RAIDER REVIEW

IN THIS EDITION

Principal's Letter | Co-Presidents' Letter | Foundation News

Homecoming | National Merit | Walton Counseling

Walton Arts | Walton Athletics | PTSA Board

October 2023

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Walton Families,

It is hard to believe it is almost the end of October and we only have 8 weeks left in the semester.  We had a wonderful Homecoming week, and it was great to see a high level of participation in our spirit days. I would like to thank all the parent volunteers for organizing the homecoming dance.

Important Upcoming Dates

10.24 Junior Advisement starts October 24- November 17. Click here for more information.

10.25 WEB/PSAT for 11th Grade

10.31 Halloween at Walton. All students are encouraged to dress up at school. Please be on the lookout for information about types of costumes allowed and other rules from Dr. Brown. If you have specific questions, you can contact her at Julie.Brown@cobbk12.org.

Athletics Update
Most of our fall sports have reached playoff time, and all are gearing up for deep runs in the state playoffs. The volleyball team completed the region tournament last week, defeating North Cobb 21-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-15, 15-11 to win the region championship and earn a #1 seed in the playoffs. The Lady Raiders enter the state playoffs ranked #2 in the state and will host Collins Hill at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, 10/18.

The fastpitch softball team also competed in the region tournament last week, finishing 3rd overall behind an undefeated North Cobb team and Cherokee, ranked #10 in the state by MaxPreps. The Lady Raiders finished the regular season 15-11 overall and 6-4 in the region and face Mountain View in the first round of the state playoffs in the North Gwinnett Super Regional on Monday, 10/16.

Cross country has been competing nearly every weekend with the girls finishing 2nd at the Cobb County Championships, 4th in the Wingfoot Classic, 1st in the Atlanta Classic, and 3rd in the Coach Wood Invitational and the boys finishing 4th, 21st, 3rd, and 13th in the same races. They compete in the Region 5-7A Championships on Saturday, 10/21 to qualify for state.

Competition cheer has also started its season and will compete in the region competition to qualify for state later this month as well.

Finally, the football team has continued its winning ways, traveling to North Cobb to defeat an excellent Warrior team 35-27 to seize control of the region race followed by a 49-0 victory over Kennesaw Mountain in Raider Valley for Homecoming 2023. The Raiders are currently 7-0 and 2-0 in the region with three games to play in the regular season. In addition, they are ranked #2 in the state and between #15 and #21 in six different national polls.

Sincerely,
Richard Tischler, Principal

MESSAGE FROM THE CO-PRESIDENTS

HAPPY FALL, WALTON FAMILIES!

We have had a busy month. Thank you to all who have joined the PTSA, and a big thank you to all who participated in last month’s Parking Space Auction. It is exciting to report that Walton PTSA has received the Oak Tree Award for Membership. This is awarded to PTA’s with 100% of staff being a member of the PTSA. Because of your support of the Walton PTSA, we are able to provide quality programming and support to all of our Walton Community.

A big shout out goes to Valerie Smith for organizing and providing a successful teacher PSAT day breakfast. We will be providing another staff breakfast on October 25th before that day’s PSAT. We love to show appreciation to our teachers throughout the year.

Homecoming Week at Walton was a success! So many different groups work tirelessly to bring the fun to our students and our community. Student Government plans the theme and events for the week; the cheerleaders organize the parade; the Foundation’s Student Leadership Council orchestrates the dance. Thank you to all of you who helped with Homecoming. It means so much to have these traditions!

Melissa Radtke is doing a great job chairing the Reflections committee this season. With so many entries from students, we’re sure to have a successful Reflections program again this fall. Thanks Melissa for all your organization and time!

PTSA’s Senior Breakfast Committee planned an amazing day of fun for our seniors as well. A special thank you to Kelly Ivutin, Chana Wade, Ellen Nagel and Michele Zerbenski in providing an amazing Senior Breakfast!

Looking ahead, the PTSA in conjunction with the Walton Counseling Department will be offering a screening of Screenagers Under The Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age. This event is scheduled for October 24 at 6:00 PM in the Walton Information Center. This event will be in conjunction with Red Ribbon Week.

Thank you all for supporting your PTSA!

Caroline Whaley and Vicky Rice, PTSA Co-Presidents

PTSA TEACHER GRANTS

Through your generous donations, your PTSA was able to provide
$7,500.00 worth of teacher grants for educational support in the classroom!

Here is what Walton’s teachers requested and received:

Al Basulto – Microphone batteries & USB Flash drives
Jamie Bell – Meter sticks
Teresa Casey – Renewal of Kuta Geometry software
Tara Cohen – EdPuzzle storage
Patricia Cowles – Graphic design stools
Sheryl Davis – phone & USB charging station for student devices
Lynn Dombrowski – Quizizz upgrade
Lynette Ebbert – Microscope slides
Dana Evans – Computer chargers
Sandy Evans – Baseball team AED pads & battery set, cartridges, storage
Jessica Ewalt – Cardstock bundles for history simulations
Lynn Gouacide – Gimkit Pro game & Bocce balls set
Sara Grimes – Black tablecloths for the Walton Theater 
Sarah Hart – Computer chargers
Callie Hyatt – Vocabulary games & storage bins
Chris Johns – Folding Trombone stands
Jasenda League – Annual subscription to Padlet 
 Leah Mahadeo – Everyday Speech social emotional program
Allison Mann – iPads for evaluation preparation
Emily Nativsky – Spanish reading novels
Rob Nichols – DECA competition blazers
Michelle Payne – Gimkit & Quizizz subscriptions 
Kathleen Petka – Rulers, Scissors & storage boxes for the art department 
Jennifer Phillips – 360 whiteboards 
Nailah Rivera – Quizlet & Quizizz subscriptions
Amanda Ryan – Microscope slides 
Ana Trenbeath – Quizizz, Gimkit, Kahoot subscriptions
Tingting Wang – Chinese character writing sets
Emma Wright – Gimkit & Quizizz subscriptions
Jenna Zenner – A Little SPOT Guide set

FOUNDATION NEWS

The Walton Foundation has been busy helping to organize the homecoming dance, WEB concessions and the Study Skills Seminar!

BOO your teachers is back! SLC will be selling BOO Bags until Oct 20th. Look out for the link to purchase on the SLC Instagram page @Walton_SLC

HOMECOMING DANCE

With 1,300 students in attendance, Walton’s Secret Garden Homecoming dance was nothing short of magical! All who attended looked incredible and embodied the spirit of the night. From the jamming music, beautiful decorations that made for an enchanting garden feel, to the fabulous outdoor space the night is truly one to remember.

We are grateful for the support of Administration, school police officers, Staff and custodians. The Walton community was amazing providing refreshments for all students in attendance and we’re so appreciative of the parents who took time to help chaperone the event.

The Student Leadership Council is honored to be able to put on such an event for the Walton students. We are already looking forward to next year!

HOMECOMING PEP RALLY

Photos by Sophia Kwon

HOMECOMING PARADE

Photos by Sophia Kwon

HOMECOMING COURT

Photos by apPhotoMarietta

The following students have been named Commended Students in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. Although they will not continue in the 2024 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2024 competition by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success,” comments a spokesperson for NMSC. Please join Walton High School in congratulating these scholars:

Dina Arshavasky

Walter Burnett

John Burwell

Aayush Chopra

Ashley Clary

William Cox

Thomas Edmonds

Christian Hable

Jennifer He

Sophie Landrum

Xiyuan Li

Collin Marbutt

John Old

Gavin Pilger

Joshua Pinsky

Aditi Sagi

Sophie Schug

Kaylan Stark

Ariana Syed

Marko Vukasinovic

Aedan Wen

Gracie Xu

WALTON COUNSELING

On September 19, Walton High School held a parent workshop called A Parent & Guardian's Guide to Thriving in High School. The workshop was designed to help families support their children through the academic, social, and emotional challenges of high school.

The workshop was led by school social workers, Dr. Karen Schwartz, LCSW and Dr. Julie Lance, LCSW, RPT-S, with over 20 years of experience working with teens. They discussed a variety of topics related to high school success and provided tips including:

Communicate with your child regularly. Ask them about their day, their classes, and their friends. Listen to what they have to say and offer your support.
Get involved in your child's school. Join PTSA, volunteer, attend extracurricular activities, and sign up for newsletters. This will help you stay in touch with your child's activities, friends, and connect with other parents.
Set realistic expectations for your child. Let them know that you believe in them and are there for them through thick and thin. Share stories of your own experiences and challenges at their age.
Celebrate your child's successes. No matter how small, it's important to recognize your child's achievements. This will help them stay motivated and build confidence.
Pay attention to your child's wellbeing. Keep lines of communication open and if you are concerned, you can always reach out for supportive strategies and resources from the school counselors or social worker.

If you missed the workshop, the slide deck is attached at the following link: Thriving in High School. Walton will be offering similar workshops and presentations throughout the year on a variety of topics related to parenting and child development. Be sure to check the school website for more information.

SENIORS

Special thanks to the Senior Breakfast PTSA Committee who worked hard to put on an extra special event for our seniors on October 13th! During breakfast, teacher-donated prizes were raffled off with the help of our Superman and Superwoman. Then seniors took their 2024 picture on the field before playing The Price is Right hosted by teachers where they won awesome prizes! Thank you to all of the parents and teachers who donated items and worked to make this event an awesome Walton experience for the Class of 2024!

WALTON ART

WALTON BAND

The Marching Raider Band had a wonderful performance on Saturday, October 7^th at the 41^st Annual Super Bowl of Sound Marching Band Competition at Central High School in Carrollton. Our Raiders won best overall Percussion, Color Guard, and Front Ensemble; earned the highest music, visual, and effect scores; was named the most entertaining band of the night; and was awarded the Grand Championship for the entire competition. They represented our school and community so well and we’re very proud of them!

WALTON CHEERLEADING

Walton Cheerleading had a great time celebrating homecoming! Special thank you to all of our coaches and parent volunteers that helped organize our breakfast, tailgate, the parade, pep rally & homecoming court!

WALTON CROSS COUNTRY

The Walton Cross Country team competed in the Cobb County HS XC Championships on September 16th. The Varsity Girls, JV Boys and JV Girls placed 2nd and the Varsity Boys placed 4th! Congratulations to the team and to these Top 10 individual placements. Wish the Raiders good luck as they compete in Region on Saturday, October 21!

Girls Varsity:
7 - Mallory Old
8 - Nicole Delgado
9 - Daniela Delgado

JV Girls

1- Bella Lotz
2 - Maddie Teilhet
6 - Harper Strong

Boys Varsity:
2 - Joseph Minecci

JV Boys
3 - Max Tucker
4 - Max Ivutin
10 - Shivum Patel

WALTON FOOTBALL

The Walton Varsity Football team extended their undefeated record to 7-0 with a shutout against Kennesaw Mountain for homecoming! Keep it up Raiders! Photos by Sophia Kwon

WALTON VOLLEYBALL

Down 0-2, Raiders roar back for the reverse sweep over North Cobb to win the Region Championship! We are so proud of these amazing athletes! Next stop is the state playoffs! Go Raiders!

WALTON PTSA EXECUTIVE BOARD

Co-Presidents:
Caroline Whaley and Vicky Rice, waltonpresident@gmail.com

Vice President, Communications:
Marlene Cohn, waltonvpcommunications@gmail.com

Vice President, Programs:
Laura Pettus, lccaldwell75@hotmail.com

Vice President, Volunteers:
Mary Kate Blalock, waltonvpofvolunteers@gmail.com

Secretary:
Heather Greiner, waltonsecretary@gmail.com

Treasurer:
Mary Katherine Holloway, waltontreasurer20@gmail.com

Parliamentarian:
Jessica Loewy, waltonparliamentarian@gmail.com

Principal:
Richard Tischler, richard.tischler@cobbk12.org

PTSA Membership

Become a Member today to support our Students and Staff all year long!

PTSA Member Benefits

https://waltonhighschoolptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/member_benefits

Join Today

https://waltonhighschoolptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/open_forms

Volunteer Opportunities

https://waltonhighschoolptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/Volunteer

Walton High School Calendar

https://www.waltonhigh.org/Page/10

SUBJECT: Raider Review October 2023