12/1/24
Good evening, Dragon Nation.
While Dr. Lowerre is out, I will send the Sunday Updates as part of my role as Acting Director. Please feel free to contact me for any submissions in December or January. Dr. Williams and I will handle all administrative duties while Dr. Lowerre undergoes his procedures. He hopes to work from home February-April while he recovers. Let’s all wish him a speedy recovery!
Best Wishes,
Dr. Smith
[email protected]
(804) 354-6800 x2120
Misuse of School Restrooms
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope you are doing well. I am writing to express my growing concern about the misuse of our school restrooms. Recently, we have encountered multiple incidents of students clogging toilets by flushing entire toilet paper rolls. This behavior creates significant disruption and incurs unnecessary costs for repairs and cleaning ($4260).
Thus far, we have addressed this through communication and appeals to our community norms. We chased down every lead, but unfortunately, it continued. We are considering implementing new measures to ensure the proper use of school facilities and encourage responsibility. If the vandalism persists in December, students may be collectively inconvenienced as we try creative solutions. This will allow us to monitor the use of materials better and prevent further damage.
We ask for your support in speaking with your child about respecting school property and the consequences of vandalism. We aim to maintain a clean and safe environment for all students, and we appreciate your partnership in helping us achieve this.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
The Administrative Team
Budget Town Hall
Let your voice be heard in discussing 2025-2026 school year spending priorities! On December 10th at 6 PM, MW will be hosting a virtual budget town hall. Please use the link below to participate. All students, parents, faculty, and alumni are welcome.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8287416197
CLASS OF 2028
Attention parents of freshmen – The Freshman Dance and Lock-in tickets are now on sale in OSP. The dance is for freshmen and their invited guests only; if students wish to bring a guest from another school, there is a guest permission form available in Schoology, in Ms. Williams office, and sent out as an attachment from the PTSA. The Lock-in is a Maggie Walker tradition, a night of fun and games, pizza and movies. The dance will be on Saturday, December 7th, from 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. The Lock-in starts at 10:30 p.m. after the dance and all students should be picked up at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 8th. Tickets are $15 for both the dance and the lock-in, or $10 for either the dance or the lock-in.
CLASS OF 2026
In December and January, Juniors (Class of 2026) will take a step in determining what their senior schedule will look like. All juniors will have to decide whether they are going to enroll in one of our exciting seminar courses or apply to undertake a mentorship with a professional in the area. On Monday, 12/2/24, Juniors will be added to a Schoology Group that will provide information about the Seminar/Mentorship selection and application process. As the process moves forward in December, students can help their parents view all material on this site. Juniors are encouraged to start thinking about this decision now, and parents are encouraged discuss this decision with their student. After materials are released by the first week of December, anyone that has questions about the process should reach out to Mr. Cook ([email protected]). The deadline for completing the Seminar/Mentorship selection and application process will be Friday, January 13, 2025.
CLASS OF 2025
CAP AND GOWN – Herff Jones recently visited MLWGS to share ordering information about graduation-related paraphernalia (regalia and announcements). Students must wear a MLWGS cap, gown, and tassel to participate in graduation. To purchase these items, please visit https://hjvirginia.com/schools/maggie-walker-governors-school/ or contact Ms. Sheppard to pick up a hard copy of the packet.
Prices go up starting December 5, so please place your order as soon as possible. All items will be mailed directly to students (Don’t forget to open the box and check your order when you receive it!).
Club Pictures will be taken Dec. 2-17, during lunchtime in the Gym. Consult the schedule shared through the four class Schoology groups. Get your officers and members together and be on time. See you there!
Security Corner:
Please check the lost and found daily! There have been quite a few things donated, recycled, or thrown out recently and the bins are filling up again quickly! Secure your valuables!
Community Service Announcement
All students and parents are encouraged to check your community service hours totals to make sure that you are on track to complete this requirement. Students can help their parents get onto their x2vol accounts to check to see how many hours have been earned. Each student is striving to earn a total of 140 hours while at MLWGS, or 35 hours a year. Each student should work diligently to earn these hours while learning how to be leaders in the community. If a student has questions about any of this process, please stop by Mr. Cook’s office (room 149) or send him an email ([email protected]).
Mech Tech Dragons Robotics Team Update
If you plan on joining the team, please complete the following steps by December 15. If you have any questions or concerns about completing any of these items please reach out to Mr. Sailer – [email protected]
Build season Kickoff is Saturday January 4 – More details will be sent out prior to winter break.
- Complete the team application (https://forms.gle/oF69r8p1kfaDbq426 )
- Complete FIRST Registration (https://bit.ly/4hdMHHU
- Complete the field trip form and upload to link on team website – (Please note that there are two signatures needed on the form)
- Submit team membership fees ($250) to OSP – CLICK HERE
You can check your status Here
PLEASE JOIN THE PTSA
Thank you to our MLWGS community for your support of our PTSA! Your membership dues went towards a highly successful Fall Festival that raised $14,500+ for our clubs, Homecoming that was attended by 750+ students, a Diwali celebration during the school day, and also a staff appreciation cookout.
In November and December, we have many more events, including 2 staff appreciation opportunities. We will offer a cornucopia of snacks for teachers and will host the staff holiday party. Each staff member will also receive a $50 gift card as a token of our appreciation for all they do.
Your $25 membership dues directly support these events for our students, staff, and community. There is still time to join the PTSA this school year! In fact, we are so close to meeting our membership goals that joining today will help us be “out of the red” by Black Friday! Please join using this link: https://app.etapestry.com/cart/GSGISFFoundationGovernorsS/default/category.php?ref=185.0.191974557
If you’re not sure if you’ve joined yet this year, please reach out to our VP of Membership, Meredith Farrell at [email protected]. We appreciate your support!
National PTSA Reflections Art Contest at MLWGS
The MLWGS PTSA is sponsoring the National 2024-2025 Reflections Arts Contest. Each year, over 300,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. This 50+ year-old program helps students explore thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence, and find a love for learning to become more successful in school and in life.
2024-2025 Theme: “Accepting Imperfection”
How To Enter: Students create and submit their completed works of art tied to this year’s theme in one or more of the available arts categories: Film Production, Music Composition, Visual Arts, Dance Choreograph, Literature, & Photography.
Fill Out the Submission Form: Please read the category specifications and official rules for detailed information and enter the required details: https://forms.gle/b1z2zV7aUeHknbcr9
Submission Deadline: Monday, December 7, 2024.
Questions? Email [email protected] and [email protected] with your questions.
Time is Running Out to Unlock $20,000 for MLWGS
There are only 2 DAYS left to unlock $20,000 for MLWGS. That’s right! A generous MLWGS family and an ‘07 alum will double your donation to the Governor’s School Foundation, but only now through Giving Tuesday, December 3.
Last year, the Foundation fulfilled 93 grant requests from teachers and administrators, including covering student fees and other aid for Dragons in need; support for international student travel to 12 cities, 9 states, and 8 countries for classes and academic team competitions; cool new tools for art, science, social studies, and international language classes; and professional development for new and veteran teachers.
Already this year, the Foundation has fulfilled 36 grant requests and allocated $239,00 in overall grant funding. And we are just getting started!
So, please make your donation online today using the Giving Tuesday link to support our ongoing work!
Does your company match? If so, please submit your gift to make an even greater impact for our Dragons. Prefer to donate appreciated securities to take advantage of tax savings? It’s easy to do. Check out our online one-pager with all the info you need. Contact Foundation Executive Director Ginger O’Neil at [email protected] any time for assistance.
Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melody Beatty
