Click on an area in the table below to see improvements made since 1999.

Technology

• Reorganized the technology department and created new staffing structure:
• IT Director
• Academic Technology Coordinator
• Divisional Technology Specialists
• Webmaster
• Help Desk Manager
• Add new FCDS web portal in 2006 to allow faculty and students virtual access to files and applications hosted at FCDS via the web
• Re-launched the FCDS and Furies Online website in the fall of 2005 with a more modern design
• Instituted a progressive Pre-K-8 technology curriculum that meets or exceeds national Pre-K-12 standards by grade seven
• Increased the emphasis of technology in grades nine through 12 through integration in core subject areas
• Reorganized eighth grade curriculum to incorporate higher order cognition skills for fall 2004
• Established an eighth grade technology assistants’ program for fall 2004
• Implemented a new typing program in Lower School with a parent purchase program
• Implemented open after-school labs for Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools for technology assistance
• Instituted NetForsyth, an information portal for parents (grades 5-12) to access grades, attendance, and discipline information via the web.
• Instituted FAWEB as a fully web-based grade book for grades Pre-K-12.
• Instituted faculty training curriculum to keep faculty abreast of new technology
• Established a Faculty Training Center website providing training materials, calendar of training, and other resources
• Established a Student Training Center website providing training materials and other resources
• Instituted Community Enrichment Center that focuses on providing technology and other non-technical skills to parents and community
• Instituted Thin Client computing project that has allowed us to:
• Increase the life span of old PCs by converting them into terminals
• Add additional PCs to the Clay and Lower School library for a fraction of the cost of a new PC.
• Give full network access to teachers and staff from home.
• Overhaul our website www.fcds.org periodically to facilitate its evolution into the primary publication and communications tool for our school
• Added www.furiesonline.com as a dedicated athletics site for FCDS athletics
• Replaced more than 300 PCs at the school with newer, more powerful machines
• Gave all students in grades five through 12 network storage and e-mail accounts
• Migrated all Windows 98 PCs to Windows XP Professional and reduced Help Desk calls related to operating system issues by more than 75 percent
• Built new server room to provide for growth and expansion of our technology infrastructure
• Added new rack-mounted server architecture
• Consolidated many older servers with fewer, more powerful new dual processor models
• Migrated all servers to Gigabit Ethernet backbone for higher throughput
• Added card-controlled access to Server Room
• Added dedicated HVAC to Server Room
• Added IP KVM switch that allows full from POST remote access to all servers for network administrator
• Implemented new hardware-based firewall with packet and Internet-filtering capability to assist us in defending our network against virus and hacker attacks and to protect our kids from objectionable web content
• Implemented new Altiris Network management system to automate PC deployment and inventory control
• Implemented new web-based Help Desk system to better serve faculty and staff and keep detailed records of all computer related issues
• Implemented new SPAM filtering technology to reduce junk e-mail to keep faculty more productive
• Migrated from old Windows NT 4/Exchange 5.5 operating and messaging platform to Windows Server 2003/Exchange 2003 to provide to latest functionality
• Added new 2.5 terabyte back-up server to replace outdated tape back-up system for more reliable and faster back-ups of mission-critical data
• Implemented new wireless infrastructure using the latest 802.11g standard to most of Upper School campus. Finalized the project to cover all Upper and Middle School areas in fall 2004.
• Migrated to new Financial Edge and Raiser’s Edge base on Microsoft SQL server to improve functionality and performance of mission critical database systems
• Improved Laptop checkout program to include 10 laptops (up from four)
• Began teaching Microsoft MCSA curriculum in Fall 03
• Instituted Computer Gaming club for Middle and Upper School students, with all LAN parties held after hours.

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Williams Library Discovery Center

• Installed new Follett web-based Automation System, which provides a more efficient management of the library collections, including processing, inventory, and retrieval of materials, as well as user-friendly access to the catalog and Internet sites.
• Designed and created a Williams Library Discovery Center web site that includes a “Research and Study” page for teaching classes and for parents and students to access from home.
• Created a “Circus Corner” in the Lower School Library, which includes a circus mural designed and painted by a Forsyth Country Day School graduate. The area is a perfect spot for story hours, and the circus theme was expanded throughout the Lower School library with circus-tent-style awnings.
• Renovated the Williams Library Discovery Center during the summer of 2004. The Lower School Library now features new student-friendly shelves and a new layout to take advantage of its circus theme. The Clay Library received new tables, chairs, fiction shelving, and new comfortable seating, as well as attractive blue awnings over the windows. Both libraries were also re-carpeted.
• Added the position of head librarian to assist the director with the daily operations of the library and with planning library events.
• Performing full library inventory in summer of 2005, the first in several years, to help the library more fully develop its collection, recover overdue materials, and weed out the collection in general. Full inventories will be performed annually.
• Instituted summer story beginning in the summer of 2001. The library and the admission office collaborate on four story hours held during the summer for young students, parents, and other siblings.
• Started an Accelerated Reader club for students in grades two through four in which students read books and take comprehension quizzes on the computer. They receive points for passed quizzes and are rewarded with prizes along the way. The club has motivated many reluctant readers by setting goals and by giving incentives and recognition. Accelerated Reader has been expanded to a networked program available to all students in grades two to eight.
• Added the “Battle of the Books” contest to the library curriculum. This regional contest for independent school students in grades six to eight motivates student reading, encourages discussion of books, and improves reading comprehension. A custom-prepared Accelerated Reader CD for Battle of the Books students assists participants as they prepare for the contest. In addition, we hosted a regional competition which involved our team and four other independent schools from various regions across the state. In 2005, we won our region and came in third in the state.
• Established new book clubs for grades four and five.
• We continue to attract top storytellers from around the nation for the annual Storytelling Festival. Storytellers have included Donald Davis in 1999, Milbre Burch in 2000, John McCutcheon in 2001, Charlotte Blake Alston in 2002, Len Cabral in 200 3, an encore performance from Donald Davis in 2004, and a visit from Poetry Alive! in 2005. Student storytellers as young as third grade have had the opportunity to showcase their talents.
• Expanded and revitalized the Book Fair to increase student and parent involvement and to provide additional revenue to enrich the library program.
• Rewrote the Information Literacy Curriculum 2003-2004 and published on the web site.  
• Analyzed the “FCDS Young Adult Library User Survey,” a graduate-school project for one of our library media specialists. This study provided feedback about student perspectives on reading habits, information needs and library satisfaction.
• Held the first “Carolyn Creech Lower School Author Day in January 2003. The event, which honors retired founding teacher Carolyn Creech, is sponsored by the Williams Library Discovery Center, the Lower School, and the Parents’ Association. The first author was Suzanne Tanner Chitwood in January 2004. She was followed by Helen Lester in 2003-2004, Frank Asch in 2004-2005, and April Pulley Sayre in 2005-2006.
• Added new program, Adopt a Library Shelf, in which second through fourth graders take responsibility for maintaining the order and appearance of a chosen shelf in the Lower School Library for the entire year.
• Constructed the Smith Library Glen, an outdoor class area of trees, plants, and reading nooks, between the Williams Library and the Lower School
• Expanded online library resources, especially proprietary databases and news/photos of library events
• Expanded and updated “Resources for Parents and Teachers” (professional library collection)
• Expanded and updated print library resources in both libraries
• Updated library audiovisual resources, including DVD and CD materials, DVD players, and LCD projectors
• Expanded awareness of library resources through regular weekly updates via e-mail and the library website
• Provided library web-based catalog and online databases instruction for all faculty
• Fully integrated information skills, technology, and classroom curriculum across all grade levels
• Highlighted “New and Recommended” books with displays at the front of the library to encourage independent reading
• Created “Share Your Collections” exhibits for Lower School students who share “a few of their favorite things.” Exhibit changes weekly.
• Fully train library faculty in Schools Attuned implementation and facilitation
• Began sorting and organizing materials in the school archives
• Updated Accelerated Reader program in 2005 to a new web-based version that can be accessed from home.

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Summer Quest

Summer Quest, a summer enrichment program for students from three years old through high school, began in 1996 with 15 teachers, 160 students (of which 15 were from outside schools). Originally, it offered programs for Kindergarten through fourth grade students. Today, Summer Quest hosts approximately 300 students on the FCDS campus (67 percent are non-FCDS students), and 50 students at Little Theatre of Winston-Salem. The faculty has grown to 32 teachers (all of whom are certified), 10 counselors, and a full time assistant. Three major divisions have been added to the multifaceted program: Kiddie Quest for three-year-olds, the Counselor-In-Training program for 12-15 year olds, and a major drama program with Little Theatre of Winston-Salem. The enrichment program offers more than 75 classes ranging from horseback riding and in-line skating to original thematic classes such as Monster Mysteries and Spy Kids.

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Lower School

• Established ways to better assess student levels of instruction in order to offer acceleration or needed help
• Provided further outreach to the community through our tutoring and Gesell Testing programs
• Hired Norris Baker as Lower School Director
• Added the Assistant Director of Lower School position
• Increased faculty morale and teacher expectations and faculty’s willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty
• Hired high-quality new teachers in the Lower School as we have added sections and replaced departing teachers.
• Maintained the overall enrollment in the Lower School, adding three sections – one each in Pre-K, third, and fourth grades.
• Opened a fourth section of Kindergarten due to the large kindergarten enrollment in 2005-2006
• Removed all mobile classrooms
• Established the ASAP I enrichment program (art, music, science)
• Reorganized the fourth grade to block teaching, improving instruction greatly in this important transition year
• Strengthened our emphasis on the writing process in the Lower School and are in the second year of a written a comprehensive LS Writing Curriculum that flows from first through fourth grade
• Focused on integrating special-area classes with classroom activities. This transfer of knowledge is a key to learning.
• Added “play” and playground areas for Lower School students.
• Continued traditional Lower School activities: Colonial Day in second grade, the State Fair in third grade, and the Lower School Field Day in May
• Established a special Songfest program for first grade. The students learn special music and present a program at a local nursing facility. Parents are invited to special performance held in the auditorium.
• Established a weekly Lower School Assembly program that integrates music, singing, learning student accomplishments outside of school, the celebration of birthdays (in three languages), and weekly reminders for nutrition, character education, and the best ways to make Lower School better.
• Expanded our music and arts programs
• Added an annual Pre-K/K musical
• Added a Lower School choral group
• Students now sing and learn songs at our Lower School assembly programs (led by our Artist-In-Residence, Beth Frack)
• Offered MusiCare Program
• Expanded private music lessons opportunities to Lower School students
• Created more opportunities for students to perform on stage in assemblies, on field trips, and at special occasions
• Developing a dance program schedule to begin in 2006-2007.
• Added an optional “Lunch Bunch Program” and strengthened our ASAP I & II Programs for Pre-K and Kindergarten
• Created new and larger classrooms for Pre-K and Kindergarten
• Instituted Fourth Grade North Carolina Week
• Created Dialogue with the Director
• Meet monthly with Parent Association representatives, the Parent Association president, and Mr. Baker
• Created additional sections in Pre-K, 3, and 4
• Re-emphasized the English/grammar curriculum in fourth grade
• Updating our web pages consistently to include assignments, calendars, spelling lists, and Wordly Wise units
• Updated the reading series of first and second grade
• Created a LS Chess Club
• Created an after-school LS Science Club
• Modified our LS foreign language program to include both Spanish and French
• Established a Foreign Language After-School Club
• Added two Super Saturday days for current and prospective Pre K and K students
• Continued focus on community service, e.g., care packages for service personnel, hurricane relief effort, donations to the American Red Cross, and working with local retirement facilities
• Established an after-school tennis program
• Integrated nutrition and wellness weekly
• Developed an ongoing Life Prep curriculum
• Discuss “best teaching practices” weekly with faculty
• Receive yearly feedback from Parents’ Association reps on what the concerns are in Lower School; address and discuss each one
• Evaluated the math and replaced the math textbooks and supplementary materials to improve math instruction and communication
• Used the ERB data to better assess what has been learned and adjust our teaching accordingly
• Integrated All Kinds of Mind philosophy by training all LS teachers in program and using AKOM philosophy in teacher evaluation process
• Created more opportunities for teachers to attend workshops and grow professionally
• Analyzed testing data: our students score well above the national average and score higher compared to other independent schools in the nation yearly

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Middle School

• We hired Chuck Jones as Middle School Director (and, in 2005, he expanded his role to become our first-ever Provost)
• Added Wendy Quesnel as Assistant Director of the Middle School
• We have better balanced the age and experience levels of the Middle School faculty
• We reviewed the Middle School science curriculum in 2002-2003.
• We have approved a move to four sections (from three) in the fifth and sixth grades in 2002-2003.
• We have instituted a points system (modified from the Upper School version) for minor behavior issues or other minor infractions.
• We now have a functional aquarium.
• A fifth homeroom was added in seventh and eighth grades
• We have improved the guidance program with Margaret Bennett (grades 1-6) and Megan Martin-Wall (7-12) as our counselors.
• Created Dialogue with the Director.
• Revived the eighth grade careers program, Life Lab, in 2003.
• We enlivened the halls and helped guide visitors by painting them bright colors that coordinate with different grade levels.

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Upper School

• Added an Assistant Director of the Upper School who, in addition to teaching, is primarily responsible for overseeing daily student behavior and student activities
• Created a daily “morning meeting” at which students sit with their advisors. At this meeting, announcements, team results, and other school news are shared with the entire Upper School community.
• Strengthened the advising program:
• Advisor groups are smaller and therefore more manageable
• Increased opportunities (such as morning meeting) for advisor/advisee contact
• Improved advisors’ training
• JAC teachers serve as co-advisors
• New teachers are paired with a veteran advisor before receiving advisees of their own.
• Improved sense of community in Upper School:
• Morning meeting
• More community events – ice cream social, picnics, etc.
• New student-initiated clubs and activities
• Spring Fine Arts Festival
• Back-to-school parties
• Developed leadership mini-grant program to help fund student leadership development
• Added honor societies
• Expanded our international exchange student program
• Increased leadership opportunities for student government:
• Leading morning meeting
• Participation in revision of points system
• Homecoming Dance
• Additions to Spirit Week
• Fine Arts Festival
• Food service liaison
• Added a Senior Internship program in which seniors spend three weeks at the end of the year working in a professional internship
• Broadened curriculum, adding electives and new AP courses
• Added band and orchestra classes
• Improved parent communication:
• NetForsyth web site allows parents and students to view grades, comments, and points in a secure online environment
• Fury Times, a weekly e-newsletter, is sent to all members of the school community
• Teacher web pages deliver information about courses and assignments
• Strengthened the faculty and faculty support:
• Increased observation and accountability
• Comprehensive annual evaluation
• Mentoring program for new faculty
• Training program for rookie teachers
• Added and renovated classrooms in every academic area, including four new science labs, 12 new classrooms, and office spaces
• Added the Fury Café, which is proving to be a favorite location for:
• Poetry readings (by students and faculty)
• Informal meetings
• Conversation
• Individual and group study
• Converted the old development office area into a college counseling center; renovations include a college reference room, a counseling lounge for group sessions and college visits, and improved office space for the college counseling staff. The new offices are located in a central part of the campus with increased student "foot traffic".
• Moved the foreign language department of the Upper School to a more consolidated location.
• Added three new classrooms and an Upper and Middle School art loft during the summer of 2005.
• Added a Dean of Students who, in addition to teaching, is responsible for many aspects of student life
• Developed and implemented a systematic process to improve new student and parent transition
• Added "common questions about moving to the Upper School", a program designed to assist out 8th graders transition into the U/S
• Designed and launched "Green Initiative" seminar course
• Revised and updated the college counseling website
• Increased the role of the Judicial Board:
• Members meet with new students and all freshmen to explain behavioral and Honor Code issues
• Wider variety of cases now go before the J-Board
• Substantially improved the disciplinary and behavioral expectations for our Upper School students:
• Added (and subsequently revamped) a “points” system to hold students accountable for daily behavioral missteps. Under the system, points are given by teachers for infractions including dress code violations, tardiness, and disrespectful behavior. Students reach graduated levels of disciplinary accountability as they accumulate points. There is an opportunity for students to reduce the number of points accumulated by working in a service capacity.
• Improved daily and classroom attendance procedures, resulting in a reduced number of unexcused absences and less tardiness
• Clarified and strengthened the dress code
• Strengthened the drug and alcohol policy
• Increased proactive education concerning plagiarism
• Worked with faculty to improve consistency of enforcement

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Major Initiatives

• We have established the Johnson Academic Center, a unique facility that drives individual and small-group learning designed to meet the needs of students throughout our curriculum.
• We have created (and continue to improve) our campus bookstore, the Fury Limited
• There is an increased sense of giving to others and respect for adults and the institution (citizenship) throughout the school.
• The Forsyth Country Day School Speaker Series was founded through a permanent endowment set up by Mercedes Benz of Winston-Salem to provide speakers each year for a variety of forums at the school, including student, faculty, and parent groups. Speakers have included Senator Richard Burr, Dr. Wilkie Wilson, Marshall Brain, Eric Weihenmayer, Mark Mathabane, Phil Ford, David Keith, Dr. David Chadwick, Captain Gerald Coffee, children’s author Ji -Li Jiang, Lt. Clebe McClary, alumnus Wes Clark, and ESPY-award winning, physically challenged college wrestler Kyle Maynard.
• We have established an enforceable student dress code that is much more consistent across divisions, much more clear in its expectations, and, it appears, enforceable. We published a comprehensive Student and Parent handbook containing policies and procedures for each division of the school.
• We have improved our communication tools between the school and parents, including:
• The creation of parent directory e-mail lists
• The Fury Times, a weekly e-newsletter sent to all members of the school community
• The creation (and constantly improving and expanding) of the Forsyth Country Day School web site (www.fcds.org)
• A coordinated communications effort among all departments and divisions
• A school annual report
• Weekly Lower School updates via take-home folder
• An automated phone tree that can autodial and leave messages on every Forsyth Country Day School family’s home telephone within a four-hour period
• A “more is better than less” approach to keeping our parents informed
• Improved communication tools between the school and the community include:
• Heightened awareness of marketing tools for the school (i.e., driving community web traffic to our site)
• Press releases distributed into the local community more frequently
• A press plan for handling breaking news/events that are campus-related
• Restructured our pricing and routes for bus service to and from school, making using the bus significantly more affordable and convenient for families.
• Created The Forsyth Country Day School Performing Arts Series, which featured the Mendelssohn Quartet for its inaugural performance in 2001. In 2005-2006, we welcomed Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana and a special Lower School performance of “Little Red Riding Hood” by the UNC-G Opera Theater.
• Committed to hiring the strongest teachers nationwide while ensuring compliance with the school’s hiring and personnel practices; we have implemented an exhaustive screening process for all candidates, including substitute teachers, beginning with a detailed application requiring school, employment, and teaching history. Next, we perform a criminal background check and drug screening, then check both personal and employment references. Our interview process includes meetings between candidates and the Director of Faculty Recruiting, administrators, department heads, and even teachers within the department. From these interviews, a decision is made regarding the need for further interviews or potential job offers.
• Partnered with other area schools in two successful Youth United Habitat Builds for the Habitat for Humanity organization
• Revived Parents’ Association golf tournament
• Added all-school picnic and kick-off tailgate party
• Expanded alumni programs to include:
• Alumni volleyball game
• Alumni soccer game
• Alumni basketball reception
• Area alumni reunions
• Established a Fine Arts Council
• Expanded Booster Club membership.

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Faculty

• We have expanded our recruiting efforts across the nation, identifying and pursuing talented teachers at a variety of independent day and boarding schools. Faculty recruiting is done internally, eschewing teacher placement agencies and fees. Additionally, we have strengthened that process by ensuring that all references for a candidate are contacted and asked specifically about character and behavior issues, as well as teaching ability.
• We have improved our benefits package to attract and keep faculty in a competitive marketplace.
• We have instituted an exit survey process for all departing faculty in an effort to understand both their reasons for leaving and any insights they can provide that would make us a better school.
• We have established a thorough faculty evaluation system that includes input from the headmaster, assistant headmaster, department heads, and division directors; as well as feedback from the teacher and students.
• Supported by our Parents’ Association grants, we have expanded professional development opportunities and classroom enrichment opportunities for faculty.
• We have brought in nationally recognized experts for continued faculty development (i.e. Robert Evans and Wilkie Wilson)
• We have reduced the number of crossover teachers to allow each division more flexibility in responding to student needs.
• We have revised and expanded our Employee Handbook.
• We have articulated the philosophy that all who work here are teachers and that the learning arena is everywhere.
• We moved Dr. Rebecca Shore into the Director of Fine Arts position.
• We changed the two All Kinds of Minds positions to Site Director and Assistant Site Director.
• We hired a band director.
• After the departure of Lori Gomez, we hired a new Strings Director in 2005-2006.
• We hired a Middle School Chorus teacher who will also served as the Fine Arts administrative assistant.
• A part-time curriculum coordinator was appointed.
• We formalized and expanded our new teacher mentoring training, including:
• Weekly meetings
• New faculty are paired with a “mentor” teacher
• Increased supervision
• We created the Bingham Faculty Enrichment Fund and the Bingham Fund for Leadership in Teaching.
• We added an experienced physicist to our staff who has developed and implemented changes to our current physics offerings.
• We have expanded our College Counseling staff to include a Director of College Counseling, two college counselors, and an administrative assistant.
• Monthly meetings of all department heads were implemented.
• We conduct monthly Academic Team meetings.

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Admission

• We have increased our total school enrollment from 718 students to 994 students since 1999, with another record enrollment for the 2005-2006 school year.
• Retention of students is more than 93 percent, which is the highest rate of retention that we have recorded in the school’s history. NAIS schools report average annual attrition rates of above nine percent, versus our seven percent attrition.
• The Admission Office oversaw the design and publication of a new Admission Brochure available for distribution beginning April 2004.
• Admission Open House events are scheduled on Sunday afternoons and several weekday mornings in both November and February with administrators, teachers, and parent volunteers present to help greet visitors and lead tours of our campus. Our average attendance for the Sunday afternoon events is approximately 100 visitors.
• The Admission Office has organized and trained a group of 83 Student Guides from grades 7 through 12 to assist with Open House events, Grandparents’ Day, Alumni Weekend, and to host visiting students.
• The Admission Office mails New Family Surveys, accompanied by a letter from the Headmaster at the end of the first quarter. Two separate surveys are included: one for the new students (Middle and Upper School), and one for the parents of new students to complete.
• The Admission Office hosts a New Parent Coffee in August and assists with the annual All-School Tailgate Picnic in September, as well as New Student Orientation events for students entering the Middle and Upper Schools, and an annual “Evening in Upper School” event in November. 
• The Admission Office has revised and improved the Parent Network Committee. This committee works closely with the Admission staff to contact prospective families to provide personal contact and a warm welcome, and to answer questions about our school.
• In an effort to provide opportunities for families to experience “life in our Lower School ,” the Admission Office helped plan and implement the “Super Saturday” program for three-, four-, five-year-olds or Kindergarten-age children.
• The Director of Admission serves as liaison to the Parents’ Association, working with the president to develop ideas and plans for the organization.
• The Parents’ Association grade-level representatives work closely with the Admission Office to contact new Forsyth Country Day School families. Packets with pertinent information designed to be particularly helpful for our new families are prepared and mailed to each family prior to the opening day of school.
• The Director of Admission and the Admission Office support various community service projects and efforts throughout the school year. Recently, the Admission Office helped organize an extensive “Care Package” program for soldiers stationed in Iraq. The Admission Office also assists with plans for the biannual FCDS Auction event and usually fosters a team for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
• In 2001, classes were added (and filled with new students) in Pre-K, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. Grade-level sizes have increased for Grades 7 through 12, and there are waiting lists for grade levels in Lower School as well as for Grades 6 through 12.
• In 2005, a fourth section of Kindergarten was added to accommodate enrollment demand.
• The Director of Admission chairs the “Eat Well/Be Well” Committee. This committee, formerly known as the Nutrition and Food Services committee, is comprised of faculty, student, and parent representatives. This committee works closely with the FCDS food services provider in order to provide healthy and nutritious meal choices as well as to promote and coordinate wellness activities for our students, faculty, and staff.
• The Director of Admission conducts student interview training and preparation prior to the college entrance interview process.
• The Admission facilities have changed dramatically, as we now enjoy more spacious, beautifully furnished offices, an Admission Reception area, and an Admission Conference Room, which is used both for meeting with new families and for testing prospective students.

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Fine Arts Department

Performing Arts

• Ample performing arts opportunities are available for students in all divisions:
• Lower School: Musicals (including original musicals written especially for Pre-K/K, first grade Songfest, and the fourth-grade musical). Two additional after- school choirs have been created for Lower School students.
• Middle School: Orchestra, Band, Annual Middle School play
• Upper School: Orchestra, Concert Choir, Band, fall drama, spring musical
• Forsyth Country Day School started a strings program in the spring of 2001, which has expanded into the Upper School . We offer violin, viola, cello, and bass group lessons once a week, as well as orchestra as a class. Master classes for each orchestral instrument are provided by professional musicians each grading period.
• Forsyth Country Day School started a band program that includes grades five through 12 in the fall of 2003. We offer woodwind, brass, and percussion group lessons once a week, as well as band as a class. There are many performances throughout the school year including competitions, assemblies, and semester concerts.
• At least once each semester, the band and orchestra combine to form a full symphony orchestra that performs at both semester concerts.
• We now offer a summer music camp that gives students the opportunity to continue studying over the summer. Classes include orchestra, band, chamber music, music appreciation, and full symphony orchestra. Students are also exposed to performances and master classes from professional musicians throughout the Southeast.
• Since 2001, the Forsyth Country Day School Concert Choir (formerly Ensemble) has received "superior" ratings at the NCMEA large group choral festival. In 2004, the Ensemble grew too large for its name and was renamed the Concert Choir. This singing group tours internationally and produces professionally made CDs of its work.
• In the Upper School , an Advanced Placement Music Theory class, which alternates with a Fundamentals of Music Theory class, is offered. In addition, we offer a Survey of Classical Music Literature for Upper School students.
• We have added a Middle School choral program to address the changing adolescent voice in grades seven an eight. Seventh and eighth grade boys sing in the boys’ choir called “Cantori” and seventh and eighth grade girls sing in the girls’ choir called “Decani.” Both groups are able to focus on the particular needs of changing voices in a supportive atmosphere while improving on their musicianship.

Visual Arts

• The Visual Arts Department chartered a National Art Honor Society chapter in February 2003 for students in grades 10-12. In 2006, a Junior Chapter of the National Art Honor Society was also founded for students in grades 7-9. The outreach programs for the National Art Honor Society include birdhouses for Habitat for Humanity’s “Bird Fest,” tulips for the Race for the Cure “Tulip Garden,” and the “Empty Bowl Project” for Harvest Food Bank.
• In 2001, two new AP portfolios were adopted by the Visual Arts Department at the secondary level: the 2D Design portfolio and the 3D Design portfolio. The 2D Design portfolio was adapted into the photography program and led to a restructuring of the classes to support AP Photo in the 2D Design Portfolio. Upper School studio classes were also restructured in 2003 to further support the AP portfolios through the approval of a Pre-AP, or honors, art class. In 2005, the 3D portfolio was taught for the first time in school history. All of the Pre-AP and AP art classes are taught in digitally through PowerPoint and the required textbooks are updated digitally by the instructor. Due to our increased focus on portfolios and student work, the AP Visual Arts students began presenting PowerPoint Presentations of their portfolios at the Fine Arts Festival celebration (spring 2001 to the present). Also held during the festival is a senior- and AP-level art show in the art gallery as well as annual all-school art show displayed throughout the school.
• Art classes integrate with language classes and take field trips nationally to tour art museums, art shows, and visit visual art schools.
• Digital Art classes began in the fall of 2004 and are taught via the Internet – making them the only 100 percent paperless courses at FCDS.
• Photography students enjoy an expanded photography studio and darkroom.
• A regional conference for private school art educators was held on campus in February of 2005. The entire Visual Arts department is leading the way for the private schools to become a special interest group in the National Art Education Association and regularly attend the national conferences as a department. The department will present at the 2006 Delegates Assembly for the upcoming national conference. The Middle and Upper school art instructors also serve on the board for the North Carolina Art Education Association representing private school art instructors at the North Carolina State Art Supervisors meetings. The Upper School art instructor serves on the editorial review panel for the international publication, The Art Education Journal in 2005.
• The Visual Art Department has made presentations annually at state conferences and bi-annually at the national conference.
• FCDS students annually win multiple Gold Keys in the Scholastics Art and Writing Competition at the state level. To date, students have won three Gold Keys at the national level.
• Many of the graduates from the visual arts program go on to major in art, with many receiving scholarships. The following schools are among those that have offered visual arts scholarships to our students: Savannah College of Art and Design, the Chicago Art Institute, Davidson College, UNC-Chapel Hill, Meredith College , and Virginia Commonwealth University.
• Forsyth Country Day's Community School of the Arts opened its doors in the fall of 2003. Its mission is to provide instruction of the highest quality to FCDS families and the surrounding community in visual and performing arts. We offer private and group instruction in music, visual arts, drama, and dance. A Visual Arts component was added in 2005. Through the 3D Design Portfolio and the Community School of Visual Arts, classes are offered in sculpture, ceramics, metal-smithing and enameling. All classes and lessons are taught by practicing artists and teachers.

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Our School's Financial Strength
(click on a picture to enlarge) $14.6 Million Operating Budget
Sources	Uses

• Two bond issuances have been executed totaling $19.1 million, allowing the school to accelerate its investment in fixed assets and pay for a variety of deferred maintenance projects. These additions have provided for improvement in the quality of facilities for existing students as well as for expansion of the facilities to allow for increased enrollment.
• We have approved a detailed plan to satisfy the school’s debt service requirements over the next 30 years, from a combination of operating revenues, Annual Fund and payout from the endowment.
• Forsyth Country Day School’s standing has increased dramatically from a financial standpoint over the last couple of years. We have made improvements in financial strength, budgetary processes, financial reporting processes, endowment oversight and planning, and overall financial operations.
• The school developed a formal 15-year capital plan to incorporate future plant repairs and maintenance into the long range financial planning of the school. Along with this, the school approved a formal policy for maintaining reserves for unanticipated capital expenses.
• Developed processes for monitoring compliance with reporting requirements of the school’s Letter of Credit with BB&T that supports our bond issue. The school is currently in compliance with all debt covenants.
• A Metric Scorecard has been developed for the school to establish key financial statistics to monitor and report as we keep abreast of the school’s financial health. We compute and compare these statistics to established benchmarks, reporting our findings to the Finance Committee annually.
• In 2002, the school chose a new audit firm, Dixon Hughes, to replace the previous firm, which could no longer meet our needs as we grew larger and more complex. The school has received an unqualified or "clean" opinion in each of its recent fiscal year end financial statement audits. Furthermore, no management letter comments were received in the school's most recently completed audit.
• We have implemented a number of improvements in the school’s budgetary process, resulting in more budgetary accuracy. Furthermore, we formally document actual results compared to the budget via a quarterly review that is distributed to the Headmaster and the Board of Trustees.
• The School has raised over $16 million in funds.
• Enrollment grew from 757 to 952 from 1998 to 2004, increasing total tuition revenue by 79%, from $6.3 million in 1998 to $11.3 million in 2004.
• The Annual Fund has increased from zero in 1997-98 to $532,000. The school seeks $650,000 in unrestricted Annual Fund giving this year. For the past several years, the school has experienced 100% participation in the Annual Fund from the Board and the faculty. Current parent participation has hit a new record this past year with 67% of our current families supporting the Annual Fund. Additionally, alumni donors to the Annual Fund increased 27% this past year.
  
                Growth in Annual Fund
  
• The value of the school’s endowment investments has increased from $699,000 at June 30, 1998 to $8,100,000 at June 30, 2004, an increase of 1059%.
  
                   Growth in Endowment
  
• Total assets increased from $9.0 million at June 30, 1998 to $34.7 million at June 30, 2004.
• Improved our endowment monitoring and management process. We developed an Endowment Payout Schedule to project our endowment’s growth over the next 25 years, taking into consideration the anticipated annual withdrawals for partially funding debt service that is not funded through the operating budget. Key metrics built into the analysis allow the school to monitor capitalization of our endowment and the average long term anticipated payout percentage. Established benchmarks for assessing the health of the school’s endowment, include a capitalization ratio and average endowment payout percentage of 1.5 and 3.10%, respectively.
• In 2003, the school’s Finance Committee approved a new investment policy and allocation with the assistance of an outside investment advisor who provided oversight and consulting at a minimal cost to the school. The new advisor, who is the VP of Investments for Wake Forest University, has an excellent track record managing large portfolios for major institutions. Ninety-five percent of the school’s endowment is currently invested in accordance with the following asset allocation model:

  
  Asset Classes and Target Bands for School’s Investment Allocation

• Forsyth Country Day School dramatically improved its financial operations over the past several years by implementing a continuous process of reducing expenses, including those resulting from a) a utility audit, b) changes in medical and dental benefits structure and plans, c) changes in the Johnson Academic Center fee structure and scheduling, d) implementation of strategic methodologies for setting tuition, e) new music, art, tennis, and other revenue-generating programs, f) a change to a less expensive yearbook printer, g) restructuring our bus service rate schedule, h) increases in bookstore sales and profit, i) increases in profit from our food service program started in 2002, j) bringing outsourced functions such as painting, electrical work, and carpentry in house, k) renegotiating vendor contracts for HVAC service, copier maintenance, waste management, paper purchases and more. These efforts to reduce expenses that do not impact the overall educational quality and increase revenues have allowed the school to fund its new educational programs and our school’s continued efforts to attract and recruit the best teachers by offering competitive pay.

Role of Fundraising in the Finances of Our School

Annual Fund

The Annual Fund is a yearly appeal for donations to support the current operations of the school. The Annual Fund bridges the gap between tuition income and the operating expenses of the school (what the educational costs really are). Contributions to the Annual Fund allow families to gain a tax-deductible advantage for the support of their children’s education. Annual Fund monies are unrestricted gifts that support programs across the board, represented by the FCDS Family of Annual Funds, which include academics, the arts, athletics, student financial aid, technology and the library, and faculty development. Annual Fund monies are raised and spent within the same fiscal year. Gifts of all sizes are greatly appreciated, but the school requests that each family consider a gift at The 1970 Society level or above on an annual basis.

Capital Campaign

Capital funds, on the other hand, are raised to finance specific school projects. Capital projects typically include new building construction and renovation of existing buildings. Current capital plans include the Furr Field House, the Livengood Center, and the Frances Pollock Arts Academy. Capital funds are also raised to help the school’s overall endowment. Faculty and financial aid endowments are also established through capital gifts.

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Schools Attuned/All Kinds of Minds

In March 2003, Forsyth Country Day School became part of an exclusive network of seven internationally licensed providers offering Schools Attuned, the professional development delivery program of Dr. Mel Levine's All Kinds of Minds Institute. Thanks to a gift from a Forsyth Country Day School family, the FCDS Schools Attuned program was started to offer ongoing training for our school’s faculty and to offer training sessions for other educators throughout the country and internationally.

Within six months of this designation, 100 percent of the Lower School faculty had completed the core course, and within 18 months, the entire faculty had participated in the program. All new teachers hired at Forsyth Country Day School, regardless of their background or level of experience, are contractually obligated to attend the Schools Attuned course during their first year at the school. The impact of the Schools Attuned training is included in teacher evaluations, highlighting the multitude of improvements the training brings to the teaching and learning processes.

Several initiatives have been implemented as a way to support the impact of the program with FCDS students and families. Initiatives include:

• Student-created and operated “Mind Fair”
• Integration of construct learning through guidance in grades 1-6
• Individualized faculty support for All Kinds of Minds grade-level specific curriculum design and execution
• Observation and strategy design for students
• Monthly parent awareness sessions
• Monthly parent book club
• Faculty mentoring
• Collaboration with the Johnson Academic Center to incorporate All Kinds of Minds tools in the LD screening process
• All Kinds of Minds Endowment was created to recognize and reward the teachers in each division who have exemplified the ideals borne out in All Kinds of Minds training. $500 awards are presented to a member in each of the three divisions at the end-of-year luncheon.

Forsyth Country Day School is on the cutting edge of implementing brain-based instructional techniques and teachers from across the country are seeking out our expertise. The training site has enjoyed the following milestones:

• More than 600 teachers, administrators, university professors, and researchers from all over the world have traveled to receive training from FCDS facilitators. 
• Educators from 16 different states and 12 different countries were trained at FCDS from as far away as Geneva, Switzerland and South Africa.
• Financial independence from the FCDS operating budget in 2005-2006 with projected yearly profits reaching just under $100,000 in three years
• Publication in national education journal, Independent School, highlighting the success of Schools Attuned program at FCDS
• FCDS serves as pilot site for new Schools Attuned initiatives
• Eight teachers and administrators from FCDS have become certified Schools Attuned training facilitators, enhancing the capacity for fully site-operated sessions without the need to contract with other Schools Attuned Providers.

Feedback from Teachers:

“Schools Attuned has made us more aware of the diverse needs of students and the individual learning styles of our students. Since going through the Schools Attuned training, we have implemented several management strategies to benefit all of our students, but especially those with a particularly weak neuro-developmental function. Also, our grade level has met on a more consistent basis to discuss ways to help students in our classrooms who have different ways of learning. We discuss strategies and interventions that have worked in our classrooms and share ideas with each other.”

“The ideas behind All Kinds of Minds have helped me work with my students to forge new pathways to success. I was able to attune a student who was new to the school in order to help him develop some strategies for coping. The best part of learning about one student is that the findings will almost always benefit a myriad of students. I have greatly appreciated the benefits of using what I have learned.”

“Absolutely the best week of teacher prep I have ever spent. Very professional, efficient, and effective. I’ll use this conference as a model for my own classes.”

“The Schools Attuned training has expanded my mind and allowed me to see differences in children that I might not have seen before. I came into this profession because I believed that I could have a positive influence on the growth of every child. After the first training session, I began to make changes in the way I taught. I left the training a better person and better teacher.”

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Buildings and Grounds

• From 1999 to 2005, we have more than doubled the school’s internal square footage, acquiring an additional 15.5 acres of land for our campus.
• We have added nine tennis courts, a soccer stadium, a new softball complex, a football/lacrosse stadium, improved parking and roadways, renovation of development and business offices, human resources, health room, new brick entrance and gate, security house and maintenance garage, campus irrigation system, and landscaping.
• New Construction: Pike Math and Science Center, Johnson Academic Center, Dining Hall, Childress Activities Center, Nancy K. Rea Soccer stadium, football stadium, Smith Tennis Center, Art/Photography studios and classrooms, fitness and weight training center, STAR computer lab, Middle School offices and entrance, Parents’ Association Workroom, Brown Lecture Hall, Ianuzzi Wrestling Room, Frances’ Garden, new softball field, field hockey field, cross country course, counseling center, and music rooms, Furr Field House, new entry/archway and plaza for the Furr Field House, the Smith Athletic Complex, and the Brown Lower School Dining Hall. The Livengood Center is under construction and the Scronce Orchestra Room is expected to begin construction in the summer of 2006.
• The expansion of our dining facilities has continued with the addition of a state-of-the-art coffee café (Fury Café), which is located at the heart of campus in the corner of the John A. Danforth Middle School. The café serves specialty coffee drinks (with plenty of non-caffeinated options for our younger students such as fruit smoothies) and baked goods.
• We added a lighted fountain to our lake. It not only serves as an attractive focal point; it aerates the water and keeps it clean and clear.
• We added a beautiful waterfall and landscaped the surrounding area to enhance the area across from the entrance to the auditorium
• New roads and parking lots have improved traffic flow, increased student safety, and increased the efficiency of student drop-off/pick-up.
• During the summer of 2005, we renovated several areas of campus, producing three new Upper School classrooms, a Middle and Upper School art loft, nine new JAC/Coordinate Rooms (creating the Dew Coordinate Center), and the Fury Café.
• The school has increased the size and quality of the weight room. Additionally, a trained full-time weight-training professional is on hand throughout the day and during the afternoons to work with students and classes.
• The addition of the Smith Library Glen (located between the Williams Library Discovery Center and the Lowrey Lower School) has created a beautiful setting in which students or faculty may sit and enjoy a good book.
• We renovated the auditorium extensively, adding a new stage, new carpet tiles, and new padded, retractable tiered seating for more than 400.
• Our staff created a new college counseling wing on the second floor above the auditorium.
• The library was re-carpeted and decorated with new furniture, shelving, and awnings in the summer of 2004.
• Our staff installed a “faux brick” look (called street print) in a couple of areas (at the CAC entrance and at the entryway between the tennis courts and the football field
• We installed a new wire fence and a white “picket-like” fence at the Lower School outdoor courts to prevent balls from going in the woods and to brighten up the landscape surrounding the outdoor play area.
• We expanded and renovated the music room near the auditorium
• We built stone-walled planting beds on the curve past the Lower School.   
• The former multipurpose room was changed into a computer lab.
• Our staff installed attractive blue-and-white Forsyth Country Day School light pole banners on each pole on campus.
• For the summer, we put up blue-and-yellow SummerQuest banners.
• Several low walls of natural stone were built around the Robyn Block Memorial Garden.
• New lights were installed at the Smith Tennis Center.
• We installed speed bumps on campus to increase safety for our students, visitors, and staff
• Our staff built a new facilities building to store landscape equipment and other tools. This has allowed us to create a “workshop” area for members of our staff to build cabinets, lockers, etc.
• The Health Room facilities have been expanded and upgraded.
• Security cameras have been installed throughout the campus, and overall security has been increased.
• We expanded the facilities rentals.
• New swing sets and handrail were installed at the Lower School playground.
• Our staff built and installed more than 150 cherry music lockers in which to store musical instruments.
• We installed dark wooden rails with copper-toned hooks for book bags in the Middle School.
• We installed sensor-activated hand dryers and automatic flushers in all restrooms on campus.
• The front entrance planting bed has been redone with natural stone (this replaces the faux stone that was there previously).
• We planted 200 Barberry plants in the medians dividing the CAC parking lot and132 Ligustrum on either end of the McCuiston Football Stadium. We planted more than 30 crepe myrtles along the ridge that begins at the retaining wall across from the Lower School and continues along near the softball field and down the steps. As these grow, they will give us some significant (and beautiful) color in that ridge area.
• A second irrigation line and meter was set and run from the front entrance down to the school, giving us much-improved irrigation. Irrigation for the entire Lower School area and around the curve to the parking lot has been finished. Also, irrigation has been installed in the lower grassy area closest to the cafeteria, the area surrounding the circular bed near the Middle School entrance, and the area on the end of the CAC nearest the cafeteria.
• To protect our electrical systems (including computers, phones, fire, security, HVAC, etc, we installed lightning protection and improved the electrical grounding of our buildings.
• We installed “ice guards” on our buildings, which block snow and ice from falling off buildings in a potentially dangerous “avalanche.” The guards hold the snow and ice, allowing it to melt safely away.

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Athletics

• For the 2006-2007 year, the athletic department staff includes: Rusty LaRue as Athletic Director, Ed McBride as Associate Athletic Director, Kevin Westwood as Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant Athletic Director, Jeremiah Handy as Athletic Facilities Manager, Kristina Keener as Assistant Athletic Trainer, Dennis Ring as Executive Director of the Fury Club, Charlie Groves as Athletic Facilities Manager, and Ray Wright as Strength and Conditioning Coach.    Wes Hsu, FCDS Class of 2002, is serving many roles, including an assistant to the Athletic Dept.
• The athletic training program at FCDS has enjoyed the leadership of Kevin Westwood as Head Athletic Trainer for several years. Kristina Keener has been added as a full-time assistant athletic trainer to assist with preventive tactics such as taping ankles, treatment during events, post-event initiatives, and the rehabilitation of FCDS athletes. A certified athletic trainer is on-site for all official practices and contests. In addition, an athletic trainer often travels with teams to away contests.
• Presently, all but eleven of the 74 coaching positions at FCDS are filled by on-campus coaches.  The addition of more on-campus coaches has resulted in improved relationships between players and coaches; as they get to know one another outside of the athletic arena, they gain a better understanding of the “big picture.”
• The soccer field and track have undergone complete renovations.  The soccer field was regarded and seeded.  A new drainage system was installed around the track.  The track was resurfaced to make it one of the premier competition venues in the state.
• Significant concrete work around the track (including extending and redirecting the old sidewalk, expanding a warm-up area, and the creation of a plaza), sidewalks between some of the tennis courts, re-sloping the softball dugouts, and constructing stairs between the Sutton Softball Field and the baseball field will be completed with a generous donation of a current family.
• The safety and usefulness of the Tierney Gym will be improved with the removal of the old wooden bleachers and installation of new telescoping bleachers similar to the ones in the Livengood Center.  New basketball rims will also be installed.
• The Athletic Department is excited about the recent press release announcing plans for the construction of the Arts and Wellness Center adjacent to the Childress Activities Center to enhance the performance of its athletes, and promote the health and well-being of its school community. 
• The Athletic Dept and Alumni Office have initiated the Fury Athletic Hall of Fame. The FAHOF recognizes members of the Forsyth Country Day School family who have distinguished themselves as outstanding contributors to Fury athletics, demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship and character, and established high standards of excellence in athletic achievement.
• The softball field/complex has undergone extensive improvements to the field, landscaping, and surrounding area as well as adding a public address and sound system, thanks to a generous donation on the part of a Forsyth Country Day School parent.
• The Furr Field House has been added to the football/lacrosse field. It provides seating for approximately 800 people, dressing rooms for three teams, coaches’ offices, an expansive concession stand complete with covered serving windows, storage rooms, and a centralized indoor location for all electrical and fuse boxes for the area.
• The football/lacrosse field now features an impressive brick/stone athletic plaza area that sits beside the new concession stand and serves as a proper entrance area for the Smith Athletic Complex. The Complex incorporates the football/lacrosse field, the Furr Field House, the concession stand, and the Smith Tennis Center.
• The FCDS maintenance staff has built a two-story scorer’s tower on the sideline of the football/lacrosse field that features covered platforms for the scorers and referees to observe the game, a platform for videotaping games, and ample storage for game-operations materials.
• A public address system, complete with speakers, CD player, radio tuner, and wireless microphone, has been added to both the football/lacrosse field and the softball complex.
• Three flag poles (for the United States, North Carolina, and FCDS flags) were added just outside the centerfield fence at the softball complex.
• Lights and a new storage area have been installed on the field hockey field.
• The tennis courts in the Smith Athletic Complex have been resurfaced.
• The FCDS maintenance staff has constructed a four-foot-high portable scorer’s tower that will be used almost exclusively at the field hockey field.
• The championship banners hanging in the CAC have been updated and replaced.
• The trophy cases in the lobby of the CAC have been updated and aesthetically improved.
• The FCDS athletic department has entered into an agreement with international athletic apparel corporation Nike. Nike uniforms, warm-ups, shoes, bags, sweatshirts, and equipment will slowly become the norm within the athletic department. The branding of FCDS athletics with Nike products makes the school and athletic department more visible in the community and beyond.
• Club sports are now part of the FCDS athletic landscape with teams organized for 2006-2007 in the following sports: sailing, girls’ lacrosse, wrestling, indoor track & field, and ultimate Frisbee.
• The FCDS athletic department now supports 47 separate teams in 21 different programs.
• In conjunction with NCISAA rules, FCDS has added a year-round men’s basketball program run by our new head coach and Athletic Director Rusty LaRue, and his basketball academy, which features clinics for kids, camps, leagues, AAU teams, and individual workouts for FCDS players.
• FCDS continues to operate the year-round tennis developmental program, Maximum Tennis Academy, with our head girls’ and boys’ coach, Denard McLendon, at the helm.

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Alumni, Development and Communications 

Alumni

• John Danforth serves as our full-time Director of Alumni Affairs, organizing our class reunions and homecoming events.
• John also coordinates various alumni receptions across the country. In December 2004, four alumni joined him at our first-ever Alumni Reception in Denver, Colorado. In March 2005, receptions were held in Washington, DC and Richmond, Virginia.
• John writes a bi-weekly column on our website entitled “John’s Corner,” in which he sharesFCDS stories from the past and present. We also established a Young Alumni Club to keep graduates connected to FCDS.

Development

• Forsyth Country Day School, which has raised more than $18 million in funds and added more than $ 24 million in new facilities and campus improvements during the past six years, is embarking on an ambitious new phase of fundraising that includes the addition of the Livengood Center (a Lower School gymnasium and art center currently under construction) and the Pollock Arts Academy, which will include a new music building and a performing arts center with a spacious auditorium. Additions to the campus during the past six years include the Johnson Academic Center; the Childress Activities Center; the Dew Coordinate Center; the Pike Math & Science Center; the Nancy K. Rea Soccer Stadium; the Smith Athletic Complex, which includes the Furr Field House, the Smith Tennis Center, Smith Field, and Smith Athletic Plaza; the Brown Lecture Hall; the John A. Danforth Middle School; an art loft; renovated and expanded athletic fields; and the Brown Lower School Dining Hall, which opened in January 2006. The Scronce Orchestra Room is expected to begin construction in the summer of 2006.
• The school’s 62-acre campus includes 107 instructional areas, the 38,000-volume Williams Library Discovery Center, the Jeannette M. Smith Lower School Library, the Iannuzzi Wrestling Room, a newly renovated auditorium with telescopic seating, the Tierney Gymnasium, a fitness center, a Lower School playground, William Taylor Soccer Field, the Sutton Softball Field, a field hockey field, a cross-country course, and a 400-meter all-weather track.
• Annual Giving has grown from $200,000 in 1998-1999 to more than $919,000 in 2004-2005.
• Forsyth Country Day School has received more than $400,000 in gifts and pledges to increase the school’s endowment and to award selected faculty “for excellence in teaching, both in and out of the classroom.” During the 2005-2006 school year, four faculty awards totaling $9,500, will be given to worthy faculty from the following endowed gifts: “The Charles H. Jones III Endowment,” which will benefit a teacher from any division in the school; “The Middle School Endowed Faculty Award,” which will benefit a member of the Middle School faculty; and two “Johnson Academic Center Endowed Faculty Awards,” which will benefit two teachers from the Johnson Academic Center.

Communications

• The Fury Times, the school’s e-newsletter, is e-mailed weekly to the entire school community and to prospective parents to communicate current news, events, and other information of interest.
• The summer Columns magazine has been replaced with a semi-annual online magazine.
• Press releases are regularly sent to the popular media sources in addition to our parent e-mail directory notifying them of newsworthy events.

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Other Academic Improvements

• The school has received national recognition in the NAIS publication Independent School for the ongoing curriculum renewal process it began in the fall of 1999. (The article appears on the NAIS website, www.nais.org.) From early conversations about what we teach, why we teach, how we teach, and when we teach, the Academic Committee has taken leadership in the renewal process. A Curriculum Overview was published for the first time for 2001-2002 and a completely rewritten curriculum guide describing more than 190 courses is under constant revision as our courses change and evolve. The following courses have been added or modified significantly:

AP Statistics

AP Calculus AB

Civics and Current Events, Grade 8

United States History, Grade 7

Political Issues

Spanish, Grade 5

Spanish, Grade 6

Spanish II A

Spanish II B

Computer Applications

AP U. S. Government and Politics

Economics

AP Physics

The Gothic Tradition

Religious Thought in Literature

Shakespeare, Cinema, and Performance

Charles Dickens: Narrative Fiction and Social Morality

Satire

Poetry

Ready or Not, Here Life Comes

Headmaster’s Internship Class

English IV

Physical Education – Team/Individual Sports

Physical Education – Strength/Conditioning

Health Education, Grade 9

AP Latin (two offerings, alternating by year)

  AP French Language

AP Spanish Language 

AP 2-D Design-Portfolio

AP Drawing-Portfolio

AP Music Theory

AP Art Photography (2003-2004)

AP Computer Science

Three Foreign Language Classes per Week for Fifth and Sixth Graders

Fifth Grade Science

Sixth Grade Science

Cosmology Science Elective

Environmental Science

Discrete Math A&B

Southern Literature

Survey of Classical Music Literature

Middle School and Upper School Orchestra

Middle School and Upper School Band

Ceramics and Fiber

Digital Art

Creative Writing

Creative Non-Fiction

Anatomy

Green Initiative

Headmaster's Internship

• Opportunities to study the arts in the classroom and to perform have been expanded and are discussed in depth in the section on co-curricular offerings. Significantly, each school division has its own art and music teachers to better meet the students’ needs.
• The academic program has been supported and strengthened by Tutorial, a time at the end of the school day dedicated to assisting individual students and groups. Mondays through Thursdays, teachers are required to be in their classrooms from 3:15 to 3:45. Any student who needs extra help or wants to ask a question about a concept or assignment can stop by and work with his or her teacher.
• The academic program has been further strengthened by the school’s commitment to hire teachers who also coach or support an extracurricular activity, a move strongly supported by FCDS community recommendations as far back as the 1997 SACS self-study.
• The Parents’ Association renewed its support for professional development for faculty through the fund for faculty enrichment and the fund for faculty mini-grants.
• We established an ongoing curriculum review process under the leadership of the Academic Committee.
• One hundred percent of the teaching faculty at the school participated in the 45-hour Schools Attuned Professional Development Program, which prepared participants to observe, identify, and offer strategies for struggling students.
• All Kinds of Minds / Schools Attuned Program became part of our professional development.
• We created a greater consensus of values and beliefs among our faculty about teaching.
• Members of the faculty have participated in a broad spectrum of enrichment and development activities such as advanced placement courses, study abroad, mathematics workshops, effective recommendation letter-writing strategies, and national conferences.
• Distance Learning Initiatives
• Expanded the teaching area for our Community School of Music with the addition of 10 new music instruction studios.
• Curriculum mapping: this is a procedure for collecting data about what is really happening in our classrooms. Its fundamental purpose is to create better communication and improved integration of curricular offerings throughout the school. During the three-year process, our teachers will collect data from their classrooms using a mapping format based on the school calendar. Colleagues, teams, divisions, and departments will edit, review, develop, and validate the data. This mapping process offers us another opportunity to strengthen our sense of purpose and community here at FCDS.
• Created an academic coaching program.
• Added an additional computer lab.

Lower School

• In the Lower School, we are in the third year of a cohesive writing program for first through fourth grade that tracks well with curriculum mapping and benefits students in all grades.
• Grade 4 was restructured to take advantage of block scheduling while giving students more autonomy in the learning process. The Jeanette M. Smith Lower School Library provided open scheduling to respond to and support the fourth grade curriculum. The preliminary results show almost seamless use of library and technology resources by teachers and students.
• In 2005-2006, the Lower School will introduce a new math series and program to complement our math curriculum and be more student-, teacher-, and parent-friendly. It will feature an online component and computer-driven activities that will assist in making this new math series more appealing.
• In the 2005-2006 academic year, we taught Spanish in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade. French was taught in grade two and grade four. These changes in our foreign language have been a great success.
• Our science program continues to expand: we plan to add more “Science Club” activities after school, which will include our robotics classes along with “Mad Scientist” workshops that can be best described as the 2005 version of Mr. Wizard.
• We added a speech therapist in 2002-2003, and she has since been performing a phonological awareness screening with all Kindergarten students to screen for early reading problems.
• The Wilson Foundations Reading Program is offered for students in Kindergarten through second grade (over the summer) as a means of early intervention.

Middle School

• A new linguistics course was added to our curriculum in the fifth grade, starting with the 2004-2005 academic year.
• In 2005, Guidance was reinstated in the seventh grade with a new curriculum.
• Chorus will be split by gender in seventh and eighth grades.
• We instituted a computer curriculum in grades 5-8 that culminates in a proficiency exam at the end of eighth grade.
• In 2005, we offered LifeLab as part of the eighth grade civics curriculum. LifeLab helps students develop real-world skills such as interviewing, creating resumes, and administers vocational testing.
• We added gender-based core classes in fifth grade in 2005.
• Added a civics exam at the end of eighth grade to help students better prepare for writing during exams in Upper School.
• Moved the first year of formal foreign language study to fifth grade.
• Moved an academic year ahead in Wordly Wise in both Lower and Middle schools.

Upper School

• FCDS continues to expand its advanced placement offerings. For the 2005-2006 academic year, we are offering 15 AP courses. Assuming adequate demand (which we predict will occur) we will add AP Physics for the 2006-2007 academic year. Also, separate AP Latin courses are taught in alternating years as needed. In addition, three separate AP art offerings are taught on a three-year rotating basis. Thus, a student attending Forsyth Country Day School sophomore through senior year has an opportunity to take up to 20 different AP courses.
• We established the student-initiated Cercle Francais (French Club) in 2003-2004, which is open to all Upper School students who are interested in French culture and civilization.
• The Upper School introduced the senior internship in the 2002-2003 academic year. The program allows seniors to gain valuable career experience in areas of professional interest before leaving FCDS.
• Expanded Upper School photography offerings
• Beginning with the 2004-2005 academic year, English II (sophomore English) moved from a world literature course to a survey course of British Literature. This change allowed the course to dovetail more effectively with students’ study of Modern European history, and is developmentally more appropriate.
• Beginning in the fall of 2004, English IV (senior English) was comprised of two one-semester courses providing a more in-depth study of a particular element of literature.
• In 2005, we offered a freshman “Ready or Not” course based on the teachings of Dr. Mel Levine and other educational experts. For more details, please contact Joyce Henson in the Johnson Academic Center.
• We added a Headmaster’s Internship course.
• We created the Academic Quiz Bowl.
• "Green Initiative" seminar course and school-wide project was designed to educate students and improve the school's environmental impact.
• We expanded our International Studies Program.
• A debate program was reintroduced and improved.
• The physics lab was updated and expanded.
• Student clubs were added in response to student interest and demand.
• We intensified our focus on providing a seamless transition for new students and families, including the following additions:
• Social mixers prior to the start of school
• Orientation for parents
• Informal group meetings for new students
• Ninth grade orientation
• FAQ to help with transition issues

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Johnson Academic Center

The Johnson Academic Center has been founded, its vision articulated, and its phenomenal growth and leadership have impacted large numbers of individual students as well as the daily academic life of the school. The facility and its staff offer new and innovative programs through which students can meet with specialists one-on-one, in small groups, or in classes. It is exciting to see all divisions of the school make such positive use of the space.

ERB Assessment

Five years ago, FCDS began a campaign to utilize ERB information to improve student learning and teacher assessment. Scores are scrutinized for patterns within student's individual work, at grade levels, and across divisions. Through training sessions with Margaret Bennett, teachers are guided to help meet the parents’ needs and address their questions during conferences. Four years ago, the math scores improved significantly from previous scores. Now, math scores have been consistent over the last four years with no significant changes by grade level or division.  

LD Help

FCDS opened its doors to the community at large in the fall of 2001 to help students with diagnosed learning disabilities. During the 2004-2005 academic year, our LD teachers served 99 FCDS students.

Enrichment Program

The Enrichment Program targets students with exceptional academic ability and creates a way to continue the education process and broaden students’ depth of knowledge.

Coordinate Program

The Coordinate Program provides a unique opportunity for students who have learning issues or disabilities to receive an education within a college preparatory environment. The design of the program moves from a modified one-on-one teaching situation to full inclusion in the mainstream of FCDS in grades nine through 12. During the 2004-2005 academic year, we served 19 students in grades one through 11 within this program.

Speech and Hearing Program

The Speech and Hearing Program reaches out to students who have needs within this spectrum. Any student needing continued support meets with our speech and hearing specialist to remediate specific needs.

Subject Tutoring

Subject tutoring is offered after school from 3:10-6:00 p.m. It is accomplished with help from “outside” tutors, most of whom are graduate students or graduates from the surrounding universities. Approximately 75 students per month use this service.

Student Support Service Program- Homework Help and Academic Coaching

The SSS Program was created to be a "safety net" of support for difficulties that arise in a student's progress. Homework help, offered Monday through Thursday after school, assists individuals or small groups of students with their out-of-class assignments. Approximately 19 students used this service in the 2004-2005 academic year. Academic coaching gives students a chance to get support with organization and homework issues, guiding the student’s "out-of-school" work process. During 2004-2005, 34 students took advantage of this service.

Summer Learning Program

The Summer Learning Program was started to give students another opportunity to improve academic skills over the summer. It provides one-on-one tutoring in a full range of academic areas. The program runs two three-week sessions in the months of June and July. The Summer Learning Program handles an average of 175 students during the summer calendar.

Learning-to-Learn Workshops

The Learning-to-Learn Workshops, offered periodically over the course of the school year, help enhance student learning, whether those students attend FCDS or another school. The SAT Review is offered three times a year in October, January, and March.

SAT Review

The SAT Review is a workshop that was added three years ago to help FCDS students effectively prepare for the SAT. The review sessions are offered three times a year in October, January, and March to coincide with the test dates. These sessions are also open to the community at large; typically, about 20 percent of the students participating are from other area high schools. Twenty-three students took part in the October session.

Jumpstart Program

This program was started with the anxious student in mind. The Jumpstart Program offers students an avenue to become familiar with their fall curriculum right before school begins in August. It focuses on reading, writing, and math skills, offering students who are new to FCDS a way to get to know other students within their grade level before school begins. It is strongly suggested for new students.

Social Skills Program

This program was added in the summer of 2003 and offers both individual and group classes.

Fundations Reading Group

Studies show that phonological awareness is a key factor in reading acquisition. Phonological and phonemic awareness tasks include rhyming, segmentation, and blending. These tasks are helpful because they require a child to isolate individual sounds, to segment words into sounds and syllables (a necessary skill for spelling), and to blend sounds and syllables into words. The Wilson Reading Fundations Program is used with first grade students who need additional support in reading. Students strengthen phonological awareness skills and phonics skills to create a solid foundation for later reading skills.

Team Teaching with Classroom Teachers:

The teaming of LD teachers with classroom teachers in eighth-grade science, seventh-grade history, and Upper School biology has improved our overall curriculum structure and output of student learning. The extra help provided by JAC teachers has come in the form of extra review and study sessions for these courses. Students have taken advantage of this service and attended the reviews in record numbers.

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