Dragons,
It has been a short week, but a very busy one as we navigated snow days, a two hour delay, and a flip and flopped schedule. These adjustments ensured that we were able to touch base with all classes on Wednesday, followed by even blocks on Thursday and odd blocks on Friday. Students and staff eased back into the ebb and flow of school with counseling meetings, make up work, and a shared commitment to finishing the semester strong. As a reminder, the first semester concludes before the holiday break.
This week we also celebrated an exceptional professional achievement.
Congratulations to Mr. Sam Ulmschneider for earning National Board Certified Teacher status. Mr. Ulmschneider teaches AP US Government, AP US History, We The People, History of American Popular Culture, and Political Theory and Political Philosophy. His dedication to excellence and to his students continues to elevate our learning community.
Our students also gave us much to celebrate. The Quiz Bowl team had an outstanding showing at the VCU winter tournament this past Saturday. Despite difficult travel conditions, our A Team placed third and our B Team placed fifth, earning qualifications for the national championship in Atlanta. In the JV division, our C and D teams finished in tenth and twelfth place. Several students received book awards for individual excellence including Collette Kim, Rohan Rajguru, Sage Smith, Rohan Neelakantan, David Lins, and Bladen Kidd. It was a strong day of skill, determination, and accomplishment for all of our teams.
Another highlight arrived at the Dominion Christmas Parade where the Maggie Walker Drum Line braved the cold weather and opened the event with great spirit. If you missed their performance, you can watch it on Christmas Day. Go Dragons.
Our PTSA is also lifting us up with the annual staff appreciation luncheon titled A World of Thanks. Their partnership and generosity continue to bring warmth to our school community.
As we approach holiday spirit week, which includes our winter concert and the final stretch of the semester, students and teachers are balancing celebrations with closing grades and any remaining assignments. A brief operational note. If we experience additional snow days this year, we will shift to synchronous virtual learning days to preserve instructional time.
Cold weather may linger over the next week, but warmer temperatures should arrive as we wrap up the term. Here is to a strong finish, moments of joy, and a well deserved winter break ahead. Weekly school information from staff is posted below.
Warmly,
Kristin Janssen
Executive Director, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School
| Night of the Dragon 2026 is Saturday, February 28. Mark your calendars. |
| The Winter Holiday concert will now take place at Maggie Walker (not Highland Springs) on Wednesday, December 17th. Students will stay after school for the dress rehearsal and dinner.Due to the low capacity of the auditorium, we will be performing the concert in two timeslots: Concert 1: 5:30PMConcert 2: 7:00PM Please tell us which concert you are attending by taking this one-minute poll: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhttC-bz69umf_D1qoOtv65w4x-isUIDvs3O5oBEhFFavO6w/viewform This will allow parents the opportunity to get a good seat to see their student perform. Capacity will likely more limited at the 7:00PM show and we encourage families who are able to attend at 5:30. Data from this form will be used to better understand our capacity needs for combined band, chorus and orchestra concerts. |
| Just a friendly reminder to order your student’s cap and gown for graduation! All graduation regalia must be purchased through the Herff Jones website. Cap and gowns will be delivered directly to the school at no extra cost, while any additional products will be shipped to your home for an additional fee. To get started, simply use the link or QR code in the PDF below.Seniors 2026- Maggie Walker HS.pdfYou can reach out to Ms. Sheppard or Ms. Love with any graduation-related questions. |
| It’s not too late to join the Robotics Team – FRC 422 The Mech Tech Dragons. Use this LINK to find the list of membership tasks to complete. The deadline to complete is December 15.To find out more about the robotics team see the team website – https://mechtechrobotics.com/ Any questions reach please out to Mark Sailer [email protected] and/or the team [email protected] |
| Freshman Lock In DetailsThe Freshman Lock In is a Maggie Walker tradition that brings our ninth graders together for a night of fun, games, pizza, and movies. Registration and check in will begin at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, December 12, 2025. Doors will close within one hour of entry. All students should be picked up at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 13.. Sign up and payment were due on December 11 through our online portal system, OSP. The submission window for permission slips also closed on December 11, and we are unable to accept entries at the door. |
| PAWS Angel Tree: Help animals in shelters over the holidays! Donate to the PAWS Angel Tree drive in the Sophomore-Junior commons! Donations will be open until December 18th |
| Senior Seminar and Mentorship Program Registration for JuniorsIn December and January, Juniors (Class of 2027) will take a 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, 12/8/25, Juniors will be added to a Schoology Group that will provide information about the Seminar/Mentorship selection and application process. As the process moves forward in December, 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 to discuss this decision with their student. Anyone that has questions about the process should reach out to Mr. Cook ([email protected]). The deadline for completing the Seminar/Mentorship selection and application process will be Friday, January 16, 2026. |
| 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 149) or send him an email ([email protected]). |
| Looking for Host Families for Japanese Students in March 2026 I am excited to announce that students from our partner school in Japan are visiting Maggie L. Walker next March. We are currently looking for families who are willing to host the Japanese students during their two-week visit. The planned dates for the visit are February 28 (Sat)– March 14, 2026 (Sat). The responsibilities of a host family are to pick up and drop off the student at Richmond Airport; to provide housing and food for the student; to ensure the student can get to and from school each day; and to include the student in family activities in evenings and on weekends. Our partner school, Chiben Gakuen, is in Wakayama, Japan, about 2 hours and 30 minutes south of Kyoto via train. The exchange is supported by our school, and we are planning on having 12 high school students from Japan visit. There will be an information session on Tuesday, December 16, at 7 pm on Zoom to provide more details about the exchange and the hosting experience. Your child does not have to be learning Japanese to be a host family. If you are interested in hosting a student, please fill out the survey below by Sunday, December 14. I will email you the Zoom link. Link: https://forms.gle/wfWwy3B4N5KzhfQU6 If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Yoko Eshita, the Japanese teacher, at [email protected]. |
| MLWGS will be closed for winter break from December 22, 2025 through January 2, 2026. We will welcome our Dragons back to the new year and the start of a new semester on Monday, January 5, 2026. |
| Spread holiday cheer & earn community service time by coming to the library @ lunch on Friday, 12/12, and/or Tuesday, 12/16, to make holiday cards for residents at The Virginia Home. Bring your favorite markers, colored pencils, etc.. Paper and additional markers and colored pencils will be available too. Instructions, which include NOT signing your name, will be provided at these card-making events. If you participate in a lunchtime session, you can sign up to make more cards from home. All cards must be dropped off in the library to Ms. DeGroat by 3:30pm on Thursday, Dec. 18. |
| The MLWGS PTSA is sponsoring the 2025-2026 National Reflections Arts Contest. Each year, over 300,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. This 50+ year-old program helps students explore thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence, and find a love for learning to become more successful in school and in life.2025-2026 Theme: “I belong”How To Enter: Students create and submit their completed works of art tied to this year’s theme in one or more of the available arts categories: Film ProductionMusic CompositionVisual ArtsDance ChoreographyLiteraturePhotographyFill Out the Submission Form: Please read the category specifications and official rules for detailed information and enter the required details: Click HERE to Submit Art Submission Deadline: Sunday, December 21st, 2025Any Questions? Email [email protected] and [email protected] with your questions. |
| NASA’s Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) is thrilled to announce that the application window for Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology (BLAST)—our FREE summer residential STEM program for Virginia 8th and 9th grade students—opens December 1st!BLAST gives students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore their passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through immersive learning and career exploration. The program is designed specifically for students who have not yet had significant STEM experiences (such as afterschool programs, electives, or camps), offering them a first chance to dive into engaging, hands-on sessions. Selected students will spend three days and nights on campus at one of Virginia’s top universities: Old Dominion University (ODU), Radford University (RU), University of Virginia (UVA), Virginia Tech (VT), or William & Mary (W&M). Led by university faculty, participants will:Take part in interactive STEM activitiesAttend demonstrations, tours, and guest speaker sessionsGain valuable insight into college life and STEM careers 📅 Application Window: Opens Monday, December 1, 2025 and closes Saturday, February 1, 2026🎥 Short Informational Video: Watch here 🎥 YouTube Channel: Click here📄 Flyer & More Details: https://vsgc.odu.edu/blast/ |
