In Focus @ GWA
A news bulletin for the families of George Walton Academy
August 4, 2022
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Email: info@gwa.com
Website: www.gwa.com
Phone: (678) 635-3800
Key Deadlines & Dates
- Mandatory Senior College Meeting: Aug. 4 @ 6:30 p.m. (see below)
- Senior Parking Lot Party: Aug. 5
- Gently Used Sale: Aug. 8 (see below)
- Open House: Aug. 8
- Senior BBQ: Aug. 9
- First Day of School: Aug. 10
- MS Mega Relay: Aug.10
- 2022 School Hours: LS 8 a.m. -2:45 p.m, MS/US 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Senior Class Retreat: Aug. 14 - 16
- Ice Cream Social: Aug. 18
- Yearbook Portraits: MS/US - Aug. 23, LS - Aug. 24
- LS Class Group Photos: Aug. 25
Dear GWA Family,
Throughout the summer, we have been busy preparing for the best school year ever at GWA!
Thank you to all our faculty and staff who offered summer camps, worked on campus improvements, installed our new security system, and contributed in so many ways to help us get ready for the new school year.
We are ready to welcome our students back to campus! Our teachers and staff are excited and have been hard at work during our pre-planning sessions this week. I have been impressed by their dedication and enthusiasm as they prepare to educate, engage, and inspire our students. We have added several new outstanding teachers and staff who are eager to meet our students and GWA families. Practices are already underway for several of our fall sports and we look forward to cheering on our Bulldogs at all our athletic events this year!
Our admissions team has been very busy this summer and we will welcome more than 125 new students to campus next week. Please join us in making them feel at home here at GWA.
We hope everyone had a great summer and created many wonderful memories with family and friends. We look forward to seeing everyone back on campus on Monday as we kick off the year with our Open House sessions. It’s going to be a great year at GWA!
Gary Hobbs
Head of School
Getting Ready to Return!
- Choose a session (listed above)
- This is a drop-in event
- Meet teachers and find your classrooms
- Lower School - pick up carpool tag/windshield stickers in the classroom and school calendar in the cafeteria.
- Middle/Upper School - pick up car windshield stickers/school calendar in the Commons.
- Schedules for middle and upper school will be available on RenWeb in the afternoon on Friday, August 5.
- Lower school class lists will be posted in the hallway at Open House.
Go Beyond News
The GWA Board of Trustees is pleased to announce an exciting update on the Go Beyond campaign. Thanks to the generosity of our GWA community, construction will begin this fall on a new gymnasium that will be located next to the Nicholson Center.
Despite the turmoil of the past few years with the pandemic and disruption to supply chains, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to enhance the GWA experience through the best possible use of the funds raised through the Go Beyond campaign. We have already completed the addition of new lights on the lower field and improvements to the future performing arts space (current middle school gym) including a new roof, floor, and storage lockers.
The new gym is our next priority because that project must be completed before we can begin renovations to the current middle school gym to transform it into a performing arts space.
The contractor has indicated there will not be a need to close any of the carpool routes as the construction fence is not expected to encroach on those areas. Permits have been filed and the contractor is currently outlining the construction schedule with plans to break ground this fall.
Thank you again to our GWA families who have given to this campaign and continue to support this effort through donations and pledges. If you would like to learn more about how you can provide support for the Go Beyond campaign which directly benefits the experience of our GWA students, please reach out to our Director of Development Mike Elmankabady at melmankabady@gwa.com or call 678-635-3812.
Security Update
By Brannon Fissette Director of Information Technology
Parent of Edward (1st) and Elisabeth (K5) Fissette
As a parent of two GWA students, security is very close to my heart. Like all parents, I want my kids to be safe when they come to school. That is one reason why I am so proud of what we have done over this summer to increase the overall security of our campus. Thanks to the support of generous families who donated to this project during our annual Gala, we have installed or replaced over 65 new security cameras in strategic locations around campus.
In addition to being a parent, I am also a huge fan of cool tech and I am thrilled to say that we replaced all of our aging equipment with state-of-the-art technology! These cameras are amazing, from 8K cameras with digital zooms that can put the James Webb Telescope to shame (I wish), to others that are aimed perfectly to see points on campus where surveillance was desperately needed. The entire system is built with Artificial Intelligence and ease of use in mind. For example, once setup is complete, we can receive an alert if someone parks in front of the gate that opens to our breezeway. This is important because this area needs to remain clear in the event a fire truck or ambulance needs access.
The security cameras are just phase one of this project. Phase two is now underway and will truly bring our campus security to another level. To control access to our campus and to have the ability to lock down in an emergency, we are installing a new access control system that works seamlessly with our new camera system. Campus doors that are generally used for egress will have a new magnetic lock installed, with badge readers strategically placed at main entrances. We can set timers on the doors to unlock when school starts and lock at the end of the day. In addition to increasing security, this also saves the school money on manpower because we currently need to have one or two employees check the doors each morning and afternoon throughout our 65-acre campus. This new system will send us an alert if a door is left unlocked or propped open - saving time and money.
More importantly, in an emergency, the school can be locked down with the press of a button. Our school resource officer, Joey Holliday, as well as other trained school staff, will be able to use an app on their phone or special codes to initiate a campus lockdown and immediately lock every door. Additionally, to enhance our communication with law enforcement, we have also purchased new land mobile radios (fancy word for walkie talkies). These will allow our staff to reliably communicate over greater distances during an event, drill, or emergency.
Access control does not end at our doors. Currently our gates utilize a pin code for access. While convenient, this code always ends up in the hands of students and other members of our community which puts the campus and our students at risk. Our new system will replace the pin pad with access control badges that our staff, faculty, and coaches can use to open the gates when campus is normally closed to visitors. These badges will also ensure that if any students leave campus for any reason, they will need to return through the front gate and be accounted for.
I am very excited for these security updates to our campus. My kids are safer, your kids are safer, the campus as a whole is safer. With one less worry on our plates, we can further enjoy everything that George Walton Academy does for our children!
Guitars for Sale!
GWA has used guitars that we would like to make available to our families for purchase.
- Yamaha FS800 models with a stand - $100 for the combo.
- Squire student guitars MA-1 models with a case - $75 for the combo.
Available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Contact Jeanie Beach at jbeach@gwa.com to make a purchase.
Mandatory Senior Class Meeting
This year, the College Counseling office is hosting our mandatory Senior College Meeting on Thursday, August 4 at 6:30 p.m. In addition to covering college counseling information, we will also be partnering with the Student Activities Office to discuss the first ever "Senior Retreat." We are trying to be respectful of your time and this way, we don't have to have meeting after meeting to start the school year. If you have a conflict, please let Mr. Terrell & Mrs. Nabors know ASAP.
We ask every senior (and at least one parent) to attend. Our meeting will be in the cafeteria and we hope to wrap it up in one hour. We look forward to seeing everyone there!
Chef Wil White and his Flik Dining team will offer fresh, delicious and nutritious meals for students in K4 - 12th grade. Lunch fees for the new school year are as follows:
- Pre-K $5.25/meal
- Grades K - 5 $5.75/meal
- Grades 6 - 12 $6.25/meal
Cafeteria charges will be run through FACTS incidental billing in real-time. Purchases will automatically be charged to the incidental billing portion of the students’ FACTS account as they are purchased. Payment for cafeteria charges will also be made through FACTS. Questions regarding billing or how to make a payment should be sent to cafeteriabilling@gwa.com.
George Walton Academy offers a quality afterschool program for students in K4 through sixth grade. This program offers a fun and safe environment for students after the normal school day ends. Click HERE to learn more.
Will your student(s) be riding the GWA bus this year? If so, please click HERE to complete the 2022-2023 GWA Bus Contract. For complete information including stops, please go to Resource Documents in ParentsWeb.
Donate, Shop and Save
A friendly reminder from Dawgs 360 - if you are cleaning out GWA uniform items and spirit wear that no longer fit your child, please consider donating them back to the school to help support student life activities with our gently used uniform sale. Feel free to drop off items anytime between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. tomorrow in the front office. We can only accept dress-code items that have our current logos (shown in the photo above).
The gently used sale will be held on August 8 during Open House in the cafeteria. Contact Elizabeth McDonel with any questions.
Stop and Shop!
Please be advised that due to circumstances outside of our control, new apparel orders have been delayed. Ship dates are tentative and are as follows:
- Under Armour Women’s Polos- Aug 10
- Under Armour Youth/Men’s Polos- Aug 30
- Champion, Comfort Wash and Under Armour Youth/Adult T-shirts- Oct 21 & Nov. 8
- Under Armour and Champion Youth/Adult Hoodies and Crewneck Sweatshirts- Nov 8
Thank you for your patience,
Dawg Shop
Meet Erica Webb
A big welcome back goes out to GWA alumna Erica Webb (Class of 2016). She will be returning to George Walton Academy as our new Lower School Counselor. She will also be the new head coach for the middle school volleyball team. Erica graduated from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2020 with degrees in psychology and sociology, as well as a minor in Criminology. “I am really looking forward to being back on campus to help assist and form lasting bonds with the students,” said Erica. “Go Dawgs!”
Meet Wil White
We are thrilled to welcome Chef Wil White to George Walton Academy! He has recently joined the Flik Dining team and he is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta. Wil was born and raised in Georgia with 22 years of experience in the culinary field. He is passionate about his craft, "I live to cook and cook to live!"
Become a Member!
Dawgs 360 supports all aspects – or the full circle – of Bulldog student life. The organization was created to engage the entire school community and benefits the student experience at all grade levels.
A family membership to the organization is $360 (2022-2023 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 both the student and the member chaperone (overnight field trips require additional fee)
*Class parties
*10% discount on all regular-priced apparel at the Dawg Shop
Click HERE for more information and membership form.
Additionally, Dawgs 360 is simply the best way to get involved at GWA! It is the clearinghouse for all volunteer opportunities on campus. It’s a 360 degree turn, a full circle of influence that promotes and celebrates Bulldog school pride. Dawgs 360 dues go directly to funding student life opportunities.
We encourage parents to become involved in our GWA community. Attending events and volunteering are great ways to meet other parents, interact with students and collaborate with GWA faculty. There’s no limit to what we can accomplish when we work together.
Email Elizabeth McDonel, Director of Dawgs 360, at emcdonel@gwa.com if you’re interested in volunteering as part of Dawgs 360 or if you have any questions.
Volleyball is off and running! Our varsity team won all three games yesterday in Macon (vs. Stratford, FPD and Tattnall) and will be at St. Francis in Savannah today for three more games before the season kicks of next week. Way to go, Lady Dawgs!