It feels like just yesterday we were dealing with ice, and now we are moving through days filled with pollen and unseasonably warm weather. Most of us have had enough of the cold, and the shift has been welcome, but it has also tested our building, with several areas struggling to keep up. Moments like this make it clear that as we move deeper into our five-year planning, prioritizing the fiscal work needed to upgrade equipment must remain an immediate focus. In the meantime, our students and staff adjusted without missing a beat, shifting spaces and continuing the work.
Spirit Week brought a strong sense of energy and connection across the building, especially with the anticipation of an outdoor pep rally. Our SCA led the celebrations while also taking on more serious work through anti-vaping assemblies. They intended to hold these sessions earlier, but weather delays required adjustments to the schedule.
While consequences and health impacts were discussed, the message ultimately centered on trust and the kind of community we are committed to building and sustaining. The thoughtful suggestions shared afterward provide strong starting points for continued student-driven conversations and next steps.
We also hosted Community Connections Day, where our 14 partner school divisions sent representatives to see our school in action. It was a great opportunity to showcase our students, our programs, and the work happening across the building. These moments matter as we continue to strengthen those relationships and ensure understanding across our divisions. We could not do the great work we do without our partner divisions, boards, and planning committee teams.
Interims were released on Wednesday, a reminder of how quickly the year is moving. With just four and a half weeks remaining, that sense of time feels very real. It was especially evident as we met with seniors and their families, marking a transition point that always seems to arrive faster than expected.
Even as one year winds to a conclusion, the next year ramps up. Our Dragon Advisory program, which is designed to acculturate freshmen to Maggie Walker and to pair them with upperclass mentors, has selected its student Co-Coordinators for the 2026-2027 school year. Dr. Loving and Mr. Coleman are excited to introduce Seyi Hester, Miranda Zhang, Julia Jones, and Indira Mudinur as our Dragon Advisory Co-Coordinators. We have also identified 12 rising seniors to serve as Room Leaders in a very competitive process. Congratulations to all of our student leaders!
As we continue adding events and activities to an already busy stretch of the year, please remember to stay focused on what matters most. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and keep supporting our students through these final weeks. This is the time of year when everything speeds up, but it is also where the impact of our work shows up the most.
Go Dragons!
Warmly,
Kristin K. Janssen, Executive Director
Additional Announcements below:
Dragons are participating in We the People Nationals this weekend. The 2026 National Finals will unfold April 17-19, in and around Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital and a vibrant cultural city. The hearings and other celebrations take place in Bethesda, Maryland. While in Washington, D.C., students will explore our nation’s capital, learn about government beyond the classroom walls, and meet with elected officials, community leaders, and other dignitaries.
MLWGS last won the We the People national title in 2023, bringing its total to five national titles over 28 appearances in the competition’s 35-plus-year history. The team has consistently ranked among the national top 10 in most other years.
We are excited to see what our team can do. Good luck, Mr. U and students!
Japan Bowl 2026. Ms. Yoko Eshita will be taking her students to the nation’s premier high school Japanese language competition, the 34th National Japan Bowl, April 17-19, 2026, at the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), in Washington, DC.
Each spring the Japan-America Society of Washington DC welcomes 200 of the country’s top high school Japanese language students to the nation’s capital for the competition. The National Japan Bowl is a high-level, high-intensity competition that tests students’ knowledge of the Japanese language and of the culture, history, and social context that brings the language to life.
The Japan-America Society of Washington DC has supported the creation of twenty regional Japan Bowl® competitions across America and around the world, giving the program a global impact.
All the best to our students participating in the All-Virginia Band, Chorus, and Orchestra competition this Friday and Saturday, April 17-18, at the Richmond Convention Center. Teachers Allison Barnes, Nicholas Merillat, and Joe Revell have done great work with their students, culminating in this competition. This event is open to the public.
Mu Alpha Theta is sponsoring an after-school presentation by MLWGS alumna Dr. Finale Doshi-Velez on Friday, April 24, from 3:30-4:45 pm in the Forum. Here is the tentative title and description:
Foundations of Reinforcement Learning in Forty Minutes: There will be symbols and equations and hopefully students will come away with “I’ve seen many of these mathematical pieces in my classes but not put together in this way before — my brain feels expanded in a technical way.”
Finale Doshi-Velez is a Herchel Smith Professor in Computer Science at the Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She completed her MSc from the University of Cambridge as a Marshall Scholar, her PhD from MIT, and her postdoc at Harvard Medical School. Her interests lie at the intersection of reinforcement learning, interpretability, and probabilistic methods to improve human+AI discovery and decision-making.
On Thursday, April 23, the Department of International Languages will host its annual combined National Honor Society inductions, with ceremonies representing all ten of our languages. Families are cordially invited to celebrate the inductees. The ceremony will take place during lunch, starting promptly at 11:40 AM, in the Auditorium, and may stretch into the beginning of sixth block.
The Vault, Maggie Walker’s newly renamed Yearbook, will be available for pickup and purchase at lunch in the Commons on Thurs, May 7 (seniors only), and Fri, May 8 (all others). Distribution and sales will continue on May 11-13, also at lunch in the Commons. If you can’t remember whether you purchased a book, please email Yearbook Adviser Michael White at [email protected]. All pre-orders must be completed by May 1; go to www.yearbookordercenter.com, and either enter our job number (it’s 14632) or search for Maggie Walker. After May 1, only walk-up purchases (for $60 in cash or check, payable to MLWGS) will be accepted.
PCACAC and VACRAO have partnered to host a Richmond-area college fair next week at the Dewey Gottwald Center (Science Museum of Virginia). Nearly every Virginia public college/university will be in attendance as well as many other schools in which your students may be interested. Meet college admissions reps, learn about each institution’s programs and majors, and hear about each school’s campus community and student life experience! The list of registrants has been posted in the “College Information for the Class of 2027” and “College Information for the Class of 2028” Schoology groups. The fair is scheduled for Monday, April 20th, from 6:00-8:00 pm. To register, visit https://app.strivescan.com/registration
On August 10-12, MLWGS counselors Dr. Rachel Loving and Ms. Kim Forquer will host a College Application Boot Camp for rising MLWGS seniors. Registration is now open, and spots are limited. Juniors can find links to both a SignUp Genius and OSP in the “College Information for the Class of 2027” Schoology group. (To reserve a spot, a student must select the morning or afternoon session on the SignUp Genius and pay the $75 fee via OSP no later than May 29th.)
Textbook Review: The Social Studies Department is currently considering the adoption of new textbooks for our Honors US History course. The two textbooks currently being considered for adoption are The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People by Alan Brinkley, 10th edition, McGraw Hill Publishers, 2023 and The American Pageant by David M. Kennedy, 18th edition, Cengage Publishing, 2025. The textbooks, as well as evaluation forms, have been placed in the school library and will be available for constituents to critique up through April 23rd. If you have any questions regarding this process, please feel free to reach out to the Dept. Chair via e-mail at [email protected].
Senior Group Photo: Lifetouch is coming to photograph the senior class in their caps and gowns on the front steps of Maggie Walker on Monday, April 27, during lunch. The line-up will take place on the 2nd floor hall by the auditorium at 11:40 AM. The cost is expected to be $18, and information about how to order a copy will be distributed this week. Unfortunately, no pictures may be purchased after April 27. FYI: These photos may not be delivered until AFTER graduation, so you may need to come to school to pick up your copy.
Social Studies AP Assistance: The TJ History Honor Society will host AP prep sessions during lunch for all Social Studies AP courses every Monday in Room 313, as well as on Tuesday, May 5, until AP exams begin. Please see your class pages and the MLWGS Social Studies Instagram for a schedule of tutoring focus areas. See Ms. Lee or Ms. Voight if you have questions.
Senior Survey via Naviance: April 17th through May 1st. The Senior Survey will be available on Naviance starting April 13th and must be completed by May 1st as a part of the official check-out process. This survey will give the senior counselors information about each student’s post graduation plans. The final college decision each senior reports by May 1st will be printed in the graduation program. Any scholarship offers that students report they will be accepting will be featured in the Senior Awards Bulletin (program). Students should also share any scholarships they are declining so that counselors can stay abreast of institutions’ awarding trends.
To access the Senior Survey, students should go to Naviance, click the arrow by their initials, and then click “Surveys from My School.” When completed, select “Save and Finish.” If a student changes their college decision or receives/chooses to accept a scholarship after submitting the form, please notify Counseling via the Google “College/Scholarship Change Form” that will be available in Schoology under the College Information for the Class of 2026 group. Counselors will make every effort to have the final college decision reflected in the graduation program, which goes to print on May 11th to be ready by graduation. Similarly, late scholarship awards may not be able to be recognized at the Senior Awards Assembly, but please report them so they can be documented and shared in other ways. Please contact Ms. Forquer or Dr. Loving if you have questions.
Senior Recognition Night: As our students prepare to leave MLWGS, we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and reflecting on their four years of growth, friendship, and achievement. Senior Recognition Night is a meaningful evening for students and families alike, and we warmly welcome family members to join us for this special occasion.
Please note that seating in the auditorium is limited, so we encourage families to plan accordingly and arrive early.
Students need to report to the gym by 6:00 PM for the line-up (the actual event starts at 6:30 PM), where they will also receive the letters they wrote themselves as freshmen. Students should wear professional/business attire; caps and gowns are NOT worn for this event.
Direct any questions regarding Senior Recognition Night to Kara Love at [email protected].
SOL Testing Information for Parents
Math SOLs will be held on April 29th and April 30th. All freshmen in Geometry and Algebra 2 are required to test, along with select sophomores who will be notified by Friday, April 17th.
The End-of-Year SOLs will be held during the last week of May. Students attending only their testing window must have a parent notify the school of their late arrival and/or grant permission for early dismissal. The tentative schedule is below, but students will receive the final schedule in May.
Schedule:
- Morning Block: 8:40 am – 11:30 am
- Afternoon Block: 12:30 pm – 3:10 pm
Test Schedule:
- May 26th – Biology (ALL 9th graders)
- May 27th – US History (select 10th graders) & Reading SOL (ALL 11th graders)
- May 28th – World History 2 (select 10th graders)
- May 29 th – SOL Makeups
*Notifications about who needs a history SOL will be communicated on Friday, April 17th.*
Contact Kelly Ndayizigiye at [email protected] for any questions.
Senior Parents–Celebrate Your Dragon and Leave Your Mark @ MLWGS
The Governor’s School Foundation invites families of seniors and alumni to commemorate their time at Maggie Walker by purchasing a custom-engraved paver. These permanent tributes honor your student’s achievements while supporting the Foundation’s ongoing work.
Choose the location that’s most meaningful to you:
- Bluestone paver inside the school lobby
- Brick paver on Walker Plaza along Lombardy Street
Order Deadline: June 1, 2026 (All pavers will be engraved over the summer.)
- $1,000 — Bluestone Lobby Paver
Up to 6 lines, 13 characters (including spaces) per line - $500 — Exterior Brick Paver (Walker Plaza)
Up to 3 lines, 13 characters (including spaces) per line
Your purchase is more than a tribute—it’s a long-lasting investment in our beloved school. (All funds exceeding engraving costs are tax-deductible.)
Senior Parent Send Off Party–Friday, May 1, Brambly Park
The MLWGS Foundation will be hosting the annual Senior Parent Send Off on Friday, May 1, from 5:30-7:30 pm at Brambly Park. Come join other parents of our soon-to-be graduates to celebrate this milestone–and know that you’re not alone during this bittersweet time of sending your Dragon on to their next adventure. Grandparents Welcome! No RSVP needed.
