In Focus @ GWA

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

• Middle School Drama Show: Today at 4 & 6 p.m.
• Field Day: April 28 (no aftercare, no LS afternoon bus, LS car dismissal 11:00-11:15)
• Youth Football Night: April 28
• Spring Band Concert: May 2, 7 p.m.
• Senior/Faculty Volleyball Game: May 3, 4 p.m.
• Dance Performance: May 4 & 5, 6:30 p.m.
• Teacher Appreciation Week: May 1-5 (see below)
• Seniors' Last Day: May 12

Our Rotary Student and Teacher of the Year received their awards at the Rotary of Monroe luncheon on Tuesday. Congratulations to Tim Pham for his outstanding achievements and to Mrs. Kellie Watts for making a difference in Tim’s life.

Our ninth-grade Biology students gave a "lunch and learn" presentation to the third graders about habitats and niche in ecology. They began by defining habitat as the natural environment where an organism lives, including the physical, biological, and environmental factors that make up the ecosystem.

The ninth graders used several examples to illustrate the concepts of habitat and niche, such as the relationship between bees and flowers, and how different bird species occupy different niches in a forest ecosystem. They also emphasized the importance of understanding habitats and niche in maintaining biodiversity and preserving natural ecosystems.

Throughout the presentation, the third-grade students were engaged and asked questions, demonstrating their interest and understanding of the concepts. Overall, the presentation was a great learning opportunity for both groups of students.

As a culminating field trip for their unit on animal classification, the fifth grade traveled to Callaway Gardens. The day began with a self-guided tour through the Butterfly Gardens where they experienced around 1500 tropical butterflies in their habitat. At the Garden’s Discovery and Educational Center, they participated in a program called Skin, Scales, and Turtle Shells. In this class they learned the characteristics of warm and cold-blooded animals. They also were able to learn about adaptations for survival of raptors in the Birds of Prey demonstration. They ended the day with a picnic lunch and playground time at the Mega Bugs exhibit. It was a beautiful day and a great way to learn about the nature that surrounds us!

Miss Shupe’s class emphasizes inclusivity and a knowledge of the diverse cultures that are a part of their classroom. The Gul family graciously accepted an invitation to come in and share a little bit about their culture with students. Mr. Gul read a story about the celebration of Eid around the world and talked about the family traditions of Muslims and activities during the holy month of Ramadan, including prayer, family gatherings and charity. The class had the opportunity to try kheer (a dessert made with rice, milk, and sugar) and get a temporary henna tattoo in the design of their choice. Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Gul for sharing with Miss Shupe’s second-grade students.

Lower school supply lists are available now. Go to gwa.com (Lower School page) or click HERE for the links to grade level supply lists/order forms. Supplies may be purchased through the Dawg Shop (using the form) through June 8 or you may use the list to purchase on your own.

Our GWA Band (sixth -twelfth grade) will perform their annual Band Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 2 in the Nicholson Center at 7 p.m. The concert is free and all family, friends, faculty and staff are welcome. Come out and see our talented students rock! Our fifth-grade Bullpup Band will have a separate concert on May 17 at 8:45 a.m.

The Dance Department will be performing their spring showcase, Footloose, on May 4 and 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the lower school gym. There will also be a school showing on Thursday, May 4 at 9:30 a.m. All classes are invited to attend.

The show is a celebration of some of our favorite movie musicals including (but not limited to) High School Musical, Teen Beach Movie and, of course, Footloose! The show features jazz, lyrical, hip-hop and musical theatre dance and is mostly student choreographed. Our competition team will also be performing their competition pieces and our Beyond the Bell dancers will be showing their stuff as well! Admission is FREE. Hope to see you there!

Congratulations to Kristie McDevitt, our GWA Theatre group, and our Fine Arts Department on a spectacular show! The performances of *Little Shop of Horrors and the set were outstanding. The musical was sold out both nights and they received rave reviews.

*Little Shop of Horrors - book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken. Based on the film by Roger Corman, screenplay by Charles Griffith. Originally produced by the WPA Theatre (Kyle Renick, Producing Director). Originally produced at the Orpheum Theatre, New York City by the WPA Theatre, David Geffen, Cameron Mackintosh, and the Shubert Organization.

The girls varsity soccer team defeated BCA 6-0 to finish their season 11-3-1, crowning them Region champions for the first time in program history. The girls will host their first round playoff game next week on either May 1 or 2 with the opponent to be determined. Way to go, Lady Dawgs!

Good luck to Taylor Jesel and Hailey Wudtke as they head to the IEA National Finals this weekend at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in NC. They will be representing Zone Four in their respective individual divisions.

The boys golf team capped off the 2023 season with a trip to the State Championship tournament on Monday at Glen Arven Country Club in Thomasville. The team finished with a team total of 334 on this very challenging course. The boys were led by:

Graham Hill - 79

Ben Ellerbee - 84

Matthew Herren - 85

Alex Zahradnik - 86

Reed Lawrence- 90

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week is May 1 - 5. We have planned a fun week for VIP teachers and staff! Click HERE for details. Help us show gratitude to those who are the stars in our students' eyes. We are in need of in kind gifts and a few more breakfast and dessert items. Signing up is easy - just click HERE.

Today's In Focus is proudly sponsored by Briscoe Air. Interested in advertising through our Corporate Partnership program? Contact Mike Elmankabady melmankabady@gwa.com or call 678-635-3812.