From the Headmaster

The 2008-2009 school year is off to a great start. I have attended many events on campus and have been inspired by our students' outstanding performances and academic accomplishments. Additionally, I recently held the first of several New Parent Meet and Greet sessions in my office and I value that opportunity to personally welcome a family into the Walker community. If you are a new family and you have not yet signed up for your New Parent Meet and Greet, please click here to register.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Parents: Do you have friends interested in Walker?

If you have friends, neighbors, or relatives interested in learning more about Walker and you are willing to host a Parent Coffee in your home, please call or e-mail Patty Mozley, Director of Admission at 678-581-6921.

Calling all alumni who serve in our armed forces

At Walker, we are proud to have had several of our alumni serve in the nation's armed forces. If you are a Walker alumnus/a who has served or is currently serving in the armed forces (active duty or guard/reserve), please contact Kaleb McMichen ('01), Director of Alumni Relations, at 678-581-5193. We want to be sure we have a complete list of our alumni service members and veterans so that we can appropriately honor your service and sacrifice. Greg Enzinger ('98) is pictured to the right during his service in Iraq.

AROUND CAMPUS

Join us for Homecoming on September 26

Homecoming 2008 will be on Friday, Sept. 26, with the Wolverines taking on the Bremen Blue Devils. Kick-off of the game is at 7:30 p.m. The alumni festivities will start at 7:00 p.m. on the softball side of the football stadium. Alumni should R.S.V.P. for Homecoming by Friday, Sept. 19 at www.walkeralumni.org.

Patrons of the Arts: A new organization

The Patrons of the Arts (POTA) is seeking advertisers for its annual Fine Arts souvenir program. All ads will be featured in the program at all Middle and Upper School fine arts events throughout the year. If you are interested in finding out more about how you can take advantage of this opportunity, please contact Valerie Vanderlip, Susan Touchton or Meg Daniel at POTA@thewalkerschool.org.

WSA magazine sale and more!

The WSA magazine sale is underway! All packets have been distributed and orders may be turned in between Sept. 22 and Oct. 1. The prizes are varied from cash to candy to doughnut parties and more! This is a fun and easy way to fundraise for the teacher wish list. Remember "It's easy being green!" Please click here for more information on the magazine sale. If you have any questions, please contact Jen Chocallo or Lyric Resmondo. The WSA has many more fun events planned for the year including the fall festival, networking coffees and more. (Click here to read more.)

Annual Golf Tournament

The Walker Booster Club will be hosting the annual golf tournament on Thursday, Oct. 30 at Bentwater Golf Club. Entry forms and sponsorship opportunity applications will be made available to all Walker parents. We look forward to seeing you for a great day of golf and fun while supporting Walker's athletic program.

Love & Logic Parent Workshops available

Walker will offer Love & Logic parent workshops this fall. Middle School teacher Kim Ragan and Preschool Principal Gail Doss will be facilitating a six week course that meets in the Winship Library on the following dates: Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and Nov. 5. All sessions will be held in the Winship Library from 8:00 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. This workshop is open to parents with children of all ages. The cost is $35 per person or $50 a couple and the registration deadline is Sept. 19. Please e-mail Jennifer Vaughan for more information.

Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 and each division of the school will celebrate Hispanic Heritage by incorporating various activities into the classroom. For more on this and other initiatives supported by our Office of Multicultural Affairs, please contact Brad Brown.

Moms In Touch

Moms In Touch International is a worldwide Christian organization whose goal is for mothers to meet in prayer for their children and their schools. If you are interested in praying with The Walker School's Moms In Touch group, please e-mail Kyle Marcinko.

At The Walker School we recognize all religious faiths. If you have an announcement to include in this e-newsletter for your religious organization, please contact Kristy Helms.

PRESCHOOL

It's about character

The Preschool kicked off their character education study by attending a performance by Dave Holland (pictured at right), entitled Drummin' Up Stories. The performance was an interactive one where the students played drums, shakers, a gong, and helped tell the stories by acting out the characters. Mr. Holland had many unique instruments from his travels. This was the first of many character education initiatives that will be introduced in the Preschool by integrating art and multiculturalism into the curriculum.

Preschool Library Endowment

Preschool parents generously donated $1,100 toward the book endowment held during registration. The library now has an additional set of the popular Rookie Reader States series. Thank you to everyone who supported the library!

LOWER SCHOOL

Matt Stokes rolls up sleeves for Lower School garden

Matt Stokes, a Walker senior and a Boy Scout member, dedicated his time leading a group of volunteers to renovate the fence around the Lower School garden. The group installed new pickets, a gate and a concrete slab. They also painted and made the garden look new. Thanks to Matt (pictured at left) and all other volunteers who contributed to this project!

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Wax Museum scheduled for Oct. 7

The 8th Annual Wax Museum is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 7 from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. With 90 sixth graders, the campus will be full of celebrities to entertain the Walker community. The journey will begin in the auditorium and maps will be available in the foyer of the main building. Don't miss this chance to see our sixth grade students perform! If you have questions, please contact Kitty Drew.

W.arts performance next week

W.arts Drama Team of the Middle School will perform Robert Fulghum's All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, a comedy/drama with music based on the famous book. Young actors will portray adults, teens, and small children in scenes and songs with a wide variety of settings and moods. Performances will be held in the Studio Theatre on Sept. 22 at 3:30 p.m. and on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and seating is limited, so reserve seats in advance by clicking here.

UPPER SCHOOL

National Honor Society inducts new members

On Sept. 11 The Walker School inducted 38 new members into the Jennie Tate Anderson Chapter of the National Honor Society. This was the largest group of students ever inducted into Walker's NHS. Pallavi Saraf (pictured at left), Walker's NHS president and a senior this year, addressed the audience at the ceremony. Congratulations to all new inductees on this accomplishment. (Click here for a list of all NHS inductees.)

Malav Chakravorty scores perfect on ACT: Making it 2 in a row!

For a second year in a row, a Walker student has achieved a perfect score on the ACT. Malav Chakravorty, a Walker senior, scored a perfect 36 on the ACT in the spring. Ryan Price ('08) received a perfect score in the 2007-2008 school year. Malav was one of five students in Georgia to receive a perfect score as of August 2008. He not only aspires to attend Harvard, Yale or Princeton, but on Friday nights you will find him on the football field as a defensive end for the Wolverines football team. He is also a member of the Global Awareness Club, plays polo at the Scuppernong Polo Club in Alpharetta and plays saxophone in the jazz band at Walker.

DEVELOPMENT

2008-2009 Annual Fund Kick-off

The success of the Annual Fund each year enables Walker to provide students with an exceptional educational experience. Because tuition alone can never cover the cost of a private education, Annual Fund gifts help provide every student with the dynamic educational programs, state-of-the-art technology, and ever expanding facilities that serve their academic, artistic and athletic pursuits.

The Walker School needs annual financial support to maintain the quality of a Walker education and to ensure the value of a Walker diploma for years to come. We will be kicking off the Annual Fund in the following weeks and encourage you to pledge your support to this important effort. If you would like to participate early, please make your donation now on our secure website. Thank you for your continued support!