
In Focus @ GWA
A news bulletin for the families of George Walton Academy

August 24, 2023
Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter
or visit us online.
Email: info@gwa.com
Website: www.gwa.com
Phone: (678) 635-3800
Key Deadlines & Dates
- Dawgs Unleashed T-shirts: Order by Aug. 25 (see below)
- Ninth-grade Retreat: Aug. 28
- LS Curriculum Night: Aug. 29
- Yearbook Portraits: Aug. 29
- Yearbook Price Increase: after Aug. 31
- School Holiday: Sept. 4 (Labor Day)
- Club Expo: Sept. 6
- Pink Out: Sept. 8 (see below)
- MS/US Curriculum Night: Sept. 12
- Dawgs Unleashed: Sept. 18, 19, 30 (see below)
Please note the changes to our 23-24 school calendar. The Board of Trustees has extended Christmas Break to Jan. 3 and added Good Friday as a school holiday. This information is also available on our website at https://www.gwa.com/about/importantdates2.cfm.
Innocent or Guilty?
Mrs. Crabtree's Honors British Literature students have been hard at work prepping to give Edmond Dantes, the protagonist of their summer reading novel The Count of Monte Cristo, the trial he never received. Edmond claims to have been falsely imprisoned and exacted revenge on those whom he held responsible. But did Edmond deserve to be imprisoned? Was his revenge justified or did he take things too far? Did the crimes fit the punishments? These are the questions our class defense team and prosecuting team explored and sought to answer in the climatic trial of Edmond Dantes. On trial day, relying solely on evidence from the novel, students adapted the personas of various characters and built their testimonies to either support Edmond's innocence or prove his guilt while other students became defense and prosecuting attorneys, leading their respective teams' investigation and questioning of witnesses. Other students took on the role of impartial judges and jurors who heard both sides of the case and ultimately decided the fate of Edmond Dantes.
Density Data
In Mrs. Callaway's AP Statistics class, students explored density curves this week. They conducted three experiments using the following instructions:
- Roll a die three times.
- Toss a penny at a target and measure the distance the penny lands from the target.
- Use a stopwatch to try to stop it on exactly five seconds.
Students first predicted what they thought the graphs would look like if they repeated this many, many times and where the mean and median would be located. After students completed the experiment, they created their own graphs based on the class data. These experiments led the class to discuss the different types of density curves and the relationship between the mean and median.
Welcome, Parents!
The evening will begin promptly at 6 p.m. with a welcome from Mr. Marshall in the cafeteria. Parents will rotate through their child’s seven class periods with a stop in The Commons. Teachers will be providing content information as well as tips for success in their courses. We look forward to seeing our middle and upper school parents!
Buy Your Pink Out Shirt Now!
Our GWA Pink Out is scheduled for Friday, September 8. There is a Pink Out t-shirt (in pink or gray) available for purchase online (link below). The store is open through Friday, August 25 at 2 p.m. A limited number of shirts will be available for purchase in the Dawg Shop on a first come, first serve basis. To ensure you get the size(s) you need, please take advantage of this brief, online presale. Please contact Christie Johnson at cjohnson@gwa.com with any questions.
Get Ready to Smile!
Yearbook portraits are Tuesday! Students should be wearing their dress code best for pictures (Polos please! No sweatshirts or jackets!). Your gallery will be emailed to you approximately two weeks after photos are taken with purchasing options. Seniors DO NOT need to have their pictures taken (senior portraits have already been taken). If your child checks in late or leaves early on Tuesday, please have them go to the Commons to have their picture taken after they get to school or before they leave. The photographer can work them into the schedule.
Join the Literary Team
Have you heard about our amazing Literary team and are excited to join? Have you heard about our amazing Literary Team and have no idea what it is, but want to know more? Literary is a great way to get involved with fellow students, represent your school at both the region and state levels, and hone your public speaking, essay writing, or singing skills. As part of the literary team, you can choose to speak on important national and international topics, write essays from different perspectives, show off your acting skills, or impress with your singing ability. The literary team competes against other schools in our region, and those who qualify compete against other schools in our state.
Join us on Friday, September 1 in the Commons during high school break to find out more information. If you can’t make it, but want to know more, email Mrs. Noll at cnoll@gwa.com.
Friday Night Lights!
Cheer on the Bulldogs this Friday as they take on Mount Vernon at home! If you can’t make it to the game – view the action on our new HUDL TV livestream channel (link below). This link may also be found at gwa.com on our Bulldog Athletics page. Let’s GO Bulldogs!
Purchase tickets at the gate (cash only) or at gofan.co.
Off and Running
Congrats to our GWA cross country on a great effort at their first team race of the year, held at Apalachee High School on Saturday! Our varsity girls' team finished 10th out of 19 teams, defeated three major 7A schools and defeated Prince Avenue Christian School as well. Moneli Shekarbakht set a personal record with 21:39, finishing 21st overall for varsity girls and Caleb Choe had a significant career personal record, finishing at 20:32. The MS girls' team finished 4th among nine schools and MS boys finished 7th out of 11 schools. Gage Wasileski wins the MS boys' race and Laney Brewer finished 5th overall in the MS girls' race. Way to go, Bulldogs!
Next Level
Congratulations to GWA ('21) alumna and former GWA equestrian team member, Josie Evans, on becoming a new member of the University of Georgia equestrian team. Good luck to Josie as she competes this year!
Ceramics Takes Shape
Mrs. Stumpf’s Ceramics students are learning how to build boxes. The process began in their sketchbook where they drew out a few different slab built box concepts and designs before narrowing it down to one final design. The slab building technique involves rolling out clay to an even thickness -then cutting shapes, folding, bending, manipulating, and joining together to form a finished object. It’s fun to see students put so much time and energy into something they can actually use and hold onto forever.
On the Move
Rehearsals are underway for our One Act Competition actors. They are currently working on blocking (precise staging of actors during the performance). The group will compete with other schools in our Region on October 30 with hopes of advancing to the state level.
It's that time of year again for the Lunch Bunch with the Counselor for new lower school students. We will be doing lunch bunch spread across three days on the last week of August (8/28, 8/30 and 9/1) in the cafeteria. This will give the students a chance to meet with other new students, get to know their counselor and give the counselor an opportunity to get to know them too. Teachers will be receiving Lunch Bunch passes in their mailboxes on Friday, August 25, and will give them out to the appropriate students.
Join Today and Reap the Benefits!
Join your GWA community of volunteers and reap the rewards! Becoming a member of Dawgs 360 is the best way to meet fellow parents, engage with families and students while saving on admission to sporting events, Dawg Shop merchandise and more. A family membership to the organization is $360 (2023-2024 school year) annually and Dawgs 360 member families enjoy:
*Admission to all concerts, plays, and performances
*Admission to all home athletic competitions, except playoffs
*Field trips, for the student (overnight field trips require additional fee)
*Class parties
*10% discount on all regular-priced apparel at the Dawg Shop
Click HERE to learn more and to complete your application.
Don't Miss Out!
Sign up for our 2023 Dawgs Unleashed events today! We are excited to offer our first ever Dawgs Unleashed Pickleball Tournament. Be sure to register for your running event t-shirt by Friday, Aug. 25. We hope to see you on the course and the court! Click HERE for sign up forms and further details. Please contact Jenna Johnson regarding sponsorship opportunities and contact Elizabeth McDonel with any questions.
Sign Up to Donate
George Walton Academy is proud to sponsor our next blood drive with the American Red Cross on Friday, September 8. GWA faculty, staff and families are encouraged to donate.
Just some food for thought:
• Approximately 29,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U.S.
• A single-car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood.
• Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood and or platelets.
If you are healthy and eligible, please come out to donate. Click HERE for details.
Today's In Focus is proudly sponsored by Reliant Homes (www.relianthomes.com).