In Focus

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

• Early Dismissal for All Grades: TOMORROW

• School Holiday: Jan. 20 (MLK Jr. Day)

• Start of Spring Semester for Upper School: Jan. 21

• Open House: Feb. 2

• Spring Sports Photo Day: Feb. 13

• Winter Break: Feb. 14-17

• School Holiday (Rutledge Day): Feb. 18

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE GWA WEBSITE CALENDAR

George Walton Academy will be closed on Monday, Jan. 20, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as we remember and reflect on Dr. King's legacy and teachings.

Upper school students participating in Winter Term learning experiences had the opportunity to visit one of three colleges on Monday, Jan. 13 and get a first-hand look at college life. The colleges provided information sessions and campus tours and students enjoyed lunch in campus dining halls.

With approximately 30 students in each of the three groups - students accompanied Mr. Terrell to Clemson University (Clemson, SC), were led by Mrs. Rainford at Georgia College and State University (Milledgeville), and traveled with Mr. Reynolds to Oglethorpe University (Brookhaven).

The students and teachers also had the chance to catch up with a few GWA Alumni - including Trey Kirkpatrick '23 (Clemson) and Will Bailey '21 and Baylor Lingner '24 at Georgia College!

During the Winter Term "Atlanta Experience," students visited the Atlanta History Center to learn about the history of Atlanta, particularly its role in the Civil War. The Atlanta History Center has the biggest collection of Civil War artifacts in the nation, as well as an awe-inspiring 50 foot tall, 370 foot long, hand-painted cyclorama of the Battle of Atlanta. After the History Center, students traveled into the heart of the city to visit Ponce City Market, a massive former Sears warehouse and factory that served as an extension of Atlanta City Hall until it was converted to a market with food vendors and retail shops in 2014.

Working in pairs, students in Mrs. Garbach's seventh-grade Life Science classes are using K'nex kits to build 3D models of DNA strands that they can then replicate and use to build mRNA. This activity helps students gain an understanding of how proteins are made by the human body.

The 2025 Monroe Museum Local History Contest focused on key places in the city of Monroe. Eighth-grade students in Mr. Griffin's Georgia History class were to research how these places have influenced Monroe in different eras. Many GWA students chose topics to research and many surprising facts were discovered.

The winners for 2025 were:

1st place: "Walton County Mills" by Madeleine McClain

2nd place: "116 South Broad Street" by Audrey Maddox

3rd place: "Old City Hall" by Will Watts

Mr. Griffin was proud of everyone's efforts! They were determined to "go forth and learn"!

A group of GWA seniors had the opportunity to work with the Gwinnett/Walton Habitat for Humanity organization on Monday as part of our Winter Term capstone learning experiences. Students worked in three groups to build furniture that will be placed in future Habitat for Humanity homes or sold in ReStore locations to help fund Habitat for Humanity projects. Our seniors contributed their sweat equity while learning new life skills. Senior Samantha Eberhart said, “Now I feel empowered to use the tools and build things.” This project offered students a way to serve others and give back to their community in a tangible way. Preston Evans commented, “this motivated me to give back to my community more.”

George Walton Academy’s highly anticipated 2025 Lucky Dawg Gala will take place on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at The Factory at Walton Mill. This unforgettable evening will include dinner, cash bar, live entertainment, exciting auctions, and the chance to celebrate and support our beloved GWA community. Stay tuned for more details regarding tickets, auction items, and more. Tickets and sponsorships will go on sale next Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. We can't wait to see you there!

Just a reminder to check your Parents Web contact information, have account balances cleared and select your 2025-26 payment plan before the February 15 deadline.