Director's Blog 2022-23 - Maggie L. Walker Governor's School

Ending with: 05/28/23

An Alert from Your Library about Available Grants for Academic Tutoring Services

If you know of a child in grades K-12 who needs tutoring in academic courses needed to graduate – English reading/writing, math, science, history/social studies, or international languages – their family can apply for a $1500 Learning Acceleration Grant from the state to help defray the cost of tutoring – double that amount for families with greater economic need. Students who attend a public, private, and parochial schools qualify. Payments are made directly to the tutoring provider. For more info, go to https://www.doe.virginia.gov/parents-students/for-parents/k-12-learning-acceleration-grants

Athletics:

If you are planning to play Fall sport for Maggie Walker please refer to the athletics page of our website https://mlwgs.com/co-curricular-overview/athletics/ Once you have completed the VHSL forms, send to [email protected] as a one PDF.

MLWGS Technology Department:

Account Suspension | Departing Staff and Graduating Students

As the school year draws to a close, MWTech would like to notify you of two end of year items:

Staff and Student Accounts: Departing Staff and Graduating Students will have access to their MLWGS technology accounts and applications through Noon on Thursday, June 15, 2023. These accounts include PowerSchool, Schoology, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Dragon.Net WiFi, School Computers, Zoom (Staff), and FOBs (Staff).
Staff and Student Devices: Departing Staff and Graduating Students are required to return all loaned school devices (and accessories) to the MWTech office (RM-114) by:

Thursday, May 25th (Graduating Students), or
Friday, June 9th (Staff)

Questions? Email us: [email protected]

Foundation:

THANK YOU for Your Support!!

Thank you to all of the parents and grandparents who have donated time and treasure to the Governor’s School Foundation so far this year. Your generosity has allowed the Foundation to provide more than 80 enhancement grants totalling more than $180,000 since August, and we are not done. We could not do what we do without you. Your gifts to the Governor’s School Foundation are always greatly appreciated and allow us to provide the margin of excellence that has become a hallmark of Maggie Walker! Go Dragons!

Class of 2023 Paver Orders Close June 1

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. Click here for more information or here to order yours online today! Congratulations to the Class of 2023!

Class of 2023 Alumni Info Forms

Please encourage your senior to fill out the online alumni info form by May 26 so that we can stay in touch. Our alumni are a wonderful resource for recent graduates and the Foundation and Alumni Office offers events, networking opportunities, and other ways for our graduates to stay connected. Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon!

Good News!

Below are the results of the recipients of the National Spanish Exam medals. Congratulations to all of these students!

Gold medals:

Jesús Gonzalez Escalera, Sherlin Ambrocio, Mia Juarez, Mercedes Luna, Lauren Blake, Hasika Aaravabhoomi, Allison Lichtman, Bharathi Kancharla, Michael Klausner, Matilde Quilici, Keira Kim, Preston Huyard, Franklin Heyming, Allison Aviles Quintanilla, Josselyn Bonilla, Arnav Kadambi, Max Keating, Jennifer Chau, Asra Ali, Everett McCoy, Prisha Shah, Julia McClintock, Jennifer Chen.

Silver medals:

Sam McNamee, Olivia Isaacs, Henry Erda, Mark Wood, Mary Grace Turner, Miles Swenson

Willian Leyva, Max Whealton, Brielle Bugauisan, Ces Wells, Charlie Bell, Luna Forlano, June Hodges, Soumya Khadye, Sriyutha Morishetty, Daphne Bobb, Nishka Patel, Timothy Porter, Zahid Zutshi, Jay Elkins, Kalliyan Eam, Susanna Kast, Mona Garimella, Sivani Nemani, Milind Murthy, Lily Postma, Bridget Plank, Emil Josefiak, Adam Asim, Bennett Huddle, Richard Vinson, Will Knutson, Sahara Pinelli, Hoda Vohra, Nina Broderick, Aarav Lodha, Alyssa Jones, Francie Mckay, Honorah Walsh, Maddie Bridges, Elijah Lee, Ashanta Wilson, Greta Shope.

Bronze medals:

Lillian Davies, Caroline Walton, Jakob Dean, Jason Pringle, Deepanshi Kumar

Sriram Panchagnula, Madin Murthy, Jillian Wilson, Evelyn Batkins, Carleigh Brescia, Samhith Sarva, Chloe Larimer, Kori Benjamin, Chanan Wijesooriya, Leah Hazelrigg, Reagan McMichael, Henry Hanna, Diya Patel, Katherine Streeter, Olin Gunlicks, Benny Lefkowitz, Leo Chenoweth, Zhicheng Li, Dorothy McAtee, Brinda Iyer, Briana Lawson, Luke Mauzy, Sowmya Narra, KJ Dowling, Grace Crislip, Oliver Frankel, Gabrielle Banks, Molly Cametas, Katie Hollister, Annabelle Keys, Sruthi Vegunta, Ryan Miller, Alexia Creeden, Evelin Sandoval-Herrera, Callie Kennedy, Hadley Driscoll, Clara Maceyka, Zinnia Nygren, George Kamberis, Gabriella Bonev, Emma Lindsey, Thomas Short, Haley Taylor.

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.”

Folks, have a reflective Memorial Day and a wonderful summer!

Go Dragons!!!

05/21/23

Senior Showcase on Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Senior Parents: This week, the Senior Showcase schedule will be released, and all seniors and their parents are invited. Senior Showcase is a special event where the seniors are given the chance to share the research that they completed in their Senior Mentorship or Senior Seminar. The event will be on Wednesday, May 24^th. The Senior Showcase schedule will let you know what time your senior will be presenting. You are invited to attend your senior’s presentation and other presentations if you wish. 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].

It’s a big week for the Class of 2023! 🎉🎓

Monday, 5/22 @ 7 PM — Senior Recognition Night
- Seniors report to the gym by 6:30. Here, we will get you lined up and also distribute the 9th-grade letters you wrote to your future selves.
- Contact Kara Love with questions ([email protected])
Tuesday, 5/23 @ 1 PM — Senior Awards Ceremony
- This is where we will not only celebrate your many achievements, but it will be your last opportunity to “pass the torch” to the rising seniors, the Class of 2024.
- Contact Kimberly Forquer with questions ([email protected])
Wednesday, 5/24 — Senior Showcase!
- Contact Les Cook with questions ([email protected])
Thursday, 5/25 from 12-2 PM — Senior Picnic at the Carillon Shelter at Byrd Park.
- Contact Kara Love with questions ([email protected])

It’s ALMOST time for graduation!! Here are a few reminders and updates:

Any senior who has still not picked up their graduation tickets will need to email Ms. Sheppard to schedule a time to get them.

If you did not remember to bring your money in for the group photo this past week, Lifetouch has closed the online payment option. If you would still like to order the picture, please bring a check for $15 to Ms. Sheppard by Friday, May 5.
Graduation practice starts at 8:00am on Friday, May 26. This start time is crucial to get through everything before the ceremony begins at 11:00. Please be on time!
Parking for graduation practice and graduation can be found at the Main Street/Cherry Street deck across the street from Altria Theatre. The cost is $10 per car.
Information about graduation practice and graduation will be shared closer to the date, but please email Ms. Sheppard ([email protected]) if you have questions. Please refer to the Senior Letter for general information (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XxHjAIGu-qqUrx6Z2rL_WY2bSX55GkGl/view?usp=sharing)
Want to opt-in for pictures at graduation? Lifetouch Studios has shared a qr code: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YEMSMwDLeUKec2wJYH3P3_JFVAesDS1P/view?usp=sharing

MLWGS Technology Department:

Account Suspension | Departing Staff and Graduating Students

As the school year draws to a close, MWTech would like to notify you of two end of year items:

Staff and Student Accounts: Departing Staff and Graduating Students will have access to their MLWGS technology accounts and applications through Noon on Thursday, June 15, 2023. These accounts include PowerSchool, Schoology, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Dragon.Net WiFi, School Computers, Zoom (Staff), and FOBs (Staff).
Staff and Student Devices: Departing Staff and Graduating Students are required to return all loaned school devices (and accessories) to the MWTech office (RM-114) by:

Thursday, May 25th (Graduating Students), or
Friday, June 9th (Staff)

Questions? Email us: [email protected]

Security Corner:

Teachers, if you let students leave class, go outside, etc. please ask them to contact Security and let them know. We must be able to find them quickly if necessary, and, if they are outside, we need to be able to keep an eye on them for their safety, and so that we know who is walking around on the grounds/lots during school hours.

Students, please do not text friends and ask them to open exterior doors for you. Please enter and exit through the Bluestone lobby during school hours.

Seniors, parking placards may be turned in any time. Lost placards may be paid for using the online “Parking Fee” on our website.

Junior Lottery winners may simply discard the paper pass.

Juniors who wish to park may do so the last week of school starting May 30, provided they check in with security for instructions.

Thank you, and congratulations 2023 Dragons!!

Have a great summer!!

Foundation:

Class of 2023 Paver Orders Close June 1

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 on Walker Plaza (Lombardy Street side of the school). Click here for more information or here to order yours online today!

Congratulations to the Class of 2023!

Class of 2023 Alumni Info Forms

Very soon the Class of 2023 will join the almost 4,200 Governor’s School alumni as part of the Governor’s School Alumni network. The Governor’s School Foundation and Alumni Office leads the charge in keeping alumni in touch with the school and with each other. Please encourage your senior to fill out the online alumni info form by May 26 so that we can stay in touch. Our alumni are a wonderful resource for recent graduates and the Foundation and Alumni Office offers events, networking opportunities, and other ways for our graduates to stay connected. Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon!

Good News!

Two Maggie Walker students received 1st and 2nd place awards in the Asian American Celebration Art Competition. Cameron Golden won $600 for first place and Jasmine Wen won $400 for second place. Congratulations to these talented students!

The Virginia Junior Academy of Science (VJAS) is the state’s longest-running science fair and judges students on the quality of scientific research that they have conducted. Dragons from Maggie Walker have won the following awards in the 2023 Symposium:

Statistical Analysis & Inferences – Yash Saxena – First Place
Engineering – Pooshan Chaudhuri – Honorable Mention
Microbiology & Cell Biology – Aashka Shah – Honorable Mention
Zoology – Aditya Badhrayan – Honorable Mention

Special Awards:

Statistics Award is given for the paper that evidences the most significant contribution in the field of Statistics – Yash Saxena
Cancer Research Awards recognize outstanding science papers related to cancer research. These awards are provided by the American Cancer Society – Aashka Shah
Yash Saxena has also been selected as the President of VJAS student leadership team for the year 2023-24.

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 Go Dragons!!!

05/14/23

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Yearbook:

The 2023 Maggie Walker Yearbook is in, and it looks terrific! Seniors can pick up their books in the Commons at lunch on Tuesday, May 16th. All other students can get their books starting on Wednesday, the 17th. If you haven’t pre-ordered a book, bring $55 in cash or check (made payable to MLWGS). Email Mr. White at [email protected] if you’re not sure whether you bought a book.

Library:

At 6pm on Tue., May 16th, the MLWGS Library is hosting a Zoom reading & talk by Anjali Enjeti, winner of a 2022 Georgia Author of the Year Award for her debut novel The Parted Earth, a heartfelt, human portrait of the long shadow the Partition of India casts on three generations of women – a story that spans more than half a century & cities from New Delhi to Atlanta. Enjeti is also the author of the essay collection Southbound. Both books are available from area libraries, and the MLWGS Library has a copy of each. To sign up so that the Zoom link will be sent to your email, go to bit.ly/enjetimlwgs The sign-up window will close at 3:30pm the day of the event (5/16).

Free access to recording of recent mindfulness webinar by Ms. DeGroat

Among the many hats our librarian Ms. DeGroat wears at MLWGS is that of mindfulness teacher. Recently she had a chance to share some of the insights she’s learned over the years in a webinar for publisher ABC-CLIO entitled Mindfulness in the School Library. If you’re curious about how MLWGS integrates mindfulness into various facets of school life, or would like to hear about the listening and learning process that preceded our initial mindfulness rollout in 2016/2017, you’re welcome to watch a recording of the webinar available on the publisher’s web site.

Senior Showcase on Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Senior Parents: This week, the Senior Showcase schedule will be released, and all seniors and their parents are invited. Senior Showcase is a special event where the seniors are given the chance to share the research that they completed in their Senior Mentorship or Senior Seimnar. The event will be on Wednesday, May 24^th. The Senior Showcase schedule will let you know what time your senior will be presenting. You are invited to attend your senior’s presentation and other presentations if you wish. 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].

Senior Recognition Night

Senior Night will begin at 7 PM on Monday, May 22^nd. Seniors should arrive by 6:15 to open their Senior Letters (something they wrote to themselves as freshmen!). Caps and gowns are NOT worn for this event.
Baby photos of Seniors are needed by May 1st! These will be included in a special slideshow at Senior Recognition Night. Even if your senior cannot attend the event, their slide will still be part of the presentation. Please submit photos using this Google Form: https://forms.gle/VYz542yfGtCJhWWF8.

It’s ALMOST time for graduation!! Here are a few reminders and updates:

If you did not remember to bring your money in for the group photo this past week, Lifetouch has closed the online payment option. If you would still like to order the picture, please bring a check for $15 to Ms. Sheppard by Friday, May 5.
Graduation practice starts at 8:00am on Friday, May 26. This start time is crucial to get through everything before the ceremony begins at 11:00. Please be on time!
Parking for graduation practice and graduation can be found at the Main Street/Cherry Street deck across the street from Altria Theatre. The cost is $10 per car.
Information about graduation practice and graduation will be shared closer to the date, but please email Ms. Sheppard ([email protected]) if you have questions. Please refer to the Senior Letter for general information (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XxHjAIGu-qqUrx6Z2rL_WY2bSX55GkGl/view?usp=sharing)
Want to opt-in for pictures at graduation? Lifetouch Studios has shared a qr code: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YEMSMwDLeUKec2wJYH3P3_JFVAesDS1P/view?usp=sharing

We are over half way through the May testing period! APs are mostly behind us and we are now hitting Senior Exams, Dual-Enrollment Exams, and SOLs. The Dragon Nation is performing well and it is clear that our students are taking them seriously and knocking them down. With only 14 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 Go Dragons!!!

05/07/23

Let’s try this again! This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week. Please join me in thanking our teachers for all that they do every day at Maggie Walker. Teaching is a tough but rewarding job and the act of a student or parent showing their appreciation by saying thanks means so much. Take time out this week to send a note to a teacher that made a difference. It may be a Dragon or a teacher from the past. Trust me, it means a lot!

Yearbook:

Library:

Free access to recording of recent mindfulness webinar by Ms. DeGroat

Senior Showcase on Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Senior Parents: This week, the Senior Showcase schedule will be released, and all seniors and their parents are invited. Senior Showcase is a special event where the seniors are given the chance to share the research that they completed in their Senior Mentorship or Senior Seimnar. The event will be on Wednesday, May 24^th. The Senior Showcase schedule will let you know what time your senior will be presenting. You are invited to attend your senior’s presentation and other presentations if you wish. 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].

Senior Recognition Night

Senior Night will begin at 7 PM on Monday, May 22^nd. Seniors should arrive by 6:15 to open their Senior Letters (something they wrote to themselves as freshmen!). Caps and gowns are NOT worn for this event.
Baby photos of Seniors are needed by May 1st! These will be included in a special slideshow at Senior Recognition Night. Even if your senior cannot attend the event, their slide will still be part of the presentation. Please submit photos using this Google Form: https://forms.gle/VYz542yfGtCJhWWF8.

It’s ALMOST time for graduation!! Here are a few reminders and updates:

If you did not remember to bring your money in for the group photo this past week, Lifetouch has closed the online payment option. If you would still like to order the picture, please bring a check for $15 to Ms. Sheppard by Friday, May 5.
Graduation practice starts at 8:00am on Friday, May 26. This start time is crucial to get through everything before the ceremony begins at 11:00. Please be on time!
Parking for graduation practice and graduation can be found at the Main Street/Cherry Street deck across the street from Altria Theatre. The cost is $10 per car.
Information about graduation practice and graduation will be shared closer to the date, but please email Ms. Sheppard ([email protected]) if you have questions. Please refer to the Senior Letter for general information (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XxHjAIGu-qqUrx6Z2rL_WY2bSX55GkGl/view?usp=sharing)
Want to opt-in for pictures at graduation? Lifetouch Studios has shared a qr code: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YEMSMwDLeUKec2wJYH3P3_JFVAesDS1P/view?usp=sharing

The Foundation:

Class of 2023 Parents!

Senior Parent Send Off Party–Wednesday, May 10, Brambly Park

The MLWGS Foundation will be hosting the annual Senior Parent Send Off on Wednesday, May 10, from 5:30-7:30pm at Brambly Park. Come join other parents of our soon-to-be graduates to celebrate this special time–and know that you’re not alone during this bittersweet time of sending your Dragon on to their next adventure.

Class of 2023 Parents!

Leave Your Mark at MLWGS!

The Governor’s School Foundation invites families of MLWGS seniors and graduates to purchase inscribed pavers to leave a lasting tribute at the school. 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 on Walker Plaza (Lombardy Street side of the school). Click here for more information or here to order yours online today!

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 Go Dragons!!!

04/30/23

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week. Please join me in thanking our teachers for all that they do every day at Maggie Walker. Teaching is a tough but rewarding job and the act of a student or parent showing their appreciation by saying thanks means so much. Take time out this week to send a note to a teacher that made a difference. It may be a Dragon or a teacher from the past. Trust me, it means a lot!

Library:

Free access to recording of recent mindfulness webinar by Ms. DeGroat

Senior Showcase on Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Senior Parents: This week, the Senior Showcase schedule will be released, and all seniors and their parents are invited. Senior Showcase is a special event where the seniors are given the chance to share the research that they completed in their Senior Mentorship or Senior Seimnar. The event will be on Wednesday, May 24^th. The Senior Showcase schedule will let you know what time your senior will be presenting. You are invited to attend your senior’s presentation and other presentations if you wish. 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].

Senior Recognition Night

Senior Night will begin at 7 PM on Monday, May 22^nd. Seniors should arrive by 6:15 to open their Senior Letters (something they wrote to themselves as freshmen!). Caps and gowns are NOT worn for this event.
Baby photos of Seniors are needed by May 1st! These will be included in a special slideshow at Senior Recognition Night. Even if your senior cannot attend the event, their slide will still be part of the presentation. Please submit photos using this Google Form: https://forms.gle/VYz542yfGtCJhWWF8.

It’s ALMOST time for graduation!! Here are a few reminders and updates:

If you did not remember to bring your money in for the group photo this past week, Lifetouch has closed the online payment option. If you would still like to order the picture, please bring a check for $15 to Ms. Sheppard by Friday, May 5.
Graduation practice starts at 8:00am on Friday, May 26. This start time is crucial to get through everything before the ceremony begins at 11:00. Please be on time!
Parking for graduation practice and graduation can be found at the Main Street/Cherry Street deck across the street from Altria Theatre. The cost is $10 per car.
Information about graduation practice and graduation will be shared closer to the date, but please email Ms. Sheppard ([email protected]) if you have questions. Please refer to the Senior Letter for general information (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XxHjAIGu-qqUrx6Z2rL_WY2bSX55GkGl/view?usp=sharing)
Want to opt-in for pictures at graduation? Lifetouch Studios has shared a qr code: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YEMSMwDLeUKec2wJYH3P3_JFVAesDS1P/view?usp=sharing

The Foundation:

Class of 2023 Parents!

Senior Parent Send Off–Wednesday, May 10

Class of 2023 Parents!

Leave Your Mark at MLWGS!

The Governor’s School Foundation invites families of MLWGS seniors and graduates to purchase inscribed pavers to leave a lasting tribute at the school. 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 on Walker Plaza (Lombardy Street side of the school). Click here for more information or here to order yours online today!

Final 24 Hours of the Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation Contest!

The Official Foundation Annual Fund Parent Participation Contest ends on May 1. With just 24 hours to go, the Class of 2026 still holds a slim lead, but that could all change. Be sure to help your Dragon’s class win and support MLWGS by making your gift online today. This friendly competition is all about getting everyone involved, so every gift makes a difference–in the competition and to our school!

AP testing starts this week and the SOL tests are mostly behind us. 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.” Five weeks to go!

Have a great evening and Go Dragons!!!

04/23/23

Personal Finance:

Attention students enrolled in Personal Finance for spring semester, please make note of the Final Exam date options as we near the end of the year. Please make plans accordingly.

EXAM MUST BE TAKEN SYNCHRONOUSLY from the location of your choosing either the early date on Wednesday May 24th @4 – 6 PM or the regular exam date June 5th @ 9 – 11 AM on exam make-up day.

Class 2026 Parents

If your child plans to take PE over the summer, here are a few things to know!

Parents, it is your responsible for registering and making sure that transcripts are sent to their next year counselor, Ms. Cobb.
Virtual Virginia is not offered at Maggie Walker. You can ask your home district if you can do it with them or opt to take it with another district. Below are two districts that I know that offer courses to students from different districts.
CCPS Online ends enrollment on April 28th at 5 pm.

Website: https://oneccps.org/ccpsonline/summer-session/

RPS Summer School opens registration on April 14

Website: https://www.rvaschools.net/academics/academic-programs-and-supports/rps-summer-school

Please have your child fill out this form if they are taking PE over the Summer: https://forms.gle/VgxspfCzWK9xsjoR7

Seniors:

Lifetouch is coming to photograph the senior class in their caps and gowns on the front steps of Maggie Walker. Students MUST bring their caps & gowns to participate in this photo. This is not to be confused with the group photo with college T-shirts; this photo will be taken after the May 1^st College Decision Day.

Line-up will take place in the 2nd-floor hall by the auditorium at 11:40 AM.

One 10×30 Panoramic Group Photo comes to $15. There are 2 options for purchasing copies of this photo:

ORDER FORM. Students will receive an order form in their English classes this week. Complete the form, insert cash/check, and return the envelope on Picture Day. Checks should be payable to Lifetouch. Exact payment is required. Photographers won’t make change.
ORDER & PAY ONLINE.Order on mylifetouch.com. Enter Picture Day ID: BW022036T0. Enter student information and return the envelope on Picture Day.

Clarification on a few other Senior matters…

A few students have asked if they can decorate their caps. School policy is NO decorating. Please spread the word!
A few students have also asked if there is a required dress underneath gowns at graduation. The short answer is no– they aren’t required to wear a certain color, etc. It’s recommended that graduates do not wear shorts or flip-flops for this occasion or any clothing that may clash with their robes.
There seems to be a lot of confusion over when the seniors’ school year ends. We encourage rereading the Senior Letter as it clearly states that the last academic day for seniors is May 24th. During Senior Exam Week, if seniors are exempt from an exam, they are not required to attend that specific period. Otherwise, they are expected to be here.

Language Department:

On Thursday, April 27, the Department of International Languages will hold its annual induction ceremony for all ten international-language honor societies. This is a special opportunity to commend our highest-achieving students and to congratulate them for their excellence in the target languages and cultures, in keeping with a core element of Maggie Walker’s mission. Families are welcome to attend. The combined ceremony will begin at 11:20 in the Auditorium and should last just under an hour. We hope you will join us to celebrate the linguistic skills and academic diligence of our many inductees.

School Counseling:

If you’re in need of some stress relief as we move into AP exams and our final weeks of school, the Honor Council has your back! On Friday, April 28th, therapy dogs and their caretakers will be visiting Maggie Walker out on the athletic field from 11:30am-12:30pm. The priority of this event is to give students the chance to interact with a furry friend and take a break from the hustle and bustle of academic work. After pausing this initiative for the last few years due to COVID-19 risks, we’re thrilled to welcome this opportunity back to Maggie Walker. We hope this can become an extension of Mindfulness Month, a recent Honor Council tradition in which students participate in guided yoga, nature documentary screenings, workshops for breathing exercises, meditation, and the science of mindfulness, pajama day, and free tea at lunch during March. The Council believes in the indirect relationship between practicing mindfulness, diminished stress levels, and acting with integrity, responsibility, and compassion. By facilitating a lunch session with therapy dogs, the Honor Council hopes students will feel a sense of joy and tranquility, as well as realize the vitality of taking a step back when life feels overwhelming. Check out Schoology on MONDAY at lunch for additional information on how to sign up!

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 Go Dragons!!!

04/16/23

Eid-al-Fitr:

Let me begin by apologizing to our Muslim families for the error in not including Eid-ul-Fitr holiday on the current school year’s calendar. We had intentionally looked at this last year and misidentified the date as Saturday the 22^nd. That mistake has been corrected and is included on the 23-24 school year calendar as a holiday.

In the meantime, please know that any student who chooses to stay home to observe the holiday will receive an excused absence that will not count against any exam exemptions. If the student chooses to attend school on the 21^st of April, we are reserving the library during lunch for students that want to gather and celebrate together.

Personal Finance:

Attention students enrolled in Personal Finance for spring semester, please make note of the Final Exam date options as we near the end of the year. Please make plans accordingly.

EXAM MUST BE TAKEN SYNCHRONOUSLY from the location of your choosing either the early date on Wednesday May 24th @4 – 6 PM or the regular exam date June 5th @ 9 – 11 AM on exam make-up day.

School Advisory Council:

Maggie Walker’s School Advisory Council (SAC) is looking for new members! If you are interested in serving on this one-of-a-kind committee that consists of parents, teachers, administrators, alumni, and students, please visit this form to nominate yourself … or someone else who you think would be a good contributor to a vital group that supports the Maggie L. Walker mission. The deadline for nominations is April 18, 2023.

Class 2026 Parents

If your child plans to take PE over the summer, here are a few things to know!

Parents, it is your responsible for registering and making sure that transcripts are sent to their next year counselor, Ms. Cobb.
Virtual Virginia is not offered at Maggie Walker. You can ask your home district if you can do it with them or opt to take it with another district. Below are two districts that I know that offer courses to students from different districts.
CCPS Online ends enrollment on April 28th at 5 pm.

Website: https://oneccps.org/ccpsonline/summer-session/

RPS Summer School opens registration on April 14

Website: https://www.rvaschools.net/academics/academic-programs-and-supports/rps-summer-school

Please have your child fill out this form if they are taking PE over the Summer: https://forms.gle/VgxspfCzWK9xsjoR7

From the Library:

To celebrate National Poetry Month the MLWGS Library is hosting a virtual poetry reading & talk by Marlanda Dekine, winner of the 2021 New Southern Voices Poetry Prize for Thresh & Hold, a collection rooted in their Gullah-Geechee heritage. This online event will take place at 6pm on Tuesday, April 18^th. To sign up so that you receive the Zoom link, go to https://bit.ly/marlandadekine. Abundant gratitude to the Governors School Foundation for funding this event.

School Counseling:

Senator Mark Warner invites high school and middle school students, their parents or guardians, and school counselors to Academy Day 2023.

Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m., doors open at 9:30 a.m.

Location: Randolph-Macon College Center for the Performing Arts,

Blackwell Auditorium, 205 Henry Street, Ashland, VA 23005

The event will include a seated program that will provide a comprehensive overview of the United States service academies and their admission processes. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions during the interactive service academy panel. Information will also be shared regarding application procedures for congressional nominations, medical requirements for the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB), and ROTC options that exist at higher education institutions in the Commonwealth.

Following the program, attendees will be able to meet with officials from all five academies as well as representatives from DoDMERB, Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Richmond, ROTC programs at Randolph-Macon College and the University of Virginia, the United States Marine Corps, the Virginia Military Institute, the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin University, and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets at their resource tables. Staff from Virginia congressional offices will also be available to answer questions.

To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/academy-day-2023-tickets-570031318017

Foundation News:

Frosh in the Lead with Only 2 Weeks Left in the Annual Fund Parent Participation Contest!

The Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation Campaign ends on May 1. And at this point, the Class of 2026 is showing the upper classes how it’s done–leading the pack in pursuit of the ice cream prize.

Parent Participation % (as of April 12):

Seniors: 30%
Juniors: 29%
Sophomores: 23%
Freshmen: 36%

Are the upper classes going to let the newbies win? If you think not, be sure to support your Dragon’s class by making your gift online today. And if you’re a ‘26er, do the same to help your class keep the lead. Remember, this friendly competition is all about getting everyone involved, so gifts of any amount boost your class’s participation total.

Class of 2023 Parents! Leave Your Mark at MLWGS!

The Governor’s School Foundation invites families of MLWGS seniors and graduates to purchase inscribed pavers to leave a lasting tribute at the school. 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 on Walker Plaza (Lombardy Street side of the school). Click here for more information or here to order yours online today!

Robotics:

The Mech Tech Dragons Robotics Team is going to FIRST Championship in Houston.

As a result of their successes at Blacksburg High School March 3-5, Deep run High school March 24-26 and FIRST Chesapeake District Championships April 5-8, they are one of 20 District teams that will be traveling to Houston April 19-22 for FIRST Championship. FIRST Chesapeake District includes teams from Virginia, DC and Maryland. FIRST Championship will provide the opportunity to meet, talk, work with as well as compete with and against teams from all over the world.

The Team was also recognized for their design and programming work. They received the Quality Award at Blacksburg and the Autonomous Award at Deep Run.

In addition to the success on the field, one of our mentors was recognized for her outstanding mentoring of the team. She was recognized as a District Woody Flowers Finalist. Samantha Marrs has been a mentor with the team for 12 seasons and has worked with our Outreach team. She conducts our annual student leadership training and helps students in applying for corporate sponsorships for team operations. She also has helped mentor a lot of students in Advocacy of STEM at the local, State and national Levels. She also is a great mentor to new mentors on the team. We are very fortunate to have her as one of the mentors working with the team.

If anyone is interested in Supporting the team for their trip to Houston or in the future, please reach out to the MLWGS Foundation or to Mark Sailer [email protected]

Economics Competition:

Below are the results of the Virginia Council for Economic Education 2023 Governor’s Challenge Competitions for Region 1. Congratulations to all of these students!

VCEE Governor’s Challenge Winners 2023 – Region 1

Personal Finance

First Place Team: MLWGS PF123 from Maggie Walker Governor’s School (Teacher: Allison Anthony)

Sriyutha Morishetty, Pooshan Chaudhuri, Eric Hu, Shorya Malani

Economics Challenge – Adam Smith Division

First Place Team:

Timothy Porter, Sam McNamee, Risshi Naavaal

Second Place Team:

Shreyas Muthusamy, Carolyn Zhuang, Sean Feng, Amnol Mital

Third Place Team:

Sriyutha Morishetty, Pooshan Chaudhuri, Eric Hu, Shorya Malani

Senior Grayson Ramsey has been named the Richmond Times-Dispatch Male Scholar Athlete of the Month for March. Grayson is the first male MW Sprinter and just the 2nd MW Sprinter overall to win one of the RTD Monthly Awards.

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 Go Dragons!!!

04/09/23

School will be closed tomorrow, April 10 for a Professional Development Day. School will reopen on Tuesday April 11^th and it will be an even day.

ATTENTION SENIORS:

Caps, gowns, and other graduation-related paraphernalia will be distributed by Herff Jones in the first floor commons area during lunch on Wednesday, March 12. Please plan to stop by as this is their only day in the building. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Sheppard – [email protected].

National Honor Society Now Accepting Applications

Are you a sophomore or junior interested in being inducted into the National Honor Society next year? Good news! NHS has launched a “Pre-Application” for sophomores and juniors which is now open and due April 16th. Next year, NHS will partner with Bonsai Seminars and utilize NHS juniors as the primary source of freshman mentors. Because volunteer work may start as early as August, NHS is aiming to build its membership now. The pre-application and all details can be found here: https://forms.gle/KuE75pbWdijQ75by5 Contact Dr. Loving with questions.

School Advisory Council:

From the Library:

Sporting Event Tickets

The athletics department has implemented the purchasing of tickets through GoFan. This will be for all home events. The link for all events that charge can be found on www.colonialdistrictva.org and click on the home event to purchase the ticket. Ticketing for our spring sports will be completely online starting April 10,2023

Foundation News:

Class of 2023 Parents!

Leave Your Mark at MLWGS!

The Governor’s School Foundation invites families of MLWGS seniors and graduates to purchase inscribed pavers to leave a lasting tribute at the school. 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 on Walker Plaza (Lombardy Street side of the school). Click here for more information or here to order yours online today!

Governor’s Schools Research Survey:

The VDOE is conducting a study of Virginia’s Academic Year Governor’s Schools. Your perspective is needed! Please take about 20 minutes to share your thoughts via an anonymous online survey: https://bit.ly/AYGOVSCH

The survey will only be open for a limited time, so be sure your voice is heard by responding soon. If you have any questions, please contact one of the lead researchers: Drs. Tracy L. Cross ([email protected]), Jennifer Riedl Cross ([email protected]) or Dr. Kristofor Wiley ([email protected]).

Senior Art Exhibition:

Please join us for the gala opening of the 2023 MLWGS Senior Art Exhibition: iSpy at Artworks Gallery Friday, April 14th from 6-8PM. The show, which is the capstone event of our visual arts program, will highlight the collected works of 20 Maggie Walker seniors including:

Alexia Creeden
Brenna Luczak
Olympia Theofanos
Ananya Sairaman
Kori Benjamin
Sarala Kennedy
Ala Killen
Muriel Lewis
V Bryson
Cameron Golden
Cecilia Oseguera
Sadie McMahon
Katherine Hahn
Gray Pershing
Reade Henley
Julia Turner
Brielle Telfair
Hazel Sterling
Kaysen Mills
Emil Josefiak

Come meet these amazing young artists and mingle with other Maggie Walker art lovers. Artworks Gallery is located at 320 Hull Street, RVA 23224 in the Manchester area of downtown Richmond. The show will continue through April 22.

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

Kori is the third Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School student to receive this high honor at the national level. This year the exhibition will be at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City and the awards ceremony will be held at Carnegie Hall where Kori will get walk across the stage to be recognized. Please join me in congratulating her on this outstanding national award!

Additionally, three other Maggie L. Walker students were the recipients of national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Senior, Annabel Tang, received a Gold Medal in writing for her work titled, “Fractured Lines”. Junior, Sydney Brewer, received a Gold Medal in writing for work her work titled, “Smile”. They will both be recognized at the ceremony in New York. Finally, Senior Shorya Malani received a national Silver Medal for his photogram titled, “The Shaking City”.

Please join me in congratulating these students on their phenomenal success!

Two of our students, Brynn Diefenderfer and Callie Kennedy work with the colon cancer organization Hitting Cancer Below the Belt. They created a PSA and wanted to share an opportunity to have fun and help fundraise for the cause.

The Boxer Brief 5k is HCB2’s main fundraising event of the year! Join us at 8:00 a.m. June 10^th at City Stadium, home of the Richmond Kickers. Register for the event at Boxer Brief 5K – Hitting Cancer Below the Belt (hcb2.org)! The High School Challenge is back this year! High School students can win money for their schools and designate the department to receive those funds. The top two finishers in the High School Challenge can win $250 and $150 respectively for their school. We will award $100 to the school with the largest participation. Select the Maggie Walker team already created to join if you are a student! We hope to see you there!

Link for the PSA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JhmtoHR1K8

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 Go Dragons!!!

03/26/23

International Day Assembly:

Friday, March 31, Maggie Walker students will enjoy an exciting variety of 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. on Thursday, March 30! Thank you for supporting our talented students!

From the Library:

The library is hosting several special events this week!

March 27^th – Lunchtime celebration for One Small Step 2023 participants
March 27^th – After-school work & dessert session for Library Advisory Council members unable to attend our main meeting on March 28^th
March 28^th – Lunchtime work & dessert session for Library Advisory Council members
March 29^th – Lunchtime Open Mic in the Black Box – come to share your work and/or to support all those who are reading; to reserve a reading spot, sign up @ https://forms.gle/Zh8Lrpv6N665wuPL9
March 29^th – After-school Transcribe-a-thon from 3:30-5pm – the last regular Transcribe-a-thon of this school year! A representative from the Library of Virginia (LVA) will be here to recognize top LVA volunteers.

To celebrate National Poetry Month the MLWGS Library is hosting a virtual poetry reading & talk by Marlanda Dekine, winner of the 2021 New Southern Voices Poetry Prize for Thresh & Hold, a collection rooted in their Gullah-Geechee heritage. This online event will take place at 6pm on Tuesday, April 18^th. To sign up, go to https://bit.ly/marlandadekine. Thank you to the Governors School Foundation whose funding made this event possible.

Community Service Announcement:

Report cards are coming out this week. Now is a great time to check up on your student to make sure that they are making adequate progress on their community service goals (trying to reach 140 hours by graduation). By the end of the summer, Freshmen should have 35 hours, Sophomores should have 70 hours, and Juniors should have 105 hours. Seniors should have 120 hours by May 1^st (total adjusted due to the lingering effects of COVID). If students have any community service questions, they should see Mr. Cook in room 315 ([email protected]).

Trip to Panama Spring Break 2024

Your student is invited to join us on an upcoming educational travel experience to Adventure in Panama in Spring 2024!

Students will spend 9 days exploring history, engineering, ecology, conservation, culture and language in Panama. In Panama City students will take a bike tour of the city and visit the historic sites Panama Viejo and Casco Viejo; and they will take an in-depth look at the Panama Canal. Students will travel to the Chiriquì Region where they will visit a honey farm and a butterfly sanctuary and learn about wildlife and botany while enjoying hanging bridges and ziplines. Students next travel to Chitrè to take part in la junta de embarre, a traditional mud hut building ceremony. Students will learn more about Panama’s flora and fauna at the Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge. We will finish the adventure with a folklore evening filled with traditional food, song, and dance.

Come hear all the details, including the itinerary, activities, academic opportunities, and the cost of our trip at our informational meeting on March 28, 2023 at 6:00 P.M.. The meeting will take place in Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School Room 153.

Please click here to register for the meeting ASAP to save your seat: https://bit.ly/42iMeNe.

There are limited spots on this trip, so we would love to have you attend this meeting to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

Contact Mr. David Barnes with any questions.

Sporting Event Tickets

Foundation News:

Class of 2023 Parents!

Leave Your Mark at MLWGS!

The Governor’s School Foundation invites families of MLWGS seniors and graduates to purchase inscribed pavers to leave a lasting tribute at the school. 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 on Walker Plaza (Lombardy Street side of the school). Click here for more information or here to order yours online today!

Last Call for Grandparents Day 2023 Invites

On the afternoon of Friday, April 28, the Governor’s School Foundation will sponsor Maggie Walker’s annual Grandparents’ Day. Grandparents (or other special adults) of all current students are invited to come to campus, hear a bit from Dr. Lowerre about our wonderful programs, and take a tour with their Dragon at the end of the day.

Please help us by sharing contact info for your child’s proud grandparent(s) or other significant person using this link today! Invitations will be mailed (and ready for pick up) on Wednesday.

Governor’s Schools Research Survey

The MLWGS debate team won 1^st place overall in the VHSL Regional Debate Tournament. The following individuals finished in the following order: 1^st place Alice Bowman 2^nd Place Ally Lichtmann and 3^rd Place Parth Tornekar. The three will be competing in the VHSL Superregionals at Brookville High School on April 1^st. Congratulations!

“Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace” ~~Amelia Earhart

Have a great evening and Go Dragons!!!

03/19/23

Suggest Places Associated with Maggie L. Walker for the Official Richmond Edition of Monopoly

What would you like to see in a Richmond edition of Monopoly? What places should be featured? What should the game pieces look like? Now through March 20, Top Trumps USA, who licenses the official Monopoly brand from Hasbro, is accepting suggestions for a Richmond edition of Monopoly, including for the 22 place names that will be on the board. Use your voice – via email – to help shape what folks see when they play Monopoly – Richmond Edition when it’s released in Fall 2023. Email your ideas to [email protected] by March 20.

History Honor Society Speaker:

The TJ History Honor Society will host its 2^nd speaker in its 2023 speaker series, Thursday, March 23^rd in the forum during lunch. The speaker will be our very own, Mr. White, who will discuss updates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Trip to Panama Spring Break 2024

Your student is invited to join us on an upcoming educational travel experience to Adventure in Panama in Spring 2024!

Please click here to register for the meeting ASAP to save your seat: https://bit.ly/42iMeNe.

There are limited spots on this trip, so we would love to have you attend this meeting to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

Contact Mr. David Barnes with any questions.

Sporting Event Tickets

PTSA PROGRAM TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 7-8PM ON ZOOM:

HELPING YOUR STUDENT GET CAREER SUPPORT IN COLLEGE

We work so hard to help them get into a great college; are we aware of how we can support them in getting a great job after college? Join us through Zoom at 7pm on Tuesday, March 21 as we welcome Helene Bumbalo, Career Advisor at VCU’s School of Business Career Center and learn what resources we can encourage our students to access in college and how to support them without micromanaging or stressing them out!

Join through this Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88259313212?pwd=U3dsckJXSXlEWjVvbHJWbk5sMEw0Zz09

Foundation News:

Contact Info for Grandparents Day 2023 Invites

On the afternoon of Friday, April 28, beginning at 2pm, the Governor’s School Foundation will sponsor Maggie Walker’s annual Grandparents’ Day. Grandparents (or other special adults) of all current students are invited to come to campus, hear a bit from Dr. Lowerre about our wonderful programs, and take a tour with their Dragon at the end of the school day.

Please help us by sharing contact info for your child’s proud grandparent(s) or other significant person using this link. You may have us mail the invitation or we can give it to your student(s) to deliver.

Whether your child’s grandparents can’t wait or can’t make it, we are happy to send them an invitation. Please share contact info by Friday, March 24.

Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation Campaign Update!

The Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation 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. And all the money raised during this friendly competition comes with a fun prize for the class with the highest parent participation (gifts of all amounts count) –an ice cream truck visit! So, please support your Dragon’s class and the Foundation by making your your gift online today.

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

Seniors: 26%
Juniors: 16%
Sophomores: 21%
Freshmen: 27%

On Friday, March 17th, The Maggie Walker Concert Band performed their VBODA assessment concert at Glen Allen High School. The band was awarded unanimous superior ratings by the four judges – the highest distinction for concert band performance in Virginia – performing a difficult grade V program. The concert band is a two-time superior ensemble (2022, 2023). Congratulations to the hard-working band members for their accomplishments!

Maggie Walker hosted our very own chess tournament on Saturday, Mar. 11th, with 95 players coming from all over Virginia, even as far as Alexandria. Some of Chess Club’s members chose to volunteer and raise money, while others chose to compete in the tournament, earning us 1st place as a school team in the K-12 section. Thank you to Arjun A., Saket S., and Eric H. for directing the tournament, all the volunteers for their help, and Mr. Rotche for his supervision and support of our club!

The Artist Orchestra received unanimous Superior ratings and the Advanced and Intermediate Orchestras received Excellent ratings. MLWGS Artist Orchestra was one of only two orchestras to play at a grade 6 and was the only grade 6 orchestra to receive a superior rating. Intermediate Orchestra walked off the stage feeling like they’d never played better! The judges were VERY hard with the grading across the whole district, so our high ratings seemed even harder to achieve this year. If you see an orchestra student, be sure to congratulate them!

“If you really want something, and really work hard, and take advantage of opportunities, and never give up, you will find a way. Follow your Dreams.” ~~ Jane Goodall

Have a great evening and Go Dragons!!!

03/12/23

Remember: Daylight Savings Time began this morning at 2:00 AM. Please be sure that your clocks are correct.

Class of 2023

Here is the link to the Class of 2023 senior letter:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XxHjAIGu-qqUrx6Z2rL_WY2bSX55GkGl/view?usp=sharing

MLWGS Model UN

The 25^th iteration of Maggie Walker’s own Model UN conference, GSMUN, will be held on March 17-18! Our team has been working incredibly hard, and we’re so excited to bring a weekend of debate and diplomacy to more than 500 student delegates this year! We’re also partnering with the nonprofit Communities In Schools, and we’re on track to donate more than $10,000 to their incredible cause. However, we rely on community donations and support to fund staff training, meals, merchandise, delegate supplies, and more for the conference. If you’d like to support our students, please visit tinyurl.com/supportgsmun or learn more at our website, gsmun.net. Thank you so much for allowing us to continue this Maggie Walker legacy!

MLWGS Students: Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be overthrown in a coup? Do you like to yell at people? Need more community service hours? If you answered YES to any of those questions, then you should volunteer for Maggie Walker’s annual Model UN conference, GSMUN! The conference will be held on Friday, March 17th, from 5:00-10:00 pm and Saturday, March 18th, from 8:30 am-8:00 pm. Volunteer shifts are 4-5 hours each and hours can either be counted towards National Honor Society, your school service hour requirements, or a combination of the two (no double dipping!). There will be a cap of 5 hours that can be counted towards your NHS hours requirement. *FREE* breakfast and lunch will be provided for volunteers on Saturday, so we hope you can join us! Please sign up to volunteer at tinyurl.com/gsmunvolunteering.

Security Corner:

Parking – Staff and Students

Please remember to display parking placards at all times on the property. If lost, please let us know ASAP

Please DO NOT park in visitor parking spots without advance authorization

Please DO NOT park in handicap spots with proper decals or advance authorization

AP Testing Announcements

The absolute final deadline to add or adjust AP exams is March 15th. Please make sure that you have double checked your MyAP account before March 15^th to confirmed that all of the correct exams are present. Notify Dr. Loving ([email protected]) if you notice any missing courses. We will not be able to fix errors after March 15th, so it is AP students’ responsibility to log into MyAP and confirm all exams.

If the scheduling process has prompted a student’s desire to self-study for an exam, there is still time to register with a late fee which now totals $137 per exam (at least three students must sign up for us to proctor an exam we do not normally give). Email Dr. Loving ASAP to inquire about this process.

If students wish to cancel an AP exam, they must fill out this form (https://forms.gle/UDPUTA1NPo8Xj8Fx6) by April 15th in order to receive a partial refund of $57 (less the College Board’s $40 cancellation fee). No refunds will be issued after April 15th, but last minute cancellations must still be reported via this form so we can adjust proctor numbers.

Sporting Event Tickets

Foundation News:

Contact Info for Grandparents Day 2023 Invites

Whether your child’s grandparents can’t wait or can’t make it, we are happy to send them an invitation. Please share contact info by March 20.

Night of the Dragon is in the Books!

Huge THANKS to everyone who made the 21st Annual Night of the Dragon a great success! We had a wonderful evening together and raised just over $80,000 to support MLWGS along the way. A special thanks to all of our amazing auction volunteers as well as parents and students who donated wonderful auction items. Look for a list of student-, parent- and alumni-owned businesses who supported the auction in the coming weeks and be sure to support them all year long.

Fun Run:

Saint Patrick’s Day is coming soon and there’s no better way to celebrate than a Leprachaun Fun Run! The Fun Run will be on the track Friday from 11:35 am – 12:15 pm during lunch and will count as community service for all participants. The run will take place in relay form so feel free to sign up with friends and compete against other groups. All winners will receive free pie and for those who don’t like running, there will be a walking option and frisbee tournament as well!

Sign-ups will be this entire week during lunch in the Cafeteria to participate and all funds go to a great cause. Every dollar for registration contributes to the SistersProjectPeru cause of building a medical clinic in the Sacred Valley in Peru which will bring healthcare to the whole community.

Please join me in congratulating the following students on some impressive honors:

Kalliyan Eam: Bertie Green Travel Award for Juniors WINNER (summer trip to Costa Rica) / Spanish Honor Society
Bharathi Kancharla: Junior Travel Scholarship WINNER (summer trip to Costa Rica) / National Spanish Exam
Lauren Blake: Junior Travel Scholarship ALTERNATE (summer trip to Costa Rica) / National Spanish Exam
Michael Klausner: Kevin Cessna-Buscemi Global Citizen Scholarship (summer immersion program at Concordia Language Villages, Portuguese) / National Spanish Exam

These fine students are just a few of the many outstanding language learners who have sharpened their skills at Maggie Walker. As other awards come rolling in over the next few months, we look forward to sharing the good news with the Maggie Walker community.

Congratulations to Kalliyan, Bharathi, Lauren and Michael!

Please join me in congratulating the following students for their performance in the National Russian Essay Contest, sponsored by the American Council of Teachers of Russian. Over 730 students nationwide competed, including over 250 at the Beginner’s level. These deserve to be proud of their performance on a rigorous assessment.

Beginner’s level (completed Russian 1):

Sarah Crowder: Silver medal
Ella Forlin: Gold medal
Caroline Johnson: Gold medal
Keira Kinnier: Gold medal
Will Knutson: Gold medal
Jordyn Krajewski: Bronze medal
Elena Loy: Honorable Mention
Abigail Montgomery: Gold medal
Ella Nock: Bronze medal
Tanvi Palavalas: Gold medal
Mallory Phillips: Silver medal
Akshaya Ramasamy: Silver medal
Greta Shope: Gold medal
Evan Solomon: Silver medal

Intermediate level (completed Russian 2): Amelia Johnson: Gold medal

“Never underestimate the power of a girl with a book.” Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Have a great evening and Go Dragons!!!

03/05/23

Class of 2023

Here is the link to the Class of 2023 senior letter:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XxHjAIGu-qqUrx6Z2rL_WY2bSX55GkGl/view?usp=sharing

MLWGS Model UN

AP Testing Announcements

School Counseling:

A new edition of the Junior Newsletter has been posted to the “College Information for the Class of 2024” Schoology group and the School Counseling website: https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters Check it out for helpful reminders, contests, cool summer opportunities, and more!

Parents of 11^th graders, if your student has not consulted you about the scheduling of their Junior College Meeting with their senior counselor, please view this same Schoology page together for the SignUpGenius links for Ms. Forquer (last names A-L) and Dr. Loving (last names M-Z). Talk to you soon!

SOL Announcement:

The writing SOL administration will take place during the week of March 6^th in sophomore English classes. Students will take the multiple-choice portion of the exam during class on Monday and Tuesday. The writing portion of the exam will be administered on Wednesday and Thursday. For students in a 7^th or 8^th period English class, they will start the writing test during 5^th or 6^th period to allow ample time to complete their essays.

Please contact Ms. Ndayizigiye ([email protected]) or Ms. Cobb ([email protected]) if you have additional questions.

Security Corner:

Please check lost and found! Contents will be removed on Friday, March 10.

Sporting Event Tickets

Congratulations to Peize Wang and Trip Taylor, who both successfully auditioned into the All-Virginia Band. They will perform with the top student performers in Virginia at the All-Virginia Event at the Richmond Convocation Center on April 29th.

Congratulations to Ally Lichtman, ’25, who competed at the Virginia History Day District 8 Competition on Saturday, February 28, 2023. Her research paper, “An Unlikely Exchange: Cultural Solidarity and Syncretism between Central European Jewish Refugees and the Jewish and Chinese Communities in Shanghai during World War II” advanced to the state competition to be held on Sunday, April 30, 2023 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.

MLWGS students participated and won awards at the Metro Richmond Science and Engineering Fair on saturday March 4^th which was organized by VCU school of education.

Yash Saxena (Henrico’24) – Won First Place in the category of Behavioral and Social Sciences for his project ‘Optimizing A Deep Learning Model for the Prediction of Electric Field Induced by Transcranial Megnatic Stimulation for Traumatic Brain Injury Patient’. Yash will be competing in VSSEF in April for Intel Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Yash also won 2023 Regeneron Biomedical Science Award by Regeneron and Society for Science.

Deepanshi Kumar (Henrico’26) – Won Second place award in the category of Animal Sciences for her project ‘The Effect of Different Concentrations of Polypropyleneand Polyethylene Microplastics on the Heart Rate of Daphnia Magna’.

Aditya Badhraya(Henrico’26) – Won Honarable Mention in the category of Animal Sciences for his project ‘Analysis of Aspartame Consumption Rates viaDrosophila Melanogaster Utilizing a Modified CapillaryFeeding Assay (CaFE)’.

Aashka Shah (Henrico’24) – Participated in the category of Biomedical and Health Science.

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 Go Dragons!!!

02/26/23

AP Testing Announcements

School Counseling:

Attention Parents and Students!

If you were not able to enter your course request on Thursday due to an absence or missing and/or incomplete forms, a make-up registration session will take place on Monday, February 27^th during lunch in room 318. Due to the number of students needing to register, last names A-L must come to 318 between 11:35-11:55 and last names M-Z must come between 11:55-12:15 to register.

Please contact your child’s counselor if you have questions.

9^th: Ms. Kelly Ndayizigiye ([email protected])
10^th: Ms. Joy Cobb ([email protected])
11^th: A-L: Ms. Kim Forquer ([email protected])
M-Z: Dr. Rachel Loving ([email protected])

Sporting Event Tickets

Visual and Performing Arts:

March is where we take time to highlight the talented young artists and musicians at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School. This year to help celebrate Youth Art and Music Month, our wonderful student music groups will be performing throughout the evening along with a huge exhibition of student artwork and photography. All students in Photography and Visual Arts classes will have their work on display, along with musical performances by our MLWGS Band, Orchestra, and Chorus students.

With all that to look forward to, please mark your calendars for Thursday evening, March 2nd, for our annual Youth Art and Music Month opening. The event begins at 5:45PM and will run approximately until 9:00PM. Welcome remarks in the auditorium will take place at 6:15PM. This event is open to the public, so you are encouraged to invite your friends and family to join us for this special evening celebrating our young artists and musicians! Light refreshments will be served.

The Foundation

Last Chance to Get Your Night of the Dragon Tickets!

We are putting the final touches on the Night of the Dragon and we hate for you to miss it. So, if you’ve procrastinated (hey, we get it, we do it too!) but still want to join the fun, please order your ticket(s) by NOON on Monday and get ready to have a great time with your Dragon family!

Let the Bidding Begin! Silent Auction Open

The Night of the Dragon Silent Auction is now live for bidding. If you’re unable to attend the event in person, you can still bid on items online by going to http://nightofthedragon2023 or texting nightofthedragon2023 to 243725. All items must be picked up at school and all proceeds go to support MLWGS so Bid Early, Bid Often.

April 28 is Grandparents’ Day 2023 at MLWGS

The Governor’s School Foundation will host the annual Grandparents and Special Guests Day on the afternoon of Friday, April 28, beginning at 2pm. Grandparents or other special adults of all current students will be invited to join us to hear a bit from Dr. Lowerre about our wonderful school, enjoy refreshments, and tour the school with their Dragon at the end of the day. We will begin gathering contact information via google form in the coming weeks.

Congratulations!

On Saturday, February 25, the Maggie Walker Quiz Bowl team consisting of Timothy Porter, Yash Saxena, Risshi Naavaal, and team captain Sam McNamee competed in the Virginia High School League Class 3 state championship. After beating Fort Defiance and York high schools, they faced their toughest competition against Cave Spring High School in their final game and were down by 50 points at the end of round 1. But by the end of the game, they had pulled off a massive comeback to win the game by 10 points, resulting in a sweep of the tournament. Congratulations to the Quiz Bowl team on being VHSL Class 3 state champions!

Congratulations to these students who received recognition for their performance on the National German Exam. This challenging yearly exam tests students’ ability to read and comprehend authentic print, audio and video materials. Students in grades 9-11 who receive Gold recognition may go on to compete for a three-week summer study trip to Germany. Students in grade 12 who receive Gold recognition may go on to compete for a monetary scholarship. Wir gratulieren euch!

German Level 4

David Lins (Gold)

Blake Gilman (Bronze)

German Level 3

Matilda Frantz (Gold)

German Level 2

Sadie McMahon (Gold)

Sahasra Boggarapu (Gold)

Rebekah Carper (Silver)

Joseph Vinson (Silver)

Benny Lefkowitz (Silver)

Molly Morrison (Silver)

Nikhita Saravanan (Silver)

Brinda Iyer (Bronze)

Callie Kennedy (Bronze)

Ella Kraft (Achievement)

Peize Wang (Achievement)

Ok, I realize that this quote may not be the most inspirational one that I have ever posted, but I wanted to close out Black History Month with quote from Muhammad Ali. Ali was the quintessential athlete whose legacy and influence stretched so much further than the ring. At one time, he was the most recognizable person on the planet. In addition to his athletic prowess, he was an activist fighting for civil rights, opposing the war in Vietnam, and working for social justice all over the world. I could choose so many great quotes from him, as he was indeed The Greatest, but here is one that I have always loved. “It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand, and I beat people up.”

Have a great evening and Go Dragons!!!

02/19/23

School will be closed on Monday February 20^th in observance of President’s Day and will remain closed on Tuesday February 21^st for the special election. School will re-open on Wednesday February 22^nd.

MLWGS Budget:

The proposed FY24 operating budget I’m presenting to the Regional School Board totals $10,590,000.00. Maggie Walker remains a choice school because of our outstanding students, staff, and participating division support, and we must provide the needed resources to make sure this continues.

Our student population will grow to 783 students next year with additional slots requested by Richmond, Henrico, Colonial Heights, and Dinwiddie. The proposed budget I will submit considers this growth and provides needed resources to support it.

Our proposal would fund operational costs for the 2023-24 school year and includes an additional $901,543.00 over our fiscal year 2023 budget levels, to include $634,927.00 in workforce investment including additional full-time teachers and a part-time position for Coordinator of Strategic Engagement to develop training opportunities for faculty on how to recognize, accommodate and appreciate cultural differences and provides suggestions, resources, and training on DEI related topics.

Projected funding includes $3,052,352.00 in state revenue and $7,288,957.00 in local funding (tuition), and other miscellaneous revenues to meet requirements and community expectations, recruit and retain the best talent and serve our students appropriately.

The FY24 budget proposal can be viewed here. We welcome your feedback and invite you to do so by using this form or by joining us at the budget public hearing on March 16, 2023, during the regional school board meeting.

We are thankful for our collaboration with our participating school divisions and our MLWGS community.

Black History Month Activities:

To recognize Black History Month, MLWGS will focus on the history and culture of the educational experience for African Americans. The first event is an opportunity for our students to learn more about the legacy of one of the most anticipated football games in the Richmond area—the Walker-Armstrong Classic. The second is a three-part film study, in which students will examine the role and impact of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Here are the details on the remaining event:

Wednesday, February 22^nd: Discussion of prevalent themes in the movie (Drum Line) and social commentary (Students from Ms. Cross’s Civil Rights Movement elective and Mr. Coleman’s Black Authors seminar will lead this discussion in the library.)

School Counseling:

Course Registration will take place on Thursday, February 23^rd during 2^nd period. Students will have received Course Registration forms (and VCU forms if applicable) from their counselor. Teacher signatures are required for plus, Dual Enrollment, Pre-AP, Advanced Placement, and INTENSIVE courses on the Couse Registration Form. A parent signature is required for the Course Registration Form and the VCU packet for Dual Enrollment courses (please make sure to sign the registration form, in-state tuition form, and honor form). It is important for students to list both semesters of VCU Statistics and any alternate VCU classes on the VCU Registration form. Teacher signatures are not needed for VCU Darkroom or VCU Elements of the Moving Image. Extra copies of the forms are available in the counseling office and the Counseling website.

Please contact your child’s counselor if you have questions.

9^th: Ms. Kelly Ndayizigiye ([email protected])
10^th: Ms. Joy Cobb ([email protected])
11^th: A-L: Ms. Kim Forquer ([email protected])
M-Z: Dr. Rachel Loving ([email protected])

Interested in applying for scholarships or special opportunities? The February 2023 Senior Newsletter has been posted to the “College Information for the Class of 2023” Schoology page and the School Counseling website: https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters More information (including scholarship descriptions, links to the application websites, or the applications themselves) can be found on Naviance. Contact Kim Forquer in the School Counseling Office with any questions.

Security Corner

Reminder… Please Check Lost and Found regularly

DO NOT OPEN DOORS FOR ANYONE DURING SCHOOL HOURS

While we are hopeful that this is happening after hours by visitors to our school, defacing and / or vandalizing vending machines is a crime. Our vendors will remove their machines if this practice continues. These machines do not belong to the school, so please use them appropriately!

MLWGS Drama presents Emma! A Pop Musical

by Eric Price

Direction & Choreography by Irene Kuykendall

Musical Direction by Elle Meerovich

February 23, 24 & 25 at 7pm

Adapted from the timeless Jane Austen novel, highschool senior Emma Woodhouse names herself the matchmaker of Highbury Prep as she sets out to find her shy classmate Harriet Smith the boyfriend of her dreams. In a lighthearted and upbeat production featuring pop hits from the 60s to today, the students of Highbury Prep will guide you through the everlasting drama that is high school romance.

Tickets: $7 for students, $12 for adults. Buy in advance online at https://mlwgs-emma.eventbrite.com/ or with cash at the door.

Sporting Event Tickets

Visual and Performing Arts:

Athletics:

SPRING sports start date will be FEBRUARY 22, 2023. See school website for sites and times.

Any students planning on playing any of our SPRING SPORTS for 2023 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

Click to access 3333_001-2.pdf

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

The Foundation

The Night of the Dragon is almost here! Act now!

Today!

Get your tickets today and make plans to join us for this evening of fun. Ticket sales end Friday (but why wait?)

Online Silent Auction preview begins (with more items added daily!)

Seating requests (tables of up to 10) due to Veronica at [email protected]

Feb. 24

Online bidding begins!

March 4, 6:30pm

The Big Event at the Altria Theater!

We hope you’ll join us for this amazing evening that provides important funding for MLWGS through our Boosters, PTSA, and Foundation and lots of fun for our Dragon family.

Show Your Appreciation with Thank a Teacher Tickets

Have a fave teacher(s) you think deserves a wonderful evening out? We bet you do. Each year, the Foundation partners with MLWGS parents so our amazing teachers can attend the Night of the Dragon for free. Even if you cannot make it to the event, you can sponsor a Thank a Teacher ticket. Your name will be displayed on signage at the event letting our teachers know you appreciate all they do!

On Saturday, February 18, the MLWGS bands rehearsed with Tallwood High School director Timothy Rossettini in preparation for VBODA Assessment. Under his direction, Tallwood High school is a 12-time Virginia Honor Band. Lindsey Eskins of the Virginia Wind Symphony and Charlie Frise of No BS! Brass also worked with the ensemble during the clinic. The band continues to strive towards musical excellence as the spring assessment season continues.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of their 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.” Nelson Mandela

Have a great evening and Go Dragons!!!

02/12/23

Happy Early Valentine’s Day!

Black History Month Activities:

Here are the details:

Thursday, February 9^th: Mr. Dennis Harvey will do a lunchtime lecture in the forum on the Walker-Armstrong Classic and will share excerpts from his recently published book on this topic. School artifacts and Mr. Harvey’s book will be on display. All staff and students are invited.

Thursday, February 16^th: History and Culture of HBCUs (Thomas Jefferson History Honor Society members will do a lunchtime lecture on this topic in the library.)

Friday, February 17^th: Drumline (All students are invited for an after school viewing of the movie in the Black Box.)

Wednesday, February 22^nd: Discussion of prevalent themes in the movie and social commentary (Students from Ms. Cross’s Civil Rights Movement elective and Mr. Coleman’s Black Authors seminar will lead this discussion in the library.)

MLWGS Drama presents Emma! A Pop Musical

by Eric Price

Direction & Choreography by Irene Kuykendall

Musical Direction by Elle Meerovich

February 23, 24 & 25 at 7pm

Tickets: $7 for students, $12 for adults. Buy in advance online at https://mlwgs-emma.eventbrite.com/ or with cash at the door.

Sporting Event Tickets

Athletics:

SPRING sports start date will be FEBRUARY 22, 2023. See school website for sites and times.

Any students planning on playing any of our SPRING SPORTS for 2023 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

Click to access 3333_001-2.pdf

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

Night of the Dragon is Just Around the Corner—March 4^th at the Altria Theater

Get Your Tickets Today

(Only 300 tickets available and they’re selling quickly)

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

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

* Wood-Fired Pizza Making with the Lowerres

* Local experiences, including 2 prime tickets to HAMILTON at the Altria, a Hardywood gazebo rental, a private tour of the Byrd Theater, RIR VIP tickets, Broadway in Richmond, and many more

* Beach and River home vacation stays

* Memberships to The Richmond Forum, King Family Vineyards, Cyclebar, and more

* A 32 Bottle Wine Fridge from Crystal Ice Co.

* Ice cream truck party from The Neighborhood Scoop

* MLWGS treasures, including reserved tickets for MLWGS graduation, Camp Varsity and College Boot Camp

And so much more!

We look forward to seeing you there!

I would like to end this message with a quote from Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Justice on the U.S. Supreme court who had previously argued the landmark desegregation case Brown V. The Board of Education of Topeka. He wrote, “Racism separates, but it never liberates. Hatred generates fear, and fear once given a foothold binds, consumes, and imprisons. Nothing is gained from prejudice. No one benefits from racism.”

Enjoy the Super Bowl and Go Dragons!!!

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School Counselor Week:

This week is National School Counseling Week. Our school counselors and staff are the absolute best! Whether it is helping students select classes, writing college recommendation letters, navigating the intricacies of enrollment, or supporting our kids social and mental health, our folks get it done every single day. Please be sure to thank our team for all their hard work. Happy School Counseling Week!

Black History Month Activities:

Here are the details:

Thursday, February 16^th: History and Culture of HBCUs (Thomas Jefferson History Honor Society members will do a lunchtime lecture on this topic in the library.)

Friday, February 17^th: Drumline (All students are invited for an after school viewing of the movie in the Black Box.)

Social Studies Department:

Follow the Social studies department on Instagram @mlwgssocialstudies to find out about exciting classes, events, lessons, and the TJ History Honor Society.

Sporting Event Tickets

Athletics:

SPRING sports start date will be FEBRUARY 22, 2023. See school website for sites and times.

Any students planning on playing any of our SPRING SPORTS for 2023 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

Click to access 3333_001-2.pdf

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

Night ot the Dragon:

Get Your Night of the Dragon Tickets Before They Sell Out

The 21st Annual Night of the Dragon ticket deadline is only two weeks away and there are ONLY 300 total tickets available so get yours today for what is sure to be the social highlight of the year for the MLWGS family.

The evening includes dinner and drinks, live and silent auctions benefitting our Dragons and teachers, wonderful student entertainment, and a great chance to enjoy time with other MLWGS parents, alumni, and friends!

In addition to all the fun, we have many great auction items, including:

* 2 prime tickets to HAMILTON at Altria theater * Private tour for 12 of the Byrd Theatre * 32-bottle wine fridge * Vacation stays * 40-person Ice cream truck party * Reserved tickets for MLWGS graduation 2023 * Custom items by MLWGS alumni, parents, and students* Unique experiences and adventures* One-of-a-kind art and jewelry* Our ever-popular themed gift baskets * And so much more!

Auction Items Still Needed

There’s still time to donate an item(s) for the Night of the Dragon Live or Silent Auctions to help us reach our fundraising goal. We always love to have a wide array of items so everyone finds lots to bid on. To donate, fill out the online donation form and/or contact Ginger O’Neil ([email protected]). All donations are made to the Governor’s School Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3), (Tax ID 54-1608930).

Band:

Fourteen MLWGS Band students participated in district band from February 2-4. Students worked with master conductors Dr. Terry Austin and David Kauffman to prepare a concert over the three-day event. 2023 marks a record for the number of students accepted to district band from MLWGS. Four students will continue on to audition for All-Virginia Band at the end of February. Go band!

Participating Students:

Bilal Ahmad*

Sydney Brewer

Connor Cloe

Grace Crislip

Andrew Eaton

Jessica Hendricks

Michael Lusk*

Eric Hu

Heer Patel

Liam Reed

Audrey Tang

Michael “Trip” Taylor*

Peize Wang*

Lucy Whealton

*=All-Virginia eligible

Quiz Bowl:

Congratulations to the MLWGS Quiz Bowl team who took First Place in Regionals this weekend. On to States!

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 day and Go Dragons!!!

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Congratulations to the MLWGS “We the People” team for winning the State Championship this weekend! Way to go Dragons!

College Kick-Off

MLWGS College Kick-Off is scheduled for Thursday, February 2nd!* (This event will not be recorded.)

-The session for 10^th graders is scheduled for 10:20-11:30AM. Each sophomore may be represented by 1-2 parents. (Please complete the Google form that was emailed to you or contact Kim Forquer in the School Counseling Office to RSVP by noon on 2/1/23.)

-A special activity has been planned for 9^th graders in the Auditorium during their lunch break. (This event is for students only.)

-The session for 11^th graders is scheduled for 1:10-3:10PM. Each junior may be represented by 1-2 parents. (Please complete the Google form that was emailed to you or contact Kim Forquer in the School Counseling Office to RSVP by noon on 2/1/23.) Juniors will be dismissed at 3:10PM, but parents are invited to stay for additional Q&A with college panelists from 3:10-3:30PM.

*Parents of tenth and eleventh graders, please note that the school parking lots will be closed to visitors on Thursday, 2/2. Please plan on arriving early for your student’s grade-level program to secure a parking spot at the James River Bus Lot and to check in at the Bluestone Lobby before heading to the Auditorium.

Black History Month Activities:

Here are the details:

Thursday, February 16^th: History and Culture of HBCUs (Thomas Jefferson History Honor Society members will do a lunchtime lecture on this topic in the library.)

Friday, February 17^th: Drumline (All students are invited for an after school viewing of the movie in the Black Box.)

Tuesday, February 21^st: Discussion of prevalent themes in the movie and social commentary (Students from Ms. Cross’s Civil Rights Movement elective and Mr. Coleman’s Black Authors seminar will lead this discussion in the library.)

Library

Writer talk on Monday, Jan. 30^th in the Forum with Kris Spisak, author of The Baba Yaga Mask

Bring your lunch to the forum on Monday, Jan. 30^th, for an engaging conversation with Kris Spisak about writing and insights into her experience weaving together research and personal experience in The Baba Yaga Mask, a novel inspired by her Ukrainian heritage. If you’ve already read the book, feel free to bring your copy for Ms. Spisak to sign. She will also be talking with Mr. White’s Russian I class and Slavic Folklore seminar, where her focus will be on Baba Yaga tales in Slavic folklore.

Write an Original Baba Yaga Tale with a Modern Spin by Monday @ Lunch and You Might Win

Bring dark forests, magic, mystery, fear, a house on chicken feet, and maybe a little humor into your winter nights by diving into the challenge of writing an original Baba Yaga tale (a hallmark of Slavic folklore) while giving it a modern spin. Length: 250 to 750 words. You’ll find flyers on info boards around the school that list classic elements of Baba Yaga tales (as described by students in Mr. White’s Slavic Folklore seminar). If you have questions, see Ms. DeGroat. Submissions are due to Ms. DeGroat soon – by the end of lunch on Monday, Jan. 30^th. What might you win? a Target gift card and the chance to read your story at a lunchtime special event. Judge: Kris Spisak, author of The Baba Yaga Mask.

Bollywood Dancing!:

Are you interested in performing in this year’s International Assembly? JOIN THE BOLLYWOOD DANCE ACT!! There will be an interest meeting for this act on Monday, January 30th in Room 237 during lunch. Check the International Assembly Schoology group for more information.

Sporting Event Tickets

Foundation

Get Your Night of the Dragon Tickets Now

There are ONLY 300 tickets available for the 21st Annual Night of the Dragon so get yours today!

The Night of the Dragon Auction is getting set for March 4th at the Altria Theater Ballroom. Be sure to get your ticket before they sell out. Each Night of the Dragon ticket includes Dinner, the Live and Silent Auction, a Welcome Drink plus 1 Drink Ticket, Wonderful Student Entertainment, and Free Parking courtesy of VCU!

We are adding great auction items daily. Recent additions include a Private Tour for 12 of the Byrd Theatre, a 32-Bottle Wine Fridge, and a Signed Set of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” books from author Jenny Han ’98

Other items of amazing Live and Silent Auction items already include:

* 2 prime tickets to HAMILTON at Altria theater * Vacation stays * Ice cream truck social from The Neighborhood Scoop * Reserved tickets for MLWGS graduation * Custom items by MLWGS alumni, parents, and students * Unique experiences and adventures* @ Tickets to Kings Dominion * One-of-a-kind art and jewelry* Our ever-popular themed gift baskets * And so much more!

And there’s still time to donate an item(s) for the Live or Silent Auctions to help us reach our fundraising goal. To donate or help solicit, contact Ginger O’Neil ([email protected]). All donations are made to the Governor’s School Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3), (Tax ID 54-1608930).

Can’t make it on March 4? You can still register to bid in the Silent Auction and purchase a Thank a Teacher ticket online.

Mark Your Calendars for Grandparents Day 2023

Athletics:

SPRING sports start date will be FEBRUARY 22, 2023. See school website for sites and times.

Any students planning on playing any of our SPRING SPORTS for 2023 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

Click to access 3333_001-2.pdf

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

The MLWGS Visual Arts Department is very excited to announce that our talented students were recently honored by having their work selected in the regional 2023 Scholastic Art competition. This is a highly competitive annual art competition which had 1878 art entries from around the region.

MLWGS students had one of their best years ever with 69 total awards and the most portfolio winners from ANY school, recognizing Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School as one of the region’s top schools for the Arts.

69 total awards

28 Gold Keys awards including 3 Gold Key Portfolios and 1 American Visions Nominee

14 Silver Keys awards including 2 Silver Key Portfolios

27 Honorable Mentions including 4 Honorable Mention Portfolios

Two Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School students received special recognition for their work in this show.

Senior, Kori Benjamin, received an American Visions Award nomination for her drawing, Girls with Guns. Additionally, senior, Gray Pershing’s sculpture, Stargirl, was chosen for the VisArts Artistic Merit Award.

A portfolio award is very difficult to achieve as it requires a comprehensive body of work expressing a unique artistic voice. Maggie Walker Governor’s School received the most portfolio awards of any school in the region. Please join me in congratulating the following SENIORS who received received special recognition for their portfolios.

V Bryson – Gold Key Art Portfolio with additional awards of 1 Gold Key in Mixed Media and 1 Honorable Mention in Extended Projects

Reade Henley – Gold Key Art Portfolio with additional awards of 1 Silver Key and 1 Honorable Mention for Fashion

Julia Turner – Gold Key Photography Portfolio with additional awards of 1 Gold Key and 1 Silver Key for Photography

Ala Killen – Silver Key Photography Portfolio, Honorable Mention Art Portfolio, with additional awards of 2 Silver Keys for Painting, 1 Silver Key for Photography, and 3 Honorable Mentions for Photography

Ananya Sairaman – Silver Key Art Portfolio with additional awards of 4 Gold Keys for Drawing, Printmaking, and Painting

Kori Benjamin – Honorable Mention Art Portfolio, with additional award of 1 Gold Key and American Visions Award Nominee in Drawing and 1 Gold Key in Painting

Cameron Golden – Honorable Mention Art Portfolio with additional award of 1 Silver Key in Painting

Libbie Sydnor – Honorable Mention Photography Portfolio with additional award of 1 Honorable Mention in Sculpture

Gold and Silver Key winners will have their work displayed at the Visual Art Center of Richmond from Feb. 3- Feb. 20th. Gold Key works will be juried in New York for consideration for National Awards.

Congratulations to the following students who were recognized with individual Gold Keys and/or Silver Keys:

Lucie Bouton – Gold Key in Photography and Silver Key in Sculpture

Tyler DeHaven – Gold Key in Digital Art

Hannah Fetter – Gold Key in Photography and Honorable Mention in Ceramics

Charlie Goodman – Gold Key in Photography

Emil Josefiak – Gold Key in Printmaking and Gold Key in Mixed Media

Izzy List – Gold Key in Painting

Mercedes Luna – Gold Key in Drawing and another Gold Key in Printmaking

Shorya Malani – Gold Key in Photography

Cecilia Oseguera – Gold Key and Honorable Mention in Painting

Gray Pershing – Two Gold Keys and an Honorable Mention in Sculpture

Allyson Phillips- Two Gold Keys and an Honorable Mention in Photography

Brielle Telfair – Gold Key in Mixed Media

Carson Wang – Gold Key and an Honorable Mention in Film and Animation

Ananthu Anish – Silver Key in Drawing

Ella Cable – Silver Key in Photography

Matilda Frantz – Silver Key in Drawing

Xavier Julien – Silver Key in Digital Art

Sadie McMahon – Silver Key in Design

The Scholastic Arts competition is extremely competitive. All recognitions celebrate the quality of these student works. Please join me in congratulating these students who were recognized with Honorable Mention awards for their work:

Colleen Blakeney – HM in Photography

Elizabeth Eckstein- HM in Photography

Sadie Hall – HM in Fashion

Muriel Lewis – HM in Design

Ryan Marks – HM in Photography

Owen McDonald – HM in Photography

Kaysen Mills – HM in Photography

Mattias Parandeh – HM in Photography

Lambrini Phillos – HM in Painting

Sibi Sundar – HM in Photography

Olympia Theofanos – HM in Photography

Congratulations to all these talented students! Go Dragons!

Band:

Thirteen band students performed for an audience of 3,500 live and 1,500 virtual audience members at the Altria Theater on Saturday 1/21. This performance, hosted by the Richmond Forum, was in support of Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, who spoke about the integrity of facts in the internet age. The MLWGS Band is the largest ensemble to perform for the forum at the Altria, and only the second public school ensemble to perform at a speaker event.

Student performers:

Matthew Bond

Pooshan Chaudhuri

Grace Crislip

Ella Forlin

Emily Garloff

Qingyuan Hu

Michael Klausner

Kate Lindley

Zachary Mazzo

Hudson Pitchford

Henry Walworth

Lucy Whealton

Melody Yuan

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 day and Go Dragons!!!

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Conferences:

Parent Teacher conferences will take place via Zoom on Thursday January 26^th between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM. The link to sign up for a conference will be sent via email at 3:00 PM tomorrow, Monday January 23^rd.

Online Personal Finance Course

Reminder for all students enrolled in the 2023 Spring Semester Online Personal Finance Course. The course will begin next week and should be live in Schoology on Tuesday, January 17^th. First due dates will begin the following week on Monday, January 23^rd. If your student needs to add or drop this course, please contact their guidance counselor.

2023 Online Summer Economics June 5^th – June 26^th with final exam that must be taken synchronously either during the early option on June 23^rd at 9 am or the regular time on June 26^th at 9 am.

2023 Online Summer Personal Finance July 10^th – July 31^st with final exam that must be taken synchronously either during the early option on July 28^th at 9 am or the regular time on July 31^st at 9 am.

College Kick-Off

College Kick-Off 2023, February 2…Parents of Sophomores and Juniors, Save the Date!

College Kick-Off will take place on Thursday, February 2. Its goal is to generate more awareness of college admissions, to support students through their college search and application process, and to set them up for success!

Senior/college counselors Rachel Loving and Kim Forquer (the planners and moderators of this event) will be joined onstage by panelists from Georgetown University, University of California-Berkeley, University of Mary Washington, VCU, and more!

Parents of 10th graders* are invited to join their students in the MLWGS Auditorium on 2/2/23 from 10:15-11:30 AM.

Parents of 11th graders* are invited to join their students in the MLWGS Auditorium on 2/2/23 from 1:10-3:10 PM; college reps will be available (for 11^th grade parents only) until 3:30 PM for additional Q&A.

*Please note that due to limited seating capacity, each student may be accompanied by only 1-2 parents or guardians to their assigned assembly. Look for more information about this event coming soon.

Black History Month Activities:

Here are the details:

Thursday, February 16^th: History and Culture of HBCUs (Thomas Jefferson History Honor Society members will do a lunchtime lecture on this topic in the library.)

Friday, February 17^th: Drumline (All students are invited for an after school viewing of the movie in the Black Box.)

Course Registration Information:

The Counseling Department is hosting grade-level lunch time assemblies on Monday (10^th graders), Tuesday (9^th graders), and Wednesday (11^th graders) to discuss the course registration process for the 2023-2024 school year. Over the next month, counselors will be meeting with students individually to discuss academic plans and complete the Course Registration worksheet. Parents can find specific details about course registration and options on the school counseling page on Course Registration Information.

Course registration will take place on February 23^rd during 2^nd period. Students must have their Course Registration Form completed with all signatures at that time as well as the three VCU forms if registering for VCU Dual Enrollment classes (rising juniors and seniors only). Students are allowed to submit a schedule change request up until the end of this school year, though some classes may fill up based on initial registration.

Please contact your child’s counselor if you have questions.

9^th: Ms. Kelly Ndayizigiye ([email protected])

10^th: Ms. Joy Cobb ([email protected])

11^th: A-L: Ms. Kim Forquer ([email protected])

M-Z: Dr. Rachel Loving ([email protected])

Community Service:

At the end of the semester, it is a good time to check your student’s community service status. Each student at Maggie Walker must earn 140 community service hours by graduation (70 can be earned on campus). Look at their semester total that appears on their report card. Have them show you their x2vol account for more details. Seniors need to reach 140 hours by May. Juniors should be at 105 hours by the beginning of their Senior year. Sophomores should be at 70 hours by the beginning of their Junior year. Freshmen should be at 35 hours by the beginning of their Sophomore year. If students need guidance or have questions, they should stop by Mr. Cook’s office (Room 315), or they can email him at [email protected].

Jabberwock:

Volume 17, Issue 3 of Maggie Walker’s newspaper, The Jabberwock, is now available! Students can pick up a copy at school in the cafeteria or commons, and all articles can be read online at thejwock.com.

Yearbook:

Alert! The 2023 Yearbook has a few spaces remaining for senior ads. It’s not too late to pay tribute to your beloved senior. Questions? Please email the Yearbook adviser, Michael White, at [email protected], for further information.

Dragon Writing Center

The Dragon Writing Center is open to all classes and all levels on Wednesdays and Thursdays during lunch in room 227. Always here to help improve any paper!

Beginning 23 January, the Dragon Writing Center will be open Monday-Thursday during lunch!

Sporting Event Tickets

We are very excited to finally offer the option to by tickets for MLWGS sporting events using an online program. You can access the link for scheduled events using the following link:

https://gofan.co/app/school/VA7818

Tickets can also be purchased on site using a QR code that will be provided at the ticket table.

Foundation

Night of the Dragon Tickets on Sale Now!

Today’s the Day! You can now purchase tickets for the 21st 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, alumni, and friends. This year’s event is taking place on March 4th at the Altria Theater Ballroom. Each Night of the Dragon ticket includes a Welcome Drink plus 1 Drink Ticket, Dinner, Live and Silent Auction, and Lively Entertainment!

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

* 2 prime tickets to HAMILTON at Altria theater

* Vacation home stays

* Ice cream truck social from The Neighborhood Scoop

* Reserved tickets for MLWGS graduation

* Theater and event tickets

* Custom items by MLWGS alumni, parents, and students

* Unique experiences and adventures

* One-of-a-kind art and jewelry

* Our ever-popular themed gift baskets

* And so much more!

Can’t make it on March 4? You can still register to bid in the Silent Auction and purchase Thank a Teacher tickets.

And here are some other ways you can help make the upcoming 21st Annual Night of the Dragon the best ever and support our amazing students and teachers.

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. All donations are made to the Governor’s School Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3), (Tax ID 54-1608930).

Become a Sponsor.

Individual and corporate sponsorships are available from $500 to $10,000. For Sponsorships, contact Ginger O’Neil.

Athletic Training Department:

If you have any aluminum crutches you no longer need, they can be donated to the athletic training room! Also, athletics will accept gently used towels. They can be dropped off with Ms. Turnbow (Athletic Trainer) or Coach Hawkins.

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our SPRING SPORTS for 2023 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

Click to access 3333_001-2.pdf

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

English Awards:

The English department is honored to announce that Scholastics has recognized and awarded several of our talented writers. This year’s regional competition included over 200 entries for writing in eight different categories. Below is a list of winners:

Aditya	Badhrayan	10	Honorable Mention	Writing	Short Story
Lauren	Blake	11	Silver Key	Writing	Humor
Sydney	Brewer	11	Gold Key, American Voices Nominee	Writing	Short Story
Ananya	Gomatam	12	Honorable Mention	Writing	Critical Essay
Ananya	Gomatam	12	Silver Key	Writing	Poetry
Ananya	Gomatam	12	Honorable Mention	Writing	Poetry
Chelsea	Hagan	11	Honorable Mention	Writing	Personal Essay & Memoir
CIva	Haverson	9	Honorable Mention	Writing	Short Story
Emil	Josefiak	12	Honorable Mention	Writing	Humor
Emil	Josefiak	12	Gold Key	Writing	Humor
Emil	Josefiak	12	Silver Key	Writing	Science Fiction & Fantasy
Emil	Josefiak	12	Honorable Mention	Writing	Humor
Xavier	Julien	9	Honorable Mention	Writing	Short Story
Ala	Killen	12	Honorable Mention	Writing	Poetry
Vien	Nguyen	12	Honorable Mention	Writing	Short Story
Alexis	Paraschiv	10	Honorable Mention	Writing	Science Fiction & Fantasy
Nishka	Patel	11	Silver Key	Writing	Critical Essay
Sanika	Rewatkar	12	Silver Key	Writing	Poetry
Annabel	Tang	12	Silver Key	Writing	Personal Essay & Memoir
Annabel	Tang	12	Silver Key	Writing	Journalism
Annabel	Tang	12	Gold Key	Writing	Personal Essay & Memoir
Annabel	Tang	12	Silver Key	Writing	Journalism
Olympia	Theofanos	12	Silver Key	Writing	Critical Essay

The Visual Arts Center of Richmond (1812 West Main Street) will display the names of winners and make their writing submission(s) available to read from February 3^rd through February 20^th. Entrance to the exhibit is free and open to the public.

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!

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 day and Go Dragons!!!

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School will be closed on Monday January 16^th in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday.

Advanced Placement Testing Reminder:

January 18^th is the deadline for requesting accommodations for a documented disability not already approved by the College Board. Please send formal requests and supporting documentation to Ms. Joy Cobb ([email protected]) no later than January 17^th so that she can prepare and submit requests by the College Board’s deadline.

Online Personal Finance Course

Chesterfield Seniors:

Attention seniors who live in Chesterfield County: the application deadline for the $2500 Leadership for the 21^st Century Scholarship (part of Chesterfield’s celebration of Black History Month 2023) has been extended to Wednesday, January 18^th by 3PM:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfUJEUmtChNo-k3F0Pz3xwI70yiP_CLLQqWDs3Gpq0Q_Ar-xQ/viewform One senior from either MLWGS, ARGS, or CodeRVA (who is planning to attend a Virginia college or university after high school graduation) will be selected to receive this award.

College Kick-Off

College Kick-Off 2023, February 2…Parents of Sophomores and Juniors, Save the Date!

Parents of 10th graders* are invited to join their students in the MLWGS Auditorium on 2/2/23 from 10:15-11:30 AM.

*Please note that due to limited seating capacity, each student may be accompanied by only 1-2 parents or guardians to their assigned assembly. Look for more information about this event coming soon.

From the Library:

Sign Up Now for One Small Step 2023

Would you like to earn community service hours while connecting with a classmate, learning valuable conversation skills, and helping reduce political divisiveness? Participate in One Small Step, a StoryCorps program sponsored by the MLWGS Library! To learn more or sign up, go to bit.ly/signupOSS2023 or scan the QR code on the One Small Step flyers posted around the school.

Join the More than 100 Students on the MLWGS Library’s 2022-2023 Transcribe Team

Need community service hours? Do you like history or excel at deciphering cursive handwriting? Earn community service hours by transcribing historical documents for the Library of Virginia and designated archives. The MLWGS Library’s third Transcribe-a-thon for 2022-2023 will be held in the library on Wednesday, Jan. 18^th from 3:30-5:00pm. There will be treats to fuel your work, friendly students to work beside, and Transcribe Team advisers to answer questions.

Sound good? If you haven’t already joined the Transcribe team – over 100 students strong this year! – and plan to attend the Jan. 18^th Transcribe-a-thon, sign in to your GSGIS Google account and sign up @ https://forms.gle/f2Ro3axLzp1XyDhCA.

AFTER attending at least one on-campus Transcribe-a-thon, you qualify to submit a signed agreement to transcribe on your own schedule, a popular option. Once your agreement is processed and you receive a link to your personal transcription folder, you may earn up to 35 community service hours per school year for your transcription efforts as long as you maintain and submit proper verification/documentation of your work.

Seize this opportunity while it’s still available this year. Sign-ups for this year’s team close on Friday, Jan. 20^th.

If you have any questions, please stop by the library to see Ms. DeGroat.

Dragon Writing Center

The Dragon Writing Center is open to all classes and all levels on Wednesdays and Thursdays during lunch in room 227. Always here to help improve any paper!

Beginning 23 January, the Dragon Writing Center will be open Monday-Thursday during lunch!

Sporting Event Tickets

We are very excited to finally offer the option to by tickets for MLWGS sporting events using an online program. You can access the link for scheduled events using the following link:

https://gofan.co/app/school/VA7818

Tickets can also be purchased on site using a QR code that will be provided at the ticket table.

Foundation

Night of the Dragon Auction Items Needed

The Night of the Dragon Auction committee is looking for items for this year’s auction, which is set for Saturday, March 4, 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? Classes and lessons make great auction items!

Do you own a vacation home or have season tickets to the theater, sporting events, or other fun venues? Experiences and getaways of all kinds–truly–are super popular items!

Do you own a business or have a special local business you’d love to support and share? We’d love to promote your fave business through an auction item. We’d love to help promote your business via an auction item.

Some of our most popular items each year include unique experiences hosted by MLWGS families and friends, handmade crafts, event tickets, vacation home rentals, artwork, gift baskets, 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!

Athletic Training Department:

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our SPRING SPORTS for 2023 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

Click to access 3333_001-2.pdf

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

Orchestra:

We excited to let you know that we had Central Regional Orchestra Auditions last weekend (for 7th-9^th graders) and all 7 of our students who auditioned got in! The following students will be representing MLWGS and participate in the CRO Event in February: Helena Damer, Emma Taylor, Aditi Nair, Emily Sommer, Yurika Motai, Sanaya Bothra, and Freyja Truitt. Congratulations to these outstanding musicians!

MLWGS Band:

On Saturday, January 7th, MLWGS band students auditioned for District Band at Douglas Freeman High School. District Band combines the best student musicians in our region for a student ensemble that meets in February. The following students were awarded positions in this year’s district band:

Name	Instrument	Placement
Sydney Brewer	Piccolo	1st Chair Concert Band
Michael Lusk	Flute	2nd Chair Symphonic Band All-Virginia Eligible
Heer Patel	Flute	6th Chair Concert Band
Liam Reed	Flute	7th Chair Concert Band
Peize Wang	Clarinet	1st Chair Symphonic Band All-Virginia Eligible
Trip Taylor	Clarinet	3rd Chair Symphonic Band All-Virginia Eligible
Audrey Tang	Clarinet	16th Chair Symphonic Band
Andrew Eaton	Clarinet	1st Chair Concert Band
Grace Crislip	Bass Clarinet	1st Chair Concert Band
Jessica Hendricks	Alto Sax	3rd Chair Symphonic Band
Eric Hu	Alto Sax	2nd Chair Concert Band
Bilal Ahmad	Tenor Sax	2nd Chair Symphonic Band
Lucy Whealton	Baritone	2nd Chair Concert Band
Connor Cloe	Percussion	8th Chair Symphonic Band

Congratulations MLWGS 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 day and Go Dragons!!!

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School will be closed on Friday January 13^th for a teacher workday. School will remain closed on Monday January 16^th in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday.

Community Service Update:

As we near the end of the semester, students are encouraged to submit any community service that they have entered recently so that they can get uploaded to PowerSchool at the end of the semester. The community service totals are uploaded at the end of every quarter, so having any hours submitted by the January 12^th will ensure that they make it to PowerSchool before report cards are prepared. Also, the end of the semester if a great time for parents to check their student’s hours total to ensure that they are working effectively towards their 140 community service hour graduation goal. All MLWGS students are required to earn 140 community service hours by the spring of their senior year. If students or parents have any questions about community service, pleases email Les Cook at [email protected].

Club Pictures:

Club pictures for the yearbook will be taken tomorrow, January 9^th. Please check your class Schoology page for the schedule.

Advanced Placement Testing Reminder:

Bhangra Club

Do you love to dance? Bhangra Club tryouts are Tuesday, 1/10 and Wednesday, 1/11! Interested students only need to attend ONE tryout. The location has not yet been confirmed, but we will keep you posted! Please sign up to attend tryouts using the link provided on this info sheet (https://tinyurl.com/5j4b8c9p), which will tell you everything you need to know about tryouts and upcoming performances. The sign-up form to attend tryouts is due Sunday, 1/8 at 11:59 p.m. and we will post a list of people who are trying out Tuesday/Wednesday on the Bhangra Club Schoology page by Monday night. Please make sure to check then and confirm which day you will be trying out. Thanks!

Bollywood Movie

Get ready for Bollywood Movie Night! All are welcome to enjoy this experience in the Forum on Thursday, January 12 at 3:15. Admission is free, and proceeds for the snacks will go to a great cause!

From the Library

This New Year, Expand Your Political Awareness with 3 Free Tools

Whether you plan to participate in One Small Step 2023 (sign-ups open this week), got frustrated speaking to relatives with a different political viewpoint than yours over winter break, or would like to challenge yourself to think more broadly about policy issues, begin by expanding your political awareness.

Many people gravitate to news sources biased toward their perspective. This is normal. But while it can be affirming or comforting to do so, if that’s all you read or watch, it can lead to a lopsided, incomplete understanding of current events – or perhaps mean that you don’t hear about some stories at all.

To expand your awareness, consider integrating these 3 free tools into your news habits:

Read or listen to Tangle, a nonpartisan political newsletter that “summariz[es] the best arguments from across the political spectrum” on one topic per day. It’s about a 10-minute read and is also available as a podcast.
Check the Blindspot Report from Ground News to discover news stories that are being underreported or not covered at all by either left or right-leaning media outlets
Along with your regular news sources, browse or search AllSides for other perspectives. You’ll find coverage organized as left, center, or right. You can also look up a specific media source for their rating of its bias.

Join the More than 100 Students on the MLWGS Library’s 2022-2023 Transcribe Team

Seize this opportunity while it’s still available this year. Sign-ups for this year’s team close on Friday, Jan. 20^th.

If you have any questions, please stop by the library to see Ms. DeGroat.

Athletic Training Department:

International Assembly:

Are you proud of your culture? Do you want to show it off to the school with a performance or act? MLWGS is excited to continue the tradition of International Assembly! We will have an interest meeting for the 2023 International Assembly on Wednesday, January 11! The meeting will be in classroom 237 during lunch. If you are interested in performing or working lights/sound/crew, please join us to learn more about this year’s show, which will be on March 31 (the day before Spring Break). Thanks!

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our SPRING SPORTS for 2023 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

Click to access 3333_001-2.pdf

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

From the Foundation

Night of the Dragon Volunteer Interest Meeting this Wednesday

The countdown is on until the March 4 Night of the Dragon! The NOTD committee is busy working on a myriad of details to make this year’s event a great success. And YOU can help. We will be having a Volunteer Interest Meeting this Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 8:45am in Room 153. Come find out about how you can help make this year’s NOTD the best ever. We are looking for volunteers to help with item solicitation, event set up, decorating, event check in, event clean up, and more! Can’t make the meeting but want to be involved, reach out to Ginger O’Neil at [email protected] or Veronica Chornodolsky at [email protected].

Calling all Business Owners/Managers

Do you own or manage a business? If so, the Night of the Dragon committee would love to hear from you. This year, we plan to shine a special spotlight on items/services from MLWGS parents and alumni as part of the auction. It’s a win-win as you help us support MLWGS with a donation and we let others in the Dragon family know about you! If you’re interested in hearing more or donating, email Foundation Executive Director Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].

It has now been almost three years since we first heard the term “COVID-19.” Three years of challenges that most of us never thought would last this long. While things are certainly better, every time we seem to get close to what we hope will be the end, we are faced with a new set of difficulties. The flu, RSV, new variants of COVID-19 and 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.”

Have a great day and Go Dragons!!!

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Happy New Year!

Winter Art Trek January 7^th

You are invited to the Winter Art Trek! This event is an opportunity to learn from works of art in community with one another. On January 7th, we will visit murals created by the Mending Walls project in Richmond, Virginia. Our tour begins at 11:00AM at our first mural stop, “African American Gothic”, located in the lot behind 404 E. Grace street. Parking is available around this mural. Once together, we will walk as a group to each mural along the way to the Institute for Contemporary Art where our tour will conclude. At the ICA, you can decide to visit the museum for more art or enjoy lunch at one of the many restaurants nearby. The mural tour is not a loop, so parking halfway between the 404 E. Grace Street mural and the ICA will break up your walking for the day.

Special notes: Please bring headphones that connect to your phone. Audio recordings will be available to hear from the artists behind each mural. Dress for the weather and for walking. Our tour is about 30 minutes of walking time, and plan to be outside for at least an hour viewing the art works. If our region experiences a winter storm, we will postpone our walking tour to ensure the safety of all families and students.

We are looking forward to time in community with one another! Visit https://www.mendingwallsrva.com/ for more information about the mural project.

Please RSVP to the Winter Art Trek Mural Tour at bit.ly/winterarttrek23

All-District Band Audition Information

All-District Band Auditions will be held on January 7, 2023, at Douglas Freeman High School. Band parents were e-mailed a list of auditioning students on December 13. All audition fees have been covered by the Music Boosters.

On the day of auditions, registration will begin as early as 7:45 am. Students should arrive at least 45 minutes prior to the audition time to register and receive a number. Students are responsible for arranging their own transportation. Students who are not pre-registered will not be allowed to audition. Mr. Merillat will communicate with students and parents about the results of the audition as soon as they are available.

A mock-audition will be held at MLWGS after school on Thursday, January 5 in the music room. Students are encouraged to sign up for a mock-audition slot to practice their audition process before the real audition on Jan. 7th.

Seniors:

The December 2022 Senior Newsletter has been posted to the “College Information for the Class of 2023” Schoology page and the School Counseling website: https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters Students who live in Chesterfield County are encouraged to review the announcement about the Leadership for the 21^st Century Scholarship (valued at $2500), which will be awarded to one senior representing CodeRVA, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, or MLWGS. The deadline to apply is January 13, 2023 (by 3PM).

Attention Robotics Team Parents and Students

Kickoff for the season is this Saturday Jan 7. In order to be considered part of the team, you must 1. Register as a team member with FIRST 2. submit dues and 3. upload your field trip permission form. These need to be taken care of by Wednesday January 4. If you are having difficulty with any of these items, please reach out to Mr. Sailer via email ([email protected]). You can access forms and instructions on the team website (https://mechtechrobotics.com/about/team-documents/) You can check the membership spreadsheet HERE

If anyone is interested in mentoring the team, there will be a mentor orientation for new mentors on Jan 7 @ 2pm in the build room. Please RSVP via email to Mr. Sailer so he knows you plan to attend.

There will be a parent’s meeting @ 4pm on Jan 7 in the cafeteria and simultaneously via zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84442982529) regarding updates to build and competition season and as well as family support for the team. This will also include an orientation to being a parent chaperone at meetings and events.

Additional information and updates will be provided to team members via Schoology and the team Discord channel.

Senior Seminar and Mentorship Program Registration for Juniors

In December/January, Juniors (Class of 2024) 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. A link to a video that provides information about the selection/application process, Seminar Proposals, the Mentorship Application, and other information has been placed on a Schoology group titled: Class of 2024 Senior Seminar/Mentorship Information Group. All Juniors are members of this group. Juniors and their parents are encouraged to look over this information and start thinking about this decision now. Students will rank seminars the week they return from winter break. Students who are interested in applying for a mentorship must get their application in by 3:30 on 1/6/23. If anyone has questions about the process, they should reach out to Mr. Cook via email ([email protected]).

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our SPRING SPORTS for 2023 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

Click to access 3333_001-2.pdf

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

From the Security Corner:

Hope everyone had a restful, SAFE, and joyful holiday break! Happy New Year!!

Opportunities

The Inspiring Girls Expeditions are taking applications.

Inspiring Girls Expeditions in the United States and Canada are now inviting 16-18 year old high school girls to apply for summer 2023 expeditions. They offer unique, FREE field science and art education programs in Alaska, Colorado, British Columbia, and Yukon. Please see their Expeditions page to learn more about our specific offerings. All application materials are due January 30, 2023 at 11:59pm Alaska time.”

https://www.inspiringgirls.org/ige-news-feed/2022/12/9/2023-us-amp-canada-applications-open

The Joint Science Education Program is taking applications for the 2023 remote (i.e., virtual) summer program.

The Joint Science Education Project (JSEP) is an international collaboration between Greenland, the United States, and Denmark to educate and inspire the next generation of polar and STEM professionals. Since its initiation during the International Polar Year in 2007, high school and university students and teachers from the three countries work together to study polar environments and the human dimensions of rapid Arctic change. Students practice scientific and engineering methods in a cross-cultural classroom with mentoring from international teachers and scientists.

They accept applications from high school students who are U.S. citizens and in their junior year (11th grade) at time of application, for participation during the summer between their junior and senior year. There are no fees or tuition for the JSEP Program. Applications for 2023 are open now through January 31, 2023.

https://sites.google.com/dartmouth.edu/jsep2020/how-to-apply/jsep-students/u-s?authuser=0

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. And who knows, maybe the person that you have you eye on still doesn’t know that you exist. 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.

Have a great day and Go Dragons!!!

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MLWGS will be closed for Winter Break from Monday December 19^th through Friday December 30^th. School will resume on Monday January 2^nd.

FY24 VIRTUAL Budget Town Hall for Public Input, December 14 @ 6 pm

Last month, the school solicited community input regarding its budget priorities for the 2023-2024 academic year (FY24) at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School and requested suggestions be submitted on a digital survey.

On Wednesday, December 14 at 6 pm Director, Dr. Bob Lowerre, will host a VIRTUAL FY24 Budget Development Town Hall that will be open to all interested stakeholders. The purpose is to provide another format for input, comment, or asking questions. Dr. Lowerre will consider all suggestions submitted from both formats and will use your ideas to help improve operations at MLWGS.

Each fall MLWGS develops a budget proposal for the next academic year that attempts to include constituent priorities. Comments will be shared with the Regional School Board, the Superintendent’s Steering Committee, and the school administration as they work to create a budget that reflects the cost of operation, programming, and staffing.

Winter Music Collage Concert

Student instrumentalists and vocalists from Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School will show 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!

WINTER MUSIC COLLAGE CONCERT – featuring bands, orchestras, and chorus from MLWGS: Thursday, December 15th, 7 pm, in the Auditorium.

PSAT

Earlier this week, juniors gained access to their PSAT scores on their College Board accounts. On Friday, the senior counselors visited all eleventh grade English classes to discuss next steps regarding college entrance (SAT/ACT) testing. Students were given their PSAT test booklets, a test memo, and a Junior Newsletter (which featured many opportunities for summer internships and enrichment as well as announcements about scholarships and contests). This newsletter has also been posted to the “College Information for the Class of 2024” Schoology group and the School Counseling website: https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters Juniors were also informed that College Kick-Off 2023 has been scheduled for February 2^nd in the MLWGS Auditorium. More details to come!

Mu Alpha Theta

Mu Alpha Theta is hosting a Snapology Workshop on Tuesday, December 13th, from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. All students are welcome to learn about the characteristics of Platonic and Archimedean solids through creating icosahedron ribbon ornaments and enjoying holiday treats!

We the People Regionals

We wish good luck to Mr. Sam Ulmschneider, faculty sponsor, and the students of ‘We the People’ at their regional competition on Wednesday, December 14th at Randolph Macon College. You’ve worked hard Dragons in preparation for this day!

We the People competition seeks to teach high school students the basic tenets of the U.S. Constitution and how they apply to the country’s democracy and the lives of its citizens.

The MLWGS team has been consistently successful in competitions having won the national title four times in the 30+year history of the competition.

Senior Seminar and Mentorship Program Registration for Juniors

The Foundation’s Parent Participation Competition Heats Up with Frosh in the Lead!

With an ice cream truck visit in May on the line, the Freshmen parents have taken the lead in the Foundation’s Annual Fund Parent Participation Contest. All annual fund donations of any size count in this campaign that 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.

As of December 1, here are the overall class participation totals:

Seniors: 19%

Juniors: 13%

Sophomores: 18%

Freshmen: 25%

Support your Dragon’s class by making your gift online today.

Support MLWGS by Supporting the 21st Annual Night of the Dragon!

Here’s how you can help us make the upcoming 21st Annual Night of the Dragon the best ever!

Mark your calendars and make your plans now to attend this amazing event on Saturday, March 4 at the Altria Theater.
Get your tickets as soon as they go on sale in January.
Check out the auction website when it goes live so you can preview all the great auction items! Don’t worry, we’ll spread the word far and wide.
Donate an item(s) for the Live or Silent Auctions. Popular items include unique experiences hosted by MLWGS families and friends, event tickets, vacation home rentals, artwork, local adventures, gift baskets—GET CREATIVE! To donate, contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].
Become a Sponsor. Individual and corporate sponsorships are a great way to support MLWGS and promote your business to our community. Sponsorships are available at many levels. For Sponsorships, contact Ginger O’Neil [email protected].

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

Athletics:

Any students planning on playing any of our SPRING SPORTS for 2023 must have a current physical and forms dated any time after May 1, 2022. Here is the link to get the paperwork:

Click to access 3333_001-2.pdf

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

Seniors

A Reminder for Seniors:

If you’re planning to order graduation announcements from Herff Jones, you may want to before Winter Break. Usually, the price increases in the new year, and waiting too long minimizes the chance of the printer being able to fill the order in time for delivery.

Here is the link! And remember that you do not need to order caps, gowns, or tassels — those were covered in your senior dues.

A list of diploma names is available in the counseling office lobby for students to initial if correct or make corrections. Diploma orders will be placed on December 15th, so it is important that all seniors sign off on their name spelling ASAP. During lunch this week would be a perfect time! Seniors verifying their name spelling is an important part of the diploma ordering process.

International Trip

Dear Students and Families,

We still have a few spots available😃 for our educational tour to Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla and Barcelona June 2023. If you wish to sign up for the trip, visit Mrs. Bradner’s info page here: www.eftours.com/2560362UC

Thank you,

Sra. Bradner

Orchestra

A select number of Maggie Walker Orchestra students under the direction of their teacher, Ms. Allison Barnes, performed for the Capitol Square Holiday Reception yesterday, December 7th hosted by Governor Glenn Youngkin and the First Lady of Virginia Suzanne Youngkin. The students performed in one of the ballrooms of the Governor’s Mansion while the public toured the mansion and meet the Governor.

We are proud these students so beautifully represented their school at this event; Willa Einsenhauer (’23-Henrico), Grace Yoo (’24-Chesterfield), Mark Janssen (’23-Chesterfield), and Sean Fan (’23-Chesterfield).

“Everyone in attendance commented on how professional our students were and how well they played!,” said Ms. Barnes. The Dragon’s reputation for excellence is the reasons they received this distinct honor.

We have made it to the last school week of the calendar year! I wish all of you the best of holidays and the happiest of new years! We have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to in the new year. Have a great, joyous, and restful break and we will see you all back at school in January.

Have a great day and Go Dragons!!!

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From the Security Team

Reminder…PLEASE do not open exterior doors for anyone during school hours!

Check lost and found! The items left will be disposed of on December 16.

Missing items that were not in the lost and found? Check with the Security office.

From the Music Department

Tri-M Music Honors Society inducted thirty new members on Tuesday, November 29. The organization has 61 members and comprises of students enrolled in music courses who maintain 4.0 GPA in their ensemble classes while completing service requirements to maintain membership. Congratulations to our new and continuing music honor students!

Band students who are interested in auditioning for district band must commit to their audition by Wednesday, December 7th. A list of registered students will be sent out to band parents to confirm their audition intention. District band is an opportunity for MLWGS band students to perform with the best student musicians in our region. Auditions are January 7^th at Douglas Freeman High School, and the event is February 2-4 at Highland Springs High School.

Winter Dance and Freshman Lock-in Information

MLWGS Winter Dance and freshman lock-in, December 9th

Seniors:

A Reminder for Seniors:

Here is the link! And remember that you do not need to order caps, gowns, or tassels — those were covered in your senior dues.

Dragon Writing Center

The Dragon Writing Center is open to all classes and all levels on Wednesdays and Thursdays during lunch in room 227. Always here to help improve any paper!

Beginning in the second semester, the Dragon Writing Center will be open Monday-Thursday during lunch!

French Trip

Any students who have any background in French, but who are not currently enrolled in French can reach out to Madeline Paturel ([email protected]) about an opportunity to travel to Canada this spring break. All students who have taken at least one year of French previously are welcome.

Senior Seminar and Mentorship Program Registration for Juniors

In December/January, Juniors (Class of 2024) 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. A link to a video that provides information about the selection/application process and other information has been placed on a Schoology group titled: Class of 2024 Senior Seminar/Mentorship Information Group. All Juniors are members of this group. Juniors and their parents are encouraged to look over this information and start thinking about this decision now. If anyone has questions about the process, they should reach out to Mr. Cook via email ([email protected]).

Giving Tuesday Sets New Record!

A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who donated to the MLWGS Foundation for Giving Tuesday. 192 donors unlocked our $10,000 in matches on the way to raising $50,600! We are now one important step closer to reaching this year’s annual fund goal of $375,000 in transformational support for our amazing MLWGS students and teachers. Your generosity truly makes a difference!

Support MLWGS by Supporting the 21st Annual Night of the Dragon!

Plans are shaping up in a wonderful way for the 21st Annual Night of the Dragon, being held March 4, 2023, at the Altria Theater Ballroom. Make your plans now to join us for this hallmark social event and largest MLWGS fundraiser of the year. Tickets go on sale in late January. Stay tuned!

Here’s how you can help us make the upcoming 21st Annual Night of the Dragon the best ever!

Mark your calendars and make your plans now to attend.
Get your tickets as soon as they go on sale in January.
Check out the auction website when it goes live so you can preview all the great auction items! Don’t worry, we’ll spread the word far and wide.
Donate an item(s) for the Live or Silent Auctions. Popular items include unique experiences hosted by MLWGS families and friends, event tickets, vacation home rentals, artwork, local adventures, gift baskets—GET CREATIVE! To donate, contact Ginger O’Neil at [email protected].
Become a Sponsor. Individual and corporate sponsorships are a great way to support MLWGS and promote your business to our community. Sponsorships are available at many levels. For Sponsorships, contact Ginger O’Neil [email protected].

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

We live in a world full of conflict. When dealing with conflict, a recurring theme often seems to be that each side feels that the other side has wronged them and that they need to get back at the other in some fashion to even things out in some sort of an “Eye for an Eye” process. Gandhi once wrote “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” I think that he was right. I know that the Dragon Nation is too wise to be blinded! Learn to forgive and look for the good in everything.

Have a great day and Go Dragons!!!

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Dragon Writing Center

The Dragon Writing Center is open to all classes and all levels on Wednesdays and Thursdays during lunch in room 227. Always here to help improve any paper!

Beginning in the second semester, the Dragon Writing Center will be open Monday-Thursday during lunch!

French Trip

Senior Seminar and Mentorship Program Registration for Juniors

In December/January, Juniors (Class of 2024) 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. A link to a video that provides information about the selection/application process and other information has been placed on a Schoology group titled: Class of 2024 Senior Seminar/Mentorship Information Group. All Juniors are members of this group. Juniors and their parents are encouraged to look over this information and start thinking about this decision now. If anyone has questions about the process, they should reach out to Mr. Cook via email ([email protected]).

The Foundation

Only 48 Hours Left to Make 2X the Impact with your MLWGS Foundation Gift

Giving Tuesday is this Tuesday, November 29.

This makes NOW the perfect time to make your ANNUAL FUND gift of support to Maggie Walker.

Thanks to a generous MLWGS family and grateful alum, all donations made between now and Tuesday will be matched, up to $10,000.

The Foundation has allocated more than $179,000 to the school already this year and has plans to provide even more transformational opportunities and experiences next semester.

So please make your 2022 Giving Tuesday ANNUAL FUND gift online or by check (made out to the Governor’s School Foundation) by Tuesday to take advantage of the matches!

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

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

Have a great day and Go Dragons!!!

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As we enter the cold and flu season, it is important to remember that missing school work can usually be found in Schoology. Agendas and very often all handouts are linked on Schoology and students can see what they missed during their absence. Keeping up with assignments in Schoology will help you to stay caught up and reduce your workload when you return to school.

Counseling

The November 2022 Senior Newsletter has been posted to the School Counseling website: https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters

Seniors are also encouraged to keep reading the “College Information for the Class of 2023” Schoology page for updates on diploma orders, college applications, scholarship opportunities, and more.

From the Library

Recording of MLWGS Librarian’s national webinar “Engaging Students with Scholarly

Articles” available through 12/16

On Tuesday night, Ms. DeGroat, our librarian at MLWGS, taught a national webinar for librarians and Social Studies teachers called “Engaging Students with Scholarly Articles.” The webinar focuses on thinking strategies, free tools, and open access resources. Even though it’s designed for educators, parents may find the webinar content valuable too. The recording and related handout will be accessible to anyone with the link through 12/16/2022. After that, it will be behind a paywall.

Has MLWGS Drama Inspired You to Read or Reread Macbeth? Here are three free options:

Read the play online or download it for free from The Folger Shakespeare Library
Listen to a free audio recording of the play available from LibriVox
Totally geek out with JSTOR’s Understanding Shakespeare edition of Macbeth which hyperlinks – at the LINE level – to articles in JSTOR which reference the corresponding line from the play

The Roots that Have Nurtured Shakespeare Enthusiasm @ MLWGS

If you’ve attended a Shakespearean play @ MLWGS, you might have found yourself thinking, hey, our students are surprisingly good at this, including speaking Elizabethan English like it’s second nature. This fall’s cast, crew, director, and production manager of Macbeth continue this tradition. Kudos to Devon Mattys, Andrew Gall, and the cast & crew for a fine production!

For anyone not familiar with our school’s Shakespeare-related history, there are several reasons MLWGS tends to put on Shakespeare productions that leave audience members surprised they’re in a high school auditorium – beyond the essential element of our students’ talents and commitment.

According to alumnus Devon Mattys, back in the nineties, when our Governor’s School was housed in Thomas Jefferson (TJ) High School, Drama teacher Chris Shannon “organized an “Elizabethan Rout” (so named using the archaic definition of ‘rout’: a large crowd, group, or party, especially as accompanies someone in traveling) that was very active and wildly popular among students. Student actors would mill about in costume annually at Fall Festival, hawking monologues and performing sudden brief scenes from Shakespeare, or even condensed, 10-minute versions of whole plays for festivalgoers—often, it felt, more for their own enjoyment than for whatever funds were raised.”

Another notable chapter was when Grant Mudge, former Artistic Director of Richmond Shakespeare, was Director of Drama. Here’s a blog post about him when he was in RVA; he’s now at Notre Dame. During Grant’s brief tenure (April 2005-December 2009), he made an impact at MLWGS too.

Consistently, there are several core reasons Shakespeare enthusiasm thrives here:

The talented Drama teachers, directors, production managers, and tech experts who’ve graced our auditorium and Black Box over the years.
The passion for and knowledge about the Bard conveyed by our English teachers, previous and current, who teach his works, including long-time English teacher (now retired) and Shakespeare scholar, Dr. Janet M. Spencer (three of her studies are in JSTOR: one each in Renaissance Drama, Shakespeare Quarterly, and Christianity & Literature).
The language learning skills imparted by our teachers in International Languages – skills that help students learn the inflections and cadences of Elizabethan English.
Steadfast support from Drama Boosters.

Thanks to everyone who contributes to shaping this part of who we are as Dragons. Our school is such an interesting place! I expect our Shakespeare-related history even more layered than what I’ve described. If you have more insights, please email me – [email protected]

Community Service Announcement

All students and parents are encouraged to check your community service hours totals to make sure that you are on track to complete this requirement. Students can help their parents get onto their x2vol accounts to check to see how many hours have been earned. Each student is striving to earn a total of 140 hours while at MLWGS, or 35 hours a year. Each student should work diligently to earn these hours while learning how to be leaders in the community. If a student has questions about any of this process, please stop by Mr. Cook’s office (room 315) or send him an email ([email protected]).

Senior Seminar and Mentorship Program Registration for Juniors

In December, Juniors (Class of 2024) 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. On Monday, 11/21/22, a link to a video that provides information about the selection/application process will be released on Schoology to all Juniors (students can help their parents view all material on this site). Juniors are encouraged to start thinking about this decision now, and parents are encouraged discuss this decision with their student. After the video is released, if anyone has questions about the process, they should reach out to Mr. Cook ([email protected]).

Attention Juniors and Sophomores!

Applications are now available for the Summer Residential Governor’s Schools. All sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply. These programs are run by the Commonwealth and provide opportunities for high school gifted students to explore professional and university environments through mentorships and academic enrichment. Information and applications can be found at: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/governors_school_programs/summer_residential/index.shtml#apply.

Maggie L. Walker students are grouped together and are not viewed as applicants from their respective school divisions. Applicants should be committed to attend; our school loses a slot if a student is accepted and does not participate. Questions about the programs or application process can be addressed to Joy Cobb, sophomore and junior counselor at [email protected].

Academic Programs

Academic Programs: Humanities; Mathematics; Science and Technology; Agriculture; Engineering (NASA) (must be 16 by June 18, 2023, and a U.S. citizen); Marine Science.

We can send a total of two nominees for this entire area, with a third slot for the School for Agriculture. Students should submit applications to Joy Cobb in the counseling department by January 27, 2023. This will give us enough time for our school selection committee to choose which students to nominate, and in turn solicit teacher recommendations for these nominees.

Governor’s Foreign Language Academies

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

Each academy allows one nominee from our school. Interested students should talk directly with their language teacher soon. Our foreign language department determines who is nominated from our school. If interested, please contact your language teacher. The deadline for completed application forms and supporting materials to Ms. Cobb is January 14, 2023.

High School Diplomats Program

High School Diplomats (HSD) is a scholarship program that brings together high school students from the United States and Japan each summer through two parallel experiences. HSD U.S. provides the opportunity for American and Japanese students to meet at Princeton University for ten days of cultural exchange. HSD Japan allows American students who have successfully completed HSD U.S. to apply for a full scholarship to travel to Japan for a month the following summer. Additional information and application is available at http://www.highschooldiplomats.com/apply. The application deadline is January 15, 2023.

From The Foundation

Make 2X the Impact with your MLWGS Foundation Gift–on (or before) Giving Tuesday, November 29

The MLWGS Foundation is thrilled that once again this year a generous MLWGS family has offered to match all Foundation Annual Fund gifts up to $5,000 for Giving Tuesday and an alumni has offered another $5000. That’s $10,000 worth of matching $$ in honor of Giving Tuesday.

This makes November 29 (or any day between now and then*) the perfect time to make your ANNUAL FUND gift of support for our students and teachers.

So mark your calendar and please be sure to make your 2022 Giving Tuesday ANNUAL FUND gift online or by check (made out to the Governor’s School Foundation) by NOVEMBER 29 to take advantage of the matches!

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

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

* Don’t want to wait? Great! Make your gift now using this special Giving Tuesday link and it will count too!

International Trip

Dear Students and Families,

We still have a few spots available😃 for our educational tour to Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla and Barcelona June 2023. If you wish to sign up for the trip, visit Mrs. Bradner’s info page here: www.eftours.com/2560362UC

Thank you,

Sra. Bradner

Athletics

Boys Volleyball Honors

Congratulations to the MLWGS First Team-All Region Boys Volleyball Members and their Coach of the Year

Cross Country State Results

MW Cross-Country excellence continues at the State Championship

Fall Sports Regional Update

MLWGS Fall Sports Regional results update

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

Have a great day and Go Dragons!!!

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Macbeth

Maggie Walker Drama’s production of Macbeth, directed by Andrew Gall, runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, November 17-19, at 7pm. Tempted by an evil prophecy and encouraged by his wife ever deeper into his own dark ambition, Macbeth murders his way to the throne of a post-apocalyptic Scotland. Shakespeare’s chilling tragedy is filled with ferocious battles, supernatural horrors, famously gorgeous poetry, and some of the Bard’s most vivid characters. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Buy in advance online at https://mlwgsmacbeth.brownpapertickets.com/, or with cash at the door.

Yearbook

Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen! Monday, Nov. 14, is your ABSOLUTE last chance to be photographed for the Yearbook. (If you have Ms. Losen or Ms. Love for 8th-block English, then this is your SECOND and final chance.) Lifetouch will be in Room 153 from 8:30 until 10. If your first-block class is going to do something that you absolutely can’t miss, then be sure to stop by 153 BEFORE class. If you think you’d like to order these re-takes, see Mr. White in Room 330 ASAP for an order form; all orders must be pre-paid.

Community Service

Need community service hours? Do you like history or excel at deciphering old handwriting? Earn community service hours by transcribing historical documents for the Library of Virginia and designated archives. The MLWGS Library’s second Transcribe-a-thon for 2022-2023 will be held in the library on Wednesday, Nov. 16^th from 3:30-5:00pm. There will be treats to fuel your work and friendly students to work beside.

Sound good? If you haven’t already joined this year’s Transcribe team and plan to attend the Nov. 16th Transcribe-a-thon, sign in to your GSGIS Google account and sign up @ https://forms.gle/f2Ro3axLzp1XyDhCA.

AFTER attending at least one on-campus Transcribe-a-thon, you qualify to submit a signed agreement to transcribe on your own schedule, a popular option. Once your agreement is processed and you receive a link to your personal transcription folder, you may earn up to 35 community service hours per school year for your transcription efforts as long as you maintain and submit proper verification/documentation of your work.

If you have any questions, please stop by the library to see Ms. DeGroat.

Foundation

Make 2X the Impact with your MLWGS Foundation Gift–on (or before) Giving Tuesday, November 29

This makes November 29 (or any day between now and then*) the perfect time to make your ANNUAL FUND gift of support for our students and teachers.

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

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

* Don’t want to wait? Great! Make your gift now using this special Giving Tuesday link and it will count too!

Chorus

Congratulations to the following Chorus students who auditioned on Saturday morning and were selected to participate in All District Chorus in February. These students are now eligible to audition for All Virginia Chorus.

Ellie Agnello – Soprano 2

Luna Forlano – Alto 2

Avia Kern – Alto 2

Every day at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School I am so inspired by our students. Our students work so hard in the classroom, yet find time to come out and support their classmates at athletic and cultural events. Our school is indeed a very special place. So tonight, I will sign off with a challenge for us to keep up this momentum with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Have a great day and Go Dragons!!!

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The school will be closed on Tuesday November 8^th for election day.

History Honor Society

The Thomas Jefferson History Honor Society, an organization designed to create additional learning experiences for students and recognize high levels of achievement in historical scholarship, will be having an interest meeting on Thursday, November 10^th during lunch in room 231. We will be discussing requirements and releasing the application. Hope to see you there. Please see Ms. Lee or Mrs. Voight if you have any questions.

School Advisory Committee

The SAC will be holding a parent focus group next Wednesday (11/9) at 6:30 over zoom to discuss course rigor and weighting and to receive input regarding Maggie Walker’s course weighting and grading system.

If interested, please fill out this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKx9U0bPYS63KDjpK8tb8p0QF-29sb1f0E1xmi3CyT4JEEdA/viewform

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84599238461?pwd=NzRtcmxRSVRMVGZHYU5mYnZ2UnFjQT09

International Trip

Dear Students and Families,

Your student is invited to join us for a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience on an Educational Tour to Madrid, Cordoba, Seville and Barcelona during Summer of 2023!

Take a sneak peek at the itinerary here (full 10 day version): https://www.eftours.com/eliterature/dbd/u/mcs.pdf. Sounds great? Awesome! We would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

Please be sure to register for this info session at the bottom of this email to be considered for our upcoming travel opportunity.

This trip will fill up fast, so please register for our virtual informational webinar where we’ll discuss:

What we’ll see and do on our trip & everything that’s included in this experience
How your child can earn Academic credit & Scholarships
How we’ll be keeping the trip safe and affordable
How to sign up on the trip (before it fills up!) & how to lock in an Early Enrollment discount!

We’ll also share details about how to sign up (space is limited!) and answer any questions you might have. Registration for this info session is mandatory to get the virtual meeting link for the meeting, and a parent or guardian must attend.

Virtual meeting date: Monday, November 7^th at 6:30 PM

Location: Virtual on ZOOM! Registering is mandatory so that you are able to receive that link and attend!

Click here to Register for the info meeting: https://bit.ly/3F7cNM6

Can’t wait to see you there!

Ruth Bradner

Spanish Teacher

Quiz Bowl

Congratulations to our Maggie Walker Quiz Bowl teams for their impressive performance in last Saturday’s VCU Fall Tournament. Team A, consisting of Timothy Porter, Yash Saxena, Risshi Naavaal, and captain Sam McNamee, went undefeated once again and took home the tournament championship. Team B, consisting of Devesh Kumar, Bharathi Kancharla, Eric Hu, and captain Vien Nguyen, took second place, and Team C, consisting of Liam Reed, Brendan Stremler, Nate Stewart, and captain Stella Broome took fourth place. We now have three teams qualified for nationals! If you are interested in joining Quiz Bowl, please contact Mr. Rotche at [email protected] or Mr. Austen at [email protected] for more information.

It has been a great 1^st quarter in the Dragon Nation! With about a week left, we, as a learning community, have found a way to have fun with the fall events while still remaining focused. As Myles Munro said, “Our life is the sum total of all the decisions we make every day, and those decisions are determined by our priorities.” Let’s keep making the right choices with our priorities and have a great run up to the winter break!

Have a great evening and Go Dragons!

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Halloween

Student may dress up for Halloween provided that the costume is not in violation of the student dress code or culturally inappropriate or offensive.

Security Corner

Unless Security has opened and staffed a particular door or you have an access control fob, please remember that the ONLY entrance or exit during school hours is the Bluestone lobby.

DO NOT call friends and ask them to let you in. Friends, DO NOT agree to open doors for anyone. DO NOT piggyback behind Faculty members. Coming in late or leaving early, please remember to sign in or out with the Attendance office.

Seniors

If Seniors missed the cap & gown meeting during lunch on Thursday, 10/27, they will need to complete this Google Form and check out the different graduation packages available through Herff Jones. Questions? Email Mrs. Love at [email protected].

Art Walk

On November 4th, the MLWGS Visual + Performing Arts Dept. and the MLWGS Visual Arts Boosters (VAB) will be hosting our annual Fall Art Walk event, in conjunction with Richmond’s First Fridays. One of the goals of our art curriculum is to have the students “become aware of and participate in the local arts community”. First Fridays RVA is the monthly event when art galleries on Broad St. and Main St. all open to the public for the evening. There will be much artwork to enjoy!

To begin the evening, our wonderful Visual Arts Boosters will be hosting a reception from 5:30pm – 6:00pm. Please join us for snacks and fellowship prior to heading out to the galleries. If you are willing to help out with food and set up for the reception, please sign up here….

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0A4AA4A92DA0F85-first1

We will give everyone maps of the galleries and Coach Hall will take anyone who would like to join him around to some specific exhibitions.

To help you avoid having to park downtown, we will be providing a school bus which will run a circuit from the Main St. galleries to Broad St. and back to school all evening. The bus will continue this circuit throughout the evening until the last pickup at 8:45 pm. This way you may stay for as long (or as short) as you like. Details will be discussed that evening.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to participate in a First Fridays Art Walk – or even if you have – we’d love to see you at our event! It’s always a very fun evening. All are welcome (students, parents, family members, & faculty)!

When: November 4th, 2022, 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Where: Meet in the “adjunct classroom”, room #153, near the Maggie Walker mural to enjoy snacks and refreshments.

RSVP: by Nov. 2nd – http://evite.me/cKE8sRX2bJ

Additional details can be found here: http://www.maggiewalkervab.org

Thanks again and we hope to see you and your young artists at this event. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jeff Hall

Music Trip to Atlanta March 23-26

Students who wish to travel to Atlanta from the Band, Chorus, and Orchestra must turn in their deposits to their music teachers by Friday, November 4th. Checks must be written to the Maggie Walker Music Boosters. Check your email for additional payment and trip information.

International Trip

Dear Students and Families,

Your student is invited to join us for a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience on an Educational Tour to Madrid, Cordoba, Seville and Barcelona during Summer of 2023!

Take a sneak peek at the itinerary here (full 10 day version): https://www.eftours.com/eliterature/dbd/u/mcs.pdf. Sounds great? Awesome! We would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

Please be sure to register for this info session at the bottom of this email to be considered for our upcoming travel opportunity.

This trip will fill up fast, so please register for our virtual informational webinar where we’ll discuss:

What we’ll see and do on our trip & everything that’s included in this experience
How your child can earn Academic credit & Scholarships
How we’ll be keeping the trip safe and affordable
How to sign up on the trip (before it fills up!) & how to lock in an Early Enrollment discount!

Virtual meeting date: Monday, November 7^th at 6:30 PM

Location: Virtual on ZOOM! Registering is mandatory so that you are able to receive that link and attend!

Click here to Register for the info meeting: https://bit.ly/3F7cNM6

Can’t wait to see you there!

Winter Sports

The winter sports season begins on November 7^th. Anyone interested in participating in winter sports must have these forms completed and sent to [email protected] as a one page PDF document. VHSL Athletic Forms . All paperwork must be turned in by November 4^th.

There will be a Winter Sports Parent/Coaches meeting on November 16 at 615 via zoom. The link will be shared with all families from the coaches.

PTSA

Our PTSA needs your support! Please become a member today!

PTSA membership dues help fund the events and support activities such as Fall
Fest, Homecoming, Prom, Senior Recognition, & Staff Appreciation.

You can pay your dues on the Dragon’s Lair site:

https://www.mlwgsdragonslair.com

I want to end tonight with sort of a long quote that I found by Kent Keith. Please bear with me, I think it is worth it.

“People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.”

Have a great day and Go Dragons!!!

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School will be closed for students on Monday October 24^th in observance of Diwali. Virtual parent/teacher conferences will be held that morning between 9:00 AM and Noon. A second set of parent/teacher conferences will take place between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Wednesday October 26^th. Here is the link to the conference page: https://bit.ly/Fall2022Conferences

Security

Please check lost and found daily. Will be emptied October 28

Parents picking up kids from the student parking lot. Please wait along the outside curb, or in an empty parking place. Please DO NOT park in between the rows. If EVERYONE does this, it will speed up your exit exponentially!

Seniors

The October 2022 Senior Newsletter has been posted to the School Counseling website: https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters

Seniors and their families are encouraged to read it for timely reminders, scholarship opportunities, and invitations to college events (including an on-site admissions reception hosted by the University of Mary Washington in early November at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden).

Senior Caps and Gowns

Our Herff Jones rep is visiting MLWGS on Thursday, October 27^th beginning at 11:45 AM for cap & gown measurements. This will take place during lunch in the auditorium. He will also be providing information regarding graduation announcements. Reach out to Kara Love with any questions at [email protected].

School Pictures

Looking to order school pictures? Just go to Lifetouch and enter the code SHIPFREEF22 for free shipping on your order of $29.99 or more. Offer expires 5/1/23. Here’s the link: https://my.lifetouch.com/mylifetouch/?utm_medium=email%e2%80%8b&utm_source=ExactTarget%e2%80%8b&utm_campaign=PPD_F22_Po15_US%e2%80%8b&utm_content=https%3a%2f%2fmy.lifetouch.com%2fmylifetouch%2f#/

Writing Center

Dragon Writing Center is open for business! It’s open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:45-12:15. ALL classes are invited to get help with their writing here.

https://forms.gle/rxFYp1ck3kuKFTcp8

Programs and Opportunities for Students

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium provides FREE NASA-related programs for Virginia’s high school students in 11^th and 12^th grades. The programs have an interactive online STEM learning experience and are highlighted by a seven-day residential summer academy at NASA.

11^TH AND 12^TH GRADE

Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars (VASTS) focuses on NASA’s human spaceflight missions and the Journey to the Moon and on to Mars. Students can earn up to five free dual enrollment college credits. http://vsgc.odu.edu/VASTS/, applications are OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER 24. Check out our video here: https://youtu.be/ldSwqIggarI

Virginia Earth System Science Scholars (VESSS) focuses on the challenges the next generation of scientists and engineers to become part of the solution to the societal issues faced by the impacts of climate change. Engaging students in real-world investigations of the Earth and its systems using the latest research and data from NASA. Students can earn up to five free transferable dual enrollment college credits http://vsgc.odu.edu/VESSS applications are OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER 24. Check out our video here: https://youtu.be/R-FAD3_cEKs

High School Diplomats Program

John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Essay Contest

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest for High School Students is officially open! We’re now accepting submissions from high school students for the 2022 contest—and your students can win up to $10,000 for participating! Deadline for submissions is January 13, 2023. Please visit the following link for additional information-https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/education/profile-in-courage-essay-contest/getting-started.

International Trip

Dear Students and Families,

Your student is invited to join us for a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience on an Educational Tour to Madrid, Cordoba, Seville and Barcelona during Summer of 2023!

Take a sneak peek at the itinerary here (full 10 day version): https://www.eftours.com/eliterature/dbd/u/mcs.pdf. Sounds great? Awesome! We would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

Please be sure to register for this info session at the bottom of this email to be considered for our upcoming travel opportunity.

This trip will fill up fast, so please register for our virtual informational webinar where we’ll discuss:

What we’ll see and do on our trip & everything that’s included in this experience
How your child can earn Academic credit & Scholarships
How we’ll be keeping the trip safe and affordable
How to sign up on the trip (before it fills up!) & how to lock in an Early Enrollment discount!

Virtual meeting date: Monday, November 7^th at 6:30 PM

Location: Virtual on ZOOM! Registering is mandatory so that you are able to receive that link and attend!

Click here to Register for the info meeting: https://bit.ly/3F7cNM6

Can’t wait to see you there!

Ruth Bradner

Spanish Teacher

Swim and Dive Team

Are you interested in joining the Maggie Walker Swim and Dive team? Sign-ups are now available. Please have student fill out the following Google form:

https://forms.gle/mJjN6NpcN2oGzLwCA

PTSA

Our PTSA needs your support! Please become a member today!

PTSA membership dues help fund the events and support activities such as Fall
Fest, Homecoming, Prom, Senior Recognition, & Staff Appreciation.

You can pay your dues on the Dragon’s Lair site:

https://www.mlwgsdragonslair.com

Foundation News

Making Up for Lost Time!

With the first quarter winding down–can you believe it?–the Governor’s School Foundation is busier than ever providing the enhancements that set the student experience at Maggie Walker apart. Parent support of the Foundation’s annual fund is vital to that work. Each year, current support from parents (and grandparents) allows the Foundation to provide:

* Classroom enhancements that include the purchase of equipment/books/software, stipends for guest speakers, covering the cost of field trips and subsidizing local and international class-related trips, and more requested by teachers to enhance their lessons and the student experience.

* Tuition reimbursement to faculty (the Best in Virginia according to niche.com and all who know them!) for graduate coursework and conference and workshop attendance so they can stay current in best practice related to gifted education and their specific subject area.

* Student financial assistance to cover necessary academic expenses and allow all students, regardless of financial need, to take advantage of the full range of opportunities available at MLWGS.

Please help us continue to support our students and teachers– make your gift today online or by check payable to the Governor’s School Foundation. All gifts are appreciated and count toward the Parent Participation Contest between classes now underway.

Speaking of Parent Participation Contest–the current standings are:

1st Place–Class of 2026

2nd Place–Class of 2023

3rd Place–Class of 2024

4th Place–Class of 2025

Looks like the newbies are setting the pace! How long will that last???

Winter Sports

Anyone interested in participating in winter sports, you must have these forms completed and sent to [email protected] as a one page PDF document. VHSL Athletic Forms

Tonight’s quote comes from Delores Huerta who said, “We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things. That is what we are put on the earth for.”

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

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School will be closed for students on Monday October 24^th in observance of Diwali. Virtual parent/teacher conferences will be held that morning between 9:00 AM and Noon. More information on signing up will be sent later this week.

Writing Center

Dragon Writing Center is open for business! It’s open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:45-12:15. ALL classes are invited to get help with their writing here.

https://forms.gle/rxFYp1ck3kuKFTcp8

Band and Chorus

The Band and Chorus will be performing their first concert of the year on Friday, October 21^st at 7:00PM. The program includes music from Ireland, Spain, the Americas, and more! The concert is free and open to the public.

Programs and Opportunities for Students

11^TH AND 12^TH GRADE

High School Diplomats Program

John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Essay Contest

Swim and Dive Team

Are you interested in joining the Maggie Walker Swim and Dive team? Sign-ups are now available. Please have student fill out the following Google form:

https://forms.gle/mJjN6NpcN2oGzLwCA

Advanced Placement Exam Ordering (Orders and Payments Due 10/21/22)

For Students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses only:

The online payment system for AP exam fees goes live on Friday, October 7^th for a two-week payment window. Students have been given a handout in one or more of their AP classes outlining the three step exam ordering process, which must be complete by October 21^st, 2022 to avoid additional fees:

Join the AP course(s) in your myAP.collegeboard.org account. You probably did this at the beginning of the school year. Please check to make sure and ask your teacher can help you if you have trouble. (If you are self-studying for an exam, you will need to obtain an “exam only” code from Dr. Loving after your exam has been approved. NOTE: AP Statistics is pre-approved and Ms. Riles can provide the code.)
Complete this AP Exam Order Form (https://forms.gle/akS9b1PYtawuzozQA) and indicate all exams you wish to take or not take this year. (If you DO NOT intend to take one or more of your AP exams, you STILL DO need to complete this form so that we have a record that you wish for the school to NOT order an exam for you.)
Pay for your exams ($97 per exam) at https://osp.osmsinc.com/MLWGS. (The link can also be found on mlwgs.com by clicking “pay fees online” beginning October 7^th.)

If you feel you might qualify for a fee waiver or fee reduction, please review the Fee Waiver/Reduction Application for income guidelines. Please complete and return this form to Dr. Loving at [email protected] by October 17^th, 2022. Dr. Loving will be in touch about your request approval. Students who have submitted this form previously and have been approved do not need to apply again this year.

October 21^st is the deadline for “on time” registration. A $10 per exam late fee will be applied between October 22^nd and November 14^th for exams not paid for by October 21^st. The College Board late fee of $40 will be instituted beginning November 15^th. March 15^th is the final deadline for all late AP exam orders; no additions can be made after this date.

Contact Dr. Loving ([email protected]) with all questions regarding AP exam ordering (October 2022) and AP exam administration (May 2023).

A link to the handout that was provided to students through their AP classes, which includes a detailed list of dates and deadlines, can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TfLHWIOkBhGIDCJE0BvtXHbxUJe3l79g/view?usp=sharing

MLWGS Library News

The MLWGS Library’s Read for Fun Book group, led and coordinated by student volunteers, had their first meeting this past week and will be discussing a novel from the horror genre for their next meeting on Oct. 19. The group meets once per month on third Wednesdays. For more info, join the Dragons Read group on Schoology. This year’s student coordinators are Kylie Cox, Hadley Driscoll, Kate Lindley, Sydney Brewer, and Matilde Quilici.

Winter Sports

Anyone interested in participating in winter sports, you must have these forms completed and sent to [email protected] as a one page PDF document. VHSL Athletic Forms

Not long ago I was walking in the hallway and reminded a student that the quarter was ending soon and to make sure he had his academic affairs in order. His response was “I’ll try.” It reminded me of a quote from one of my favorite characters, Yoda from Star Wars, who reminds us to “Do or do not… there is no try.” Sometimes, we just need to do something, not just try to do something.

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

100922

Homecoming Spirit Week is Here:

Here are the themes for each day:

Monday: Too Much Denim Day – Sort of self-explanatory but go for denim beyond just blue jeans.

Tuesday: Adam Sandler Day – I don’t quite understand this one 🙂 but here is a link to what we are looking for: adam sandler outfits – Search (bing.com)

Wednesday: Pajama Day

Thursday: Country vs. Country Club (Jeans and such vs. preppy)

Friday: Class Colors Day – Seniors wear black, Juniors wear green, Sophomores wear gold/yellow, and Freshmen wear white.

Homecoming Dance

The Homecoming Dance is Saturday, October 15^th from 7 to 10pm.

Tickets $12 and are available on the school webpage under “Pay Fees Online.” Ticket sales close on Thursday, October 13^th at midnight.

Off campus guests must fill out a guest form. They are available in room 100 and have been posted to the Schoology class pages.

The dance is at the school’s track. Please do not wear shoes with a sharp point. Wedges are fine to wear.

The dress is semi-formal.

PSAT

PSAT Day is Wednesday, October 12^th

Maggie Walker will operate under a special schedule on October 12^thdue to PSAT testing during the morning for sophomores and juniors. All sophomores and juniors should report to school on time at 8:40. All freshmen and seniors do not need to report to school until the start of period 5 at 1:05. Lunch will be served starting at 12:20. Periods 5 and 7 classes will meet during the afternoon on a shortened schedule.

Morning for Sophomores and Juniors

All 10^th and 11^th graders will take the PSAT in the morning after checking in with 1^st period classes for attendance purposes. All juniors will test in the gym. Sophomores will be grouped by their English classes. Rosters will be posted around the school with testing locations. Students that have College Board testing accommodations will receive an email with specific instructions.

The PSAT is a great practice opportunity for the SAT. For 11^th graders, the PSAT results are used for qualification purposes for National Merit Scholarship Programs. The counseling department will distribute PSAT Student Guides to all 10^th and 11^th graders during lunch time assemblies during the week of October 3rd. The guides contain information about the tests as well as a full-length practice test. Students are encouraged to take the practice test before testing day. More information about the PSAT can be found at www.collegeboard.org/psat. Score reports will be available online in mid-December. Juniors will be encouraged to register for an SAT or ACT date in the Spring by visiting the testing agency websites.

Students are reminded to bring #2 pencils and calculators for testing. The College Board does not allow makeup testing for the PSATs so it is important that students arrive at school on time.

Fall Orchestra Concert

The Fall Orchestra Concert will take place this coming Friday, October 14^th at 7:00 pm. All are welcome to attend! Come out to hear works from Rimsky-Korsakov, Dvorak, and Bach as well as a Super Mario Bros Medley.

Juniors and Seniors:

The National English Honor Society (NEHS) online application for the 2022-2023 school year is now open! The window closes Friday, October 14th at 3:30 PM. Eligible candidates will need a 3.75 GPA in ENGLISH.

Once accepted, membership requirements include a $25 fee. Once inducted into the society, membership requirements include a total of 4 hours of ELA-related community service to be completed before May 1st of their graduating year.

Contact Kara Love or Lindsey LeCroy-Whitworth with questions at [email protected] or [email protected].

Note: Seniors who were inducted last year do not need to apply again!

Swim and Dive Team

Are you interested in joining the Maggie Walker Swim and Dive team? Sign-ups are now available. Please have student fill out the following Google form:

https://forms.gle/mJjN6NpcN2oGzLwCA

International Travel Opportunity

Your student and your family are invited to join us for a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience on an Educational Tour to Madrid, Paris, and London during Summer of 2023 and/or 2024!

Take a sneak peek at the itinerary here: https://www.eftours.com/eliterature/etus/dbd/u/d47c-dbd-mp.pdf. Sound great? Awesome! We would love to have your student join us on this adventure. There are 10 spots left on the Summer 2023 trip and there are only 12 spots left for the 2024 trip!

Sign up now to guarantee a spot for your child (and you, or your family too if you’d like to join) here:

Summer 2023 Trip: www.eftours.com/2550715CP

Summer 2024 Trip: www.eftours.com/2565284TU

We hope to have you travel with us!

Ms. Cobb and Ms. Lee

Advanced Placement Exam Ordering (Orders and Payments Due 10/21/22)

For Students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses only:

Join the AP course(s) in your myAP.collegeboard.org account. You probably did this at the beginning of the school year. Please check to make sure and ask your teacher can help you if you have trouble. (If you are self-studying for an exam, you will need to obtain an “exam only” code from Dr. Loving after your exam has been approved. NOTE: AP Statistics is pre-approved and Ms. Riles can provide the code.)
Complete this AP Exam Order Form (https://forms.gle/akS9b1PYtawuzozQA) and indicate all exams you wish to take or not take this year. (If you DO NOT intend to take one or more of your AP exams, you STILL DO need to complete this form so that we have a record that you wish for the school to NOT order an exam for you.)
Pay for your exams ($97 per exam) at https://osp.osmsinc.com/MLWGS. (The link can also be found on mlwgs.com by clicking “pay fees online” beginning October 7^th.)

Contact Dr. Loving ([email protected]) with all questions regarding AP exam ordering (October 2022) and AP exam administration (May 2023).

MLWGS Library News

Winter Sports

Anyone interested in participating in winter sports, you must have these forms completed and sent to [email protected] as a one page PDF document. VHSL Athletic Forms

Foundation Dollars @ Work

So far this school year, the Foundation has allocated $180,00 to directly support MLWGS students and teachers, with additional funding requests expected as the year unfolds.To date, MLWGS students, teachers and staff have received 41 grants from the Foundation. These grants have provided dollars for:

graduate coursework in gifted education and subject matter conference travel for teachers from the math, science, English, international languages and social studies departments
a new Yamaha piano (in partnership with Music Boosters and the Music Dept.)
field trip support for We The People travel to Philly and the Civil Rights Seminar travel to Washington, DC
art supplies, including Art 5 Solo exhibit invitations, paints and vinyl
funding for the Thomas Jefferson Historical Honor Society
registration for 50 students to attend W&M’s High School Model UN Conference and
student aid requests covering school and club fees, field trips and other items needed for course and extracurricular participation

And we are just getting started!

Foundation enhancement grants are made possible through the generosity of our parents and alumni. Thank you!

Want to join those supporting MLWGS through the Foundation’s grant giving? It’s easy and makes a transformational difference for our school. Click here to donate online or send a check made out to MLWGS Foundation (Room 225, 1000 N. Lombardy St. , Richmond, VA 23220). Thank you in advance for all you do!

From Security

Please go through the lost and found soon because we will empty it next week.

Golf News

Mary Katherine Topping shot a career low 74 in the Region 3B Golf Tournament. She qualified for the Boys State Tournament and will play at Stonehenge Golf and Country Club on Tuesday Oct 11.

I would like to sign off tonight with a sincere thank you to all who were involved in making Fall Festival such a great success! There are too many to thank but a special shout out must go to Carla Winters who as spearheaded this event for several years. As Voltaire wrote, “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

100222

School will be closed on Wednesday October 5^th in observance of Yom Kippur.

Fall Festival

Enjoy the food, activities, friends & entertainment.

Come to the 25^th MLWGS Fall Festival!!

Friday, October 7, 2022

2 pm-7pm

Circular Parking Lot, 1000 N. Lombardy Street

Volunteers are needed:

MLWGS PTSA Fall Festival: 2022 MLWGS Fall Fest Sign Up (signupgenius.com)

Tickets can be purchased online: www.mlwgsdragonslair.com

Ticket can also be bought onsite for cash or check.

Dragons Lair will be selling swag all Festival long for cash, check or credit card.

Parking can be found at the James River Transportation.

Please be considerate to our neighbors.

PSAT Day is Wednesday, October 12^th

Maggie Walker will operate under a special schedule on October 12^thdue to PSAT testing during the morning for sophomores and juniors. All sophomores and juniors should report to school on time at 8:40. All freshmen and seniors do not need to report to school until the start of period 5 at 1:05. Lunch will be served starting at 12:20. Periods 5 and 7 classes will meet during the afternoon on a shortened schedule.

Morning for Sophomores and Juniors

Morning for Freshmen and Seniors

While freshmen and seniors do not need to report to school until after lunch (1:05), if transportation is an issue and they need to ride the bus, they will report to a supervised study hall in the cafeteria and commons until testing is completed.

Students are reminded to bring #2 pencils and calculators for testing. The College Board does not allow makeup testing for the PSATs so it is important that students arrive at school on time.

Yearbook

The Yearbook staff would LOVE to find out what you did this past summer. Do you have any pictures you’d like to share? Maybe you travelled or worked or volunteered or pursued hobbies or hung out with friends or family. Regardless of what you did, we’d be grateful to feature one or more of your photos in the 2023 Yearbook’s summer spread. Want to share? Just go to hjeshare.com, enter our school’s code (it’s mlwgs), and follow the prompts. It’s almost insultingly easy! We’ll be sure to give you credit for your contributions. Thank you!

Juniors and Seniors,

Contact Kara Love or Lindsey LeCroy-Whitworth with questions at [email protected] or [email protected].

Note: Seniors who were inducted last year do not need to apply again!

MLWGS Library News

National Honor Society Applications (Due Monday, 10/3)

Are you interested in joining the Maggie Walker Chapter of National Honor Society? The NHS online application for the 2022-2023 school year is now open: https://forms.gle/tDsgMtPfkFiFns3S6

Interested Juniors and Seniors may apply for membership through 11:59pm on Monday, October 3rd. Eligible students are current juniors or seniors with a 3.5 GPA (cumulative, weighted) who are considered “on track” to fulfill their community service requirement (70 hours for juniors and 105 hours for seniors).

National Honor Society is an organization that fosters scholarship, service, leadership and character. We encourage our members think of ways to improve the school and community, and members support each other in helping make their ideas for service projects become reality.

Please view the application link for all of the pertinent details of the application process, dues, and membership expectations. Contact Dr. Rachel Loving, NHS Sponsor, with questions at [email protected].

Note: Seniors who were inducted last year do not need to apply again.

Winter Sports

Anyone interested in participating in winter sports, you must have these forms completed and sent to [email protected] as a one page PDF document. VHSL Athletic Forms

The Foundation’s Annual Parent Participation Competition is Underway!

Who will take the early lead this year? 2023? 2024? 2025? 2026? We’ll see.

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 (but fierce, lol!) competition that recognizes the class with the highest percentage of parents making annual fund donations each year. All donations of any size count. And each year, the winning class gets bragging rights and a sweet treat in June courtesy of the Foundation!

Support your Dragon’s class by making your gift online today.

Quiz Bowl Team

Maggie Walker Quiz Bowl sent five teams to Charlottesville last Saturday to compete in the Cavalier Classic at UVA and won big! The A team of Sam McNamee, Timothy Porter, and Yash Saxena, captained by senior Vien Nguyen went undefeated to take first in the tournament. Our B team of Risshi Naavaal, Eric Hu, and Devesh Kumar, captained by junior Bharathi Kancharla, tied for second – both teams qualified for nationals! Congrats as well to our C, D, and E teams captained by Brenden Stremler, Nate Stewart, and Lucy Gates for their strong showings. The top ten individual scorers in the preliminary rounds all got book awards; congratulations to Sam McNamee, Brenden Stremler, Risshi Naavaal, and Nate Stewart for their 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7^th place individual awards!

Regional Orchestra

On Saturday, September 24th, MLWGS had 26 students who all had competitive auditions against other orchestra students across our region. Congratulations to the following MLWGS students who made it into Senior Regional Orchestra:

Gabriel Harding

Will Eisenhauer

Jenni Chen

Grace Yoo

Aarav Kalluri

Declan Wise

Yamato Motai

Fielding Teague

Chloe Biggs

Ally Lichtman

Sarah Wagner

Shreesh Kalagi

Mark Janssen

Peter Yanovitch

Viktoria Matysiak

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

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

092522

School will be closed on Monday September 26^th in observance of Rosh Hashana.

Fall Festival

Enjoy the food, activities, friends & entertainment.

Come to the 25^th MLWGS Fall Festival!!

Friday, October 7, 2022 2 pm-7pm

Circular Parking Lot, 1000 N. Lombardy Street

Volunteers are needed:

MLWGS PTSA Fall Festival: 2022 MLWGS Fall Fest Sign Up (signupgenius.com)

Tickets can be purchased online: www.mlwgsdragonslair.com

Ticket can also be bought onsite for cash or check.

Dragons Lair will be selling swag all Festival long for cash, check or credit card.

Parking can be found at the James River Transportation.

Please be considerate to our neighbors.

Yearbook

MLWGS Library News

Abundant gratitude to the 68 students who participated in the MLWGS Library’s first Transcribe-a-thon of 2022-2023 after school on Sep. 21^st! Ms. Coleman from the Library of Virginia was here to kick things off and was thrilled to see so many Dragon volunteers show up to help make historical documents more accessible to researchers around the globe. The next MLWGS Library Transcribe-a-thon will be on Nov. 16^th from 3:30-5pm.
In celebration of Virginia Pride, the MLWGS Library will be hosting a Rainbow Open Mic during lunch on Wednesday, Sep. 28^th in the Black Box. Uplift the voices of LGBTQ poets and writers – or just listen and applaud the readers who do. Rainbow cookies will be served! Readings should be 1 to 3 minutes and be school appropriate. Reading spots are first come, first served. Sign up at the event OR reserve a spot by emailing Ms. DeGroat at [email protected].
The MLWGS Library’s Read for Fun Book group, led and coordinated by student volunteers, had their first meeting this past week and will be discussing a novel from the horror genre for their next meeting on Oct. 19. The group meets once per month on third Wednesdays. For more info, join the Dragons Read group on Schoology. This year’s student coordinators are Kylie Cox, Hadley Driscoll, Kate Lindley, Sydney Brewer, and Matilde Quilici.

National Honor Society Applications (Due Monday, 10/3)

Are you interested in joining the Maggie Walker Chapter of National Honor Society? The NHS online application for the 2022-2023 school year is now open: https://forms.gle/tDsgMtPfkFiFns3S6

Note: Seniors who were inducted last year do not need to apply again.

Winter Sports

Anyone interested in participating in winter sports, you must have these forms completed and sent to [email protected] as a one page PDF document. VHSL Athletic Forms

International Trip

Your student and your family are invited to join us for a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience on an Educational Tour to Madrid, Paris, and London during Summer of 2023 and/or 2024!

Take a sneak peek at the itinerary here: https://www.eftours.com/eliterature/etus/dbd/u/d47c-dbd-mp.pdf. Sound great? Awesome! We would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

This trip will fill up fast, so please Register for our virtual informational webinar where we’ll discuss:

What we’ll see and do on our trip & everything that’s included in this experience
How your student can earn Academic credit & Scholarships
How we’ll be keeping the trip safe and affordable
How to sign up on the trip (before it fills up!) & how to lock in an Early Enrollment discount!

Virtual meeting date: Wednesday, September 28^th at 6 PM

Location: Virtual on ZOOM! Registering is mandatory so that you are able to receive that link and attend!

Click here to Register for the info meeting: https://bit.ly/3Dkmx4W

Can’t wait to see you there!

Mrs. Cobb & Ms. Lee

Italy Trip 2023

There will be an informational meeting about an upcoming travel experience to Italy, summer 2023 on Thursday, September 29th at 6:00 in room 335. Mr. Ross and Ms. Hefty will have information and an itinerary for all in attendance.

Let me sign off tonight with some words from the great American author Mark Twain. Mr. Twain gives some advice that applies to all of us. He says, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

091822

1^st Quarter Interims sill be visible in PowerSchool by the end of the day on Wednesday September 21^st.

Orchestra

This is a reminder that Senior Regional Orchestra Auditions are this coming Saturday, September 24th in Charlottesville at Journey MS (formally Jack Jouett MS).

AUDITION DAY INFO

–Our bus will be leaving MLWGS at 6:45 AM. Please be there by 6:30 if you’re riding the bus.
– Doors will open at 8:15 AM. Students and directors may line up outside prior to that time.

– Audition registration: 8:15-10:00 AM

– Director’s meeting: 8:30 AM

– Auditions begin: 9:00 AM

Seniors

You are encouraged to read Friday’s post on the “College Information for the Class of 2023” Schoology page for a reminder about Monday, September 19^th, our school’s deadline for requesting teacher and/or counselor letters of recommendation in Naviance for any college application deadlines that occur before December 1st. While you still might add or delete schools from your Naviance list of “Colleges I’m Applying To,” it is especially important that your recommenders are made aware now of the earliest deadline by which one or more of these schools will need their letter this fall. If you have not already shown your parents the Transcript/Recommendation Letter Worksheet that you received from the senior counselors during their English class presentation earlier this month, you should review it with them ASAP regarding steps that must be taken immediately on Naviance and the Common Application to move you forward through the college application process in a timely and complete fashion. Please If you have questions, please note that the deadline for making similar requests for schools with deadlines on or after December 1^st is November 15^th. Please reach out to your senior counselor with any questions.”

National Honor Society Applications (Due Monday, 10/3)

Are you interested in joining the Maggie Walker Chapter of National Honor Society? The NHS online application for the 2022-2023 school year is now open: https://forms.gle/tDsgMtPfkFiFns3S6

Note: Seniors who were inducted last year do not need to apply again.

Robotics

The Mech Tech Dragons Robotics Team is getting to ramp up for the year. Each year the team has a lot of students interested in participating and the team works to include them in the program. The Team competes primarily in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and one of the key components of the FRC program is the mentor-student partnership. Mentors (adults from the community) work with small groups of students in meeting the team goals each season. One of the challenges that the team has is the small number of mentors that are part of our team. Last year we had 120 students participate in the fall program, with 98 students signing up to be part of the official team and competitions that began in January. Currently we do not have enough mentors to support all of the students interested in this program (which is one of the few STEM outlets students have at MLWGS). This resulted in a lot of challenges of supporting all team members.

Do you know any adults in the community that have knowledge of manufacturing using CNC mills and lathes? Or perhaps mechanical or engineering understanding to help with the technical aspects of the team (building the robot, programming, electrical, etc.) Or maybe you have skills in graphic design, publications, or video production? Or maybe you like to work with younger students in elementary/middle schools with our Robotics Outreach activities?

If so please reach out to Mark Sailer, Faculty sponsor and Coach at [email protected] – If you are not sure you have skills that can translate to the team, but want to help, please let him know. There have been many mentors that became part of the program and learned the skills necessary to help with the team.

For more formation about FIRST and their robotics programs – see www.firstinspires.org

International Trip

Your student and your family are invited to join us for a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience on an Educational Tour to Madrid, Paris, and London during Summer of 2023 and/or 2024!

Take a sneak peek at the itinerary here: https://www.eftours.com/eliterature/etus/dbd/u/d47c-dbd-mp.pdf. Sound great? Awesome! We would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

This trip will fill up fast, so please Register for our virtual informational webinar where we’ll discuss:

What we’ll see and do on our trip & everything that’s included in this experience
How your student can earn Academic credit & Scholarships
How we’ll be keeping the trip safe and affordable
How to sign up on the trip (before it fills up!) & how to lock in an Early Enrollment discount!

Virtual meeting date: Wednesday, September 28^th at 6 PM

Location: Virtual on ZOOM! Registering is mandatory so that you are able to receive that link and attend!

Click here to Register for the info meeting: https://bit.ly/3Dkmx4W

Can’t wait to see you there!

Mrs. Cobb & Ms. Lee

Community Service

Need community service hours? Do you like history or excel at deciphering old handwriting? Earn community service hours by transcribing historical documents for the Library of Virginia and designated archives! The MLWGS Library hosts one Transcribe-a-thon in the library per quarter. In 2022-2023, they will be held on the following Wednesdays from 3:30pm-5:00pm:

Wednesday, Sep. 21
Wednesday, Nov. 16
Wednesday, Jan. 18
Wednesday, Mar. 22

Attending an on-campus Transcribe-a-thon also qualifies you to apply for the opportunity to transcribe on your own schedule, a very popular option. If your application is approved, you may earn up to 35 community service hours per school year for your transcription efforts as long as you maintain and submit proper verification/documentation of your work. Sound good? Sign in to your GSGIS Google account and then sign up to join this year’s Transcribe Team @ https://forms.gle/f2Ro3axLzp1XyDhCA.

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

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

091122

From the Clinic

Those who need to have a Life-threatening allergy management plan, asthma action plan, or diabetes management plan on file or medications they would like stored in the clinic, please send the appropriate forms, either dropped off in person to the clinic or emailed to Alisa Shapiro at [email protected] for the 2022-2023 school year.

Forms available here: https://mlwgs.com/home/annual-student-forms/

Please complete as soon as possible

Safety and Security

Students are asked to please make a point of remembering their bus numbers and being outside and on their busses as soon as they are dismissed!

Last call for Senior parking. (Junior Lotto will be announced next week for remaining spots)

Off campus lunch starts September 9. Forms may be returned any time, but they can’t participate without a form on file.

Math Tutoring

The Math Tutoring Lab is open every Tuesday and Thursday, from 3:30 to 5:00, in Room 202. It is staffed by Ms. Lasswell and peer tutors from Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society).

Community Service

Need community service hours? Do you like history or excel at deciphering old handwriting? Earn community service hours by transcribing historical documents for the Library of Virginia and designated archives! The MLWGS Library hosts one Transcribe-a-thon in the library per quarter. In 2022-2023, they will be held on the following Wednesdays from 3:30pm-5:00pm:

Wednesday, Sep. 21
Wednesday, Nov. 16
Wednesday, Jan. 18
Wednesday, Mar. 22

Yearbook

Seniors, Juniors and Sophomores! Pick up your 2022 Spring Yearbook Supplement in the Commons at lunch on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 12 and 13. If you can’t be there, see Mr. White in Room 330.

All non-seniors: school pictures will be taken on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 12 and 13. You will go to the Auditorium through your English classes. Your English teacher has order forms. All orders must be pre-paid. Questions? See Mr. White.

From the Foundation

Which Class Will Win?

The Foundation’s Parent Participation Competition is Underway!

Who will take the early lead this year? 2023? 2024? 2025? 2026? We’ll see. Support your Dragon’s class by making your gift online today.

Check out the Foundation Welcome Slideshow

On August 23 and 24, the MLWGS Foundation hosted Parent Welcomes for the Class of 2026. The Foundation put together a short slideshow for the event that includes great info for all MLWGS parents–and a few pics of our newest Dragons at the end. We invite all Dragon parents to check it out here.

Let me end this week with a quote from an unknown author. “Every summer has a story.” I hope that your summer has been full of wonderful stories. Have a great evening and as always Go Dragons!!

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

090422

School will be closed on Monday September 5^th in observance of Labor Day.

Back to School Night

Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School will hold “Back to School Night” on

Thursday, September 8^th from 6:30 – 9:00 pm. Back to School Night is for parents and guardians. Students are NOT encouraged to attend.

Plan to arrive by 6:15 p.m. as school parking lots fill up quickly. Overflow parking is available at the James River Bus Company lot on Allen St. between Broad and Leigh and the Virginia Union C.D. King lot on Leigh St. and Mozelle (directly across Leigh St. from MLW).

Parents should report to the school auditorium no later than 6:30 p.m. for welcome and directions for the evening before reporting to 1st period.

Students should give their parents a copy of their schedule to follow.

Each class session will last for ten minutes, and a bell will signal the transition to the next class. Parents will have five minutes between classes. Teachers will be providing specific information about their classes, not about individual students. Parent-teacher conferences will take place on virtually on October 24^th and October 26^thduring which time parents may discuss their child’s individual progress. More information regarding these conferences will be forthcoming.

Math Tutoring

The Math Tutoring Lab is open every Tuesday and Thursday, from 3:30 to 5:00, in Room 202. It is staffed by Ms. Lasswell and peer tutors from Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society).

Community Service

Need community service hours? Do you like history or excel at deciphering old handwriting? Earn community service hours by transcribing historical documents for the Library of Virginia and designated archives! The MLWGS Library hosts one Transcribe-a-thon in the library per quarter. In 2022-2023, they will be held on the following Wednesdays from 3:30pm-5:00pm:

Wednesday, Sep. 21
Wednesday, Nov. 16
Wednesday, Jan. 18
Wednesday, Mar. 22

College Visits at MLWGS

Approximately 100 colleges are expected to visit MLWGS this fall to share information about their institution and learn about our school! A list of the college visits scheduled to date (more colleges are adding every day) is available on the link posted below as well as on each class’s “College Information” Schoology group. A reminder of the featured colleges of each day will be in the morning announcements. The Counseling Department encourages sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are ready to begin exploring colleges to attend sessions that interest them over September and October. While these sessions can be a great way to network with your favorite colleges, we also encourage students to speak to representatives from colleges that are unfamiliar to them and learn something new!

Here is the link to the college visit schedule for the fall: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CVSjifLRbO70dWW1PB3uf8ow4LGQuuog/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107178821893099947385&rtpof=true&sd=true

MLWGS aims to show the college representatives visiting our school our finest hospitality! To assist with this hospitality, students may sign up to be a “College Rep Ambassador” who would greet a selected college in the Bluestone lobby at 11:20 (or 15 minutes before their scheduled arrive if it is an alternate time). Details about all expectations (four required tasks) are within the sign up google doc below. There can only be one college rep ambassador per college, and that would be worth one service hour if all related tasks are checked as completed AND verified by Dr. Loving it through x2vol. When signing up, students should be mindful they will need to leave 3rd or 4th period 15 minutes early with teacher permission. Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity!

Here is the link to sign up to be a College Rep Ambassador (be sure to read all instructions within): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18EbZuVeYICWexrze_yVDmySCL6AFVnzd8I-YlU0MjgI/edit?usp=sharing

Please contact Dr. Loving ([email protected]) with questions related to college visits. Best of luck exploring this fall!

Seniors

The September 2022 Senior Newsletter has been posted to the School Counseling website:

https://sites.google.com/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlwgs-counseling/college-admissions-information/seniorjunior-newsletters

Students and their families are encouraged to review this monthly newsletter for information on the college application process, scholarships, and other special opportunities.

Lots of helpful information also has been posted to the “College Information for the Class of 2023” Schoology page since the first day of school! Twelfth graders should review this site regularly for important announcements and reminders.

Yearbook Photos

ALERT! Yearbook photos for NON-SENIORS will be taken on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 12 and 13. Students will head to the Auditorium from their English classes. Order forms will be distributed in class on the week of August 29. Those who wish to purchase pictures can prepay online or bring the paper form with cash or a check to the photographer on picture day. Alternatively, students can wait to receive their proof and use the Portrait ID and Access code (which are on the form they’ll get) to order after picture day. Students who lose their forms should see Mr. White in Room 330 for a replacement. There will be a make-up date in October.

Dress Code

Please be mindful of following the school’s dress code. The dress code can be found on pages 13-14 in the Student Handbook:

Online Handbook & Code of Conduct (mlwgs.com)

Have a great evening and GO DRAGONS!

082822

Friday September 2nd is a school holiday. The building will be closed. School will re-start after Labor Day on September 6th.

Study Hall and Attendance

Unless a student is granted specific permission related to an off-campus mentorship, all students are expected to be on campus for the duration of the school day (8:40 AM – 3:10 PM) every day. This includes study halls. Any absence from school must be reported to the attendance office in order to be considered an excused absence.

Dance Team

Dancers! Are you interested in performing with Maggie Walker’s Dance Team this school year? Join us upstairs in the Forum on Thursday, September 1st at 11:35AM for an Interest Meeting! Tryouts will be in the Black Box on September 7th and 8th from 3:30-4:30PM. (You will need a current physical on file with Activities Director Paige Hawkins to try out.) We can’t wait for the new season to start and hope to see you at the Interest Meeting!

Economics

MLWGS Online Economics Course Fall Semester has begun. First course due dates are Aug 29th. Students should check the course page in Schoology for details and instructions.

Community Service

Need community service hours? Do you like history or excel at deciphering old handwriting? Earn community service hours by transcribing historical documents for the Library of Virginia and designated archives! The MLWGS Library hosts one Transcribe-a-thon in the library per quarter. In 2022-2023, they will be held on the following Wednesdays from 3:30pm-5:00pm:

Wednesday, Sep. 21
Wednesday, Nov. 16
Wednesday, Jan. 18
Wednesday, Mar. 22

Yearbook Photos

Quiz Bowl

Have you noticed how big the noggins are on some Maggie Walker students!? No, it’s not benign familial macrocephaly – those are just quiz bowl kids! Our team is off to a great start this year but we’d love your company! Come practice with us every day during lunch or after school Monday through Thursday in room 316. We’ll be holding special introductory practices for new members on Mondays – there are no tryouts and all are welcome! Email Mr. Rotche at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Let me sign off tonight with some words from the late great blues musician B.B. King. He said, “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”

Have a great week and GO DRAGONS!!

082122

School Opening

School will commence on Monday August 22^nd at 8:40 AM

COVID Update

While we are hopeful that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic may be behind us, the Richmond area is still experiencing a period of “High Transmission.” The CDC recommends that during these periods that masks are worn indoors. This is not a requirement and masking decisions will remain an individual and family decision.

Seniors

Seniors! There are still several time slots available for your LAST CHANCE to sit for your Lifetouch formal senior portrait (in tux or drape, which are provided) in school free of charge! The session will be held on Thursday, Sept. 8, in the Auditorium. Two cameras will run simultaneously for most of the day, in six-minute blocks, with a lunch break. Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pzztyxR9h_mvC1wAxhkpWvQH0NvJFUZ7TEdhe-U0nVg/edit?usp=sharing

NOTE: If you’d like to sit for more than the free senior portrait, please visit Lifetouch at prestigeportraits.com/studio. Or, of course, you may choose another studio or photographer.

Please email me at [email protected] for further info, if you’re seeking another studio.

Yearbooks

Buy your MLWGS Yearbook early! Prices start at $45, but they go up after Oct. 7. You MUST buy your Yearbook online, at www.yearbookordercenter.com. Find our school’s name or enter our job number (14632) to reserve your book.

The Music Department

Band and Orchestra students should plan to bring their instruments on their first day of class. Percussion Ensemble students should bring drum sticks on the first day.

Community Service

Need community service hours? Do you like history or excel at deciphering old handwriting? Earn community service hours by transcribing historical documents for the Library of Virginia and designated archives! The MLWGS Library hosts one Transcribe-a-thon in the library per quarter. In 2022-2023, they will be held on the following Wednesdays from 3:30pm-5:00pm:

Wednesday, Sep. 21
Wednesday, Nov. 16
Wednesday, Jan. 18
Wednesday, Mar. 22

Newsworthy Links

Walker Way Day for the Class of 2026

Introducing our newest faculty members 2022-2023

Promoted faculty members in 2022-2023

Happy First Day of School!

Go Dragons!!!

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Most Recent News

The Thank a Teacher Art Contest is back

Meet our department of multilingual and multitalented teachers!

MLWGS teams running at the VHSL XC State Championship, Nov 15-16