Last year, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School received the VMEA Blue Ribbon Award, marking a significant achievement as it was the first time in the school’s history. The VMEA Blue Ribbon Award is the highest honor given to school music programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia, recognizing excellence in Band, Orchestra, and Choral Performance. To qualify for this prestigious award, all top eligible performing groups must receive a final Superior rating at the VMEA District Concert Performance Assessment. With our orchestra already achieving straight Superior ratings, we are hopeful for another Blue Ribbon recognition this year.
In AY2025, Joe Revell joined the Visual and Performing Arts Department. He brought professional experience as a music director and composer for theatre in England, his home country. Joe teaches drama, chorus, and competitive chorus.
The department has been busy preparing for our annual March Youth Art and Music Month extravaganza, it’s a true collaboration! This event raises awareness about the importance of Fine Arts in education, and with over half of the school participating in Visual and Performing Arts classes, it brings the entire school community together. We displayed beautiful artwork created by every student in our Photography, Art, and Digital Art classes. Additionally, our talented musicians from the Band, Orchestra, and Chorus classes performed throughout the evening. It was an incredibly successful event, and the exhibition, along with additional workshops, will continue throughout the month.
This time of year marks our annual music assessments, which are a requirement for our students. During these assessments, students perform for a panel of judges and receive grades based on their performances. This process meets both national and statewide standards in music education. Recently, the MLWGS Orchestra excelled at this year’s assessment, receiving perfect scores! Both ensembles achieved straight Superior ratings. One group performed grade 5 music, while the other tackled grade 6, the highest possible level. The music team, consisting of Nick, Allison, and Joe, along with their students, deserve all the credit for their outstanding achievements during the music assessments.
We would be remiss not to mention our fantastic spring drama production, *Mean Girls*. This delightful and high-energy show brought together a talented cast and crew of students, who delivered outstanding performances, sharp comedic timing, and impressive musical numbers. The production captivated audiences with its beautiful set design and heartfelt storytelling. The play was led by our Drama Club sponsor, Devon Mattys (not pictured), along with our dedicated drama students.
Our upcoming events include the Spring Band Concert on April 30th at 7 PM and the Spring Orchestra Concert on May 2nd at 7 PM. Both concerts will take place in the MLWGS auditorium. Additionally, our annual off-campus Senior Art Exhibition will run from May 9th to May 17th, with an opening reception on May 9th from 6 PM to 8 PM. This exhibition will be held at ArtWorks Gallery Richmond, located at 320 Hull St., Richmond. The event is free and open to the public.
Lastly, congratulations to Jeff Hall for being named a Finalist for the 2024 REB Award for Teaching Excellence, and to Nick Merillat, who was nominated for the 2025 REB Award for Teaching Excellence.
