Forsyth School Head Search Position Statement FORSYTH PS as of August 30 | Seite 5

3
5
Head of School Search
Two years ago, the School
received a substantial gift
dedicated to integrating STEM
into the curriculum, and
already teachers have fully
embraced the opportunity to
expose students to more
STEM projects.
Forsyth’s curriculum weaves
challenge into every aspect of
life at school. Students learn to
stretch themselves beyond
their comfort zones, set goals
for themselves and reflect on
their accomplishments. From
kindergarten through grade
six, students look forward to
Challenge Days, special days
set aside when all regular
classes take a back seat to the
Adventure Center. These
challenge days involve
climbing, traversing the high
ropes course, and teamwork
activities. A special,
culminating event for sixth
graders remains ascending
the high beam, located at
ceiling level in the gymnasium,
where they walk to a brook to
leave a message for a
younger sibling or little
friend. It’s a graduation rite of
passage at Forsyth and a
significant component of the
challenge education program.
Authentic challenge does not
just happen on special days,
but also lies in school
assemblies and classroom
activities. Junior
kindergarteners practice
speaking in front of their
classes in preparation for all
school performances in the
years to follow. From
kindergarten on up, students
lead assemblies and
Forsyth School
participate in performances
and plays. Each grade’s
performances usually involve
an interdisciplinary approach
with core and specialist
teachers. The upper school
dives into the Living Museums
of the Greeks and American
History where kids research,
write, develop displays, and
assume the identity of
historical characters. For more
examples of the School’s
engaging curriculum, please
visit Forsythonline.com
Memory mapping serves as a
powerful signature social
studies unit at Forsyth. This
large-scale, multidisciplinary,
multi-step project provides one
of the most challenging yet
fulfilling academic experiences
for upper school students.
Teachers scaffold and
differentiate the process so
that all students work at their
individual pace to produce
magnificent maps from
memory. Fourth grade
students tackle the United
States, fifth grade South
America and sixth grade the
world. By the end of May,
children’s faces shine with
pride as the community
admires their work on display
in the Rand Center.
Assemblies and projects
reveal the strength of Forsyth’s
Visual and Performing Arts
programs as well as Spanish
and Physical Education,
programs that help round out a
formative academic program in
preparation for secondary
schools. The School’s
dedication to the whole child
manifests through its
commitment to these other
pillars of the program. The
artist-in-residence program
enables a different
professional artist to work with
fifth graders each year in order
to give them a real world
experience in various
mediums. Further, teachers
take full advantage of the
cultural institutions within
walking distance and bring
5