In Focus @ GWA
A news bulletin for the families of George Walton Academy
February 18, 2021
Email: info@gwa.com
Website: www.gwa.com
Phone: (678) 635-3800
Facebook: facebook.com/GeorgeWaltonAcademy/
Twitter: @georgewalton
Key Deadlines & dates
- Counselor Chat: Feb. 18 (see details below)
- Spring Sports Picture Days: 2/19 & 2/22 (see details below)
- Lucky Dawg Gala/Auction (virtual): Feb. 20 @ 7 p.m. (pre-show @ 6:30 p.m.)
- Clothing Drive Donation Deadline: Feb. 26
- Book Drive Donation Deadline: Feb. 26
- Re-enrollment Contracts Due: March 1
Lights! Camera! Action!
How do you host a beloved social event virtually? Well…you get your auctioneer, your favorite emcee, and staff members and head to the studio. We hope our families will gather in small groups and join us this Saturday by clicking on this link HERE or go to Events at gwa.com to register for bidding and to access the link. While we would rather be together as a group, there are some benefits to a virtual event. For the first time in the history of the gala, anyone can bid on the live auction portion. And this event is not just open to our families, you are welcome to invite friends and neighbors to participate too! All you have to do is be prepared to pick up your items from the school the week of February 22.
Lots of time has been invested into creating some of the best grade projects we have ever had. Long hours have gone into preparing for the studio portion and we look forward to raising funds to benefit every student here at GWA! We want to thank the parents who organized the grade projects and those that have helped secure items for the silent auction. Most of all we want to thank the families and friends who will tune in and join us on Saturday to help continue our tradition raising the funds needed to provide our students with challenging instruction, engaging experiences, and global perspectives designed to inspire lives of intellectual curiosity, integrity, and purpose.
There will be a pre-show starting at 6:30 p.m. and we go live promptly at 7 p.m. See you on the big screen on Saturday!
Sustainable Seating
Mr. Cole’s Sustainable Living class was challenged to make functional chairs from recycled cardboard (left over from a previous school project). Each student designed and assembled a unique chair and were judged on four criteria – function, aesthetics, craftsmanship and level of completion during their presentations. The winners were Charlie Stout and Nicholas Lo (tied for first) and Colt Ratliff in second place.
Prepare to Launch
“We have an opportunity to create the future and decide what’s that like.”
- M.Jemison
Mrs. Bishop is incorporating Black History into her STEM class lessons. Third and fourth graders recently discussed the accomplished life of Dr. Mae Jemison, the first black female space shuttle astronaut. Next they learned about rockets, propulsion and how to record distance using metric measurements – followed up by making and launching their own space shuttles.
Give Them a Hand!
Fifth-grade students in Mrs. Carver’s art class have studied the proportions of the hand and learned to draw them – a difficult task for most artists. Mrs. Carver said, "I am so proud of their perseverance to practice drawing hands as they strengthen their artistic abilities.”
The class also collaborated with Mrs. Gahan’s ASL ll class during the project. Upper school ASL students visited with fifth graders to teach them how to sign the ASL alphabet, colors and more. Mrs. Carver was impressed, “I am exceptionally proud of the ASL ll students for their ability to learn and teach this language.”
The final projects show hands using signs for words of encouragement with colorful backgrounds to reinforce the theme.
Celebrating Black Performers
In drama, students learned about significant moments in black theater history. Going all the way back to 1898 when the first all-black cast show was produced by a major house in NYC, to the recent past in 2016 when, for the first time, all four musical acting categories at the Tony’s were awarded to black performers.
Students have enjoyed watching segments of "The Wiz" and the 1967, Broadway produced and all-black production of Hello, Dolly staring Pearl Bailey - who won a special recognition Tony in 1986 for her performance.
Welcome Coach Beer!
https://www.smore.com/u4j30-staffing-announcement
State Bound Hoopsters
Riding into Region Finals
Photo credit: Elena De La Rosa
Solid Start
Baseball Opener
Spring sports photo schedules are below (please confirm with your coach). Photo order forms should be available from your coach, the athletic office and/or the main front office.
Feb. 19 - TOMORROW!
8-9 a.m.: Soccer - MS girls, MS boys, VG and VB (Football Field by lower school gym)
9:15-10 a.m.: SENIOR banner pictures in the Nicholson Center (ALL spring sports seniors, including soccer, tennis, baseball, lacrosse, golf, track and any senior managers/trainers)
10:15-11 a.m.: Tennis- MS girls, MS boys, VG and VB (Tennis Courts by the cafeteria)
11:30-12:15 a.m.: Baseball- MS and Varsity (Baseball field)
12:30-1:15 p.m.: Varsity Lacrosse – boys and girls
Feb. 22 (location and times TBD)
Track- Youth, MS and HS athletes
March 1 (location and times TBD)
Golf- MS and HS athletes
SENIORS WILL HAVE THEIR BANNER PICTURE TAKEN ON FEB. 19 AT 9:15 IN THE NICHOLSON CENTER.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A UNIFORM, PLEASE WEAR A GEORGE WALTON POLO.
For any questions, please contact Liz Jones or Grace Martin.
Thank You, Walton EMC!
GWA was fortunate this year to receive two grants from the Walton EMC School Empowerment grant. Totaling at $12,811, these grants will strengthen STEM offerings for our students. High School teacher Kellie Watts applied for and received $6,080 to upgrade the high school physics lab equipment. This will allow her to perform hands-on experiments in topics such as optics, kinematics, forces, energy, momentum, electricity and waves. Her teaching philosophy mirrors Benjamin Franklin when he said, “Tell me and I forget, show me and I’ll remember, involve me and I will learn.”
Lower School STEM teacher Janet Bishop applied for and received $6,731 for funds to improve STEM foundations for lower school. Funds from the Walton EMC grant will allow the school to provide a better foundation for our K-2 learners with the purchase of materials to create paper circuits, motorized ArtBots, light up mask projects that use electronics, games and supplies to create a maker showcase. Third through fifth grade students will learn about gears and simple machines with the purchase of several kits that allow for STEM educational creation projects. Funding from this grant will also allow for the addition of several games and kits that will allow students to learn how to problem solve and new microscopes to grow our lower school science program.