In Focus

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Email: info@gwa.com
Website: www.gwa.com
Phone: (678) 635-3800

• ACT & SAT Payment Deadline: Aug. 30 (see below)
• Pre-Game Tailgate: Friday, Aug. 30
• Yearbook Sale Ends: Saturday, Aug. 31 (see below)

• School Holiday: Monday, Sept. 2, Labor Day

• MS/US Club Expos: Sept. 4

• LS Curriculum Night: Sept. 4 (see below)

• Red Cross Blood Drive: Sept. 11

• Homecoming Week: Sept. 30 - Oct. 4

• Homecoming Dance: Saturday, Oct. 5

• Fall Break: Oct. 10 - 14

• LS Teacher Conferences: Oct. 15 (no school for LS only)

Dear GWA Families,

As we kick off the new school year, we invite you to support the Annual Loyalty Fund, which helps GWA close the 7% gap between tuition and our operating budget. This year’s goal is to raise $900,000, and your generosity ensures that GWA continues to provide an exceptional education and community experience for all students. The Annual Loyalty Fund is supported by Corporate Partnerships, individual gifts to the ALF and the unrestricted portion of our annual Lucky Dawg Gala. This year already, we are over one-third of the way to our goal through our Corporate Partnership program!

We are more than a school. At GWA, we are the friends who walk alongside each other, the coaches who inspire greatness on and off the field, and the artists and performers who discover new talents. We are the traditions that bring us together, from the Senior-First Grade Program to the cherished Ice Cream Social. These experiences shape the lives of our students and create memories that last a lifetime.

With your help last year, we raised over $820,000, which funded many projects including new lower school math and reading curriculums, Wi-Fi upgrades, expanded upper school programs and more.

Please consider a one-time donation or recurring pledge to invest in the future of our students. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference! To make a donation, please CLICK HERE.

Thank you for continuing to believe in the mission of George Walton Academy and Go Bulldogs!

Warm regards,

Britton Ryan

Director of Development

Dr. Lee’s Honors Physics and AP Physics classes put their ingenuity to the test during their recent egg drop project. The goal in this lab was to protect an egg in free fall movement by using materials that can absorb the impact upon landing on a hard surface. Students used sponges, bubble wrap, flour, water and other materials to shield the egg. Five groups kept the egg intact in the first trial (inside the classroom) and two groups were successful in the second trial (a drop from the balcony).

On Wednesday, our sixth-grade Spanish students participated in a “tomatoing" of sorts around campus and then enjoyed some of their favorite foods that have tomato in it or on it. This lesson was in conjunction with a small-town festival called La Tomatina in Bunol, Spain where on the last Wednesday in August the town hosts the world’s largest tomato food fight with over two tons of tomatoes and 20,000+ people hurling them at each other on the main square street. We avoided the food fight – but students enjoyed their own version of La Tomatina!

To begin their agriculture units in the Lower School STEM/AG class, students participated in a gallery walk to test their knowledge of agriculture products and artifacts. Students observed items, such as an emu egg, a cow skull and a bald-face hornet nest, from Mrs. Harrison's personal collection noting important details as well as relying on their own experiences to determine what each living or nonliving specimen was. Students could brainstorm together and discuss their ideas before the conclusion of the lesson.

On their second day together, each artifact/specimen was explained in detail including how it was collected. This lesson leads into an agriculture focus as the class will be learning about Georgia grown products including fruits and vegetables, greenhouse plants, floral design, production animals, companion animals, and natural resources.

Our Beyond the Bell afterschool classes begin in September. Click the link above for details and registration. Contact Lisa McDaniel at lmcdaniel@gwa.com with any questions.

We are excited to welcome Flavia (center), our exchange student from Madrid, Spain. Flavia attends an international school in Madrid, where she excels in her studies. Her mother is Spanish, and her father is German, which has helped her become fluent in Spanish, German, and English, and she also knows a little bit of French. At just 15 years old, Flavia is already a global citizen, eager to learn and experience new cultures. She will be with us for two weeks, staying with the Digby family. We hope Flavia enjoys her time here and makes lasting memories!

All high school students are invited to join Ms. Benfield and Dr. Dibble on the Winter Term trip to Peru. They have three spots available and the deadline to sign up is Sept. 18.

Peru Trip Summary:

• LOCATION: Peru, South America
• DATES: 9 days, approximately January 7-15, 2025
• CHAPERONES: Ms. Cara Benfield cbenfield@gwa.com & Dr. Collin Dibble
• COST: $4349
• HIGHLIGHTS: service learning projects and leadership development, visit the UNESCO World Heritage site Machu Picchu, explore traditional arts and culture
• LINK: Click here

Come out tomorrow evening to celebrate our youth sports athletes and to cheer on the varsity Bulldogs as they face Tattnall Square Academy!

Varsity softball won big over The King's Academy with a pair 15-0 victories in Monday's doubleheader, followed by a hard fought 6-4 win against Strong Rock. The team relied heavily on senior Erin Harrelson, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. The team also got some help from Khyler Hannay, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. The Lady Dawgs head to John Milledge Academy this afternoon.

Our middle school softball players and coaches celebrated a win after facing Social Circle on the road this week. Come out next Thursday to cheer on the team when they take on Athens Christian at home at 4:45 p.m.

Our JV and varsity volleyball teams hit the home court to play Tallulah Falls and Newton HS next week! Good luck to all!

The varsity cross country team traveled to Whitesburg on Saturday for the Bob Blastow Early Bird. The boys ran well as a team with Phillip Akin, Hank Snell and Caleb Choe all finishing within 20 seconds of each other. Phillip and Hank ran personal best times, as did Wyatt Akin. Michael Dimmlich ran his season best time.

Azalea Snell and Moneli Shekarbakht took first and third in the girls race, followed by Isabel Choe and Stevie Felton who pushed each other throughout the race. Azalea, Isabel and Emma Wasserman ran personal best times. Congrats, Bulldogs!