In Focus @ GWA
A news bulletin for the families of George Walton Academy
September 14, 2017
Email: info@gwa.com
Website: www.gwa.com
Phone: (770) 267-7578
Facebook: facebook.com/GeorgeWaltonAcademy/
Twitter: @georgewalton
Yearbook Adviser Liz Jones Discusses GWA "Résumé"
I am delighted to be joining the GWA staff as yearbook advisor. Although I am new to this role, I am not new to yearbook staffs. I served on yearbook staffs in middle school, high school and college. I served as the editor-in-chief for both my high school yearbook and the "Pandora" at the University of Georgia. My degree is in Graphic Design through the Lamar Dodd School of Art at UGA.
I am so excited and grateful to join an excellent staff under the advisement of Mr. Brian Cole. We will be working on the 48th volume of the "Résumé" and this year the book is being made available for purchase for students in kindergarten through 11th grade. It will be given to our seniors as a gift. The $75 price point is right on track with other schools in our area and will allow us to continue producing a beautiful, quality book that will serve as a reference book for the year. This year's staff is made up of an amazing group of young women, led by Editor-in-Chief, Ivy Turner, that are already hard at work. Their collective talents as photographers, writers and designers are extremely impressive and they really care about making a book that we can all be proud of.
Since we are selling the book for the first time, they made a decision to allow some of the content to be shared with GWA families. Be sure to follow @gwayrbk on Instagram for yearbook previews throughout the year. There are already some great photos that our staff has taken, including the creation of the art we are using on the cover of the book.
I am dedicated to helping the staff showcase their talents, while trying to include as many students as we can from the K4 level through the 12th grade. Please help me with this mission by sharing your high quality photos through the following link: www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/14485
You can use the same link to order your yearbooks (grades K4 - 11) and to buy a senior page (12th grade only - DEADLINE is October 1st!).
If you have any yearbook questions throughout the year, feel free to reach out to me at ljones@gwa.com or 678-635-3813 (school) or 770-653-1078 (cell). Thank you for making me feel like a part of the GWA community!
Shop and GWA Benefits
There are many things we do in our day-to-day activities that can result in additional funding for George Walton Academy. Following is information on various organizations that will donate funds to GWA when you use their services.
AMAZON SMILE
Go to Smile.Amazon.com when shopping online with Amazon and select George Walton Academy as the charitable organization to receive a rebate from your purchase of qualifying items. You must use the Amazon Smile portal for your online shopping for GWA to benefit from your purchases.
PUBLIX GROCERY CARDS
George Walton receives cash back from your purchases made through Publix. Cards are available in the Development Office for you to pick up for yourself, friends, family and neighbors. Be sure to scan the cards at time of purchase so GWA benefits!
KROGER PLUS GROCERY CARDS
Register your Kroger Plus Card online at krogercommunityrewards.com and select GWA as beneficiary.
OFFICE DEPOT
Shop at Office Depot and use our school ID number 70026297 and GWA will receive 5% from your purchaseBulldog Spirit Bus
GWA Chess Club Starts New Year
Chess Club resumes this Monday, Sept. 18 in Beth Mappes’ fourth grade room. There are only two spaces left in third through fifth grades. Please email Mrs. Mappes at bmappes@gwa.com if you are interested in your child joining. Chess club meets from 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Mondays.
Middle and high school players are welcome to drop in any Monday they can make it! They are welcome to help out the younger players or play chess against others in their age group. We will start a challenge board for middle and high school in October where students are invited to challenge their friends for any afternoon of the week. Let Mrs. Mappes know if you are interested and can’t make it until later in the school year.
Dawgs 360 Membership Drive Ends October 1
The deadline to join Dawgs 360 is October 1. Please see Elizabeth McDonel to sign up. Please email Elizabeth at emcdonel@gwa.com if you have questions.
Picture Retakes Moved To October 17
Picture retakes have been rescheduled for October 17. The arrival of photos from Florida were delayed and some of our families have experienced trouble viewing pictures online. We are working with Cady Studios to remedy these issues in advance of our rescheduled retake day.
Comedian Brett Leake Uses Humor to Inspire Students
When he graduated from college in 1982 with a degree in Economics, Brett Leake couldn’t find a job. Compounded with a diagnosis of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, prospects seemed dim. He went to a comedy club and performed and no one laughed. But the club owner told him he should come back and try again – and he did, igniting a joy and passion that has stayed with him ever since.
Last night Leake delivered a powerful message to our ninth through 12th grade students on how to use humor to deal with things that frustrate or frighten them. He told stories of his struggles and how he used humor to overcome them. He talked about developing the empathy gene and learning how to effectively help someone.
His humorous perspective struck a chord with students. “I loved it when he said, ‘I’m a humorist, which means I’m not very funny,’ ” said senior Jeff Craven. “I can relate to that, because that is how I feel about myself."
Junior Alex Aull said, “I appreciated seeing how he uses humor to look at life’s problems.”
Through humorous stories, Leake told students that their mission is to change the world for the better by tapping into their potential. Importantly he told students to give the top half of themselves to help others, but also to find a daily dose of joy to preserve themselves.
When he became the first comedian with a physical disability to appear on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, he wheeled out on the stage and opened by saying, “I have a slight disability – I have a degree in economics.” Leake is living proof on how to take an obstacle and turn it into a blessing.
Mr. Leake was the first Secio speaker, of what will become an annual fall evening event for high school students. Secio speakers focus on character, community and opportunity.
Building Skills And Making Friends
Students in Beth Moss’ eighth grade Language Arts class volunteered to help with third-grade class centers on Friday. These students helped third graders in computation of addition, subtraction and multiplication. “Activities like this are important,” said Mrs. Moss. “Not only are the older students helping younger students learn important skills, they are also developing friendships and building community on campus.”
Fourth Grade Classifying Plants and Animals
Fourth-grade has been learning about classifying plants and animals in science. The students have been working on concepts such as animal and plant cells and vascular and non-vascular plants. On Friday, they participated in a STEM project where they made cell models followed by an experiment to demonstrate how vascular plants use their tubes.
Cell Phones and Science
In most classes, teachers are asking students to put up their cell phones, but not in John Welsch's physics class. Last week they were told to pull them out and use the slow motion setting on their cell phones as part of a lab to solve the terminal velocity of a falling object.
Wrestling Meeting Rescheduled
The wrestling informational meeting for middle and high school students and parents has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Middle school will meet at 5:30 p.m. and high school will meet at 6:30 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the courtyard. If you have questions, please contact Michael Morris at michael.morris@harpercollins.com.
Swim Meeting Rescheduled
The middle school and varsity swimming informational meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the lower gym. Shuma Sports will be on hand for suit sizing and will provide online ordering instructions. If you have questions, please contact Sheryl Mitchell at smitchell@gwa.com
- K4 dismissal 12 p.m.
- Lower School dismissal 12:30 p.m.
- Middle and High School dismissal 1 p.m.
- Lunch provided for Lower School only
- Buses will run at 1:05 p.m. with no aftercare