Director’s Blog 2021-22

Posted on June 12, 2022 by Robert Lowerre

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The exam schedule for this week can be found here https://mlwgs.com/events/event/final-exam-schedule-2022/

If you have a study hall or exempted from an exam, you do not need to be on campus during that period, however if you are on campus, you must report to class or sign in if you have a study hall.

Attention families of returning students

Schedules were distributed on Friday afternoon to all returning students. Please check to make sure the classes are correct. If students need to make a change, please complete your request at the bottom of the form and submit to the counseling department as follows: rising sophomores to Mr. Z, rising juniors to Ms. Cobb, and rising seniors to either Dr. Loving or Ms. Forquer. The deadline for requesting schedule changes is Friday June 17^th at 12 noon.

Seniors

If you have not checked out yet, you must do so BEFORE Wednesday, June 15^th (unless prior arrangements are made). Mrs. Charity is ONLY available for check-out between 9:00am and 2:00pm. Please do NOT go by her office anytime outside these hours.

If you have questions/concerns about signatures needed for check-out, please contact your teacher/coach.

Senior Class picnic – 6/16/22 – 12:00pm to 2:00pm at the picnic shelters near the Carillon in Byrd Park (right next to Dogwood Dell and the dog park).

Graduation Practice – 6/17/22 – STARTS AT 9:00am (please arrive between 8:30 – 9:00) in the downstairs ballroom at Altria Theater (directions and parking information linked below). Practice is mandatory for all students who intend to walk for the ceremony. Do NOT park on the street…we will not have time to permit students to pop out to “feed the meter”. If you park in the Main Street/Cherry Street deck BEFORE 9:00am, you will not need to pay for parking. We should be finished by 10:30-11:00M.

Graduation – 6/17/22 – Students MUST be back in the ballroom by 2:00pm for lineup. The outside doors to Altria will open between 2:00-2:15pm, and the doors to the main theater will be open for seating between 2:15-2:30pm. Handicap seating is available on all levels of the theater seating. Please ask an usher when you arrive for directions/assistance. Dresses/skirts and dress tops/dress pants/shirt and tie are all appropriate clothing choices for students to wear beneath the graduation robe. Don’t forget your tassel, cap, and any honor cords! Be smart when selecting shoes for the occasion. Dress shoes are expected, but please remember that students will be walking up and down a carpeted incline, going up and down stairs, and walking across a hardwood stage. NO flip flops will be permitted.

Parking Information (includes directions, cost of parking, and how students access the ballroom/basement area of Altria Theater for practice and line-up). https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xCoIT1tyA7YrxjJKtMBRpjWgN1Hpcs-X/view?usp=sharing

Please email Ms. Sheppard if you have any questions/concerns: [email protected]

Congrats on making it to the final few weeks of your Senior year! A couple of reminders from the technology office as you make your way toward graduation on Friday, June 17th:

Loaned Devices: Any devices loaned to you from the MWtech office need to be returned no later than Friday, June 10^th by 3pm. They can be given to Ms. Snagg or Mrs. Hannah-Gordon in room 114. Please remember to return any accessories like power adapters and cases. Thank you to those Seniors who have already accomplished this task!
Student Accounts: Access to your school Microsoft365 (email, Word, Excel, OneDrive, etc.), Google Workspace (Drive, Docs, Sheets, etc.), PowerSchool, and Schoology accounts will end on Thursday, June 30, 2022. Should you need to retain data from these accounts once your access ends, please see MWtech in room 114. Access to data in these accounts after June 30, 2022 will not be possible.

Should you have any questions, please email Mr. Bortz: [email protected]

Security

Congratulations Seniors!

Juniors and Seniors, please be sure to turn in your parking placards as soon as possible.

Juniors, if you plan to park in the student parking lot for the last two weeks, make sure to stop in and register your vehicle.

Last call for lost and found!!! If you lost water bottles, lunch bags, clothing, shoes, jewelry, keys, chargers, watches, what have you, Friday, June 10th by 2:30 it may be gone forever! Please go through the list, look through the lost and found boxes or discuss with Security!!

Enjoy your summer and we’ll see you in August!

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our FALL SPORTS for 2022-23 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

https://mlwgs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/3333_001-2.pdf

Once completed, please send the paperwork to Ms. Hawkins at [email protected] as a PDF.

The Foundation:

Finishing Strong!

The 2021-2022 Annual Fund Campaign for the Governor’s School Foundation ends June 30. This year alone, the Foundation has provided 71 grants to the school and requests for the 2022-2023 school year are already rolling in.

If you have not already done so, please consider supporting MLWGS with a tax-deductible gift, which can be made online in a matter of moments.

No donation is too small! And all will go directly to supporting the programs and activities that set Maggie Walker apart.

2022 Paver Orders Deadline is June 15

Celebrate Your Graduate by purchasing an inscribed paver that will leave a lasting tribute at the school. You can purchase either a Bluestone paver inside the school lobby or a brick paver to be placed at the base of the Maggie Walker statue on the Lombardy Street walkway. Click here for the order form and more details.

Good News!

Sunday, 6/5/22, the MLWGS Bhangra Club proudly represented our school at the 2022 Taste of India event in Chester, VA! They participated and competed under the senior leadership of Sanjana Murugavel, Ainsley McKay, and Evie Galgano, who have taken Bhangra Club’s school and community involvement to a whole new level this year. Congratulations to our talented team!

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 return to in-person learning at MLWGS a success! We survived the bumps and were able to bring back many of the events and experiences that make our school so special. The team will work hard during this short this summer to evaluate where we are and where we need to be and continue to drive for a better school. 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. To out departing seniors, I wish you fair winds and following seas and you begin your next adventure. Today’s quote is one of my favorites from Mark Twain that I have used on the last message for the past 20 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, a restful summer, and as always, Go Dragons!

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Sophomore lock in

Tickets for the Class of 2024 lock-in will be sold this week in the commons during lunch. The tickets are $10. See your officers for more information.

Senior Showcase on Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Senior Parents: All senior students were given invitations to this year’s in-person Senior Showcase to bring home to parents. In this event, senior students will present their seminar or mentorship research to the students of Maggie Walker. Senior parents are invited to this event as well. The event will be on Wednesday, June 8^th. The invitation will include a schedule that indicates what time your senior will be presenting. Parking will be tight—the senior lot will fill up. Please do not park in teacher spots. Parking will be available at the James River Bus Lot. If you have any questions, please reach out to Les Cook at [email protected].

Security Corner:

Starting this week, we will allow Juniors to park in the student lot (space permitting) as long as they provide their vehicle information to the Security office and are aware of lot requirements! Seniors will be back in the lot on June 8 for the Senior Showcase, so please refrain from parking there on that day!

Again, please go through the lost and found items soon! ALL remaining items will be discarded June 10th!

Seniors:

If you were unable to attend Thursday’s Senior Night, here are the links to the comments that were shared. Ms. Sheppard used the “Original File” to create a mashup comment “Final Version” that would fit in the time constraints of the evening. I hope you all enjoyed the event!

Final Version – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRb-3O5Dzs4n930q5hdzsu3mT2GOjg7JttUJ17f8hF8/edit?usp=sharing

Original version- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k0SY7l-A-3Kqs3OXPxj5exgbDmAQZGQwf_UGdtEzsjw/edit?usp=sharing

Don’t forget….

Graduation practice STARTS at 9:00am on Friday, June 17^th at Altria Theater. The sooner we can start, the sooner I can release everyone. Expect practice to run around 1.5 to 2 hours. Attendance is MANDATORY. If you do not come to practice (on time), you will not be able to walk during the formal ceremony.

More information is coming regarding the Senior picnic and parking at graduation, so keep checking Schoology!

Please email Ms. Sheppard ([email protected]) if you have any questions!

Class of 2022:

Congrats on making it to the final few weeks of your Senior year! A couple of reminders from the technology office as you make your way toward graduation on Friday, June 17th:

Loaned Devices: Any devices loaned to you from the MWtech office need to be returned no later than Friday, June 10^th by 3pm. They can be given to Ms. Snagg or Mrs. Hannah-Gordon in room 114. Please remember to return any accessories like power adapters and cases. Thank you to those Seniors who have already accomplished this task!
Student Accounts: Access to your school Microsoft365 (email, Word, Excel, OneDrive, etc.), Google Workspace (Drive, Docs, Sheets, etc.), PowerSchool, and Schoology accounts will end on Thursday, June 30, 2022. Should you need to retain data from these accounts once your access ends, please see MWtech in room 114. Access to data in these accounts after June 30, 2022 will not be possible.

Should you have any questions, please email Mr. Bortz: [email protected]

We look forward to seeing your presentations during Senior Showcase next week!

Wendell Powell is currently taking orders for the Class of 2022 group photo! If you would like a copy and/or if you need to still order your senior’s formal photos, use the following link: https://wendellpowell.photoreflect.com/store/Events.aspx

Visual and Performing Arts

Tuesday at 11:45am the Visual and Performing Arts Department will be holding our final “Lunchtime Lecture” of the year via Zoom.

In partnership with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the VMFA curator of Southeast Asian Art, Dr. John Henry Rice, will give a lecture about the contemporary Nepalese artist Tsherin Sherpa. This artist’s work is currently on special exhibition at the VMFA through October.

We hope you will join us for this event.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/99408716107?pwd=b1laWnNnT1E0eTlxSlpvS1VrNFNhUT09

MLWGS Senior Art Show – Friday June 3 through June 12 at Artworks Gallery Richmond

The seniors at Maggie Walker Governor’s School have been painting, creating, and preparing for their capstone art presentation: the Maggie Walker Senior Art Exhibition.

In the Maggie Walker art program, Art 4 & 5 students focus on building a body of work and developing a personal theme. These classes involve group and individual critiques, gallery visits, and individual studio time spent producing their art. These students have worked tirelessly to prepare their work for a professional gallery environment, and are thrilled to share their hard work with family, friends, and the Richmond community.

The 2022 show is named The Great Senior Exhibition, styled after the Victorian era “Great Exhibition,” the 1851 World Fair which brought together inventions and oddities from all corners of the globe. The Great Senior Exhibition showcases the many styles and themes of artwork that the high school students have spent months developing. Featuring the work of twelve talented seniors, a wide range of topics will be explored and expressed.

This show is a testament to the hard work of these seniors and their commitment to the art program at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School. The exhibition runs until June 12, 2022.

Anna Yao (Art 5) uses digital animation as a medium for storytelling and surrealism. Through fashion, comics, and collage, Gwen Stankiewicz (Art 5) shines a light on perception and insecurity. Audrey Price (Art 5) has “a slice of history” to share, always keeping things loose, playful, and mysterious. Lexi Pasternak’s (Art 4) stories, creatures, and landscapes are ready to leap from the page. Savannah Cave (Art 5) explores themes of religion and spirituality in three dimensions. Matthieu Friedman (Art 5) challenges gender roles and societal norms through fashion and artistic experimentation. Hanna Ngai (Art 5) explores plastic pollution and the “duality of disposable permanence” one stitch at a time. Devyn Powers (Art 5) weaves emotions, memories and portraiture in a way that challenges both artist and viewer alike. With bold colors, thoughtful compositions, and eye-catching linework, Mallory French (Art 5) shows that the artmaking process need not be linear. Nate Williams (Art 4) studies abstract landscape by exploring painting with an emphasis on color and the power of an effective composition. Olivia Town’s (Art 4) work embraces fluidity in form, color, and approach. Kaitlyn Baker (Art 5) memorializes memories and loved ones with portraiture and tenebrism.

Yearbooks:

Yearbooks are still available for pickup or purchase. Come to the Commons at lunch on Monday and Tuesday, June 6-7, to get your book. If you didn’t pre-order, bring $55 cash or check (payable to MLWGS).

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our FALL SPORTS for 2022-23 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

https://mlwgs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/3333_001-2.pdf

Once completed, please send the paperwork to Ms. Hawkins at [email protected] as a PDF.

The Foundation:

Finishing Strong!

If you have not already done so, please consider supporting MLWGS with a tax-deductible gift, which can be made online in a matter of moments.

No donation is too small! And all will go directly to supporting the programs and activities that set Maggie Walker apart.

2022 MLWGS Senior Parent Send Off–June 8

The Foundation’s Class of 2022 Parent Send is this Wednesday, June 8, from 6:30-8:30pm at Strangeways on Dabney Rd. Email Ginger O’Neil if you have any questions. We look forward to helping you celebrate this important milestone.

2022 Paver Orders Deadline is June 15

Good News!

Congratulations to the Maggie Walker Quiz Bowl team for representing our school at the High School National Championship Tournament last weekend in Atlanta! Senior Sam Lichtman captained the final matches of his high school career with support from junior Vien Nguyen and sophomores Sam McNamee, Bharathi Kancharla, Timothy Porter, and Yash Saxena. The team narrowly missed the playoffs with a 5-5 record and several nail-biting games that came down to a single question. The team came in 109 overall out of a field of 272 of the top teams in the entire country. This is a really impressive performance for such a young team – keep your eye on these players and others as we push ourselves in invitational tournaments, Battle of the Brains, VHSL, and national tournaments next year!

Extra congratulations are due to Sam McNamee, who was recognized by NAQT with a Rising Star Award. Sam earned his trophy for being one of the top individual point scoring sophomores in the entire tournament. Great job, Sam!

MLWGS students won awards at VJAS (Virginia Junior Academy of Science) for their scientific research paper and presentation over last weekend (05/27/202) where around 350 high school students participated from all over Virginia.

Aashka Shah – Second (Medicine & Health)

Yash Saxena – Third (Earth & Environmental Science)

Yash Saxena was selected to server VJAS as student officer (secretory) and Sriyutha Morishetty as student advisory committee.

Yesterday the MLWGS Film Club was proudly represented at the 2022 VHSL Film Festival in Charlottesville, VA! Carson Wang’s short narrative film “The Chauffeur” received high scores from the jurors, placing our team just two points (266 points) behind the First Place selection (268 points). Of the eight films selected to compete in this category, “The Chauffeur” ranked second overall. Congratulations to Bruce Yanovitch, Noah Jung, Ben Davis, Carson Wang, and Hutton Ward!

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!

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MLWGS is closed tomorrow May 30^th in observance of Memorial Day

MLWGS Music

The Spring concert for Band, Chorus and Orchestra is this Tuesday, May 31 at 7 pm. All three musical groups will be performing. Come on out and start your celebration of the end of the school year a little early with some amazingly talented musicians!

Senior Showcase on Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Seniors:

The last day for seniors is Friday, June 3. If the only thing going on the class is an exam, and a senior is exempt from the exam, then they do not need to be there. Otherwise, they are expected to be in class and complete assigned work.

Senior Night is Thursday, June 2!! We will be celebrating our seniors’ successes while also reflecting on their time here at MLWGS. Students should arrive by 6:30 in the gym for line-up, wearing professional/business attire; caps and gowns are NOT worn for this event. The ceremony will start at 7:00pm. and wrap up around 9:30-10:00pm. Please contact Ms. Sheppard if you have any questions about the event: [email protected]

MLWGS Senior Art Show Opening – Friday June 3, 6-8pm at Artworks Gallery Richmond

The seniors at Maggie Walker Governor’s School have been painting, creating, and preparing for their capstone art presentation: the Maggie Walker Senior Art Exhibition.

This show is a testament to the hard work of these seniors and their commitment to the art program at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School. We hope that you will join us for our opening from 6-8pm the night of June 3 at Artworks Gallery (320 Hull St., Richmond, VA 23224). The event is free and open to the public. The exhibition runs until June 12, 2022.

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our FALL SPORTS for 2022-23 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

https://mlwgs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/3333_001-2.pdf

Once completed, please send the paperwork to Ms. Hawkins at [email protected] as a PDF.

Deeping Your Understanding of Sensitive Policy Issues @ Your Library

Young Libertarians, Young Democrats, Young Republicans, otherwise affiliated, or apolitical – you are ALL welcome in the MLWGS Library. This is a purple zone where you can access resources that reflect a diverse range of policy positions, opinions, and interpretations — from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times to The Nation and The National Review, or books by former Supreme Court Justices Ginsburg and Scalia.

The MLWGS Library is committed to inclusivity, including political inclusivity, and to fostering the capacity for civil civic discourse within our community and beyond. Yet sometimes your opinion about an issue can be so deeply rooted, whether in personal experience, faith, or something else, that it can feel impossible to discuss it with someone who holds a different opinion. Indeed, when I ask One Small Step participants if there are any issues they’d prefer NOT to discuss, there are always students who list at least a few topics.

For policy opinions you hold close, quietly reading about and reflecting on the issue can deepen your understanding and expose you to different perspectives without the vulnerability of discussing it. One place to start such research is Issues Researcher. On the leading issue page for featured topics, you’ll find a historical timeline, and articles expressing both pro and con opinions about a related question. You can then expand your search by searching the database directly. You can find more resources for exploring contrasting viewpoints in that very section of the library’s Research Toolbox, located in the resources section of the Dragons Research group in Schoology (where you can also download the password list for the library’s databases).

As we discussed in FIRC Speech and FIRC Social Studies, immersing yourself in a chorus of like-minded views may feel affirming, even comforting. Yet, it does little to foster your capacity for the civil civic discourse many of you have said you’d like to see more of. So…before you engage with issues that ignite strong emotions inside you, take one small step toward the civility you seek by enhancing your ability to speak about it from a solid foundation of historical knowledge and argument awareness, as well as from your heart.

I’m grateful to work with and learn with you: passionate, intelligent, curious Dragons with a wide range of values and beliefs. If you have questions, stop by the library, where the motto is Wonder. Research. Repeat.

The Foundation:

2022 MLWGS Senior Parent Send Off

All Senior Parents are invited to the MLWGS Senior Parent Send Off being hosted by the MLWGS Foundation on June 8, 6:30-8:30pm, at Strangeways on Dabney Rd. If you have not received an email invitation, you can RSVP directly to Ginger O’Neil.

Paver Order Deadline is June 15

The Foundation invites families of MLWGS seniors to purchase inscribed pavers to leave a lasting tribute at the school. You can purchase either a Bluestone paver inside the school lobby or a brick paver to be placed at the base of the Maggie Walker statue on the Lombardy Street walkway. Click here for the order form and more details.

Good News!

Congratulations to our students who were recognized on the National Italiano Exam for 2022

Level1

Gold Medal Nina Broderick Martina Ribera Samantha Schappert

Silver Medal Sahana Manohar

Bronze Medal Darby French Ces Wells

Honorable Mention certificate Adam Asim Olivia Isaacs

Level2

Gold Medal

John Cabell Matteo DeLuca Aiva Kern Nina McGinnis

Silver Medal

Alexis Bartee Ellison Best Edward Williams

Bronze Medal

Eliot Beazley Chloe Biggs Emma Hunter

Honorable Mention Certificate Keely Edwards Gavin Hoyt Sivani Nemani Abigayle Simmons

Level 3

Gold Medal Emma Burris

Silver Medal James Knaupp

Bronze Medal Genevieve Biondi Evelyn Galgano

Sydney Brewer (2024), won Runner Up for Most Creative Construction (9th-12th Grade) for her garment design as part of the 2022 VMFA Teen Stylin Program. She was among 40 designers who competed. Sydney worked on her project as an independent study candidate.

Sydney’s assigned inspiration piece was the sculpture of boat with multiple oarsmen from the ancient Egyptian gallery. The overall theme for the VMFA program was “Journey.”

The designers’ challenge was to construct a garment with only 20% fabric and to use up-cycled or recycled materials.

Sydney’s design, entitled “Desert Flower,” was constructed from bamboo blinds, bamboo placemats, seashells, tissue paper, hot glue and twine. She designed the bodice, cape, skirt and umbrella to reflect the journey of life along the Nile River.

Way to Go, Sydney!

Shreyas Muthusamy qualified to compete in the USAPhO contest. He earned Bronze Medal Recognition – which is an awesome accomplishment. Here is a link to additional information: https://aapt.org/physicsteam/2022/news.cfm

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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Exam Exemptions:

Please refresh yourself on the exam exemption policies on p. 26 of the student handbook, as needed. Senior exams will be coming the week of May 31. Underclass exams will be the week of June 7. Exam exemption forms can be picked up from reception on 5/16.

Senior Showcase on Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Senior Parents: During the week May 16-20, all senior students will be bringing home invitations to this year’s in-person Senior Showcase. In this event, senior students will present their seminar or mentorship research to the students of Maggie Walker. Senior parents are invited to this event as well. The event will be on Wednesday, June 8^th. The invitation will include a schedule that indicates what time your senior will be presenting. If you have any questions, please reach out to Les Cook at [email protected].

Seniors:

Any senior interested in auditioning for Senior Night (6/2) and/or graduation (6/17), please use this link to sign-up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4caaab2ea4ff2-senior4

Auditions will be held on 5/24 and 5/25 after school. If all spots are filled, please email Ms. Sheppard directly for options.

Graduation tickets were distributed during lunch all last week. If any senior did NOT pick up their tickets, please have them email Ms. Sheppard to schedule a time to get them.

Senior Night is just a couple of weeks away, and we still need your senior’s baby pictures for our slideshow. We are asking parents to send in 1-3 baby/toddler photos of your senior to be used in the presentation. Please submit these by May 26^th. A link to the Google Folder was sent to parents and posted on the Class of 2022 Schoology page. If you are uncomfortable/unable to save your pictures in the folder, please email the pictures directly to Ms. Sheppard. Even if your senior is not planning to attend, please send 1-3 pictures to be included in the presentation.

The Class of 2022 presentation, “Making College Lead to a Career” has been rescheduled!! Seniors, please plan to join us on Zoom from 7:00 – 8:30 pm on Wednesday, May 25. Certified college and career coach (and former MLWGS teacher and current parent) Jennifer McCluskey will discuss several topics including but not limited to: networking, internships vs. externships, and writing a resume. If you would like to learn more about Mrs. McCluskey or the help she offers to students, please consider checking out her website: https://www.jennifermccluskey.com/ . If you have any questions about the event, contact Ms. Sheppard (Class of 2022 sponsor): [email protected].

The Zoom link for Wednesday’s presentation is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84408667322?pwd=a1B1V2JGajE5SXBtbzlCTCtKZkplQT09

We hope you can join us!!

Deeping Your Understanding of Sensitive Policy Issues @ Your Library

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our FALL SPORTS for 2022-23 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

https://mlwgs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/3333_001-2.pdf

Once completed, please send the paperwork to Ms. Hawkins at [email protected] as a PDF.

The Foundation:

Class of 2022–Senior Parent Send Off–June 8

The MLWGS Foundation will be hosting a send off party for all Class of 2022 parents on Wednesday, June 8, at the original Strangeways (2277 Dabney Road, Henrico) from 6:30-8:30pm. This is a casual opportunity to spend time with other senior parents and some alumni parents who know what you are going through as you help your Dragon prepare for their next adventure–and as you prepare as well. The Foundation will provide light fare and non-alcoholic beverages as we welcome you to alumni parent status. Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon . . . (More info about the event will be shared in the coming weeks. )

Leave Your Mark at MLWGS!

Are you (or a grandparent, aunt, or other special person) looking for the perfect, lasting graduation gift for your favorite Dragon? Leave your mark at MLWGS by purchasing an engraved paver in their honor.

The Governor’s School Foundation invites families of MLWGS seniors and graduates to purchase inscribed pavers to leave a lasting tribute at the school. This is a great way to honor your student and support the great work done by the Foundation. You can purchase either a Bluestone paver inside the school lobby or a brick paver to be placed at the base of the Maggie Walker statue on the Lombardy Street walkway. Click here for the order form and more details.

MLWGS Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation Campaign Ends on Tuesday!

The Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation Campaign is coming down to the wire. Which class will end the year with a sweet treat from the Foundation? We will know in just two days when this friendly competition ends. So support your Dragon’s class and the Foundation by making your donation today! Donations of all amounts count and provide ongoing support for our amazing school through the Foundation annual fund.

As of May 5, here are the overall class totals:

Seniors: 34%

Juniors: 32%

Sophomores: 28%

Freshmen: 32%

Good News!

Congratulations to our students who were recognized on the National Italiano Exam for 2022

Level 1

Gold Medal Nina Broderick Martina Ribera Samantha Schappert

Silver Medal Sahana Manohar

Bronze Medal Darby French Ces Wells

Honorable Mention certificate Adam Asim Olivia Isaacs

Level 2

Gold Medal

John Cabell Matteo DeLuca Aiva Kern Nina McGinnis

Silver Medal

Alexis Bartee Ellison Best Edward Williams

Bronze Medal

Eliot Beazley Chloe Biggs Emma Hunter

Honorable Mention Certificate Keely Edwards Gavin Hoyt Sivani Nemani Abigayle Simmons

Level 3

Gold Medal Emma Burris

Silver Medal James Knaupp

Bronze Medal Genevieve Biondi Evelyn Galgano

Sydney’s assigned inspiration piece was the sculpture of boat with multiple oarsmen from the ancient Egyptian gallery. The overall theme for the VMFA program was “Journey.”

The designers’ challenge was to construct a garment with only 20% fabric and to use up-cycled or recycled materials.

Way to Go, Sydney!

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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Exam Exemptions:

Senior Showcase on Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Seniors:

Any senior interested in auditioning for Senior Night (6/2) and/or graduation (6/17), please use this link to sign-up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4caaab2ea4ff2-senior4

Auditions will be held on 5/24 and 5/25 after school. If all spots are filled, please email Ms. Sheppard directly for options.

At the beginning of lunch on Monday, May 16^th, seniors are asked to head to the outside front steps (across from the auditorium) to pose for a photo in their college t-shirt. This should only take a few minutes, so please go as soon as class dismisses to ensure that you’re included.

Senior Night is Thursday, June 2. We are asking parents to send in 1-3 baby/toddler photos of your senior to be used in the presentation. Please submit these by May 26^th. A link to the Google Folder was sent to parents and posted on the Class of 2022 Schoology page.

If you are uncomfortable/unable to save your pictures in the folder, please email the pictures directly to Ms. Sheppard. Even if your senior is not planning to attend, please send 1-3 pictures to be included in the presentation.

Graduation tickets will be distributed during lunch starting Monday, May 16 – Friday, May 20^th outside of room 330. Each student will be receiving 14 tickets. If more tickets are needed, please ask your student to see if there are any extras available from their peers before requesting them from Ms. Sheppard. No requests for additional tickets from Ms. Sheppard will be considered until June 3.

On May 20, Seniors will be dismissed from class to attend a workshop on “Making College Lead to a Career” led by certified college and career coach (former MLWGS teacher and current parent), Jennifer McCluskey. Her presentation will touch on several topics including but not limited to: networking, internships vs. externships, and writing a resume. This was met with great success last year when we held it over Zoom, but we are excited to have her on campus for an in-person event! If you would like to learn more about Mrs. McCluskey or the help she offers to students, please consider checking out her website: https://www.jennifermccluskey.com/ . If you have any questions about the event, contact Ms. Sheppard (Class of 2022 sponsor): [email protected].

Wednesday, May 18, 6:30pm on Zoom: “How To Help Your Student Make College Lead To A Career”

In advance of the program she will be delivering to the Senior class on Friday, May 20th, hear from certified career coach and MLWGS parent Jennifer McCluskey about what students really should be doing in college to help ensure this important but often confusing time will result in a meaningful career journey they will enjoy…and how parents can best support them.

Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89643677443?pwd=RjVWRSszZS9VRmpENktaVWpYY2ZFZz09 Meeting ID: 896 4367 7443 Passcode: 602418

Deepening Your Understanding of Sensitive Policy Issues @ Your Library

School Counseling:

Lots of virtual, college-related programming for underclassmen and their families is happening in the week ahead! These opportunities have been shared with students in grades 9-11 via posts to their respective “College Information for the Class of 202_” Schoology groups.

Beginning on May 15^th, Coalition for College (in partnership with University of Chicago and other participating institutions) is hosting a week of events related to Self-Care Throughout the College Process, Understanding Financial Aid, College Essays, Making the Most of Your Summer, and more. One particular event sounds a little like the case study exercise that sophomores experienced at College Kick-Off at MLWGS in February. On Wednesday, May 18th, “This is your chance to see what an application looks like and how applications are reviewed! Together you and admissions counselors from UChicago and Northwestern University will review applications, and decide who is admitted, waitlisted, or denied admission. See you in the committee room!” To register for any of the week’s events (and to watch recordings of past events), check out https://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/events

Next (on May 16^th), the Potomac & Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC) is hosting a Virtual College Fair. Schools from Virginia, as well as those that are out-of-state or international will be in attendance. For more details and to register for sessions of interest to you, go to https://www.strivescan.com/pcacac/

Finally, if your student is interested in pursuing athletics at the college level, they might want to check out a workshop on May 17^th sponsored by ECMC The College-Place-Virginia called “Demystifying College Sports Recruitment”. To learn more, visit https://ecmc.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEvcOGgrzwtG9a2U5uPc7gzBsd-0g03RcoN

Attention, juniors who wish to be considered in the selection process for our school’s two nominees for the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Morehead-Cain Scholarship: This is a reminder that the deadline to complete this survey in Naviance is Wednesday, May 18th at 12:20PM.

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our FALL SPORTS for 2022-23 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

https://mlwgs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/3333_001-2.pdf

Once completed, please send the paperwork to Ms. Hawkins at [email protected] as a PDF.

The Foundation:

Class of 2022–Senior Parent Send Off–June 8

Leave Your Mark at MLWGS!

MLWGS Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation Campaign Ends on Tuesday!

As of May 5, here are the overall class totals:

Seniors: 34%

Juniors: 32%

Sophomores: 28%

Freshmen: 32%

Good News!

Maggie Walker Quiz Bowl sent three teams to compete in the VCU Season Finale tournament this Saturday and brought home two trophies! Congratulations to Vien Nguyen, Sam McNamee, Risshi Naavaal, and Timothy Porter for pulling out a nail-biting victory over Blacksburg High School to win the entire tournament! We also had several top individual scorers – Sam McNamee was recognized with a book award as the 5^th overall individual scorer averaging 41.8 points per game and Stella Broome as the 2^nd overall individual scorer with an average 45.8 points per game. Wish the team luck as they head to Nationals in Atlanta over Memorial Day Weekend! If you want to join our winning legacy, it’s not too late! We hold open practices every day during lunch in room 316, come join us!

Our own Freshman Ziggy Booker is being asked to read the new highway marker for the Shockoe African Burial Ground at the unveiling based on their work last year with their 8^th grade class. We are excited that one of our Dragons has been bestowed with such an honor!

Cameron Golden received 2nd place in this year’s 7th District Congressional Art Contest. She received the award for her painting last Thursday from Representative Abigail Spanberger at a ceremony at Tucker High School.

We are over half way through the testing period! APs are mostly behind us and we will take on the SOLs soon. The Dragon Nation is performing well and it is clear that our students are taking them seriously and knocking them down. With only 24 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!

050822

Thanks to the PTSA:

Thank you to the PTSA for your generous support of the MLWGS faculty and staff during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2-6. Spearheaded by Kellie Huyard of the Hospitality Committee, our staff enjoyed a delicious meal each day equaling 3 lunches and 1 breakfast. Kellie did all of the menu selections, set-up, serving, and clean-up. No small effort! We are grateful for the support of the PTSA.

Exam Exemptions:

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our FALL SPORTS for 2022-23 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

https://mlwgs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/3333_001-2.pdf

Once completed, please send the paperwork to Ms. Hawkins at [email protected] as a PDF.

Seniors:

Any senior interested in auditioning for Senior Night (6/2) and/or graduation (6/17), please use this link to sign-up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4caaab2ea4ff2-senior4

Auditions will be held on 5/24 and 5/25 after school. If all spots are filled, please email Ms. Sheppard directly for options.

Juniors:

The latest edition of the Junior Newsletter has been posted to Schoology and the School Counseling website. Younger Dragons and their families are also invited to view it to learn more about college info sessions, scholarships/contests, and summer programs that might be of interest to them: https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters

Polar Lecture:

Two extraordinary guest speakers will be joining the Polar Seminar via Zoom on Monday, May 9, during 3^rd period (10:15 – 11:35). Lonnie Thompson and Ellen Mosley Thompson are giants in the field of paleoclimatology who have devoted their careers to collecting ice cores from the polar regions (Ellen) and from high altitude, mid-latitude glaciers (Lonnie).

“Distinguished University Professor and director of the Byrd Polar Research Center (BPRC) Ellen Mosley-Thompson is a leading expert on the study of ancient climates. She has led nine expeditions to Antarctica and six to Greenland. Distinguished University Professor and BPRC senior research scientist Lonnie Thompson has led more than 50 expeditions. His observations of glacier retreat over the last three decades confirm that glaciers around the world are melting, clear evidence that the warming of the last 50 years is now outside the range of climate variability for several millennia.” Both are members of the National Academy of Sciences.

To get an idea of what the Thompsons will be talking about in their presentation, I invite you to watch the following 9-minute clip from the PBS Newshour: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/glacier-ice-samples-act-as-records-of-climate-changes-impact-on-earth

I am excited that these renown scientists will be joining us on Monday, May 9, during 3^rd period to talk about the importance of ice cores in understanding climate change. As always, I will be recording the Zoom session, and posting it in the Schoology group called Polar Guest Presentations. If you or your class or any 3^rd period study hall students would like to join us “live,” please email me ([email protected]) , and I will send you the Zoom link.

P.S. If you want to read more about this dynamic duo, here is a link to an article from the OSU Alumni magazine: https://www.osu.edu/alumni/news/ohio-state-alumni-magazine/issues/winter-2021/ice-sages.html

MLWGS Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation Campaign Ends May 17!

The Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation Campaign is coming down to the wire. Which class will end the year with a sweet treat from the Foundation? We will know after May 17 when this friendly competition ends. So support your Dragon’s class and the Foundation by making your donation today! Donations of all amounts count and provide ongoing support for our amazing school through the Foundation annual fund.

As of May 5, here are the overall class totals:

Seniors: 34%

Juniors: 32%

Sophomores: 28%

Freshmen: 32%

Good News!

Madison Lathrop has been accepted into the Governor’s World Language Academy for German. This three-week full-immersion program will be held at Washington and Lee this summer. Congratulations, Madison!

Congratulations to Carson Wang, Noah Jung, Ben Davis, Bruce Yanovitch, and Hutton Ward, whose narrative film “The Chauffeur” was designated an Official Selection to the VHSL Film Festival! Their film will be honored with an online screening at the festival in Charlottesville on June 4 as they await final decisions during the award presentation. Way to go!

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 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 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!

050122

MLWGS will be closed on Tuesday May 3^rd for the observance of Eid-al-Fitr.

Seniors and Parents of Seniors:

All seniors should be working diligently to complete their community service hours requirement. Due to COVID-19, the senior requirement has been reduced from 140 hours to 120 hours. All seniors should have 120 hours submitted to x2vol by May 2, 2022. Anyone with questions should contact Les Cook ([email protected]) or stop by his office (room315) to talk.

Three scholarships (the Pogue, Rajan, and Dr. Smriti Bardhan) will be funded by generous members of our community and awarded this semester exclusively to eligible MLWGS seniors who are selected through a school-based application process. The selection criteria and applications for each are unique, but they all share the same deadline: Monday, 5/2/22 at 1PM. Applications have been posted in the “College Information for the Class of 2022” Schoology group and have been updated in the “Local & Regional Scholarships” portion of Naviance. If you have any questions about these applications, please contact senior counselor Kim Forquer at [email protected]. Good luck, Dragons!

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our FALL SPORTS for 2022-23 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

https://mlwgs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/3333_001-2.pdf

Once completed, please send the paperwork to Ms. Hawkins at [email protected] as a PDF.

Advanced Placement Exams:

AP Exams begin Monday, May 2^nd and will continue until Tuesday, May 17^th. AP testers should review this schedule for exam dates, start times, and room locations (some exams have multiple rooms): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sQ6O1ule2qEO7q3fiP82hP_OEjgaXhSk/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107178821893099947385&rtpof=true&sd=true

Students may enter testing rooms up to 15 minutes early, and we encourage students to be at their desks with their materials ready at the posted start time. For morning exams, we plan to begin reading instructions at 8:30 or as soon as most students has arrived by bus (we could hold an exam for a late bus for a period of time, but not for any other reason). Please be punctual. Late arrivals may not be able to test. Please make transportation arrangements for afternoon tests; they will likely not conclude before dismissal.

Students should bring multiple #2 wooden pencils and a pen with black or dark blue ink to testing. If applicable, also bring a working calculator that meets the testing guidelines (ask your teacher if you are unsure). Many exams will take place in the gym and temperatures can vary. Please consider bringing a sweatshirt/wearing layers even if it is warm on testing day. Students may bring a water bottles and a snack in their backpack (for the break and not to have at their desk). Students may not have access to phones or other technology during testing. Students must read the AP Testing Terms & Conditions document under “resources” in the AP Testing Schoology group for more details about prohibited devices and other regulations. Some students will have two exams in one day. We will hold the start time for the afternoon exam until after the morning exam has concluded and those students have had a break. Lunch will be held for a period of time after the morning exams conclude and teachers will be notified of students’ estimated return time. Additional announcements will be made through the AP Testing Schoology group.

College Boot Camp for Rising Seniors:

Registration for the College Application Boot Camp is open as of 4/22/22. The mission of College Boot Camp is to provide students the space and time to complete their Common Application (or other application of their choice) before the start of the school year. College Boot Camp will be held from Monday, August 8th through Wednesday, August 10th, 2022 (a three-day program). There will be two sessions offered, a morning session (9am-12pm) and an afternoon session (1-4pm). Both sessions will be in-person at MLWGS. Students who wish to participate must choose either the morning or afternoon session. We ask that students complete their registration by June 1st, 2022, which includes signing up on the Sign Up Genius link below and completing the payment ($55) on the school website. If payment is a financial hardship, please see your counselor (Ms. Forquer or Dr. Loving) about a fee waiver. Space is not unlimited, so if you know you would like to register, please do not delay. View the link for more details and begin registration: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B48AFA62BA75-mlwgs.

Sports Signing Day for Seniors:

Are you a senior who will be playing a Division I, II, or III sport in college next fall? If so, we want to celebrate this accomplishment with a Signing Day Ceremony. Coach Hawkins ([email protected]) is putting together a list of college athletes to be included in this event. The date for the ceremony will be announced once we have a list of the athletes. Students or parents are asked to email the name of the student, college, and sport to Coach Hawkins by Friday, May 6^th to be included in this events. Coaches (school and club) will be invited to attend.

From the desk of the school psychologist:

The Cameron Gallagher Foundation is sponsoring an upcoming program for parents. “May’s Conversations with CKG” will be taking place on Wednesday, May 18, at 7pm via Zoom. The topic is: The Way Forward: How Families Navigate Mental Health Challenges. Broadcasting live from the Cameron Gallagher Mental Health Resource Center at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond, CKG Executive Director Grace Gallagher and experts from the resource center will discuss options and roadways for families with mental health challenges needing a way forward.

This event is free. Registration is required.

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week!

The PTSA has planned meals for each day next week, including a BBQ & Fried Chicken Lunch on Monday, Continental Breakfast with Quiches on Wednesday, a Cinco De Mayo celebration lunch on Thursday and the FiftyOne Pizza Truck will be pulling up for lunch to close out the week!

If you’d like to contribute to the PTSA to support our awesome Teacher-Appreciation Week plans, please do! Click here to make a donation today.

You can either join the PTSA this year, if you haven’t already, and/or make a donation of $5, $10, $50 or more to be sure PTSA volunteers can continue to celebrate our teachers each month. We want them to have the funds to plan spectacular feasts to support their hard work – memberships and donations allow us to do that each year!

Good News!

Greta Shope will be representing MLWGS at this summer’s Governor’s World Language Academies for Spanish. We are very excited for her and her accomplishment!

Fresh off their placements in the district competition in February, the National History Day Club, sponsored by Dr. Christine Anderson, competed at the Virginia History Day state competition on Sunday, April 24, 2022. The theme this year was Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences and all submissions explored this complex theme, while also highlighting the importance of diversity of perspective, race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. Joanne Lin’s ’23 paper, “Roe V. Wade: A Symbol of Proliferating American Crisis in Debate and Diplomacy,” and Drew Rivas’ ’23 paper “From the Mattachine to Stonewall: How Diplomacy Failed the American Gay Rights Movement” competed in the Senior Paper category. Jordyn Krajewski’s ’23 “933,” competed in the Senior Group Documentary, and Ally Lichtman’s ’25 “Alpha for the Beta: How Ida B. Wells and the Alpha Suffrage Club Bettered the Fight for Enfranchisement at the Intersection of Race and Gender” competed in the Senior Individual Website category and placed first. Drew Rivas received the Diversity Richmond and Virginia Pride LGBTQ+ History award and Jordyn Krajewski won the John Marshall Center Prize for Political History and Civics award. Ally Lichtman will move onto the national competition held virtually between June 12 and June 18, 2022. Congratulations to all participants, and best of luck to Ally as she prepares for the final leg of competition!

The MLWGS We The People team placed 5^th in the nation! Congratulations to the hard working Constitutional scholars!

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.” Six weeks to go!

Have a great evening, and as always, Go Dragons!

042422

Seniors and Parents of Seniors:

A photographer from Wendell Powell Studio will be on campus on Wednesday, April 27^th to take the traditional senior class group photo on the front steps of MLWGS during lunch. Seniors must bring their cap and gown for the photo. Information about purchasing the photo will be provided by the photographer after the photo is taken. If you have any questions, please contact the class sponsor, Ms. Sheppard – [email protected]

From the Security Corner:

Parking:

Students, parents and/or guests who park on the street must be extra diligent to watch for restricted or no parking zones, fire hydrants, private property signs. Cars have been parking in the James River Transportation employee lot, blocking streets and alleys, and even blocked the whole James River lot for an entire day. (Yes, we have pictures too!)

(The owner of the James River Transportation has requested that we pass this along to students and parents. They do not want to tow anyone, but our drivers are leaving them no choice)

Clean-up:

The weather is getting nicer and nicer as we get close to the end of our school year; You don’t want to lose out on opportunities to eat outside, sit where you want, and enjoy the fresh air! As such, take responsibility for yourselves, your school and each other. CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR SELF OUTSIDE, INSIDE, AND AFTER YOU USE THE CAFETERIA AND/OR COMMONS!!!! Throw away trash, straighten tables and push in chairs when you finish lunch, snacks, or study! Be honorable and hold each other accountable.

Valuables:

Maintain control of, or secure anything you don’t want to lose, whether through mistake, prank, or theft. Pay attention to your belongings. Simple…

Lost and Found:

If you are missing bottles, bags, clothes, books, lunchboxes, etc. please go through and look soon. We will dispose of neglected property again April 29. If you are missing valuables…wallets, lunch cards, jewelry, chargers, etc. come check in with Security, we just might have your belongings.

The GS Foundation:

Night of the Dragon 2022 is a Wrap!

The Foundation thanks everyone who made the 20th Annual Night of the Dragon a success! Special thanks to our Auction Chair Kristi Turner and Committee Chairs Anne Ewald, Brad Ewald, Jennifer Rector, and Megan Lowden. There are too many volunteers, donors, and attendees to thank here, but know that each of you is very appreciated! More info about the dollars raised for MLWGS will be shared soon.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day

The Foundation is expecting more than 200 grandparents and special friends to come get a glimpse of Dragon life on Friday, April 29. Dragons who invited a guest(s) will be excused from last block a bit early on Friday to enjoy some refreshments and provide a school tour to their loved ones.

Good News!

Congratulations to Stella Broome! She is representing MLWGS at this summer’s Governor’s World Language Academies where she will study French. We are so very proud of her!

Gabriel Harding, Samuel Litchman, and Jack Cabell participated in All-Virginia Orchestra and Band on April 21-23 at Christopher Newport University. These ensembles are the most selective student musical groups in Virginia and to be selected is a testament to our student’s dedication to music. Students performed in three concerts over the weekend and dazzled the audiences. Congratulations Samuel, Gabriel, and Jack!

This week will close with Grandparents Day and it got me thinking. We often forget to thank all of those around us who help make us who we are and provide our lives with purpose. To that end, I am reminded of what John F. Kennedy meant when he said “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” I challenge the Dragon Nation to show our gratitude to all of those who inspire us by living lives full of love, kindness, and meaning.

Have a great evening, and as always, Go Dragons!

041722

Calendar Change

Because of the relatively mild winter, we have not used up all our snow days. As a result, Friday May 27^th, the day before the Memorial Day weekend, will now be a Student and Staff Holiday!

Seniors and Parents of Seniors:

questions should contact Les Cook ([email protected]) or stop by his office (room315) to talk.

School Counseling

The March/April edition of the Senior Newsletter has been posted to the “College Information for the Class of 2023” Schoology group and the MLWGS School Counseling website: https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters

Senator Mark Warner invites high school and middle school students, their parents or guardians, and school counselors to Academy Day 2022. Attendees will have the opportunity to join breakout sessions with representatives from the United States service academies for presentations and an interactive question and answer period.

In the opening session, attendees will hear from representatives from the Virginia congressional delegation about the application procedures for congressional nominations to the academies as well as speakers from the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board, the University of Virginia ROTC programs, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, the Virginia Military Institute, and the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin University. There will also be time to speak in more detail with many of these representatives at their virtual resource tables.

Date: Saturday, April 23, 2022

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Location: Virtual on Accelevents

Registration: Click here

Questions: Email [email protected]” For more information, visit https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/academynominations

TODAY is the FINAL DAY to Purchase Tickets to the 20th Annual Night of the Dragon!

Today is the deadline to purchase tickets for the 20th Annual Night of the Dragon on April 23 at the Altria Theater!

Get your tickets NOW for this fun-filled evening that is the social highlight of the season for the MLWGS community.

Each Night of the Dragon ticket includes a Welcome Drink plus 1 Drink Ticket, Dinner, Live and Silent Auctions, Lively Student Entertainment, and More!

When purchasing tickets, be sure to buy your beads for Heads & Tails for your chance to win our Home Comfort/Wine & Cheese Basket from GiftCraft worth more than $500. And please consider also purchasing a Thank a Teacher Ticket(s) so teachers can join the fun!

Looking forward to seeing you at Altria!

P.S. Today is also the deadline to request table assignments with specific folks by emailing Auction Chair Kristi Turner, [email protected].

Tentative Night of the Dragon Schedule

6:30pm–Doors Open

6:30-8:00pm–Heavy Hors d’oeuvres Stations and Bars Open, Mingling, Silent Auction Items on Display and Bidding

8:15pm–Silent Auction Ends (mobile bidding closes)

8:30pm–Welcome from Dr. Lowerre, Student Performance

8:45pm–Live Auction Begins, Head and Tails

10:00pm–Mobile Check Out and Item Pick Up

Parent Annual Fund Competition in Full Swing

The Annual Fund Parent Participation Campaign recognizes the class with the highest percentage of parents who donate to the Foundation’s Annual Fund campaign each year. So, please support your Dragon’s class and the Foundation by making your your gift online today. All donations count and the winning class gets bragging rights and a sweet treat in June courtesy of the Foundation!

As of March 22, here are the overall class totals:

Seniors: 25%

Juniors: 29%

Sophomores: 20%

Freshmen: 24%

Good News!

Congratulations to the Mathcrafters for making the Modeling the Future Challenge finals! They are one of 13 finalists out of 197 competing teams from around the country. They are presenting their paper on Friday April 22^nd at the virtual finals symposium where they will be competing for $55,000 in scholarship money. The Mathcrafters are Albert Tang (’22), Bryce Pardo (‘22), Jack Simmons (’22), Sam Lichtman (’22) and Eric Qian (’22 – not pictured).

Their project analyzes the effects of a proposed extension to the Powhite Parkway on traffic and accident rates using a Lighthill-Whitham-Richards model. The model examined potential changes in traffic volume and its impact on drivers’ reaction times, length of commute, and impacts of lane closures.

Wish them luck!

Well, we are in the quiet before the storm. Within the next few of weeks, we will roll through AP and SOL testing. We will have award events, concerts, pep rallies, assemblies, finish out the spring sports season, and say goodbye to our seniors. Along the way, we will some challenges. Whether it is a tough test, a mad rush to finish strong, or an athletic challenge, it is easy to become discouraged. How we set our minds will determine our outcomes. Winston Churchill said it best when he wrote “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Dragons, we are in a time of opportunity!

Have a great evening, and as always, Go Dragons!

041022

Reminder *** Friday April 15^th is a Student Holiday.

Calendar Change

Because of the relatively mild winter, we have not used up all our snow days. As a result, Friday May 27^th, the day before the Memorial Day weekend, will now be a Student and Staff Holiday!

Seniors and Parents of Seniors:

questions should contact Les Cook ([email protected]) or stop by his office (room315) to talk.

School Counseling

AP Exam Cancellations

Students who wish to cancel an AP Exam may do so for a partial refund of $56 per exam through April 15^th. Please use this form (which can also be found in the AP Testing Schoology group under “resources”) to officially cancel your exam: https://forms.gle/VWRz13ouX2Fb3Xf16 (MLWGS will then adjust your MyAP account accordingly). Cancellations made after April 15^th will not be eligible of a refund. Seniors are encouraged to check the admitted student and/or college credit transfer policies of their chosen or prospective college(s) in order to make an informed decision about exam cancellation.

Transcribe-a-thon on Tuesday, April 12^th

Whether you’re one of the 118 students already on the MLWGS Library’s Transcribe Team, or are interested in joining us to transcribe historic documents for institutions like the Library of Virginia and the Smithsonian, mark your calendars for the Tuesday after spring break, April 12^th, at 3:30pm. As always, there will be tasty treats and good company.

This will be the MLWGS Library’s fourth and final Transcribe-a-thon of the school year. Collectively, we’ve already helped make hundreds of historic documents searchable by scholars, historians, writers, genealogists, and other researchers. Never transcribed before? No worries! Ms. DeGroat will provide a brief training session at the beginning of the event for any first-timers. Mark your calendar now because April 12^th will sneak up quickly after spring break.

SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL SEEKS PARENT REPS

The MLWGS School Advisory Council (SAC) currently has parent openings for the 2022/23 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] by Monday, April 11.

HCB2

This Tuesday, April 12th, Hitting Cancer Below the Belt (HCB2) will be at Maggie Walker with the INFLATABLE COLON to educate about colon cancer and to get you signed up to participate in the 10^th annual BOXER BRIEF 5K on June 11th at City Stadium. This year for the 5K we have added a High School Challenge with cash prizes for a school department of choice (sports team, club, music department, art department, etc.) for the first, second, and third place high school runners:

1^st place: $500, 2^nd place: $250, 3^rd place: $125

The school with the most participants wins a $250 gift card so have your friends and family sign up to run with Maggie Walker too!

Stop by from 5:00-7:00 on Tuesday, April 12th in the student parking lot at MW to sign up and learn more and sign up or use the link below below to sign up. Stay after to cheer on the girls’ soccer teams as they compete against Freeman.

https://runsignup.com/Race/Register/RaceGroup-1075299?raceId=51427

TODAY is the FINAL DAY to Purchase Tickets to the 20th Annual Night of the Dragon!

Today is the deadline to purchase tickets for the 20th Annual Night of the Dragon on April 23 at the Altria Theater!

Get your tickets NOW for this fun-filled evening that is the social highlight of the season for the MLWGS community.

Each Night of the Dragon ticket includes a Welcome Drink plus 1 Drink Ticket, Dinner, Live and Silent Auctions, Lively Student Entertainment, and More!

Looking forward to seeing you at Altria!

P.S. Today is also the deadline to request table assignments with specific folks by emailing Auction Chair Kristi Turner, [email protected].

Tentative Night of the Dragon Schedule

6:30pm–Doors Open

6:30-8:00pm–Heavy Hors d’oeuvres Stations and Bars Open, Mingling, Silent Auction Items on Display and Bidding

8:15pm–Silent Auction Ends (mobile bidding closes)

8:30pm–Welcome from Dr. Lowerre, Student Performance

8:45pm–Live Auction Begins, Head and Tails

10:00pm–Mobile Check Out and Item Pick Up

Parent Annual Fund Competition in Full Swing

As of March 22, here are the overall class totals:

Seniors: 25%

Juniors: 29%

Sophomores: 20%

Freshmen: 24%

The Borogove

Maggie Walker’s literary magazine, the Borogove, is back in action after a two-year hiatus! We are taking submissions from EVERYONE in all genres and mediums: prose, poetry, short stories, art, photography, sculptures, and more. You are welcome to take inspiration from our theme, Growth and Reflection, or just create whatever comes to mind. Be creative, find inspiration, and share it in our spring addition of the Borogove! Please send your writing or photos of your art to [email protected] by April 29th.”

Good News!

Congratulations to KJ Dowling, Sam Sneddon, Cole Didato, Soumya Khadye, Ritvika Palani, Shorya Malani, Arjun Azhagappan, and Risshi Naavaal, who won first place as a school in the Virginia State Scholastic U1400 Chess Tournament last weekend! Arjun Azhagappan won 2nd Place and Risshi Naavaal won 4th in the entire State of Virginia! Shorya Malani won 2nd Place under 1000 and Cole Didato won highest Unrated Player! Great work!

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, prom, and of course big senior events such as honors assemblies and graduation. 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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Seniors and Parents of Seniors:

Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors:

The Health/PE Department will be offering the opportunity for CPR training during the month of April. CPR training is a requirement from the Virginia Department of Education for graduation. Please complete this form if you have completed Health/PE 9 or 10 but did not receive CPR training. All juniors who completed Health/PE 9 and 10 online or at MLWGS will need to register for training unless you have received CPR certification through the Red Cross or another organization. If this is the case, please provide Ms. Cobb with documentation. If you are currently enrolled in Health PE 9 or 10 with MLWGS, you do not need to register. Please see Ms. Cobb if you have additional questions. This form will close on Wednesday, March 30^th . Ms. Cobb will send details regarding your training session through email by our return from Spring Break.

PTSA

REMINDER!!!!!!! Wednesday, March 30, 6:30 pm on Zoom: “WTF? What’s the Foundation?” What exactly does the Foundation do for our students and teachers? What’s the difference between the Foundation and the PTSA? What does Night of the Dragon support and what can I expect that night? Join us for a presentation and Q/A session with Foundation Executive Director Ginger O’Neill and PTSA Treasurer and Auction Committee Member Anne Ewald

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86787854892?pwd=VW9ybm1Gc0ZhU3V2WkQzbmdoVGJ5UT09

Meeting ID: 867 8785 4892
Passcode: 291373

Operation Smile Club

Are you looking for an easy way to give back to the community and help change a child’s life? If so, consider donating to Maggie Walker’s Operation Smile Fund Page. This money will go towards helping provide free surgeries for children all over the world who were born with a cleft lip or palate. We appreciate your support!

Link to the Smile Fund Page: http://support.operationsmile.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=2642&px=2997491

Night of the Dragon Tickets Sales End April 10 (they’re going fast!)

Tickets to the 2022 Night of the Dragon are selling fast.

Ticket sales end April 10. So get yours today!

Can’t attend on the 23rd? Register online today (It’s FREE!) to view and bid on our amazing array of Silent Auction items when it opens on April 17.

There are so many great Live and Silent Auction items, we can only share a sample here–

* Two Tickets to HAMILTON at the Kennedy Center

* Private GAZEBO PARTY for 15 at HARDYWOOD West Creek

*Reserved Seats for MLWGS 2022 GRADUATION

* An ICE CREAM TRUCK Social

* Mountain and Bay VACATION HOME STAYS

* RIchmond FOLK FESTIVAL VIP PASSES

* Private WINE TASTINGS, VMFA TOUR, and Riverfront Canal CRUISE

* FORUM TICKETS and Online Subscription

*Themed BASKETS of all Kinds–Truly!

* Custom JEWELRY AND ART

* Fine Wines and GOURMET FOODS

* FUN IN RVA Packages (included a night at the new Marriott Courtyard Scott’s Addition)

* GIFT CERTIFICATES of all Kinds

* And the list goes on . . .

Have an item to donate or a question? Email Ginger O’Neil at [email protected]

Foundation Hosts the 2022 Alumni Showcase

The MLWGS Foundation is excited to once again be hosting the Alumni Showcase on Friday, April 1. More than 50 alumni from around the globe will return to school to speak to current students about all things life after high school, including the challenges, setbacks, and successes they’ve experienced over the courses of their education and careers.

This biennial event has been a huge hit with both speakers and students since it began in 2012.

This year’s speakers include a judge, non-profit leaders, former Peace Corps volunteers, an HVAC tech, the CEO of a company that provides props for famous TV shows and movies, a camp counselor, educators, a dump truck driver, a gubernatorial candidate, and many other amazing alumni with interesting stories to share.

The Borogove

Good News!

Imran Aly Rassiwalla and Elisabeth Eckstein won 3^rd Prize in the ICU Global Youth Essay Competition 2021 sponsored by the International Christian University, a bilingual Japanese/English liberal arts university in Tokyo, Japan.

As we continue the celebration of Women’s History Month, I’d like to end this message with a quote from Madeleine Albright She said, “We have a responsibility in our time, as others have had in theirs, not to be prisoners of history but to shape history, a responsibility to fill the role of path-finder, and to build with others a global network of purpose and law.”

Have a great evening, and as always, Go Dragons!

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Happy First Day of Spring!

Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors!

From the Desk of the School Psychologist

The Counseling Department is offering a program to students called SOS – Signs of Suicide. SOS teaches students about mental health concerns and discusses the difficult topic of suicide. The importance of seeking help from a trusted adult and/or professional staff is emphasized during the lesson. Students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about depression, suicide, and what to do in the event of a concern. This program has been implemented with our freshmen, sophomores, and seniors. Our juniors will have the opportunity to participate in the lesson during the week of March 21st through their English classes. During the lesson, students will complete a depression screening tool. This tool cannot provide a diagnosis of depression but is used to identify students who need to be screened by a member of the Counseling Department. Parents will be notified if their child is interviewed specifically about suicidal ideation because of completing the survey. It is our hope that all students will participate in the SOS lessons. However, we recognize that this is a sensitive topic and that parents may wish to opt their children out of the lesson. If you are the parent of a junior and DO NOT want your child to participate in the lesson, please complete the following form attached to the link. If you have any questions, please email Lisa Ebeling, School Psychologist, [email protected] Parent opt out link https://forms.gle/huFseiHq4CZmCzhT8

Operation Smile

Link to the Smile Fund Page: http://support.operationsmile.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=2642&px=2997491

PTSA

We hope you can join us for a PTSA sponsored program this Wednesday, March 23, 6:30 pm on Zoom: “ Building Resilience in Adolescents “. Hear from Lisa Ebeling, School Psychologist, about what trends she is noticing this year and how we can support our students.

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82318364545?pwd=UWwvZDNvTW15NlhHZW1pSTdxT3FxUT09 Meeting ID: 823 1836 4545 Passcode: 329043

The Borogove

One Small Step 2022 Moves to Phase 2

Ms. DeGroat, our MLWGS librarian, is delighted to share that the preparation phase of One Small Step 2022 has concluded, and student organizers have begun working on matching conversation partners. Participants should receive their partner’s contact information by March 23^rd. You’ve already heard what One Small Step is: a program through StoryCorps that pairs people with different political perspectives for a conversation about the experiences that inform their perspectives. If you’d like insight into how One Small Step is implemented at MLWGS and/or the impact the program has already had, consider watching one or both of the following videos:

One Small Step Case Study: Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (brief StoryCorps video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqCvwREM2NU

School Library Connection Interview with Ms. DeGroat about One Small Step (video)

https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Home/Display/2273225?topicCenterId=2252404

Night of the Dragon Update!

The Night of the Dragon team is hard at work getting ready for the fun-filled April 23 event.

Tickets are on sale now through April 10 so get yours today!

We have a wide variety of fantastic auction items with more coming in daily–

Two Tickets to HAMILTON at the Kennedy Center * Reserved Seats for MLWGS 2022 GRADUATION * An ICE CREAM TRUCK Social * Mountain and Bay VACATION HOME STAYS* RIchmond FOLK FESTIVAL VIP PASSES * Private WINE TASTINGS, VMFA TOUR, and Riverfront Canal CRUISE * FORUM TICKETS and Online Subscription *Themed BASKETS of all Kinds–Truly! * Custom JEWELRY AND ART* Fine Wines and GOURMET FOODS * FUN IN RVA Packages * Items Used on the Set of Famous TV SHOWES* GIFT CERTIFICATES of all Kinds* Amazing ALUMNI Contributions * And so much MORE!

Can’t attend the in-person event on April 23? Register online so you can bid in the Silent Auction. The Silent Auction opens on April 17 and closes just before the Live Auction begins on April 23.

Have a question or a donation? Email Ginger at [email protected].

Good News!

Concert Band

Congratulations to the Maggie Walker Band, who travelled to Glen Allen High School on Saturday March 19^th for the state adjudication concert. The band earned unanimous superior ratings – the highest ratings offered at assessment. Congratulations to all the students who worked hard for superior results!

Chess Club

On March 6th, 2022, Maggie Walker hosted the Winter Scholastic Chess Tournament. Over 100 players attended the tournament. A great thanks goes out to all of the volunteers who helped make this tournament possible. The school’s tournament director and organizer was Arjun Azhagappan. Risshi Naavaal, Shorya Malani, and Eric Hu ran the concessions stand and were able to raise funds for the club! Congratulations to the players of the Maggie Walker Chess Team who played in the tournament: KJ Dowling, Samuel Sneddon, and Charles MacKay. They won the 2nd place team trophy for the school. Additionally, KJ won third place in the K-12 rated section! A great thank you to Mr. Coleman for the effort he put in to organize and make this tournament a memorable one for Maggie Walker!

As we continue the celebration of Women’s History Month, I’d like to end this message with a quote from Gloria Anzaldua. She said, “Though we tremble before uncertain futures, may we meet illness, death and adversity with strength. May we dance in the face of our fears.”

Have a great evening, and as always, Go Dragons!

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COVID Practices Update

The Richmond metro area has now shifted to a Covid Community Level of “Low.” The CDC has no masking recommendation for this level so masks are completely optional for all personnel and students. Please continue to respect the masking decisions of others as this choice is a very personal one.

Along those lines, we need to start working back to the practices and policies that were in place prior to the pandemic. Effective March 14^th, 2022 traffic-related tardies to school by student drivers will only be excused for the following reasons:

The district transportation office calls for those students in that district
The MLWGS office gets reports of accidents/traffic jams
The MLWGS office is notified of street closings/train stops
A Parent calls and the office can verify the situation

Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors!

From the Desk of the School Psychologist

AP Testing

All students who are planning to take an Advanced Placement exam in May should log into their MyAP accounts this week to ensure they are registered for all planned exams. March 15^th is the last day that courses can be added and errors regarding missing courses cannot be remedied after that time. Please contact Dr. Loving ([email protected]) with any issues. All steps of the registration process must be complete for any new additions by March 15^th, including payments, adding join codes, and AP Coordinator submission (details: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8mIlH-xV5o6TqABLBkcISf3_CWJJOTc/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107178821893099947385&rtpof=true&sd=true)

Book Drive

NEHS has been collecting new or gently used K-5 books for Fox Elementary School, and we want to open up that opportunity to the whole school. Books can be delivered to the donation bin in room 226 through Friday, March 18th.

Get Your Night of the Dragon Tickets/Teacher Tickets!

Tickets for the 20th Annual Night of the Dragon, April 23 at the Altria Theater Ballroom, are available online NOW. Be sure to get your tickets now so you don’t miss this signature Maggie Walker event.

Can’t make it to the in-person event but still want to bid on the incredible array of items in the Silent Auction?

You can do that! Just register online and once the Silent Auction goes live you will be able to bid from anywhere.

Either way, while you’re online, consider purchasing a Teacher Thank You Ticket(s) to show your appreciation for all our amazing teachers do for our Dragons. Or sponsor a table for your business, a group of friends, or to donate to our teachers.

Have questions? Check out the NOTD FAQ.

And don’t hesitate to reach out to Ginger O’Neil or Auction Chair Kristi Turner for more info about ways to get involved and support MLWGS through the Night of the Dragon.

LAST CALL–Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day Guest List

The Governor’s School Foundation will sponsor Maggie Walker’s bi-annual Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day on the afternoon of April 29. Grandparents or other special adults of all current students will be invited to tour the building, hear a bit from Dr. Lowerre about our wonderful school, and share refreshments with their grandchild(ren) at the end of the day.

We need your help with our guest list. Please fill out the form here for your child’s proud grandparent(s) or other significant relatives so we can send them an invitation. You may either have us mail the invitation or we can give it to your student(s) to deliver.

Invitations will be ready the week before Spring Break. The RSVP deadline is April 22. Guests must RSVP for students to be able to attend the reception at the end of the day.

Questions? Contact Foundation Executive Director Ginger O’Neil.

Good News!

Congratulations to the National History Day Club, sponsored by Dr. Christine Anderson, who performed well at the Virginia History Day district competition on Saturday, February 26, 2022. The theme this year was Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences. Joanne Lin’s ’23 paper, “Roe V. Wade: A Symbol of Proliferating American Crisis in Debate and Diplomacy,” placed first and Drew Rivas’s ’23 paper “From the Mattachine to Stonewall: How Diplomacy Failed the American Gay Rights Movement” placed second in the Senior Paper category. Jordyn Krajewski ’23 placed first in Senior Group Documentary with “933,” and Ally Lichtman ’25 placed second in the Senior Individual Website category with “Alpha for the Beta: How Ida B. Wells and the Alpha Suffrage Club Bettered the Fight for Enfranchisement at the Intersection of Race and Gender.” All four students will move forward to the state contest on Sunday, April 24.

Ella Shields, a freshman Dragon, wrote an op-ed on school funding and it appeared in Friday’s edition of the Virginia Mercury, an online newspaper for Virginia. It is an excellent editorial highlighting the inequities in schools.

Here is the link to her piece:

https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/03/11/full-fund-our-schools/

As we continue the celebration of Women’s History Month, I’d like to end this message with a quote from Maya Angelou. She said, “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”

Have a great evening, and as always, Go Dragons!

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Seniors

The February 2022 Senior Newsletter and a Post-College Kick-off edition of the Junior Newsletter were posted to Schoology and the School Counseling website last week. For info about scholarships/contests and summer opportunities as well as other timely reminders, students and families of all grade levels are invited to view them here: https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters

Attention Sophomores

All 10^th graders will be taking the Writing SOL test this coming week during World Lit 10 classes. The multiple choice section will be given in class during Monday and Tuesday and the writing prompt section will take place on Wednesday and Thursday during class times as well with the exception of 8^th period students. On Thursday, 8^th period students will start the writing prompt directly after lunch so that they have time to complete the test before buses depart in the afternoon.

Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors!

AP Testing

International Assembly and Showcase

Next Friday, March 11, Maggie Walker students will enjoy various multicultural performances during this year’s International Assembly! Parents can also enjoy this special tradition by attending an evening performance in the auditorium at 6:30 p.m.! Thank you for supporting our talented students!

PI Day

PI DAY will be here soon, and there is no tastier way to celebrate than by having PIE with your friends and classmates! Orders for individual-sized pies in an assortment of flavors will be taken on March 8, 9, and 10 in the cafeteria and commons during lunch. The cost is only $1.00 per pie, and all orders will be delivered during math classes on Monday, March 14, and Tuesday, March 15. Order one (or more!) for yourself and/or send one to a friend or teacher to show your support of everybody’s favorite irrational number!

MLWGS Foundation

You can now purchase tickets for the 20th Annual Night of the Dragon!

The Night of the Dragon Auction is one of the highlights each year for Dragon parents (past and present), staff, and alumni.

The evening includes Live and Silent Auctions, dinner, drinks, student entertainment, Heads & Tails, and more.

Get your tickets now for this fun-filled event and MLWGS’ single largest annual fundraiser.

Each Night of the Dragon ticket includes a Welcome Drink plus 1 Drink Ticket, Dinner, Live and Silent Auction, and Lively Entertainment!

When purchasing tickets, be sure to buy your beads for Heads & Tails and consider also purchasing a Thank a Teacher Ticket(s).

To request table assignments with others, email Auction Chair Kristi Turner, [email protected], by April 10. Thanks!

Tentative Night of the Dragon Schedule

6:30pm–Doors Open

6:30-8:00pm–Heavy Hors d’oeuvres Stations and Bars Open, Mingling, Silent Auction Items on Display and Bidding

8:15pm–Silent Auction Ends (mobile bidding closes)

8:30pm–Welcome from Dr. Lowerre, Student Performance

8:45pm–Live Auction Begins, Head and Tails

10:00pm–Mobile Check Out and and Item Pick Up

This year’s line up of amazing Live and Silent Auction items, includes:

* Vacation home stays

* Ice cream truck social from The Neighborhood Scoop

* Reserved tickets for MLWGS graduation

* Theater and event tickets–

* Unique experiences and

* One-of-a-kind art and jewelry

* Our ever-popular themed gift baskets

* And so much more!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Good News!

The MLWGS orchestras brought home not one, but THREE superior ratings Friday night at the assessments! Congratulations to our outstanding musicians!

Congratulations to these students who received recognition for their performance on the National German Exam. This challenging exam tests students’ ability to read or listen to authentic print, audio and video materials. We appreciate the support of the MLWGS Foundation in funding the cost of the test this year.

Level 4 German

Sarah Zhang (Silver)

Sky Piazza (Achievement)

Level 3 German

Kasia-Esmeralda Wasiak (Gold)

Cameron Paoloni (Achievement)

Level 2 German

Matilda Franz (Gold)

Makiya Thomas (Gold)

Sanika Rewatkar (Gold)* moves forward to compete for study abroad scholarship

Arjun Azhagappan (Silver)

Sam Wheeler (Bronze)

Pooshan Chaudhuri (Achievement)

Jude Curran (Achievement)

Blake Gilman (Achievement)

Sylar Hunnewell (Achievement)

Markella Stratiou (Achievement)

As we begin the celebration of Women’s History Month, I’d like to end this message with a quote from Malala Yousafzai. She said, “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”

Have a great evening, and as always, Go Dragons!

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Course Registration

Students will register for classes this Thursday March 3^rd during 2^nd period classes. All returning students will need to have their Course Registration Form completed and signed by parents and teachers (for advanced classes). Second period teachers will be checking and collecting forms on the 3^rd before allowing students to register for classes. Signed VCU Dual Enrollment forms are also required for any students requesting VCU Dual Enrollment classes either as primary or alternate requests.

If students have lost their forms, blank forms are available for download here as well as more info about course registration.

Future Dragon Days

Are you energized by interacting with people? Do you enjoy answering questions? Can you lead and encourage interactions with a group too shy to ask questions? Do you know about the academic, extra curricular, and social aspects of MLWGS? Can you be both mature and appropriate and yet engaging to younger students? If you can answer YES to these questions, we encourage you to apply for the Future Dragon Group Leader position.

Do you want to help potential students make the choice to join our community? Future Dragon Day leaders make phone calls to, host, and escort middle school students accepted to MLWGS as they visit for the day. Future Dragon Days occur the week of March 21.

Those selected are required to: present a positive view of MLWGS, attend two lunch meetings, make phone calls to the homes of students in the assigned group, miss an entire day of classes with the expectation of timely assignment makeup.

Students will be likely be paired up with their districts:
Chesterfield – 3/21
Hanover and Henrico – 3/22
Charles City, Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hopewell, King@Queen, New Kent, Petersburg, Powhatan, and Prince George – 3/23
Richmond City – 3/24

Please use the following to indicate your interest for this voluntary opportunity. Deadline is Monday, February 28 at 11:59pm.

Future Dragon Days Leader Interest

Youth Art and Music Month

Do you love art and music? Then March is the month for you! Youth Art and Music Month (YAMM) helps to raise awareness of the importance of the Visual and Performing Arts in education. This year, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School will be celebrating with a student art and music extravaganza on Thursday, March 3rd from 6pm – 8:30pm. Beautiful student artwork will be on display by all of our visual art student, while our talented musicians will perform throughout the evening. We hope you will join us to help celebrate Youth Art and Music Month! This event is open to family and friends of MLWGS students and masks are required.

Attention Spring Athlete Parents

There will be a meeting on March 3^rd at 630 for all parents via zoom. All spring coaches will provide the link for the meeting.

The Security Corner

Students should refrain from opening exterior doors for anyone.

Except at lunchtime, students should only exit and/or enter through the Bluestone lobby doors during school hours.

If you sign out of class or study hall, (Rest room, water fountain, Commons, etc.) you must ONLY go where you said that you would go, and then return.

Please look through the Lost and Found boxes. They are full again and will be emptied next week.

Anyone who is missing anything of value or finds anything of value (Purse, wallet, currency, phone, laptop, calculators, car keys, jewelry, etc…) should check with the Security office for instructions. (We are currently holding several of those items in the security office)

Please review and adhere to all MLWGS parking regulations and restrictions. If there is anything which might prevent doing so, please contact the Security office.

Turn your Night of the Dragon Experience into a Celebration – Become a Dragon Gold Table Sponsor!

Back by popular demand, we invite you to consider signing on as a Dragon Table Sponsor at this year’s 20th Anniversary event! Dragon Table sponsorships are $1,000 and include 8 tickets for you and your guests, a table in a premier location for the Live Auction and program, as well as special recognition signage and listing in the Live Auction materials and online. This is a great opportunity to plan a fun evening with your friends and also go that extra mile to support MLWGS! You can recognize your company or come up with a fun theme for your table. To serve as a Dragon Table Sponsor, contact Ginger O’Neil, [email protected]. Individual tickets go on sale March 4! Stay tuned!

Night of the Dragon Auction Items Wanted–Deadline is March 28

The Night of the Dragon Auction committee is looking for items for this year’s auction.

Don’t think you have anything to offer–you may be surprised. One parent just donated an ice cream social!

Do you have a skill or hobby you enjoy sharing with others?

Do you own a vacation home or have season tickets to the theater, sporting events, or other fun venues?

Do you own a business or have a special local business you’d love to support and share?

If so, please consider donating to the auction.

Some of our most popular items each year include unique experiences hosted by MLWGS families and friends, event tickets, vacation home rentals, artwork, lessons of all types, local adventures, and items from Dragon-family owned businesses and fave spots—GET CREATIVE!

To donate, or if you’re not sure but think you might have something to give, please contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].

Go Dragons!

Good News!

Congratulations to the Swim/Dive team for winning Class 3 States last weekend. It was an exciting meet, and every swimmer/diver contributed points for the wins. Notable events were double first place wins by senior Bryce Mortimer (200 IM, 100 Breast) and junior Devin Naoroz (100 Fly, 100 Back). The boys also took one, two in the backstroke with sophomore Crash Ackerly taking second behind Naoroz. On the girl’s side we had outstanding swims by freshman Elizabeth O’Shea (200 Free, 500 Free), junior Ala Killen (200 IM, 100 Free) and sophomore Christine Datovech (100 Fly, 100 Back). The girls 400 Free Relay was the most exciting event of the evening, with the Maggie Walker girls down by 2 at the start of the race. The relay team made up of Ala Killen, Delaney Prescot (senior), Elizabeth O’Shea, and Christine Datovech was a photo finish by .05 seconds securing the Girls team with a win along with the Boy’s teams. Way to go Dragons!

https://richmond.com/sports/high-school/with-photo-finish-maggie-walker-gs-sweeps-class-3-state-swim-championships/article_b780df03-b68a-5e1c-a561-addf07b260b8.html

MLWGS was recently ranked the 4^th Best Public High School in the country by Niche Magazine! This speaks well to our entire learning community starting with the students, parents, teachers, and all that make MLWGS what it is: an amazing place to learn! Here is a link to the ratings:

https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-high-schools/?fbclid=IwAR1K-etp2TIYfM91HZ2SK0p5kFJc8q7qVyGpQBi0rlVXxB1tdLlmI4Uyuhg

I’d like to end this message with a quote from Nelson Mandela. He said, “”No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Have a great evening, and as always, Go Dragons!

022022

MLWGs will be closed tomorrow to students and staff in observance of President’s Day

MLWHS Alumni Panel

We are pleased to host a panel of Maggie Walker High School alumni on Thursday, February 24^th during lunch in the auditorium. As many of you know, Maggie L. Walker High School was built and named in this Virginia’ trailblazer’s honor in 1937; it was one of two school for black students in the Richmond area during the time of racial segregation. Our guests will share their experiences as “Mighty Green Dragons” as well as answer current students’ questions about the history and culture of Maggie L. Walker High School.

To help facilitate the question and answer period of the program, students are welcome to submit questions at https://forms.gle/8eGJBsmw4KAQhDXWA.

Students will be able to receive 1 hour of community service for attending the program.

Drama

Auditions for the spring musical, Chicago (Teen Edition), are Tuesday, February 22nd at 3:30 in the Auditorium. No theatre experience is necessary, just preparation of ~32 bars (about a minute) of a song either from the show or another musical. If you plan to attend, please fill out the Audition Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZih6fGMeyrabwKtPFKjAGZ_q-utEiyq9LOll1BbeKl_9L7g/alreadyresponded
We hope to see you there!

AP Testing Schedule

The MLWGS AP Testing Schedule has been posted on the “AP Testing” Schoology group and is also available here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_4EhzJL1EmVXibD8iLvuRHGF6UsZvSgi/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107178821893099947385&rtpof=true&sd=true

Please note that Environmental Science and Psychology will be administered on Tuesday, May 17^th instead of Tuesday, May 3^rd due MLWGS’ observance of Eid al-Fitr. AP testers may refer to the Schoology group for other updates and resources. Reminder: The last day to add an AP exam, even with a late fee, is March 15^th, 2022.

School Counseling

MLWGS senior/college counselors Ms. Forquer and Dr. Loving hope that students and their families found this week’s College Kick-Off to be informative and inspiring. From the freshman “passport” activity to the sophomore and junior assemblies, it was great to see everyone gathered together to ready themselves for the future. Our esteemed panelists strongly encouraged students in grades 9-11 to look for ways to enjoy and engage in the college search process…and here’s somewhere to start this month! The National Association for College Admission Counseling (also known as NACAC) will be hosting several virtual college fairs this semester, including two in February. To learn more, check out this link (and make sure to watch the featured video!): https://www.nacacattend.org/fairs/1708529 For a calendar of events and to register, go to https://www.nacacattend.org/fairs

From the Library

Would you like to earn community service hours while getting to know a classmate whose political views differ from yours? One Small Step brings people with different political views together for a conversation, not about politics, but about themselves and the experiences that have made them who they are. Participants are required to complete three preliminary workshops for which they also earn community service time. Last year, MLWGS was one of the first high schools in the nation to participate in this StoryCorps program. Ms. DeGroat and the OSS team invite you to take One Small Step in 2022! The sign-up form closes on Wednesday, Feb. 23rd, takes about 15 minutes to complete, and can be found @ http://bit.ly/OSSatMLWGS

Spanish Honor Society

The Spanish Honor Society offers tutoring sessions every Wednesday and Thursday in room 240 during lunch. Students are encouraged to seek assistance and no appointment is necessary.

Orchestra

Anyone interested in auditioning for the Artist Orchestra for the 2022-2023 school year need to submit auditions to Mrs. Barnes by Friday, February 25th. Please reach out to Mrs. Barnes about audition requirements.

Spring Sports

Spring Sports start February 22^nd. Any student who plans to participate in an athletic activity this spring must have a physical form completed and on file with MW. Use this link https://mlwgs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2071_001.pdf to access the document. Send the completed form in an email via PDF to the MW Athletic Director at [email protected], with the participating sport(s) listed in the subject line of the email

NEHS Black History Month Writing Contest!

Director Spike Lee asserted that African American culture is not just for Black people alone to enjoy but that “culture is for everybody.” NEHS invites you to appreciate African American culture through a writing contest for original works of fiction and nonfiction depicting a universal theme (love, loss, triumph, rite of passage, power, companionship, beauty, etc.) through the lens of the African American experience.

Submissions can be short stories, poems, or personal essays. Contest winners of each category will earn a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card.

Submit your pieces via email to Mrs. Love ([email protected]) or Ms. LeCroy ([email protected]) by Friday, February 25th.

The Dragon Writing Center is Open for Business!

NEHS members are excited to help you improve your writing during lunch every Tuesday and Thursday in room 226. Visit the DWC website to learn more.

Night of the Dragon Auction Items Wanted

The Night of the Dragon Auction committee is looking for items for this year’s auction, which is set for Saturday, April 23, at the Altria Theater Ballroom.

Don’t think you have anything to offer–you may be surprised.

Do you have a skill or hobby you enjoy sharing with others?

Do you own a vacation home or have season tickets to the theater, sporting events, or other fun venues?

Do you own a business or have a special local business you’d love to support and share?

If so, please consider donating to the auction.

Some of our most popular items each year include unique experiences hosted by MLWGS families and friends, event tickets, vacation home rentals, artwork, lessons of all types, local adventures,and items from Dragon-family owned businesses and fave spots—GET CREATIVE!

To donate, or if you’re not sure but think you might have something to give, please contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].

Go Dragons!

Showcase Your Business (or just your Love of MLWGS) as a Night of the Dragon Sponsor

The Governor’s School Foundation invites you to serve as a sponsor for the 20th Annual Night of the Dragon–April 23, 2022.

Show your support for MLWGS and promote your business to our amazing community. Sponsorship levels are available from $500-$10,000 and include an array of ways to showcase your business, including:

Title Sponsor ($10,000 see your business name on the Altria Theater marquee), Bar Sponsor ($7,500), Bid Card Sponsor ($5,000), Teacher Ticket Sponsor ($5000), and 20th Anniversary Dragon Gold Table Sponsor ($1,000).

Check out our full list of sponsorship opportunities.

All sponsors will be listed in our online auction offerings, which will be distributed to the MLWGS community of current and alumni families and partners (totaling more than 10,000) and on signage during the event.

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).

CLUB PICTURES SCHEDULE

ALL PICTURES TAKEN IN THE GYM AT LUNCH. PLEASE BE PROMPT.

Tuesday, Feb. 22

11:40: Thomas Jefferson History NHS

11:45: Drama Club and Thespian NHS (together)

11:50: Baking Club & The Fringe (separate)

11:55: Bhangra Club

12:00: Borogove/Literary Magazine & Bring Change 2 Mind (separate)

12:05: Engineering Club & SPEAK (separate)

12:10: Film Club & Slam Poetry Club (separate)

Wednesday, Feb. 23

11:40: English NHS

11:45: Fellowship of Christian Athletes & KAST (separate)

11:50: Future Business Leaders of America & Shakespeare EA (separate)

11:55: Green Machine

12:00: Jewish Student Association & Photography Club (separate)

12:05: Knitting Club & Philosophy Club (separate)

12:10: Operation Smile & PERIOD (separate)

Thursday, Feb. 24

11:40: Red Cross Club & Student Pugwash (separate)

11:45: Women Matter & Students Against Climate Change (separate)

11:50: Richmond Friends of the Community & Gender and Sexual Minority Alliance (separate)

11:55: SCA Officers and Russian Club & SLAVA (rescheduled from Feb. 18)

12:00: Senior Class Officers & Junior Class Officers (separate)

12:05: Tri-M Music NHS

12:10: Sophomore Class Officers & Freshman Class Officers (separate)

Friday, Feb. 25

11:40: Advanced Band

11:45: Intermediate Band

11:50: Orchestra

11:55: Deadbeats

12:00: Improv Club

12:05: Choir

12:10: Cantante

Monday, Feb. 28: POTENTIAL MAKEUPS

Mix in:

Dance Team

NBT

Good News!

Congratulations to the wrestling team on a great showing at Regionals last weekend. Extra shout out to 5th place Jack Laroche, 2nd place Zach Wooden and Tony Caramucci, and 4x Regional Champion RJ May.

At the State Championships, RJ May placed 1^st and Zach Wooden took 6^th!

Congratulations to both the Girls and Boys Swim and Dive teams for both taking 1^st in the State Championships!

Congratulations to both the Girls and Boys Indoor Track Teams for both taking 1^st in the Regional Championships!

Congratulations to Bharathi Kamcharla! Bharathi auditioned and was selected as an alternate for All Virginia Chorus, the highest honor that a chorus student can receive.

Several Maggie Walker students have earned commendations from the American Council of Teachers of Russian for their achievements in the National Russian Essay Contest. 730 students nationwide participated.

Five of the six Slavophiles competed in the Intermediate category, which means they’ve completed two years of Russian study, in a group of 208 essay-writers. Their results are as follows:

Honorable Mention: Matthew Durgin, Carleigh Heckel

Bronze medal: Ross Bazzichi, Zak Kuhn

Silver medal: Alex Newby

Gold medal: Anna Pulaski

A sixth student, Mikhail Bobkov, earned an Honorable Mention for his essay in the Intermediate-Heritage Learner category.

Please join me in congratulating our students on their achievements in a challenging competition!

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, I would like to close tonight with a poem by Langston Hughes entitled “Harlem”

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore–
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over–
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?”

Enjoy the holiday tomorrow, and as always, Go Dragons!

021322

Happy Early Valentine’s Day!

School Board Appreciation Month

The month of February marks the annual observance of School Board Appreciation Month—a good time to salute the work of school board members and celebrate public education. Your board at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School speaks out for public schools by ensuring our students have the opportunity to benefit from a high-quality education. Their decisions and actions affect the present and future lives of our community’s children. Join us in celebrating School Board Appreciation Month at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School.

Too often we neglect to recognize the dedication and hard work of these men and women who represent us. We invite you to celebrate the work of the school board by sharing your comments here. Remarks will be shared with the board at their February 17th meeting.

AP Testing Schedule

The MLWGS AP Testing Schedule has been posted on the “AP Testing” Schoology group and is also available here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_4EhzJL1EmVXibD8iLvuRHGF6UsZvSgi/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107178821893099947385&rtpof=true&sd=true

School Counseling

The Security Corner

Students should refrain from opening exterior doors for anyone.

Except at lunchtime, students should only exit and/or enter through the Bluestone lobby doors during school hours.

If you sign out of class or study hall, (Rest room, water fountain, Commons, etc.) you must ONLY go where you said that you would go, and then return.

Please look through the Lost and Found boxes. They are full again and will be emptied next week.

Anyone who is missing anything of value or finds anything of value (Purse, wallet, currency, phone, laptop, calculators, car keys, jewelry, etc…)should check with the Security office for instructions. (We are currently holding several of those items in the security office)

Sign-ups are Open for One Small Step 2022

Would you like to earn community service hours while getting to know a classmate whose political views differ from yours? One Small Step brings people with different political views together for a conversation, not about politics, but about themselves and the experiences that have made them who they are. Participants are required to complete three preliminary workshops for which they also earn community service time. Last year, MLWGS was one of the first high schools in the nation to participate in this StoryCorps program. Ms. DeGroat and the OSS team invite you to take One Small Step in 2022! The sign-up form closes on Wednesday, Feb. 16^th, takes about 15 minutes to complete, and can be found @ http://bit.ly/OSSatMLWGS

Spring Sports

Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day Guest List

Invitations will be ready the week before Spring Break. The RSVP deadline is April 22. Guests must RSVP for students to be able to attend the reception at the end of the day.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks. Questions? Contact Foundation Executive Director Ginger O’Neil.

Night of the Dragon Auction Items Wanted

The Night of the Dragon Auction committee is looking for items for this year’s auction, which is set for Saturday, April 23, at the Altria Theater Ballroom.

Don’t think you have anything to offer–you may be surprised.

Do you have a skill or hobby you enjoy sharing with others?

Do you own a vacation home or have season tickets to the theater, sporting events, or other fun venues?

Do you own a business or have a special local business you’d love to support and share?

If so, please consider donating to the auction.

To donate, or if you’re not sure but think you might have something to give, please contact Ginger O’Neil.

Good News!

The Wrestling Team had a great finish at the Colonial District Tournament last Saturday, 6 wrestlers with 6 Top 5 finishes; Chance Howell finished 5^th place, Tim Graff 4^th, Jack Laroche 3^rd, and Zach Wooden, Tony Caramucci, and RJ May all Finished 1^st place. RJ May was also voted Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Congratulations to both the Girls and Boys Swim and Dive teams. Both won the Regional Championships! Wish them luck as they now head to the State Championships!

Today’s quote comes from Charles Shultz, the creator of Charlie Brown and The Peanuts. I don’t have a particular story to go with it, I just came across it a while ago and thought it was worth sharing. Shultz writes, “Sometimes I lie awake at night and I ask, “Is life a multiple choice test or is it a true or false test?” …Then a voice comes to me out of the dark and says, “We hate to tell you this but life is a thousand word essay.”

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

020622

National School Counseling Week

This week has been designated National School Counselors Week. Out team here at MLWGS are some of the hardest working people on campus. They help our students out in so many ways that include social and emotional support, college planning, course scheduling, and academic support to just name a few. Please join me in wishing them a great week, and if you are on campus, let them know how much you appreciate them!

Black History Month

In honor of Black History Month, Peer Mentors is hosting a lunchtime dialogue. To increase cultural awareness, we are offering the opportunity for students to spend lunch on Thursday, February 10th getting to know their peers. Lunch (pizza), conversations cards, and an hour of community service will be provided. We hope to see you there! Please sign up by Wednesday, February 9th.

Please sign up using the link below-

https://forms.gle/J8a1BpK9GRqoSu8m9

School Board Appreciation Month

Intent to Return Forms Due

If you have not yet filled out your intent to return form, please do so using this link:

2022 MLWGS Intent to Return Form – Google Forms

If you have already completed this form, please ignore this message and do not complete the form again.

Wireless Network Migration – Dragon.Net:

All MLWGS staff and students were issued individual Access Keys for our new wireless network, Dragon.Net, when school started in September. Next Friday, February 11, 2022, we will complete the migration and cease broadcasting MLWGS5 and MLWGSWireless. From that point on, access to the school network will require your individual access key. The new wireless network provides improved security for all users.

For your convenience, your Dragon.Net credentials will be emailed to you again on Monday, February 7th. If you have yet to connect your device to Dragon.Net, please do so prior to Friday, February 11, 2022.

Should you have any questions, please stop by the MWTech office (114), or email [email protected].

Course Scheduling for 2022-2023:

Even though the first semester just ended, it is already time to think about next year’s schedule! Last week, the Counseling Department held informational assemblies for current 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th graders to review the procedures for course registration. The following website contains copies of the handouts provided to students (the Course Offerings for 2022-2023 and Four Year Planner), the presentation shown at the assemblies, department presentations, and other resources: https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/course-scheduling-information-and-forms?authuser=0. Course descriptions and other details can be found in the 2022-2023 Course Catalog which will be available on the school website later this week. Counselors will be meeting with all students about their schedules during the month of February and will be providing students with copies of the necessary forms during this meeting. The Course Registration Form will require parent signatures and possibly teacher signatures for advanced courses. Rising juniors and seniors that plan to take one or more Dual Enrollment courses through Virginia Commonwealth University must complete the VCU Dual Enrollment packet which contains three forms, each requiring a student and parent signature. Students must turn in their completed/signed forms (including VCU forms, if applicable, on March 3^rd in order to register for classes in PowerSchool that day.

College Kick-Off takes place this Wednesday, February 9th!

Parents/guardians of TENTH graders are invited to a session with sophomores, counselors, and a panel of college representatives in the Auditorium from 10:15-11:30AM. (***Due to COVID precautions, only ONE member of each student’s family may attend.***)

Parents/guardians of ELEVENTH graders are invited to a session designed specifically for juniors in the Auditorium from 1:10-3:10PM. An additional Q&A session for 11th grade parents will run until 3:30PM. (***Due to COVID precautions, only ONE member of each student’s family may attend.***)

All sophomores and juniors will be released from class at the appropriate time to attend, but adults must RSVP here (https://forms.gle/JpKfvrrnnQdYEzsa7). If you have not already responded, please complete the form by Tuesday, February 8^th at 3:30PM.

Mask-wearing will be required, and social distancing will be encouraged. Eating/drinking will not be allowed in the Auditorium. Sessions will not be recorded.

On-campus parking will not be open to parent attendees of College Kick-Off, but off-site parking will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in the James River Bus lot (on Allen St.) from 9:30AM-4PM. After the morning’s event, guests of tenth graders will be asked to clear the James River Bus lot to make room for guests of eleventh graders who will be arriving in the early afternoon.

Upon checking in at the Bluestone Lobby (the entrance beside the lovely mural of Maggie L. Walker), visitors will be invited to travel upstairs directly to the Auditorium. If you have any questions, you are welcome to email senior/college counselor Kim Forquer at [email protected].

AP Testing Schedule

The MLWGS AP Testing Schedule has been posted on the “AP Testing” Schoology group and is also available here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_4EhzJL1EmVXibD8iLvuRHGF6UsZvSgi/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107178821893099947385&rtpof=true&sd=true

Sign-ups are Open for One Small Step 2022

Would you like to earn community service hours while getting to know a classmate whose political views differ from yours? One Small Step brings people with different political views together for a conversation, not about politics, but about themselves and the experiences that have made them who they are. Participants are required to complete three preliminary workshops for which they also earn community service time. Last year, MLWGS was one of the first high schools in the nation to participate in this StoryCorps program. Ms. DeGroat and the OSS team invite you to take One Small Step in 2022! The sign-up form closes on Wednesday, Feb. 16^th, takes about 15 minutes to complete, and can be found @ http://bit.ly/OSSatMLWGS

Russian Club

The Russian Club will host a Movie Night on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 3:30 in the Forum. Come watch a wacky Russian screwball comedy as you gorge on Russian candy and soda. This event is free to all, and don’t worry—the movie will have subtitles.

Spring Sports

Mindfulness Week

The Honor Council and the Bring Change to Mind club are partnering to organize a Mindfulness Week next week for students to take a moment in their busy lives to de-stress and reflect. They will be hosting events including yoga, art activities, and talks about mindfulness and mental health from guest speakers. Mental health and honor are both important to the Maggie Walker community, and through mindfulness, students are less likely to commit honor infractions due to academic stress.

Sports Pictures

Would you like to order your very own copy of a fall or winter sports team picture from school photographer Wendell Powell? Here’s how: go to https://wendellpowell.photoreflect.com/store/Photos.aspx?e=11072354 and enter the password dragonssports

Our Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation Campaign is Underway!

The Foundation’s Annual Fund Campaign supports many of the amazing academic and extracurricular experiences that set MLWGS apart, including our academic clubs and teams, student travel, teacher professional development, student aid, and more. The Annual Fund Parent Participation Campaign is a friendly competition that recognizes the class with the highest percentage of parents who donate to the annual fund campaign each year. So, please support your Dragon’s class and the Foundation by making your your gift online today. All donations count and the winning class gets bragging rights and a sweet treat in June courtesy of the Foundation!

As of February 1, here are the overall class totals:

Seniors: 25%

Juniors: 29%

Sophomores: 20%

Freshmen: 24%

Make Your Plans Now for the 20th Annual Night of the Dragon– SATURDAY, April 23,2022!

Planning is well underway for The Night of the Dragon Auction, one of the highlights each year for Dragon parents (past and present), staff, and alumni.

The evening includes Live and Silent Auctions, dinner, drinks, student entertainment, Heads & Tails, and more. This fun-filled event is also MLWGS’ single largest annual fundraising event.

Here’s how you can help us make the upcoming 2022 Annual Night of the Dragon the best ever!

Save the Date and get your tickets when they become available in March.
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 or help solicit, contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].
Become a Sponsor. Individual and corporate sponsorships are available at many levels. Check out our list of Sponsorship Opportunities or contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].
Lend a Hand. If you want to help with putting on this amazing event, contact Kristi Turner at [email protected].

Stay Tuned for more information about this wonderful event in the coming weeks in Smoke & Scales and on your Class FB pages!

Good News!

Eleven band students participated in District Band on Friday and Saturday this week. Three students were featured as soloists in their performances. Six students will audition for All-State band at the end of the month. We are proud of these student musicians’ hard work and dedication!

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 to 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!

013022

Personal Message from Dr. Lowerre

Well friends, the last seven months have been quite a journey, but I am so happy to be able to say that I got the news Thursday that my lymphoma is officially in remission and that I am cancer free! Thank you all for your amazing support, prayers, and kind words of encouragement along the way. Like I said at the very beginning…WE GOT THIS!

Parents of Sophomores and Juniors: Save the Date!

College Kick-Off is returning as an in-person event on Wednesday, February 9th. Its goal is to generate more awareness of college admissions, to support students through their college search, and to set them up for success!

Senior/college counselors Rachel Loving and Kim Forquer will be joined by panelists from the University of Richmond, Old Dominion University, the University of South Carolina, and more!

Parents of 10^th graders are invited to join their students in the Auditorium from 10:15-11:30AM.

Parents of 11th graders are invited to join their students in the Auditorium from 1:10-3:10PM; college reps will be available, as needed, until 3:30PM for Q&A.

More information about the event will be released in late January/early February.

From the Desk of the School Psychologist

Parents periodically ask me for mental health resources for their children. I try to keep current on the various therapists and counseling practices in the area, but it can be challenging to do so. This is especially difficult given the number of different divisions that feed into our school. I am working to update my resource lists which is something that I do on a regular basis.

If your child has had a good experience with a mental health provider, it would be great to receive your recommendation about that individual or practice. I am only interested in the names of strong practitioners. No personal information is being collected and neither student nor parent names will not be shared with anybody.

If you are comfortable sharing your recommendations, please email Lisa Ebeling at [email protected].

Upcoming Community Service Opportunities from the MLWGS Library

Attention members of the MLWGS Transcribe Team! Our next Transcribe-a-thon will be in the library on Tuesday, February 1^st from 3:30 to 5pm. Please pencil in this date and time on your calendar.

The MLWGS Library will also be launching two additional community service opportunities during second semester:

One Small Step 2022, an opportunity to get to know a classmate whose political viewpoint differs from yours
In Whose Footsteps We Walk, an opportunity to produce an audio or video recording that uses student narration and primary sources to highlight an inspiring moment in the history of our campus

Stay tuned for more information about each of these projects – or ask Ms. DeGroat.

Spring Sports

Any student who plans to participate in an athletic activity this spring must have a physical form completed and on file with MW. Use this link https://mlwgs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2071_001.pdf to access the document. Send the completed form in an email via PDF to the MW Athletic Director at [email protected], with the participating sport(s) listed in the subject line of the email

Good News!!

Last weekend Simi Chakravarty participated virtually in the Model UN organized by Yale University. There were over 2000 delegates from 40 countries who had participated in this event.
I am happy to inform you that Simi won “The outstanding Delegate award for her contribution in her respective committee. Simi was proud to represent the Maggie Walker Governor’s school.

2022 Scholastic Art Awards announcement

The Visual Arts Department is very excited to announce that our talented students were recently honored by having their work selected in the regional Scholastic Art competition. This is a highly competitive annual art competition which had 1,777 art entries from around the region.

MLWGS students had an amazing year, receiving 63 total awards, the most of any school in the region and recognizing Maggie Walker as one of the region’s top schools for the Arts.

Please join me in congratulating these SENIORS who received received special recognition for their portfolios:

Hanna Ngai – Gold Key Portfolio, 1 Silver Key, and 2 Honorable Mentions in Sculpture

Devyn Powers – 3 Gold Key awards, Silver Key Portfolio and 2 Honorable Mentions as well as the Artist Merit Award

Savannah Cave – 1 Gold Key, 1 Silver Key and Honorable Mention Portfolio in Sculpture

Mallory French – Silver Key in Painting and Honorable Mention Portfolio in painting

Lexi Pasternak – 2 Silver Keys in Digital Art, Honorable Mention in Animation, and Honorable mention Portfolio in Digital Art

The following students were recognized with Gold and Silver Keys for their artwork:

Rachel Dai – Gold Key Printmaking

Ishaan Dave – Gold Key Drawing

Anna Flora – Gold Key and Silver Key for Photography

Summer Fraughnaugh – Gold Key in Photography

Cameron Golden – 1 Gold Key and 2 Silver Keys in painting

Reade Henley – Gold Key in Expanded Projects and Silver Key in Fashion

Hunter Knull – Gold Key Photography

Isabella List – Gold Key in Drawing

Mercedes Luna – Gold Key and Honorable Mention in drawing

Ananya Sairaman – Gold Key in Drawing

Libbie Sydnor – Gold Key for Photography

Kaitlyn Baker – Silver Key and Honorable Mention for painting

Madelyn Campbell – Silver Key in Photography

Elisabeth Eckstein – Silver Key and Honorable Mention in Photography

Sophia Isaacs – Silver Key in Photography

Ala Killen – Silver Key in Painting and 2 honorable mentions

Allyson Phillips – Silver Key for Photography

Kayla Robertson- Silver Key for Photography

Gwen Stankiewicz – Silver Key in Fashion

These students were also recognized with Honorable mention awards for their work:

Kori Benjamin (2)

Benjamin Davis

Katherine Hahn (3)

Emil Josefiak

Madison Kang

Elena Loy

Gray Pershing

Audrey Price (2)

Cecilia Oseguera

Julia Turner

Hoda Vohra

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!

012322

Friday January 28^th is a teacher workday and a student holiday.

Online Economics

Reminder for all students enrolled in Online Economics: The final exam will be administered SYNCHRONOUSLY from the location of your choosing on the exam make-up day AT 9 AM – 11 AM on Friday Jan 28^th. Please make sure you have good internet access and log in promptly at 9 am.

Parents of Sophomores and Juniors: Save the Date!

Senior/college counselors Rachel Loving and Kim Forquer will be joined by panelists from the University of Richmond, Old Dominion University, the University of South Carolina, and more!

Parents of 10^th graders are invited to join their students in the Auditorium from 10:15-11:30AM.

Parents of 11th graders are invited to join their students in the Auditorium from 1:10-3:10PM; college reps will be available, as needed, until 3:30PM for Q&A.

More information about the event will be released in late January/early February.

Juniors

A special edition Junior Newsletter (released right before Winter Break) and the newly published January 2022 Senior Newsletter have been posted to the School Counseling website at https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters

These documents can also be found in the Resources section of the “College Information for the Class of 2022” and “College Information for the Class of 2023” Schoology groups.

For information about scholarships, summer opportunities, and more, check them out!

Upcoming Community Service Opportunities from the MLWGS Library

Attention members of the MLWGS Transcribe Team! Our next Transcribe-a-thon will be in the library on Tuesday, February 1^st from 3:30 to 5pm. Please pencil in this date and time on your calendar.

The MLWGS Library will also be launching two additional community service opportunities during second semester:

One Small Step 2022, an opportunity to get to know a classmate whose political viewpoint differs from yours
In Whose Footsteps We Walk, an opportunity to produce an audio or video recording that uses student narration and primary sources to highlight an inspiring moment in the history of our campus

Stay tuned for more information about each of these projects – or ask Ms. DeGroat.

Spring Sports

Attention AP Testers! There a few announcements related to the May 2002 exams:

Exam Additions: College Board is very strict about not allowing any exam additions after March 15^th, so it is critical that you have checked your My AP account and made certain that all of your intended exams are listed. If anything is missing, your teacher or Dr. Loving can get you the join code so you add your exam (a $40 late fee for not adding the exam to your account by the deadline could apply). Have you made a recent decision to sit for an addition exam? Choosing to self-study? If you wish add a new exam to your list, you may still do so up until March 15^th for a fee of $136; follow the registration instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8mIlH-xV5o6TqABLBkcISf3_CWJJOTc/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107178821893099947385&rtpof=true&sd=true.

Exam Cancellations: Do you wish to cancel an exam? All cancellations must be reported on the AP Exam Cancellation Form: https://forms.gle/ofvhrik5cDCx5LQXA. Students have through April 15^th to cancel an exam for a partial refund of $56 ($96 exam fee minus the College Board’s $40 cancellation fee). Cancellations received after April 15^th will not be eligible for a refund of any kind. Seniors are advised to research the AP exam score transfer policies at their prospective or selected institutions and make any cancellation decisions by April 15^th if at all possible.

Exam Schedule and Conflicts: At this time, we are planning to follow a traditional paper-and-pencil exam schedule as outlined by the College Board for the first two weeks of May: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/exam-administration-ordering-scores/exam-dates. Exams will need to be taken on the day and time stated unless falling under one of the approved situations that would warrant make-up testing (such as illness, testing conflict, or approved academic/athletic contest conflict). A testing conflict is defined by two tests on the same day AND time or three in one day (such as with AP Physics C). Students who have an exam scheduled in the morning and another in the afternoon on the same day are expected to take those exams as scheduled. In these cases, we will hold the start time for the afternoon exam until the morning exam has released and those students have been given a lunch break. We will keep AP testers informed of any changes announced by the College Board.

Good News!!

Congratulations to our dragons!!

The English department is honored to announce that once again Scholastics has recognized and awarded several of our talented writers. This year’s regional competition included over 400 entries for writing in eight different categories.

The Visual Arts Center of Richmond (1812 West Main Street) will display the names of Gold Key winners and make their writing submission(s) available to read from February 5-20th. Entrance to the exhibit is free and open to the public. Starting February 5th, Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention works will be posted online.

Gold Key winners will have their submissions sent to the next stage of competition in New York, and National Awards will be announced in March.

Scholastics is the nation’s longest-running competitive recognition program for young artists and writers, and MLWGS is proud of every student who shared their love of writing and submitted their work for judgment. Also, a big “thank you” goes to the teachers who sponsored each of these students and to the parents and teachers who encouraged them to compete!

Again, congratulations! We are so proud of you!

Congratulations to the following students who auditioned and were accepted into Central Regional Orchestra: Reese Wu, Anna Kim, Aditya Badhrayan, Ally Lichtman, Hoda Vohra, Katie Watson, Emma Murphy, Sree Gangireddy, Maddie Gerlach

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 as always, Go Dragons!

011622

MLWGS will be closed tomorrow in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Classes will resume on Tuesday January 18^th

From the School Nurse

Please be sure to contact Alisa Shapiro at [email protected] if your student has a positive test for COVID-19. This will help us contact trace and keep the campus open.

Online Economics

The Jabberwock

Project 1937 is a special edition of The Jabberwock which details the history of racial reckoning at Maggie Walker, with over a dozen interviews from faculty, alumni, and students, along with editorial pieces and student polls discussing diversity and inclusion at the school. The issue can be viewed online at https://issuu.com/mlwgsjabberwock.

Parents of Sophomores and Juniors: Save the Date!

Senior/college counselors Rachel Loving and Kim Forquer will be joined by panelists from the University of Richmond, Old Dominion University, the University of South Carolina, and more!

Parents of 10^th graders are invited to join their students in the Auditorium from 10:15-11:30AM.

Parents of 11th graders are invited to join their students in the Auditorium from 1:10-3:10PM; college reps will be available, as needed, until 3:30PM for Q&A.

More information about the event will be released in late January/early February.

Upcoming Community Service Opportunities from the MLWGS Library

Attention members of the MLWGS Transcribe Team! Our next Transcribe-a-thon will be in the library on Tuesday, February 1^st from 3:30 to 5pm. Please pencil in this date and time on your calendar.

The MLWGS Library will also be launching two additional community service opportunities during second semester:

One Small Step 2022, an opportunity to get to know a classmate whose political viewpoint differs from yours
In Whose Footsteps We Walk, an opportunity to produce an audio or video recording that uses student narration and primary sources to highlight an inspiring moment in the history of our campus

Stay tuned for more information about each of these projects – or ask Ms. DeGroat.

German Classes

This week, from January 18-21, German 2, 3, and 4 students will be participating in the National German Exam. Funding for this exam was generously provided by the MLWGS Foundation! In this way, all German students will receive individualized feedback and have the chance to earn recognition for their accomplishments in German. Thank you to the MLWGS Foundation for providing this support for our German program. Good luck to the students! Viel Glück!

Spring Sports

From the Security Corner:

PARKING:

Please remember that parking placards/permits, prominently displayed, are required for all vehicles using the schools’ parking lots during business hours.
If your parking permit was forgotten, lost, or stolen, please report to security upon your arrival.
Please check license tags and inspection stickers to ensure they are current.
Do not leave valuables visible in your vehicle.
Report all accidents, regardless of how minor, to security as soon as practical.
Do not park in emergency lanes, visitor, handicap, or reserved parking places without prior approval.

BUSES:

Most busses are on site between 2:50 and 3:20 pm each day and will leave at or before 3:30. If you ride the bus, please ensure that you are on-site, prepared and watching for your bus. Do not rely solely on announcements.

DRILLS:

Next State required drill is next week

GENERAL:

Please do not leave your belongings unattended for any length of time.
SECURE all valuables… purses, wallets, bookbags, laptops, phones, ear buds, cash, lunch cards, etc. Keep them with you or secured in a locker.
Found valuables may be turned in to the security office. Other items should be placed in the lost and found boxes. Check there frequently. Unclaimed items are removed and disposed of every two weeks.
Please pick up trash and straighten tables and chairs when you finish in the cafeteria, or commons. Pick up all trash if you eat lunch outside or other areas of the facility. Make it look better than you found it!
Do not leave school grounds, during school hours, without prior approval.

Attention AP Testers! There a few announcements related to the May 2002 exams:

Accommodations: January 18^th is the deadline for students with documented disabilities to apply for accommodations for AP testing in May 2022. If you have accommodations that have already been approved by the College Board for SAT, PSAT, or a previous AP test, you do not need to submit this information for approval again. Please forward any new documentation to Ms. Joy Cobb at [email protected] no later than 12:00pm on Monday, January 18^th so that it may be submitted for consideration by the deadline.

Good News!!

RJ May is our schools first All-American Wrestler! He finished 8^th in Delaware over winter break at the Beast of the East Tournament in a 64 wrestler bracket. RJ had to give away his final matches due to injury

District Band is an auditioned ensemble including students from Richmond, Henrico, and Hanover counties. Twelve students were selected, including six students eligible for All-State Band. Maggie Walker students were awarded the highest percentage of first-chair positions in the region.

Flute

Michael Lusk: Symphonic Band, 7th Chair

Oboe

Jack Cabell: Symphonic Band, 1st Chair, All-State Eligible

Clarinet

Peize Wang: Symphonic Band, 5th Chair, All-State Eligible

Lillian Davis: Concert Band, 1st Chair

Grace Crislip: Concert Band, 7th Chair

MJ Jebo: Concert Band, 15th Chair

Alto Saxophone

Jessica Hendricks: Symphonic Band, 1st Chair, All-State Eligible

Qingyuan Hu: Concert Band Second Alternate

Tenor Saxophone

Pooshan Chaudhuri: Symphonic Band, 1st Chair, All-State Eligible

French Horn

Amar Srinivasan: Symphonic Band, 4th Chair, All-State Eligible

Trombone

Ryan Eklund: Symphonic Band, 1st Chair, All-State Eligible

Baritone

Lucy Whealton: Symphonic Band, 4th Chair

CONGRATULATIONS DRAGON BAND MEMBERS!

I think that given the holiday tomorrow, it is appropriate that I end tonight’s message with one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” What great word’s by which to live.

Have a great evening, and as always, Go Dragons!

010922

School Counseling

The Counseling Department is continuing our suicide prevention lessons and will be working with 10^th graders the week of January 10^th. Our program teaches students about mental health concerns and the importance of seeking help from trusted adults when experiencing emotional difficulty. We recognize that this is a sensitive topic and that you may not wish to have your child participate in the lesson. You may opt your child out of this class by completing the form attached to the link below. Please direct any questions to Lisa Ebeling, School Psychologist, at [email protected].

https://bit.ly/tenthoptout

It has now been almost two years since we first heard the term “COVID-19.” Two years of challenges that most of us never thought would last this long. Every time we seem to get close to what we hope will be the end, we are faced with a new set of difficulties. Yet, we are still in the fight. We know that we will get through it together. We simply have no choice but to persist. As the great leader Dwight Eisenhower said, “For every obstacle, there is a solution. Persistence is the key. The greatest mistake is giving up.”

Stay strong, Dragons.

010222

Happy New Year!!

Received from the Virginia Department of Education

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated their guidance related to isolation and quarantine periods for the general population. Isolation relates to behavior after a confirmed infection. Quarantine refers to the time following exposure to the virus or close contact with someone known to have COVID-19. The new guidance, issued on December 27, 2021, shortens the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others. Further, the guidance updates the recommended quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19. For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days. Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure. For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

More information is being sent in a separate message.

School Counseling

https://bit.ly/tenthoptout

International Language Department

The International Language Fair is taking place on Saturday, March 19^th, 2022 for any interested middle school student in the community. Registration and information can be found here: https://mlwgsshowcase.weebly.com/about-the-2022-fair.html

Senior Seminar and Mentorship Program Registration for Juniors

In December, Juniors (Class of 2023) began the first step in determining what their senior schedule will look like, thinking about enrolling in a seminar course or applying to the mentorship program. In November, all juniors were added to a Schoology group that provides information regarding the mentorship/seminar decision. On 11/17/21, a link to a video that provides information about the selection/application process was released on the Schoology group. On 12/9/21, descriptions of possible seminar courses were added to the Schoology group. On 12/13/21, the Mentorship Program Application was uploaded to the Schoology group—this will be due on 1/7/22. Juniors are encouraged to start thinking about this decision now, and parents are encouraged to discuss this decision with their student. During the first week of school in January, 2022, juniors will be making their seminar selections and submitting mentorship applications if they choose to do so (acceptance into the mentorship program is not guaranteed). All Juniors need to rank their top five seminars and submit their mentorship application (if they are applying—not mandatory) by Friday, 1/7/22). If anyone has questions about the process, they should reach out to the Senior Mentorship/Seminar Coordinator, Mr. Cook ([email protected]).

Upcoming Foundation Events–Mark Your 2022 Calendars Now!

Here are just some of the community-building events the MLWGS Foundation will be sponsoring in 2022.

Alumni Showcase–Friday, April 1 (alumni return to share stories with students about “Life After the Governor’s School)

Director’s Circle Reception–Thursday, April 14 (reception for donors of $750+)

The 20th Annual Night of the Dragon (Altria Theater Ballroom)–Saturday, April 23 (tickets go on sale in March)

Grandparents and Special Friends Day–Friday, April 29 (invitations sent via students in March)

Make Your Plans Now for the 20th Annual Night of the Dragon–Saturday, April 23, 2022!

The Night of the Dragon Auction, being held this year at the Altria Theater Ballroom, is one of the highlights each year for Dragon parents (past and present), staff, and alumni. The evening includes live and silent auctions, dinner, drinks, student entertainment, Heads & Tails, and more. This fun-filled event is also MLWGS’ single largest annual fundraiser, raising funds for the Governor’s School Foundation, Booster groups, and the PTSA.

Here’s how you can help make the upcoming 20th Annual Night of the Dragon the best ever!

Save the date and get your tickets when they become available in March.
Donate auction item(s). Popular items include unique experiences hosted by MLWGS families and friends, event tickets, vacation home rentals, artwork, local adventures—GET CREATIVE! To donate or help solicit, contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].
Become a sponsor. Individual and corporate sponsorships are available at many levels. For information, contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].
Lend a hand. If you want to help with putting on this amazing event, contact Kristi Turner at [email protected].

Stay tuned for more information about this wonderful event after winter break!

As we approach the end of the first semester, it is easy to become frustrated with our progress. Maybe your grades aren’t what you had hoped for back in September. Maybe you didn’t do as well as you wanted on one of our athletic teams. Maye COVID has just been too much and you feel like the year is lost. Well, 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.” Reach back and find that enthusiasm that you had back in September and start again from right now and create that brand new ending that you dreamed about. We will all get there…together!

Have a great evening and as always, Go Dragons!

121221

The MLWGS campus will be closed between December 19^th 2021 and January 2^nd for Winter Break. Classes will resume on Monday January 3^rd, 2022.

Winter Music Collage Concert, Thursday, December 16th at 7:00PM

Student instrumentalists and vocalists from Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School will showcase their musical skills and give our community some holiday spirit next week. The school’s annual winter concert will feature all the curricular music ensembles at MLWGS in a collage style concert and finish with a spectacular holiday sing-along. Come usher in the holidays with our school’s finest musicians!

International Language Department

Seniors

It may be December, but it’s not too early to start thinking about celebrating your senior!!

Check out the linked flyer for information about purchasing graduation announcements and other graduation-related items. Don’t forget, you’ve already paid for the cap/gown/tassel as part of the class dues.

Prices go up after January 1, 2022.

If you have questions about your ordering options, please email the vendor directly: [email protected]. If you have other graduation-related question, please email Ms. Sheppard: [email protected].

Flyer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oneFam9NfGYLXwIe7gFZ48IqPMc1kuWc/view?usp=sharing

Senior parents! Would you like to honor your beloved senior with a senior ad in the 2022 Yearbook? Sure, you would! Please contact Yearbook Adviser Michael White, at [email protected], for more details. Or check out the Class of 2022 Parents FB group for the recent post.

Senior Seminar and Mentorship Program Registration for Juniors

In December, Juniors (Class of 2023) will take the first step in determining what their senior schedule will look like. All juniors will have to decide whether they are going to enroll in one of our exciting seminar courses or apply to undertake a mentorship with a professional in the area. In November, all juniors were added to a Schoology group that provides information regarding the mentorship/seminar decision. On 11/17/21, a link to a video that provides information about the selection/application process was released on the Schoology group. On 12/9/21, descriptions of possible seminar courses were added to the Schoology group. On 12/13/21, the Mentorship Program Application will be uploaded to the Schoology group—this will be due on 1/7/22. Juniors are encouraged to start thinking about this decision now, and parents are encouraged to discuss this decision with their student. During the first week of school in January, 2022, juniors will be making their seminar selections and submitting mentorship applications if they choose to do so. If anyone has questions about the process, they should reach out to the Senior Mentorship/Seminar Coordinator, Mr. Cook ([email protected]).

Mu Alpha Theta is sponsoring a talk by Dr. Adrian Rice (Randolph-Macon College) on Monday, December 13, 3:30-4:30, in the Auditorium

Ada Lovelace: The Making of a Computer Scientist

Ada Lovelace is widely regarded as an early pioneer of computer science, due to an 1843 paper about Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, which, had it been built, would have been the first general-purpose computer. Her paper contains an account of the principles of the machine, along with a table often described as ‘the first computer program’. However, over the years there has been considerable disagreement among scholars as to her mathematical proficiency, with opinions ranging from ‘genius’ to ‘charlatan’. This talk presents an analysis of Lovelace’s extant mathematical writings and will attempt to convey a more nuanced assessment of her mathematical abilities than has hitherto been the case.

Adrian Rice is the Dorothy and Muscoe Garnett Professor of Mathematics at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, where his research focuses on 19th- and early 20th-century British mathematics. In addition to papers on various aspects of the history of mathematics, his books include Mathematics Unbound: The Evolution of an International Mathematical Research Community, 1800–1945 (with Karen Hunger Parshall), Mathematics in Victorian Britain (with Raymond Flood and Robin Wilson), and most recently Ada Lovelace: The Making of a Computer Scientist (with Christopher Hollings and Ursula Martin). He is a four-time recipient of awards for outstanding expository writing from the Mathematical Association of America, and in 2021 he was awarded the Catherine Richards Prize by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.