Director’s Blog 2020-21

Posted on June 13, 2021 by Robert Lowerre

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Yearbooks

The Yearbook staff will continue to distribute and sell YEARBOOKS at lunch in the Commons on Monday and Tuesday, June 14-15. If you haven’t pre-ordered a book, please bring $55 in cash or check (made out to MLWGS).

Athletics

Any student interested in athletics at Maggie Walker for 2021-2022 school must have a VHSL physical emailed to the following emails, [email protected] and [email protected] in a PDF document-NOT a WORD or pictures document. All try-out/start dates can be found on the same link below:

https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/athletics/

MLWGS Foundation

Celebrate Your Grad & Leave Your Mark at MLWGS!

The Governor’s School Foundation invites families of MLWGS seniors and graduates to purchase inscribed pavers to leave a lasting tribute at the school. Inscribed MLWGS pavers are a great graduation gift from parents, grandparents, anyone trying to find something special and lasting to give their favorite graduate(s). You can purchase either a Bluestone paver inside the school lobby or a brick paver to be placed on the Lombardy Street walkway. All donated funds beyond the cost of the engraving are tax-deductible.

Orders must be received by July 1. The cost is:

* $500 for an exterior brick pavers (up to 3 lines of text with 13 characters/spaces per line)

*$1,000 for a Bluestone lobby paver (up to 3 lines of text with 13 characters/spaces per line)

You can order online at http://www.mlwgsfoundation.org/donate/ or contact Ginger O’Neil, [email protected].

Good News!

Congratulations to Grace Liu, Daphne Pang, Emma Hunter, and Kirby Westerfield! Their PSA “Moonball” won the Audience Choice award in their category at the VHSL Film Festival! Thank you to all the MLWGS students who participated in this year’s festival and we hope to see you compete again next year!

Well, we made it! The last week of school is finally here! I want to sincerely thank all of you, and especially the students for making the best of a very challenging year at MLWGS! The team will work hard this summer to evaluate the best way to re-open in the fall with all of our students on campus every day! I can’t wait! I wish you all the best as you take some time off this Summer to relax, re-charge, and re-connect with friends and families. Today’s quote is one of my favorites from Mark Twain that I have used on the last message for the past few years. It has nothing to do with education, but maybe it does….He says, “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Freshmen

All freshmen will take Biology SOL tests during the week of Monday June 7th. These tests will be administered during biology classes at regular class times and students should come to school according to the in person assignments listed below UNLESS athletic playoffs or other events force students to come to school on the other day of their Biology class meeting.

As a reminder, here are the in person assignments for Monday/Tuesday vs Wednesday/Thursday.

Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and Richmond will be split evenly. Students with last names A-Li will be on Mon & Tues. Students with last names Lia-Z will be on Wed & Thurs.
Goochland, Hopewell, and Powhatan will be on Mon & Tues.
Charles City, King & Queen, New Kent, Petersburg, and Prince George will be on Wed & Thurs.

If students haven’t been attending school in person, they will most likely need to arrange for transportation from a parent. Students may come to school just to take the test and then return home to attend classes virtually OR they are welcome to attend in person classes for the entire day. School computers will be used for testing so no need to bring a laptop for SOL testing!

More information about SOLs can be found on the counseling SOL webpage.

Textbook Return

School resources and text return will be June 11th from 8am-noon for students currently on virtual learning. Resources/texts will be returned to teacher classrooms or another designated location. A comprehensive list will be available at the Bluestone upon check-in. If a student cannot make it to campus on Friday June 11th, they should email their teachers to make alternative arrangements the following week. For clerical purposes, we strongly encourage drop offs on June 11th. All books or other materials must be returned no later than June 18th. Students present on campus will be returning their books over the next few weeks through their normal class schedule.

Attention MLWGS Community!

Feedback due Midnight Sunday evening, June 6th: The School Advisory Council (SAC) is seeking the feedback of students and parents from the Classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024 as well as faculty on our transcripts. SAC would like your input on the following google form to gauge your preferences on the practice on including numerical values on transcripts, which has been in place since 2017. More detail about this issue is included in the introduction of this optional, anonymous survey: https://forms.gle/jBqCL9ecTR7tXSLa7

School Counseling

Rising seniors:

Juniors and their parents/guardians were sent an e-mail on Friday, May 28th filled with announcements pertaining to the end of the school year. Here are a couple highlights:

College Boot Camp will return to a fully in-person event in August 2021. Interested students of the Class of 2022 may register on the following link (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B48AFA62BA75-college7) AND pay on the MLWGS website by the June 11^th deadline. Information about fee waivers, if needed, is included within the Sign Up Genius.

Juniors are invited to begin working on their Brag Sheet in Naviance. An optional Parent Questionnaire has also been released (under Surveys). These are not due until early September. Questions about Naviance? E-mail Ms. Forquer or Dr. Loving.

Graduating seniors:

Students, please check your MLWGS e-mail accounts for any messages that might have been delivered to you on Friday, May 28th requesting clarification about your college lists or Senior Survey responses. (These were only sent to select seniors.) Thanks! Also, if you are offered a spot off a college waitlist, change your intended college, or receive additional scholarships as we end the school year, please update your senior counselor by e-mail.

Athletics

https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/athletics/

MLWGS Foundation

Celebrate Your Grad & Leave Your Mark at MLWGS!

Orders must be received by July 1. The cost is:

* $500 for an exterior brick pavers (up to 3 lines of text with 13 characters/spaces per line)

*$1,000 for a Bluestone lobby paver (up to 3 lines of text with 13 characters/spaces per line)

You can order online at http://www.mlwgsfoundation.org/donate/ or contact Ginger O’Neil, [email protected].

Good News!

The Maggie Walker Math Contests team cruised to first in the state in the Virginia Math League competition, winning by 12 points over our nearest competitor. Ankit Aggrawal, Eric Hu, and Eric Qian were the top individual scorers for the school, tying for 3^rd in the state. 87 students participated in at least one of the six contests held throughout the year. Congratulations to all!

VHSL Recognizes MLWGS Robotics Team 422 as a Trophy Class Team

At a recognition ceremony on June 3rd, Robotics Team 422: The Mech Tech Dragons was recognized as a Trophy Class team by the Virginia High School League (VHSL). The Trophy Class designation is the highest-level recognition in the VHSL Robotics competition. To receive this honor, members worked to document the team’s work in both technical and community outreach areas through writing and video. Congratulations!

You can view the team’s video submission here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QljsEO36sjo

The VHSL is an alliance of Virginia’s public and approved non-boarding, non-public high schools that promotes education, leadership, sportsmanship, character and citizenship for students by establishing and maintaining high standards for school activities and competitions.

Last week Devesh Kumar and Yash Saxena were left off of the list or students who presented their research via Zoom to a panel of judges on May 15.

VJAS is directly sponsored by the Virginia Academy of Science (VAS) with the objectives of discovering and encouraging scientific aptitude among secondary school students in Virginia, fostering fellowship between its members and members of the VAS, encouraging students to continue their education in science, engineering, and related fields, and developing a background among its members which leads to future membership in the Virginia Academy of Science and other professional science organizations.

Please congratulate Devesh and Yash on this prestigious accomplishment.

I would like to end tonight’s message with a quote from the late Muhammad Ali. Aside from being a champion boxer, Ali was an activist and a man that lived by his beliefs. One of my favorite Ali quotes is as follows:

“Impossible is just a word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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School will be closed tomorrow in observance of Memorial Day.

Covid-19 Protocol Change:

In keeping in line as best we can with the current CDC and VDH guidelines, we will make the following changes effecting Tuesday June 1^st:

Students and staff will no longer be screened by temperature scan upon entering the building. The process of self-screening prior to arriving at campus will remain in effect. Please stay home if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
Visitors and guests will continue to be scanned upon entering the building.
Vaccinated students, staff, and visitors will no longer be required to wear a mask when outdoors on school property. This includes athletic events. We will place appropriate signage at our outdoor events but will not be requiring proof of vaccination.
Until the Governor lifts the mask mandate for people inside school buildings, we will continue to require all personnel to wear masks inside the building when around others.

Attention sophomores and juniors:

SOL testing will take place this week in Reading (all juniors) and World History II (only sophomores who didn’t take the US History SOL or the World History I SOL in middle school).

Testing will take place during junior English and Global Studies 10 classes at their regularly scheduled times. Students should report to school on the day designated earlier in the spring but be aware that the week is shifting forward by one day due to Memorial Day! Tues and Thurs will be even days and Wed and Fri will be odd days.

Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and Richmond: Students with last names A-Li will be on Tues & Wed. Students with last names Lia-Z will be on Thurs and Fri.

Goochland, Hopewell, and Powhatan will be on Tues and Wed.

Charles City, King & Queen, New Kent, Petersburg, and Prince George will be on Thurs and Fri.

Textbook Return

Seniors

Dear Class of 2021,

As you are all quite aware, Covid has really impacted our school year and end-of-the-year calendar. We have worked hard to put together some in-person senior events to honor their achievements, but we have had to adjust the dates to meet the state’s requirements. The MLWGS calendar will reflect these changes, but we wanted to spread the word to make sure you had an up-to-date list. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the class officers or Ms. Sheppard ([email protected]).

Here is a list of remaining Senior events (both virtual and in-person):

JUNE 4 – Last Academic Day for Seniors
JUNE 5 – prom
JUNE 10 – Senior Showcase
JUNE 11 – Check-out – Seniors need to turn in all borrowed items (books, uniforms) and obtain signatures from teachers/coaches/staff members. Teachers will be in the building until 12:00pm to sign the form. Here is a link to the form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/111FpjVgOsrGtoejU6dosFX1zT0V4UuwF/view?usp=sharing
JUNE 11 – Senior “Letter-to-Self” – If students have not already received their freshmen letter, they can pick theirs up from Ms. Sheppard. We also ask that Seniors submit a senior Letter-to-Self where they write something to themselves that they will receive at their 10-year reunion. Ms. Sheppard will have envelopes on hand and a drop box to collect the letters.
JUNE 11 – Extra graduation tickets – Governor Northam plans to ease restrictions further at the end of May. We will be able to give an additional 4 tickets to each senior (for a total of 10). Seniors may pick these up from Ms. Sheppard. Reminder: Seniors do not need a ticket to enter the stadium for graduation.
JUNE 15 – Senior picnic and Senior Night – We have moved the picnic to the MLWGS field from 5:00-6:30 on June 15 before Senior Night (line-up in the gym will start at 6:40). We will be ordering pizza for everyone and hope that it will be a lovely start to our night saluting our seniors.
JUNE 17 – Graduation PRACTICE – Students should arrive at Hovey Field for graduation practice by 9:00am. Attendance at practice is MANDATORY if seniors plan to attend the graduation ceremony.
JUNE 17 – GRADUATION – Seniors need to arrive by 4:00pm for line-up. This ceremony will require students to walk across AstroTurf. Please avoid wearing high heels or any shoe that would be unsafe. The ceremony will be from 5:00pm to approximately 7:00pm.

Personal Finance and Economics:

Important Announcement Regarding Summer Economics and Personal Finance

This summer, Economics will run from July 5^th-July 26^th and Personal Finance will run from July 27^th-August 17^th. Students can verify they have registered for Economics or Personal Finance by going to PowerSchool and clicking the class registration tab on the left. Economics and Personal Finance will be listed as alternate choices. If you have planned to take either class and don’t see them listed, please contact Ms. Cobb ([email protected]) immediately. If you registered for either class and no longer plan to take the class, please email Ms. Cobb. Students will not hear from Ms. Hamilton regarding the course until the week before class starts. Please contact Ms. Hamilton ([email protected]) if you have specific questions regarding Economics or Personal Finance.

Transcript Survey

Attention MLWGS Community! The School Advisory Council (SAC) is seeking the feedback of students and parents as well as faculty on our transcripts. SAC would like your input on the following google form to gauge your preferences on the practice on including numerical values on transcripts, which has been in place since 2017. More detail about this issue is included in the introduction of this optional, anonymous survey: https://forms.gle/jBqCL9ecTR7tXSLa7

Athletics

https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/athletics/

Band and Chorus Concert

The Band and Chorus will be performing their spring concert on Wednesday, June 2nd at 6:00PM. The concert will take place outdoors at various locations around the MLWGS campus. Friends and family are asked to bring their own chairs to the performances. This will be the first live performance from the music department since March of 2020! We hope to see you there!

Senior Art Exhibition Opening

Please join us for the gala opening of the 2021 MLWGS Senior Art Exhibition: “Enchanted” off-campus at Artworks Gallery Richmond on Friday, June 4^th from 6-9PM. The exhibition, which is the capstone event of our visual arts program, will highlight the collected works of 13 Maggie Walker art seniors including Emma Lindley, Elizabeth Celentano, Azaria Mosby, Cooper Tsow, Ria Bakshi, Rylan Karjane, Shreya Malani, Ada Rigsby, Isabel Martin, Julianne Zielinski, Anika Kalluri, Grace Saunders, and Helen Hall. Come meet these amazing young artists, see their work, and mingle with other Maggie Walker art lovers.

Due to COVID restrictions, there will be a staggered opening. Therefore, you must RSVP to attend the opening using the link bit.ly/enchanted21

Artworks Gallery is located at 320 Hull Street, RVA 23224 in the Manchester area of downtown Richmond. The show will continue through June 13^th.

MLWGS Foundation

Which Class Will Win?–Parent Annual Fund Competition Ends Tuesday

This year’s competition to see which class has the highest participation rate in the MLWGS Foundation Annual Fund campaign ends Tuesday, June 1. At this point, the juniors are leading the way in impressive fashion, but there’s still time for the other classes to make their moves.

Class of 2021: 23%

Class of 2022: 33%

Class of 2023: 27%

Class of 2024: 22%

You can support your student(s)’ class and our Dragons by making a donation today (any amount counts) online at https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/GSGISFFoundationGovernorsS/annualfundgift.html

The winning class gets bragging rights and a sweet treat from the Foundation!

Good News!

Maggie Walker students Perisa Ashar, Aashka Shah, Annabel Tang, and Carson Wang had papers accepted to the Virginia Junior Academy of Science (VJAS). They presented their research via Zoom to a panel of judges on May 15. These judges awarded Perisa Third Place in the Medicine and Health A section. In the Medicine and Health D section, Annabel was awarded Third Place and Aashka was awarded Honorable Mention.

Please congratulate these students on these prestigious accomplishments.

Kicker’s Tickets Fundraiser for the Class of 2024

This year’s Freshman Class has reached out to the Richmond Kickers and were able to receive a really awesome opportunity where they will give the class 30% of each ticket sold through this website: https://fevo.me/mlwgs2024 The Freshmen Class Officers think that this is not only a great way to help the class of ’24 generate funds, but also an excellent way for the MLWGS community to casually come together before the end of the school year. The tickets are for the match on June 5^th.

To many, Memorial Day, the federal U.S. holiday that takes place every year on the last Monday of May, is just another excuse for a three-day weekend. It’s also known as the day that marks the unofficial start of summer and as a day devoted to getting great deals at the mall. However, the true meaning of Memorial Day goes far beyond barbecues and sales.

The holiday began after the Civil War, and at that time was known as “Decoration Day.” While it was originally founded to honor the soldiers who died in the Civil War, today, Memorial Day is a day to honor all of the Americans who have died in military service.

Patriotic Americans should take a moment from their day of celebration and leisure to reflect on the brave sacrifices of those who have given their lives for this great nation.

I think what sums up Memorial Day best for me can be found in the words of John F. Kennedy who said, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Textbook Return

School resources and text return will be June 11th from 8am-noon for students currently on virtual learning. Students should enter through the Bluestone Lobby for temperature scans and health screenings. Resources/texts will be returned to teacher classrooms or another designated location. A comprehensive list will be available next week and at the Bluestone upon check-in. The make-up day will be June 18th from 8am-noon, approval will be granted on a case-by-case basis. Contact Mr. Smith [email protected] with any questions.

Seniors

Save the date!

Senior Night will be held on Tuesday, June 15^th from 7:00-9:00pm. in the auditorium. Due to current Covid restrictions from the Governor, masks are required to be worn. Seniors should meet in the gym at 6:40 for line-up. Please join us in honoring the Class of 2021 while reflecting on their past four years at MLWGS.

Athletics

https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/athletics/

Band and Chorus Concert

When: Wednesday, June 2 at 6:00 pm (rain date: Thursday, June 3)

Where: Front Steps on Lombardy Street

Bring your own chair!!

Senior Art Exhibition

Please join us for the gala opening of the 2021 MLWGS Senior Art Exhibition: Enchanted at Artworks Gallery on Friday, June 4^th from 6-9PM. The show, which is the capstone event of our visual arts program, will highlight the collected works of 13 Maggie Walker seniors including Emma Lindley, Elizabeth Celentano, Azaria Mosby, Cooper Tsow, Ria Bakshi, Rylan Karjane, Shreya Malani, Ada Rigsby, Isabel Martin, Julianne Zielinski, Anika Kalluri, Grace Saunders, and Helen Hall. Come meet these amazing young artists and mingle with other Maggie Walker art lovers.

Due to COVID restrictions, there will be a staggered opening. Therefore, you must RSVP to attend the opening using the link bit.ly/enchanted21 Artworks Gallery is located at 320 Hull Street, RVA 23224 in the Manchester area of downtown Richmond.

The show will continue through June 13^th.

MLWGS Foundation

Celebrate Your Grad & Leave Your Mark at MLWGS!

Orders must be received by July 1. The cost is:

* $500 for an exterior brick pavers (up to 3 lines of text with 13 characters/spaces per line)

*$1,000 for a Bluestone lobby paver (up to 3 lines of text with 13 characters/spaces per line)

You can order online at http://www.mlwgsfoundation.org/donate/ or contact Ginger O’Neil, [email protected].

We are over half way through the testing period! APs are mostly behind us and we will take on the SOLs this week. The Dragon Nation is performing well and it is clear that our students are taking them seriously and knocking them down. With only 19 school days left, things are rolling to a great finish. Needless to say, we need to finish strong so that we may enjoy our time off without any of this year’s business underfoot. I have total confidence that we will all enjoy the victory of another successful school year. The Dragon Nation can’t be beat. To paraphrase what Muhammad Ali said, “If you even dream of beating us you’d better wake up and apologize”.

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Interims

Interim 4^th marking period grades were uploaded on Friday. Please take a look in PowerSchool to make sure things are where you want them to be. We are in the home stretch, so if there is missing work, be sure to get it done and submitted.

AP Testing Updates:

Thank you AP testers for once again being super punctual and prepared for AP exams last week. As we move into the third week of testing, there will be a combination in-person exams (Monday & Friday) and digital exams (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).

Digital exams will be taken at home and there are four steps students must complete in advance in order to be ready to test. The first step is to download and log into the Digital Testing App (https://download.app.collegeboard.org/). Other steps, details about compatible devices, and other important information can be found in the Digital Testing Guide (https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-digital-testing-guide.pdf). Remember that MLWGS cannot provide tech support during at home exams, but we can try to answer questions in advance as you complete the set up process. Students taking the AP English Literature exam on Tuesday should reach out with questions on Monday. If you are learning in-person, please make sure to allow yourself plenty of time to get home and log into your device 30 minutes before the global start time. This may mean you need to leave class early; please communicate these needs to your teacher and Ms. Bowman.

Students testing in-person on Monday should arrive between 8:00 and 8:30 for a morning exam and 12:30 for an afternoon exam. There will be three exam rooms used on Monday morning. Please check the AP exam calendar on the AP Testing Schoology group to find your exam room. Please report for AP language/music exams on Friday, May 21^st by 8:30am for morning exams and 11:45am for afternoon exams. These exams can run long, so please be sure to plan meals and transportation accordingly.

Thank you all for your continued patience and diligence with these detailed instructions. Contact Rachel Loving, AP Coordinator with questions at [email protected].

Athletics

https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/athletics/

Band and Chorus Concert

When: Wednesday, June 2 at 6:00 pm (rain date: Thursday, June 3)

Where: Front Steps on Lombardy Street

Bring your own chair!!

Library News: Celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month

Celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month by reading a good book from the MLWGS Library by authors like Celeste Ng, Hari Kunzru, Kiran Desai, Yoko Ogawa, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Chang Rae-Lee, Jhumpa Lahiri, and many more! Several fiction titles are highlighted in the library’s main book display and many non-fiction titles are available too. Stop by and check one out! If you can’t squeeze one of these books into your May schedule, any month of the year is a great time to read them!

Good News!

Daniela Wheeler, a sophomore here at MLWGS, has recently been selected to participate in the 2021 US Youth Ambassadors Program with Paraguay and Uruguay. You can use the embedding link to learn more about this wonderful opportunity! Congratulations Daniela!

Perisa Ashar, a senior at MLWGS, has been selected as one of the 40 Three Dot Dash Global Teen Leaders by We Are Family Foundation for her work with STEM education equity and outreach and her work with social justice through her organizations: Illuminate and STEMinate.

The Global Teen Leaders are carefully selected and represent 16 countries from 6 continents.

Please see the following press release for more information:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/581e5b6a8419c273288db3e9/t/6088dded48956a16aeb756f8/1619582445859/WAFF_2021GTL_PressRelease_FINAL.pdf

Congratulations Perisa!

In life, we all face challenges and sometime we feel overwhelmed by all that goes on around us. Working through these challenges and not running from them makes us wiser and stronger. Tonight’s quote comes from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. She notes “The most beautiful people I’ve known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.” Work through those struggles and trials and be strong. It is the way of the Dragon!

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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AP Testing Announcements:

We have the first week of AP exams behind us. Great work to all of those who have tested in school this week. You have all been on time and super prepared! Many exams this week will be in the afternoon. Please remember they will likely not conclude until after buses have left, so please make sure that you have arranged for alternate transportation after an afternoon exam. Here is a link to the other AP reminders: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JKWFIiSQt1BUVwH6JzUcCL4eG98afVv5/view?usp=sharing

Additionally, for those students who have signed up for one or more digital exams, it is now time to focus on downloading AND logging into the Digital Testing App. The College Board recommends that ALL students taking a digital exam do this ASAP (by May 11^th if not done already) to make sure there is plenty of time to troubleshoot with College Board if there are problems. A new Digital Testing Guide (version 2.1) was released this week: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-digital-testing-guide.pdf. This document will guide students through the four steps required to successfully take your digital AP exam(s). See the Digital Testing Guide for a full list of compatible devices which includes personally-owned computers (no personally-owned Chromebooks or smart phones though).

In addition to successfully logging into the Digital Testing App (step 1), students can practice with sample questions (step 2). Student should familiarize themselves with the app NOW so that there will be time to resolve any technical issues. Students will also need to “set up” their exam 3 days before the exam (step 3, which cannot be done yet) and “check in” 30 minutes before the exam (step 4, which cannot be done yet). AP Teachers will give reminders about these steps, but it is ultimately up to the student to read the latest version of the Digital Testing Guide and prepare themselves for at-home testing. While Dr. Loving will not be able to provide tech support, please do reach out with general questions at [email protected]. Our technology officers, Mr. Bortz and Ms. Snagg will only be able to provide tech support for accessing the Digital Testing App on school-owned Chromebooks; the app will be placed on those computers this week.

Good luck with AP testing week #2!

Seniors

It has come to administration’s attention that some seniors are picking and choosing which courses to attend in person while on campus. Although many will be on college campuses next year, seniors are not free to select which classes to attend while in high school. If they are on campus, they are expected to be present in person for their classes, not Zooming from another location or heading home for part of the day.

Thank you for adhering to school policy on this matter.

You’re off to college… now what? What are you really supposed to be doing during these next four years that will help you land a job after graduation and start a career? How can you best explore your interests, gain valuable skills and experience, find the people who can help you along the way, and show your value to potential employers or graduate schools? What are employers even looking for, anyway?

We strongly encourage every senior to attend “How to Ensure College Leads to a Career” on Wednesday, May 12 from 7-8:30pm as we welcome presenter Jennifer McCluskey and explore the answers to these questions. You are in for a fun, engaging, and very informative evening!

Ms. McCluskey is a former Maggie Walker teacher who has worked as a career advisor at VCU and is currently a certified career consultant and lead facilitator at Capital One’s Career Development Center. Her experience in working with hundreds of clients ranging from high school to retirement age has given her unique insight into the challenges and opportunities you will be facing in the next four years and beyond and what people wish they had known when they were in college.

Email Ms. Sheppard, Class of 2021 sponsor, if you have any questions: [email protected]

All SENIORS are required to complete their Senior Survey in Naviance no later than Monday, May 10th. The information they share on this survey is essential to the work of the School Counseling Department. Please make sure that your Class of 2021 graduate has completed (and submitted) their survey. In addition to reporting any scholarship money they have been offered, they must also declare the outcomes of their college applications here–including the name of the one school which they wish to receive their final transcript soon after graduation. If your child is offered a spot off a college waitlist, changes their intended college, or receives additional scholarships after May 10th, they must update their senior counselor by e-mail. Thank you!

Juniors

Who’s ready for another JUNIOR NEWSLETTER? The May 2021 (You’re Almost Seniors!) edition was released on Friday, May 7th. Featured topics include College Boot Camp registration (open through June 11), a long list of live/virtual college events taking place soon (most of which are also open to UNDERCLASSMEN!), and a variety of contests and scholarship opportunities–including an invitation to self-nominate for the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship from UNC-Chapel Hill. (Interested juniors must complete the corresponding survey in Naviance by 3:30PM on May 17th.) If you have any questions about what you see in the newsletter, please do not hesitate to reach out to Kim Forquer. Mrs. Cobb, Dr. Loving, and Ms. Forquer hope that the information they have shared in the Junior Newsletters this school year have supported our students’ quest for learning and vigorous launch into college application season. In addition to Schoology, links to the Junior and Senior Newsletters can be found on the School Counseling website:

https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/college-admissions-information-1/2011-2012-newsletters

Sophomores

Any 10th grade student interested in serving as a student representative on Maggie Walker’s School Advisory Council should contact Mr. Coleman at mailto:[email protected]. The mission of the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (MLWGS) Advisory Council (SAC) is to:

Serve in an advisory capacity to enhance the quality of education
To promote comprehensive educational opportunities
To support the effective components of the existing programs
To ensure that the MLWGS mission is achieved.

Athletics

https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/athletics/

One Small Step Dragon-to-Dragon conversations are complete!

Congratulations to all the students who participated in a One Small Step conversation with a classmate at MLWGS!

These forty Dragons broke new ground by being among the first high school students in the nation to participate in One Small Step, a StoryCorps project that invites people with contrasting political views to engage in respectful, candid conversations about who they are and the experiences that have shaped them.

Students discussed a wide range of topics in these conversations while treating each other with respect, empathy, and compassion. In addition to questions in the One Small Step conversation roadmap, some students asked each other thought-provoking follow-up questions, such as “How did that experience make you feel?” or “Do you believe morality is objective or subjective?”

Audio recordings of these conversations, which range from a half-hour to two hours, will be archived at the Library of Congress. Some students chose to set their recordings to private, while others chose to share them more openly.

Here’s a link to one of the conversations that participants chose to share. The students in this 40-minute conversation are junior Pooja Muthuraj and senior Elizabeth Celentano:

https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/pooja-muthuraj-and-elizabeth-celentano/

It is an honor and a joy to listen to these conversations which simultaneously impress me and fill me with hope. About one-quarter of these students have opted to participate in a second round of One Small Step conversations with students from Trinity Episcopal School. I look forward to hearing those conversations too.

Good News!

The MLWGS We The People Team took first place at nationals for the second time in five years! Here is a link with much more information:

https://mlwgs.com/we-the-people-national-finals-award-winners-announced-maggie-walker-governors-school-1st-place/

The VHSL has recognized the film “Moonball” by the MLWGS teams as an Official Selection in the Commercial/PSA category in the VHSL Film Festival! More information can be found using this link: MW students earn an official selection in the 6th Annual VHSL Film Festival with Moonball | Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (mlwgs.com)

Congratulations to Maggie Walker students, Nikki Kumar (’22), Jordyn Krajewski (‘23), Joanne Lin (’23), Riishi Naavaal (’24), and Aashka Shah (’24) who competed in the Virginia History Day State Contest in April 2021! Sponsored by Global Studies teacher, Dr. Christine A. Anderson, all participants explored topics within this year’s theme of “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.” Jordyn Krajewski’s documentary Headlines and Bloodlines: The Role of Media in Inspiring and Infuriating America into Action won 3^rd place and the 2021 A.E. Dick Howard Prize in Virginia Constitutional History. Riishi Naavaal’s and Aashka Shah’s website Diplomacy at its Finest: The Power of Words During the Cuban Missile Crisis won 3^rd place and the George Washington Leadership Prize. Projects placing 2^nd place and advancing to the National History Day Contest in June 2021 are: Nikki Kumar’s performance of Communication through the Underground Railroad and Joanne Lin’s website The Zimmerman Telegram: Cross-Border Communications that Changed the Tide of WWI which also earned the Macarthur Memorial Prize.

On May 2, three Dragons were recognized for their outstanding fashion designs in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ Teen Stylin’ 2021 Program.

2024 Dragon-Sydney Brewer won the Grade 6th-9th Best Interpretation of Theme: Tempo.”

2024 Dragon-Grace Crislip was awarded Grade 6th-9th Best Model. She was the model for her younger sister and designer, Renna Crislip.

2023 Dragon-Vien Nguyen was awarded Grade 10th-12th Runner Up for Best Use of Alternative Materials.

During this 12-week program students were randomly assigned an item from the museum’s collection to interpret through the lens of “Tempo” using recyclable materials. Due to the pandemic, most students worked virtually on their projects with the option of some classroom instruction with designing instructors. The culmination of their hard work involved walking the runway before a panel of professional fashion industry judges. Forty-two students from 6th to 12th grades, representing various schools throughout the central Virginia region, participated.

Renderings by Teen Stylin student designers and award-winning garments Winning designs will be on display from May 2-June 7, 2021 in VMFA’s WestRock Art Education Center.

Way to go, Sydney, Grace and Vien!

Our own Natalie Koehn-Wu and her sister Maya Koehn-Wu have co-founded a nonprofit, SistersProjectPeru. In short, my nonprofit it is based in the United States and helps communities in Peru. In the Sacred Valley, there are many villages without healthcare and her organization’s goal is to build affordable, well-supported clinics for long-term use. They are currently trying to raise money for these by sponsoring a soccer juggle-a-thon. Please see the link below for more information.

https://1drv.ms/w/s!AnhIUDtJ5sHSgWLaIlTDHg5MAmCx

Well, we have made it to the second week of APs. Like them or not, they are a key measure of how we have done as students, teachers, and as a school. Has all the crazy work that we have put in this year been worth it? Are we ready to nail these things and focus on more important stuff like our celebrating our seniors and getting ready for summer vacation? You Bet! Let’s crush these tests and finish the year strong. I am confident that we will once again show the folks around us that The Dragon Nation has some of the smartest, most talented, dedicated, hard-working students anywhere. When I see some of my colleagues at meetings, they give me a hard time and say that I’m always bragging about how well our kids lead the way in so many areas. Well, to paraphrase several people including Bear Bryant, “It aint bragging if it’s true!”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Teacher Appreciation Week

May 3^rd through May 7^th is nationally recognized as Teacher appreciation Week. The PTSA and school administration have several events planned for our teachers, but the one thing that teachers really love is when a student or a parent sends a personal note or email sharing their appreciation for what a specific teacher has done for them. If you are so led, please take the time this week to send a quick note to a teacher that made a difference. It will make their day!

AP Testing

This past week a large volume of information was sent regarding the upcoming AP exams. If you missed it, here is a link that will take you to what was sent out:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JKWFIiSQt1BUVwH6JzUcCL4eG98afVv5/view?usp=sharing

Seniors

Due to Friday June 18^th being designated by the Commonwealth of Virginia as the observed date for the Juneteenth Holiday, as well as the VHSL State Outdoor Track championships taking place on that date, we are moving graduation for the Class of 2021 up a day to Thursday June 17^th at 5:00 PM at Hovey Field on the campus of Virginia Union University. The rain date will be Sunday June 20^th at 1:00 PM at the same location.

If you have not picked up your cap and gown, you may stop by and pick it up from Mrs. Williams in the Bluestone Lobby until 3:15pm. If you are coming on campus after school, reach out to Ms. Sheppard to make arrangements ([email protected] )

HOLD THE DATE: 5/12/2021 – Extra credit will be rewarded in your English classes for your attendance!

You’re off to college…now what? What are you really supposed to be doing during these next four years that will help you land a job after graduation and start a career? How can you best explore your interests, gain valuable skills and experience, find the people who can help you along the way, and show your value to potential employers or graduate schools? What are employers even looking for, anyway?

We strongly encourage every Senior to attend “How to Ensure College Leads to a Career” on Wednesday, May 12 from 7-8:30pm (extra credit will be awarded in your English classes!) as we welcome presenter Jennifer McCluskey and explore the answers to these questions. You are in for a fun, engaging, and very informative evening.

Email Ms. Sheppard, Class of 2021 sponsor, if you have any questions: [email protected]

Counseling

The April-May 2021 Senior Newsletter has been posted to the School Counseling website (and the “College Information for the Class of 2021” Schoology group). Several new scholarships with deadlines in May or during the summer are featured. Seniors are encouraged to check out their individual postings in Naviance for more details (including each scholarship’s corresponding website) and to keep applying for those that are relevant to them: https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/college-admissions-information-1/2011-2012-newsletters

Special reminder: May 4th is the deadline for the $10,000 Robert E. and Jacquelyn Pogue Scholarship–which will be awarded to one MLWGS senior again this school year. The application has been posted to Naviance and e-mailed to the Class of 2021 and their parents.

Finally all seniors should complete their Senior Survey in Naviance by May 6th.

Student Performances at Senior Night and/or Graduation

Due to Senior Night and Graduation being held outdoors this year, options for musical performances are limited. Students will need to provide their own instruments (email Ms. Sheppard if you need help or have questions about this).

We are looking for someone or a group (of reasonable size) to perform the National Anthem at both/either events.

If you are unable to audition in person or have chosen to remain at home for the semester, you may submit a digital copy of your audition by May 18^th.

Whether in person or digitally, you must perform the song you would like considered for one of our events. Share your link with Ms. Sheppard at [email protected]

If you are auditioning in person, please select a time slot using the link below. You and your group (if applicable) must be all present and ready with your instruments to audition the song you would like considered for one of our events.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4CAAAB2EA4FF2-student

Night of the Dragon Tally!

The tally is in and we are excited to announce that the Night of the Dragon raised just over $70,300 this year! This is great news because all proceeds go directly to support our students and teachers through the Foundation, Booster Groups, and PTSA.

In addition to the financial support from the auction, the evening also provided a chance for many members of the Dragon community to get together for the first time in much too long. Many thanks to all of you who donated items and participated and to the amazing NOTD Planning team—Kristi Turner, Anne and Brad Ewald, Jennifer Rector, and Misty Morton Clark—for making this reimagined event such a success during this unusual year. #proudtobeadragon

Good News!

Fall Sports have finished up with the following notable results:

Girls Cross Country- 1^st Place in the Region, 4^th Place in the State

Boys Cross County – 2^nd Place in the Region, 7^th Place in the State

Girls Golf-4^th Place in the Region for an individual

Boys Volleyball – 2^nd Place in the Region, 2^nd Place in the State

The International Language Department is pleased to announce that Michael Kish, class of 2022, has been accepted to the Governor’s Language Academy for Spanish. Michael began MLWGS as a student in Spanish III and is currently enrolled in AP Spanish Language. Throughout this time he has been a passionate and dedicated student to the advancement of his linguistic abilities and we are extremely proud of not only his accomplishments, but his desire to use this experience in a way that will impact the community.

AP testing underway and the SOL tests are close behind. With the rush to the finish line the stress level on campus begins to rise. I encourage all of the members of the Dragon Nation to stay focused and finish strong. The great basketball coach John Wooten said “It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.” Seven weeks to go!

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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SENIORS

Off-Campus lunch begins this week. If you are attending MLWGS on Mon and Tues, then your off-campus lunch day will be Tues. If you are attending on Wed-Thursday, then your day will be Thursday. If you are 4 days a week, then Thursday is your day. Please continue to be honorable!

The MLWGS Foundation

Thanks to everyone who made last night’s Night of the Dragon Reimagined a HUGE success. If you were one of the lucky bidders, you can pick up your winnings in the Foundation Office at school this Monday-Thursday from 9am-3pm. If you need to arrange another time, email Ginger at [email protected]. We will be sharing totals once we’ve had time to tally!

Math Honor Society

Mu Alpha Theta is pleased to announce a very special guest presentation to celebrate National Math and Stats Awareness Month. Alumna Finale Doshi-Velez will be joining us virtually from Harvard where she is an associate professor in Computer Science at the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She completed her MSc from the University of Cambridge as a Marshall Scholar, her PhD from MIT, and her postdoc at Harvard Medical School. Her interests lie at the intersection of machine learning, healthcare, and interpretability. The talk will take place on Thursday, April 29, from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

The title of her talk is “Artificial Intelligence: Beyond the Hype and Hysteria.”

“The reaction to the term “AI” is rarely neutral. Excitement about AIs becoming world champions in Go or Starcraft is tempered by fears of superintelligences and Skynet; the same technologies that correct our grammar as we write or translate menus from photographs also exhibit the gender, racial, and other biases of our times. In this talk, I’ll start off by sharing a bit about how modern machine learning systems work under the hood. We’ll connect that to understanding how AIs can both succeed and fail spectacularly. This discussion will lead us to questions we should be asking in order to create any effective and accountable AI system.”

Any student or family member is welcome to attend the Zoom presentation, here is the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85827778926?pwd=VUlBMVBrdFkwVFZBK2RWc1BCeHl2dz09

Meeting ID: 858 2777 8926

Passcode: 967537

April is National Poetry Month

The Maggie Walker Slam Poetry Club invites you to celebrate it with their first-ever International Language Poetry Showcase! Experience poetry from around the world–in languages from around the world–shared by nineteen MLWGS students and staff. Watch the showcase or learn more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpJy-egGow8.

SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL SEEKS PARENT REPS

The MLWGS School Advisory Council (SAC) currently has parent openings for the 2021/22 school year. These are 3-year appointments, so best suited to parents with rising sophomores or parents of incoming freshmen who have prior experience of older children having also attended Maggie Walker.

To learn more about the SAC, please visit https://mlwgs.com/support/school-advisory-council/. If you are interested in becoming a parent member, would like to nominate someone, or would like to learn more, please contact Karen Townsend at [email protected] before Friday, April 30.

Good News

Lexi Pasternak has been accepted to attend this summer’s Governor’s French Immersion program! We’re so excited for her and know she’ll do great things plus have an awesome good time!

Well, it appears that we have finally broken the icy grip of a stubborn winter and have eased into spring. Everything is rapidly turning green and the birds are chirping away outside of my office window. Still, I am reminded by a quote from one of my favorite American authors, Mark Twain when he said, “In the Spring, I have counted 136 kids of weather inside of 24 hours!”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Return to school Update

As of this week, we have about 42% of our students back on campus! We have been very happy to honor student’s request to return to campus and it has been great seeing students back at MLWGS. Due to the challenge of requesting transportation for individual students who are now opting to return, as of Sunday April 25^th, any future request for a student to return to campus who is not already here will have to be made with the understanding that the family must provide transportation for the remainder of the school year. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we wanted to remain as flexible as possible for as long as possible if student decided to return after having indicated that they would learn virtually, but several of our partner districts are requesting that we cease making new requests for transportation.

Report Cards

Attention student and families, virtual report cards for the 3^rd 9 weeks will be available through the PowerSchool portal beginning Tuesday April 20^th at 9 am.

Seniors

Any senior who was unable to pick up their graduation caps and gown this week, please make plans to stop by the Bluestone Lobby at MLWGS on Friday, April 23 from 1-2:30. Email Ms. Sheppard if you have any questions: [email protected].

Off-Campus lunch will begin next week. If you are attending MLWGS on Mon and Tues, then your off-campus lunch day will be Tues. If you are attending on Wed-Thursday, then your day will be Thursday. If you are 4 days a week, then Thursday is your day. Please continue to be honorable!

Exams

Due to the fact that many of our students are learning virtually and we are unable to provide consistent exam conditions for all of our students, we are making the decision to not have final exams this year. The last week of school will be a regular wee of instruction with the regular schedule. This change is only for this year.

April is National Poetry Month

The Night of the Dragon Silent Auction is LIVE!

If you haven’t already, NOW is the time to get registered for 2021 Night of the Dragon Reimagined! And invite your family and friends to do so too.

Beginning today, you can check out and bid on a truly incredible array of Silent Auction items (more than 175 in all) and preview the Live Auction Items up for bid during the virtual event on April 24!

Go to www.nightofthedragon.org to register or log in to the auction site where, in addition to previewing and bidding on items, you can buy 50/50 raffle tickets and get more info about our what’s to come during the virtual event this Saturday, April 24 at 7pm!

Auction Items include:

Just added! Brambley Park with Dr. Bob!

Getaways in OBX, Wintergreen, Snowshoe and on the Chesapeake

Unique Outdoor Adventures and Tours

Gift Packages of Every Theme Imaginable

Custom Jewelry and Art

Gift Cards

Fine Wines and Gourmet Foods

College Swag

Items Used on the Set of Famous TV Shows

Amazing Alumni Contributions

Yeti Coolers

A Kegerator

And so much more!

Don’t wait! Make your plans now to join in the fun on April 24 and support our wonderful school and students !

SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL SEEKS PARENT REPS

Good News

Results from the 2021 Governor’s Economic Challenge & Personal Finance Challenges. MLWGS took regionals in the Adam Smith division and regional AND state in the David Ricardo division. This state team will move on to compete in the national challenge soon. MLWGS also did well in the personal finance division and have 2 groups moving forward in that competition as well.

These students all prepare together, on their own time and worked very hard!

VIRGINIA STATE WINNER IN THE DAVID RICARDO DIVISION

Maggie Walker Governor’s School, Richmond City, Teacher: Allison Anthony

*Students: Anshul Chiranth, Carson Wang, Aaron Wang, Shreyas Muthusamy

DAVID RICARDO DIVISION RESULTS DOE Region #1 Winner Maggie Walker Governor’s School, Richmond City,

Teacher: Allison Anthony (*Same students as above)

ADAM SMITH DIVISION RESULTS BY VDOE Region #1 Winner: Maggie Walker Governor’s School, Richmond City,

Teacher: Allison Anthony

Students: Abhay Duggirala, Michael Kish, Ronit Jain, Sam Lichtman

Personal Finance Challenge

VDOE Regional Winners: (Invited to participate in the Case Study Round)

DOE Region #1 Winner: Maggie Walker Governor’s School, Richmond City,

Teacher: Allison Anthony

Students: Pooja Muthuraj, Sam McNamee, Anmol Mital, Vishnoy Vadakkancheri

OTHER HIGH SCORING TEAMS (Invited to participate in the Case Study Round)

Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, Richmond, Teacher: Allison Anthony

Students: Kapil Iyer, Adriel Barretto, Isabella Lee, Eric Hamilton

We are starting to see glimmers of hope as some parts of the country are beginning to emerge from this pandemic. While it is too soon to speculate with absolute certainty on what the fall may bring, we are confident that we will be able to open with a robust program that will meet the needs of our students. I think that it is fair to say that things will be different on the other side of the pandemic. I think that it is also fair to say that one thing that will not change is the love and support that we have shown each other as we have navigated these waters. Together we will prevail. As Vince Lombardi said, “People who work together will win, whether against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Sophomore Testing Reminders

Attention sophomores, you have two testing events happening this month!

On this Friday April 16^th, the PSAT 10 will be given at school starting at 9 am. Please see the counseling PSAT 10 webpage for details.

We still haven’t heard from about 50 sophomores as to whether they plan on testing or not. If you haven’t completed the google form survey, please do so as it will help us plan testing rooms. We will be sending out a list of assigned testing rooms in an email blast to sophomore families by Wednesday. Remember to bring graphing calculator and pencils.

The other big testing event is the SOL Writing Test which takes place over the last two weeks of April. We need all sophomores to indicate whether they are coming in for testing. Please make sure to complete this Writing SOL Registry survey by mid-week so that we can safely plan testing rooms. More details about this SOL test and other SOL tests can be found on the counseling SOL Testing Spring 2021 webpage.

Blood Drive

Spring into Action and help save three lives. Please sign up now to give blood Friday, April 16^th from 9:00 – 2:00pm at Maggie Walker.

https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=MWGS

Hope to see you there, remember to eat a good meal and drink plenty of fluids, bring your picture I.D. and complete the rapid pass the morning of your donation. All16 year olds also need to have a signed consent form.

Less than 2 Weeks until the 2021 Night of the Dragon Virtual Event and Live Auction!

Register Today at www.nightofthedragon.org!

And encourage grandparents and others to do so, too!

In addition to the Live Auction, the 1-hour virtual event on April 24 will include fun videos of students, alumni, teachers, and others sharing their thoughts about what makes MLWGS such a special place. It’s a great way for family and friends–regardless of where they live–to learn a bit about and support our wonderful school.

This year’s Live and Silent auction items (more than 100 of them!!) include Sailing on the Chesapeake; stays in Wintergreen, Snowshoe, and OBX; a Day on the James; one-of-a-kind art and jewelry; themed baskets of all kinds; items from great venues, shops, wineries, and other places; private tours; and much, much more.

And, don’t forget to order your Dinners to Go from one of our restaurant partners: Perch and East Coast Provisions by midnight on Saturday, April 17. Links can be found at www.nightofthedragon.org.

Questions? Contact Foundation Executive Director Ginger O’Neil, [email protected].

Good News!

Perisa Ashar has been recognized as an NHS Scholarship winner! Congratulations Perisa!

I’d like to close tonight with a quote from Sir Winston Churchill who wrote, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Spring Break

MLWGS will be on Spring Break from Monday April 5^th through Friday April 9^th. Classes will resume on Monday April 9^th. During this time, the campus offices will be closed for general business. Have a great break and if you choose to travel, be sure to quarantine when you return if you go to an area of high COVID-19 transmission and you think that you may have been exposed to it.

“On the Second Day,” a poem-in-progress (by Ms. DeGroat) about students’ return to campus

Dear students, parents, and colleagues,

I’d like to share an informal reading of a poem-in-progress that I started writing when I got home on March 16th, the second day of our students’ return to campus. That first week back, changes were rapid and tangible. This poem attempts to capture what those first days felt like, at least from one poet-librarian’s perspective. I’m deeply grateful that some students have been able to return to campus and impressed by our students’ and teachers’ resilience. If you’re a Dragon who cannot yet return to campus, I look forward to seeing you in-person in September, maybe sooner if circumstances allow. In the meantime, I hope to see you online at a Walker Wednesday or another library activity. Here’s a link to the reading:

https://www.loom.com/share/902f63decff1483b943a3626927de371

With gratitude,

Ms. DeGroat

Good News!

Congratulations to Joshua Yoo (Chesterfield 22′) for earning a seat in the first violin section of the All Virginia Orchestra last week. He will participate in a virtual ensemble at the end of April.

Aaron Wang competed (virtual exam) in the local section of the Chemistry Olympiad last Saturday. He advances to the National Level, Part 1 on April 17. Only 12 Virginian students can advance to this level, so this is a wonderful accomplishment.

Perisa Ashar, Annabel Tang, and Carson Wang all competed (paper submission and Zoom presentation) in the regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) sponsored by Longwood University on March 13. From the website, ” JSHS is designed to challenge and engage students (Grades 9-12) in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).”

Amanda Perez has been accepted to study abroad next year in Germany through a renowned scholarship called Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX). For her to be considered, she had to go through an application process including letters of recommendations from some of her teachers.

CBYX is a fully-funded scholarship sponsored by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. CBYX scholarship recipients spend one academic year attending a German high school, living with a German host family, participating in cultural immersion programs and seminars, and serving as a youth ambassador.

Each year, CIEE selects and sends highly qualified and motivated high school students for the CBYX program. These students demonstrate interest in experiencing a different culture and learning German through a full immersion experience. Our students come from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Academic merit, as well as motivation, curiosity and flexibility are key components to a competitive application. Participants become fluent in German, earn a competitive edge in college applications, and can connect with a global network of CBYX alumni upon completion from the program.

Amanda already studies three languages at MLW: French Italian, and Spanish. She was our French representative last summer for Governor’s Summer Residential World Language Academies. Now she will be studying abroad as a gap year next year to become fluent in German!

The Friday before the break marked the end of the 3^rd Marking Period. The 4^th Marking Period is filled with AP and SOL testing, spring sports tournaments, end of year events, and of course big senior events such as honors assemblies and graduation. They may look different this year, but they will still be there! There is a lot going on and it is really important that students keep their eyes and ears open or they could miss something. While I do the best that I can to communicate events and deadlines, it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to make sure that all interested parties know what is going on. Paul Meyer says that learning this skill of receiving communication and then passing along information is “The Human connection and a critical skill for personal and career success.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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AP Testing Information:

Students registered to take one or more AP exams this spring should carefully read the following documents to learn about the testing options for 2021:

AP Exam Schedule (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vRpe2wnm_CHcbLug8k1QgJ9L2CPKqN9I/view?usp=sharing)

AP Testing Information for MLWGS (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cJJDhdkDUTsOx-5LC-cu2MqKZ7-ZIrqd/view?usp=sharing)

Students will have the opportunity to take all exams in a paper-and-pencil, in-person format. Students interested in requesting a digital, at-home exam for eligible subjects should do so by Monday, March 29^th by using the Digital AP Exam Request Form linked within the AP Testing Information document above. Feel free to use your content teachers as a resource when making your decision about how and when to test. Families may also direct questions to Rachel Loving, AP Coordinator, at [email protected] or 804-354-6800 x3211.

Costa Rica trip Spring Break 2022

Deadline to enroll at the current price is March 25, 2021.

For more information contact Mr. Barnes [email protected]

Or www.explorica.com/Barnes-7745

Students will spend 10 days exploring the ecology, geology, history, and culture of Costa Rica. In Arenal they will hike to the volcano’s lava fields, explore geothermal springs, and visit a farming community at the base of the volcano. In Monteverde students will experience the amazing flora and fauna in the forest canopy in one of the earth’s most diverse national parks. Students will also visit a local school and participate in rainforest conservation efforts. In Coastal Puntarenas students will explore the coastal ecosystem and view rare native wildlife while hiking through Manuel Antonio National Park. Students will tour the craft village at Sachi and participate in an evening of traditional folklore. Students will also experience a variety of adventure activities including kayaking, hanging bridges, zip-lining, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, and a crocodile safari.

From the Foundation

Night of the Dragon Registration is Live and the Auction Items are Rolling In!

This year’s auction items include: sailing on the Chesapeake; stays in Wintergreen, Snowshoe, and OBX; reserved graduation seating; a Day on the James; one-of-a-kind art and jewelry; themed baskets of all kinds; gift cards to local venues, shops, wineries, and more; a kegerator, private tours of UVa and Hollywood Cemetery; wine and spirits; and much, much more.

Be sure to get registered today so you don’t miss out on updates as items are available to preview and when the link goes live to order Dinner to Go from Perch or East Coast Provisions so you can enjoy an easy evening of fun benefiting our wonderful Dragons.

Gift Card Bonanza

The Foundation is collecting gift cards for this year’s Night of the Dragon auction. Please consider supporting our SCRIP program or local businesses by purchasing a gift card(s) to donate, or donate cards you have but don’t see yourself using. Gift cards (and other donations) can be put into the box marked Auction in the main office off the Bluestone Lobby or delivered to the Foundation Office any time before Spring Break. Go Dragons!

Contact Ginger O’Neil, [email protected], with questions or for more information about NOTD 2021.

Good News!

Congratulations to Maggie Walker students, Nikki Kumar (’22), Jordyn Krajewski (‘23), Joanne Lin (’23), Riishi Naavaal (’24), and Aashka Shah (’24) who competed in the District 8 Virtual Competition of Virginia History Day in February 2021! Sponsored by Global Studies teacher, Dr. Christine A. Anderson, all participants explored topics within this year’s theme of “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.” Projects advancing to the Virginia History Day Virtual State Contest in April 2021 are: Nikki Kumar’s Harriet Tubman: Communication through the Underground Railroad; Jordyn Krajewski’s Headlines and Bloodlines: The Role of Media in Inspiring and Infuriating America into Action; Joanne Lin’s The Zimmerman Telegram: Cross-Border Communications that Changed the Tide of History; Riishi Naavaal’s and Aashka Shah’s Communication Saves the Day: The Power of Words During the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Tonight I would like to end with the quote, “I alone ca not change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ~~ Mother Theresa

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Return to School Update

This week we had about 275 students return to school. That is about 38% of our total student population. It was wonderful to see students here on campus. It you previously chose to remain home and want to return, just send Dr. Lowerre or Mr. Smith an email and we can make it happen. Transportation may take up to a week to set up if it required.

PSAT for Sophomores

Dear Sophomore Families,

The PSAT 10 for sophomores will take place on Friday, April 16^th from 9:00 am- 1:15 pm. Families will be responsible for transportation. Please go to the counseling department link for schedules, links to test information, and test day reminders. This is an optional activity based on family comfort levels with students entering the school building under current Covid-19 guidelines. The PSAT 10 is not required and is a practice for the PSATs students will take in the fall of junior year. There are no make-up opportunities for this test. It will help us with our planning if families could register for testing by visiting https://forms.gle/gjFMvSF8qWkhjUrp7. All sophomores need to complete this form so that we know you are coming! Please contact Ms. Cobb at [email protected] if you have questions.

Spring Sports

If your student is planning to play a spring sport, there will be a meeting on 3/25/21 at 6:00pm via zoom. Please have your student check their Schoology class page for the link or contact [email protected]

Community Service Requirement for Graduation:

All parents of Seniors should take some time to look at community service hours totals with their student. The eligible community service hours total for graduation can be found on your report card, and a detailed list of hours can be found on x2vol (our online community service app.). Seniors who needed the most hours have been messaged ideas for earning hours on Schoology. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the seniors community service hours goal has been adjusted to 110 hours. As indicated on the First Quarter Report Card, Seniors should have all of their 110 hours submitted by May 1, 2020. Students who have any questions about their hours totals or x2vol should contact Mr. Cook ([email protected]).

AP Testing Information:

Students registered to take one or more AP exams this spring should carefully read the following documents to learn about the testing options for 2021:

AP Exam Schedule (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vRpe2wnm_CHcbLug8k1QgJ9L2CPKqN9I/view?usp=sharing)

AP Testing Information for MLWGS (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cJJDhdkDUTsOx-5LC-cu2MqKZ7-ZIrqd/view?usp=sharing)

Costa Rica trip Spring Break 2022

Deadline to enroll at the current price is March 25, 2021.

For more information contact Mr. Barnes [email protected]

Or www.explorica.com/Barnes-7745

Model Congress Club

Maggie Walker’s very own Walker Model Congress is hosting a Chipotle fundraiser on Sunday, April 11th from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the 4930 W Broad St location. Bring your family and friends to get dinner at Chipotle and 33% of all purchases will be given to the Walker Model Congress charity organization, Feed More. All you have to do is mention the Walker Model Congress fundraiser to the cashier or use the promo code QTDD7AX if you’re ordering ahead for pickup! Thanks and we hope to see all of you there!”

From the Foundation

You can now register (for free) for this year’s reimagined virtual event and auction benefiting our Dragons at https://1cau.se/aTX. While you’re there, be sure to check out the slideshow featuring just a few of our amazing auction items and get your 50/50 raffle tickets. By registering, you’ll also be first to know when the order link goes live for Dinners to Go from Perch and East Coast Provisions. The first 75 orders come with a free specialty cocktail. Looking forward to a fun and meaningful evening! Questions? Contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].

Good News!

State Champions!

On Saturday, March 20, the Green Dragon Academic Quizbowl team won the Group 3 state championship at the VHSL Scholastic Bowl Tournament. Our undefeated team consisted of seniors Sonya Stacia (captain) and Dennis Plotnikov, junior Sam Lichtman, and freshmen Bharathi Kancharia and Sam McNamee. Congratulations to the team and coaches Adam Rotche and Juanita Lasswell.

Congratulations to the 13 Introduction to Engineering students who participated in Richmond’s ASCE 26th Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Challenge on March 14, 2021. In the high school division, Mike Bobkov’s bridge held the 2nd highest load at 186.8 lb and Anna Young’s bridge took 4th place for the most efficient bridge with an efficiency of 626.84. In addition to these achievements, we give a special congratulations to Janelle Sasina, her bridge was selected by ASCE as the Most Aesthetically Pleasing out of the 86 bridges submitted from both middle school and high school divisions. Congratulations Dragon Engineers!

It is a pleasure to share with you all the outstanding achievements of Pooja Muthuraj and Matthew Klausner. Both have been awarded scholarships to a 4 week immersion Spanish program at Concordia Language Villages in Minnesota.

Pooja is the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (National Spanish Honor Society) Bertie Green Travel award winner (usually an international trip but given the circumstances with Covid). She is one of two national winners for the 4 week residential immersion program.

Matthew is the recipient of the National Spanish Exam Junior Travel Award, (also usually an international trip) and also one of two national winners selected for this four week residential immersion program.

Both applicants completed an extensive application process including a written essay and a 5 minute videotaped interview with a Spanish teacher which allowed them to showcase their amazing talent and proficiency with Spanish.

Please join me in congratulating these 2 remarkable individuals and their respective teachers, Sr. Jenkins and Sra. Lemco, who helped them to develop their skills and foster a passion for Spanish throughout their journey at MLWGS.

Congratulations to Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School Junior, Devyn Powers, for receiving a Gold Medal in the NATIONAL Scholastic Arts Awards. Additionally, her work was also chosen as an American Visions Medal award winner (the equivalent to “best in show”).

Devyn is the first Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School student to receive this honor at the national level. Normally, the exhibition would be held in New York and the awards ceremony would be held at Carnegie Hall. Please join me in congratulating her on this outstanding national award!

I would like to close this evening with a quote from Amelia Earhart. She said, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life and the procedure. The process is its own reward.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

031421

Happy Pi Day!

Return to School

It has been 1 complete year, but we are finally going to see students start to return to campus. If you chose to return, we will see you this week. If you are remaining home, you can always change your mind down the road if conditions change for you.

Spring Sports

Spring sports will start April 12^th and please refer to mlwgs.com/co-curricular for coaches information and for all required forms for participation. Turn in all completed forms in a PDF labeled lastname, firstname.

Community Service Requirement for Graduation:

AP Testing Information:

Students registered to take one or more AP exams this spring should carefully read the following documents to learn about the testing options for 2021:

AP Exam Schedule (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vRpe2wnm_CHcbLug8k1QgJ9L2CPKqN9I/view?usp=sharing)

AP Testing Information for MLWGS (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cJJDhdkDUTsOx-5LC-cu2MqKZ7-ZIrqd/view?usp=sharing)

Send encouraging words from home for inclusion on the MLWGS Library’s chalkboard wall

The long-awaited day is almost here. Dragons who choose to do so will return to the MLWGS campus on Monday, March 15th. Since these students have been in the familiar environment of home for the past year, the MW Library has created a space to connect them with encouraging words from home. Does your family have a phrase or brief quote/saying you often share to lift each other’s spirits? If so, please submit it for inclusion on the library’s chalkboard wall using the following form: https://forms.gle/Xg3p3yoa92uoFrsM8

Animando a los estudiantes desde casa

Ya que los estudiantes empiezan a regresar a MLWGS el lunes 15 de marzo, nos gustaría animarlos con palabras inspiradoras de sus familias. Si su familia quiere compartir una frase alentadora en la pizarra de la biblioteca, favor de escribirla en este documento digital: https://forms.gle/Xg3p3yoa92uoFrsM8. ¡Gracias! (Translation by Senora Lemco)

MLWGS Drama

Audition Submission Reminder! Just a reminder that are accepting audition submissions for our virtual spring musical production, Theory of Relativity, until midnight on Wednesday, March 17. Don’t want to be in front of the camera? There are many ways to get involved behind the scenes with costumes, props, lighting, sound mixing, editing, and even marketing! Please see the Drama Schoology page for details. Questions? Please do not hesitate to reach out to director Leigh Glatt at [email protected]

Walker Way Forum – March 17^th

Our first Walker Way Forum, a speaker series for students designed around the pillars of the Walker Way, was held in February. The response from students who attended was very positive, and we are looking forward to hosting our second speaker, L. Robert Bolling, CEO of Child Savers. Child Savers provides comprehensive support to children who have experienced trauma. He is a great person to speak to the Walker Way pillar compassion. Students have received a “Save the Date” notice of the event through Schoology and the event will be publicized the week of the forum. Questions? Email Mrs. Ebeling, School Psychologist at [email protected].

From the Foundation

Night of the Dragon Set for April 24– Registration Goes Live March 18!

On March 18, the Night of the Dragon website will go live with lots of auction items to check out and more being added frequently. Beginning March 18, you’ll be able to register (for free) for the April 24 virtual event, purchase 50/50 raffle tickets, order dinner from Perch or East Coast Provisions (the first 100 orders get a free signature cocktail), see sneak peeks of the April 24 show, and more.

This year’s NOTD items include long-time favorites and many exciting new items:

Vacation Home Rentals (OBX, Wintergreen, Snowshoe, and more)

MLWGS 2021 Graduation Seating

Local Adventure Packages

Wine Tastings and Wine Class for 20

Original Art and One-of-a-Kind Jewelry

College Gear and Class Baskets

Event Tickets and Unique Outings

And so, so, so much more!

We’re adding new items daily. Please contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected] if you have a donation idea.

Good News!

Through the shared efforts of Operation Smile and NHS, MLWGS was able to raise an amazing 1,458 toothbrushes to donate to children in Guatemala as part of the Sending Hope campaign! This was an incredible achievement that could have never been done without such a supportive club and school, generous donations from local dentists, and the Operation Smile Club sponsor, Ms. Forquer, who has helped throughout the entire process and recently shipped out eight large boxes full of toothbrushes. Again, the clubs just wanted to share our great news with you all and the wonderful accomplishments we have achieved even during virtually through this pandemic.

I would like to end tonight with a quote from one of my favorite performer whos is also a very talented writer and director. Mindy Kaling says, “If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

030721

Schedule Change for This Week

In order to allow teachers to have a little extra time to set their classrooms up for the return of students (most haven’t been in their rooms since last March) we will use the following schedule for this week:

Monday – Odd

Tuesday – Even

Wednesday – Asynchronous Odd Classes

Thursday – Asynchronous Even Classes

Friday – Asynchronous All Classes

It is possible that teachers will not need the additional asynchronous time on Wednesday or Thursday and may choose to have class during their regular time. They will communicate their intentions to students on Monday and Tuesday.

Return to School

For students returning on March 15, the attached map provides an overview of our new one-way traffic pattern. This system was created in consultation with the MLWGS engineering club to promote social distancing while transitioning between classes. Arrows are being placed on the floor, and signage is going up at each stairwell. Please review before arriving back on campus. This will take some getting used to, but if we work together, we can promote health and safety at the school.

Attention Parents of Returning Students:

Students registered for next year’s classes on March 4^th and 5th. Parents have the opportunity to check student course requests through the “Class Registration” icon in Powerschool this week to make sure they approve student selections. If parents wish to make a change or override a grade prerequisite for a class, please email your student’s counselor by the end of this week.

Freshmen – [email protected]

Sophomores – [email protected]

Juniors with last names A – K – [email protected]

Juniors with last names L – Z [email protected]

Students will receive confirmation of classes successfully scheduled by June of this year.

AP Exams:

Students who are planning to take AP exams in May should log into their College Board account (myap.collegeboard.org) and double check they have “joined” all of their courses. The deadline for MLWGS to order an AP exam for you is Friday, March 12^th, and, even if you paid for an AP exam, if you have not joined the course, an exam cannot be ordered for you. We are doing all we can to make sure that all enrolled students are joined in the appropriate courses in the College Board system, but if your teacher does not regularly use this system for instruction, it is possible that this step could have been overlooked. If you have questions about how to join a course with the specific join code, contact your content teacher or Dr. Loving ([email protected]). School staff cannot complete this step for you. If there are any last minute orders for AP exams (cost with late fee is $135), you must discuss this with Dr. Loving and join the course by noon on March 12^th.

Additionally, information will be available in the coming days and weeks about exact exam dates, times, and format. All students will have the option to test in-person at MLWGS, but digital at-home testing will also be available. The specs for digital exams are now available on the College Board website and Dr. Loving will be posting these and other important details on the “AP Testing” schoology page. If you are not a member of this group and should be, notify Dr. Loving. Please look there over these next three months for important AP information.

MLWGS Drama

Calling all singers, dancers, and actors/actresses! MLWGS Drama will be accepting audition submissions for our virtual spring musical production, Theory of Relativity, until Wednesday, March 17. Don’t want to be in front of the camera? There are many ways to get involved behind the scenes with costumes, props, lighting, sound mixing, editing, and even marketing! Please see the Drama Schoology page for details. Questions? Please do not hesitate to reach out to director Leigh Glatt at [email protected]

Youth Art and Music Month continues all month long!

The Fine Arts Department will be celebrating YAMM 21 with a series of virtual events this year including:

Lecture on Japanese Aesthetics by VMFA lecturer, Amanda Adams on Thursday March 11 at 3:30pm. This lecture is sponsored by the Fine Arts Department, the National Art Honors Society, and the VMFA Statewide Programs. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/99408716107?pwd=b1laWnNnT1E0eTlxSlpvS1VrNFNhUT09

Watch the Youth Art and Music Month performances online

If you happen to have missed last week’s online extravaganza of student art and music, you can still watch the event online at https://maggiewalkerarts.weebly.com/yamm21. There, in addition to the video of the event, you’ll also find an online gallery of student artwork. Thank you for your support of our talented young musicians and artists as well as the MLWGS Fine Arts program.

Walker Way Forum – March 17^th

From the Foundation

Night of the Dragon Set for April 24– Registration Goes Live March 18!

This year’s NOTD items include long-time favorites and many exciting new items:

Vacation Home Rentals (OBX, Wintergreen, Snowshoe, and more)

MLWGS 2021 Graduation Seating

Local Adventure Packages

Wine Tastings and Wine Class for 20

Original Art and One-of-a-Kind Jewelry

College Gear and Class Baskets

Event Tickets and Unique Outings

And so, so, so much more!

We’re adding new items daily. Please contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected] if you have a donation idea.

Good News!

Ten senior Dragons have advanced to Finalist standing in the National Merit Scholarship Program “by demonstrating, through distinguished performance, high potential for future academic accomplishment.” Please join me in congratulating…

Hugh Feehan, Kapil Iyer, Anika Kalluri, Emma Lindley, Tejas Muthusamy, Kiera O’Flynn,

Caroline Rucker, Stamate Theofanos, Ryland Wilson, Ken Zhang

I went back and took a look to see how I ended the message on the last Sunday in 2020 before we were sent home for the year. Interestingly, it still works. I think back on that day and I am struck by how little we knew about what was about to happen to us. The message was as follows:

“Third Marking Period Interims came out on Friday. I would encourage everyone to take a quick look in PowerSchool and make sure that you now where you stand. If you aren’t where you want to be, get after it! Remember that “Good things come to those who wait, but better things come to those who go out and get them!”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

022821

School Counseling

Save the date! March 4^th is Course Registration Day for returning students. The Powerschool Portal will open up for class registration on March 4^th. Students should have a completed Course Registration Worksheet (found in the school counseling webpage on Course Scheduling Information and Forms) and their Powerschool login info. Some 2^nd period teachers may give students time to register at the end of class. Otherwise, the portal will stay open through Friday. More specific instructions will be sent out mid-week!

Youth Art and Music Month

Do you love art and music? Then March is the month for you! Youth Art and Music Month helps to raise awareness of the importance of the Fine Arts in education. This year, Maggie Walker Governor’s School will be celebrating with an online student art and music extravaganza Thursday March 4th at 6:30. Beautiful student artwork will be on display by all our visual art students through a website gallery and slideshow, while our talented musicians will perform throughout the evening. This event is open to everyone, so please spread the word and join us to help celebrate Youth Art and Music Month on Zoom through our event website https://maggiewalkerarts.weebly.com/yamm21 .

Polar Seminar

Wednesday, March 3, AFTER SCHOOL, 3:15 p.m.: Lizzie Meek, Programme Manager – Artefacts, Antarctic Heritage Trust, New Zealand

Because New Zealand is 18 hours AHEAD of our Eastern Time, her talk will take place at 3:15 p.m. on March 3 (which is her 9:15 a.m. on March 4) !

“I finished a Diploma in Craft Design, then started my working life as a bookbinder. I completed further training in the UK in the field of Book Conservation, working at The British Library and then the National library here in New Zealand. A conversation with some colleagues about a new Antarctic Project saw me apply for a contract over an Antarctic Winter in 2008, and led to my current position.” (Here is a short video clip of Lizzie Meek from LearNZ: https://vimeo.com/191694669 )

The Antarctic Heritage Trust’s long-term, cold-climate conservation project is called the Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project. Lizzie Meek manages the artifact conservation program for the five historic expedition bases in this project: Borchgrevink’s Hut (Cape Adare), Scott’s Discovery Expedition Hut (Hut Point), Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition Hut (Cape Royds), Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition Hut (Cape Adare), and Hillary’s Hut (Scott Base). “[AHT] shares the legacy of exploration through outreach programmes and encourages the spirit of exploration through expeditions to engage and inspire a new generation.” To learn more about AHT, go to https://nzaht.org/about-aht/

If you are interested in hearing this presentation, please email Lynn reed at [email protected] for the link to the lecture.

Adolescents and Stress: March Group Offering for Parents

Anxiety and stress are common issues seen with adolescents and the emotional health of students has further been impacted by the challenges associated with the pandemic. The Counseling Department wants to help parents in supporting their children at this tough time. Lisa Ebeling, MLWGS School Psychologist, is facilitating a group for parents with Courtney Dunn and Rachel Holder, who are graduate students in the VCU Clinical Psychology Department. We will discuss the characteristics of anxiety along with practical ways that parents can support their children. The group will meet on Zoom from 6:30 to 7:30 for four weeks starting on Thursday, March 4^th and ending on March 25th. Space will be limited to 15 participants to allow for ease of discussion. Please let Mrs. Ebeling know if you’re interested in the group by emailing her at [email protected].

From the Foundation

2-4-6-8 Night of the Dragon Countdown Begins!

The countdown is on. 8 weeks until the 2021 Night of the Dragon–April 24! Make your plans now to join us for this fun virtual event featuring a livestream program with beloved Governor’s School students, teachers, admin, and friends past and present, and amazing Silent and Live Auction fun. Registration for the event is free and will begin March 18. Stay tuned for the registration link and upcoming previews of some of the amazing items we’ll have up for auction. This reimagined event is one you won’t want to miss.

Showcase your Business and Support MLWGS

We invite you to serve as a sponsor for the Night of the Dragon–April 24, 2021. Not only will we recognize your support during the event livestream, but the name of your business will be listed in our online auction offerings, which will be distributed to the MLWGS community network of alumni families and partners (totaling more than 10,000).

Sponsorship levels are available from $500 – $10,000.

To serve as a sponsor, please contact Ginger O’Neil Executive Director, of the MLWGS

Foundation at [email protected]. All donations are made to the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School Foundation, which is a 501(c)3 (Tax ID 54-1608930).

Good News!

Project EngageRVA, the Sec. 501c3 non-profit founded by seniors Ria Bakshi, Bella Grace Finck. Justin Goldman and Shreya Malani in early 2020, has been awarded the Hershey Heartwarming Project Action Grant for their efforts to engage and enrich elementary-age children with online classes ranging from yoga to marine science to quick math to world cultures to fairytale writing to foreign language including American Sign Language. The purpose of the grant is to help children build meaningful connections and create more inclusive, empathetic and kind communities. Project EngageRVA has also raised nearly $10,000 to fight the impact of COVID-19 and inspired and assisted with the formation of Project Engage groups in three other states.

This week I would like to close with a quote from Justice Thurgood Marshall. He said, “The measure of a country’s greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

022121

The Regional School Board February meeting was postponed to Thursday February 22^nd at 9:00 AM. See the website for the link to attend.

Re-Opening Update

At the Regional School Board meeting on Thursday February 18^th, we will recommend that parents be given the opportunity to choose to send their students back to campus on a limited basis beginning Monday March 15^th. To maintain CDC recommendations, we need to limit our campus load to about 50%. Students will have the opportunity to attend campus two days a week. As conditions and recommendations change, we may increase or decrease our students’ on campus opportunities.

To facilitate our reopening, our largest districts (Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and Richmond) will be split evenly for transportation. Students with last names A-Li will be on Mon & Tues. Students with last names Lia-Z will be on Wed & Thurs. Goochland, Hopewell, and Powhatan will be on Mon & Tues. Charles City, King & Queen, New Kent, Petersburg, and Prince George will be on Wed & Thurs. Friday will remain an asynchronous learning day.

If you have not already completed the Return to School Survey, please use the link below to do so ASAP:

https://forms.gle/E58AZVS9BS1CPrwTA

Black History Month Assembly

SAC and students have organized a Black History Month Assembly! The assembly is a mandatory school-wide event for students on Wednesday, February 24th during 5th period. The event will consist of information from the Maggie Walker House, African American poetry performed by the Slam Poetry Club, and a keynote presentation from Faithe Norrell! Faithe Norrell’s children are the great-grandchildren of Maggie Walker. She will discuss the 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments, Reconstruction, systematic racism, and modern-day social injustices. A special assembly bell schedule has been created for next week and 5th period teachers will be ushering students to the webinar from 12:20-1:30. (webinar link to be shared on Schoology later this week and by 5^th period teachers)

Here is Wednesday’s Assembly Bell Schedule:

Block 1: 8:40-9:15 (75 minutes) normal

Block 2: 10:10-11:25 (75 minutes) normal

Lunch 11:25-12:00 (35 minutes) shortened

Block 5: 12:00-12:20 (attendance taken)

Assembly: 12:20-1:29

Block 5: 1:30-2:00 (50 minutes total) shortened

Block 7: 2:10-3:00 (50 minutes) shortened

Library

Frustrated when liberals and conservatives call each other names, talk past each other, or worse? Want to get more comfortable talking with people you care about whose political views differ from yours? Would you like to get to know another Dragon while earning Community service hours?

Participate in One Small Step! The MLWGS Library has partnered with the national One Small Step initiative from StoryCorps to organize conversations between Dragons with contrasting political perspectives. MLWGS and Trinity Episcopal are the first two high schools in the nation to partner with One Small Step!

This is NOT a forum for debate or persuasion. Instead, this is an opportunity to enhance your listening skills, deepen your connection with another Dragon, and earn community service hours. Four workshops with Ms. DeGroat will help prepare you for your conversation.

To participate, sign up by Feb. 24th. For the sign-up link and to learn more about this exciting opportunity, watch this intro video: https://www.loom.com/share/59a415bb874e4504bd18686056ec00fc

School Counseling

Attention freshman and sophomore families, make sure your student has signed up for a course registration meeting with Mr. Z or Ms. Cobb. This week is the last full week of meetings before students register for classes next week on March 4^th through the Powerschool portal.

Freshman signups: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4eaeae2ca0f49-course

Sophomore signups: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805044BA8AA23A2F58-course

Juniors with questions about next year’s schedule may sign up for a 15-minute “12^th Grade Scheduling Chat” with their senior counselor to be held the week of February 22. (SignUp Genius links are posted in the Resources section of the “College Information for the Class of 2022” Schoology page.)

Day #3 of College Kick-Off has been rescheduled to Thursday, 2/25 from 10:15-11:30AM (link coming soon) due to last week’s bad weather, and individual Junior College Meetings will run in March and April. (SignUp Genius registration to begin soon.)

Adolescents and Stress: March Group Offering for Parents

Mrs. Ebeling’s Drop-In Hours

Mrs. Ebeling’s last day of drop-in hours will be on Wednesday, February 24^th. The link for that meeting is as follows:

Lisa Ebeling is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Drop in Sessions

Time: Feb 17, 2021 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Every week on Wed, until Feb 24, 2021, 2 occurrence(s)

Feb 17, 2021 04:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88595978093?pwd=YlJRRG9TWndaN2JCS0p4VDFRUTNEQT09

Meeting ID: 885 9597 8093

Passcode: 222573

Tonight’s quote comes from Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, America’s First Black Naval Admiral. The Admiral said, “Success in life is the result of several factors. My formula is simply education plus motivation plus perseverance.” Great words from a great American!

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

021421

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Schedule for the Week

Monday – Student Holiday – Teacher Staff Development

Tuesday – Even

Wednesday – Odd

Thursday – Even

Friday – Odd

Re-Opening Update

To facilitate our reopening, our largest districts (Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and Richmond) will be split evenly for transportation. Students with last names A-Li will be on Mon & Tues. Students with last names Lia-Z will be on Wed & Thurs. Goochland, Hopewell, and Powhatan will be on Mon & Tues. Charles City, King & Queen, New Kent, Peterburg, and Prince George will be on Wed & Thurs. Friday will remain an asynchronous learning day.

Much more information, as well as a final transportation survey will follow.

Regional School Board

The MLWGS Regional School Board will meet on Thursday February 18^th at 9:00 AM. https://mlwgs.com/all-virtual-mlwgs-regional-school-board-meeting-and-fy22-budget-work-session-on-february-18-2021/

Fall Sports Parent Meeting

There will be a Fall Sports Parent/Coaches Zoom meeting on Monday February 15^th at 6:00 PM. If your student is participating in Field Hockey, Volleyball, Cross Country, or Golf you will want to participate and hear how we are going to participate under the current circumstances. If you haven’t received the link to the meeting from your coach, please email Coach Hawkins at [email protected] for the link.

Library

Frustrated when liberals and conservatives call each other names, talk past each other, ignore each other, or worse? Have political tensions distanced you from people you care about? Would you like to foster unity in our Dragon community?

This is NOT a forum for debate or persuasion. Instead, this is an opportunity to enhance your listening skills, deepen your connection with another Dragon, and earn community service hours.

The sign-up window is from Feb. 10 to Feb. 24, 2021. Participants must attend a series of four related workshops (specific dates and times are on the sign-up form) before being matched with a conversation partner. Students earn community service hours for participating in the workshops as well as engaging in the One Small Step conversation itself.

The sign-up form takes about 15 minutes to complete and includes a place where you introduce yourself to your future conversation partner in your own words. Here’s the link: http://bit.ly/onesmallstepMLWGS

School Counseling

This is a reminder that College Kick-Off will take place this week on Tuesday (2/16) from 12:30-1:30PM, Wednesday (2/17) from 10:15-11:30AM, and Thursday (2/18) from 10:15-11:30AM. Zoom webinar links, available on Monday, will be posted in Schoology. Tuesday’s session (which includes speakers from the MLWGS community) will be recorded, but the panelists’ presentations on Wednesday and Thursday will be LIVE ONLY due to some colleges’ policies. Note: this is a change.

Please remember that these sessions are required of all juniors. Parents/guardians are also invited to attend online. If facing an unavoidable conflict, juniors should ask a friend to take notes for them. In the green packets that either were picked up by juniors in the Bluestone Lobby or are headed their way via U.S. mail, a wealth of information can be found. It is the goal of the School Counseling Office that the three days of College Kick-Off will bring relevant and timely topics to life while offering the unique and valued perspectives of panelists representing both MLWGS and a variety of universities.

Fall Sports

Attention any student who plans to participate in Fall sports. You must have the forms completed from the link https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/athletics/ to participate. Once they are complete, please send to [email protected] as a single file attachment, such as a DOC or PDF, and that is named “Lastname, Firstname”. If you do not have a scanner at home, there are free scanning apps available for your phone, such as, GeniusScan. Also on newer iphones there’s a built in scanner in the “notes” app. Please take into consideration the places to obtain a physical might not be doing them or might have a long wait. The start date for Fall Sports is February 16^th. Any questions may be sent to the above email.

Operation Smile Club

Starting February 15th, MW’s Operation Smile Club will be hosting a toothbrush drive in collaboration with National Honor Society. (All students and members of the Maggie Walker community are invited to participate!) This collection will support Operation Smile’s Sending Hope campaign; this winter, Operation Smile clubs from high schools across Virginia are dedicated to collecting essential items to donate to young patients and their families in Guatemala. There will be a drop-off box in the Bluestone Lobby until March 5th. Please make sure the toothbrushes you bring in are sealed in their original packaging, and share as many as you can! Thanks!

Unique Auction Items Wanted

Unique items donated by MLWGS families and alums help set the Night of the Dragon auction apart. Do you own a vacation rental or second home, have a skill or hobby you can share, know a great local place you’d like to support that everyone should try? If so, please consider donating to this year’s NOTD auction. Getaways, services, and gift certificates make great donations. Interested in donating or not sure what you have will work? Reach out to Ginger O’Neil, 703-80-2506 or [email protected]. She’d love to hear from you.

Good News!

We are very excited to announce that our talented students in the fine arts were recently honored again this year by having their work selected in the regional Scholastic Art competition. This is a highly competitive art competition which had over 2000 art entries from the region. MLWGS students had another great year of 50 total awards, recognizing Maggie Walker as one of the region’s top schools for the Arts.

2020-21 Scholastics Awards Summary

50 Total awards

7 Gold Keys awards including 1 American Visions Nominee

14 Silver Keys awards including 1 Silver Key Portfolio

25 Honorable Mentions including 3 Honorable Mention Portfolios

Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School student were additionally recognized for their work in this show. Junior, Devyn Powers received an American Visions Award nomination for her mixed media piece, Blue Face. Additionally, Senior, Isabel Li’s digital artwork was chosen for the exhibition catalogue cover.

Due to COVID, an exhibition of only the Gold Key works will be held at The Visual Arts Center of Richmond at 1812 West Main Street from February 6-21st. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Social distancing protocols are in place in the gallery. Pictures of the exhibition are attached below.

The exhibition can also be seen online at this link. https://www.visarts.org/partnerships/school-partnerships/scholastic-awards/. An online ceremony will be held on Zoom for Gold Key award winners this Saturday February 13th at 1pm.

Additionally Gold Key winners’ work will move on to the Alliance for Young Artist and Writers national adjudication process, where it will be eligible for further recognition and scholarship opportunities. Adjudication of Gold Key works will take place in New York City and award winners will be announced in March.

Please join me in congratulating the following Maggie Walker Students and the Fine Arts staff for their success!

Portfolio winners are in bold.

Award	First	Last	Grade	Category	Teacher	Title
Gold Key American Visions Nominee	Devyn	Powers	11	Mixed Media	Hall	Blue Face
Gold Key	Rylan	Karjane	12	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	Get Off My Doc’s
Gold Key	Tina	Le	12	Design	Hall	Youth Art Month
Gold Key	Isabel	Li	12	Digital Art	Coleman	Maladaptive Daydream
Gold Key	Isabel	Li	12	Digital Art	Coleman	Exploration
Gold Key	Ananya Iyer	Sairaman	10	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	Romantic
Gold Key	Nived	Sanjay	10	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	Skin-deep
Silver Key	Jeddah	Arnold	11	Photography	Cox	Gluten free
Silver Key	Wood	Johnson	10	Sculpture	Stinnett	House of Slate
Silver Key	Rylan	Karjane	12	Painting	Hall	Papilio troilus
Silver Key	Rylan	Karjane	12	Painting	Hall	Acherontia atropos
Silver Key	Rylan	Karjane	12	Painting	Hall	Speyeria diana
Silver Key	Rylan	Karjane	12	Art Portfolio	Hall	empty girls met with empt eyes
Silver Key	Isabel	Li	12	Digital Art	Coleman	the flowershop
Silver Key	Hanna	Ngai	11	Sculpture	Hall	thorns in my side
Silver Key	Lexi	Pasternak	11	Digital Art	Hall	The Stronghold
Silver Key	Ananya Iyer	Sairaman	10	Drawing & Illustration	Stinnett	Enigma
Silver Key	Nived	Sanjay	10	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	Up & Down
Silver Key	Gwen	Stankiewicz	11	Fashion	Hall	Roses and Thorns
Silver Key	Sarah	Wagner	9	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	Boy in a Dark Hallway
Silver Key	Alan	Watts	11	Photography	Stinnett	Back Alley Bars
Silver Key	Alan	Watts	11	Photography	Stinnett	Adjusting the Light
Honorable Mention	Ria	Bakshi	12	Art Portfolio	Hall	familiarity
Honorable Mention	Robert	Buchanan	10	Mixed Media	Stinnett	Flotsam
Honorable Mention	Elizabeth	Celentano	12	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	Rusty
Honorable Mention	Ishaan	Dave	9	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	Stippling Ink Drawing Still Life
Honorable Mention	Mallory	French	11	Sculpture	Hall	Untitled
Honorable Mention	Cameron	Golden	10	Painting	Hall	Blue Eyes
Honorable Mention	Cameron	Golden	10	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	Self Portrait in Ink
Honorable Mention	Gayatri	Guda	10	Comic Art	Stinnett	Ursa
Honorable Mention	Lillian	Josefiak	10	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	reflection
Honorable Mention	Callie	Karjane	11	Photography	Stinnett	Flooding
Honorable Mention	Sarala	Kennedy	10	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	Self Portrait After Kollwitz
Honorable Mention	Ala	Killen	10	Photography	Hall	Chicken Portrait
Honorable Mention	Shreya	Malani	12	Painting	Hall	lost in thoughts
Honorable Mention	Shreya	Malani	12	Painting	Hall	lake thunseree
Honorable Mention	Shreya	Malani	12	Art Portfolio	Hall	faces across generations
Honorable Mention	Sutton	Marks	10	Design	Hall	Evolution of Zelda Infographic
Honorable Mention	Isabel	Martin	12	Painting	Hall	4 Aspects of Identity Pt. 1
Honorable Mention	Isabel	Martin	12	Mixed Media	Hall	Life
Honorable Mention	Ellie	Murray	11	Photography	Stinnett	Seed Clouds
Honorable Mention	Hanna	Ngai	11	Sculpture	Hall	no justice, no peace
Honorable Mention	Hanna	Ngai	11	Sculpture	Hall	2020 the Movie: Corona Strikes Back
Honorable Mention	Anthony	Paiva	12	Photography	Stinnett	The Passenger
Honorable Mention	Audrey	Price	10	Painting	Hall	Mother Nature, the Vandal
Honorable Mention	Gwen	Stankiewicz	11	Digital Art	Hall	Procrastination
Honorable Mention	Betsy	Tinsley	10	Drawing & Illustration	Hall	Tenebrism Figure Drawing
Honorable Mention	Cooper	Tsow	12	Comic Art	Hall	Balance
Honorable Mention	Alan	Watts	11	Photography	Stinnett	Crows on the Pier
Honorable Mention	Julianne	Zielinski	12	Art Portfolio	Hall	untitled

Perisa Ashar has been chosen as a Coca Cola Regional Finalist! Additionally she also won First Prize in the Biochemistry Category at the Taiwan International Science Fair. She has also been recognized as the First Place winner of the Overall Virginia State 4H Youth-in-Action Award for her service and stewardship in helping others and collaborating between 4H and STEMinate by providing STEM enrichment courses to underserved students. Well done Perisa!

I would like to close this week with two powerful quotes that I feel are appropriate for this week:

“An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind.” – M.K. Gandhi

“If you can’t fly then run. If you can’t run then walk. If you can’t walk then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher conferences will be conducted virtually using the Zoom platform on Thursday February 11^th from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM. A link to the sign-up genius form went live in the parent portal of PowerSchool on Thursday February 4^th at 12:00 Noon. As always, you can email the teacher directly and set up a time to talk.

Re-Opening Update

You have most likely heard by now that Governor Northam has called upon all public schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia to begin returning students to campus by March 15^th. Over the next few days, the admin team will review all of the guidelines mentioned in the Governors statement below and ensure that our Instructional Plan is updated and in compliance. I will certainly share that document with all of you as soon as it is updated. There are many things to consider and iron out and I promise to keep you all in the loop as we work through them.

Here is a link to the Governor’s statement:

https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/all-releases/2021/february/headline-892131-en.html

As of today, all of our faculty, staff, and coaches have had the opportunity to receive the first round of vaccinations for Covid-19. We are now waiting for communication from RPS as to the timeline for round two. Because of the unique system of transportation in Henrico County, Henrico Parents can expect a survey regarding transportation needs within the next week. I will continue to provide updates as we work through the process.

Online Personal Finance

MLWGS Online Personal Finance Course Spring Semester has begun. First course due dates are 02/07. Students should go to course page in Schoology for details.

School Counseling

Save-the-date! The MLWGS senior counselors are pleased to present MLWGS’s annual College Kick-Off event for juniors and their families again this year. This virtual event will take place over three informative and inspiring sessions:

-Tuesday, February 16 (12:30-1:30PM): Navigating Naviance and other accounts (in support of college planning), presented by senior counselors Dr. Rachel Loving and Ms. Kim Forquer, as well as GRASP representative Mrs. Susan Teerlink and English teacher Mr. Ed Coleman

-Wednesday, February 17 (10:15-11:30AM): The College Search and an Introduction to Scholarships, Financial Aid, Honors Colleges, and Special Programs, featuring panelists from Old Dominion University, Howard University, and Northeastern University

-Thursday, February 18 (10:15-11:30AM): What Colleges are Looking For and an Introduction to the Application Process, featuring panelists from the University of Richmond, the College of William & Mary, and the University of Chicago

Juniors will be excused from class to attend, and Zoom links will also be available to parents and guardians who also wish to join in this webinar. More information will be shared in early

February.

Each junior will be issued a folder of information pertaining to College Kick-Off. “Packet pick-up” will be available in the Bluestone Lobby on Weds, 2/3 – Fri, 2/5 during school hours. (Packets that are not picked up by the end of the week will be mailed home.)

In advance of this year’s virtual College Kick-Off for juniors and their families (scheduled for February 16-18), the senior counselors are soliciting your questions for the consideration of the event’s panelists (from a variety of colleges and universities both public and private, in-state and out-of-state). You are invited to fill out and submit this brief Google form by Tuesday, February 2: https://forms.gle/4ow5rGTNyRN7cSjd9

Course Scheduling

This is a reminder that the school counseling department conducted assemblies on course scheduling for next school year on January 28^th. Webinar recordings of the assemblies as well as course registration resources and forms are all available on the school counseling webpage on course scheduling information.

Signup links were sent out to students through Schoology for 9^th and 10^th graders for appointments with counselors to discuss course selection options during the month of February (junior meetings are taking place over a longer period). Spaces are limited so make sure your student signs up. If you run into scheduling problems, please send an email to your child’s counselor.

Freshmen (rising 10^th graders): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4eaeae2ca0f49-course

Sophomores (rising 11^th graders): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805044ba8aa23a2f58-course

Juniors (rising 12^th graders) can find the link to their counselor signup genius through the Schoology group entitled “College Information for Class of 2022”.

The February 2021 Senior Newsletter has been uploaded to the MLWGS School Counseling website. This document features scholarships, announcements from colleges, contests, and multicultural opportunities, as well as an on-site admissions event with Mary Baldwin University that is scheduled for Friday, February 12^th. Students and families are reminded that each issue includes a new list of scholarships; therefore, rereading previous issues and reviewing Naviance are suggested so that opportunities and deadlines are not missed. For more information, visit https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/, and click on the link for “College Admissions Information” and then “Senior & Junior Newsletters” (where you can also find the recent End of Sem1 2021 Junior Newsletter). Juniors are also encouraged to keep checking the “College Information for the Class of 2022” Schoology page, and seniors should continue viewing posts on the “College Information for the Class of 2021” Schoology page.

Walker Way Forum

Parents are well aware of the challenges that their children have experienced this past year. Our students have been affected by the pandemic in a myriad of ways with virtual education presenting the biggest impact for many. Our nation has dealt with racial justice issues and a difficult political climate. It can be hard for students to remain hopeful when they are dealing with these very tough circumstances. Exposure to strong and positive role models offers one way of lifting people up during tough times and led to the development of the Walker Way Forum. This speaking series is designed around the four pillars of the Walker Way: courage, compassion, community, and collaboration. Our first forum will take place on February 10^th at 11:30. Robert Dortch of the Robins Foundation will be speaking on the pillar of community. Mr. Dortch is a well-respected leader in the Metro Richmond area and a talented speaker. It is our hope that exposure to someone who exemplifies the values reflected in our school mission can provide students with a sense of renewed optimism during this challenging time. Questions? Please email Lisa Ebeling, School Psychologist at [email protected]

Fall Sports

Special Guest Speaker

We are thrilled to announce that Christina Koch, NASA astronaut and former United States Antarctic Program research associate, will be joining the Polar Seminar on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, during 1^st period. She will be talking about her experiences working in harsh and remote conditions – from the South Pole to the International Space Station. Christina will also share anecdotes from her many experiences that have culminated in her being selected as one of the Artemis team members. This team of astronauts has begun training and preparing for the first planned Lunar missions since 1972.

Attached you will find her biography, and you can find more information about her here. Please watch this short video: “Meet Artemis Team Member Christina Koch” to help introduce you to this remarkable speaker.

As always, if you would like to attend the seminar, please send Lynn Reed an email as soon as possible at [email protected] and she will provide you with the Zoom link. Her talk will begin at about 8:50, and the Q&A will conclude at 9:55. We will be recording the event and posting it to Schoology afterwards.

Student Survey in Schoology

A survey will be posted on the Schoology class pages that is a research survey created by one of our students to gauge effectiveness of virtual instruction. The purpose of this survey is to inform us as to how virtual learning has affected schooling this year. All answers will be anonymous and, using your input, we will better understand how we can improve virtual learning.

Support MLWGS by Supporting this Year’s Night of the Dragon!

Plans are shaping up in a wonderful way for the 2021 Night of the Dragon, April 24, 2021. Our beloved annual fundraising auction will be virtual this year, so make plans now to have a viewing party or just stay in and enjoy!

Here’s how you can help us make the 19th Annual Night of the Dragon the best ever!

Get registered as soon as we let you know the auction website goes live so you can preview all the great auction items! Don’t worry, we’ll spread the word far and wide.
Donate an item(s) for the Live or Silent Auctions. Popular items include unique

experiences hosted by MLWGS families and friends, event tickets, vacation home

rentals, artwork, local adventures—GET CREATIVE! To donate, contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].

Become a Sponsor. Individual and corporate sponsorships are a great way to support MLWGS and promote your business to our community. Sponsorships are available at many levels and the new livestream format allows for some great new options. For Sponsorships, contact Ginger O’Neil [email protected].

Stay tuned for more information about this wonderful event in the coming weeks!

Good News!

Congratulations to Gabriella Watson who was selected for a Leadership in the 21^st Century Scholarship! This scholarship is awarded as a part of Chesterfield County’s celebration of Black History Month. This is quite an accomplishment and Gabriella will be honored by Chesterfield County and Virginia State University officials in an upcoming virtual ceremony. Way to go Gabriella!

Congratulations to our Quizbowl team for their two victories on Wednesday evening 2/3/21. After defeating William Monroe 515-175, they beat George Mason 285-160 in the Region 3B Championship match. This qualifies them to compete in the VHSL Scholastic Bowl State Tournament in March. Participating that evening were seniors Sonya Stacia, Dennis Plotnikov, Sam Fidler; juniors Quinn Kast, Sam Lichtman; sophomore Vien Nguyen; freshmen Bharathi Kancharia, Sam McNamee.

Way back in 1995 I finished my Master’s degree in Teaching from VCU. I really had no interest in attending the main graduation ceremony. It would be crowded, long, and I would have to listen to a bunch of people that I didn’t know or really care about. I was only interested in in getting my diploma from the School of Education ceremony and move on. That changed when I found out that the Keynote Speaker would be Maya Angelou. To say that she was captivating is an understatement. Never before had I heard someone speak with such beauty, love, and compassion. The entire Seigel Center hung on her every word. It was by far the best graduation I had ever attended, and I have attended many!

Some of my favorite Maya Angelou words are “You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher conferences will be conducted virtually using the Zoom platform on Thursday February 11^th from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM. A link to the sign-up genius form will go live in the parent portal of PowerSchool on Thursday February 4^th at 12:00 Noon. With a limited number of conference slots available for each teacher we respectfully request that you refrain from signing up for a conference if your child is doing well in the class and you have no pressing need to speak to the teacher. We want to try to reserve as much time for families that have a more immediate need for a conference. As always, you can email the teacher directly and set up a time to talk.

Re-Opening Update

Just a quick update on the progress of bringing students back to campus. As of today, all of our faculty, staff, and coaches have had the opportunity to register for the first round of vaccinations for Covid-19. Most have already had round one and all will have had the opportunity for round one by Friday the 5^th of February. Most of us have been receiving the Moderna vaccine which would put round two around the last week of February as long as the supply of the vaccine is consistent. I will continue to provide updates as we work through the process.

Parents

The Counseling Department is well aware of the challenges that virtual education has placed on schools and families. This has been an extraordinarily difficult time for our community, and many are feeling increasing stress as issues around the pandemic continue. In an effort to provide increased support for students and parents, our department is offering additional hours of service during the week from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. starting on February 1^st. Cindy Barnes, School Counselor, will be available for drop-in hours on Mondays and Tuesdays. Lisa Ebeling, School Psychologist, will be available on Wednesdays. When you access the session, you will be placed in the waiting room and admitted when Ms. Barnes and Mrs. Ebeling are finished with a prior meeting. Questions? Please contact Ms. Barnes at [email protected] or Mrs. Ebeling at [email protected].

Lisa Ebeling is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88595978093?pwd=YlJRRG9TWndaN2JCS0p4VDFRUTNEQT09

Meeting ID: 885 9597 8093

Passcode: 222573

Cindy B is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84999331619?pwd=a2ZGb29oMG9ycVFNMXJmbmViRUQyZz09

Meeting ID: 849 9933 1619

WANTED!
Vietnam War Veterans who may be willing and able to speak to students via Zoom. We are interested in stories about their service, experience, and present perspective on the war. Combat experience not required. Zoom sessions would likely be during Tuesday or Thursday morning in March-April. Participants would have to be able or have someone available to assist them connect with a Zoom link provided by the class. If you have a family member, friend, neighbor or acquaintance that might be willing, please contact John Wilkes in the Social Studies Department at [email protected].

Passcode: 116197

Fall Sports

All students who are interested in playing a fall sport that will begin on February 15^th, please visit mlwgs.com co-curricular tab for the required forms to be completed and emailed to [email protected] prior to the start date. Please include the interested sport in the subject line in the email.

All Males interested in trying out for Boys Volleyball needs to contact the head coach Connor Dixon [email protected]

All Females interested in trying out for Girls Volleyball needs to contact the head coach Tony Dee [email protected]

School Counseling

Juniors will be excused from class to attend, and Zoom links will also be available to parents and guardians who also wish to join in this webinar. More information will be shared in early

February.

The School Counseling team enjoyed meeting with underclassmen in grade-level assemblies last Thursday. Recordings of these webinars will be available soon at https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/ under “Course Scheduling Information and Forms.” In addition, the second issue of the Junior Newsletter has been posted there under NavigationàCollege Admissions InformationàSenior & Junior Newsletters. Students in all grades are invited to read the “End of Sem1 2021” edition for information on camps and conferences, college fairs and virtual events, contests and scholarships, enrichment and summer programs, multicultural opportunities, and more. (Juniors are encouraged to keep checking the “College Information for the Class of 2022” Schoology group for additional updates.)

Walker Way Forum

MLWGS DRAMA’s One-Acts

Are you an actor who wants some more experience or has been trying to find the perfect outlet for your talents this winter? If so, come audition this Wednesday, 1/27/21, for the student-written and directed One Acts! One-Acts have less of a time commitment than a full-length play without sacrificing the fun and creativity. Sides (scene selections) will be posted on Monday, 1/25, and assigned at the auditions. Visit the MLWGS Drama Schoology page for more information. See you there!

School Advisory Committee

Need a break after the end of the semester? On February 5th from 7-9 pm, there will be a Virtual Game Night! Each grade will have a separate Zoom link operated by the class officers and a list of fun online games will be provided. Bring your friends, choose a breakout room, and have some virtual fun!

Links to MLWGS Information

AP Scholar Information

https://mlwgs.com/maggie-walker-students-earned-290-ap-scholar-awards-in-2020/

New MLWGS School Board Chair and Vice Chair

https://mlwgs.com/mw-regional-school-board-elects-new-chair-for-2021/

Nominate an Excellent MLWGS Teacher for an REB Award

https://mlwgs.com/nominate-an-outstanding-teacher-for-the-r-e-b-awards-3/

Good News!

The 2020 Yearbook won First Place in the American Scholastic Press Association competition. Please join me in congratulating Instructor and Sponsor Michael White, Editor-in-Chief Zelda Hinkle, Senior Section Editor Keriann Slayton, and the entire 2019-20 Yearbook staff on their remarkable achievement! And…drum roll… the 2020 Yearbook also received an EXCELLENT from the Southern Interscholastic Press Association.

Every year, students from the greater Richmond area audition for District Band, a selective ensemble consisting of the finest student musicians in the region. This year, fifteen Maggie Walker students were awarded positions, and five students are eligible for All-Virginia auditions.

District Band consists of two ensembles: Symphonic Band and Concert Band. Symphonic Band is the premier ensemble. “#” Denotes all-state eligibility.

Flute #Michael Lusk: 3rd chair / Symphonic Heer Patel: 5th chair / Concert

Oboe #Jack Cabell: 1st chair / Symphonic

Clarinet Katie Hollister: 11th chair / Concert Devon Jebo: 13th chair / Concert

Bassoon #Rahul Ramesh: 1st chair / Symphonic

Alto Saxophone Jessica Hendricks: 1st chair / Concert Qingyuan Hu: 3rd chair / Concert

Tenor Saxophone Matteo DeLuca: 2nd chair / Concert

Trumpet Caraline Kennedy: 12th chair / Symphonic

French Horn #Amar Srinivasan: 4th chair / Symphonic

Trombone #Ryan Eklund: 3rd chair / Symphonic Layne Hopkins: 3rd chair / Concert

Baritone Lucy Whealton: 5th chair / Symphonic

Percussion Henry Walworth: 4th chair / Concert

Jackson and Caraline Kennedy are also Student Of The Year candidates for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). They are leading Team Kick It and are honoring two family friends who have battled AML and lymphoma cancer as children and are thankfully both in remission. They have 2 upcoming events that we would love to have supported by Maggie Walker families:

Feb. 7^th—a Zoom HIIT workout with Zingfit at 9 a.m. (sign up on the Mindbody app, search for Zingfit and the LLS charity class)–$10 donation, women only
Feb. 21^st—a Cut-a-Thon with Mango salon, Gayton Crossing location, from 10 a.m. –3 p.m. with a suggested $10 donation for a haircut and Restaurant night at Chianti’s Italian Restaurant from 3 p.m.- 9 p.m., also in Gayton Crossing.

Donations can also be made to Team Kick It campaign page: https://events.lls.org/va/richmondSOY21/kennedy

In February, we have historically celebrated the achievements and contributions of African-Americans. As a Commonwealth as well as a school, are in the process of re-evaluating how we have included, or failed to include the Black experience in our curriculum. I believe that it is particularly appropriate to reflect upon where we are on the journey to achieve Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of unity. Perhaps even more so this year, we are reflecting on our own attitudes as well as where we are as a nation. While opinions may differ as to where we are on the journey, we can all agree that Dr. King was correct when he said, “The time is always right to do what is right.” I challenge all of us to look around, be honest with ourselves, and always strive to do what is right.

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

012421

Schedule Update for This Week

Monday – Odd

Tuesday – Even

Wednesday – Asynchronous

Thursday – Reading Day (Catch up day for students and faculty)

Friday – Student Holiday / Teacher Workday

Please remember that Asynchronous school days are official school days!

Re-Opening Update

Just a quick update on the progress of bringing students back to campus. As of today, all but 12 of our faculty, staff, and coaches have registered for the first round of vaccinations for Covid-19. Several have already had round one and almost all will have had round one by Friday the 29^th of January. Please hope that we don’t get snowed out at the end of the week! We have been receiving the Moderna vaccine which would put round two during the last week of February. I will continue to provide updates as we work through the process.

Attention all returning students

Save the date – January 28^th!

School counselors will be leading grade-level assemblies this Thursday on Course Registration. Webinar links will be sent out early next week and students and parents are welcome to attend. The assemblies will be recorded for those who are not able to attend.

Rising 10^th graders (current freshmen) will meet at 10 am, rising 11^th graders will meet at 11 am, and rising 12^th graders will meet at 12 noon.

During the month of February, students will get information from teachers and many will meet with counselors about course offerings and recommendations. Actual course registration will occur virtually through the PowerSchool portal on March 4^th.

Links to resources and helpful information will be shared soon.

School Counseling

Tuesday, February 16 (12:30-1:30PM): Navigating Naviance and other accounts (in support of college planning), presented by senior counselors Dr. Rachel Loving and Ms. Kim Forquer, as well as GRASP representative Mrs. Susan Teerlink and English teacher Mr. Ed Coleman

Wednesday, February 17 (10:15-11:30AM): The College Search and an Introduction to Scholarships, Financial Aid, Honors Colleges, and Special Programs, featuring panelists from Old Dominion University, Howard University, and Northeastern University

Thursday, February 18 (10:15-11:30AM): What Colleges are Looking For and an Introduction to the Application Process, featuring panelists from the University of Richmond, the College of William & Mary, and the University of Chicago

Juniors will be excused from class to attend, and Zoom links will also be available to parents and guardians who also wish to join in this webinar. More information will be shared in early February.

Fall Sports

MLWGS DRAMA’s One-Acts

Links to MLWGS Information

AP Scholar Information

https://mlwgs.com/maggie-walker-students-earned-290-ap-scholar-awards-in-2020/

New MLWGS School Board Chair and Vice Chair

https://mlwgs.com/mw-regional-school-board-elects-new-chair-for-2021/

Nominate an Excellent MLWGS Teacher for an REB Award

https://mlwgs.com/nominate-an-outstanding-teacher-for-the-r-e-b-awards-3/

Good News!

This Saturday, January 30, our Quiz Bowl team will be broadcast competing on the Battle of the Brains show, CBS-TV6 at 10am. Tune in and watch our Green Dragons play Princess Anne HS!

Bruce Yanovitch , Class of 2023, is a candidate for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Students of the Year Program. Several Maggie Walker students have participated in SOY in the past, so you’re probably familiar with the program. Basically, they want to help kids and families who are dealing with a terrible diagnosis right in the middle of a global pandemic. Brenna Luczak, also Class of 2023, is the another Dragon on Bruce’s team.

People can follow them on Instagram @curebigorgohomerva and on Facebook at Cure Big or Go Home. They are seeking sponsors, donors, and silent auction items. Donations are very appreciated at https://events.lls.org/va/richmondSOY21/curebig .

Perisa Ashar has been awarded the Virginia 4-H Youth-in-Action Award for the STEM pillar, for her work with Henrico 4-H and her organization, STEMinate, in providing STEM workshops and promoting STEM educational equity regionally and internationally. She will also serve as the State Ambassador to Virginia State 4H organization, and be a State 4H Leader Perisa has been a Henrico 4 H teen leader giving STEM enrichment classes in person, virtually, and has also hosted and organized a 10 week “Train Your Brain” Summer Camp with 4H and STEMinate. She has been and is recognized for her accomplishments to change the lives of those around her. The awards will be given at the virtual event ” An Evening with 4H” January 28 from 7-8 pm and hosted by Juan Conde, WRIC 8News. you can register at https://aimsbbis.vt.edu/4HGala2021. Perisa is the only student from Henrico/central Virginia/Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School to get the award!

Let me close this week with a quote from Former British Prime Minister David Cameron. He said, “I believe that in life, you have to give things your best shot, do your best. You have to focus on what needs to be done, do the right thing, not the popular thing.” I think that these are wise words and excellent advice to all.

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

011721

There are no classes tomorrow in Observance of Martin Luther King Day. The remainder of the week will be Even, Odd, Even, Odd.

There will be a virtual meeting of the MLWGS Regional School Board on Thursday January 21^st at 9:00 AM. The link will be on the school’s main webpage.

Sophomores

The scheduled January 26^th PSAT administration for MLWGS sophomores has been postponed due to public health and safety concerns. At the recommendation of our local regional representative of the College Board, we will administer the PSAT 10 test during a day to be determined in April. The PSAT 10 is identical to the PSAT/NMSQT but is only available for 10^th graders and offers more flexibility in scheduling options.

We apologize for the change but feel this is the right thing to do in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. More information will be sent out to families once a date in April is selected.

Juniors and Parents of Juniors:

This is a reminder that the deadline for juniors to make their decision regarding whether or not they will be enrolling in a seminar or applying to the mentorship program is Monday, 1/18/21. The completed mentorship application is also due on 1/18/21 for those juniors interested in applying to the mentorship program. In December, each Junior Student was admitted to a Schoology Group called “The Class of 2022 Senior Seminar/Mentorship Information Group.” This Schoology group provides descriptions of the seminar courses, mentorship application information, and deadlines for the decision-making process. If you have questions after visiting Schoology, please email Les Cook, the Senior Seminar/Mentorship Coordinator, at [email protected].

Library

Off-Campus Access to the Wall Street Journal via wsj.com

Although several students and faculty have expressed appreciation for our school’s current access to wsj.com, some find the second access step confusing. In this step, it appears that you need to verify the corresponding email address but that is not necessary; instead, you may click “Continue to WSJ” and go directly to the site.

This quick video shows how to log in to wsj.com. Our school password is on the password list available in the Dragons Research group in Schoology.

Note: Normally the Wall Street Journal does not provide access to wsj.com for school subscribers except when users are on campus (or logging in with a method that makes it look like they are). Due to the pandemic, they’re making a temporary exception. Enjoy our off-campus access while you can!

Resources for Understanding the U.S. Constitution

Considering the intense public discussion about portions of the U.S. Constitution recently, you may want to re-read all or part of it and related annotations, essays, or scholarship. Here are a few key resources you may find useful:

The Constitution Annotated: “In publication for over 100 years, The Constitution of the United States: Analysis and Interpretation – a.k.a., The Constitution Annotated or CONAN, is a comprehensive, government-sanctioned record of the interpretations of the Constitution.” For annotations, click the gray box in the upper right of each section. Cornell Law School has developed a version of CONAN organized in an outline of hyperlinks if you prefer that format.

Annenberg Guide to the U.S. Constitution – the text of the U.S. Constitution followed in each section by an interpretation of that section; a project of the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, a nonpartisan communication policy center; policy-wise they lean progressive.

The Heritage Guide to the Constitution – the text of the U.S. Constitution accompanied by several essays that offer interpretations of each article as well as amendments; a project of The Heritage Foundation, a policy center not affiliated with a specific political party; their mission is to “promote conservative public policies.”

JSTOR’s Understanding the Constitution – an interface to the text of the U.S. Constitution with an interactive “count” in the right margin that indicates how many articles in JSTOR cite that section of the Constitution. TIP: Log into your JSTOR account before using this tool so you can access articles that interest you. You can find the JSTOR access steps in the resources section of the Dragons Research group on Schoology.

If you’d like to scroll through images of the original document, visit the The National Archives.

Talk by Dr. Shennette Garrett-Scott: “What Would Maggie Do? Maggie Lena Walker’s Legacy for Today”

On January 12th, Dr. Garrett-Scott gave an engaging and informative talk to an audience of more than 40 students, faculty, and alumni. If you wanted to attend her talk but missed it, here’s a link to the recording which includes the Q&A. Even if you know a lot about Maggie L. Walker already, you’ll learn something new by listening to this talk – and be uplifted by Dr. Garrett-Scott’s enthusiasm. I am grateful to work in a school named after such a phenomenal person. Thank you to everyone who attended!

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/3drL_znMdAinbN01tYhJWKl-Q00OqC3I7UjU8NEwocBBNg29-907UNhOs9H7eLWw.os-z9FBUhiS9MXmQ

Good News!

Maggie Walker Scholastic Bowl is halfway through the VHSL season sporting a cool 4-0 winning record! Big brain energy coming from team captain Sonya Stacia as well as her teammates Dennis Plotnikov, Quinn Kast, Sam Fidler, Sam Lichtman, Bharathi Kancharla, and Sam McNamee as they head into the latter half of the season next week. Wish them luck! If you would like to practice with the team you can join our Schoology group with access code G6FV-P8RR-2SHG8

FROM THE FOUNDATION

Night of the Dragon 2021 with a Twist

The 2021 Night of the Dragon–April 24, 2021–is going virtual! This year’s event will offer the great silent and live auction items and entertainment we’ve come to love Viewing Party Style so friends and families can gather as they wish to enjoy an evening of fun and to view a short program and LIVE AUCTION livestream. We will also be offering a Buy-a-Spot option for folks who’d like to attend a gathering at the home of someone who has offered to host, taking into account the relevant COVID regulations at the time, of course. Additionally, the Foundation is working with local restaurants to support them during this tough time by offering the option for participants to purchase Dinner Boxes to go and will be offering Party Boxes of goodies to make hosting, whether it be for one or 20+, easier. Stay tuned to Class FB pages and Smoke & Scales for info about how you can support this great event and updates as planning progresses. Questions? Contact Foundation Executive Director Ginger O’Neil, [email protected].

Potential Travel in 2022!

Costa Rica trip Spring Break 2022

For reasons that seem clear to me, this year’s celebration of Martin Luther King Day seems particularly significant. We have seen a year of isolation, racial tension, anger, violence, and escalation to the point that on the very day that should be a celebration of ideals and community service, large parts of our very city own are to be closed off and people are being advised to avoid going downtown. Now, more than ever, we need to heed the teachings and words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We need to come together as a community, reject violence, and reconcile our past and our present. There are two powerful quotes that seem to call out to me. The first is the fact that “We may have come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” The second is one of my favorites, “Love is the only force capable of transforming and enemy into a friend.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Sophomores

We apologize for the change but feel this is the right thing to do in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. More information will be sent out to families once a date in April is selected.

Seniors

Senior Yearbook ads are due on Jan. 15! Please contact Yearbook adviser Mr. White at [email protected] for further questions.

Juniors and Parents of Juniors:

This is a reminder that all Juniors need to make their decision regarding whether or not they will be enrolling in a seminar or applying to the mentorship program. In December, each Junior Student was admitted to a Schoology Group called “The Class of 2022 Senior Seminar/Mentorship Information Group.” All juniors and their parents should visit this Schoology Group to learn more about the Senior Seminar Program. This Schoology group provides descriptions of the seminar courses, mentorship application information, and deadlines for the decision-making process. If you have questions after visiting Schoology, please email Les Cook, the Senior Seminar/Mentorship Coordinator, at [email protected]. The deadline for making the decision and ranking seminars is Monday, 1/18/21.

Library

THIS TUESDAY night (Jan. 12th) the MW Library will host a Zoom talk by historian Dr. Shennette Garrett-Scott, author of Banking on Freedom, a book in the Columbia Studies in the History of U.S. Capitalism series that features Maggie L. Walker. Dr. Garrett-Scott teaches at the University of Mississippi. A free reading guide for the book is available from Columbia University Press. MLWGS students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni welcome! 😊

Date: Tuesday, January 12^th, 2021

Time: 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Cost: FREE (registration required)

To reserve your spot, go to https://bit.ly/bankingonfreedom

Math Honor Society

REMINDER: Mu Alpha Theta sponsors a “drop-in” Math Tutoring Lab twice each week, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:15 to 4:15. Students are encouraged to use the lab to get help with homework or to prepare for quizzes and tests. No need to pre-register!

MAΘ Online Tutoring Lab Instructions

Join the Tutoring Lab Zoom meeting using the link (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85152454042?pwd=ajdMNy9XZld1aWdvMjc3S3UydkFiQT09 ).
Join the breakout room with the tutor who will be working with you.

If you want to schedule regular, one-on-one tutoring outside of the regular lab time, please reach out to your math teacher or the Mu Alpha Theta sponsor ([email protected]) .

School Counseling

The latest edition of the Senior Newsletter (Issue #5) has been posted to the College Information for the Class of 2021 Schoology group and on the MLWGS School Counseling website: https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/

Under Navigation, scroll down to College Admissions Information for a link directly to the Senior Newsletters.

This issue presents a variety of scholarship opportunities (which are also listed in Naviance), as well as announcements pertaining to college applications, transcripts, summer programs, and more. If you have any questions, please direct them to the senior counselors (Dr. Loving and Ms. Forquer).

Good News!

Our own Peris Ashar has been selected as on of the top 300 scholars in The Regeneron Science Talent Search. This competition provides students a national stage to present original research and celebrates the hard work and novel discoveries of young scientists who are bringing a fresh perspective to significant global challenges. Both Perisa and the school receive recognition and Perisa is now advancing to the finals of the competition. Congratulations!

CONGRATUALTIONS to the following students! These students auditioned and were selected to participate in All District Chorus in February. These students are also eligible to audition for All Virginia Chorus. I am so proud of these Chorus students!!

Alto 1: Rachael Spencer, Sruthi Vegunta, Bharathi Kancharla, Aiva Kern

Bass 1: Rowan Mueller, Francesco Wells

Soprano 2: Ellie Griffin. Callie Pinar

Tenor 2: Alex Percey

Tonight, I am simply going to end with a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Happy New Year!

Seniors

Senior Yearbook ads are due on Jan. 15! Please contact Yearbook adviser Mr. White at [email protected] for further questions.

New Registrar

Welcome to Mr. Lucas Veale who is our new Registrar in School Counseling. You may recognize him as one of our soccer coaches. We welcome him to the MLWGS family!

Juniors and Parents of Juniors

Soon juniors will be meeting with counselors to discuss their academic schedules for their senior year at MLWGS. One major decision that they will have to make involves the Senior Seminar Program. At Maggie Walker, each senior must either enroll in a seminar class or apply to complete a mentorship to fulfill the Senior Seminar requirement. Information regarding this program and the selection process can be found on Schoology. Each Junior Student has been admitted to a Schoology Group called “The Senior Seminar/Mentorship Decision.” All juniors and their parents should visit this Schoology Group to learn more about the Senior Seminar Program. This Schoology group provides descriptions of the seminar courses, mentorship application information, and deadlines for the decision-making process. If you have questions after visiting Schoology, please email Les Cook, the Senior Seminar/Mentorship Coordinator, at [email protected]. The deadline for making the decision and ranking seminars is 1/18/21.

School Counseling

Dear Sophomores and Juniors,

We hope your year is off to a good start!

Ms. Ebeling, School Psychologist and Ms. Cobb, Sophomore and Junior Counselor are pleased to announce a virtual classroom guidance opportunity for sophomore and junior student using Naviance. Naviance Family Connection, a web-based school counseling tool designed to assist students, parents, and counselors. Naviance contains several helpful advising tools that students will have the opportunity to use during their four years of high school (see the MLW School Counseling Website for more details). During January, students can participate in a virtual lesson using the Myers Brigg Personality Inventory and a Career Interest Inventory.

Students have the opportunity to attend one of four sessions offered on January 15^th, 22^nd, and 29^th by registering at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D45ABA92EAAFEC16-bewho.

The deadline to register is January 8^th

Please feel free to contact Ms. Cobb at [email protected] if you have additional questions.

We look forward to seeing you!

Student School Climate Survey

The events of 2020 have provided leaders at Maggie Walker the opportunity to look at school practices and identify ways that we might be able to do things differently to be a more inclusive school when we re-open in person. There are currently multiple groups of stakeholders working on implementing the MLWGS Strategic Plan to improve racial climate and several initiatives are planned for when we return to in-person learning including partnering with outside organizations that specialize in diversity and inclusion. School leaders want to learn about current students’ experiences and hear suggestions for activities and initiatives that will make Maggie Walker a welcoming and engaging environment for all students, particularly students of color. Students in grades 10,11, and 12 will have the opportunity to share their perspectives, experiences, and suggestions for improvement by completing an anonymous survey that will be made available in Schoology during the first week of January.

Library

On the evening of January 12, the MW Library will host a Zoom talk by historian Dr. Shennette Garrett-Scott, author of Banking on Freedom, a book in the Columbia Studies in the History of U.S. Capitalism series that features Maggie L. Walker. Dr. Garrett-Scott teaches at the University of Mississippi. If her name sounds familiar, you may have read the Wall Street Journal article about Maggie Walker a couple months ago that mentioned Banking on Freedom. A free reading guide for the book is available from Columbia University Press. MLWGS students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni welcome! 😊

Date: Tuesday, January 12^th, 2021

Time: 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Cost: FREE (registration required)

To reserve your spot, go to https://bit.ly/bankingonfreedom

If you have any questions about this special event, please email Ms. DeGroat at

[email protected]

Math Honor Society

Interested and eligible juniors and seniors are invited to apply to be a member of Mu Alpha Theta, the mathematics honor society. A document with more information regarding the eligibility rules has been posted on the class Schoology pages. Here is the link to the online application: https://forms.gle/jRHV3TNufd7jzPom8. This information is available from every math teacher as well.

The application is due no later than Friday, January 8. If student has questions, please contact Mrs. Reed at [email protected].

MAΘ Online Tutoring Lab Instructions

Join the Tutoring Lab Zoom meeting using the link (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85152454042?pwd=ajdMNy9XZld1aWdvMjc3S3UydkFiQT09 ).
Join the breakout room with the tutor who will be working with you.

If you want to schedule regular, one-on-one tutoring outside of the regular lab time, please reach out to your math teacher or the Mu Alpha Theta sponsor ([email protected]) .

Foundation Update

Mark Your Calendar–Night of the Dragon 2021 is Coming to YOU–Saturday, April 24!

Planning is well underway for the social event of the year–NOTD 2021! This fun-filled evening is always great fun and MLWGS’ single largest annual fundraising event. Given the uncertainty about whether we can all be together in one place, this year’s event is being designed to be enjoyed remotely, viewing party-style, with streaming entertainment and Live Auction fun as well as our online Silent Auction featuring loads of long-beloved and creative, new items for you to win. We will also be supporting local restaurants by offering delicious, prepared dinners as well as a Party-in-a-Box to make hosting easy. Stay tuned for more details as they evolve and information about how you can get involved!

2019-2020 Foundation Impact Report

The Foundation’s 2019-2020 Impact Report is now available online at www.mlwgsfoundation.org/impact. Thank you to everyone who helped the Foundation provide vital support to our students and teachers last year and those already making a difference this year!

We have finally put the year 2020 behind us. It will be remembered as one of the most challenging that any of us have ever endured. It is hard to think that any of us made it through the year without being directly affected by the pandemic or knowing someone who was. It is also likely that the next few weeks may prove to be the most difficult of the entire ordeal.

Yet we have hope. We look to a 2021 with optimism knowing that help is on the way. While infection numbers and rates are on the rise, so are vaccinations. It may take a while, but we will get through this and come out on the other side with what I hope will be a sense of gratitude. Never again will we take for granted the little things such as a hug from a friend, dinner and a movie, or especially learning together in the same room.

There is no doubt that the 20-21 school year did not start the way any of us would have wanted, but as the Scottish philosopher Carl Bard says, “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Let’s re-focus ourselves on finishing the first semester strong. We will continue to evaluate our situation with our partner districts and work to get as many Dragons as we can back on to the campus as soon as it is safe to do so.

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

121320

Winter Break

This is just a reminder that the school building will be closed from December 21^st through January 1^st for Winter Break. While there may be some sports teams on campus for practices or games, the campus will be closed for business until we return in January.

Retirement

If one ever visited the Maggie Walker Governor’s School Counseling Office Zona Hicks was the friendly face that greeted you. For the last fifteen years (almost sixteen!), she has managed student records as the school registrar. But at the end of December, Zona is retiring from MLWGS to enjoy the next phase of her life with her husband Fred, sons Justin and Bryan, and two grandchildren. All of us here at MLWGS wish Zona and her family the absolute best in her retirement!

Juniors and Parents of Juniors:

School Counseling

We hope your year is off to a good start! Ms. Ebeling, School Psychologist and Ms. Cobb, Sophomore and Junior Counselor are pleased to announce a virtual classroom guidance opportunity for sophomore and junior student using Naviance. Naviance Family Connection, a web-based school counseling tool designed to assist students, parents, and counselors. Naviance contains several helpful advising tools that students will have the opportunity to use during their four years of high school (see the MLW School Counseling Website for more details). During January, students can participate in a virtual lesson using the Myers Brigg Personality Inventory and a Career Interest Inventory. Students have the opportunity to attend one of four sessions offered on January 15^th, 22^nd, and 29^th by registering at:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D45ABA92EAAFEC16-bewho. The deadline to register is January 8^th.

Please feel free to contact Ms. Cobb at [email protected] if you have additional question.

SENIORS:

Are you a senior who resides in CHESTERFIELD COUNTY and plans to attend a Virginia college or university? Yes? Then this scholarship is just for YOU! Every year in celebration of Black History Month, Chesterfield sponsors the Leadership for the 21st Century Scholarship. In addition to offering one $2500 scholarship to a winner from each of the county’s five magisterial districts, they kindly reserve one for a CCPS student who attends one of the two regional Governor’s Schools or CodeRVA. The application packet is posted on the College Information for the Class of 2021 Schoology page. If interested, please review the packet and Schoology post ASAP and e-mail [email protected] by 12/17 with your intent to apply.

For a listing of other scholarships and opportunities, check out Naviance, the “College Information for the Class of 2021” Schoology group, and the December edition (Issue #4) of the Senior Newsletter at https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/home.

JUNIORS:

The MLWGS Counseling Team has prepared two items for you and your families:

A letter about how to access and understand your PSAT scores (and what to do next)
A Special Edition JUNIOR NEWSLETTER filled with information about camps and conferences, contests and scholarships, internships and enrichment opportunities, and lots of other stuff for you to read and research this month as you prepare for second semester and the summer.

Please take a moment to review these before or during Winter Break. They have been posted in Schoology and e-mailed to juniors and their parents/guardians via Naviance. If you have any questions, please check in with your school counselor.

PTSA

Last minute Christmas shopping or gift card needs? Order by midnight tonight (12/13) and receive cards by the end of the week! Let your shopping benefit the MLWGS PTSA. We are close to earning $1000 since this fall! Go to shopwithscrip.com to shop. Don’t forget you can shop e-cards anytime and receive them instantly. Treat yourself to some last minute take out over break! Contact Laura with questions at [email protected].

Friday Fun Lunchtime Series Continues through Dec. 18th

Open Mic (hosted by student emcee/s) on Friday, 12/18

Calling all Dragon Creatives! Sign up to share a poem, song, dramatic monologue, or other creative expression @

https://forms.gle/H2T9KzByvNqma4nd8

Library

Date: Tuesday, January 12^th, 2021

Time: 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Cost: FREE (registration required)

To reserve your spot, go to https://bit.ly/bankingonfreedom

If you have any questions about this special event, please email Ms. DeGroat at [email protected]

We have made it to the last week of the calendar year! 2020 will likely be a year that we would all like to forget. Having said that, I wish all of you the best of holidays and the happiest of new years! Despite this year’s unprecedented challenges, we still have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to in the new year. Have a great, joyous, and restful break and we will see you all back in virtual school in January.

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

120620

Budget Input

The Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School community is invited to share its priorities with the administration for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2022 operating budget (July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022). A VIRTUAL public town hall on budget development is scheduled for December 8, 2020, at 6:00 pm which will include a short presentation by Dr. Robert Lowerre followed by opportunities for comment and to ask questions in a virtual setting. This form is available to our community members to help guide priorities in the operating budget development. Please submit your suggestions by using this link on or before December 4th. The link to the Budget Town Hall will be posted on the main website on December 8^th.

Community Service Requirement for Graduation:

All parents of Seniors should take some time to look at community service hours totals with their student. The eligible community service hours total for graduation can be found on your report card, and a detailed list of hours can be found on x2vol (our online community service app.). Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the seniors community service hours goal has been adjusted to 110 hours. As indicated on the First Quarter Report Card, Seniors should have all of their 110 hours submitted by May 1, 2020. Students who have any questions about their hours totals or x2vol should contact Mr. Cook ([email protected]).

Announcement for Juniors and their Parents:

As we get close to the end of the first semester, Juniors will need to begin thinking about their senior year class schedule. One important course selection that Juniors have to make involves the Senior Seminar/Mentorship Program. Each Junior will need to determine whether or not he or she wants to enroll in a seminar or apply to the mentorship program. All juniors must also read about the seminars being offered next year rank their top choices. Juniors should keep their eyes open for a message on Schoology from Mr. Cook this week regarding Senior Seminar/Mentorship. A group will be started on Schoology for this year’s juniors to find all of the important information regarding the Seminar/Mentorship Program.

School Counseling

“Issue #4 of the Senior Newsletter has been posted on the MLWGS School Counseling website: https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/

Check it out for a message from the senior counselors to the Class of 2021 (along with an important, time-sensitive to-do list) and a variety of scholarships, college announcements and events, gap-year ideas, contests and enrichment activities, and multicultural opportunities. You are invited to explore Naviance for more details.

SPEAK

Do you have a passion for teaching or need some volunteer hours from home? Are you interested in public speaking and/or debate? If so, join SPEAK, a student-led nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering proficiency in public speaking and communication skills in students around the world. Come to our interest meeting during lunch (11:30 AM-11:45 AM) December 9th, 2020, to learn more about what we do as an organization and how you can help. Contact Ms. Lee or Ronit Jain if you have any questions.

Seniors

Don’t forget to order graduation announcements before the end of December to avoid a price increase. Herff Jones has received MLWGS’ order for everyone’s cap and gown, so no need to worry.

Use the link below to access the catalog or use the number to call Herff Jones’ Richmond office. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Sheppard, class sponsor, at [email protected].

Catalog: www.highschool.herffjones.com

Herff Jones: 804-598-0971

Friday Fun Lunchtime Series Continues through Dec. 18th

Open Mic (hosted by student emcee/s) on Friday, 12/4

Calling all Dragon Creatives! Sign up to share a poem, song, dramatic monologue, or other creative expression @

https://forms.gle/K4BgVKXJaaYv28tXA

Music Requests for Virtual Dance Party on Friday, 12/11

As they prepare playlists for the lunchtime virtual dance party on Friday, 12/11, your student DJ’s would like to know what music you’d like to hear. Provide your input @ https://forms.gle/wsuwHUqviqDdxxhg6

Open Mic (hosted by student emcee/s) on Friday, 12/18

Calling all Dragon Creatives! Sign up to share a poem, song, dramatic monologue, or other creative expression @

https://forms.gle/H2T9KzByvNqma4nd8

Library

Date: Tuesday, January 12^th, 2021

Time: 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Cost: FREE (registration required)

To reserve your spot, go to https://bit.ly/bankingonfreedom

If you have any questions about this special event, please email Ms. DeGroat at [email protected]

GS Foundation

Thanks for Making Giving Tuesday a Huge Success

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated to the Foundation on Giving Tuesday (and those who donated before and after the date as well). On Tuesday, 165 donors gave just over $41,000–a new record!–that will directly support our students and faculty. Our community’s generous spirit is something that sets MLWGS apart, for sure.

Let me close tonight by sharing that my experience has taught me that it is often darkest before the dawn. The Covid-19 numbers are rising and it will likely be a rough couple of months. There is a light on the horizon, but we need to stay tough to get there. Take the necessary measures to keep you and your loved ones safe and we will get through this. Stay Dragon Strong!

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

112920

Digital Report Cards Available for 1^st 9 weeks

Final grades for quarter 1 were complete on November 23^rd. Due to COVID-19, we aren’t sending home paper report cards as the backpack express is not currently an option! Families may access official report cards with comments through the PowerSchool portal by clicking on the report card icon. You may have to hit refresh for the community service hours to display.

Budget Input

The Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School community is invited to share its priorities with the administration for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2022 operating budget (July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022). A VIRTUAL public town hall on budget development is scheduled for December 8, 2020, at 6:00 pm which will include a short presentation by Dr. Robert Lowerre followed by opportunities for comment and to ask questions in a virtual setting. This form is available to our community members to help guide priorities in the operating budget development. Please submit your suggestions by using this link on or before December 4th. The link to the Budget Town Hall will be posted in PowerSchool next on December 8^th.

Foundation

MLWGS Family to Double Foundation Donations on Giving Tuesday, December 1

The MLWGS Foundation is grateful and excited that once again this year a generous MLWGS family has offered to match all Foundation Annual Fund gifts up to $5,000 on Giving Tuesday, which is in 2 days.

So please consider making a 2020-2021 ANNUAL FUND gift online at www.mlwgsfoundation.org/donate or by check (mailed to the Foundation) this Tuesday, DECEMBER 1! All donations also count toward the Parent Class Competition.

A special Thank You to our anonymous donors who are making this challenge possible and to all of you who support our students and staff through your Foundation giving!

Feel free to reach out to Executive Director Ginger O’Neil at [email protected] about the Foundation’s work any time.

Friday Fun Lunchtime Series Continues through Dec. 18th

Open Mic (hosted by student emcee/s) on Friday, 12/4

Calling all Dragon Creatives! Sign up to share a poem, song, dramatic monologue, or other creative expression @

https://forms.gle/K4BgVKXJaaYv28tXA

Music Requests for Virtual Dance Party on Friday, 12/11

Open Mic (hosted by student emcee/s) on Friday, 12/18

Calling all Dragon Creatives! Sign up to share a poem, song, dramatic monologue, or other creative expression @

https://forms.gle/H2T9KzByvNqma4nd8

Library

Date: Tuesday, January 12^th, 2021

Time: 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Cost: FREE (registration required)

To reserve your spot, go to https://bit.ly/bankingonfreedom

If you have any questions about this special event, please email Ms. DeGroat at [email protected]

I would like to close tonight with a quote from Nelson Mandela about education. Mr. Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Budget Input

Seniors

Though it may seem like graduation is a long way away, preparation for the big day has already started. Herff Jones has received MLWGS’ order for everyone’s cap and gown, but don’t forget you can also purchase announcements and other graduation-related paraphernalia. Use the link below to access the catalog or use the number to call Herff Jones’ Richmond office. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Sheppard, class sponsor, at [email protected].

Catalog: www.highschool.herffjones.com

Herff Jones: 804-598-0971

Drama Department

MLWGS Drama presents a virtual production of selected scenes from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream! FREE access to the recorded performance will be posted on the school website at https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/mlwgs-drama/ from Saturday, November 21 through Sunday, November 29. For more information, please contact the director, Leigh Glatt, at [email protected].

Friday Fun Lunchtime Series Begins 11/20/20

Relax and enjoy the creativity and energy of fellow Dragons during the MW Library’s Friday Fun series which kicks off on 11/20 at 11:30am. The Zoom link will be posted to class pages on Schoology the day before and sign-ups for the open mics will be posted a few days earlier. Poets, singers, musicians, and storytellers are all welcome at the open mics which will be hosted by student emcees. The Virtual Dance Party will be hosted by student DJ’s and student dance instructors. Hope to see you online!

12/4 – open mic
12/11 – virtual dance party
12/18 – open mic

If you have any questions, email Ms. DeGroat @ [email protected]

Library

Date: Tuesday, January 12^th, 2021

Time: 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Cost: FREE (registration required)

To reserve your spot, go to https://bit.ly/bankingonfreedom

If you have any questions about this special event, please email Ms. DeGroat at [email protected]

Good News!

Several Dragons were honored at the Princeton Model Congress this past weekend. Amanda Perez, Colin Knaupp, and Senthil Meyyappan were recognized as “Best Delegate” in their respective groups and Grace Bouton received an honorable mention in hers. Well done Model Congress Dragons!

Perisa Ashar has been named a Semi-Finalist for a Coca-Cola Scholarship. Well done Perisa!

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It puts together several of my favorite “F” words: Food, Friends, Family, and Football! The holiday can’t really be commercialized and there is no pressure on me to buy anybody the right gift. All I have to do is eat and be thankful for all that has been given to me. While this year the holiday will likely take on a different shape as we come to terms with restrictions on gatherings, I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Break and remember what Melody Beattie said, “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

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Budget Input

Seniors

Catalog: www.highschool.herffjones.com

Herff Jones: 804-598-0971

Drama Department

Friday Fun Lunchtime Series Begins 11/20/20

11/20 – open mic
12/4 – open mic
12/11 – virtual dance party
12/18 – open mic

If you have any questions, email Ms. DeGroat @ [email protected]

New Asynchronous Community Service Opportunities Sponsored by the MW Library

Do other commitments prevent you from joining the Walker Wednesday gatherings hosted by Ms. DeGroat on Zoom most Wednesday afternoons from 3:30pm to 5pm? Want to contribute to a more joyful and connected world by doing community service? Ms. DeGroat is offering two NEW opportunities to earn community service hours without spending more hours on-screen.

Holiday Cards, Snowflakes, and Paper Ornaments for Residents of the Virginia Home – There’s already a dedicated and talented group of card-makers who gather on Walker Wednesdays, but with the holiday season approaching, Ms. DeGroat is also offering the opportunity to earn hours on your own schedule and submit photographs and a signed log to verify your hours. To sign up, go to https://forms.gle/tHxonEGtvvGyeWxF8
Veteran’s History Project – Do you have an ancestor, neighbor, or friend who is a veteran of the U.S. military? Would you like to record an audio or video interview them and have that recording become part of the oral history collection at the American Folklife Center? Ms. DeGroat is organizing a team of students to gather veterans’ oral histories. Training sessions, prep time, interview time, and transcription time will all count toward hours earned. Interested? Sign up by 11/24 @ https://forms.gle/XfpuAQY132ntTkyu5

If you have any questions, email Ms. DeGroat @ [email protected]

School Counseling

As announced in Issue #3 of the Senior Newsletter (posted on the School Counseling website and Schoology), seniors are invited to participate in on-site admissions over Zoom with the University of Mary Washington this Friday, 11/20. To reserve a spot, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4faaad2ba6fec16-umwatmw. If you have any questions, please e-mail Ms. Forquer or Dr. Loving.

PTSA

Don’t forget to use our Scrip program for your holiday shopping! A special event, Thank Scriping Day is coming this week, November 19th and 20th. Over 120 e-certificate retailers will be giving an extra percentage back to our school, up to 20%! Please go to shopwithscrip.com beginning Thursday to see if you shop these retailers or plan to gift give using them and make some purchases with a larger rebate to Maggie Walker! We have two more plastic card due dates 12/7 and 12/14, cards will be delivered to you by the end of the week you purchase. For every $50 you spend with Scrip before 12/14, you will be entered into a drawing for a $50.00 scrip card of your choice! Questions? [email protected].

Good News

Tri-M Music Honors Society inducted 17 new members on Thursday, November 12th, and honored 18 continuing members.

New Members

Carolyn Zhuang, Ellie Griffin, Aiva Kern, Rachel Spencer, Annabel Tang, Pooja Muthuraj, Sofia Haider, Sarah Hendricks, Matthew Klausner, Jennifer Chen, Katie Hollister, Alexis Bartee, John Cabell, Ryan Eklund, Jessica Hendricks, Caraline Kennedy, Angel Lu

Let me close by saying how wonderful it was to see so many of our students at the Yoga Class and Chalk Day on Friday. Special thanks to all who made this event possible as it was greatly appreciated by everyone who was able to be there. We will continue to look for ways to bring students together as safely as we can. Stay positive everybody!

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

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MLWGS Chalk Day and Yoga on the Field- Rescheduled to 11/13

Signups for our rescheduled Chalk Day and Yoga on the Field are open! On 11/13, Chalk Day will be 8am-4pm and Yoga will be 10-11am. If you signed up previously for Chalk Day, you are still in the Signup Genius. No need to do anything unless adjusting or deleting your spot. A new signup for Yoga Day has been created. More details and signup at the links below. Hope to see you there. If it rains again, we’ll try one more time on 11/20. Contact Mr. Smith with any questions ([email protected]).

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0b48afa62ba75-chalk

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4eafae28a4ff2-yoga1

Athletics

We are currently evaluating the VHSL guidelines for returning sports to the campus. As we do this, it is extremely important that if you are planning on participating in athletics this year that you have completed the VHSL physical form prior to the beginning of MLWGS organized practices. Please go to the following link for forms and information:

https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/athletics/

FIRC

Attention Freshmen. The FIRC Social Studies workbooks, A Student’s Guide to History, will be available for pickup in the Blue Stone lobby on Fridays. If you are taking FIRC in the second, third or fourth quarter, please come to get your copy.

School Counseling

2021 Summer Residential Governor’s School Programs

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: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/governors_school_programs/summer_residential/index.shtml#apply.

The November 2020 edition of the Senior Newsletter (Issue #3) has been posted to the MLWGS School Counseling website and to Schoology. It contains announcements from colleges, a list of virtual open houses and tours, and opportunities that are all-new; none of the scholarships listed from Issues #1 or #2 have been repeated. In addition, seniors are encouraged to consider two on-site admissions opportunities that are offered this month. One will be facilitated via Zoom by University of Mary Washington, and another will be sponsored locally (in two locations: Short Pump and North Chesterfield) by Longwood University. What a great opportunity for seniors to introduce themselves directly to a college representative and to get an admissions decision on-the-spot! For help with college applications or other concerns, Dr. Loving and Ms. Forquer continue to be available via e-mail or in their Walk-In Office Hours from 3-3:30PM Monday through Thursday on Zoom.

Academic Programs

Academic Programs: Humanities; Mathematics; Science and Technology; Agriculture; Life Sciences and Medicine; Engineering (NASA) (must be 16 by June 18, 2021 and a U.S. citizen); Marine Science.

We can send a total of two nominees for this entire area, with a third slot for the School for Agriculture. Students should submit applications to Joy Cobb in the counseling department by January 22, 2021. 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 and supporting materials to Ms. Cobb is January 19, 2021.

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 December 1, 2020. The final application is due February 19, 2021.

Virtual Open Mics? Virtual Dance Parties? Both? Vote on the MW Library’s Friday Fun options for 2nd Nine weeks

Starting Nov. 20th, Ms. DeGroat would like to host a fun lunchtime activity each Friday that’s open to students in any grade level. Would you attend or participate in an open mic for poets, singers, and musicians? Would you attend a dance party with a student DJ and/or student dance teacher? Would you like to be a student DJ or dance teacher? Submit your vote by Thursday, Nov. 12th @ https://forms.gle/s42ZEueab8YYXFKg7

Mindfulness for Students & Their Families

Are you looking for ways to improve your focus/concentration and/or bring a sense of calm to your day? Your resourceress (a.k.a., librarian), Ms. DeGroat, is also a certified Koru Mindfulness teacher. If a minimum of five students are interested in the same weekly date & time, she’d like to offer a virtual Koru-inspired mindfulness series that would include five weekly sessions between the week of Nov. 9th and winter break, with the first session lasting one hour and the other four sessions lasting 30 minutes each with an optional 15-minute reflection time about mindfulness before each of those sessions. Interested? The series is open to students and family members attending with a student. Please complete the following brief survey by midnight on Sunday, Nov. 8th: https://forms.gle/KnSW2uPzaVVMy2n69

Outdoors Club

Freshmen will have an in-person social opportunity during the Outdoors Club Freshman Friendship hike. It is taking place on Sunday Nov 15^th from 10 am – 12 pm. Details and permission slips are posted in the Schoology freshman class group. We have slots for up to 44 students. If demand exceeds capacity we may try to organize a second day the following weekend. Contact Mr. Z in the counseling office if you have more questions ([email protected]).

Yearbook

Guarantee your spot in the 2021 Yearbook! Until we’re back in the building, Wendell Powell won’t be taking individual underclass portraits. To make sure that you get a photographed with your class, please go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIb5boLzB1iEgwkkOLN8yMb4hVeTtbS2aw1hjUT_FnS1lzxg/viewform, complete the brief survey (fun facts about you!), and submit a selfie! The deadline is 11:59pm on Friday, Nov. 6. That’s not long from now, but this won’t take long to do. Once again, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GUARANTEE YOURSELF A PICTURE IN THE 2021 YEARBOOK.

GRTC Passes for Richmond Residents

If you are a student who resides in the City of Richmond, you can obtain a pass to ride the GRTC buses for free! Just follow this link for more information on how to obtain your pass:

http://ridegrtc.com/fares/richmond-public-schools-ridership-program

From the PTSA

Great Lake Scrip orders for plastic cards are due 11/16, and we will have two more order dates before winter break: 12/7 and 12/14. For every $50.00 spent on Scrip cards between now and break, you will be entered in a drawing to win $50.00 in Scrip cards of your choice. Please help support your PTSA by shopping and gift giving with Scrip cards (www.shopwithscrip.com). You’d be spending this money anyway, let those retailers give back to our school! Questions? [email protected].

Foundation’s Parent Competition Kick Off!

As the Foundation looks at ways to help the school get students back on campus (We all miss them!), now seems like the perfect time to officially kick off the Parent Annual Fund Campaign. This friendly competition between the classes is held annually to encourage parent support of the Foundation’s Annual Fund. And the winning class gets a special treat in June!

A big Thank You to everyone who has already made a gift this year. The outstanding support provided by our parents is one of the things that makes the Governor’s School such a special place.

Your support allows the Foundation to provide funding for: financial aid to students in need, faculty professional development and graduate coursework, classroom and instructional enhancements, academic competitions and clubs, and more to our amazing MLWGS students and staff.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to contribute, you can do so now at https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/GSGISFFoundationGovernorsS/annualfundgift.html.

Good News

Many congratulations to the Maggie Walker Quiz Bowl team! On Saturday, Maggie Walker competed in VCU’s Regular Academic Fall Tournament and made an impressive showing. Our A Team of Sonya Stacia, Quinn Kast, Sam Lichtman, and Sam Fidler finished in second overall, falling to Norfolk Academic Guild by just a single question. Sonya was the third overall individual scorer in the entire field. Our B Team of Sam McNamee, Bharathi Kancharla, Vien Nguyen, and Yash Saxena fought valiantly through the prelim rounds to make it into the playoff bracket, an impressive feat for a team of new players. Bharathi was the seventh overall individual scorer in the field. Our C Team of Alex Percey, Devesh Kumar, Sania Jain, Arjun Azhagappan, and Parth Tornekar may not have made it into the playoff bracket but they did WIN the consolation bracket. Impressive! If YOU would like to flex your brain and join the Quiz Bowl team, join the Schoology group with access code G6FV-P8RR-2SHG8.

As we celebrate Veteran’s Day this week, take a few minutes to think about the sacrifices and service that not only our veterans have made, but those of their families as well. Military service is impossible without the love and support of our servicemen and women’s families and friends. As John Hoeven said, “From the world wars of Europe to the jungles of the Far East, from the deserts of the Middle East to the African continent, and even here in our own hemisphere, our veterans have made the world a better place and America the great country we are today.” If you or a family member has served, you have my sincere gratitude and respect.

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

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Schedule for the Week

Due to Election Day on Tuesday, the schedule this week is as follows:

Monday-Odd
Tuesday-Virtual PT conferences from 9am-noon, teacher workday for remainder, no students
Wednesday-Odd
Thursday-Even, Virtual PT conferences from 4-7pm
Friday-Even

Parent-Teacher Conferences

If you signed up for a conference, on Tuesday morning or Thursday afternoon you will need to log in through the parent portal of PowerSchool. At the top of the page you will see a link that will take you to the list of teachers. Simply click on the teacher a few minutes before your scheduled conference time and you will be placed in the waiting room of that teacher. When your time arrives, the teacher will bring you into the Zoom room for your conference.

If you need your parent PS login credentials, contact Megan Perez at [email protected] and/or 354-6800 2130 prior to your scheduled conference appointment.

Drive In Movie Night!

On November 6th, MLWGS and the PTSA will be hosting a Drive-In Movie Night in the student parking lot! In response to student surveys, we have decided to hold a double feature: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” at 5:30pm and “Knives Out” at 8:00pm.

Tickets will be free and available to all students and faculty/staff through a constant contact link posted to Schoology class pages. Please sign up for one ticket per carload and be 100% sure you plan to attend. A live DJ will provide music prior to both showings, pre-wrapped goodie bags will be distributed, and the Dragon’s Lair will have an outdoor booth for school schwag purchases.

Tickets will be checked upon entering the student lot from Lombardy St. Security will then direct each car to a spot. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to the showing. Restrooms and handwashing stations will be available. At all times, masks must be worn while outside a vehicle and proper social distancing must be maintained.

Chalk Day and Yoga have been rescheduled to 11/13. Refer to Powerschool Blast to signup for the new date. Also posted to Schoology class pages.

For more information please contact Mr. Smith ([email protected]). We will attempt to reschedule should there be inclement weather.

Seniors

It’s time for seniors to order their cap and gown from Herff Jones. The fee for these items was included in the senior fees, but we now we need measurements. The link to collect this information was sent around over Schoology and the class Facebook page. If you haven’t filled this out already, please take a moment to: https://forms.gle/FadMGKfmx7YVu4Gz6

If you are interested in ordering any announcements or other graduation paraphernalia, here is some information from Herff Jones: www.highschool.net/herffjones.com

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Ms. Sheppard, the Senior Class sponsor.

Library

Virtual Open Mics? Virtual Dance Parties? Both? Vote on the MW Library’s Friday Fun options for 2nd Nine weeks

The Library’s Future Friends gatherings conclude on Monday, 11/2. During second nine weeks, Ms. DeGroat would like to host a fun lunchtime activity each Friday that’s open to students in any grade level. Would you attend or participate in an open mic for poets, singers, and musicians? Would you attend a dance party with a student DJ and/or student dance teacher? Would you like to be a student DJ or dance teacher? Submit your vote @ https://forms.gle/s42ZEueab8YYXFKg7

Mindfulness Series for Students & Families

Are you looking for ways to improve your focus/concentration and/or bring a sense of calm to your day? Your resourceress (a.k.a., librarian), Ms. DeGroat, is also a certified Koru Mindfulness teacher. If a minimum of five students are interested in the same weekly date & time, she’d like to offer a virtual Koru-inspired mindfulness series that would include five weekly sessions between next week and winter break, with the first session lasting one hour and the other four sessions lasting 30 minutes each with an optional 15-minute reflection time about mindfulness before each of those sessions. Interested? The series is open to students and family members attending with a student. Please complete the following brief survey by midnight on Wednesday, Nov. 4th: https://forms.gle/KnSW2uPzaVVMy2n69

School Counseling

2021 Summer Residential Governor’s School Programs

Academic Programs

Academic Programs: Humanities; Mathematics; Science and Technology; Agriculture; Life Sciences and Medicine; Engineering (NASA) (must be 16 by June 18, 2021 and a U.S. citizen); Marine Science.

Governor’s Foreign Language Academies

Academies: Full-Immersion Academies in French, Spanish, German; partial-immersion in Japanese Language; and Latin Academy.

Visual and Performing Arts Program

Areas of Study: Dance, Theatre, Visual Art, Instrumental Music, Vocal Music.

Yearbook

GRTC Passes for Richmond Residents

If you are a student who resides in the City of Richmond, you can obtain a pass to ride the GRTC buses for free! Just follow this link for more information on how to obtain your pass:

http://ridegrtc.com/fares/richmond-public-schools-ridership-program

Good News

Perisa Ashar (’20) has been awarded Straubel Foundation Leadership Award for her leadership, scholarly achievement, and community work. She has been designated as a “Straubel Fellow” and “Straubel Engineers of the Future” for her achievement and leadership potential. The Straubel Foundation is led by Ms. Boryana Straubel and JD Straubel (Co-founder and Chief Technological Officer of Tesla) to recognize youth with leadership potential, achievements, and passion for STEM, impact potential. Other recipients have been undergraduate, graduate students, few high school students. Last year, Greta Thurhberg was selected as one of the Straubel Fellow.

https://www.straubelfoundation.org/newspage//2020-straubel-leadership-award-winners

In honor of Halloween, let me end this message with a link to my favorite spooky poem. This link will take you to a classic reading of The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe, who spent some time in Richmond, by the great Vincent Price.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7zR3IDEHrM

I hope you enjoy it and have a safe and Happy Halloween. Make sure you set your clocks back last night!.

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

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If you have not completed the Return to School Survey in the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please do so by Tuesday evening.

PSAT

Attention Juniors in the second half of the alphabet (and those who missed the first testing day) – PSAT testing is this Thursday October 29th. Report to school ready to test by 8:40.

Make sure to

wear layers as some rooms are cold and others are warm
bring a #2 pencil and a graphing calculator (extra batteries if needed)
pack a non-nut (for allergy reasons) snack
eat a big breakfast as testing may not finish until 1 pm

More info about testing can be found on the counseling website here

If you aren’t planning on attending and haven’t informed us yet, please complete this survey

Important: Students are to wear masks at all times during testing and will be subject to temperature checks and health screening questions upon entry into building. Students may want to come as early as 8:15 to avoid lines.

MLWGS Announces “Chalk Day” and “Yoga on the Field”

Friday, October 30^th will offer two opportunities for students to come on campus in an outdoor, socially distanced way—just in time for Halloween!

Straight from your suggestions on the student survey, Maggie Walker will be hosting “Chalk Day” in the student parking lot. So what is “Chalk Day”? It is a day for students to decorate a space in the student parking lot in their own creative way. Drawings, positive messages, and/or any other chalk creations are welcomed. Since Halloween is the next day, we are inviting students to wear costumes if they choose!

Students will also have the option to participate in “Yoga on the Field” from 10:00am-11:00am.

If students are comfortable, they may sign up for one or both events. These events are purely optional.

How will MLWGS carry out these events safely? Students who wish to participate must follow these guidelines:

Students who wish to sign up for Chalk Day will need to sign up for a 30-minute slot to decorate an area of the student parking lot. Time slots will run from 8:00am – 4:00pm on October 30^th. Up to 20 students can be drawing during each time slot, and they will be spaced at least six feet apart. A Sign Up Genius will be posted on each class’ Schoology page this coming week. Feel free to coordinate with friends when signing up.
A separate Sign Up Genius will be available for Yoga on the Field later this week as well and will include details about what to bring.
Students must wear masks intended for COVID protection at all times. Students will be temperature screened upon entering the parking lot or the field. Students should arrive via the parking lot on Elizabeth Street (bus loop) and report directly to the check point on the sidewalk at the top of the steps leading down the student parking lot.
MLWGS will be ordering chalk to give to students and students should take it with them when they leave. Students may bring their own chalk, but cannot share it with other students.
Costumes are invited, but you must adhere to the following CDC guidelines when planning your costume (if you choose to dress up):

- Do not use a costume mask (such as for Halloween) as a substitute for a cloth mask unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers your mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around your face.
- Do not wear a costume mask over a cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
- View the CDC website for complete details: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween

There are all-outdoor events.

We plan to take plenty of pictures for the yearbook and, since not everyone can attend at once, pictures will be posted so that everyone can see the finished product and other classmates’ costumes.

Drive In Movie Night!

For more information please contact Mr. Smith ([email protected]). We will attempt to reschedule should there be inclement weather.

Seniors

If you are interested in ordering any announcements or other graduation paraphernalia, here is some information from Herff Jones: www.highschool.net/herffjones.com

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Ms. Sheppard, the Senior Class sponsor.

Virtual Band Concert

Come hear the Maggie Walker Concert Band perform their first virtual concert! Join us as to celebrate the culmination of our band students’ hard work as we perform our first virtual concert. Comprised of about 60 students, the Maggie Walker Concert Band includes woodwinds, brass, and percussion players. The concert will be on a scheduled Zoom call on Thursday, October 29^th at 7PM, and will last about 45 minutes. We look forward to sharing our music with you!

Topic: Virtual Fall Band Concert
Time: Oct 29, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81596829483?pwd=eWl0MHZXczlaVUd4VEE5cTk3MGlQZz09

Meeting ID: 815 9682 9483
Passcode: DragonBand

Virtual Choral Concert

Topic: Maggie Walker Chorus Fall Concert

Time: Nov 2, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81234337987?pwd=YXljVlkveEVHTndreFdGSXFDYkduUT09

Meeting ID: 812 3433 7987

Passcode: 831394

School Counseling

As featured in Issue #1 of this year’s Senior Newsletter, you are invited to check out the Infinite Scholars Program’s 14^th annual RVA College & Scholarship Fair (sponsored by Delta House Foundation, Inc. in partnership with the Richmond Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.) on Saturday, October 31^st from 11AM-3PM. While it will be held virtually this year, students who are pre-registered and prepared can expect to engage in live conversations with college representatives that could lead to on-the-spot acceptances and scholarship offers! For more information, visit

https://cdn.website-editor.net/82afc1142b584c9baefc84453194e0fb/files/uploaded/Richmond%2520October%252031%25202020%2520Virtual.pdf

Yearbook

Yearbook staff is doing a two-page spread featuring each locality that contributes students to MW. Staffers are trying to invite the participation of as many students as possible via Google Forms surveys. Below are the first three along with a survey for seniors:

Do you live in Henrico County? If so, please take a moment of your time to complete this survey for the Yearbook staff. We would be enormously grateful for your help between now and Tuesday, the 20th! https://forms.gle/tSigWGeQfUZg5fsX7

We also have a Hopewell survey, which was just deemed ready for publication: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EypX8At8H2RURjfA-Hp4uPgWSEjVNAuXHL6XFrsy3as/edit?ts=5f918028

Do you live in Chesterfield County? If so, please complete this survey for the Yearbook staff. It won’t take long at all, and we would be so thankful for your contribution: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfR53Cp6sv8ZS9Lqc0Wcp8OgWrE2sUmV0EUZyDhuY-ogfCWLQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Seniors! The Yearbook staff would be grateful for your perspectives on Senior Sunrise. Please take a moment to complete this survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1H3cikM6-U0C-Flwq2jW8v0l8XEiuPWoQ1Dnb6I2e248/edit?ts=5f90685d

GRTC Passes for Richmond Residents

If you are a student who resides in the City of Richmond, you can obtain a pass to ride the GRTC buses for free! Just follow this link for more information on how to obtain your pass:

http://ridegrtc.com/fares/richmond-public-schools-ridership-program

It has been a challenging 1^st quarter in the Dragon Nation. With a couple of weeks left, we, as a learning community, have found a way to adapt to a new reality and remain focused as we work to find a way out of the current situation. As Myles Munro said, “Our life is the sum total of all the decisions we make every day, and those decisions are determined by our priorities.” Let’s keep making the right choices with our priorities. We will get through this together.

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

101820

MLWGS Announces “Chalk Day” and “Yoga on the Field”

Friday, October 30^th will offer two opportunities for students to come on campus in an outdoor, socially distanced way—just in time for Halloween!

Students will also have the option to participate in “Yoga on the Field” from 10:00am-11:00am.

If students are comfortable, they may sign up for one or both events. These events are purely optional.

How will MLWGS carry out these events safely? Students who wish to participate must follow these guidelines:

Students who wish to sign up for Chalk Day will need to sign up for a 30-minute slot to decorate an area of the student parking lot. Time slots will run from 8:00am – 4:00pm on October 30^th. Up to 20 students can be drawing during each time slot, and they will be spaced at least six feet apart. A Sign Up Genius will be posted on each class’ Schoology page this coming week. Feel free to coordinate with friends when signing up.
A separate Sign Up Genius will be available for Yoga on the Field later this week as well and will include details about what to bring.
Students must wear masks intended for COVID protection at all times. Students will be temperature screened upon entering the parking lot or the field. Students should arrive via the parking lot on Elizabeth Street (bus loop) and report directly to the check point on the sidewalk at the top of the steps leading down the student parking lot.
MLWGS will be ordering chalk to give to students and students should take it with them when they leave. Students may bring their own chalk, but cannot share it with other students.
Costumes are invited, but you must adhere to the following CDC guidelines when planning your costume (if you choose to dress up):

- Do not use a costume mask (such as for Halloween) as a substitute for a cloth mask unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers your mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around your face.
- Do not wear a costume mask over a cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
- View the CDC website for complete details: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween

There are all-outdoor events.

We plan to take plenty of pictures for the yearbook and, since not everyone can attend at once, pictures will be posted so that everyone can see the finished product and other classmates’ costumes.

AP Exam Ordering Information

Students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses: AP students should complete the AP Exam Ordering Form (https://forms.gle/WYjkQv1SwAQCBQ4i9) to indicate which AP tests you plan to take (or not take) in May of 2021. AP exams are $95 per exam. In order to have an AP exam ordered for you, you must complete the following tasks by October 23rd, 2020:

Join the AP course(s) in your myAP.collegeboard.org account. Your teacher can help you with this if you have not already completed this task. (If you are self-studying for an exam, you will need to obtain an “exam only” code from Dr. Loving after your exam has been approved. NOTE: AP Statistics is pre-approved and Ms. Riles can provide the code.)
Complete this AP Exam Order Form and indicate all exams you wish to take or not take this year. (If you DO NOT intend to take one or more of your AP exams, you STILL DO need to complete this form so that we have a record that you wish for the school to NOT order an exam for you.)
Pay for your exams ($95 per exam) at https://osp.osmsinc.com/MLWGS. (The link can also be found on mlwgs.com by clicking “pay fees online.”)

If you feel you might qualify for a fee waiver or fee reduction, please review the Fee Waiver/Reduction Application (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bpkRBP_3F5Kctb7h6uH4N2u7JXDu88zu/view?usp=sharing) for income guidelines. Please complete and return this form to Dr. Loving at [email protected] by October 19th, 2020. Dr. Loving will be in touch about your request approval. Students who have submitted this form previously and have been approved do not need to apply again this year.

October 23rd is the deadline for “on time” registration. A $10 per exam late fee will be applied between October 24th and November 12th for exams not paid for by October 23rd. The College Board late fee of $40 will be instituted beginning November 13th. March 12th is the final deadline for all late AP exam orders; no additions can be made after this date.

For the 2020-2021 academic year, the College Board has waived the cancellation fee for any student who decides not to take an exam in May. For planning purposes, the MLWGS deadline for cancelling an exam is April 13th.

January 15th is the deadline to apply for College Board accommodations for a documented disability. Please contact Ms. Cobb at [email protected] no later than January 11th to begin this process.

Click here to view the May 2021 AP Exam Schedule: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/exam-dates-and-fees

See this AP Ordering Information document for complete details: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yx0NkUBxpMd8FqHfaUjXyVLLD8Nw3qcqrccl6KcDC3s/edit?usp=sharing

Virtual Band Concert

Topic: Virtual Fall Band Concert
Time: Oct 29, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81596829483?pwd=eWl0MHZXczlaVUd4VEE5cTk3MGlQZz09

Meeting ID: 815 9682 9483
Passcode: DragonBand

Virtual Choral Concert

Topic: Maggie Walker Chorus Fall Concert

Time: Nov 2, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81234337987?pwd=YXljVlkveEVHTndreFdGSXFDYkduUT09

Meeting ID: 812 3433 7987

Passcode: 831394

School Counseling

Join College Board this Tuesday, October 20, at 7PM, for the second session of their Real Talk fall series, “Real Talk: Maryland Colleges Edition.” The online event will feature eight colleges and universities in the state of Maryland, including Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, the University of Maryland, and more. Admissions representatives will share pertinent information about the admissions process and campus life. They’ll answer questions in real time during the Q&A portion of the event.

Real Talk is a virtual college exploration series designed to connect Black students with admissions representatives from universities across the country. Although this event will cater to students, they also encourage parents, educators, and community members to participate. This event is open to all—you don’t need to be a resident of Maryland to attend.

To register, visit: https://globalmeet.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1380178&tp_key=41753ded7e&SFMC_cid=EM381275-&rid=47018424

Korean War Veterans WANTED!

Korean War Veterans who may be willing and able to speak to students via Zoom. We are interested in stories about their service, experience, and present perspective on the war. Zoom sessions would likely be during Tuesday or Thursday morning in mid to late November. Participants would have to be able or have someone available to assist them connect with a Zoom link provided by the class. If you have a family member, friend, neighbor or acquaintance that might be willing, please contact John Wilkes in the Social Studies Department at [email protected].

Slam Poetry Club

On Thursday, October 15, MLWGS Slam Poetry Club members’ work was showcased during the State of the Period Gala, an annual fundraising event hosted by and benefitting PERIOD, a youth-oriented global non-profit organization working to end menstrual poverty and stigma through service, education, and advocacy.

Seniors Avery Rhoden, Savannah Vonesh, and Gabriella Watson; juniors Devon Jebo and Pooja Muthuraj; and sophomore Caroline Osenga collaborated to write and perform an original poem for the virtual event. Senior Shannen Amaoko, also a club member, edited the video, which PERIOD used as a kick-off for their entire program. In recognition of the students’ outstanding contribution, PERIOD also awarded the Slam Poetry Club an honorarium which nearly doubled the club’s existing funds. Way to go, slam poets!

From the PTSA

Great Lake Script orders are due on Monday.

Good News!

Congrats to the following students who auditioned for Senior Regional Orchestra last week and are now eligible to audition for All Virginia in February:

Jennifer Chen, violin (’23 Henrico)

Mira Eisenhauer, cello (’21 Henrico)

Sam Lichtman, viola (’22 Henrico)

Eric Qian, violin (’22 Chesterfield)

Joshua Yoo, violin (’22 Chesterfield)

Minji Cho, violin (’21 Chesterfield)

As we slip into Autumn and the cooler weather, let me close this quote by the Scottish comedian Billy Connelly. He said, “There’s no such thing as bad weather – only the wrong clothes!”

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

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Update on Students Returning to In-Person Instruction at MLWGS

Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen several of our partner districts begin to share their plans for the return of students to campus. Several of our stakeholders have reached out to me with questions about our decision-making process and when we plan to return our students to the campus. I wanted to share a few thoughts as to when and how we will make that decision.

As a regional public school, we are 100% dependent upon our partner districts to provide transportation for our students to get to school. While some of our smaller districts have been transporting their high school students to school on either full or modified schedules, our three largest districts which account for 80% of our students have not. To be able to bring our students back in either a full or modified fashion, we need our large districts to be at that point along with us. As of now, Richmond, Chesterfield, and Henrico have not made the decision as to when to allow grades 9-12 back on campus. Until they do and can transport our students, we are unable to develop a return timeline and will remain in a virtual school model.

We will continue to work with our partner districts to safely return to our students to campus. As soon as we have any solid indication as to when that could be, we will immediately communicate it to all of our stakeholders as well as any contingency plans for our students or staff that may not be able to return to campus.

PSAT Reminder for Juniors

Attention Juniors in the first half of the alphabet – PSAT testing is this Wednesday. Report to school ready to test by 8:40.

Make sure to

wear layers as some rooms are cold and others are warm
bring a #2 pencil and a graphing calculator (extra batteries if needed)
pack a non-nut (for allergy reasons) snack
eat a big breakfast as testing may not finish until 1 pm

More info about testing can be found on the counseling website here

If you aren’t planning on attending and haven’t informed us yet, please complete this survey

AP Exam Ordering Information

Join the AP course(s) in your myAP.collegeboard.org account. Your teacher can help you with this if you have not already completed this task. (If you are self-studying for an exam, you will need to obtain an “exam only” code from Dr. Loving after your exam has been approved. NOTE: AP Statistics is pre-approved and Ms. Riles can provide the code.)
Complete this AP Exam Order Form and indicate all exams you wish to take or not take this year. (If you DO NOT intend to take one or more of your AP exams, you STILL DO need to complete this form so that we have a record that you wish for the school to NOT order an exam for you.)
Pay for your exams ($95 per exam) at https://osp.osmsinc.com/MLWGS. (The link can also be found on mlwgs.com by clicking “pay fees online.”)

January 15th is the deadline to apply for College Board accommodations for a documented disability. Please contact Ms. Cobb at [email protected] no later than January 11th to begin this process.

Click here to view the May 2021 AP Exam Schedule: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/exam-dates-and-fees

See this AP Ordering Information document for complete details: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yx0NkUBxpMd8FqHfaUjXyVLLD8Nw3qcqrccl6KcDC3s/edit?usp=sharing

School Counseling

Per Issue #2 of the Senior Newsletter and Schoology posts for the Class of 2021, a new Naviance survey (“Optional: In-House Nom Consideration List #2”) was posted on Monday, 10/5. Seniors, if you wish to be considered as the school’s nominee for the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. Leadership Award, the DAR Good Citizen Award, and/or the Virginia Tech Pamplin Leaders Award, submissions of this survey are due by 8AM on Monday, 10/12.

Virtual Band Concert

Topic: Virtual Fall Band Concert
Time: Oct 29, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81596829483?pwd=eWl0MHZXczlaVUd4VEE5cTk3MGlQZz09

Meeting ID: 815 9682 9483
Passcode: DragonBand

Korean War Veterans WANTED!

Engineering Club

Have a passion for engineering? Want to help out the community? Join the Engineering Club! This year, we will work on engineering-based projects as well as hearing from guest speakers. If this sounds interesting to you, please come to our Zoom interest meeting Thursday, October 15th at 3:30pm https://zoom.us/j/97248332988?pwd=Z21qbjRVdFBtL21qa0c1dUhBVDBFQT09 If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Gavin Telfer ([email protected]) or Stamate Theofanos ([email protected]).

Math Club

All students interested in joining Math Club (a group for all math enthusiasts at MLWGS) should go to the Math Club GROUP on Schoology and request to be a member. The Math Club will have elections on October 23. This club works closely with Mu Alpha Theta (the math honor society) to arrange for activities, speakers, contests, etc.

From the PTSA

Want to learn more about how to support your students through their first pandemic – and yours? Join the MLWGS Counseling Department and PTSA on October 14 at 6:30 p.m. for Helping Adolescents Cope during COVID-19, a candid online discussion led by Dr. Beth Heller, VCU Center for Psychological Services and Development; Lisa Ebeling, MLWGS Psychologist; and Karl Zweerink, MLWGS Counselor. The webinar will cover the impact on teens’ health as the pandemic persists; self-care practices; parent support ideas; school counseling support; and determining when professional mental health support is needed.

To participate, sign up here so we can send you the Zoom link, and take a minute or two to share you preferences for future parent meetings and discussion topics. It’s an important topic for unprecedented times – and definitely worth your time. We hope to see you there.

Let me sign off tonight with some words from the great American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne who wrote “I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.”

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

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Interims

Parents and students, teachers will have updated grades in PowerSchool by Monday morning. While we no longer distribute paper interims, the grade in the Q1 spot should be an accurate assessment of the course grade as it stands at this point in the marking period. If you have any questions, please contact the student’s teacher.

Juniors and Sophomores PSAT Registration

If you have not done so, we need you to register through this link to let us know whether you plan on taking the PSATs at Maggie Walker. This will help us with room and proctor assignments so please complete the form even if you do not plan to attend. Juniors with last names A – Maz will test on October 14^th and juniors with last names Mc – Z will test on October 29^th. Sophomores will test on January 26^th. More info about testing day can be found on the counseling webpage.

School Counseling

Interested in learning more about college, scholarship, career, military, enrichment, and multicultural opportunities? Issue #2 of the Senior Newsletter has been posted to the MLWGS School Counseling website and the Class of 2021 Schoology pages. Seniors are encouraged to cross-reference this publication with their Naviance account and the individual programs’ websites for more details. Also this is a reminder that the Naviance survey that is required only of seniors who wish to be considered as one of our school’s two nominees to the UVA Jefferson Scholars Program closes at 8AM on Monday, 10/5, as shared in English class presentations in September and stated in Issue #1 of the Senior Newsletter: https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/college-admissions-information-1/2011-2012-newsletters”

October 2nd was World Smile Day! The MLWGS Operation Smile is hosting an online Smile Fund for children in need. Your donations are appreciated: http://support.operationsmile.org/site/TR/SmileFund/SmileFund;jsessionid=00000000.app30103b?px=2896115&pg=personal&fr_id=2761&new_registrant=true&NONCE_TOKEN=B890688DB6E2EB235EE812736572F37E

From the PTSA

Student Athletes

Attention any student who plans to participate in any athletic activity in 20-21. You must have a the forms completed from the link https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/athletics/ to participate. Once they’re complete, please send to [email protected] with the anticipated sport in the subject line. Please take into consideration the places to obtain a physical might not be doing them or might have a long wait. Please review the start dates of the sports you intend to play. Any questions may be sent to the above email.

Future Friends Lunchtime Gatherings for Freshmen

Co-hosted by your librarian, Ms. DeGroat, and Counseling Director, Mr. Zweerink, Future Friends Lunchtime Gatherings provide an opportunity for freshmen to meet other students in the Class of 2024. A discussion spark will be provided connected to The Walker Way and then you’ll be invited to a random breakout room with two or three other freshmen. These gatherings are on Mondays from 11:40am to 12:05pm. For the Zoom link, go to the Class of 2024 group in Schoology. Hope to see you there!

Forensics

Do you love to talk? How about in front of a crowd?

Whether you want to improve your public speaking skills or simply show them off, MLWGS Forensics is the place for you! Come to our interest meeting this Friday, October 9th, at 11:30 AM for more info about the club, virtual competitions, and our plans for this year. For more information (+ a Zoom link), join the Debate Team Schoology group or contact Mr. Brown at [email protected]!!!

Good News!

Despite being nervous about participating in their first tournament of the year and dealing with technology glitches, the Maggie L. Walker debate team had a successful weekend. The tournament, sponsored by Holy Cross High School out of New Orleans, brought together some of the best debaters in the country to compete in a virtual debate format. In total, 72 different schools from around the nation were represented at the tournament. Lincoln-Douglas debaters Senthil Meyyappan and Tejas Muthusamy advanced to the playoff rounds with Tejas Muthusamy making it to the Quarterfinals before losing on a 2-1 decision.

Let me sign off tonight with some more words from the great American statesman Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln said, “We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.”

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

092720

From the MLWGS PTSA

Thank you for your participation in the MLWGS 2020 Virtual Back to School Night! All items on the ballot were passed.

Don’t forget the first Scrip order of the year is due tomorrow. Help raise money for our PTSA doing your everyday shopping at no extra cost to you.

Student Handbook

This is a reminder that all students must review and complete a quiz on the 2020-21 Student Handbook. The deadline has been extended to 9/30/20 and it is open everything with unlimited attempts. The quiz is located at

http://www.quia.com/quiz/5928160.html

Secret Word= Dragons

Keeping your Zoom app updated

As Zoom adapts to having more schools as customers, they are releasing software updates at a rapid pace, many of which enhance the features available when you participate in class meetings on Zoom. For instructions about how to keep the Zoom app installed on your computer updated to the current version, see this page from Zoom support. If you don’t have a Zoom account, which is perfectly fine since you don’t need to have a Zoom account to attend MLWGS Zoom class meetings, then follow the third option in the video: going to the Zoom.us website and downloading the latest Zoom desktop client (an option you’ll find under Resources near the top right).

Future Friends Lunchtime Gatherings for Freshmen

Fall Play

The show must go on! MLWGS Drama will present a virtual production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Nov 19-21. Please join the Drama Club Schoology Group or email Mrs. Glatt ([email protected]) for details on how to audition. The deadline to submit an audition video is Tuesday, September 29.

National Honor Society Application Now Open for Juniors and Seniors

Attention Juniors and Seniors! The National Honor Society online application for the 2020-2021 school year is now open: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIbXsVDVp3LkUpbzXS6x6zRnv0zOn4KeebNwxPFXV80RCQlw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Interested juniors and seniors who have not already been inducted may apply for membership through 5:00pm on Monday, September 28^th. Eligible candidates will need a 3.5 GPA and meet the following service requirements (adjusted due to COVID-19): 50 verified hours for Juniors and 85 verified hours for Seniors. A modified service requirement has been implemented in order for inducted members to remain in good standing and earn the NHS cord at graduation. Selected members will be notified on October 9^th and a virtual induction ceremony will take place in mid-October. Please see the online application itself for complete details.

Good News!

Umesh Gunendran, a MLWGS 10^th grader, has been involved in an organization called “Race for Unity.” Race for Unity (RU) is a group organized by RVA youth, actively working to establish unity in the community and to fight against racism. They raise money to provide two main services. One of these is to buy groceries for families in need, and the second is to run a program where they teach these families how to be financially disciplined and responsible. It is great to see our Dragons engaged in community support during the pandemic!

Let me sign off tonight with some words from President Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln says “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

092020

Back to School Night

MLWGS will hold a Virtual Back to School Night on Thursday September 24^th at 6:30 PM. A detailed information sheet will be sent out on Tuesday that will explain how to view the PTSA business meeting, vote on PTSA items, and access the teacher course videos.

Economics

The Fall Economics Course will begin on Monday, Sept 21st. Due dates for the first week’s lessons will be the following Monday. Please see the main course page in Schoology Monday Sept 21st for instructions for the first week.

PSAT 2020-21 Covid Update!

Dear Families of Sophomores and Juniors,

We have a new schedule for PSATs this year due to Covid-19. Please go to the counseling department link for schedules, links to test information, and test day reminders. This is an optional activity based on family comfort levels with students entering the school building under current Covid-19 guidelines. It will help us with our planning if families could register for testing on this google form. (https://forms.gle/TUZirNyaHVsaCzZw9)

Student Handbook

http://www.quia.com/quiz/5928160.html

Secret Word= Dragons

Seniors

To learn from the senior counselors about college, scholarship, career, military, enrichment, and multicultural opportunities, you are invited to view the Senior Newsletter (Sept 2020 edition) on the School Counseling website ->College Admissions Information -> Senior Newsletters: https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/college-admissions-information-1/2011-2012-newsletters

Students are encouraged to cross-reference this publication with their Naviance accounts and the individual programs’ websites for more details.

Community Service Announcement:

Please enter all community service hours that you have earned into x2vol ASAP. We will be completing an upload of hours from x2vol into PowerSchool on Tuesday 9/22. This means you have until Monday 9/21 to get the hours entered before the upload. Once the upload is completed, we will determine how students are doing on their community service hours goals. Seniors, in order to have your transcripts accurately reflect your community service hours, please get your hours onto x2vol. Also, the data from this upload will help us determine whether any adjustments need to be made to the goals due to Covid-19.

Fall Play

National Honor Society Application Now Open for Juniors and Seniors

I would like to end this evening with a couple of thoughts. First, I want to sincerely thank all the parents and students for your patience while we work through this new learning model. Give yourselves a high five! We are listening to your feedback and are working to reduce the screen time of our students and teachers.

Next is a call for unity among our Dragon family. We are all under an enormous amount of stress. We are trying to learn and teach in a new way, we are dealing with the physical isolation that has been brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, we are engaging with each other in a time of racial reckoning, and we are in the midst of the most divisive political season in our lifetimes. Yet throughout all of this we must remember that we are all equal members of our learning community. We must be respectful of each other and seek to learn from each other as well. Name calling, bullying, deliberately embarrassing or anonymously harassing one another is allowing the forces of divisiveness to prevail. It is unacceptable and not something that you would want your child, or future child, to engage in or endure. We plan to facilitate some virtual opportunities for students to talk, engage, and learn from each other in the very near future.

Remember, we are here to be compassionate, courageous, collaborative, and to have a sense of community. It is The Walker Way.

Have a great evening and as always, GO DRAGONS!!

091320

Have you always felt like you’re smarter than all your friends, but never had any hard data to prove it? Do you have a passion for being right all the time? Do you want to make a fortune crushing bar trivia when you go to college? Are you bored out of your gourd with a vague desire to learn a thing or two? If any of this resonates with you, consider joining the Maggie Walker Scholastic Bowl team! Answer trivia questions with us Monday – Thursday after school on Zoom at 3:15. Email Mr. Rotche at [email protected] for more information. All are welcome!

Virtual College Visits Begin Monday, September 14^th and Will Continue Through Mid-November

We may be all virtual, but colleges are still very interested in connecting with Maggie Walker students! We have already had 90 colleges sign up for virtual visits and we anticipate well over 100 colleges connecting with us over the next two months during our “fall college visit season”. During these visits, admissions representatives will review the programs offered at their school as well as answer questions about the admissions process, student life, and any other topics. Students in 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grades are invited to attend. All virtual visits will take place during asynchronous times (11:30 Monday – Thursday and multiple time options on Fridays). In fact, the following colleges are all scheduled to come this coming week:

Appt Date	Appt Start	Appt Finish	College
9/14/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	University of Richmond
9/14/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Southern Methodist University
9/14/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Emerson College
9/14/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Dickinson College
9/14/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Vanderbilt University
9/15/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Richard Bland College of William and Mary
9/15/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Mississippi State University
9/15/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	College of Charleston
9/15/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Williams College
9/16/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	American University
9/16/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Macalester College
9/16/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Ursinus College
9/16/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Hampden-Sydney College
9/16/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	University of Chicago
9/17/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	The University of Alabama
9/17/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Salem College
9/17/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	United States Naval Academy
9/17/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	William and Mary
9/17/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Randolph-Macon College
9/18/2020	9:30am	10:10am	James Madison University
9/18/2020	10:30am	11:10am	University of Pittsburgh
9/18/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Davidson College
9/18/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Ringling College of Art and Design
9/18/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Christopher Newport University
9/18/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	Tulane University of Louisiana
9/18/2020	11:30am	12:10pm	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
9/18/2020	12:30pm	1:10pm	William and Mary
9/18/2020	1:30pm	2:10pm	University of South Carolina

Virtual links (Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams) are provided 15 minutes prior to the event in Naviance (scroll to the bottom of the “Colleges” home page) and may also be accessed through a google sheet shared as a “resource” in each on the Schoology class pages for 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th graders (please do not click the link before the time of the event). This is where you can also find the complete fall calendar of scheduled events. With so many colleges vying for your asynchronous time, some of your favorite institutions may have conflicting times. In that case, you may float in and out of each session as respectfully as possible; colleges realize you are busy and have many commitments. Some colleges use “Slate” software, which may prompt students to provide a name, email address, and perhaps other optional information for future contacts. This is a virtual replacement for the “info card” colleges would ask each attendee to complete in person. Letting colleges know you came is a great way to express your interest and leave a digital record of that interest, which is something colleges may reflect on when reviewing your application down the road. Dr. Rachel Loving, Senior Counselor and College Visit Coordinator, will be popping into each of these visits to greet representatives during the first few minutes of each meeting. If students or parents have questions about college visits in a virtual environment, please contact Dr. Loving at [email protected].

Looking for a service opportunity while also connecting with colleges? Consider serving as a “College Visit Ambassador” who would 1) send a welcome email to a selected college representative and 2) then commit to attending their virtual college visit to personally welcome them to Maggie Walker and stay in the session for the remainder of the event. Completing both actions would be worth 1 hour of community service. Students in 10^th-12^th grades can find a separate announcement with the details in their Schoology class page.

National Honor Society Application Now Open for Juniors and Seniors

Good News!

Justin Goldman is a current senior at Maggie Walker and he entered an essay contest with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit regarding The Right to Vote. He won a third place $1,000 award and is being honored at a virtual ceremony on September 17, 2020 @ 2:30 pm. See the press release below:

https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/news-announcements/2020/08/17/fourth-circuit-announces-winners-of-2020-high-school-essay-contest

I would like to close tonight with two thoughts.

First, I want to thank everyone for the patience as well as their feedback during this first week of virtual instruction. All in all, things went fairly well. We received a lot of feedback about “Zoom Fatigue” and we feel it too! When we designed the plan, we committed to running with it for a couple of weeks to allow everyone to settle into a rhythm before considering any changes. For many of our students, they haven’t really had to be awake and sharp at 8:45 AM since March, so we may need to shake the rust off a little. We will take a good look at how we are doing in a few days and see if we need to make any adjustments. Until then, keep on swimming!

The second issue I would like to address is one of civility. It has come to my attention that there are several social media platforms that are using the MLWGS name and have become a hotbed for intense conversations that in some cases have devolved into name calling and borderline cyber-bullying. I need to be clear on two points, first, I am a fierce defender of the 1^st Amendment and all are entitled to free speech as defined by The Constitution and SCOTUS Case Law whether we agree with it or not. Second, the school has no authority to police or monitor non-school owned platforms or to react to what is written on these platforms.

Having said that, I want to express my disappointment that some of our Dragons are engaging in behavior online that they would never do in person. While we live in extraordinarily divisive and challenging times, as members of our community we should be able to rise above the current standard of discourse and bring back civil conversations where we can listen to each other’s opinions and respond thoughtfully with compassion and empathy. At the end of the day, we are all Dragons and as such all are entitled to feel welcome at our school. We have huge problems to tackle, but we can do it if we work together in a positive fashion and avoid falling into the trap of trying to blow out another’s candle to make ours burn brighter.

Have a great evening and as always, GO DRAGONS!!

090620

Good Evening MLWGS Family, this is Dr. Lowerre the Director with the First Sunday Night Update for the 19-20 school year!

Every Sunday evening at about 7:00, you will receive a message from me that will include a link to my blog. On the blog I will let you know about upcoming events in the Dragon Nation. You will hear about parent meetings, community events, upcoming deadlines, and some student activities. I will also try to include a good news section about students and faculty who are making a difference in their community. As we begin to safely move to having students back on campus, this will also be a vehicle to pass along important information related to reopening.

Parents, I want to draw your attention to a form in the Parent Portal of PowerSchool that is very important. It is called “Notification of Rights under FERPA” and “Directory Information”. We are required to get permission from you to be able to share your contact information with anyone other than school personnel. By opting in, we will only share your contact information with the PTSA, the Booster Organizations, and the MLWGS Foundation. Without opting in, you will not receive any of the newsletters and other information from any of these parent organizations. I strongly encourage you to take a few seconds and go to this form and opt in.

There are also several other important notices on the main website at the following link:

https://mlwgs.com/welcome-to-mlwgs/annual-notifications/

I would request that you take a look at them as they contain important information that must be shared with you by law.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

At the end of last school year we had to place a restriction on earning community service hours outside of your home. Now that the 2020-2021 school year is beginning, we are able to alter our plan. After careful consideration by MLWGS administration, students are permitted to volunteer outside of their homes as long as they abide by all local, state, and federal guidelines regarding Covid-19. Also, students would need to adhere to any additional guidelines implemented by the organization where they are working. Mr. Cook will also be posting a list of ways to earn volunteer credit at home and virtually. These plans may change as we move forward, so we need to remember to remain positive, optimistic, and flexible.

The Maggie Walker Counseling Department welcomes students and families to another school year! Even though students won’t initially be in the building, the school counselors, school psychologist and school registrar are available for support and look forward to connecting with you! Please reach out to us if you have any concerns by email. Counselors will be responding to email during the school week and typically can respond within 24 hours and are happy to set up Zoom conferences with students and families as needed. During the first week of school, counselors will have drop-in lunchtime office hours via Zoom (links were sent out to students through Schoology).

We have made a short video with greetings from our school psychologist and counselors including our fabulous new senior counselor Ms. Kim Forquer.

A special note to freshman parents: Parents of freshmen with special circumstances such as medical needs or learning disabilities/differences need to alert freshman counselor Karl Zweerink ([email protected]) of needed supports as comprehensive student files do not automatically transfer from each of our twelve supporting divisions.

“Do you like playing games? Do you enjoy playing the ancient game of chess or want to learn how to play chess? Then join the MLWGS Chess Club, to learn the basics or sharpen your skills. Chess club will teach all those interested about chess from the basics to the advanced techniques. Members can meet others across all grades and will form a strong bond with other members as we compete in online and in person (later in the year) tournaments. If you have any questions, feel free to message Adriel Barretto ([email protected]) or Mr. Coleman ([email protected]).”

I would like to close tonight with a few thoughts about the opening of the school year. Obviously, this opening is unlike anything that I have ever had in my 26 years of public education and I would guess that all of you are right there with me. We are all anxious, worried, and perhaps a little frightened. I am here to tell you that we will all be ok if we can just do two simple things.

First, we must all be flexible. This is new to everyone. Students, parents, teachers, counselors, staff, and administrators are all in the same boat. None of us will be spared. We must all work together and address the issues that are certain to arise and understand that the old norms are of no use to us now. We must be agile and adapt to find the pathway forward.

Second, we must have patience with one another. There will be glitches. Things won’t always go to plan, but we must remember that we are all trying our best. Nobody is trying to make things more challenging than they already are. We must be forgiving to each other, take a deep breath when we get stressed, and not panic when something doesn’t work. We will work the problems and get through them together.

I can honestly say that I have never worked a summer with more dedicated group of people than the team here at MLWGS. I can also honestly say that there is no other community that I would rather attack these challenges with than the MLWGS family. We are strong, smart, innovative, kind, generous, and will rise to the occasion and make this work.

Have a great Labor Day Holiday, a great First Day of School, and as always, GO DRAGONS!!

Director’s Blog 2020-21

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