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

March 14, 2024
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Email: info@gwa.com
Website: www.gwa.com
Phone: (678) 635-3800
Key Deadlines & Dates
- Scholastic Book Fair: March 14-22
- LS Grandparents Day: March 15 (LS dismissal 11-11:15 a.m./no aftercare/no bus service)
- Jr./Sr. Prom: March 15 (no school for grades 9-12)
- Summer Camps Registration: open now, go to gwa.com to register
- School Holiday: March 29 (Good Friday)
- Spring Break: April 1-5
Welcome Grandparents and Special Friends!
The Legacy of Grandparents
Tomorrow we celebrate our Lower School grandparents with a special musical program in the Nicholson Center at 9 a.m.! Since 1969, George Walton Academy has long been a unique family school and an extended one that spans generations. As we all know, the senior statesmen in a family hold a place of great honor and distinction. Our GWA grandparents bring a wealth of life experiences, stories, and knowledge to our school, providing invaluable perspective on its history, culture, relationships, and traditions. Their stories are a living history lesson, offering young people and their teachers a deeper understanding of the world beyond the classroom.
Along with loads of young musical voices, GWA alumnus and successful businessman John Hearn will deliver our keynote message at tomorrow's program. His father - George Hearn - was a driver in the founding of our great school.
Tomorrow is a very special occasion! I look forward to celebrating grandparents at GWA – please plan to join us!
John D. Marshall
Head of School
Bustling Market
Over the past several weeks, our third-grade students have been immersed in learning about the fundamental principles of economics. Throughout this unit, students have explored various concepts, including the production of goods, the provision of services, and the importance of making thoughtful choices about spending and saving. They have engaged in discussions, activities, and hands-on learning experiences to deepen their understanding of these concepts.
One of the highlights of our economics unit was Market Day, which provided students with a practical application of the skills and concepts they had been learning. Each student had the opportunity to set up their own "store," offering either a good or a service for their classmates to purchase. This activity required students to make decisions about what to offer, how to price their items, and how to market their store to attract customers.
Market Day is not only a fun and interactive experience for the students but also a valuable learning opportunity. It allowed students to apply their knowledge in a real-world context and develop important skills such as decision-making, critical thinking, and collaboration.
We are proud of the effort and creativity that our students displayed during Market Day, and we are confident that the lessons they learned will stay with them for years to come.
Light Up the Room
Fifth-grade students in Mrs. Tamasi’s class have been learning about paper circuits. They applied their knowledge by building a cardboard house, following the guidelines, and installing paper circuits to light up each room. This project implemented all the components of STEM and the students took pride in their final product.
Interpreting Via Video Screen
Our ASL 3 and 4 classes, as a part of their Intro to Interpreting unit, set up a video relay simulation. Using our Google classroom’s video link and students’ phones, they set up a VRS call center in Mrs. Gahan’s classroom.
The class then divided up into groups of three, a “Deaf client," a “hearing client," and a VRS interpreter. The Deaf client had to come up with a scenario for why they were making the call, for example, “I’m calling my dentist office to change my appointment from Monday to next week” then they used the video link to the interpreter to place the call to the hearing client. The groups rotated each role, and everyone got a chance to experience what is was like to be a VRS interpreter.
Raising Paddles and Money for GWA
This year’s Lucky Dawg Gala and Benefit Auction was one for the record books! The event raised $315,000 for GWA students! Thank you to all who contributed their efforts, time, and treasure to raise funds for our students. Click HERE for details and photo gallery.
Star Power
Mr. and Mrs. Smith will be Dancing with the Stars for Project Renewal on March 23. Project ReNeWal is a domestic violence intervention program changing lives in Rockdale, Newton, and Walton Counties. Voting takes place online, votes are $1 and you can vote as many times as you wish. Please click the link below to vote (for Mr. & Mrs. Smith!), make a donation to Project ReNeWal or purchase a ticket. The event will be held on March 23 at 7 p.m. at Walnut Grove High School.
Until We Meet Again
This week, we said "a la prochaine fois" to our exchange students from France. Six students from Saint-Denis International School lived with their GWA exchange families and attended our school for one month to experience life as an American student and to explore Georgia as well as places of interest out of state. We are grateful for our partner schools like Saint-Denis and look forward to more cultural exchange opportunities. Lina, Honoré, Caroline, Louise, Victoire, and Axel shared a few words about their time in the U.S.
"I had the chance to study one month at George Walton Academy. GWA is very different from our school Saint Denis in France! I really enjoyed every class, all the teachers were very nice and I love the fact that the sport is part of the school. Everybody was very welcoming and I had a great time there! Thank you to Mme Gervais who took care of us and organized activities to help us discover more about the US! Thank you so much for everything, hope to see you next year!"- Caroline
“This month spent in the George Walton Academy was a great discovery for me. Throughout this trip, I enjoyed every present moment and was delighted to invest in this American system which is, for me, one of the best. I thank again and again Mrs. Gervais who accompanied us throughout this fabulous trip, all the teachers and students who accepted us within this academy. I hope to come back to it one day and it will remain engraved forever in my memory and in my heart.” - Axel
Click HERE to read more.
Athletic Director of the Year
Congratulations to our Top Dawg in Athletics - GWA Athletic Director Mark Whitley, for being named GIAA Class-AAAA Athletic Director of the Year by the Georgia Athletic Directors Association!
Lax Bulldogs Stand at 6-0!
The GWA varsity boys' lacrosse team defeated 11th ranked River Ridge HS 11-10 last Friday at home! Excellent team effort!
- AJ Dillard 3 goals / 3 assists
- William Ferguson 2 goals
- Tiedrell Ansley 2 goals
- Emmett Kirkpatrick 1 goal / 1 assist
- River Morrow 1 goal / 1 assist
- Tyler Mendenhall 2 assists
- Ayden Concepcion 1 goal
- Mason Kirkpatrick 1 goal
- Steph Love 1 assist
Youth Cheer Registration is OPEN!
The 2024 Cheer Season is right around the corner, and registration for youth cheerleading is now open! The GWA Youth Cheer Program is open to students in grades K5 - 6th. A mandatory meeting and fitting will be held on Tuesday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. The cost to participate is $75, which will be billed through RenWeb. The additional mandatory uniform items will be paid to Varsity Spirit Apparel Company at the fitting on March 26.
Please register your child here:
K5 - 2nd Grade Cheer Registration
3rd & 4th Grade Cheer Registration
5th & 6th Grade Cheer Registration
Please reach out to Head Coach Michele Bowen at michelebowen85@yahoo.com with any questions.
Get Your Tickets Now!
The GWA theatre department has been hard at work on Clue! Clue will be performed March 22 and 23 at 6 p.m. in the auditorium. Admission is free. You won't want to miss this play, based on the movie, based on the board game. Join us for an old fashioned "whodunit." For tickets contact Ms. Bekah directly at rwesley@gwa.com with what day you want to attend and how many tickets you need.
Today's In Focus is proudly sponsored by Andersson Supply (https://anderssonsupply.net/).