It has been another whirlwind week at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School! As we wrap up April, we’ve had the opportunity to recognize so many meaningful observances, from Financial Literacy Month and Math Awareness Month to Arab American Heritage Month, National Autism Acceptance Month, the Month of the Military Child, National Poetry Month, School Library Month, Principal Appreciation Day, Bus Driver Appreciation Day, and Volunteer Month.
This week has been full in all the best ways. Students have been focused and working hard through Math SOL testing and review sessions, while also engaging with guest speakers and classroom experiences. Our arts programs have been busy with rehearsals and a fantastic Spring Band Concert. It’s always great to see so many musicians stay engaged in the arts throughout their high school careers and continue to share their talents.
At the same time, our students continue to show up in incredible ways beyond the classroom, whether competing in Robotics and TSA, participating in athletics, attending club meetings, or supporting others through opportunities like Newtowne tutoring. We also made it through Senior Skip Day and have had some meaningful senior moments, including the cap and gown photo and Senior Recognition Night, with more celebrations just ahead.
As we head into next week, AP testing begins, marking another important academic milestone as we move deeper into the final stretch of the year. We’re also looking forward to celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, as well as School Lunch Hero Day and Teacher Appreciation Week. We are grateful for the many people who support our students each and every day. We’re also excited to welcome families for Grandparents’ Day and to celebrate our seniors as they prepare for what’s next. Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It truly makes a difference.
Go Dragons!
Warmly,
Kristin K. Janssen, Executive Director
Additional Announcements below:
Follow the Mech Tech Dragons in Houston, Texas, for the April 29-May 2, 2026, FIRST Championship – the world’s largest K-12 robotics event.
Live stream information will be found on The Blue Alliance or the FIRST Championship Webpage
The Blue Alliance (Match Schedules and results)- https://www.thebluealliance.com/event/2026cmptx
AP Testing at MW, May 4-15. AP Exams will be mostly digital or hybrid this year. Exams with listening portions will use the same format as previous years.
Students should check their MyAP accounts before their testing dates to ensure all planned exams appear in their accounts.
Remember that afternoon exams run past the end of our school day, so please plan transportation and work schedules accordingly. See the AP Testing Schoology Group for additional details about what to bring and not bring to your exams and exact room locations once they are determined.
Family Reminders for AP Testing:
- Families and students should take a look at the AP schedule and make sure they know where and when to be: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KNVyZ9Xou4xBaA9aQBki7ArJ7pv7BMyy/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107178821893099947385&rtpof=true&sd=true
- AP Testers have been made members of the AP Testing Schoology group, where reminders are posted.
- Families should be aware that students must report to their testing rooms at 8:15 (riding buses that typically arrive by 8:30 is okay) and afternoon exams run past the end of the school day and bus departure. Families should arrange alternate transportation home. AP Exams must adhere to national start and end times, and students cannot start late or leave early, even if finished early.
- Students should bring a pencil with them (most exams are online, but scratch paper is provided in each exam), an approved calculator (if needed), a sweatshirt (temperatures can vary in testing rooms), and, if desired, a water bottle and snack for the break.
- Students who have two exams in one day may wish to pack a lunch as they will have approximately 20 minutes to eat between exams.
- For morning testers who wish to buy lunch, lunch will be held open until about 20 minutes after the exam releases. Students will get a 20-minute break before being required to report to class.
- Cell phones are not permitted in testing rooms and must be off and away in a backpack that will be stored in designated areas. Students may not wear/have smart watches or any other devices that can take pictures or access the internet. (A complete list of prohibited items is available in the AP Terms & Conditions, which is linked to the AP Testing Schoology group.)
- Students will test on school devices and, therefore, must have their College Board login credentials memorized to access the Bluebook App. Log-in credentials cannot be written down or stored in a phone. Only exams with listening components will be given in a paper format (these require a pen for the FRQ’s).
- Students with approved accommodations for a documented disability should have received an email from Ms. Joy Cobb with their exact testing location. If any student is scheduled for two extended time exams in one day, please reach out to Dr. Rachel Loving to have one moved to late testing.
- Although it is past the deadline for a refund, if any student decides not to test (i.e., seniors who have discovered they have maximized all possible transfer credit to their selected college) they must still complete the cancellation form so attendance can be adjusted: https://forms.gle/8zuUM4xZFCjw6K2a8.
- Absences on testing day require documentation to qualify for late testing.
Please reach out to Dr. Rachel Loving ([email protected]) with any questions.
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 Showcase Invitation to all Senior Parents and Guardians:
On May 20, 2026, all senior students at Maggie Walker will be taking part in our Senior Showcase. This day is designed to allow all seniors to share presentations of research generated in their Senior Seminar classes or in their Mentorship. All students at MLWGS will be invited to register to attend sessions throughout the day. Parents and Guardians of Seniors are also invited to attend their student’s session on May 20. Please use the link below to see the schedule for the day. There is no need for Parents/Guardians to RSVP or register for sessions. We hope you are able to attend. More information will be coming regarding overflow parking in a future message.
Senior Showcase Schedule: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18Hl6i9meg3gnw5TrLx0ZQKboBy5MmHIx/view?usp=sharing
The Vault, Maggie Walker’s newly renamed Yearbook, will be available for pickup and purchase at lunch in the Commons on Thursday, May 7 (seniors only), and Friday, 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.
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.)
It’s Prom time! Night at the Disco
The Junior/Senior Prom will be held on Saturday, May 16, from 7:00- 10:00 p.m. at the Hippodrome Theater, located at 528 N 2nd St., Richmond, VA 23219. This year’s theme is Night at the Disco.
Seniors are not charged admission, but each senior must pick up their complimentary ticket during ticket sales. If juniors or seniors plan to bring a guest from outside the MLWGS community, they must submit a guest form, which can be found on Schoology or can be picked up in Ms. Valenta Williams’ office in room 100. Only one guest per senior is permitted. Off-campus guest tickets are $35.
Tickets are on sale via OSP. The ticket window closes Thursday, May 14th at midnight. Ticket pick up will be during lunch on Wednesday and Friday, May 13th and 15th. No tickets are sold at the door.
We recommend making dinner reservations early enough so students can arrive in time to enjoy the prom (this is particularly important if students plan to dine at a restaurant where meals typically take over an hour and a half).
If you have questions, please contact the Junior Class sponsor, Amy Maxey, at [email protected].
SOL Testing Information for Parents
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
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.)
Chesterfield student-athletes: VCU Health Sports Medicine will be hosting physicals for Chesterfield County Public High Schools in May. Below is a list of host sites and schools that can participate on each date. Check-in will begin at 3:30 pm. The cost of each physical is $20 and only cash will be accepted. All money collected will be donated back to Chesterfield County Public High Schools’ Sports Medicine budgets to help purchase new supplies for the upcoming sports seasons.
Date: Monday, May 11, 2026
Time: 3:30 pm-6:00 pm. Please arrive no later than 5:30 pm
Location: Clover Hill HS, 13301 Kelly Green Ln., Midlothian, VA 23112
Schools to Attend: Cosby
Cost: $20 cash only, NO checks will be accepted
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time: 3:30 pm-6:00 pm. Please arrive no later than 5:30 pm
Location: Meadowbrook HS, 4901 Cogbill Rd., N. Chesterfield, VA 23234
Schools to Attend: LC Bird, Carver
Cost: $20 cash only, NO checks will be accepted
Student/parent portions of the VHSL physical form must be completed in their entirety and signed by a parent/guardian. Incomplete/unsigned forms will not be accepted.
Please join us for the gala opening of the 2026 MLWGS Senior Art Exhibition: Migration at Artworks Gallery, Friday, May 8, from 6-8 PM.
The show, which is the capstone event of our visual arts program, will highlight the collected works of 21 Maggie Walker seniors including:
| Ananthu Anish | Maddie Bridges | Rachel Carlson | Elijah Chen |
| Lillian Davies | Amelia Downey | Sunjana Finn | Cypress Julien |
| Alex Le | Emma Lindsey | Stella McCormack | Demari Mitchell |
| Shreeya Patel | Ansley Plaisted | Sophia Runberg | Caitlyn Smith |
| Missy Stephenson | Miles Swenson | Lily Voorhees | Caroline Walton |
| Ella Wiatt |
Come meet these amazing young artists, faculty, and mingle with others in the Maggie Walker arts community. The exhibition is free and held at Artworks Gallery which is located at 320 Hull Street, RVA 23224 in the Manchester area of downtown Richmond. The exhibition will continue daily through May 16.
