In Focus

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

• Early Dismissal for K3-K5 ONLY: Sept. 17 (see email)

• Deadline to order HOCO shirt: Midnight tonight (link below)

• Picture Make-Up Day: Sept. 26

• Homecoming Week: Sept. 30 - Oct. 4

• Early Dismissal/No Aftercare: Friday, Oct. 4

• Homecoming Dance: Saturday, Oct. 5

• Fall Break: Oct. 10 - 14

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

During our Monday morning huddles, all middle and high school students (and their advisors), looking dapper in their Professional Dress Day attire, learned about the George Walton Academy Honor Code, and each signed their names by grade level to symbolize their commitment to uphold the Honor Code and demonstrate integrity.

Mrs. Deckard's eigth-grade science students were challenged with bringing lab safety to life by creating Play-Doh models of the various safety rules and procedures they reviewed in class. Afterwards, students competed in a scavenger hunt to match the safety rule with the correct Play-Doh creation model.

GWA kindergarten through second-grade students enjoyed a recent authors' visit in The Learning Center. Authors Brad and Kristi Montague have started a movement for kids and adults alike to celebrate the way failing means you tried and learned something. Failing doesn’t have to be bad! It's just part of the process of learning to do something better. Brad and Kristi want to help create a more compassionate world for kids of all ages. So, if you missed the goal during that soccer game or burned the cookies, put on a party hat, join the fail-a-bration, and let it light the way to your future success!

Congratulations to eighth graders Chloe Bettner and Evelyn Smith, sophomores Phillip Akin and Peyton Wilson, and junior Journey Allen for being George Walton’s nominees to participate in a national writing competition sponsored by the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) for gifted writers. Chloe and Evelyn are competing in the Promising Young Writers competition while Journey, Phillip, and Peyton will compete for the Achievement Awards in Writing.

Each competition involves writing for a specific prompt and working through the process with Mrs. Page in The Writing Center first semester. Their work will be submitted to compete nationally in February. We wish these students the best as they work through this process!

Pictured (left to right): Peyton Wilson, Phillip Akin, Journey Allen, Mrs. Page, Evelyn Smith and Chloe Bettner.

Writing Center Scholarship Opportunities - Click HERE for details.

Last Friday, students, faculty and staff wore blue (an Apalachee High School color) in support of those impacted by the tragedy that occurred on the Apalachee campus on Sept. 4. The photo above was taken for the Apalachee High School yearbook staff as they struggle with a way to cover this event in their school annual.

We continue to hold those affected close in our hearts and pray for healing in their community. During our middle and high school advisory sessions, students had the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings about the incident as they look for ways to support the Apalachee family.

If you would like to donate to the Barrow Community Foundation crisis fund, please click HERE. Contributions to the fund will be dedicated to the recovery of the families, students, and staff affected by this heartbreaking event through June 30, 2025.

A big Bulldog “thank you” to all who participated in our recent Red Cross Blood Drive. Thanks to your overwhelming support, we not only met our goal but far exceeded our expectations. This is a testament to the incredible spirit of giving and community engagement that defines George Walton Academy.

George Walton Academy is so much more than a school—it's a community, a family, and a place where lifelong memories are made. This year, we need your help to close the gap and continue providing the exceptional experiences that make GWA special! Your support of the Annual Loyalty Fund allows us to keep growing and thriving together. Click HERE to make your gift today! Every gift, no matter the size, helps make a difference.

You can decide how your tax dollars are spent! Redirecting a portion of your taxes to our school through GOAL allows us to provide tuition assistance for exceptional students. Take advantage of this win-win opportunity for 2025 at goalscholarship.org.

Greetings!

I am so happy to officially be a part of the George Walton Academy staff. I have always been passionate about loving and caring for people, especially children, well. I cannot fully express my gratitude for the opportunity to be able to do what I love alongside such an amazing group of people.

I am a native of Augusta, Georgia where I graduated from John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences. I also hold a Masters of Arts in Human Services, specializing in Marriage and Family Counseling.

I look forward to not only working as a permanent substitute at GWA, but also as a counseling intern. In this new role, I will work under the leadership of Amber Thomason to provide counseling services to the GWA student body.

In my free time, I love baking, cooking, reading, giving back to my community as a Grayson High School NG3 softball community mentor, and of course cheering on my favorite softball coach and player, James and Kaidyn Bailey.

One of the most remarkable gems of GWA is its traditions. From ice cream socials to fire truck field days, I look forward to experiencing them all with you!

Let’s Go Dawgs!

Sheonta Bailey

Counseling is always here to help support your student if you have an illness or injury that requires a little more help to get back on track. If you have a student who has an injury that needs extra time to make up work because of absences, please use this form to notify us of your needs. Please make sure to add your doctor note with it because we use those recommendations to help your student be more successful as they heal and get back into the swing of things. Please contact athomason@gwa.com if you have any questions. Thank you for partnering with us!

Click HERE for the Medical Accommodation Request form or find it under Resource Documents in ParentsWeb.

Director of College Counseling Mr. Terrell, encourages all upper school students check out the list of upcoming college rep. campus visits and to take advantage of these opportunities to engage and learn directly from knowledgeable professionals when they pay a visit to GWA.

We are introducing our first FALL book fair! To ensure smooth checkout - be sure to set up your student's eWallet! It works just like an online gift card. You can start shopping online starting September 20- October 3. Visit this link for more information! To volunteer during the book fair, please click here.

Mark your calendar for our upcoming athletic events on the field, on the trail and on the court! Good luck to all of our Bulldog competitors!