Good evening, Dragon Nation.
Governor Youngkin plans to sign the ‘bell to bell no cell’ bill into law in April. In compliance with this, we are previewing a draft timetable. After Spring Break, we plan to enforce what is already in our Code of Conduct (p.14) for the remainder of the year. Students will still be able to use phones in the cafeteria and transitions, but during class time, phones will need to be powered off and stored in backpacks (not pockets). Starting in August, students will be able to have their cell phones, but they must be powered off and in their backpacks from 8:40 PM to 3:10 PM. As this is a cultural change for our school, we are planning a long runway, with plenty of input, grace, and communication.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Smith
Acting Director
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 April, 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!
Scholarship Opportunities for MLWGS Seniors
Seniors, if you are interested in applying for a MLWGS-exclusive scholarship (the Dr. Smriti Bardhan Scholarship, the Rajan Scholarship, the Priscilla Green Memorial Scholarship, or the $10,000 Robert E. and Jacquelyn Pogue Scholarship), you are encouraged to revisit Ms. Forquer’s Schoology post in the “College Information for the Class of 2025” page about these opportunities. The application deadline for the Bardhan, Rajan, and Pt. 1 of the Pogue is NOON on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. The application for the Priscilla Green can be found here and is due by March 31: https://bit.ly/PGMS2025
For more scholarship opportunities, check out the MLWGS Class of 2025 Scholarship List: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t1CNmRcjxs9SSXjTh1g5Z-oDDQ8XLlZJN57s9cAWrvs/edit?usp=sharing
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.
WWII and the Western Front Trip June 2026
Get an opportunity to learn about World War 2 and the Cold War while visiting 4 European nations. The trip will include excursions to the Churchill War Rooms in London, visits to key sites for the D-Day invasion, several days in Paris including a tour of the Palace of Versailles, as well as sites in Belgium and Germany.
Please register for the information session on March 25 at 6PM to learn more. Follow this link to send your response: https://rsvp.eftours.com/yysn7tr
In this info session, we will discuss:
- How this opportunity will benefit your student
- What is included in this experience
- Costs and logistical issues
- How to enroll on this trip (before it fills up!)
Italian Students at MLWGS
Many of you may not know that Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School is the only high school in the commonwealth of Virginia that offers Italian as a course of study. We compete with all high schools in the states across the USA when taking the National Italian Contest. It is with great pride that I salute the following students in Italian II Honors and Italian I Honors for having scored in the 96% or better in either the reading or listening (or both) sections of this test. The ‘*’ students scored a perfect on both sections. Medals and monetary awards will be given after April 10.
Italian II Honors Italian I Honors
Grace Blakely Claire Adcock
Helena Damer * Isabella Arcaro
Hadley Driscoll Isabella Baldini
Elise Eason Jake Bryner *
Luna Fortuna Ayden Christian
Henry Hanna Evelyn Hayter
Carson Holbert Eli Konikoff
Ella Kristensen * David Lins *
Willian Leyva Gamez Jade Moses
Isabella Whelan * Ethan Roerink *
Callan Vellozzi *
Alessandro WheatleyDiaz
Tanti Complimenti!!!!!
Susan Hefty
March Department Highlight: Visual and Performing Arts, Tremendously Talented 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!!!
“A vacation is having nothing to do and having all day to do it.” — Robert Orben
