's annual New Educator Orientation (NEO), which began on July 30 at West Forsyth High School. The NEO is the new educators' first introduction to the Forsyth County school system and provides them an overview of the system as well as the chance to meet and mingle with more than 100 area vendors.

The new teachers were welcomed to the system by Associate Superintendent Mary Harwell. She gave the new teachers an overview of the beliefs and goals of FCS and the Board of Education.

“As new members of our Forsyth County Schools family, [they] play a crucial role in our work,” Harwell said. “In Forsyth we are a team- the Board, students, staff, parents and community. We are committed to excellence and becoming the most effective school district in the nation.”

Board of Education Chairwoman Nancy Roche, provided a few words of inspiration, encouraging the new educators to provide “torches of hope, imagination, efficacy, respect and connectedness” to their students.

“As we move into the unknown and unimagined territory of the new millennium, we will all need torches, in the figurative sense, to help us find our way and to light the way for our students as well,” said Roche.

The new crop of teachers come from a very diverse background, 45 come from different states including Florida, Tennessee, New York and Colorado. Three of them hail from Chile, New Zealand and Columbia and 139 come from other Georgia school systems.

The new educators also received words of inspiration from this year's FCS Teacher of the Year, Suzy Besson-Martilotta, first grade teacher at Chattahoochee Elementary.

Also, the new educators participated in a variety of orientation sessions based on their level of teaching experience and grade levels taught. These sessions provided the new teachers an overview of FCS policies and procedures, as well as other useful information.
Throughout the day, the 302 new teachers also had several opportunities to visit the
NEO “Avenue of Vendors”, featuring more than 100 Forsyth County area business, agencies and organizations. The Avenue of Vendors is provided each year to give the new teachers an opportunity to learn more about their new community and the services available to them.

This year's NEO Gold Sponsors were Evan Profeta State Farm Insurance, Georgia Federal Credit Union, John Heath RE/MAX 400 North and Northside Hospital-Forsyth. These vendors were presented with special recognition in honor of their continuing dedication to FCS.

-- Lydia Senn

Photo: Kevin Smith of Keep Forsyth County Beautiful, one of more than 100 Avenue of Vendor participates, shows new Riverwatch MS teacher Sara Folkins some of the classroom materials available to teachers.