In Focus @ GWA

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Email: info@gwa.com
Website: www.gwa.com
Phone: (678) 635-3800
Facebook: facebook.com/GeorgeWaltonAcademy/
Twitter: @georgewalton

• Coffee with the Admin: Oct. 3 @ 6 p.m.
• V Football vs. Providence: Oct. 4 @ 7:30 p.m.
• IOWA Testing: Oct. 7-11 for grades 1, 3, 5
• Dyslexia Simulation: Oct. 8 @ 3:30 p.m.
• "The Big Picture-Rethinking Dyslexia": Oct. 10 @ 6:30 p.m.
• Secio Speaker: Oct. 14 @ 7 p.m.
• Early Dismissal: Wed., Oct. 16
• Fall Break: Oct. 17 - 18
• 50 on the 50: Oct. 22 @ 6 p.m. (ticketed event)

As we wrap up the regular season for our fall sports and enter the play-off picture, I feel very confident that all of our teams will fare well in the post season. It has been a great fall so far and all teams have had great success. Records have been broken and we’ve had banner crowds here on Friday nights to enjoy the games together as a community.

I believe the youth and middle school programs have been tremendous contributors to our athletic program. Middle school softball just finished the season 5-5 – and while that may not sound like an overwhelmingly impressive statistic – we should all be proud of how hard these athletes worked and how much they improved since their first game. The middle school cross country team continues to rock at all meets, while the youth football programs are also having big wins and will compete in the playoffs starting next week.

Let's not forget the cheerleaders- including our youth cheerleaders under the direction of Grace Martin, our Lower School Athletic Director. This dedicated squad now wants to cheer for basketball too. One last shout out for the majorettes. They are performing each week and doing an awesome job. We basically have something for everybody. Come join us!

Whit

Our Secio Speaker is scheduled for Monday, October 14 at the First Baptist Church of Monroe, beginning at 7 p.m. This annual event focuses on character, community and opportunity. Students are encouraged to have dinner with friends downtown prior to the event and walk to the church. There will be no new homework assigned that night and all upper school students are expected to attend. They should check-in with their advisor upon arrival. Attendance will be taken.

2019-2020 GWA Student Ambassador applications are available in the Admissions Office through Monday, October 7 at 4 p.m. All upper school students are invited to apply. Details, requirements and instructions are listed HERE on the application. Please contact Cari Bailey with questions. Completed applications are due by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8 to be considered.

In addition to LCA, George Walton Academy is hosting Fields of Faith for middle and high school students from GWA, Monroe Area, Carver, Social Circle Middle and Social Circle High School. Also, the youth from local area churches will be invited to attend. It promises be a time of fun and fellowship among our teenagers. Students are encouraged to attend this FCA sponsored event on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. on Keith Henderson Field. Learn more at www.fieldsoffaith.com.

Do you know someone who struggles with reading, writing or spelling, but they are otherwise bright and intelligent? They may have dyslexia- a language-based learning difference. It is the most common cause of reading, writing, and spelling difficulties. It is estimated that 20% of the population has some form of dyslexia.

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month and The PARC is holding two events next week for those interested in learning more about dyslexia. They will offer a dyslexia simulation on Tuesday, October 8 at 3:30 p.m. in the third and fourth grade building. This exercise will take participants through five different simulations- two reading, two writing and one processing simulation. It is designed to help individuals gain a better understanding of the learning difference and walk away with empathy for adults and children struggling with dyslexia. The program typically costs $325- but is being offered free of charge. Please HERE for a short video on the simulation.

Additionally, The PARC invites parents and teachers to “The Big Picture - Rethinking Dyslexia” the movie next Thursday, October 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. This thoughtful documentary explores dyslexia from an insider’s perspective- providing an accurate portrayal of the learning difference through interviews with parents, adult dyslexics, researchers and educators.

Please consider joining us next week to learn about and understand the impact of dyslexia on so many in our population. For more information, please Doretta Power at dpower@gwa.com.

Mrs. Bishop’s Forensics class is busy solving the mystery of Hester Higginbotham by working with the Locard Exchange theory that holds whenever we come in contact with a person or environment, we pick up traces of that environment and leave some of it behind. Students gathered trace evidence from seven sites around campus and used Chain of Custody rules to log information about each piece of evidence collected. Lastly, they used a very special microscope- a comparison scope (enables two separate slides to be viewed simultaneously) to make their final analysis.

Mrs. Lovett’s class wrote essays that characterized the post-Civil War perspective from either General Grant or General Lee. Students read their papers before the class, using a first-person narrative to convey the healing words either general would have shared with their soldiers following the divisive war. Great job, fifth graders!

By Lindsey Bailey

Lower School Counselor

You know sleep is important, but is it really a priority in your home? Sleep is often the first thing sacrificed when kids need more time for homework, sports, family, or fun. Adults need around 7-9 hours of sleep per night, but we can handle the consequences of sleep deprivation if we so choose. Children and adolescents NEED sleep to be able to function normally. They may survive on limited sleep, but they cannot thrive without consistently good zzz’s.

So how much sleep do kids need each night?*

• Preschoolers (ages 3 - 5): 10 to 13 hours, including naps
• Gradeschoolers (ages 6 - 12): 9 to 12 hours
• Teenagers (ages 13 - 18): 8 to 10 hours

*Recommendations endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics

To help your kids do their best at school, make sleep a priority in your home:

• Avoid overscheduling and teach kids how to manage their time
• Set and maintain consistent sleep and wake times
• Try not to sleep in more than an hour on weekends
• Create a consistent nighttime routine (Ex: Brush, Book, Bed)
• Keep the bedroom cool, quiet, and dark
• Limit screen use right before bedtime
• Keep devices out of children’s bedrooms and set limits/expectations for teens
• Model good sleep habits for your children - they will notice and you'll feel better, too.

Fortunately, we can all look forward to an extra hour of snoozing when daylight savings time ends on Nov. 3rd.

From concept to construction, sustainable living students are designing and building temporary living spaces for the homeless and natural disaster victims. Some of the questions the students are faced with include: What would be a cost effective solution for these individuals and/or families? How long will your structure last? How will they be deployed and arranged in large numbers?

This project represents a great example of ingenuity, art, engineering and service coming together to solve social/economic challenges.

We celebrated another year of incredible Dawgs Unleashed golf, tennis and running events- unleashing the full potential of participants, volunteers and sponsors in partnership with Dawgs 360 to bring our community together for fun, friendly competition and fellowship.

In honor of our 50th year, we are throwing it back to the school's first fundraiser in the spring of 1969 and hosting a BBQ on the 50-yard line of Keith Henderson Field at Don Williams Stadium. Back when the idea of GWA was still fresh on the minds of our original Board of Trustees, and the cost of opening a brand-new school was too much for them to generate, they hosted an old-fashioned southern BBQ with homemade sides to raise the funds needed to open GWA’s doors. In honor of that event, George Walton, in partnership with Dawgs 360, is hosting a BBQ celebration on Tuesday, October 22 from 6 – 8 p.m. to commemorate our first 50 years, and to look ahead to the next 50. Tickets will be priced at $15/person, and will include a meal from Lane’s BBQ, live music, lawn games, and entry into a raffle. Interested parties can reserve a table for 8 people for $200. Tickets are selling fast, so hurry since we are capping this event at 250 tickets!

http://bit.ly/50on50tickets

Each year the school is approached by a dozen or more reputable charities requesting we support their efforts. Recognizing that caring for others is fundamental to an organization such as ours that is founded on Christian values, we launched a new procedure for identifying causes the Academy will support. This new student-led approach will not only allow our students to champion causes that matter to them; it also provides real-world experience in creating a presentation and executing philanthropic endeavors. Our students will have the opportunity to be involved in such ways as providing volunteers, building awareness, offering the use of our facilities, and providing support to the organizations selected.

In September, students or student groups made presentations to a committee of faculty members. All three groups had such compelling cases for support that the committee made the decision to approve all groups for the launch of this new initiative. Below is a list of the organizations selected for the partnership and the students who presented on their behalf. During the year, information will go out about projects and opportunities to help them in their efforts.

Folds of Honor – recommended by Journey Allen

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society – recommended by Julia Waldo, Abby Stone & Jolie Lanier

Extra Special People – recommended by Jet Hammond

As a part of our partnership with Extra Special People, GWA will host Java Joy on Friday, Oct. 4 from 8 - 10:15 a.m. Stop by and enjoy a cup of coffee and get to know some very special baristas!

We appreciate your support of the Annual Loyalty Fund. When you give to the fund, you are supporting extraordinary experiences at GWA. Curently, lower school participation is 13%, middle school is 14% and upper school is 13% Give online HERE or click HERE to make a pledge. Thank you for your support!

Attention tennis players of all levels (even beginners)! Please join us, starting Tuesday, October 8, at 5:40 p.m. on the tennis courts next to the track field, to play tennis. Nearby parking is accessible from McDaniel Street. This event is open to all ages and to the community at large, so feel free to extend an invitation to family and friends. Hope to see Tuesday! Questions? Call/text Justin at 404.998.1857.

Senior athletes were recently recognized at their last regular season home games. Congratulations to Lauren Holley (volleyball) and Annabelle Jerman, Torie Johnson, and Savannah McBee (softball)! Good luck in post-season play and all the best as you finish your senior year!

GWA fall sports are heading into their final games and playoffs! Click the calendar link above to check out upcoming sporting events. GO BULLDOGS!

Today's In Focus is proudly sponsored by Apex Painting and Decorating, Inc. Interested in advertising through our Corporate Partnership program? Contact Jeanie Beach at jbeach@gwa.com or call 678-635-3812.