Back 2 School: These 9 districts in north Georgia head back to the classroom today

Thousands of students are heading back to school on Thursday, including nine districts in north Georgia.

It’s the first day for Fayette County, Floyd County, Forsyth County, Gordon County, Greene County, Calhoun City, Fannin County, Jackson County and Heard County schools.

Join Fred Blankenship, Lori Wilson, Brian Monahan, Mike Shields and our reporters spread out across the metro as they prepare you for the first day. Watch Channel 2 Action News This Morning from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m.

[SPECIAL SECTION: Back 2 School in North Georgia and Metro Atlanta]

Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach is live in Forsyth County for Channel 2 Action News This Morning.

In one of the fastest growing counties in Georgia, Forsyth County Schools will welcome more than 54,000 students. The district hired hundreds of new teachers with the growing enrollment.

Forsyth County is currently halfway through the construction process of a new elementary school, too. Midway Elementary School’s new building will open next fall with room for up to 1,200 students.

“We’ve really reached capacity in our current building. Our new building will allow us to house really double, almost double the occupancy of students,” Principal Daphene Rogers said.

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Several districts have moved to “ParentSquare” to communicate with families. Parents in Floyd and Fayette County schools can download the app on their phones. The platform will include district news, ways to direct message your child’s teachers, forms to sign and ways to volunteer.

In Fayette County, there is a new cell phone policy this year that other districts have adopted.

High school students will have to drop their cell phone into an assigned pouch when they get to class. Students can have access to their phones when classes change and during their lunch period.

“Because this low-tech method has been working effectively to improve the learning environment, specifically allowing students to focus on their lessons and to minimize distractions, it will be implemented across all high school classrooms,” the district said.

In Floyd County, the district wants to remind parents and students about new entrance off Mango Road for the schools in the Model cluster.

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