In Focus @ GWA
A news bulletin for the families of George Walton Academy
June 30, 2022
Email: info@gwa.com
Website: www.gwa.com
Phone: (678) 635-3800
Facebook: facebook.com/GeorgeWaltonAcademy/
Twitter: @georgewalton
Key Deadlines & Dates
- Summer Office Hours: M-F, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- Campus Closed: July 4 - 8
- Fall Sports Picture Days: July 28, August 1 & 2 (contact coaches for details)
- Gently Used Sale: July 28 & August 8 (see below)
- Open House: August 8
- First Day of School: August 10
- Ice Cream Social: August 18
Funding Future Success
The most important reason to support the Annual Loyalty Fund:
It is a direct investment into our students now and into our future!
Your gift isn’t just for today. Your support not only impacts our students now but lays the foundation for their future success. The last day to make a gift to the Annual Loyalty Fund for reporting purposes is TODAY, June 30. Making your gift is easy!
Methods of giving:
- Click HERE to make a gift online.
- Mail in your gift with the envelope that was enclosed in your mailer.
- Check or credit card gifts are welcome.
- Gifts of stock.
- Utilize matching funds with your employer.
Questions? Contact Jeanie Beach at jbeach@gwa.com or 678-635-3812.
Head of School Search Committee
Sign Up for Summer Fun!
GWA activities don’t stop when the school year ends! Our camps run through July 25. Click HERE for complete details and registration. Please contact Ashley Kirkpatrick with any questions.
Meet Kellye Burkhart
Sixth-grade English teacher Kellye Burkhart will join our middle school faculty this year and we are thrilled to welcome her aboard! She earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and has been teaching for 30+ years. Kellye is excited to become a part of the distinguished GWA tradition, she commented, “I know that George Walton Academy is synonymous with excellence: excellence in academics, excellence in athletics, excellence in character building.” Kellye added, “I love the middle school student, and I cannot wait to get started this fall! Let's go Bulldogs!”
Meet Hannah Marier
GWA is excited to announce the hiring of seventh-grade English teacher Hannah Marier! She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and art history from Emory University. Hannah is looking forward to becoming a part of the GWA family. “GWA students have always impressed me with their intellectual curiosity and competitive nature. I cannot wait to see my students excel both inside the classroom with poetry and novels as well as outside of the classroom in athletic and extracurricular competition. Go Bulldogs!”
Meet Jonathan Lowe
We are happy to extend a big Bulldog welcome to new eighth-grade math teacher Jonathan Lowe! He holds multiple degrees, including a bachelor’s degree in secondary math education from Brewer-Parker College and a master’s degree in secondary math from Piedmont College. Jonathan began his teaching career at George Walton and brings 24 years of teaching to the classroom. He commented, “I am excited to come back and bring my family. I am looking forward to the family atmosphere at GWA and my sons being a part of it!”
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., Monday – Friday in the front office. Please note that campus is closed the week of July 4th. 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 July 28, 8 - 11 a.m., and on August 8 during Open House in the cafeteria. Contact Elizabeth McDonel with any questions.
Thinking About Hosting an Exchange Student?
EF (Education First) High School Exchange Year is a non-profit organization that brings volunteer host families and students from 15 different countries together for a school year. EF was established in 1979 when the U.S. wanted to increase the diplomacy and global awareness between the United States and other countries of the world. They wanted a way for other people around the world to think more favorably of the U.S., make the world a little smaller, and a way to appreciate the various cultures. EF is regulated by the Department of State and is the largest exchange program in the U.S. Over the 40+ years, EF has brought more than 100,000 exchange students to host families around the nation. GWA families hosted three exchange students last year -Lisa from Japan, Alice from Italy, and Ben from Germany. They loved the school, their host families, the new friends they have made, and being a part of the community. READ MORE...
Please see the individual profiles of three EF students wishing to stay with a host family for the entire school year and hopefully, attend GWA. They are all girls and come from Japan, Spain, and Norway. These students would be a great fit for our school and a great fit for a potential host family as well. Click HERE to read their profiles.