Sponsored Sections Real Estate Report ►►PAGE 22 Summer Camps ►►PAGE 24
Johns Creek radio tower in Forsyth To be used for public safety ►►PAGE 4
‘Gray Clouds on my Mind’
Courthouse on schedule
Stephanie Tian’s art ranked top 10 in country ►►PAGE 15
Set to open March 16 ►►PAGE 6
March 4, 2015 | forsythherald.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 10, No. 18
FCS says itsLearning working so far By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com
JOSH MARTIN
Josh Martin, left, and Brian Grasso sit at a Simple Charity table set up at a North Forsyth High School football game, selling T-shirts and asking for donations to raise money to fight global poverty.
NFHS makes helping charity ‘simple’ By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – Brian Grasso, a senior at North Forsyth High School, saw the impact of extreme poverty firsthand in middle school after going on a mission trip to Kenya. “This trip had a massive impact on me and caused me to begin to think about charity with a global perspective,” Grasso said. “I was struck by the widespread lack of basic necessities overseas, and I wanted to do something about it.” A few years later as a high
school junior, Grasso had idea to start Simple Charity. “I realized that if every student in my high school donated just $40 over the course of a school year, we could raise $100,000 to fight global poverty,” Grasso said. “I knew this money would go so far overseas. With a lot of help from my close friend Josh Martin, I started Simple Charity in March of 2014.” Simple Charity is a faithbased club with the goal of raising $100,000 to fight global poverty in Jesus’ name over the course of this school year. The official deadline is May 31.
Grasso said they have a leadership team made up of top students at NFHS, and they raised $30,000 last semester. The monetary goal has shaped a lot of their efforts and plans this year, but Grasso said from the beginning, $100,000 is not the real goal. “The real goal is to inspire both high school students and adults in Forsyth County to give with a global mindset,” Grasso said. “Leading this club has taught me so much about people, and I sometimes
See NFHS, Page 11
to get on, Bray said it didn’t come without problems. “As a result of how many FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — people were on at once, the With two ice and snow events system came to a crawl this in as many weeks, Forsyth morning,” Bray said. “The itsCounty Schools’ new policy to Learning company had to shut have students use its online it down for a little while. All of itsLearning program to make this is on the company’s servup for inclement weather days ers in different places. They is getting a baptism by fire. took the server down and took This academic year, the it to another server with more county had built in two inclem- capacity. We only see these ent weather days, which were numbers increasing over time.” both used on Feb. 17 and 18. The county held a test When the county cancelled run in late December to early school on ThursJanuary dependday, Feb. 19 and ing on schools, again for several and Bray said days last week they were testing due to snow, stuin six different dents and teachcategories — ers throughout access/equity, the county logged teachers, stuon for their first dents, parents, official itsLearnadministration ing days. and other recomForsyth Counmendations. ty Schools (FCS) The access/ Chief Technology equity category and Information required the Officer Marty research team to Bray said Feb. go out and talk 19 at the school to the school board meeting the social workers, county’s impleprincipals and mentation of itsITs at all schools. MARTY BRAY Learning is going “We identiForsyth County Schools (FCS) Chief Technology and well so far. fied additional Information Officer “We expestudents who rienced about needed access,” triple the use of Bray said. “FCS itsLearning today,” Bray said. is consulting with other dis“This says a lot about people tricts that use a checkout modreally wanting to get on. They el for some mobile hotspots. were ready to go. Usually there FCS increased the number of are around 2,000 users going students receiving devices as a on at any one time; today we result of the drill.” had close to 6,000-7,000 conBray said the group came current users.” Although people were eager See FCS, Page 29
Usually there are around 2,000 users going on at any one time; today we had close to 6,000-7,000 concurrent users.”
HEY ALPHARETTA!
LET’S GET TOGETHER
JOIN US FOR THE GRAND OPENING MARCH 6–8 LOCATED IN MANSELL CROSSING Client: REI Job Title: Alpharetta: Newsprint
Trim: 8.35” x 1.5” Bleed: None