From the Headmaster
You may have noticed Walker in the news recently. Our Upper School was named among the 14 Best All-Around High Schools in Atlanta by Atlanta magazine this month. Our Middle School was also featured in this month's issue. Thomas Cooper’s watershed project was featured in the Marietta Daily Journal in November. Our recent recognitions in the press are a testament to the success of our administration, faculty and students. Come visit our campus in February as we celebrate “Teamwork in the Arts!” during arts month.
IN THE COMMUNITY
Mount Paran and Walker unite to fight cancer
The varsity boys and girls basketball teams at Mount Paran and Walker have joined together to raise money for cancer research. "Red and Pink" night will be held on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. when the Wolverines take on the Eagles on the court in Coles Athletic Center. All money raised from this event will be donated to the V Foundation and the Kay Yow Fund/WCBA Cancer Fund. Both the girls and boys varsity basketball teams at Walker and Mount Paran have been working in the weeks leading up to Jan. 23 to raise money via a raffle and T-shirt sales. All ticket and concession proceeds from Jan. 23 will be donated. Come out and show your support! (read MDJ article)
Gordon attends presidential inauguration
On Jan. 20 Dr. Edwin Gordon, Lower School principal, attended the inauguration of our 44th U.S. president, Barack Obama. Upon Dr. Gordon's return on Jan. 21 he stated, "I experienced a variety of emotions on Tuesday including gratitude, excitement, and cautious optimism. I have attended presidential inaugurations in the past and those have each evoked a feeling of excitement and hope. However, the inauguration of President Obama gave me a renewed sense that America was delivering on the promise of its Founding Fathers that all men are created equal, and that this day represents a watershed event in America's racial history."
The entire Walker community observed this special day in our nation's history. The Lower, Middle and Upper School divisions watched the inauguration via a live satellite feed.
Upper School joins 4 other high schools to build Habitat for Humanity house
This spring, The Walker School and our community service club, Interact, will be joining the Cobb High School Coalition-Habitat For Humanity chapter to build a house near Six Flags Over Georgia. According to Peter Sullivan, "We will be teaming up with 4 other high schools in Cobb County (Harrison, Kennesaw Mountain, Pope, and Wheeler) to accomplish one major goal: complete a home building project in 8 weeks! The start date is Saturday, Feb. 21 and we hope to wrap up the build no later than April 25...as long as the weather cooperates!"
More information will follow as the spring approaches, but if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Peter Sullivan at 770-427-2689 ext. 2542 or sullivan@thewalkerschool.org.
Alumna's Amazing Journey (so far...)
We know that a Walker education can take you places. With 1,500 alumni, there's no shortage of amazing stories to tell or journeys to read about. Recently, Furman University told of how Katy Wynn (Walker Class of 2005) has taken advantage of her undergraduate opportunities and, through her hard work, landed a job on NBC's The Tonight Show. We invite you to read about Katy's amazing journey since graduating Walker and the exciting future that's ahead of her.
DEVELOPMENT
2008-2009 Annual Fund
Even in this challenging economy, our Walker community remains strong in its support of the Annual Fund.
To date, we have raised $280,000 with just 35% of our parents participating. Annual Fund gifts are a big part of the financial foundation that helps provide for the programs, technology and facilities that our students and teachers benefit from everyday. High levels of parent participation in this effort have helped us secure more than $3.3 million in foundation and corporate support in the last five years alone. It is important, especially in these times, that we continue to attract funding outside our Walker community.
You can help ensure that we can do so by making a pledge or donation today. Alumni may access their giving page here. Pledges made today are counted toward that important parent participation percentage but are not due to be paid until June 30, 2009. As always, gifts at all levels are greatly valued and appreciated. It's the act of giving that makes all the difference!
AROUND CAMPUS
Auction plans underway
The planning for Walker’s 2009 Casino Night and Auction is now underway! Start watching your mailbox for updates and information on this exciting night. And please step up to the plate when the Solicitations Committee asks for specific donations needed for the great gift baskets we have planned. We need everyone’s help to make this a success for the school, the teachers and our kids!
Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 2 from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel. There will be a silent auction, casino games, gift baskets and the traditional live auction along with dinner. Remember: When the House wins, Walker wins! (For more WSA news click here.)
International Day/Cultural Awareness Days 2009
International/Cultural Awareness Days 2009 will be held on Feb. 17 and 18. Events will include a Taste of Nations from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 17; a Parade of Nations from 9:45 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 18; and a Tour of Nations from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 18. Students, parents and faculty members all come together to make this event a success. (read more)
Seniors recognized
On Tuesday, Nov. 25, all of Walker’s faculty, staff and students gathered in Coles Athletic Center to honor the Class of 2009 and its dozen "lifers," members of the Class of 2009 who have attended Walker since pre-kindergarten. Eighth-graders who have been at Walker since pre-k were also recognized.
Each senior received a senior sweatshirt, designed by a Walker alumna, with 2009 embroidered on it. Each lifer's sweatshirt was also embroidered with the year they entered Walker. The lifers for the Class of 2009 are: Molly Borger, Will Gentry, Rose Lane Berry, Lauren Morgan, Parker Kemp, Kaitie Hilburn, Kristin Bray, Ross Hermann, Audrey Worley, Abby Halpern, Elisabeth Underwood and Tommy Daniel.
Arts Month
Walker’s arts programs are an amazing blend of individual creativity and collaborative effort. That’s why we’re proud to champion the arts in our annual month-long celebration, known as Arts Month, in February.
This year’s theme is “Teamwork in the Arts!” and we hope that the entire Walker community will take advantage of the more than 30 programs and activities that will showcase our commitment to the arts at Walker. There will be something for everyone, from jazz trios and drum circles to juggling and improv comedy. Click here to see an online calendar of events.
Energy Challenge
The Walker School will participate in an energy conservation contest between 30 Atlanta area independent schools Jan. 26 – Feb. 20. The goal of the contest is to see which school can lower their February 2009 power bill by the largest percentage. We are competing against our own usage compared to our last three February’s kilowatt usage. Students, faculty, and staff will be encouraged to turn off lights when not in use or necessary, turn off computer monitors, unplug items not in use, and monitor heating equipment. Interested in learning more about our environmental program? Contact Denise Mullins or click here.
Booster Club
The Walker Booster Club will be holding a general membership meeting on Jan. 29 in the Coca-Cola Family Auditorium at 7 p.m. The discussion will include the 2008 - 2009 Wish List, weight room expansion and softball field improvements. The leadership structure of the club will also be discussed leading to later elections of new officers for the 2009 – 2010 school year. Please attend and help map the future of the Booster Club and these upcoming enhancements to the Walker athletic facilities.
The Walker Booster Club would also like to acknowledge and thank Sam Paglioni and Sally Litchfield for their tireless efforts in coordinating and managing the Annual Golf and Tennis outings! These events are major fundraisers for the club and continue to be a highlight of every year.
Alumni visit campus in January
On Jan. 5 Walker juniors and seniors attended an assembly with Walker alumni who are in their first year of college. Students had the opportunity to ask questions of the alumni and learn from their college experiences. Alumni in attendance included Channing Broderick (Auburn), Andreas Wilder (Boston College), Mikey Murphy (Duke), Mary Wynn (Furman), Abbey Warren (Georgia), Jamie Bachmann (Michigan), Kelsea West (Southern Methodist) and Katey Ceccarelli (University of Miami). Thank you to these alumni for sharing their knowledge with our students.
PRESCHOOL
Art Show
The Preschool will hold the annual art show on Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. and will feature 600 pieces of art produced by our Pre-K and Kindergarten students. This year’s theme is “Walker Art Safari.” We look forward to hosting our Walker Preschool families at this event and displaying all of the beautiful artwork that our pre-k and kindergarten students have been working hard to create.
Thomas Arvid visits
Thomas Arvid, an internationally known painter and Walker parent, visited the Preschool in December. He helped kindergarten students create paintings and spoke to the students about how he became a painter. Each student's painting was signed by Arvid. Seen here is Mrs. Lynn Strickland's kindergarten class with Arvid. (read more)
LOWER SCHOOL
Cobb ChristmasThe Walker family provided almost $3,000 via monetary donations and participation in sponsored events to enable the fourth grade to stuff more than 400 stockings for Cobb Christmas families. Our students raised money by holding a water sale at the Fall Festival, having a Lower School hat day, offering two Walker Nights at Roadhouse (Barrett Parkway at I-575 location), and a Barnes and Noble Night. Students also accepted monetary and toy donations leading up to the day the stockings were filled. Preschool students donated batteries. The efforts of all our students and parent volunteers are appreciated.
MLK Assembly
On Jan. 14 during the Lower School assembly, Tim Miller, a 2003 graduate of Morehouse College and a member of Ebenezer Baptist Church entertained and uplifted students, faculty and administrators with a collection of songs. He was accompanied by Brandon Waddles, a current music major at Morehouse. Several students and faculty members read including Maggie Cox who stated, “I believe I can live my dreams. Can you live yours?”
A workshop unlike any other
Erik Cork recently visited the Lower School to share his unique writing workshop called “Rap, Rhythm & Rhyme: Rebuilding the Writing Foundation.” Students in the third, fourth and fifth grades gathered in Gatti Hall for a day-long exercise that allowed them to build their vocabulary while listening to some of their favorite popular music.
It was a high energy exercise that kept the students engaged and entertained all day while they improved their writing skills.
Mr. Cork has conducted workshops for more than a quarter of a million students across the globe and left our students with a fresh perspective and enthusiasm for writing.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Salvation Army DriveThe Middle School Student Council spearheaded the Salvation Army Canned Food Drive at The Walker School. All divisions participated in the November community service project. Estimated as a 2,000 pound collection, Andie Bobb, the Salvation Army Regional Resource Development Director, stated that "the Cobb facility was terribly under-stocked this morning" and The Walker School's contribution "makes this food drive one of the largest in recent years, and it couldn't have come at a more critical time!"
Toys for Tots
Six Marines in full dress uniform visited every Middle School classroom to kick off the Toys for Tots campaign on Dec. 1. Toys were collected across the campus during the first two weeks in December. In addition, those attending a varsity basketball game received a free entry with a toy donation. When the Marines arrived with their truck, Student Council members helped collect and load the toys into bags and place them on the truck. The truck arrived about one quarter full and left with about a foot of space remaining at the ceiling of the large paneled truck.
Walker hosts promotion ceremony
Mrs. Kim Ragan’s 7th grade advisory along with Heather Whitehead’s class hosted a promotion ceremony on Dec. 1 at Walker. Retired Army Maj. Gen. Donna Barbisch gave the oath of office. Kim Ragan’s advisory adopted Maj. Wright earlier this school year in an effort lead by Heather Whitehead, Middle School math teacher. Before her husband's deployment to Iraq, Whitehead offered to match troops from Dobbins 628th Civil Engineering Flight with Middle School advisories.
Science Fair winners
Congratulations to all of our Middle School science fair winners. For a complete list of winners click here.
UPPER SCHOOL
Walker named one of the Best All-Around High Schools in Atlanta
In its January issue, Atlanta magazine ranked Walker’s Upper School as one the 14 best high schools in Metro-Atlanta.
They recognized the school’s commitment to the development of the whole person and our students’ excellence in the arts, athletics and academics. The magazine even noted the school’s diverse extracurricular groups, saying, “There are clubs for students' interest in rock ‘n’ roll, pop culture, fashion, video, rock-climbing, and homeless pets.” To read the rest of the write-up, click here.
Thomas Cooper making headlines
Thomas Cooper’s watershed project was recently featured in the Marietta Daily Journal. On Nov. 26 the MDJ featured Cooper who recently attended a Google Earth conference in New York. Click here to read the full article.
Art Show in Laura Stewart’s room
While arts month allows for a stronger emphasis on arts at Walker, Laura Stewart has been focused on it daily since beginning her role as the Upper School art teacher this past August. In fact, she held her own art show in November where various works of art were placed on display in her room. Middle School students visited her class and were asked to comment on their favorite piece of art. AP art students and seniors Margaret Rose Knox, Rose Lane Berry, and Audrey Worley are pictured here.
Kapil Bhatia named STAR Student
Congratulations to Kapil Bhatia who was recently named the STAR student. Kapil selected Upper School foreign language teacher Diane Carlson as the STAR teacher.
Diane stated, "I feel very honored to have been chosen by Kapil as his STAR teacher. I have taught him for three years from Spanish 2 to AP Spanish, and have seen his language skills mature over the years. I admire the dedication and seriousness with which he approaches his work, and have seen how well he incorporates grammar detail, vocabulary recall, creativity and excellent content in his Spanish. I know he brings the same excellence to all his studies, and wish him the best in the STAR competition and his academic career."
