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Seniors "All Smiles" for
Pancake Breakfast!
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Class of 2016 Kicks-off Senior Festivities with Pancake Breakfast
While the underclassmen were taking the PSAT this Wednesday, the seniors were celebrating the Class of 2016! PTSA Sr. Breakfast Chairman, Emily Ellingwood, contributes the success of the day to the overwhelming parent, faculty and community support! Seniors enjoyed a Game-Day themed Pancake Breakfast, complete with "referee" dads flipping pancakes, a Game-Day Desk for photo opportunities and college flags and pennants for the décor. IHOP and J. Christopher's were among the local businesses that provided food and many senior parents were on hand to decorate, serve, and cook for the breakfast. WHS Teachers donated raffle prizes like treating a student to a meal at a local restaurant, or gift cards or even a playdate with a WHS robot! After the breakfast, the seniors took class pictures and then competed for prizes in the Walton Price Is Right! Jan Miller, a teacher sponsor for the Sr. Class, orchestrated this game where lucky seniors won prizes donated by parents and the PTSA including a GoPro and Smart TV's. The Senior Class would like to thank everyone involved for making this such a special Day!
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| | Seniors Play "Price is Right" |
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Student Government Association (SGA) Promotes Leadership and So Much More!
A visit to Ms. Diane Smyser's homeroom during Homecoming Week illustrates the huge responsibilities and great rewards of being a member of the WHS SGA. Ms. Smyser, who is serving her 7th year as Walton's SGA Sponsor, utilizes this period to guide and support the 22 WHS class officers and SGA Executive board members that make up her SGA Homeroom. During Thursday's visit, leadership skills, a review of the technical processes for an SGA project, and an impromptu pep rally to spur fundraising sales were all on the agenda. Planning the Homecoming week festivities, including the court presentation and the parade, make up a significant part of SGA's annual plan of work. But this 75 member body also sponsors Winterfest and Spirit Days, participates in fund raising and community service, sponsors teacher recognition events, serves as a communication liaison to each homeroom and, most importantly, represents the student body to the administration and the WGC with integrity.
Elections for SGA are held in April and the new representatives take office the first week of May. SGA members are quick to express what an honor and privilege it is to be trusted by their peers to represent them in the student government. While planning the Spirit Days are cited as the favorite part of their job, the group takes their responsibility to engage the student body very seriously. Student Body President, Everett Johnson, sees the work the SGA does to booster school spirit as an important factor in the overall morale and cohesiveness of the student population, the faculty and administration. "Walton students work hard, and the pressure can be stressful. Dressing up for Pirate Day or all in blue for a BLUE OUT puts some fun in our school day and builds a sense of community. It's important to feel we are all in this together. And, together, we are Walton."
It is easy to see that participation in this group grows leadership skills and self-confidence. Many of the members plan to pursue student government roles in college and see constant opportunities to apply the lessons they are learning through SGA in other areas of their life. Although participating in SGA is demanding, the rewards make it well worth the effort. Students interested in standing for SGA elections must submit an application packet before the elections in late April. Details will be shared through the school announcement system next spring.
The Walton Community appreciates the many contributions members of the SGA make to our school. And, we thank Ms. Smyser for all the time, talent, energy and dedication she has given to shepherding Walton's SGA leaders for so many years!
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| | Ms. Smyser and several of her SGA Homeroom Members |
This Week's SPIRIT DAY PHOTOS:
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| | Zumba Instructors pose on Career Day |
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| | Britney and Coach Ryan go Mexican and Italian for Country Day |
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| | Juniors become dueling HP Wizards representing England for Country Day |
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MINDFULNESS MOMENT
Last week in the PTSA-Sponsored "Mindfulness in Schools Project" (MiSP) course, WHS Health students explored common things teens worry about and ways in which to recognize and dissolve worry habits. Through first hand experiences, they discovered how the mind interprets and "tells stories" and can get stuck in negative thought habits like rumination and catastrophizing. Students were then introduced to the two modes of mind and the effects to the nervous system when too much time is spent in the thinking mode and not enough in the sensing mind (interoception). They gained an understanding of the flight-fight-freeze stress response and simple relaxation-response techniques to balance the nervous system. They discovered the interconnected relationship between worry thoughts, emotions, and body functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen consumption and their impact on immune function and performance. Students were then introduced to a mindfulness exercise known as Guided Relaxation, a gradual process of relaxation to calm body and mind for better sleep and concentration.
 In this week's lesson titled "Learning to Respond Instead of React", the classes became familiar with the "auto-pilot" function of the mind and practiced using the gift of the present moment to wake up out of the mindless doing to enjoy more of life's simple moments. Students were introduced to the mindful habits of savoring and appreciating in their first go with a Mindful Eating exercise. This offers a first- hand experience of how mindfulness can be integrated into any activity to find more happiness and gratitude. In a second Mindful Eating exercise, students had the opportunity to experiment with being in an uncomfortable, unpleasant moment and training the mind to be less reactive to it, pausing to recall relaxation-response strategies that can help when triggered by stress. The ability to pause and find space between stimulus and response is what Dr. Daniel Siegel refers to as "Response Flexibility", a direct outcome of mindfulness practice which he discusses in length in his book "The Mindful Brain". To reinforce this skill, teens were partnering with another class member and instructed to text each other a prompt to practice ".b" (stop, breathe, ground, be still) once a day or more.
Lisa Jones, Mindfulness Teacher, The Mindfulness In Schools Project
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WaltonStrong
"Put on Your
Walking Shoes!"
October is National Walking Month! It is the perfect time to step out to improve your health. The weather is crisp, and the scenery is spectacular. Make the most of this great season and start a walking program today. The University of Georgia's Extension Service, with support from a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation, has developed a program called Walk Georgia. Walk Georgia will help improve the lives of Georgia residents by encouraging them to become more physically active and make healthy lifestyle choices. Walk Georgia is a very sophisticated web-based system for keeping track of your physical activity and provides research-based knowledge, and resources on fitness to help you along the way. And, it's free!
Why walk? Lots of reasons.....
1.) Walking is simple, cheap, straightforward and easier on the body than many other forms of exercise.
2.) It prevents chronic disease and boosts the immune system.
3.) Walking increases productivity, attention, and concentration.
4.) It improves mood, reduces stress and the symptoms of anxiety.
5.) Walking helps you sleep better, increases your metabolism, and helps you maintain a healthy weight.
For more information, check out the UGA website at Walk Georgia.
Lace up a pair of shoes, find a friend to share the journey and start walking!
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2nd "Move On When Ready" Summit Scheduled
Last week, many Cobb parents and students attended a Move On When Ready (MOWR) Dual-Enrollment Summit to learn more about earning college credit while in high school. These guests had an opportunity to attend three rotating sessions that included a counselor's session on the details of MOWR as well as visit with five local colleges and universities. Kennesaw State University, Georgia State University, Georgia Highlands, Georgia Perimeter and Chattahoochee Technical College were all present to help explain these opportunities for students.
Another MOWR Summit will be held on October 21 at 6:30pm at Chattahoochee Technical College's Mt. View Campus. To learn more, go to: MOWR Summit
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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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