Week of November 17, 2015

MLWGS DRAMA CLUB PRESENTS THE CRUCIBLE BY ARTHUR MILLER
and MLWGS STUDENT TICKETS ARE FREE!

The MLWGS Drama Club will be performing The Crucible this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. each night (November 19, 20 and 21).  Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2406230.  Tickets are $8 for non-MLWGS students and $10 for adults. 

This wonderful opportunity for MLWGS students to see the show for free is made possible due to the incredible generosity of an anonymous drama supporter.  MLWGS and the Drama Club are so grateful for this gift that opens up the show to the entire student body. 

The Crucible is produced by Carol Piersol and directed by Matt Polson. Matt also directed last year's shows, Into the Woods and You Can't Take it With You, and MLWGS is so fortunate to have his leadership once again. Please join us as MLWGS Drama looks forward to entertaining you!

Questions? Please contact maggiewalkerdrama@gmail.com.




BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR THANKSGIVING TURKEY ... 
don’t forget to register your Kroger and Martin’s cards.

For Kroger Community Rewards, register at krogercommunityrewards.com and click on Sign In/Renew and follow the instructions.  The school number is 82125 (or you can look it up under Maggie Walker). Even if you did this last year, it has to be done again. If you are one of the 138 parents who have signed up this year, we thank you.

You can also take the Kroger bar code to your local store and have customer service scan it to participate in the Plus Card for Education, which gets the school free supplies. This is NOT the same as the Community Rewards program, but you can do both.

For Martin’s A+ School rewards log on to www.martinsfood.com/aplus and designate our school ID 23112.  Despite the instructions in last week’s Smoke & Scales, you actually DO have to sign up again this year since the MLWGS school number has changed.
This year is also the last one for Target’s Take Charge of Education, so let’s get the most we can out of it.  Go to www.target.com/tcoe and enter your Redcard number.  The school number is 104517.

Although it’s a pain to register annually, these programs brought in more than $8,000 last year.  The Kroger program is particularly generous.  It’s all money that goes to the school and MLWGS students, so please take the time to register.






STUDENT COUNSELING DEPARTMENT OFFERING SESSIONS

The School Counseling Department is offering weekly support groups for students who may be feeling overwhelmed this time of year. The sessions will be led by Cindy Barnes, a veteran school counselor and licensed professional counselor.  Ninth through eleventh-graders will meet to explore the ways they respond to academic demands and the stresses of everyday life.  Using Affect Theory students will find some ways to reduce their response to stress and increase their sense of accomplishment.

For Maggie Walker seniors, the college admissions season typically brings with it increased student stress.  To this end, the School Counseling Department will be offering a dedicated counseling group for interested seniors on stress management. 

If students are interested in attending either of these groups, please have them let their school counselor know so that the School Counseling Department can organize the sessions.  We hope to start these sessions this week so please let us know this week if possible.




THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL RICHMOND ALUMNI PRESENT
SECOND ANNUAL PAT TAYLOR TEACHING AWARD LECTURE

Celie Boswell:  "Rainbows have no Fences"
Thursday, November 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the Forum

Have you ever tried boerewors, a traditional South African sausage spiced with coriander?  How about biltong, a dried meat similar to jerky?  Come discover the flavors of South African fare on Thursday, November 19, when English teacher Celie Boswell presents Rainbows have no Fences, chronicling her travels this past summer to South Africa and Swaziland. These South African favorites will be served along with other dishes that will seem both exotic and familiar to your palate. Along with food and stunning photos, Celie will share tales of traveling with her family in modern day South Africa and Swaziland. The reception begins at 5:30 in the Forum, followed by Celie’s presentation at 6:00. 

The Governor’s School Foundation sponsors the Patricia E. Taylor Teaching Award for International Experiences, which provides a cash grant of up to $7,500 to a MLWGS teacher for a summer international travel experience that will have a direct impact upon his or her classroom instruction. For more information on the Taylor Teaching Award, please contact Laura Lewis in the Foundation office at (804) 354-1566 or Laura.Lewis@GovernorsSchoolFoundation.org.  To donate to the Governor’s School Foundation, click here.




SPEAK UP AT THE BUDGET TOWN HALL
December 2, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Did you know that for FY16 participating school divisions will pay almost $700 less annually per pupil for the education of MLWGS students than they paid in FY09? Over that same time period, healthcare costs alone for MLWGS employees have more than doubled. What is not being funded by the school now that should be included in the budget? Have you ever looked at the old copyright dates on some of MLWGS’s students' textbooks? Heard complaints about technology issues? Did you write a big check for dual enrollment fees, workbooks, or a trip required for an instructional class? How about the suggested participation donation of $150 per sport? Would you like to see these issues or others addressed in the budget?


The annual budget process for MLWGS is starting. Last year, parents and students spoke up about the need for a new activity bus and textbooks. Guess what? The activity bus was replaced as well as textbooks for a few of the classes that need them. The Regional School Board will listen, it just needs your input. Come to the Budget Town Hall on Wed., December 2, 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the MLWGS Auditorium. Speakers need to signup in advance by contacting Barbara Marshall at bmarshall@gsgis.k12.va.us no later than 10:00 a.m. on December 2. Questions? Contact Anne Hayes, MLWGS PTSA Advocacy Chair at annehayes@verizon.net.




SUMMER RESIDENTIAL GOVERNOR'S SCHOOLS
FOR SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS

Applications are now available for the Summer Residential Governor’s Schools.  These programs provide opportunities for gifted high school students to explore professional and university environments through mentorships and academic enrichment. 

For academic and mentorship programs, information and applications can be found at    http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/governors_school_programs/summer_residential/ 

For the foreign language academies, information and applications can be found at

Please see Ms. Davis for additional information about the application process and deadlines.




ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS



The November Senior Newsletter is now available on the School Counseling Website (https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/2011-2012-newsletters). This newsletter contains college-related reminders and a listing of scholarships with approaching deadlines. The latest newsletter was distributed to students in their English classes earlier this week. Scholarship information for seniors is also available on the School Counseling website (https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/college-admissions-information-1/scholarships-financial-aid) and in Naviance (https://connection.naviance.com/mlwgs). Contact your child’s counselor if you would like to view the Naviance scholarship database and need your registration code. Scholarships are still being added to this database on a monthly basis, most with direct links to the applications. Hard-copy applications are scanned and attached to the scholarship description as a PDF. Please note that all deadlines posted on Naviance or in the Newsletter are subject to change as organizations are still sending us updated information for this school year. Check the organization’s website for the most current information and availability. Please contact Rachel Loving in the School Counseling Office with scholarship questions.




GOVERNOR McAULIFFE SEEKS NOMINATIONS
FOR VOLUNTEERISM AWARDS
“On behalf of the Department of Education, I am pleased to announce that Governor Terence R. McAuliffe is seeking nominations for the 2016 Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service Awards.  The awards recognize the outstanding efforts of Virginia’s volunteers.  Nominations are open to small businesses, corporations, community groups, individuals and families that exemplify extraordinary volunteerism and community service.
I encourage you to consider nominating an individual, family, parent, or organization that is making a positive impact in your school community.  Awards will be presented in individual and group categories, including youth, senior and adult volunteers, faith-based organizations, families that volunteer together, community organizations, small businesses and corporations.
This year’s winners will be honored this spring during an awards ceremony in Richmond.  For more information or to nominate a person or group, click here or call (804) 726-7918,1-800-638-3839 FREE or e-mail volunteerism@dss.virginia.gov. The deadline for nominations is December 16, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2015/274-15.shtml

Signed,
Barbara Marshall, Executive Assistant and
Regional School Board Clerk





For those students contemplating studying internationally during college, University of Richmond invites you to a "Learning Abroad Symposium" featuring the experiences of nine student speakers across six continents. With projects from the Scottish Parliament to genetic counseling in Peru, these students and their insights will inspire your next step into the world!

Tuesday, November 17 at 4 p.m., Carole Weinstein International Center, International Commons




RICHMOND WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL HOSTS RIBAL AL-ASSAD
Founder and Director of the Organization for
Democracy and Freedom in Syria 



Exiled from his native Syria as a child, Ribal al-Assad is an unusual critic of the Syrian regime. He is a leading global campaigner for democracy, freedom, and human rights in Syria and the Middle East, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s first cousin. al-Assad is a leading authority on Syrian politics and how the current conflict is shaped by regional and geopolitical dynamics.  


  • Free to students but registration is required.
  • Business Casual Attire
  • November 17 at 5:45 p.m., Jefferson Hotel - The Empire Room