Welcome (or
welcome back) students and parents!
Today MLWGS students should pick up their student packet containing information for students and parents. While everything is important, the pink PTSA volunteer form is time-sensitive. Please look for and fill out the personalized pink PTSA volunteer sheets, one for each parent. This information currently resides in the secure PTSA database that will be used to publish the school directory. Please identify the volunteer opportunities of interest and also check the data to make sure the school directory will be as accurate as possible.
Please send these forms back to school
(marked box at the Bluestone entrance), scan and email them to mlwgsptsadirectory@gmail.com, or mail to the
address at the bottom of the form. The Parent Volunteer Form is available under "Links" on the right side of your Smoke and
Scales. In order to provide a directory to
each student at Back-to-School night, September 24, completed and/or corrected
forms need to be returned by Friday, September 11.
Save the Date for Fall Festival
2015!
Come one, come all to the nineteenth-annual MLWGS Fall Festival!
It is the one event of the year sponsored by the PTSA to directly showcase and
support MLWGS student organizations! Held on the front steps and lawn of the
school, facing Lombardy Street, the Fall Festival offers a wide variety of
activities, entertainment, and food.
The Festival is open to all: current students, their families,
younger siblings, former students and families, neighborhood residents and friends
of the school!
There is no admittance charged for the festival and all the
entertainment, provided by our very talented students, is free! Tickets are
sold to purchase all items for sale, which include crafts, games, entrees,
desserts and drinks.
Be sure to “Like” the Fall Festival Page on Facebook to get the
latest information about what is planned and what volunteer opportunities exist
(www.facebook.com/MLWGSFallFestival).
The Festival relies on volunteers to help with the many jobs,
including set up, booth support, PTSA drink sales, crowd control, ticket sales
and counting, and tear down. Parent support is critical to the success of the
Festival and students can earn community service hours. Parent volunteers will
be needed on October 9 starting at 9 a.m. before the Festival for setup, during the Festival, and afterwards for clean up. The PTSA also needs to borrow some items to help keep the cost down. More information about
volunteering and donating items will be posted on the Facebook Page and in
future editions of Smoke and Scales
Exciting Announcements
for THE DRAGON’s LAIR
The Dragon’s Lair has
some exciting news! First, in addition to being open Tuesdays and Fridays
during the lunch hour, the Dragon’s Lair will also be open on the
first and third Wednesdays of the month from 8 a.m. - 9
a.m. We hope this new morning time slot will provide more flexibility in
visiting the school store. The Dragon’s Laird is also excited to announce
that it’s moving from handwritten to electronic transactions, and will now be
accepting credit and debit cards all the time.
If you have any questions,
comments, or are interested in volunteering during special events, please
contact Shannon Adee at 804-714-7499.
Costa
Rica International/Interdisciplinary Trip
Enrollment
Deadline approaching
The
deadline for the spring international/interdisciplinary trip to Costa Rica is
Wednesday September 30, 2015. An informational meeting
is scheduled for Monday September 21 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 153. MLWGS
students interested in the trip but unable to attend the meeting can contact
Mr. David Barnes dbarnes@gsgis.k12.va.us, or 354-6800 ex 3060 with
any questions. More information is also available at http://www.eftours.com/1713827WP .
MLWGS students have an
exciting opportunity to participate in the international/interdisciplinary trip
to Costa Rica during Spring Break 2016. MLWGS has chosen to offer this
opportunity because of Costa Rica’s unique history, vibrant culture, and robust
ecological diversity. Students will spend 9 days exploring the ecology,
geology, history, and culture of Costa Rica. In Tortuguero students will
discover 11 different habitats, including nesting ground for sea turtles. Then
students will enjoy a unique perspective of the rainforest while whitewater
rafting and zip-lining in Sarapiqui. The next stop will be the Arenal region,
where students will study volcanic geology. The Arenal volcano serves as a
watershed for the lake, powers the hot springs, and supports the majestic La
Fortuna waterfall. The final destination is Guanacaste, where students can
explore Pacific beaches. They will also visit a cloud forest and snorkel in a
marine ecosystem. Of course, they will also have some free time to experience
local culture.
MLWGS has chosen to work
with Education First (EF), an accredited international travel company, because
they are a leader in international education, with more than 45 years of
experience in 50 countries. EF will provide transportation, accommodations,
food, insurance, and an experienced tour guide. The tentative cost of the trip
is $2705 plus $80 for tips.
SUBSCRIBE TO SMOKE AND SCALES VIA BLOGGER
Beginning
with the 2016-2017 school year, Smoke and
Scales will not be using Constant Contact to blast your email inbox every
Tuesday morning in the wee hours. Don’t worry though! You can still receive Smoke and Scales every Tuesday by
subscribing to the newsletter by email. How? At the top of this page on the
right-hand side is a “Follow by Email” subscription option. Simply enter your
email address, hit submit, and you’re subscribed! Smoke and Scales’s goal this year is to transition the entire
readership to subscribe via email. Please get us started on that goal, and
subscribe today!
Thank you
from your Smoke and Scales editors
and the MLWGS PTSA!