Good evening, Dragon Nation.
At the MLWGS Regional School Board meeting on February 27th, the board voted to extend the current leadership structure for the remainder of the year. I will continue as Acting Director with Dr. Williams as Director’s Designee through June 30. A search for a Director will begin in March with a start date of July 1. Dr. Williams and I plan to honor Dr. Lowerre’s legacy through stability, continuity, and finishing the year strong. Thank you all for your support.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Smith
Acting Director
**Quarter 3 grades will be ready for review on March 25 on PowerSchool. This is a change from the original date of March 18 due to multiple school days lost in January and February due to snow and the water crisis.**
Senior Letter/Senior Events 2025
Every year, MLWGS publishes a letter with information about senior-related events taking place for the remainder of the year. As it is only March, we want to remind you that some details may change. We hope that you will bookmark this letter and refer back to it as we near each activity and opportunity. If you have any questions, please contact the individual(s) responsible for the event.
You can access the letter here.
We look forward to celebrating all of our seniors as we get closer to the end of the year!
Seeking Public Comment on the 2025-2026 Proposed School Operating Budget
During the MLWGS Regional School Board meeting on February 27th, the acting director presented a proposal for the 2025-2026 academic year operating budget.
The Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School Administration, in conjunction with the Superintendent’s Steering Committee and the Finance Steering Committee (comprised of the Chief Financial Officers from Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, Powhatan, and Richmond) worked to finalize this operating budget proposal.
The AY26 budget proposal and executive summary can be viewed here, created on baseline financial data received from the VDOE to date, but subject to change with the upcoming conclusion/adoption of the Virginia General Assembly State budget with the Governor’s signature of approval.
Persons wishing to submit their feedback to the Regional School Board regarding the proposed FY26 operating budget may use this link to submit their remarks or email them to the Board Clerk by Wednesday, March 19, 2025, @ 10:00 am. A separate comment form will be created for other matters before the board at their March meeting.
Juniors:
Senior/College Counselors Dr. Loving and Ms. Forquer encourage you to visit their SignUp Genius links on the “College Information for the Class of 2026” Schoology page with your parents to discuss the scheduling of your individual Junior College Meeting.
Final Day to Get Your Night of the Dragon Tickets, Make Table Requests
Monday is the final day to purchase tickets and make seating requests for this weekend’s 23rd Annual Night of the Dragon. This fun-filled, come as you like event on March 22 is MLWGS’ single largest annual fundraiser and includes Live and Silent Auctions, dinner, drinks, student entertainment, and more.
Mobile Silent Auction Bidding Begins Tomorrow
If you can’t attend the event, be sure to sign in on the site to bid from anywhere. You can even set max bids and let the site automatically bid for you.
This year’s line up of amazing Live and Silent Auction items, includes: * Vacation home stays * Lunch with Richmond Mayor Danny Avula * Reserved seats for MLWGS graduation * Theater and event tickets * Wine for a year * Date Nights for a year * One-of-a-kind art, jewelry, and items for the home * Our ever-popular themed gift baskets * Gift certificates galore * And so much more!
Contact Info for Grandparents’ and Special Adults Day Wanted
On the afternoon of Friday, April 25, the Governor’s School Foundation will host Maggie Walker’s annual Grandparents’ and Special Adults Day. Grandparents or other special adults of all current Dragons are invited to come to campus, hear a bit about our wonderful programs, and take a tour with their grandchild(ren) at the end of the day.
If your Dragon would like to invite their grandparents/special guest, please fill out the google form linked here by March 22 so we can create invites.
The event will begin at 2:30 pm with a short presentation in the auditorium followed by a reception with guests’ students at 3:15pm. Students are encouraged to show their guests some of their favorite spots around the school once the halls clear. The final shuttle will depart for the parking lot at 4pm.
Important Parking Info: Because parking is very limited, we will be running a shuttle from a satellite lot tbd. Please consider dropping off and picking up your guests if this is problematic. More details about location to come closer to the event.
Let’s go to Belize for 2026 Spring Break!
Has your student ever dreamed about traveling the world? Exploring ancient Mayan ruins or zip-lining through a rainforest canopy? Now is the chance to make their dreams a reality! Your student will gain new perspectives, develop a sense of independence, and build skills for the future through this experience
Please register for the information session on March 24 at 6:00pm to learn more. Follow this link to send your response: https://bit.ly/4hZrJMX
In this info session, we’ll talk about:
- How this opportunity will benefit your student
- What we’ll see and do on our trip
- Everything that’s included in this experience
- How we’re keeping this safe and affordable
- How to enroll on this trip (before it fills up!) during EF’s risk-free enrollment period
Update Mu Alpha Theta Guest Speaker Series
Due to winter weather challenges, the talk by Dr. Laura Taalman of James Madison University has been postponed to Friday, MARCH 21, 2025, from 3:30 to 4:45 in the Forum. Her presentation is on “Interactive Patterns: Using math and code to optimize crafts.”
Community Service Fair at MLWGS, March 27th
Maggie Walker requires 140 hours of community service by the 3rd quarter of every student’s senior year. Each year the school holds a community service fair to help bring organizations and students together. This year the date of the fair is March 27th, so that all students would have a chance to attend if interested.
The Freshmen class is being split into two groups, with the first group attending from 10:50-11:10 am and the second group attending from 11:10-11:30 am. During lunch (11:30-noon) the Fair will be open to all interested students.
March Department Highlight: Visual and Performing Arts, Tremendously Talened and Stupendously Supportive
Last year, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School received the VMEA Blue Ribbon Award, marking a significant achievement as it was the first time in the school’s history. The VMEA Blue Ribbon Award is the highest honor given to school music programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia, recognizing excellence in Band, Orchestra, and Choral Performance. To qualify for this prestigious award, all top eligible performing groups must receive a final Superior rating at the VMEA District Concert Performance Assessment. With our orchestra already achieving straight Superior ratings, we are hopeful for another Blue Ribbon recognition this year.
In AY2025, Joe Revell joined the Visual and Performing Arts Department. He brought professional experience as a music director and composer for theatre in England, his home country. Joe teaches drama, chorus, and competitive chorus.
The department has been busy preparing for our annual March Youth Art and Music Month extravaganza, it’s a true collaboration! This event raises awareness about the importance of Fine Arts in education, and with over half of the school participating in Visual and Performing Arts classes, it brings the entire school community together. We displayed beautiful artwork created by every student in our Photography, Art, and Digital Art classes. Additionally, our talented musicians from the Band, Orchestra, and Chorus classes performed throughout the evening. It was an incredibly successful event, and the exhibition, along with additional workshops, will continue throughout the month.
This time of year marks our annual music assessments, which are a requirement for our students. During these assessments, students perform for a panel of judges and receive grades based on their performances. This process meets both national and statewide standards in music education. Recently, the MLWGS Orchestra excelled at this year’s assessment, receiving perfect scores! Both ensembles achieved straight Superior ratings. One group performed grade 5 music, while the other tackled grade 6, the highest possible level. The music team, consisting of Nick, Allison, and Joe, along with their students, deserve all the credit for their outstanding achievements during the music assessments.
We would be remiss not to mention our fantastic spring drama production, *Mean Girls*. This delightful and high-energy show brought together a talented cast and crew of students, who delivered outstanding performances, sharp comedic timing, and impressive musical numbers. The production captivated audiences with its beautiful set design and heartfelt storytelling. The play was led by our Drama Club sponsor, Devon Mattys (not pictured), along with our dedicated drama students.
Our upcoming events include the Spring Band Concert on April 30th at 7 PM and the Spring Orchestra Concert on May 2nd at 7 PM. Both concerts will take place in the MLWGS auditorium. Additionally, our annual off-campus Senior Art Exhibition will run from May 9th to May 17th, with an opening reception on May 9th from 6 PM to 8 PM. This exhibition will be held at ArtWorks Gallery Richmond, located at 320 Hull St., Richmond. The event is free and open to the public.
Lastly, congratulations to Jeff Hall for being named a Finalist for the 2024 REB Award for Teaching Excellence, and to Nick Merillat, who was nominated for the 2025 REB Award for Teaching Excellence.
GO DRAGONS!!!
“Encouragement is like water to the soul, it makes everything grow.” ―Chris Burkmenn
