Arts
Mama Mia
Denmark Performing Arts

Denmark High School brought a burst of energy to the end of the spring season with a lively production of Mama Mia, directed by Kirk Grizzle. The show blended familiar music, bright storytelling, and the unmistakable enthusiasm of a student cast that clearly loved every moment. From the opening number, I have a Dream, to the final bow, the performance had the audience on their feet dancing and celebrating both community and creativity.
What made this production stand out was the way students fully embraced the story's spirit. Their vocals, humor, choreography, and character work created an atmosphere that drew the audience right into the show's world. Behind the scenes, crews worked with the same level of dedication, building sets, managing cues, and supporting the cast with a professionalism that impressed families and staff alike. It was a true team effort that showcased the strength of Denmark’s performing arts program.
Director Kirk Grizzle’s leadership guided students to grow as performers and collaborators. The performance delivered heart, humor, and lasting energy, demonstrating the strength and community spirit of Denmark High School's performing arts program. The main takeaway: when students are supported, they create remarkable experiences that unite and inspire.
Behind the Scenes with Director, Kirk Grizzle
- What moments during the rehearsal process made you most proud of the cast and crew?
- How did students connect with the story and music of Mama Mia in ways that shaped the final performance?
- What do you hope audiences remember most about this production and the students who brought it to life?
- For the graduating seniors, what words of encouragement would you like to share?
What moments during the rehearsal process made you most proud of the cast and crew?
How did students connect with the story and music of Mama Mia in ways that shaped the final performance?
What do you hope audiences remember most about this production and the students who brought it to life?
For the graduating seniors, what words of encouragement would you like to share?
FCS Elementary Art Show
The annual Forsyth County Schools Elementary Art Show is bursting with color and creativity as our young artists share their bold ideas and growing skills. Families and staff are excited to celebrate every piece on display, showing off the imagination, confidence, and joy that shine through our elementary art programs.
Celebrating Student Vision: Scenes from the Secondary Art Show
The Forsyth County Schools Secondary Art Show transformed the FoCAL Center with dynamic paintings, meticulous drawings, and imaginative mixed-media works, highlighting the exceptional originality of middle and high school artists. Over the two-week showcase, families, teachers, and community members explored a gallery of daring concepts and unique student perspectives, leaving many inspired by the breadth of talent in our secondary art programs.
Creating, Performing, Inspiring
How Music, Art, and Theater Shape Student Success
She leaned in to read the name on the label, and it was him.
That student who had struggled, who had needed a safe place to land,
had never stopped making art.

Every time a student picks up a violin for the first time, steps into a theater rehearsal, sketches a scene from a favorite story, or finds their place in a choir, something remarkable happens in their brain. Music education and the arts are among the most powerful and well-researched tools we have for supporting the development of the whole child, and March gives us the perfect opportunity to celebrate them. Music in Our Schools Month is a national recognition that highlights the essential role that music, theater, and visual art play in public education. These programs are not extras. They are foundational. Students who participate in the arts develop stronger memory, sharper attention, and deeper language skills. They learn discipline, collaboration, and how to work toward something challenging with patience and persistence. These are life skills expressed through color, movement, rhythm, and creativity.
What makes the arts especially powerful in a school setting is the way they reach students that other subjects sometimes miss. A child who struggles in a traditional classroom may find confidence while painting a backdrop or performing a scene for the first time. A student who feels invisible may discover their voice, literally and figuratively, through a choir or a theater ensemble. The arts create a sense of belonging, and in a school community, that sense of belonging matters more than we can measure. Research consistently shows that students involved in music, theater, and visual art have higher attendance rates, stronger connections to their schools, and better outcomes across academic subjects. The benefits do not stay inside the band room, the art studio, or the auditorium. They shape every part of a student’s school experience.
In Forsyth County Schools, arts educators work every day to give students not only technical skills but a genuine relationship with creativity that can last a lifetime. From elementary classrooms where young learners explore rhythm, movement, color, and storytelling, to award-winning high school ensembles performing on competitive stages and producing full-scale theater productions, the arts are woven into the fabric of who we are as a school community. This month, we are shining a spotlight on the people who bring music, theater, and visual art to life in our schools. We asked Forsyth County’s educators a few questions so families can hear directly from them about what this work looks like and why it matters.
- What do you wish parents and community members understood about what happens in a creative arts classroom and why it matters?
- Can you share a moment when you witnessed the arts change something for a student, whether it was their confidence, their connection to school, or something else entirely?
- What would you say to a student or family who is unsure about joining a creative arts program and has not yet taken that first step?
What do you wish parents and community members understood about what happens in a creative arts classroom and why it matters?
Can you share a moment when you witnessed the arts change something for a student, whether it was their confidence, their connection to school, or something else entirely?
What would you say to a student or family who is unsure about joining a creative arts program and has not yet taken that first step?
A Community of Stars
FoCAL’s Penguin Project Shines in Aladdin Jr.
FoCAL’s recent Penguin Project production of Aladdin Jr. brought together young artists, peer mentors, families, and community members in a celebration of creativity, courage, and connection. The stage became a place where every performer—artists with disabilities and their peer mentors—could step into the spotlight, share their talents, and experience the joy of theater in an environment built on encouragement and belonging. From the first rehearsal to the final bow, the production embodied what the Penguin Project is known for: creating a space where every child is valued, supported, and empowered to shine.
What made this year’s show especially meaningful was the strength of the partnerships formed along the way. Peer mentors worked side‑by‑side with their artist partners, learning lines together, practicing choreography, and building friendships that extended far beyond the script. Families and volunteers filled the room with support, cheering on each milestone and celebrating each performer’s growth. The result was more than a musical; it was a living example of what happens when a community comes together to lift one another up.
As audiences watched the cast bring Agrabah to life, they witnessed something deeper than a performance. They saw confidence blooming, teamwork in action, and a community united by the belief that the arts are for everyone. The Penguin Project continues to remind us that inclusion isn’t just a value, it’s a practice that transforms everyone involved.
Behind the Curtain: Director Insights
- How did you see peer mentors and artists grow together throughout the rehearsal process?
- What moments during the production best captured the spirit of inclusion and community?
- How has this year’s Penguin Project impacted the students, families, and volunteers who participated?
How did you see peer mentors and artists grow together throughout the rehearsal process?
What moments during the production best captured the spirit of inclusion and community?
How has this year’s Penguin Project impacted the students, families, and volunteers who participated?
A Day in the Life of Santa Claus Brings Holiday Magic to Life
"We feel blessed to have a small part in preparing these students for the world's stage." - Sherry Lopez
Cumming Elementary is lighting up the season with a heartwarming holiday performance of A Day in the Life of Santa Claus, presented by Mrs. Lopez, Mrs. Kemptner, Adi Wormsley, Denise Murphy, and their talented students, including Forsyth Central High School Alum, Sarah Costello. This festive Reader's Theater production is more than just a play; it's a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and inclusion.
Inspired by the whimsical story of Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their lively crew of North Pole elves, the performance had audience members laughing, singing, and enjoying the true magic of the season. Behind the scenes, fifth-grade students are working together to design props, costumes, and sets, blending reading instruction with hands-on artistry.
The event proudly resembles The Penguin Project, an initiative that empowers children with special needs to shine on stage alongside peer mentors. Through friendship, mentorship, and shared celebration, students are learning the power of storytelling and teamwork.
Voices from the North Pole
Students Share the Magic Behind the Scenes
From designing sets to stepping into character, students have poured heart and creativity into A Day in the Life of Santa Claus. We caught up with Charlotte, a cast member and set designer, to hear what this performance means to her, and how it's brought joy, teamwork, and holiday spirit to life in their classrooms.
- What's your favorite part about being in this play, and why?
- If you could spend a day at the North Pole, what would you do first?
- What's something fun or silly that happened during rehearsal?
What's your favorite part about being in this play, and why?
If you could spend a day at the North Pole, what would you do first?
What's something fun or silly that happened during rehearsal?
Behind the Curtain
Meet the Educators Bringing Santa's Story to Life
To learn more about the inspiration, collaboration, and classroom magic behind A Day in the Life of Santa Claus, we sat down with Mrs. Lopez and Mrs. Kemptner for a behind-the-scenes look at how this holiday performance came together.
- What inspired you to bring this inclusive holiday play to life, and what makes it special for your students?
- Through this experience, how have you seen students grow, both on stage and behind the scenes?
- What message do you hope families and community members take away from this performance?
What inspired you to bring this inclusive holiday play to life, and what makes it special for your students?
Through this experience, how have you seen students grow, both on stage and behind the scenes?
What message do you hope families and community members take away from this performance?
North Georgia Marching Band Championship
Saturday, October 25, 2025 | South Forsyth High School | 11:00 AM
South Forsyth High School will host the annual NGMBC (North GA Marching Band Championships) on Saturday, October 25th. Gates open at 11:00 AM. Marching bands from across the state will compete, including our own Denmark and Forsyth Central High schools. South Forsyth will perform Element 79 in an exhibition at 7:20 PM. South Forsyth's band placed 2nd in class at the BOA Chattanooga, just behind Lambert. South also reached the BOA finals with this show for the first time in school history.
FoCAL Shines with Southern Charm

October 16 - 18 & 23-25, 2025 at 7:30 PM
October 19 & 26, 2005 at 2:00 PM
Tickets Available at: TheFoCALCenter.com
Bright Star Takes Center Stage
The FoCAL Performing Arts Center proudly presents Bright Star, a heartwarming musical infused with bluegrass rhythms and themes of love, loss, and redemption. Written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, this Broadway gem takes place in the American South during the 1920s and 1940s. It follows the journey of Alice Murphy, a literary editor whose past resurfaces in unexpected ways.
In this production, director and producer Dawn Phipps' vision transforms Bright Star into an autobiographical unfolding of Alice's life, staged within the attic of her memories. The set design evokes a "Cracker Barrel" charm—warm, rustic, and deeply nostalgic—where walls lined with vintage décor become vessels of Alice's memories. This immersive attic space not only houses the physical set but also serves as a living archive of Alice's emotional journey, seamlessly blending past and present through music, storytelling, and visual texture.
Featuring a cast and crew made up of Forsyth County educators, graduates, and staff, this production celebrates local talent and community spirit while honoring the timeless themes that make Bright Star shine.
Spotlight on Mackenzie Dacus, Cougar Chorus Director
Cumming Elementary School
After a standout performance at the Gwinnett Stripers (Triple-A Affiliate of the Atlanta Braves) baseball game, we caught up with Mackenzie Dacus to hear more about the experience:

Cumming Elementary's Cougar Chorus had a standout performance at the Gwinnett Stripers Game in September.
What was it like seeing your students perform in such a lively, public setting—any favorite moments from the night?
It is always such a joy to see our Chorus students perform in public. The excitement fills the performance with energy. My favorite moment of the night was the nervous energy the students had as we waited for the 7th-inning stretch. We were standing in formation waiting for our cue, and I was asked dozens of times: "Is it time yet?" A baseball player threw a piece of gum up to the kids, and they thought it was the coolest thing! When the time came, they sang their hearts out and absolutely rocked it! It is truly a gift to see these students share their love for music with others.
- How did you help the Chorus prepare for singing in a stadium environment, with all the excitement and distractions?
- Did this performance spark any new ideas for future community events or musical collaborations?
How did you help the Chorus prepare for singing in a stadium environment, with all the excitement and distractions?
Did this performance spark any new ideas for future community events or musical collaborations?
Healing through Art
The project is an interactive coloring book series created by Denmark High School’s art students, including members of the National Art Honor Society, Media Arts programs, and Cumming Arts Center. Healing through the Arts is designed to support children who are homebound, hospitalized, or in need of healing through creative expression.
Art teacher Ms. Kimmy Wood has been a driving force behind the initiative. Her philosophy centers on using art to support mental health and whole-child development.



























































































































































































































































































































































































































































