Dear Walton Families,

It’s hard to believe we have already completed six weeks of the Spring semester and our seniors are within a few short months of Graduation. I am looking forward to handing our Class of 2024 their diplomas and celebrating this great milestone. We will be sending detailed information to our senior families in the coming weeks.   

National School Counselor Week was February 5-9, which gives me an opportunity to thank our wonderful counselors. From academic advisement to help in times of crisis or struggle, they are there to support our students and our families. I appreciate the kindness and caring they bring to school each day. 

Walton’s long history of success has largely been due to the outstanding community support. This is the time of year when our PTSA, Foundation and booster clubs will start looking for parent volunteers for the '24-'25 school year. Whether you can help at a one-time event or can serve as a board member, please consider saying yes to the call to service. Not only does engaging with the school help us all connect as a community, but these organizations truly focus on serving our students and giving them opportunities above and beyond what just the school can offer.   

February is transition time for athletics as the winter sports are finishing their seasons in the playoffs and the spring sports are playing their first contests. As of this writing, one winter sport has finished and three others will do so in the coming weeks. The boys swim & dive team won it's second state championship in a row at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, winning by more than 100 points (493 to 377.5 over second place). John Panessa, Theo Thomas, William Iglar, and Griffin Lovett also took home one "individual" state championship in the 200 medley relay. The girls also landed on the podium with a 3rd place finish as a team. Wrestling is near the finish line, with four wrestlers heading to Macon for the state finals tournament with their sights set on individual state championships (Emil Necula, Jax Mitchell, Mason Smith, and Kate Panone). The Precision Air Rifle team hosted the area tournament and finished 3rd to qualify for the state tournament, where they will host Cedar Shoals on the Monday after the winter break. Finally, the boys and girls basketball teams are heading to the region tournament and have both already qualified for the state tournament which begins the week of February 19. The boys are the #1 seed in the region tournament and ranked #6 in the state.

Spring sports have also begun, with the baseball, lacrosse, soccer, and tennis teams having played games already. The highlight so far has been the varsity baseball team's first game on Tuesday, 2/13, at its brand new home across the street, "The Yard," a 6-0 victory over the Kell Longhorns. There will be plenty of games to see throughout the spring, so come join us as the weather turns warmer to cheer on your Raiders!

As you will see in this newsletter, our students are continuing to see success in the classroom, on the field and through extracurricular activities. 

All the best, 
Richard Tischler 
Principal  

Hi, Walton Community:

The first two months of our spring semester have been busy.  Thank you everyone who has helped make our Walton Community even stronger.  Please be on the lookout for signup genius requests in our e-blasts and on social media to further help in the school over the next few months. 

We are happy to announce that our Teacher of the Year, Karen Duncan, and our Classified Employee of the Year, Karen Maddin, were honored along with the other Cobb County honorees at a PTSA-sponsored Brunch on February 13th.  Again, we congratulate them for a job well done. Thank you to Mr. Basulto and his students for creating the video used at the event.    

We would like to thank Jacqui Jackson for attending the Georgia PTA Day at the Capitol on February 6th on behalf of the Walton PTSA.  At the meeting, they shared legislative updates for the 2024 Georgia Legislative session, which included an overview of Georgia PTA's official stance on two pieces of legislation: 

• HB 510 - Breakfast and Lunch programs for all public school students, with no cost to those who qualify for free & reduced lunch

• HB 3 - Support for Students Living in Poverty Act

On February 9th, we celebrated students at the Bars & Letters Reception. This award goes to students who receive a 4.0 or higher for both semesters in the year. Students who earn a 4.0 or higher for the entire academic school year receive an Academic Letter. Students who do so in a subsequent year receive an Academic Bar. Thank you, Michelle Zerbenski and Sima Valvani, for helping the Administration recognize Walton’s top scholars.

We would like to thank Sarah-Kate Bozza and her committee for doing such an amazing job to thank our bus drivers, custodians, police officers, and many others around the school on February 13th.  Also, thank you all for sending in the requested treats. The appreciation luncheon was well attended and enjoyed by all. 

On Valentine’s Day we welcomed Happy Tails to Walton once again. This is the third visit this year and it is always well received by students and staff alike. This event, headed up by the Counseling Department, occurs during WEB Blocks, and students can sign up to come and hang out with the dogs, and enjoy a calm moment with a furry friend. Thank you to Bhavini Rajan and Lorraine Singh for your support of this event.  And a huge thank you to Laura Clary and Karen Schwartz from the Walton Counseling Department for the creative programming you have put together this year for WEB activities.

The Career Fair is soon: March 13th during WEB.  Please encourage your children to attend. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn about various careers and practice networking skills.

Stay safe and healthy!

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

Walton’s Teacher of the Year, Karen Duncan, and Certified Employee of the Year, Karen Maddin, were honored at a brunch on February 13th hosted by the East Cobb County Council PTA. These fabulous ladies were among the guests of honor treated to a delicious brunch, video tributes from their fellow staff and students, special acknowledgement from CCSD Administration & leadership, and entertainment from students within our Cobb community. It was a great opportunity to honor these outstanding Walton ladies, and all of this year’s honorees. Thanks again for all that you've done and continue to do for our school community, Karen Duncan and Karen Maddin!

Commencement Information: 

The Cobb County School District has finalized the Spring 2024 Commencement schedule, and we are happy to announce that the Commencement Ceremony for Walton High School's Class of 2024 will be held on Friday, May 24, 2024, at 2:30 PM. This ceremony will take place at the Kennesaw State University Convocation Center, at 590 Cobb Ave NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144.
 
Commencement Tickets:

Guest tickets will be requested online by the graduate via the Student Portal. The graduates will request the number of tickets desired for their guests. However, the graduate is NOT guaranteed the number of tickets requested. Graduates and parents/guardians should discuss the number of tickets the graduate should request for the family. Graduates who do not submit a request will receive a maximum of 2 tickets. Please pay close attention to the ordering deadlines listed below as there will be no extension for ordering tickets.

Each guest ticket for schools with a ceremony at Kennesaw State University will have a unique barcode and will be valid only for the ceremony, date, and time shown on the ticket. Lost or damaged tickets cannot be replaced. Once a ticket is scanned for entry to the venue, it is no longer valid and cannot be re-used for further entry or re-entry.
 
 Commencement Ticket Ordering Window Closes February 29, 2024.

On Friday, February 9th, students were presented with an academic bar or letter for earning a 4.0 or above each semester of the last school year. Dr. Julie Brown and PTSA organized a celebration to honor these students’ hard work and dedication throughout the past school year. Lots of smiles were shared among everyone, congrats Raiders!

Congratulations to Walton’s Class of 2024 STAR Students and Teachers that were named system winners for Cobb and will move now to Region competition...
Pranaya Balaji, who chose Mr. League as her STAR teacher.
Andrew Fang, who chose Doug Wolfe as his STAR teacher.
Omer Inan, who chose Tamara Hollingsworth as his STAR teacher.

Last week, eight seniors returned to Dickerson and Dodgen Middle Schools to share their high school experiences with current 8th grade students. Walton seniors helped prep the 8th graders for high school, covering topics such as academics, time management, and ways to get involved. They stressed the importance of embracing new things and navigating social dynamics. The visiting seniors are always the highlight of this presentation! Thank you to Ariana, Ashley, Ashrita, Daniel, Gracie, Lota, Omi and Pranav.

Congratulations to the Walton Basketball players selected for All Region! Follow us on Instagram as we head into Region and State Playoffs!

Congratulations to the 21 singers (the most in the county) who represented Walton Chorus at the District 12 GMEA Honor.

Congratulations to Dr. Mann, Director of Choirs, who presented at the GMEA State In-Service Conference in Athens, GA, on the training of new conductors in the classroom.

On Friday, February 9th, Walton Athletics welcomed back and had the pleasure of honoring this year's Walton Sports Hall of Fame inductees. Please CLICK HERE to read more about our latest inductees.

Front row - Billy Burns (Baseball & Football 2005-2008), Scott Ratliff (Lacrosse & Football 2006-2009), Chuck Carswell (Football & Track 1983-1987), Bucky Boozer (Head Men’s soccer Coach 1985-2011) and Blaine Boyer (Baseball 1997-2000)

Back row - Coach Roberta Manheim and the 2007 Women’s tennis team

The Swim & Dive Raiders concluded their season in a commanding manner. Both the Men and Women in Varsity & JV showcased strong performances right from the beginning at the Cobb County Championship meet last month. The Varsity Lady Raiders retained the championship title for the seventh consecutive year, while the Varsity Men continued their first-place streak for the third year in a row. The JV team also outperformed the competition, clinching another first-place title.

At the GHSA 7A Swim & Dive Championship last weekend, the men set the tone with a strong start in diving, followed by thrilling races early on in the finals. They expanded their lead with numerous podium finishes, finishing more than 100 points ahead of the second-place team. This back-to-back championship win marks a historic achievement in the swim & dive history at Walton.

The ladies also delivered a strong diving performance, earning crucial points leading into the swimming events. Throughout the night, the ladies fluctuated between third and fourth place, providing spectators with an exciting competition. A pivotal final relay successfully fended off opposing teams, securing the bronze trophy at the end of the meet. Congratulations to all our athletes for another incredible season!

Congratulations to the 2024 Walton Winterfest King & Queen - Joseph Minecci & Ellie Barry and to the entire Winterfest Court! Photos by Parker Waters

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

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

https://waltonhighschoolptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/member_benefits

https://waltonhighschoolptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/open_forms

https://waltonhighschoolptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/Volunteer

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

Walton High School 

1590 Bill Murdock Road

Marietta, GA  30062

770-578-3225