Finding ‘True North’ at North Forney High School

FORNEY, Texas — With enrollment soaring to an anticipated 1,540 students in the 2016-17 school year, North Forney High School, which opened in 2009, will accommodate more students than its cross-town rival, Forney High School, for the first time ever, according to projected enrollment numbers.

FORNEY, Texas — With enrollment soaring to an anticipated 1,540 students in the 2016-17 school year, North Forney High School, which opened in 2009, will accommodate more students than its cross-town rival, Forney High School, for the first time ever, according to projected enrollment numbers.

What do those enrollment numbers stand for, what does the campus have to offer its students and the community, and how will the future students of North Forney High School seize their opportunity to make their mark on community and instill lasting traditions?

These are questions newly-named North Forney High School Principal Courtney Peck, who replaced out-going Principal Dr. Johnston near the end of the 2015-16 school year, hopes to answer with the introduction of a new initiative, “True North.”

In the real world, there are several ways of finding true north. At North Forney High School, Peck hopes the new initiative, campus culture, and staff direction will provide the tools students need to navigate to their true north —or true worth, purpose, and direction, in life— and, in turn, establish a long-lasting and deep-rooted culture at the school which has seen an explosive growth from approximately 400 students just six years ago to an anticipated 1,540 students this upcoming 2016-17 school year.

“The population has evolved much faster than the culture has evolved,” she said. “We want to invest in building traditions that will last.”

One tradition, specifically, will expand upon the homecoming celebrations to include a North Forney High School homecoming parade on the north side of town, in addition to the Unity Bowl Parade, according to Peck.

“We want to help both the community establish and identify what it truly means to be a Falcon and our students to establish their place here at our school and in their future,” Peck told inForney.com.

The three main goals of the initiative, according to Peck, are being consistently consistent, instilling a love of learning, and putting others before self.

Being consistently consistent is multi-faceted, according to Peck.

One aspect, sure to be unpopular among students and parents, is a renewed focus on student dress code in an effort to set a higher standard, Peck said.

“In the past, dress code was not enforced,” said Peck. “One of the things I’ve been trying to communicate to parents is, that if it is a rule at North Forney High School, it will be enforced.”

“It will be in the best interest of their kids,” she continued. “I firmly believe you can’t hold kids to a standard in one area and not another.”

Peck says new administrative programs are also tackling the consistency aspect in hopes of instilling the True North culture within the staff as well — which has seen an approximate 50-percent turnover in the past year — with a True North culture kick-off prior to staff training.

With the turnover, North Forney High School is welcoming three new assistant principals this 2016-17 school year: Assistant Principal of Seniors, Todd Hopkins; Assistant Principal of Sophomores, Dr. Scott Howard; and Assistant Principal of Freshman, Jacob Payne. Assistant Principal of Juniors Janis Grace will be returning in her current capacity.

To instill a love of learning, Peck says several new mentoring programs, community business partnerships, as well as a year-long senior project have been introduced.

Peck says representatives from Texas A&M Commerce will provide counseling and mentorship to students and the campus is looking to establish new career and educational partnerships with local businesses to mentor students and provide real-world experience — which will be one of the aspects of the senior project.

“We have 309 seniors who will need a mentor,” she said. “From floral design, to law, to medical.”

Not only will the real-world mentorship program provide a direction for graduating seniors looking to determine their future but, Peck says, the program will also help establish North Forney High School in the community.

Community service encompasses the third aspect of the initiative, according to Peck.

Freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors will each do a community service project with their class, whether on campus or in the community, and each senior will spend 20 hours on a personal project serving the community prior to graduation.

“We want to do everything we can to encourage community service among our students,” said Peck.

A community event to kick-off the True North initiative and the traditional Meet the Falcons night is scheduled for August 17, 2016, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at North Forney High School. The event is open and free to the community.

Is your local business interested in partnering with North Forney High School to provide career and educational partnerships? Contact Courtney Peck at courtney.peck@edu.forneyisd.net for more information.