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| |  From the Headmaster
As we enter the final quarter of the year, I am amazed at how fast the school year has progressed and at all of the exciting accomplishments made by our students. From athletic championship titles to academic team awards, our students have a great deal of which to be proud. Arts Month was a particularly inspiring time on campus and I hope you had the opportunity to see at least one of the events. To read my most recent article, click here.
IN THE COMMUNITY
 Well-known author to visit March 28
Alexandra Robbins, author of Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids, will visit as WSA's guest speaker on March 28 at 7 p.m. Please make a note of the new date. (read more)
 An Afternoon with Pat Conroy
The Cobb Library Foundation presents an afternoon with author Pat Conroy on Saturday April 21, 2007. This event will be hosted by The Walker School at 12:30 p.m. General Admission is $50 and V.I.P. admission is $125. The V.I.P. admission includes a luncheon with Mr. Conroy from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Tickets are available at any Cobb County Library, through the foundation (770-528-2196) or from Rebecca Jordan in Mr. Don Robertson's office.
Alumni class news
If you are interested in learning what alumni have been doing since graduation from Walker, click here. Read about your friends and their new families, careers, college experiences and more. The class notes section of the website is updated biannually in the spring and fall. If you have alumni news that you would like to share, please e-mail Susan Bargo, Director of Alumni Relations, at bargos@thewalkerschool.org. News will be posted online and published in The Walker School magazine biannually.
Recent e-mail problems
The Walker School has recently encountered e-mail problems. If you sent an e-mail to a faculty or staff member and have not received a response, please use the faculty/staff directory to call and verify receipt of the e-mail. (click for directory)
AROUND CAMPUS
 8th Annual Walker School Auction - "The Art of Education"
Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 14, 2007 and join us at the Mason Murer Fine Arts Center for "The Art of Education!" This year's auction is sure to inspire your imagination, creativity, and support for The Walker School. With over $3 million in funds raised over the past 27 years, this event is instrumental in providing valuable educational tools for the classroom as part of the Teacher's Wish List. Previous equipment funded through the success of The Annual Walker School Auction includes a piano in the Upper School chorus room, a camera used to film drama productions, and test equipment for the Upper School physics lab and the AP environmental classroom. Fostering innovative learning environments for our children relies on the incredible generosity and support of Walker families and friends. Come celebrate “The Art of Education” with us – you won’t want to miss this incredible evening of fine food, friends, and fundraising!
For more information on how you can support the 28th Annual Walker School Auction - "The Art of Education," please visit our webpage, or contact this year’s Auction Directors Wendy Brantley and Heather Whitehead. We look forward to seeing you there!
Artwork provided by Alexandria Szabo, 3rd grade
 Arts Month Celebrations
February was Arts Month at The Walker School and it was packed with various programs for students in each division. From the Ritmo Blu musical performance for the Upper School students to the demonstration by an entertaining illustrator, Michael P. White for the Preschool students, their experiences during Arts Month raised awareness of how the arts influence life and culture. (click here for photos)
Koster 5K Race
Register now for the 6th Annual Koster 5K Classic to be held April 28! You may register by mailing in your form, or by completing the online registration. Race day registration is also available. Don't miss this chance to show your support for the Brad Koster Memorial Fund and participate in an exciting event at the same time. The Koster t-shirt contest finalists will be recognized on April 11 in a school assembly and the winners will be announced at the race. Thanks so much to all of the students who submitted art entries to be considered for the t-shirts.
 Neil Clark named Counselor of the Year
At its 2007 Annual Forum in Atlanta, Georgia, the College Board named Neil K. Clark, Dean of College Counseling and Guidance at The Walker School in Marietta, Georgia, the 2007 Counselor of the Year. Ms. Letishia Jones, Senior Educational Manger of the College Board’s Southern Regional office, said “Mr. Neil Clark is a sage in the whole college counseling world; he is known as something of a legend in the field. His desire to help each student and each family find the ‘best fit’ is paramount.”
Arjona named Georgia Economics Teacher of the Year
Michael Arjona, a 1997 Walker graduate who is now in his fifth year of teaching AP economics and world history, has been named the Georgia Economics Teacher of the Year by the Georgia Council on Economic Education. (click here for MDJ article)
Homecoming 2007: Celebrating Walker's 50th Anniversary
Mark your calendars! Homecoming this year will be Nov. 2, 2007. It will be an extra special evening as Walker celebrates its 50th Anniversary. The evening will include special guests from the past 50 years, a dinner for former and current trustees and their families, the alumni tent for reminiscing and making new friends, presentation of this year's Homecoming court and so much more.
The Alumni Homecoming committee chair is former homecoming queen Maria Croley, Class of 1998. Last year's attendance at the alumni tent reached record numbers and we look forward to an even larger attendance to help celebrate Walker's special anniversary. If you would like to help with Homecoming plans, please contact Maria at croleym@thewalkerschool.org. We hope to see everyone on Nov. 2, 2007!
Recycling program successful
The Walker Environmental Club's cell phone and ink jet cartridge recycling program has gotten off to a terrific start. The Walker community is reducing the amount of toxins in our environment by participating. Please keep sending in those cell phones, cell phone batteries and ink jet cartridges. The collection bins are in the following locations:
Preschool - front door
Lower School - outside door to Gatti Hall and inside the front door
Middle School - by the piano and at the far end of the MS hall
Upper School - outside the US office and college counseling office
If you have questions, please contact Denise Mullins at ext. 2533.
Walker parents stay connected through WSA
If you have questions and would like a point of contact; please call the WSA ambassador of the appropriate school division. For more information on upcoming WSA events, please visit our website.
PRESCHOOL
 Book drive for Safe Path
The Preschool will hold a book drive March 26-30. Donated children's books (age 0 to Jr. High) will be given to Safe Path, a local organization that supports abused children. The organization is opening a new facility and would like to stock bookshelves for use by the children it serves. Any new or gently used books will be collected March 26-30 in the Preschool lobby.
Upcoming events . . . Mark your calendar!
The Preschool has many fun and exciting events on the calendar, including our kindergarten celebration May 10 at 8:30 a.m. in our Preschool multipurpose room and our music concert on April 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Coca-Cola Family Auditorium. Check out the latest calendar now.
LOWER SCHOOL
 Tuskegee Airman visits Lower School
Retired Col. LeVaughn “Lou” Jenkins visited our Lower School assembly in January and shared his knowledge, memorabilia, and wonderful stories of being a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. Col Jenkins shared many of the awards and honors he received. We also discovered that he personally knew Martin Luther King, Jr.!
 Authors visit Lower School
The Winship Library hosted the husband and wife team of Cathryn and John Sill on Feb. 9. Their About . . . series has earned numerous awards, and much praise from the literary community. Students learned about the method for creating the series, as well as information about the animals. Cathryn shared some of her own rough drafts as well as described the printing process. John demonstrated the steps he takes when illustrating.
Mardi Gras parade
The annual first grade Mardi Gras parade was a big hit! Click here to view photos from the event.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
 New Middle School Principal announced
Blair Fisher will serve as the next Middle School principal. He will succeed Nancy Calhoun upon her retirement at the end of this school year after her 35 years of service. Blair began his career in our Middle School in the fall of 1994 and has taught geography, English grammar and German and served as the Dean of Students since 2000. Please welcome Blair to his new role. (click here for Headmaster's article)
Middle School award winners
Several of our Middle School students recently participated in competitions. The Debate Team and Math Counts Team won awards, as did three of our students at the Regional Science Fair. Taja Strickland, 7th grade, also won the Region 1 Spelling Bee. (click here for more)
Blue Ridge trip for 7th graders
Our 7th grade students will spend March 26-29 in the mountains of North Georgia at the Blue Ridge Outdoor Education Center near Toccoa. The students will study forest ecology and environmental conservation, water ecology and undertake many team building and adventure activities. Activities to highlight include the high ropes course, climbing wall, orienteering course, creek hike and a detective game called TREK played by the students working collaboratively in the rivers and hills around the camp.
 Fable contest
The wise old owl told the young playful zebra, "To do well on this next stage of life, you must practice . . . " That is how the grand prize winner, Alyssa Iachino (pen name Nicole Gaillardia) began her fable.
Congratulations to all of the second annual fable contest winners! William Wynn, Daniel Sosnovsky, Sam Lowry, Lindsey Kramer and Alyssa Iachino all had winning entries. Thanks to the students in the fifth grade who helped to judge this year's contest.
UPPER SCHOOL
 German Exchange students visit
Sixteen students from The Europaschule, Bornheim near Bonn spent 10 days visiting Walker students. The German guests who were accompanied by their teachers Hiltrud Dombert and Katja Roth visited many sights in the Atlanta area, including the Aquarium, Coca-Cola Museum, MLK Center, the Etowah Indian Mounds and the Booth Museum in Cartersville. One of the most popular events was a CNN tour. Walker students will make a return visit to Germany in June.
 Dive Team wins big
The Upper School Dive Team had an amazing season with Helen Alvey taking the 1-4A state championship title and qualifying for All-American. She will compete in the Nationals in Coral Springs, FL the weekend of April 27. Helen was also named All-County Diver of the Year and had an undefeated dual meet season, with wins at the Marist Invitational, Pace Invitational and the Cobb County Championships. Emily Morris was named 1st Team All-County by the Cobb Swim Coaches Association and finished fourth in the county meet, 15th at the state meet, and had a personal best score this season. Check out all of the latest Upper School Athletics features and schedules.
Upper School students compete
From the courtroom to the laboratory, several Upper School students participated in recent competitions. Click here to learn more about the Science Olympiad, the Mock Trial Competition, and the Quiz Bowl Region Competition all held in late February.
DEVELOPMENT
Annual Fund update
This year our 2006-2007 Annual Fund titled "The Next Step" will help provide $500,000 to make improvements to the newly acquired Damar land. Thanks to the generosity of parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and friends $415,000 has been raised so far. We must reach a minimum of 80% parent participation in order to qualify for grants from major Atlanta-based foundations that will help fund the rest of this $1.5 million project. At this time, we have reached 45% parent participation. There is still time to donate to the Annual Fund. Alumni please click here to donate online. All other members of the Walker community may also make a donation now, or for more information, please click here. |
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| Walker E-News is published bimonthly by the development office at The Walker School. Comments, inquiries and contributions should be directed to Kristy Helms at helmsk@thewalkerschool.org |
| The Walker School, 700 Cobb Parkway N., Marietta, GA 30062
Telephone: (770) 427-2689 • FAX: (770) 514-8122 |
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