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 Festivities Planned for
HOMECOMING
Oct. 12-16, 2015
The WHS Student Council is working with the Administration to plan a great Homecoming Week for Walton High School! Each day of the week will have a different theme, and the students are invited to dress in costumes to reflect that theme. The administration encourages creativity but reminds the students that their costumes must meet the WHS Dress Code policy. (Just for fun, picture what you would wear each day and compare your selection to your student's ensemble!)
Homecoming Spirit Days (October 12-16)
Monday - Career Day
Tuesday - Pirate Day
Wednesday - Tacky Tourist
Thursday - Class Theme Day
Friday - Walton Spirit Day
Wednesday (Oct. 14) and Friday (Oct. 16) are WEB days. The PTSA sponsored Senior Breakfast will be held on Wednesday morning. The students will get fired up at the
Oct. 16 Homecoming Pep Rally that begins around 11:45! The Homecoming Parade starts at 2:45 at the Temple Kol Emeth, 2972 Sewell Mill Road. (There is no parking at the Temple.) The Parade will route down Sewell Mill to Bill Murdock Road, ending at Walton HS. The WHS Marching Band will lead the parade which will feature the football team and coaches, cheerleaders, class floats, entries by several Walton Clubs and school dignitaries including Principal McNeill.
Friday night (Oct. 16), the Homecoming Game kicks off at 7:30 pm in Raider Valley against Woodstock. Tickets can be purchased during lunch on Thursday and Friday. The Homecoming Court will be presented at half-time. It's School Spirit Night so wear school colors: red, white and blue to show your support for the WALTON RAIDERS!
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Walton Cross Country 2015 Eyes State Finish Line
Walton athletes began training during the summer months for Cross Country, with some runners putting in as much as 200-600 miles to prepare for competition this season. The 2015 season is underway with the team competing in 4 meets thus far this season. Coaches Gower, Ryan, Bond, Chappelle, and Stewart are training 19 girls and 26 boys to represent Walton Cross Country this year. The team has competed well in their meets so far and has 3 more meets prior to the culmination of the season at the State Meet in Carrollton on November 7th. The Cross Country program is supported by the parents of the Walton Cinder Club.
The team kicked off the season co-hosting the Stage Races with Peachtree Ridge in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It was a successful meet with over 1600 high school runners participating! Walton went on to compete in the Berry College Clara Bowl Invitational, the Carrollton Orthopedic Invitational, and the Alligator Lakes Invitational in Lake City, Florida.
Upcoming meets for the Cross Country season will be the Cobb County Championships this Saturday, October 3rd in Acworth at Allatoona Creek Park, the Coach Wood Invitational at Gainesville College on October 17th, the Region 5-AAAAA Meet at Boling Park in Canton on October 31st, and the State Meet on November 7th in Carrollton.
The Walton Cinder Club is honored to be invited back by the Atlanta Track Club to be an Adopt-a-Mile sponsor for the ATC 10 Miler and 5K on Sunday, October 25, 2015. The XC Athletes and families will be cheering on the runners as the hosts of the 8 mile cheering station. In addition to hosting a cheering station, the Walton Cinder Club program will receive a donation towards the Cross Country and Track & Field programs for each runner that registers for the race and selects the Walton Cinder Club as their designated charity. It's an easy way for the Walton community to support both the Cross Country and Track & Field programs! To register for the race, visit ATLANTA TRACK CLUB or sign up in person at Big Peach Running Company in Marietta and receive a 10% discount on registration. Don't forget to designate the Walton Cinder Club!
We are also excited to announce that the 36th Annual Walton Raider Chase 5K will again be back at Raider Valley on Saturday, February 13, 2016. Don't miss kicking off the Winter Break by running this fun 5K to support the Cross Country and Track & Field programs. Find out more information about running or sponsoring the Raider Chase at: Raider Chase. The Cross Country athletes invite you to come cheer them on at one of our upcoming meets AND hope to be cheering you on at the ATC 10 Miler and Raider Chase 5K. Visit WHS XC for more information about the program.
Carolyn Cooper
Walton Cinder Club
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 WHS National Merit Semifinalists
This month, officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,400 National Merit Scholarships with more than $32 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2014 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state's percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
Walton High School is proud to announce sixteen National Merit Semifinalists this year. Congratulations Anisa Alam, Ilya Belegradek, Jasmine Fisher, Eric Hua, Eujin Jang, Jenna Kahn, Joshua Kauffman, Irena Kuan, Abita Moorthy, Hideto Mori, Ali Ozyazgan, Michelle Shim, Caneel Vannostrand, Xinzhu Yang, Alice Zhang, and Lingmao Zhou!
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 MINDFULNESS MOMENT
This week in the PTSA-Sponsored "Mindfulness in Schools Course", Health students dove into the brain science behind Mindfulness, discovering how the WAY in which we pay attention activates certain parts of the brain to enhance concentration, immune function and physical health, and even relationships. Students explored the differences between what it means to be aware vs. mindfully aware. They discovered how easily our attention can be hijacked by the tsunami of distractions continually coming at us an incredible pace: endless projects, activities, to-do lists, technology, social media. The students were offered "aim and sustain strategies" for training the mind to maintain focus through the use of special breathing techniques.
Students were also introduced to a mindfulness exercise known as Body Scan. This exercise turns our attention inward to develop greater introspection, an under-utilized aspect of our awareness skills. This lesson provides a foundation for a mindful response approach to life's inevitable tough blows, losses, and disappointments by cultivating a practice of curiosity and kindness towards ourselves and our situation, regardless of how challenging it may initially appear.
This core practice and life skill allows us to dissolve the self-created mental stress that distorts the way we view situations when our minds are stuck on auto-pilot. In this way, Mindfulness practice allows us to replace reflexive negative thinking patterns with more healthy thought habits.
Research proves practicing mindfulness for only 8 weeks for 5-20 minutes a day changes our brain structure! MRI scans show that mindful awareness practice literally changes the way the brain is wired, creating more resiliency to stress and a greater sense of wellbeing. The habit of mindfulness actually becomes a physical trait!
Lisa Jones
Mindfulness In School Instructor
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WaltonStrong
Great Nutrition Equals
Optimal Learning Potential
Experts agree that nutrition and hydration play a vital role in the learning process. Formation of memory requires physical growth in the neural networks of the brain. By nourishing the brain with healthy food and water, students can optimize their brain's capacity to learn and achieve their potential.
The billions of neurons in our brain need good fats, protein, complex carbohydrates, micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients) and water to fuel their learning functions. Food generates energy and regulates growth and change in cells. What we eat or don't eat directly effects our brain development. But, all foods are not created equal.
For example, good fats like Omega-3 oils from fish, raw nuts and seeds, and dark leafy greens, help develop and maintain flexible, dynamic membranes that support learning and brain function. Trans fats, on the other hand, create stiff membranes, impede the flow of oxygen to the brain and the removal of toxins from the brain, and contribute to the formation of damaging plaque.
Protein can be found in many foods but it is important to evaluate the total effect of the protein sources in our diets. Choose foods that fuel your protein needs without adding bad fats, hormones, pesticides, artificial chemicals, and sugars. Lean meats, hormone free dairy, plant-based proteins and minimally processed nuts and seeds fuel brain activity and provide amino acids to produce serotonin, dopamine and antioxidants.
Carbohydrates provide energy for the brain. While sugary treats with simple carbohydrates (like donuts) provide an immediate rush of energy, they also produce wild fluctuations in insulin levels leaving students in a state that is not conducive for learning. Eating complex carbohydrates like whole fruits and vegetables, or whole grain foods without additives or preservatives, adds fiber to our diet and reduces the body's sugar absorption rate. A diet rich in complex carbohydrates reduces stress on the pancreas and the body's glucose regulation system which leads to better learning and life-long health.
Micronutrients are essential to brain health and can be found in a healthy diet with lots of variety. B-vitamins, zinc, calcium and phytonutrients are especially important. Remember to "eat the rainbow' and try to consume 5-9 servings per day of fruits and vegetables with all the colors represented.
Lastly, proper hydration is key to effective mental performance. Even mild levels of dehydration effect learning. Encourage your student to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day (4 during school hours).
Educating your student on the effects of nutrition & hydration and guiding them in building healthy eating habits will insure their brain (and their body) are operating at peak performance! To
learn more, join Jill Gregory, WHS Health and Wellness co-Chair as she presents a program entitled,
"Nutrition: Fuel for Academic and Athletic Performance"
Tues. 10/13
7-8:30pm, WHS Theater
Parents, students, teachers and coaches are all welcome.
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Move On When Ready Summit
The Cobb County School District invites you to attend a Move On When Ready (MOWR) Dual Enrollment Summit to learn about opportunities available for your student to earn college credit while enrolled in high school as well as receive 100% paid tuition, mandatory fees and books! Cobb Counselors will present details on enrollment while you also have an opportunity to meet with College Representatives.
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The WHS Website, eBlast,
Connections and The Raider Review
are paid for by funding from your
Visit Our Website to Learn more about Walton's PTSA
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