We have officially entered the second nine weeks! It is hard to believe how quickly the first quarter has passed. This week, we celebrated Unity Day by wearing orange to promote kindness and inclusion, and our girls volleyball team held a Pink Out in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Our fall sports season is also winding down as our teams head into regional and state competition. We had the pleasure of welcoming Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan to celebrate one of our own Dragons.
Our administrative team continues to enjoy visiting classrooms and getting out onto the fields. During a visit to Ms. Tweedy’s PE 10 class for their football unit on the track, I learned that there is more to catching a football than I thought. Apparently, my hands should be in a diamond formation. Who knew? I would have liked to give it a try, but my clogs were not exactly appropriate footwear, something I already knew. There is always next time. Ms. Sheppard and Mr. Brown welcomed a practicum student into their classrooms this week. Rehearsals for our spring musical are underway, and while I cannot share too much just yet, I heard some strong voices that drew me out of my office to see what was going on. You will definitely want to come once ticket sales are posted. Our department chairs also met this week, and we talked about everything from technology to the budget. We are already planning for next school year, but let’s shift back to the here and now.
A special thank you to Sugar Shack for treating our staff to donuts in recognition of Principals’ Appreciation Month. I also want to recognize our bus drivers during National School Bus Safety Week. With students coming from 14 different school divisions, our drivers travel north, south, east, and west every day to get our students to school safely and on time. We appreciate them more than they know. Finally, our virtual parent-teacher conferences are coming up on November 2. If you have questions, concerns, or simply want to check in with a teacher, please take advantage of this opportunity. Thank you to everyone who makes Maggie Walker such a wonderful place to be.
Go Dragons!
With Pride,
Dr. Kristin Janssen
Executive Director
Additional information below…
Grades 9-12: Parent/Teacher Conferences:
Fall Conferences will be held on Monday, November 2, 2026, over two sessions:
Noon to 3pm and 4 pm to 7pm
Parents will have access to book a conference starting at Noon on Monday, October 26, through Noon on Friday, October 30, 2026. Once a conference is booked, parents will receive a confirmation email with details to join the Teams meeting on the conference date. Conference windows are 15 minutes (10-minute conference, 5 minutes for teachers to transition to their next appointment). Please note that some teachers will not be available during the scheduled conference window. Those teachers will provide alternative meeting dates/times and share them directly with their parents.
Stay tuned for PowerSchool communications with updates, reminders, and the conference booking link over the next several days.
Seniors! Time is running out to sign up for your last-chance, FREE, Yearbook-only, in-school senior portrait session, with CADY, our official school photographer. The photo session will be held from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on Fri., Nov. 6, in the Commons. Tuxes and drapes will be provided. Here’s the sign-up link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E4CACAE28A0FD0-66268006-senior
As always, you’re not REQUIRED to be photographed by CADY; you may go to another studio to get your senior portrait done. But that studio must adhere to our specs. Contact Yearbook Adviser Michael White at [email protected] for details.
Mark Your Calendars for the 25th Annual Night of the Dragon–
Saturday, February 20, at the Altria Theater
Mark your calendar now for this highlight of the year for the Dragon family. The entire MLWGS community is invited to celebrate 35 years of Maggie Walker during this special evening featuring performances by beloved alumni musicians, our iconic live and silent auctions, dinner, and more. Hosted by the MLWGS Foundation, this is the largest social event of the year, with all proceeds benefiting our Dragons and their teachers.
This 2026-2027 Parent Participation Competition is Officially Underway!
Help Your Dragon’s Class (and all of MLWGS) Win
The Foundation’s Annual Fund supports the amazing academic and extracurricular experiences that set MLWGS apart, including our award-winning academic clubs and teams, mind-broadening student travel, cutting-edge teacher professional development, vital student aid, and more. The Parent Participation Campaign is a friendly (but fierce, lol) competition that recognizes the class with the highest percentage of parents making annual fund donations each year. Every donation counts. And the winning class gets bragging rights and a sweet treat in May courtesy of the Foundation!
Who will take the early lead this year? 2027? 2028? 2029? 2030? We’ll see. Support your Dragon’s class by making your gift online today.
Join Your MLWGS Parent Teacher Student Organization for 2026-2027!
Click HERE to join your family to the PTSA and donate!
Click HERE for the Volunteer Interest Form
Let’s Go Dragons! We loved meeting so many new families at MLWGS orientation. The Dragon magic is alive and well, and we’re excited for another amazing year!
Join Now! Your family belongs! Our PTSA is 100% inclusive, welcoming everyone who supports our students and school. Membership is for one school year, so it’s time to join for 2026–2027!
All In! We encourage parents/guardians and students to join together. Grandparents, relatives, and alumni are welcome, too! Our community is one of the largest PTAs in Virginia because we all invest in our Dragons.
Support MLWGS & Your Student! Our PTSA relies entirely on family donations. With our work powered by volunteers, every dollar goes toward supporting students and teachers. Suggested family donation: $50.
All Means All! If membership fees or donations are a challenge, please contact a PTSA officer or school counselor. We will make sure your family can join. Everyone belongs! Want to sponsor another family? $31 covers two adults and a student.
Our goal: 1,000 Dragons strong! Let’s Go Dragons!
This is going to be our best year yet! —Dr. Ben Pearson-Nelson, MLWGS PTSA President
Join your family to the PTSA and donate today!
As of September 10, 2026, 80 colleges/universities have scheduled visits to MLWGS for lunchtime presentations! All Dragons in grades 10-12 are invited to attend. Exact locations will be featured on the daily morning announcements and the white dry-erase board outside of the Counseling Office. To preview a list of who is coming to our school*, check out this link, and if you have any questions about College Rep Visits to MLWGS, feel free to contact senior/college counselor Kim Forquer at [email protected]:
*Please note that all appointments are subject to change…and more are likely to be added throughout the fall.
Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society) offers free Math Tutoring every Monday and Thursday at lunchtime (11:45-12:15) in Room 201 and every Tuesday and Wednesday after school (3:30-4:30) in Room 202. Students are welcome to just drop in – no appointment is necessary!
National English Honor Society
National English Honor Society also offers tutoring in the Dragon Lit Lab in Room 228 during lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students are welcome to drop in, and no appointment is necessary! Our current focus is parts of speech and sentence patterns for 9th and 10th graders!
WINTER SPORTS are just around the corner. Basketball, Swimming, Indoor Track and Wrestling will start on November 10th. Please send the completed required VHSL paperwork https://mlwgs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/VHSL-Forms-25.pdf to [email protected] as a PDF file to be eligible. _____________________________________________________________________
AP Exam Registration and Payment
For students enrolled in one or more Advanced Placement courses, it is now time to complete your registration for AP exams for May 2027. Handouts went out in September outlining the simple two-step process:
- Join the course in MyAP (most students did this at the start of the year) and confirm that the courses listed are accurate. Ensure any dropped courses no longer appear on your course list, that you have joined any recently added courses, and that you are enrolled in the correct section.
- Pay for your exams ($99 per exam) in OSP by midnight on Friday, October 23rd, 2026. The College Board’s $40 per exam late fee will be applied after that date.
Important dates, deadlines, and procedures for special circumstances such as opting out of taking an AP exam are explained in the linked AP Exam Ordering Information handout. Requests for fee waivers or reductions can be made by completing this form and returning it to Joy Cobb at [email protected]. All other AP questions can be directed to Rachel Loving at [email protected].
From the Yearbook staff:
1. Juniors, sophomores, and freshmen! Remember Picture Day? Want to see your Yearbook picture and maybe even order copies? Just click on this link to get to the CADY portal and see how great you looked. In related news, makeups/retakes will be on Wed, Nov. 4. Questions? Contact Yearbook Adviser Michael White at [email protected].
2. Yearbook prices go up on Oct. 1, but right now you can pre-order your book at the low price of $50. Here’s how to buy the 2027 Vault directly from our publisher, Varsity: click HERE, then follow the prompts to pay via credit card, debit card, PayPal, or e-check. You may also mail a traditional check directly to Varsity. Sadly, Varsity doesn’t accept Venmo or Zelle and we can’t accept payments at Maggie Walker. Pre-orders will not be accepted after May 1.
Annual Compulsory Attendance Reminders
Attendance counts; every day matters! Our Dragons work hard to balance rigorous coursework, extracurricular activities, and a social life, but we understand that life happens. Kids get sick, families take vacations, and doctor’s appointments must be kept. As the parent or guardian, please take the time to read the Code of Virginia pertaining to compulsory attendance, with subsequent information outlining your responsibilities as the caregiver. In addition, make note of our policies and time frames to ensure you are communicating with our attendance secretary, Ms. Darleen Bowman ([email protected]), when your child is absent, will be arriving late, or leaving early. Details can be found in the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct, pages 17-20. Have questions? Please email Ms. Bowman and Ms. Ortiz, school social worker and attendance officer. Have a great year!
Annual Fall Art Walk
On November 6th the MLWGS Visual + Performing Arts Dept. and the MLWGS Visual Arts Boosters (VAB) will be hosting our annual Fall Art Walk event, in conjunction with Richmond’s First Fridays. First Fridays RVA is the monthly event when art galleries on Broad St. all open to the public for the evening. There will be much artwork to enjoy! Students, parents, family, friends, and staff are all invited!
To begin the evening, our wonderful Visual Arts Boosters will be hosting a reception from 5:30 pm to – 6:00 pm. Please join us for snacks and fellowship prior to heading out to the galleries. If you are willing to help out with food and set up for the reception, please sign up here….
Everyone will receive a map of the galleries and Coach Hall will guide anyone who would like to join him around to some specific exhibitions.
To help you avoid having to park downtown, we will be providing a school bus which will run a circuit from Broad St. galleries and back to school all evening. The bus will continue this circuit throughout the evening until the last pickup at 8:30 pm. This way you may stay for as long (or as short) as you like. Details will be discussed that evening.
If you’ve never had the opportunity to participate in a First Fridays Art Walk – or even if you have – we’d love to see you at our event! It’s always a very fun evening. All are welcome (students, parents, family members, & faculty)!
When: Friday November 6th, 2026, 5:30 pm – 8:30pm
Where: Meet in the “adjunct classroom”, room #153, near the Maggie Walker mural to enjoy snacks and refreshments.
Please RSVP: by Thursday Nov. 5th – https://evite.me/MnaKFxTPwD
Calling all current sophomores and juniors!
Imagine spending part of your summer at the University of Virginia, living and learning alongside students from Japan, exploring another culture, and building friendships that could last a lifetime!
The High School Diplomats (HSD) U.S. Program is offering an incredible, fully funded cultural exchange experience at UVA from July 22–31, 2027.
Only 20 American students will be selected to join 20 students from Japan for an experience that includes:
- Cultural exchange and international friendships
- A Japanese roommate and opportunities to learn about the Japanese language and culture
- Engaging discussions, presentations, and learning experiences
- Japanese festivals, sports, karaoke, and other activities
The best part? The program scholarship covers housing, meals, and activities! Transportation is not included, but financial assistance may be available.
Students who complete the U.S. program may also have the opportunity to participate in the High School Diplomats Japan program the following summer.
Application Deadline: January 19, 2027
This is a wonderful opportunity for Maggie Walker students who are curious about the world, enjoy meeting new people, and want to experience something beyond the traditional classroom.
Learn more and apply: https://www.highschooldiplomats.com/apply
Don’t miss the chance to make your summer an international experience! Apply now.
Graduation – Cap and Gown orders
Seniors – Herff Jones will be on site on Monday, October 26 for a very brief mandatory class meeting at the start of lunch in the auditorium to discuss graduation. Measurements for caps and gowns will be collected, and information about other graduation-related items will be shared. Please plan to arrive at the start of lunch, and we will not take up too much time to share these important details before the order for regalia is placed. Email Ms. Sheppard ([email protected]) or Ms. Love ([email protected]) if you have any questions.
JUNIORS: Want to win a trip to Salamanca, España, July 24-31, 2027?
If you scored a 75% or higher on the National Spanish Exam last year AND will register to take this year’s NSE AND you plan to study Spanish at MLWGS next year, consider applying for the AATSP Junior Travel Scholarship!
One level 3+ student may apply per teacher. Reach out to your teacher by Friday, Oct. 30. if you are interested in being the applicant from her classes. (More info here.)
The award includes 20 hours of Spanish language instruction at the University of Salamanca, local transportation, tours, meals, and insurance. Your group will stay at the USAL Student Residences during their stay.
Jabberwock, the MLWGS student press, is now offering ad space!
- Celebration/Birthday Ad for Current MLWGS Student = $10 per issue
- 1/8 Page = $25 per issue
- 1/4 Page = $35 per issue
- Half Page = $75 per issue
- Full Page = $100 per issue
Fill out this interest form and a member of the editorial staff will be in contact for particulars.
Help Stock the Library’s New Games Cabinet!
Are any of the 15 games listed below gathering dust in your home? Contribute gently used games to help stock the library’s new games cabinet! Miss playing games on your phone at lunch? Once the games cabinet is stocked, you can stop by the library and borrow a game to take to your favorite hangout spot on campus. Applying the earth-friendly practice of reuse, let’s see how many of these games we can gather without anyone buying them. The list below is based on a survey conducted last month about which games students would like to borrow, focusing on those that can be played in 30 minutes or less (i.e., during lunch). Asterisks* mark the top three requests for which stocking multiple decks would be great. Questions? Stop by the library or email Ms. DeGroat at [email protected].
- Apples to Apples
- Bananagrams
- Connect 4
- Exploding Kittens
- Heads Up! (board game version)
- Jenga
- Mancala
- Monopoly Deal
- Phase 10
- Playing cards – 52-card standard (French) deck*
- Playing cards – 48-card Spanish deck
- Sorry!
- Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza*
- Uno*
- Who Knows You Best?
Swords, Scales, & Silicon Valley, a MLWGS-UVA dialogue program about AI & society
The interest-form submission window is OPEN for Swords, Scales, & Silicon Valley! In collaboration with Kasia Wasiak, a MLWGS graduate and former One Small Step Organizer who’s a junior at UVA, the MLWGS Library is piloting a dialogue program with a small group of UVA Cavaliers and MLWGS Dragons to explore big-picture questions about AI’s role in society. Participants will consider contrasting viewpoints, engaging with some of the complexities of this consequential issue to begin discerning their own viewpoint on it. The pilot will involve 10-12 MLWGS students, and all activities will be held at MLWGS. For more details, go to the interest form. Submission deadline: 4 pm Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Applications are now available for the Summer Residential Governor’s Schools.
All sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply. These programs are run by the Commonwealth and provide opportunities for high school gifted students to explore professional and university environments through mentorships and academic enrichment. Information and applications can be found at: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/specialized-instruction/governor-s-schools/summer-residential-governor-s-schools.
Maggie L. Walker students are grouped together and are not viewed as applicants from their respective school divisions. Applicants should be committed to attend; our school loses a slot if a student is accepted and does not participate. Questions about the programs or application process can be addressed to Joy Cobb, sophomore and junior counselor, at [email protected].
Academic Programs
Academic Programs: Humanities; Mathematics; Science and Technology; Agriculture; Life Sciences and Medicine; Engineering (NASA) (must be 16 by June 18, 2027 and a U.S. citizen); Marine Science.
We can send a total of one nominee for this entire area, with two slots for the School for Agriculture. Students should submit applications to Joy Cobb in the counseling department by January 11, 2027. Please do not submit teacher recommendations at this time. This will give us enough time for our school selection committee to choose which students to nominate, and in turn solicit teacher recommendations for these nominees.
Governor’s Foreign Language Academies
Academies: Full-Immersion Academies in French, Spanish, German; partial-immersion in Japanese Language; and Latin Academy.
Each academy allows one nominee from our school. Interested students should talk directly with their language teacher soon. Our foreign language department determines who is nominated from our school. If interested, please contact your language teacher. The deadline for completed application forms is January 31, 2027.
Visual and Performing Arts Program
Areas of Study: Dance, Theatre, Visual Art, Instrumental Music, Vocal Music.
We can send a total of five nominees for this program, one per area of study. Interested students should talk directly with their fine arts teacher so that we have time to submit the Applicant Report for Site Adjudication form by November 19, 2026. The final application is due February 6, 2027.
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Mu Alpha Theta is sponsoring a guest presentation on Thursday, October 29, from 3:30 – 4:30 in the Forum. The speaker is Dr. Jessica Otis, an Associate Professor of History at George Mason University. She received her MS in Mathematics and PhD in History from the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on the cultural history of mathematics, plague, and cryptography in early modern England.
Her talk is titled, “Drop’d Down Dead in the Fields: Plague, Popular Numeracy, and the London Bills of Mortality.” One of the most dreaded diseases in early modern Europe was plague. The city of London alone lost an estimated 225,000 people to plague in the century between 1563 and 1665. Beginning in the sixteenth century, government officials co-opted the city’s existing religious infrastructure to collect data about plague mortality—data that was, for the first time, quantitative, not qualitative. At the turn of the seventeenth century, during another epidemic of plague, London officials started publicly distributing this data every week in a series that became known as the London Bills of Mortality. This talk will explore the mathematics of the London Bills of Mortality and contextualize them in the changing cultural landscape of late sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England.
