In Focus

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

• Gently Used Sale: Aug. 8, 9, 12 (see below)

• New Student Orientation: Aug. 11

• 6th Grade Orientation: Aug. 11

• Senior Retreat: Aug. 12 -14

• First Day of School: Wednesday, Aug. 14

• Daily Morning Carpool: 7:30 - 8 a.m.

• LS School Day: 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• MS/HS School Day: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

• Middle School Mega Relay: Aug. 14

• Ice Cream Social: Aug. 15

• Spirit Wear Day: Aug. 16

• Fall Sports Photo Day: Aug. 20 (youth, band, makeup day)

• Mandatory Senior Class Meeting: Aug. 21

• Yearbook Pictures: Aug. 28

• 9th Grade Retreat: Aug. 28-29

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

CLICK HERE for GWA calendar events

CLICK HERE for current 24-25 Important Dates

Dear GWA Family,

Greetings from Kawonka Lane and One Bulldog Drive! The buzz on campus is back! Our returning faculty are here and we have welcomed twenty talented new teachers and staff to the Bulldog Family. They are an impressive group of educators and are eager to embrace our traditions and culture. Let’s get started!

Campus Improvements

Maintenance Director Todd Shelnutt and his maintenance crew have been busy all summer! You will see marked improvements to campus, from repaved driveways and parking lots to remodeled bathrooms and concessions. What the naked eye cannot see is the herculean effort by our IT Department to enhance Wi-Fi access across all classrooms and corridors. All of this is only possible through patron support of the Elevate the Campus infrastructure initiative that was part of the 2024 Lucky Dawg Gala. We are immensely grateful for our benefactors.

Program Enhancements

The list of programmatic and curricular improvements this school year in every division is too long to detail. Suffice it to say I have confidence in our teachers to deliver on these exciting new plans. The return of our Writing Center and the new LS math curriculum come readily to mind. The new athletic boosters club – the Champions Club – has already made an impact (e.g. softball field improvements) and will host Friday night pre-game tailgates that are not to be missed! Bring the whole family and be part of Bulldog Nation. Lastly, we have increased staffing in the PARC and added full-time teaching assistants in the first and second grades.

Academic Integrity & Attendance

An initiative we began last year, raising the bar for students on academic integrity and attendance will accelerate, especially in the Middle and Upper School. We value classroom instruction and expect your children to be in class on time. The challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) require us to support and mentor students, so they grow to understand this is a technology tool to support their learning, not an unethical short cut to avoid critical thinking, writing and hard work. Please read the 24-25 parent and student handbook carefully, in particular those highlighted sections that have been updated.

As I begin only my second year, I still have much to learn about GWA. But I have a far greater appreciation for the richness of the traditions, the kindness woven throughout our DNA, and the commitment to academic excellence and character development. We are preparing our young people for lives of purpose and service.

Best wishes to your children and family for a successful school year.

We are excited to welcome everyone back to campus on Monday, August 12 for our back-to-school Open House. Here are some details:

• Lower School session will be a drop in event, no sign-up required
• MS/US session will begin promptly at 9 a.m. and will follow a bell schedule, no sign-up required
• Meet teachers and find your classrooms
• Lower School - pick up school calendar/planner, car windshield stickers, and magnet in the cafeteria. Assigned carpool tags will be distributed to classrooms.
• Middle/Upper School - pick up school calendar/planner, car windshield stickers, and magnet in the cafeteria.
• Schedules for middle and upper school will be available on RenWeb prior to Open House
• Lower school class lists will be posted in the hallway at Open House

Please join us in welcoming our new faculty and staff members to GWA! We are energized and focused as the start of school quickly approaches. Here’s to a fantastic year for all! Go Bulldogs!

Rachel Bettress - K3 Aide

Ansley Boyett - 1st Grade Teacher

Betsy Carter - 1st Grade Assistant

Jennifer Deckard - 8th Grade Science

William Dunn - HS Math/Science

Sharon Ferrell - K5 Aide

Mary Franklin - 5th Grade Teacher

Kimberly Fulmer - 4th/5th Science

Meg Garrett-Fils - MS English

Bethany Hanks - Testing Coordinator

Yvette Harrison - LS STEM

Chung Lee - HS Math

Macy Lee - 2nd Grade Assistant

Tracey Propes - K5 Aide

Patti Reynolds - K4 Teacher

Gina Rudder - Bus Driver

Jessica Smith - 3rd Grade Teacher

Gideon Teklu - Director of IT

Jill Weaver - 5th Grade Teacher

Melissa Zabarac - K4 Aide

GWA is incredibly excited to welcome everyone back to campus for another great year! As we are getting ready for the year, we want to make sure that we have all the best information to serve our students. We are working on transitioning to Magnus for our more sensitive records such as medical documents and clinic communications. These documents need to be completed ASAP as we have passed the August 1 deadline and sports/band are already in swing. We realize this has been a tricky transition, but we are here to work with you and support you as you are figuring out how to complete these document requirements. If your student has any allergies, it is imperative that you submit their information before the start of school so that the appropriate personnel can be notified and have a plan in place.

To upload your information, please follow the step by step instructions listed in the email sent in July or use the Magnus App. It is available to use right from your phone and should help to solve any uploading issues. Amber Thomason in counseling will be available in the cafeteria during Open House to help with any Magnus questions. Please stop by if you need support in uploading these documents. You can also reach out to athomason@gwa.com.

We can't wait for the Middle School Mega Relay, which marks the commencement of the new academic year! This day promises a series of enjoyable team-building activities. No school supplies will be necessary for this event, as the focus will be on fostering camaraderie and collaboration.

On this day, students are expected to report directly to their designated study hall classrooms, unless otherwise instructed. To ensure comfort during the activities, appropriate fingertip length athletic shorts and tees are encouraged.

To add a splash of color and foster a sense of unity, we kindly request each grade to wear a specific color shirt:

• 6th grade - gray
• 7th grade - red
• 8th grade - black

As hydration is crucial, we advise all students to bring their water bottles. Fear not, as we have lunch arrangements covered. A delicious meal consisting of hotdogs, chips, and a refreshing drink will be provided for everyone. However, if any students have specific dietary preferences or wish to bring their own lunch, they are more than welcome to do so.

To facilitate the planning process and make this day truly exceptional, we kindly request that you complete this form to indicate your lunch preference.

Shop for back-to-school bargains (uniform items/spirit wear) at the GWA Student Life sponsored Gently Used Sale! The sale will be held in The George and runs Aug. 8 (5-8 p.m.), Aug. 9 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) and Aug. 12 (9-11 a.m.) Cash, card and check will be accepted.

The remaining fall sports photo day will be Tuesday, Aug. 20. This session will include youth sports, and band and serve as the makeup day for those middle/upper school athletes who missed the first photo day. CLICK HERE to access the schedule. Please refer to your email from Elizabeth Jones that was sent earlier this week for more details.

Dear GWA Families,

We are thrilled to announce the creation of George Walton Academy's official Athletic Booster Club, The Champions Club. This will replace all things Dawgs 360, which is going away this year. This dynamic, parent-led organization is dedicated to nurturing our student-athletes and fostering engagement and philanthropic support for all our athletic programs.

Similar to a Dawgs 360 Family Membership that included an all-season pass to GWA home athletic events, The Champions Club will now provide these benefits, and membership will be offered at three levels. All Champions Club memberships will include a digital all-season home-athletic-events pass (for all regular season events) through GoFan. Members will also receive two Champions Club 2024-25 car decals. Golden Bulldog Members will receive (1) Golden Bulldog car decal and the exclusive Golden Bulldog Seat Back located on the 50-yard line at Don Williams Stadium & Keith Henderson Field and at home basketball games.

Membership Levels:

Young Alumni (under 24 years old) & Grandparents: $100

Bulldog Family Membership: $300

Golden Bulldog Membership: $1,000

CLICK HERE to join!

The Champions Club will also take over all Dawgs Unleashed events from prior years. For the 2024-2025 School Year, the Club will host our annual golf tournament, pickleball tournament, and new to the line-up this year, a cornhole tournament! More information on these events and sponsorship opportunities will be coming this fall. Stay tuned!

The Champions Club will host pregame tailgates from 6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. before all home football games this fall and additional sports throughout the school year. Tailgates will feature food and drink, bounce houses, a DJ, and much more. We invite all our families to bring their lawn chairs, cornhole boards, and enthusiasm as we cheer on the Bulldogs! These events are open to all families, not just season ticket holders, so please come and join the fun!

We are very excited about The Champions Club and all it will do to support our growing athletic program! If you have questions about memberships, please contact championsclub@gwa.com.

Go Bulldogs!

The Champions Club, GWA’s Athletic Booster Club

Come out this evening to cheer on our volleyball teams on the home courts! GWA will face Gatewwod and Social Circle in their first home tournament. The varsity team will play at 5 and 7 p.m. in The George and middle school and JV will play in the Nicholson Center at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively. Let's go Lady Dawgs!

Our varsity football team will travel to Providence Christian Academy tomorrow for a scrimmage starting at 7:30 p.m. and host their first game of the season on Friday, Aug. 16. Get ready for GWA Friday Night Lights!

Softball season is here! Don't miss your chance to support our varsity players this Saturday at home. Good luck, Lady Dawgs!

Lower School Summer Work

Lower Supply Pack Info

Middle School Summer Work and Supply Lists

Upper School Summer Work

Upper School Supply Lists

Students in K5-fifth grade will all need an Art Shirt for art class! Go ahead and find an old, big t-shirt that your student can use to cover their uniform (preferably long enough to cover skirts/shorts too) so when we get messy we don't ruin any clothes! We WILL be getting messy! **If your student is returning and going into third or fifth grade, they may have left last year's shirt here, so you only need to bring a new one if last years will be too small.**

This summer a group of GWA students traveled to Italy to explore the country’s rich culture, traditions and history. They visited famous Italian landmarks like the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, and the Trevi Fountain. GWA tenth grader Phillip Akin commented, “We traveled throughout Italy for nine days, fully immersed in Italian culture. We went to famous cities such as Venice, Florence, and Rome, while also stopping along the way to visit Verona, the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Pisa, famous for its leaning tower.”