Dear Maggie Walker Families,
As July gives way to August, there’s a quiet but powerful energy returning to our school. The signs are all around us—supply aisles restocked with colorful notebooks, teachers preparing classrooms with intention, and footsteps echoing once again in our stairwells. The Walker Way is beginning to stir, and with it, the promise of a new school year.
You can feel it not just in our hallways, but everywhere—walk into any department store and you’ll see rows of highlighters, stacks of planners, and back-to-school displays reminding us that something familiar is on the horizon. But here at Maggie Walker, it’s more than just seasonal signals—it’s a shared sense of anticipation. Slowly, steadily, the rhythm of school life is returning, and our community is coming back to life.
Earlier this month, we welcomed seniors into the building for portraits—set against the backdrop of leftover forms and materials from our robotics projects. That moment, where tradition met innovation, captured the essence of Maggie Walker: a school where excellence is both celebrated and continuously reimagined.
As the new Executive Director, I want to thank you for the warm and genuine welcome I’ve received. With decades in public education—most recently as Director of Instruction in Buckingham County, and before that, as a high school principal in Region 1—I’m grateful to return to this community that I once experienced as a proud parent. Now, I have the privilege of seeing it through a new lens—one that centers on service, relationships, and growth.
This week, our leadership team begins its work together with a retreat focused on connection, collaboration, and clarity. Meanwhile, the first signs of student life are already reappearing across campus. Open gym opportunities have welcomed athletes back to reconnect and prepare for the season ahead. If your student plans to participate in a fall sport, please make sure they have an updated VHSL physical on file. Volleyball, cross country, golf, and field hockey are just around the corner.
One of the most inspiring moments of the summer took place in Byrd Park, where our tennis program—entirely student-inspired and student-led—hosted a free youth tennis camp. The assistant directors and I had the privilege of visiting the site and witnessing something remarkable: our student-athletes stepping fully into leadership. They organized every detail, coached with care and confidence, and created an atmosphere defined by joy, generosity, and purpose. Their coaches were there to support, but the students led the way. It was, without question, the Walker Way in action.
Our Dragons have also spent the summer traveling and learning—some returning from cultural exchanges in Germany and France with their teacher chaperones, while others poured their creativity into our summer theater camp, which wrapped up with a joyful and impressive final performance. Wherever they’ve been, our students have remained engaged, reflective, and ready to lead.
And none of it—none of it—is possible without our amazing team. From our maintenance crew, who have worked throughout the summer to refresh, repair, and care for our beautiful and historic building, to our technology staff, security team, office and school counseling staff, and support personnel, who have kept everything running nonstop behind the scenes—thank you. And to our teachers and instructional staff, who are already back in planning mode: your thoughtfulness and commitment are deeply felt and deeply appreciated. Everyone contributes. Everyone matters. And it shows.
I’ll also be meeting soon with representatives from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to discuss our dual enrollment partnership, ensuring our students continue to access valuable college-level opportunities. To our parents, the Governor’s School Foundation, the PTSO, and our regional board members and superintendents—thank you for your continued support and collaboration. We’re already planning, preparing, and meeting together for what’s ahead. And before you know it, Freshman Orientation will be here, the building will be buzzing again, and this remarkable year will officially begin.
Enjoy these last days of summer. The spirit of Maggie Walker is stirring—and I can’t wait to begin this next chapter with all of you. It is quite the honor.
LET’S GO DRAGONS!
Warmly,
Kristin Janssen
Executive Director
