In Focus @ GWA
A news bulletin for the families of George Walton Academy
February 10, 2022
Email: info@gwa.com
Website: www.gwa.com
Phone: (678) 635-3800
Facebook: facebook.com/GeorgeWaltonAcademy/
Twitter: @georgewalton
Key Deadlines & Dates
- Region Basketball Tournament: Feb. 11 & 12 (see below)
- Spring Sports Photos: Feb. 17 (see below)
- Winter Break: Feb. 18 - 21
- Lucky Dawg Gala and Benefit Auction: Feb. 26
Tasteful Design
Students in Mrs. Jones’ Graphic Design class are using their design skills to create unique restaurant concepts like the Hang 10 Beach Bar, Cuddle Cat Café and Chad’s Diner. After choosing a name for their business, they designed the logo, made a menu, and developed overall branding for the restaurant. They put together slide presentations for the class and shared their plans for the business and all aspects of the dining experience. To take the project one step further, they filmed a commercial for one of the restaurants (voted on and selected by the class). Students wrote a script and planned out production details including costumes and props. They filmed on a green screen and used equipment in the Mac Lab to create the video. The class is continuing to edit the footage and add graphics to give their work a finishing touch.
Top Spellers
All About the Olympics
GWA Hoops Update
Bringing Home the Hardware
Our Swim Dawgs wrapped up an exciting season at the GHSA Swimming & Diving State Championship with eight team members competing in finals among nearly 100 schools. Medal winners include:
- Charlie Stout – 2nd 200 IM and 2nd 100 Breaststroke
- Baylor Lingner, Timothy Pham, Jake Stout, Charlie Stout -2nd 200 Medley Relay (and 4th 200 Free Relay)
The girls' relay team - Emma Dopp, McKenna Rutledge, MK Dopp, and Sarah Digby, swam hard in the 200 Medley Relay and Free Relay, placing in the top 15 for both events. Jake Stout dropped his time in the 200 Free to earn fifth place.
Congrats to all of our GWA swimmers, Coach Doretta Power and Coach Mandy Stout on an impressive season!
Spring Sports Photo Dates
The final round of spring sports photos will be next week on Thursday, Feb. 17 for lacrosse (youth, middle school, upper school), soccer (middle school and varsity), and golf. The schedule is as follows:
9:25 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. – Golf (green screen)
2 p.m. – Soccer (MS girls)
2:30 p.m. – Soccer (MS boys)
3 p.m. – Soccer (varsity girls)
3:30 p.m. – Soccer (varsity boys)
4 p.m. – Lacrosse (HS girls)
4:30 p.m. – Lacrosse (Lightning boys and girls)
5 p.m. – Lacrosse (Bantam)
5:30 p.m. – Lacrosse (MS – 2 teams)
6 p.m. – Lacrosse (HS boys)
Photo order forms are available in the front office and may be found on ParentsWeb under Resource Documents. Please contact coaches for further details.
It's an Honor
Pictured above (left to right): Isaac Osei, Cale Fuller, Alex Garren, Jet Hammond, Gibson Brady, Kade Franklin, Maddie Garrett, Mrs. Castro, Wendy Menard.
Joyful Art
Shining Stars!
On Stage Playhouse of Monroe is about to open The Drowsy Chaperone - winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Original Score, The Drowsy Chaperone is a loving send-up of the Jazz Age musical, featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another.
GWA shines in this production – featuring:
• Paula Gerhardt – teacher
• Daniel Hodges – Class of ‘11
• Graham Fenn – Class of ‘19
• Russell Pope Jr. – Class of ’20
• Elizabeth Pope – Class of ‘22
• Alex Hutchison – Class of ’22 (performing 2nd and 3rd weekends)
• Jack Boyer – Class of ’23
It is a fun, energetic show - come check it out!
Last Chance
Only a handful of tickets remain. Don't miss out on your chance to attend an evening when parents and community friends come together to raise funds to enrich our student programs. Ticket sales will close on February 13. Click HERE to make your ticket purchase today.
Going Live!
The annual gala and auction event is rapidly approaching, and we can’t wait for the bidding to begin! A fabulous selection of silent auction items are set to go live on Monday, Feb. 14 at 8 a.m. Be sure to scroll through the items and consider making a bid in support of GWA students. Click HERE to bid.
Making a Difference
Visit Colleges This Summer!
The College Counseling Office is hoping to start the annual College Tour! As we begin planning, it is important for us to know how many students are interested. Any rising sophomore, junior, or senior may sign up with precedence given to rising juniors and seniors.
Please note the following:
- We will go to North & South Carolina colleges and universities June 5 -10 (Sunday - Friday).
- We plan to visit or tour at least ten different institutions.
- We will do a joint trip with The Brookstone School, Columbus, GA, to keep costs as low as possible.
- We estimate the cost to be between $650 - $850, depending on the number of students, which includes bus, hotel, daily breakfasts, some lunches, and some dinners.
A deposit of $400 will be required by March 15, 2022. More information will be forthcoming, but for now we really just need to know how many students are interested. Talk with your student and see if this is an opportunity he/she would like to attend.
If you are interested in joining us or have any questions, please contact Mrs. Nabors at lnabors@gwa.com.
Learning Together
Did you know that Black History Month was established in 1926? Learning is fun, inspiring, and encouraging when parents get involved. Click HERE to help your student to learn more about Black History Month.
T-shirts on Sale Now!
Meet April Staples
April is originally from Lilburn, Georgia, and has lived in Monroe for 13 years. She is in her fifth year as a kindergarten aide and served as a substitute in lower school in the seven years prior to that. April studied nursing at Gwinnett Technical College and worked in pediatrics for 10 years. She and her husband have two children – Andrew (12th grade) and Morgan (9th grade) and both attend GWA. April loves to play tennis, spend time at the lake with family and watch her kids play sports. She has recent additions to her family – adopted dogs Marley and Bentley.