Jayla Williams spent her time at the Early College trying a little bit of everything the school had to offer, from dance to poetry to Spanish to ecology to theatre. She’s going to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with hopes of becoming a therapist, but she’s keeping her options open as she considers her future career. Her Early College experience has made her more confident in herself and more invested in knowing the people around her.
“Early College provided me a space to grow and learn more about myself,” Williams said. “Since this is a tight knit community and the focus is on learning first, I was able to learn while also learning about other people, which in turn teaches you about yourself.”
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Will Bumgarner never lacks a project, serving as the editor-in-chief of his school newspaper, a tennis player, an organizer for Centenary United Methodist Church’s Love Thy Neighbor Ministry, and even a partner in a landscaping company. He’ll be studying history at the University of Virginia starting this fall. He believes Reynolds High School has been a great place to learn how the world works because it’s full of unique and interesting people.
“You’ll see every type of person and interact with them all,” Bumgarner said. “It prepares you to have good interpersonal skills that will help you later in life. I think it’s a very positive place, and a very real place.”
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The Board of Education recognized schools that earned Superior ratings at this year's Music Adjudication Performances during their latest meeting.
MPA is a performance test for band, chorus, and orchestra programs that gives teachers and students feedback and a rating, with Superior ratings as the highest achievement. Atkins, Diggs-Latham, Hanes, Lewisville Middle, Mount Tabor, Reagan, Walkertown High, and West Forsyth all earned the distinction this year. Eight music teachers accepted recognitions from the board on behalf of hundreds of students in their programs.
Congratulations to our district's many talented musicians!
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The Board of Education presented 12 schools with Clean and Green Awards during their latest meeting. The Clean and Green Initiative, a partnership with Keep Winton Salem Beautiful and the Garden Club Council, encourages schools to reduce litter, provide environmental education, and beautify their campuses. Well done, everyone!
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Vardhan Ramanathan arrived at Atkins High School without a clear idea of what he wanted to do with his life. He was able to find himself through volunteer opportunities and school programs like the track team and the marching band. As he prepares to leave for New York to go to college, a National Merit Scholarship in tow, he’s grateful for the people he met and the activities he had access to that made it easier to understand what he really wanted.
“I’ve always enjoyed going to school because there are so many different opportunities, especially in public schools,” Ramanathan said. “You can join different clubs and meet a diversity of people, and that’s how I found my place.”
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WS/FCS will hold plenty of graduations this week, but some of the earliest aren’t for students – they’re for parents and family members who’ve broadened their English skills through the Toyota Family Literacy Program. Learn more on our website at https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/article/2221522.
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The Board of Education recognized winners of the 2025 Maya Angelou Essay Contest during their latest meeting. The contest, sponsored by the Estate of Mr. Guy Johnson and the Dr. Maya Angelou Foundation, encourages WS/FCS juniors and seniors to embrace the creative process and tell the stories that matter most to them. This year's theme was “We Must Not Be Defeated”.
The following winners were presented with scholarships at the meeting:
1st Place - Mikayla Monroe-Johnson, Mount Tabor High School, $5000
2nd Place - Cassidy Craven, Reagan High School, $3000 (Not Pictured)
3rd Place - Lindsey Martin, West Forsyth High School, $1800
Congratulations, writers!
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Ben Grimstead spent four years swimming competitively in high school and eventually became his team’s captain. He’s going to North Carolina State University after graduation, with a little help from the National Merit Scholarship he earned. He feels ready to succeed in the real world because of his teachers at Mount Tabor High School, who he says gave him plenty of chances to think critically and solve problems.
“It’s really helped when teachers have led me to help myself and taught me to deal with problems on my own,” Grimstead said. “When a teacher gives you a trial run and asks you what kind of solutions you can put forward, that really helps me.”
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WS/FCS’ aspiring authors were starstruck on Wednesday when they got to spend time learning more about their craft with Award-Winning Novelist Pam Muñoz Ryan. Learn more on our website at https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/article/2216255.
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Corey Tuttle is the commander of Parkland High School’s JROTC, which means he’s in charge of coordinating the program’s events, competitions, service projects, and more. He’s joining the United States Army after graduation, and with their support, he’ll be pursuing a degree in criminal justice as well. Leadership roles in JROTC, National Technical Honor Society, and Parkland’s theatre program have empowered him to take charge of his own future.
“High school is exactly what we choose to make it,” Tuttle said. “When you stay focused, you’re able to control what you’re being influenced by, so stay focused, stay full speed ahead, and be smart about your decisions.”
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The Board of Education recognized 12 students for winning flagship scholarships at their meeting on Tuesday night, as well as 11 more who earned Forsyth Assistant Principals Association scholarships.
The WS/FCS Class of 2025 has earned $85 million in scholarships between them, a testament to the confidence colleges and universities have in the district's graduates. Notably, this is the district's first graduating class to have had their entire high school careers after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Congratulations, seniors - we know you'll keep making us proud!
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Griffith Elementary celebrated students' hard work preparing for EOGs with a pep rally this week. Ahead of testing, students got to play games, parade through the school, listen to music, and see their teachers show off some dance moves. Good luck, bulldogs - you've got this!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SGJ_nIrZS8
Rubi Cruz De Jesus plans to study ultrasound technology after graduation, starting at Forsyth Technical Community College and eventually transferring to a four-year university. She says she’s glad that her teachers at Carver High School didn’t always go easy on her, especially when it came to forming a habit of meeting deadlines. Even though high school was tough sometimes, she knows she has a community at Carver that she can lean on when she needs them.
“I can always come back here and ask my teachers if I need anything,” she said. “I know they’ll help me.”
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Northwest Middle School celebrated student citizenship last week with their Teacher's Choice Awards.
Every teacher gets to choose one student out of all of their classes and present some of their highlights for the year at an awards ceremony. Winners receive a gift certificate and attend a special reception with their friends and families. Principal Intern Charmeka Foster says that the event is an important acknowledgement of good will between students and teachers, and that it "shines a light on students who are simply exceptional human beings".
Keep up the good work, Northwest!
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Jesus Bacho has learned a lot from John F. Kennedy High School’s CTE program. He’s been working on pipes with his dad since he was seven years old, and while he hasn’t decided yet if he’ll go straight to work or spend time in college first, he’s excited to continue his family’s plumbing business with the skills he’s developed in school. He knows his biggest challenges are still ahead, so he’s thankful that his teachers pushed him to take his time in school seriously.
“You can’t just play around, because once you get out of school, things are going to be harder,” Bacho said. “You’ve got to put in the hard work and pay attention to your teachers.”
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Mykel Covington-Brasfield has stayed busy throughout high school, serving as a leader in Glenn High School’s chorus, theatre program, football team, track team, and lacrosse team, the latter of which he helped rebuild the program for. He isn’t slowing down after graduation – he’ll be studying communications abroad in Ireland in hopes of becoming a sportscaster, and he even plans to start his own podcast while he’s there. After attending a school with so many opportunities for him to take advantage of, he feels ready for anything that might come next.
“Doing all of these things, balancing them, and gaining the leadership and the credibility it takes to do it all, I think that’s what Glenn has really prepared me for,” Covington-Brasfield said.
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Hall-Woodward celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week with a visit from the Taqueria Tijuana food truck last week.
The truck belongs to the Flores family, whose children are students and alumni at Hall-Woodward, so they wanted to offer their services as a show of thanks for everything the school's teachers have done for them. Principal Intern Ashley D. Hairston described it as "a beautiful example of how our community partners give back".
Thank you for supporting our teachers!
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Ward and Union Cross hyped up students for their EOGs with pep rallies on Friday, featuring DJs, dance performances, and even basketball demonstrations from visiting high schools. Hopefully, everyone's feeling relaxed and confident ahead of testing now - you've got this!
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Ricky Yontz is fully nonverbal, but with plenty of support from his family and the staff at Carter High School, he’ll be graduating this year. He’ll be attending a day program at Top Priority, which provides a similar structure to school and will allow him to keep meeting new people and seeing more of the world. His mother, Wendy Yontz, says the staff at Carter have been indispensable in Ricky’s journey to achieve milestones that most people take for granted.
“With all of the love and support he’s received from the teachers and all of the staff, he wouldn’t be where he is without them,” she said. “They’ve provided him with the ability to learn and grow at his own pace… anything he’s ever struggled with, they always reach out so we can work together to come up with a plan.”
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Grace Galyon has been a basketball captain, a political science enthusiast, and even a legal counselor in Teen Court during her time at Reagan High School. Now, she’s heading to NC State University on the Park Scholarship, one of the most prestigious merit-based scholarships in North Carolina. The selection process for the Park is grueling, but she credits her teachers at Reagan for encouraging her to succeed and helping her reach this point.
“It’s a culmination of all the things I’ve done in high school,” Galyon said. “I’ve had some really great teachers who have pushed me, not just academically, but as a person, and they definitely helped guide me to the path that I’m on now.”
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