Raider Nation News

Mrs. Soledad Barakat from our World Languages department is our NEON Teacher of the month for November. NEON stands for New Educator Of North. Any teacher who is in their first 3 years here at North is eligible to be recognized for being AMAZING! Mrs. Soledad is in her first year here at North and we have already observed her doing great things with students, like keeping students engaged while learning a new language, and always having a positive attitude. We are glad she is a Raider!

Time is running out to reserve your spot on our June 2026 EF Tour of Switzerland, Italy, France, and Spain. We have enrolled our minimum number of student travelers and are now offering the opportunity for additional students and parents to join us on this amazing educational adventure. If you are interested in learning more, or are ready to sign up, please visit our enrollment page: https://www.eftours.com/tour-website/2773410FM

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Liz Smith (etsmith@forsyth.k12.ga.us)

November is Apply to College Month!

We are excited to promote November as Apply to College Month! To promote college access and pursuit, many colleges waive applications fees for the month. We would love your help in promoting these opportunities for our students.

These are the dates we will be hosting our Apply to College events in the College & Career Center:

November 6th

November 13th

November 20th

We will have our school counselors and college admissions representatives present to support the college application process. Seniors will be able to sign up for these events in Student Support Time.

In addition, we would love to spotlight some of YOU - where you went to college, why you went there, why you went to college at all, and some of your biggest take aways from your college education. Please consider completing this brief survey so that we could potentially spotlight you to our students!

Apply to College - Staff Spotlights

For the counseling section of the community newsletter:

November is Apply to College Month!

We are excited to promote November as Apply to College Month! To promote college access and pursuit, many colleges waive applications fees for the month.

The North Forsyth High School Counseling Team will be hosting Apply to College Days in the College & Career Center every Wednesday in November. We will have our school counselors and college admissions representatives present to support the college application process. Seniors will be able to sign up for these events in Student Support Time. Many colleges will waive the application fee during this event and some colleges may even have instant decisions during those dates! We currently have the following colleges confirmed:

November 6th: Georgia College & State University, Young Harris College, University of North Georgia

November 20th: University of West Georgia, Georgia College & State University, Kennesaw State University, University of North Georgia, Georgia Gwinnett College

Make sure to keep an eye out for the final list of colleges attending.

NFHS counseling Newsletter for 1st quarter!

November 1st - Apply to College Month Kick Off

Senior Class Page

https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/Page/53627

Scholarship spotlight and scholarship page

https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/Page/49910

Class of 2025 – Senior Information

Information about upcoming senior events, senior dues, and graduation information can be found on the NFHS website. Please click “Extracurricular” and then “Senior Class News”. You can also follow us for updates on Instagram @nfhs_seniors. We also post important information for seniors on the Class of 2025 Counseling Website.

Senior Dues: All payments must be made online at https://www.3rdascent.com. Pricing will be $160 until December 31st, 2024. On January 1st, dues will increase to $175 and incur a late fee. Dues cover the cost of the graduation cap/gown, diploma/diploma cover, senior breakfast, senior picnic, rental of the arena, and other special treats. Seniors will be able to pick up their cap/gown before the senior picnic on April 23rd.

College Applications: October 15th is a common application deadline for many students. Students needing a recommendation letter from their counselor were instructed to do so at least two weeks in advance. in addition, they should submit their senior resume which can be found on the class of 2025 page. While student deadlines are posted as a specific date, school counselors typically have more time to submit supplemental materials. Please understand that we have a large quantity of requests, and they will be submitted by OUR deadline, even if it is after the student deadline.

Graduation: Please note that graduation is on Tuesday, May 20th at 7PM at Gas South Arena. Once the portal for graduation announcements has opened, we will share that through the newsletter for families to order.

Senior Letters: We will start collecting Senior Letters in January 2025 through April and they can be delivered to the front office or the counseling office. We will send out more concrete information soon but wanted to give families a heads up that we will be offering this special opportunity for parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, and former teachers to write to their seniors again this year. We always recommend that parents send out a message to individuals that have made an impact in their senior's life to ask if they would be willing to write a letter. Seniors will get the opportunity to open letters with their friends at the end of the year during a Senior Sunset event in May.

Yearbook Reminders: October 16th will be the last call for Seniors to get their photo taken for the senior section of the yearbook. This will take place at NFHS in the HUB. Please make sure your student gets photographed for the yearbook. The Senior Ad deadline is October 18th and the Quotes/Activities are due on October 25th. All yearbook information is outlined on their website: https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/domain/1958

If you have any questions, please reach out to Liz Smith.

Liz Smith etsmith@forsyth.k12.ga.us 770-781-6637 ext. 160241

Counseling Caseloads:

A-D- Dr. Benton

Dual Enrollment & E- Mrs. Mason

F-L- Mrs. Smith

M-R- Mrs. Mattie

S-Z- Mrs. Geiger

PORTRAIT/NAME PROOFS
It’s time to confirm that your name and portrait are correct for the yearbook. Please follow these steps to review and confirm by 11/11:

1. Log into Canvas and go to Modules > Name/Portrait Proofs.
2. Select the link for your grade’s portraits.
3. Press Control + F to search for your name.
4. Confirm that both your name and portrait are correct.

Once you’ve verified your information, please complete the Underclass Name/Portrait Proofs form.

If you would like your name to appear differently than your legal name, your parent or guardian must email Mrs. Huffman at f40189@forsyth.k12.ga.us to confirm the request. Final approval of names rests with NFHS administration.

If your student does not have access to Canvas, please send them to rm. 248 for assistance.

Deadline: 11/1

SENIOR TRIBUTE ADS
Great news: There is still (limited) space for your senior ad! If you forgot to order this week, please contact Anna Huffman at f40189@forsyth.k12.ga.us to ensure your ad will make it into the book.

James Finley made 3 American Flag retirement boxes for proper disposal of flags for his Eagle Scout Project.

The boxes are located at the following locations:

Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1125 Bettis Tribble Gap Road, Cumming

Haircut 999, 1350 Dr. Bramblett Road, Cumming

Pak Mail, #795 258 Beartooth Parkway #100, Dawsonville

FBLA members attended the annual Fall Motivational Rally at Six Flags over Georgia - a kick start to our exciting FBLA season.

FBLA Officers represented Computer Science and Web Development Pathway at the Career Expo for 8th Graders - excited to see so many new programmers joining high school next year.

FBLA Officers attended the NFHS Trunk or Treat.

DECA students went to North Forsyth Middle School to lead an exciting program for middle school DECA members. They’re teaching these middle schoolers how to present with confidence, using fun activities and real-world tips. In three hands-on workshops, the middle schoolers are learning everything from organizing ideas to speaking clearly in front of a crowd. The program will wrap up with a thrilling Pitch Battle competition, where the students will put their new skills to the test and compete to deliver the best pitch!

Did you know that our MCJROTC program has the ability to nominate students to our service academies? As an honor school, our MCJROTC program has 6 nominations that we can award to qualified candidates each year. These nominations can significantly enhance a student's chance of acceptance to prestigious institutions like the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy (West Point), U.S. Air Force Academy, and U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

To be considered for a nomination, students must:

• Maintain strong academic performance
• Demonstrate leadership abilities
• Meet physical fitness requirements
• Show good moral character
• Be actively involved in our MCJROTC program
• Participate in other school sports and activities

Service academies offer full scholarships valued at over $400,000, covering tuition, room and board, medical and dental care, and a monthly stipend. Graduates earn a Bachelor of Science degree and are commissioned as officers in their respective service branches.

Interested students should speak with our MCJROTC instructors or school counselors early in their high school career to learn more about the requirements and preparation needed for these exceptional opportunities.

These nominations represent just one of the many ways our MCJROTC program helps open doors for our students' futures.

Events:

Fine Arts:

North Forsyth High School students art will be on display at the Cumming Art Center Student Show.

Band Performances and Concerts:

Dec 5th - Holiday Band Concert 6:30 PAC

Feb 25th - North cluster Band Concert 6:30 TBA

Apr 24th - Spring Band Concert 6:30 PAC

Theater/Drama:

Saturday Nov 9th - Junie B Jones 6:00pm and Fast Food 7:30pam in PAC

January 23 - Feb 1st The Drowsy Chaperone -Shuler Musical

Football:

Ended the season at 5 - 5 with a resounding 44 - 20 victory over rival Forsyth Central

Cross Country:

Today was the day that our runners have been working towards since June 3rd. Every easy run, tempo run, long run, speed work, recovery run was all put to the test today and we put on an amazing show!

Link to results: https://milesplit.live/meets/629163

A massive congratulations to Thomas Durand for qualifying to run in the 6A state meet on 11/9. After being projected to finish 56th, Thomas left everything on the course on his way to a 29 second PR and a 17th place finish. In true Raider fashion, he took the challenge head on, and with hard work, made it happen.

The rest of the boys team also had an incredible day. Halsey Beall finished 52nd when projected to finish 78th. Brendan Harris finished 99th when projected to finish 104th and set a new PR. Ethan Lowery broke into the 17s at 17:51 with a 25 second PR, also finishing 25 places ahead of where he was projected. The boys team finished 17th, but significantly closed the gap between them and qualifying for state as a team. The goal remains the same, and they will be even more hungry the next time they step out on the course.

Our girls team started the day off with a fantastic showing, and even more PRs. Adelyn Thomas led the team with a 42nd place finish and a 10 second PR. She also finished 17 places ahead of where she was projected. Ava Henson had an amazing race and pulled out a 32 second PR! Her 59th place finish was 18 spots higher than projected. Katherine Zurita Fermin finished in 75th with a PR of 10 seconds while Layten Sheets was right behind her in 80th. Alyssa Vaught rounded out the scoring with a massive 34 second PR. These girls went from being 128+ points away from qualifying for state down to 42 points and a STRONG 14th place finish. Like the boys, the goal remains the same, and the returning runners will have their sights set on Carrollton next season.

Comp Cheer:

Heads to sectional competition Saturday at Buford before the State Championships on Nov 16th in Macon.

Game Day Cheer:

Game Day had a strong start to their season this weekend finishing 2nd! Let's go, NOFO!!

Flag Football:

Defeated both Marist and Cambridge to run their early season record to 6 - 2 matching their total won record all of last season.

Swim:

Meet highlights:

State Meet Qualifying Time - 200 Boys Medley Relay: Dylan Brooks, Ben Kerrisk, Shane Paridee, Owen Cooper (1:49.08)

State Qualifying Time - 200 Girls Medley Relay: Kamryn Hoffman, Emma Tannehill, Jordin Rhem, Alli Martin (2:03.77)

2nd place finish - Girls 200 Free, Alli Martin

2nd place finish - Girls 200 IM, Emma Tannehill (State qualifying time)

1st place finish - Boys 50 Free, Owen Cooper (State qualifying time)

2nd place finish - Girls 100 Butterfly, Emma Tannehill (State qualifying time)

1st place finish - Boys 100 Free, Owen Cooper (State qualifying time)

3rd place finish - Boys 500 free, Ryder Eagen (State qualifying time

2nd place finish & State qualifying time - Boys 200 Free Relay: Shane Paridee, Jonathan Lee, Ryder Eagen, Owen Cooper (1:34.08)

State qualifying time - Girls 200 Free Relay: Emma Tannehill, Adelyn Thomas, Jordin Rhem, Alli Martin

State qualifying time - Boys 400 Free Relay: Dylan Brooks, Ryder Eagan, Ben Kerrisk, Jonathan Lee (3:43.13)