In Focus

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

• Fall Sports Photo Day: July 31 (MS/US)

• Magnus Health Updates Due: Aug. 1 (see below)

• Senior Parking Spot Party: Aug. 1

• New Student Orientation/Cookout: Aug. 8 at 5:30 p.m.

• Gently Used Sale: Aug. 3 & 12

• Open House: Aug. 12 (all grades)

• Senior Retreat: Aug. 13-15

• First Day of School: Aug. 14

• Early Dawgs Begins: Aug. 14 (see below)

• Fall Sports Photo Day: Aug. 19 (Youth)

• Sub Meeting: Aug. 19

• Ice Cream Social: Aug. 21

• Champion's Club Dinner: Aug. 23 (see below)

• Freshmen Retreat: Aug. 27-28

CLICK HERE for the list of 25-26 Important Dates

CLICK HERE to access GWA website calendar

GWA will adopt a “late start” one day per week on Wednesdays. This practice is already in place at many private schools across the area and state. We believe this change will benefit both older students and staff. It is especially important that we make more quality time for faculty and staff training during the course of the school year without impacting classroom instruction.

We have adjusted times slightly for break, advisory, and the start and ending of the school day to ensure that classroom instructional time is not reduced; it is actually modestly increasing. The weekly schedule for MS and US is below:

25-26 Schedules

Still wrapping up your summer work? Please use the links below to access the information or find it in ParentsWeb under Resource Documents and also, on the website on Lower, Middle, and Upper School pages.

Lower School Supplies

Lower School (rising K4 - 5th) Summer Work

Middle School Summer Work & Supply Lists

Upper School Summer Work & Supply Lists

We’re kicking off the new school year in the most exciting way — with our Middle School Mega Relay! This event is all about fun, teamwork, and building new friendships.

Event Details:

• What to Expect: A full day of team-building games and relay challenges!
• Supplies: No school supplies needed on this day.
• Where to Report: Parents and students will receive an email prior to the first day of school with instructions on where to report.

To stay comfortable during activities, students should wear fingertip-length athletic shorts and a t-shirt in their grade’s assigned color:

• 6th Grade – Gray
• 7th Grade – Red
• 8th Grade – Black

Don’t Forget: Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the day.

We’ve got lunch covered — hotdogs, chips, and a drink will be served! If your student has dietary restrictions or would prefer to bring lunch from home, they’re welcome to do so.

Please complete the form linked below to indicate your child’s lunch preference and help us with planning.

Mega Relay Lunch Choice

We can’t wait to celebrate the start of a fantastic year with our amazing middle schoolers!

*Reminder: Please make sure to complete all the health information requested and/or update your students’ medical information with any changes over the past year (new allergies/medications) in your Magnus Health account.

*Information/updates are requested by August 1

*Click Here to access email from July 7 that includes log in instructions and steps to complete requirements.

Beginning the week of July 28, the Dawg Shop will be open for back-to-school shopping. The hours will be Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Be sure to stop by to see new apparel items available and to beat the Open House rush. Student planners are now in stock for middle schoolers, as well as recorders for 3rd graders. Kinder rest mats are available for purchase for any Kindergartener in need of one.

K3 Assistant

Mrs. Davis comes to GWA from St. Josephs School in Tennessee, but spent most of her adult life in Raleigh, North Carolina. There she worked in her first career with IBM for 15 years. Once her children were born, she retired and became a “professional volunteer” at her children’s schools. Through volunteerism, she began subbing and working in the schools as well. For the last three years she had taught a full time PreK-3 class. Her husband John’s job brought her to Georgia. They have one son, Moyer, who is a rising Sophomore at Mississippi State University, and one daughter, Campbell, who will be entering ninth grade at GWA. When not working, their family loves all sports and traveling!

Upper School Math Teacher

George Walton Academy is excited to welcome Kate Jones to the high school faculty as a geometry teacher for the upcoming school year. A proud member of the GWA Class of 2018, Kate attended the Academy from K4 through 12th grade.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in middle grades education with concentrations in mathematics and English language arts, as well as a master’s degree in instructional technology—both from Georgia College & State University. For the past three years, she has taught middle school math in Jasper County.

Outside the classroom, Kate enjoys playing golf with her husband, Tyler, cooking, and spending time at their new home with family, friends, and their dog, Zeke. She is thrilled to return to the place she considers home and is looking forward to beginning this new chapter, building lasting relationships, and honoring the traditions and values that have shaped her life.

Brett Odom is an interdisciplinary teacher with over five years experience in the classroom, most recently in Roanoke, VA where he taught English and social studies. A Great Books alum of Mercer University and a graduate of the University of Georgia, he obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in political science from each, respectively. Georgia-born and raised, he is excited to be returning to his home state to teach in the English Department at George Walton Academy!

Thank you to all of our wonderful 2025-2026 George Walton Academy Corporate Partners! We thank you for your support and willingness to partner with a purpose and support the programs, people, and projects that shape the GWA experience. Together, we are building a stronger, brighter future for all of our students! Go Bulldogs!

If you are interested in becoming a GWA Corporate Partner - feel free to reach out to Director of Advancement Matt Reynolds at mreynolds@gwa.com.

To access website links for our 2025 -2026 Corporate Partners, please click here.

Our summer camps run through the end of July. Offerings include:

• Cooking Camp
• Let's Go Camping
• Youth Football
• Youth Cheer
• Lego Camp
• Art Camp

Click the link below for details and sign ups!

https://www.gwa.com/campus-life/summer-camps.cfm

Our admissions team is excited to offer Tuesday Tours at Ten! Prospective families are warmly invited to visit our beautiful campus each Tuesday at 10 a.m. for a guided tour.

This is a great opportunity to explore our facilities, meet members of our school community, and discover what makes GWA More Than a School. Applications are open for all grades throughout the summer — we encourage new families to apply!

Fall sports photo days are on July 31 and Aug. 19 (except varsity football will go on Aug. 1).

CLICK HERE for the picture schedule (subject to change). Please refer to your email from Elizabeth Jones that was sent on July 14 for more details.

Our MS and varsity cross country athletes have been putting in the work! They are conditioning and hitting the brand new (on campus!) trail.

The team is looking forward to hosting meets this season - an invitational on Aug. 23 and the Walton County Championship on Sept. 13.

“It’s really nice to have this course on our campus,” said head coach Kinsey Snell. “It is a tough course, which makes it great place for our athletes to practice. If they can handle the hills at GWA, they will be ready for any course we face this season.”

Special thanks to Southern Traditions landscaping for cutting the course in and helping to keep it clear for our runners. Coaches and athletes are pitching in to keep it clean and picked up.

The window to sign up for the few remaining spots (New Zealand, Quito, Galápagos) closes at the end of August. Our Winter Term 2026 travel adventures offer engaging learning opportunities for GWA upper school students and provide a chance to delve into culture, cuisine, arts, architecture, history, nature, science, technology and more.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Mrs. Suzy at squinlan@gwa.com.

For International trips register at https://www.educationaltravel.com/register

*See trip ID info. above