In Focus @ GWA

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Email: info@gwa.com
Website: www.gwa.com
Phone: (678) 635-3800

• Fall Sports Picture Day: Friday, July 28 (see below for details)
• V Softball vs. Piedmont (home): Aug. 3, 4:45 p.m.
• Senior Parking Spot Party: Aug. 4, 6:30 p.m.
• New Student Orientation: Sunday, Aug. 6
• Sixth Grade Student Orientation: Sunday, Aug. 6
• Open House: Aug. 7 (see below)
• Senior BBQ: Aug. 8, 4 p.m.
• First Day of School: Aug. 9
• Middle School Mega Relay: Aug. 9
• Next edition of In Focus: Aug. 10
• JV/V Volleyball vs. ACS & Winder/Barrow (home): Aug. 10, 5 p.m.
• V Football Scrimmage at MPC: Friday, Aug. 11
• Senior Retreat: Aug. 14 - 16
• Ice Cream Social: Aug. 17, 6:30 p.m.
• V Football vs. LOA (home): Aug. 18, 7:30 p.m.

We are excited to welcome everyone back to campus on Monday, August 7 for our back-to-school Open House. Here are some details:

• Choose a session (listed above), no sign-up required
• This is a drop-in event
• Meet teachers and find your classrooms
• Lower School - pick up carpool tag/windshield stickers in the classroom and school calendar and contacts magnet in the cafeteria.
• Middle/Upper School - pick up car windshield stickers and school calendar and contacts magnet in the Commons
• Schedules for middle and upper school will be available on RenWeb in the afternoon on Friday, August 4
• Lower school class lists will be posted in the hallway at Open House

Don't miss the final opportunity to join this educational adventure. Two spots are still open (for juniors/seniors). Please contact Mrs. Suzy if you are interested at squinlan@gwa.com.

Please click the links below for summer work/reading and school supply lists by grade. This information may also be found on gwa.com on the lower, middle and upper school pages as well as in ParentsWeb under Resource Documents.

Lower School Summer Work & Supply Lists (see right side of webpage)

Middle School Summer Work

Middle Supply Lists

Upper School Summer Work

Upper School Supply Lists

Please click HERE for important details regarding carpool flow and times. This information has also been shared via email from Matt Reynolds.

We can't wait for the Middle School Mega Relay, which marks the commencement of the new academic year! This day promises a series of enjoyable team-building activities. No school supplies will be necessary for this event, as the focus will be on fostering camaraderie and collaboration.

On this day, students are expected to report directly to their designated study hall classrooms, unless otherwise instructed. To ensure comfort during the activities, appropriate athletic shorts and tees are encouraged.

To add a splash of color and foster a sense of unity, we kindly request each grade to wear a specific color shirt:

• 6th grade - gray
• 7th grade - red
• 8th grade - black

As hydration is crucial, we advise all students to bring their water bottles. Fear not, as we have lunch arrangements covered. A delicious meal consisting of hotdogs, chips, and a refreshing drink will be provided for everyone. However, if any students have specific dietary preferences or wish to bring their own lunch, they are more than welcome to do so.

To facilitate the planning process and make this day truly exceptional, we kindly request that those bringing their own lunch fill out the following Google form. Your valuable input will help us create the best first day of school experience for everyone:

https://forms.gle/Qcy9SD9qePMMGRiQA

We look forward to an amazing day filled with camaraderie, fun, and memorable moments. Let's make this Middle School Mega Relay an outstanding start to the academic year!

Chef Wil White and his Flik Dining team will offer fresh, delicious and nutritious meals for students in K4 - 12th grade. Lunch fees for the new school year are as follows:

• Pre-K $5.25/meal
• Grades K - 5 $6.00/meal
• Grades 6 - 12 $6.75/meal

Cafeteria charges will be run through FACTS incidental billing in real-time. Purchases will automatically be charged to the incidental billing portion of the students’ FACTS account as they are purchased. Payment for cafeteria charges will also be made through FACTS. Questions regarding billing or how to make a payment should be sent to cafeteriabilling@gwa.com.

George Walton offers aftercare for kindergarten – fifth-grade students. It begins at 3 p.m. and is over at 6 p.m. There is an extra fee for these hours and a registration fee as well. Please click HERE to go to the website for more detailed information about aftercare.

This year the Beyond the Bell after-school camps will offer ballet and jazz for K-first grade, hip hop and jazz for second – fifth grade and a new musical theatre class for second – fifth grade. We will also have Taekwondo offered on Wednesday and Thursday for ages K- sixth grade. After-school camps will begin in September. We will share more information on all upcoming after-school camps as it becomes available.

This year, the College Counseling office is hosting our mandatory Senior College Meeting on Wednesday, August 23 at 6:30 p.m. We will keep it to one hour and cover any and all college related aspects. If you have a conflict, please let Mr. Terrell & Mrs. Nabors know ASAP.

We ask every senior (and at least one parent) to attend. Our meeting will be in the cafeteria. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Our fall sports (all levels) photo day is Friday, July 28. The times are listed in the schedule linked below. Makeup pictures and band pictures will be taken on Monday, July 31. These times are also listed in the schedule below.

Our new photographer for the 2023-24 school year is Watermark Photography of Oconee County. All of the sports photos will be taken in the Commons (in the high school building) on a white background. The team photos will be created from these photos and put together as a composite. Options to purchase photos will be available via a gallery link to be emailed to parents.

Click HERE to view our fall sports picture day schedule.

Information is subject to change.

Get ready to shop and save on GWA uniform items and spirit wear at the annual Dawgs 360 Gently Used Clothing Sale! Donations are still being accepted. All items with a school logo should be current logos only (GWA block letters or GW athletic logo). Please drop donations off at the front office during summer hours (M-F, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.).

And don’t forget to sign up for volunteer opportunities for the upcoming school year. Sign-up sheets will be available at the sale. Hope to see you there!

Please contact Elizabeth McDonel with any questions at emcdonel@gwa.com.

A group of GWA students and parents recently embarked on a trip to Costa Rica. They visited the Arenal Volcano region, the capital city, and the cloud forest of Monteverde. The travelers had the opportunity to zip line, kayak in Lake Arenal, swim in hot springs, visit a coffee and cocoa farm and explore small towns. Students learned about the native plant and animal species as well as the biodiversity of the country. The group enjoyed soaking up the Costa Rican sunshine, culture, and natural beauty!

“Costa Rica was a once in a lifetime experience,” said GWA parent Amanda Baker. “We traveled through the rugged rainforest, and we explored the Pacific coastlines with many animal sightings. Hiking waterfalls and volcanos was beautiful. I truly feel like we saw the whole country of Costa Rica. The zip line through the mountains was the most fun moment for Bennett.”

Today's In Focus is proudly sponsored by Pure Talk (www.puretalk.com).