Week of January 24, 2017

MLWGS STUDENTS TO PERFORM AT NIGHT OF THE DRAGON


The Night of the Dragon, on February 25, 2017, promises to be a fun-filled night!

Besides having the opportunity to bid on some wonderful items while socializing with friends, those that attend will also enjoy some fabulous entertainment provided by Maggie Walker Students!

As of now, there will be two very talented groups performing! The drama students will be presenting music from the upcoming Spring Musical Pippin! The MLWGS’s cappella troupe, The Deadbeats, will also perform. Buy your tickets now at www.nightofthedragon.com/tickets, because you won’t want to miss hearing these talented students!





REMINDER:  PERSONAL FINANCE COURSE STARTS FEBRUARY 2


Attention all students taking the online Personal Finance course during second semester: Please check ItsLearning and make sure you have the course in your courses list. Any student that wishes to complete Personal Finance second semester but does not see the course in ItsLearning should check with their guidance counselor to make sure you are registered for the course. Due dates will begin February 2 and announcements about an informational meeting for students will be posted in the ItsLearning course page.

Please email Crista Ellis (cellis@gsgis.k12.va.us) if you have any questions.






NEW SEMINAR/MENTORSHIP COORDINATOR


MLWGS is pleased to introduce Les Cook as its new Seminar/Mentorship Coordinator.  Mr. Cook holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and a Master’s in Administration and Supervision from the University of Virginia.  He has served as an educator in the state of Virginia for the past 20 years.  Mr. Cook began his teaching career at Patrick Henry High School in Hanover County, where he served as a Biology teacher for sixteen years and an assistant principal for three years.  He spent the next year and a half as the Director of the Hanover Regional Governor’s School for Career and Technical Advancement and the Specialty Center Coordinator at Hanover High School.  Mr. Cook is now extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with the students at the Maggie Walker Governor’s School as the Seminar and Mentorship Coordinator.

Les Cook has been working closely with Ms. Parker over the last two weeks to ensure a smooth transition as he takes over the coordinator position.  Feel free to contact Mr. Cook (tcook@gsgis.k12.va.us) if you require any assistance in the Mentorship Program or the Seminar Courses.





JUNIOR PARENTS: COLLEGE KICKOFF – FEBRUARY 7




Attention Junior Parents! Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 7 from 12:45-2:45 for Counseling Department’s College Kickoff Program. This is a program for 11th grade students only and attendance is mandatory. Junior parents are invited to attend! College representatives from public, private, in-state and out-of-state institutions will be available until 3:30 to answer parents’ specific questions at the meet-and-greet sponsored by the PTSA.
Post card invitations were mailed to all junior parents last week. Junior parents should begin to receive email correspondence from the senior counselors, Rachel Loving and Penny Deck, via Naviance. Please contact Rachel Loving (rloving@gsgis.k12.va.us) if you have questions about the College Kickoff event.





FIND YOUR CALM


Want to upgrade your CQ (calm quotient)?

Find your calm by taking a Mindfulness and Calm class during second semester.  Classes will be open to students who have a study hall during 1st, 5th, 6th, and 8th blocks.

What’s mindfulness? It’s the practice of bringing full attention to what’s happening in the present moment without judgment.  Among other benefits, it can be a powerful way to reduce stress, and improve focus and productivity. This MLWGS class follows the curriculum of a program called Koru Mindfulness developed to support the wellbeing of high-achieving students at Duke University.

The class, which meets just four times, equips students with a variety of ways to apply mindfulness in their daily lives, including breath awareness, mindful walking, and mindful eating. Ms. DeGroat, the librarian for MLWGS, is a certified Koru Mindfulness instructor and will be facilitating the classes.

There will be nothing to read or watch for homework, but students will be expected to…
  • Commit to attend all four class meetings (75-minutes each) held during their study block.
  • Practice the skills learned each week, keeping a brief log of their practice.
  • Complete brief pre and post-program surveys.

A minimum of four participants will be needed to hold a class. The maximum number of students in a class is twelve.

Specific dates for each study-block class are as follows:

  • 1st block: Wednesdays, Feb. 15 & 22, Mar. 1 & 8
  • 5th block: Wednesdays, Feb. 15 & 22, Mar. 1 & 8
  • 6th block: Thursdays, Feb. 16 & 23, Mar. 9 & 16
  • 8th block: Thursdays, Feb. 16 & 23, Mar. 9 & 16


The sign-up period for each class will close two days before the first class meeting.  Classes without at least four participants will be canceled.

If you’re interested, see Ms. DeGroat in the library or sign up online at http://bit.ly/mlwgscalm




GENDER AND CULTURE IN THE MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA (MENA) SEMINAR!







FUTURE LEADERS FORUM FOR YOUNG WOMEN


Capital One is proud to offer the 13th annual Future Leaders Forum for Young Women on Saturday, March 18. For more than a decade, the Forum has helped young women begin their personal leadership discovery journey by teaching them how to tap into their inner strengths and challenging them to make positive changes in their lives and in their communities. They also have access to Capital One associate mentors who offer guidance and advice, serve as role models for leadership, and facilitate small group discussions. The registration form is available here: Future Leaders Forum for Young Women Registration Form. The registration deadline is Friday, March 3, 2017.




ATTENTION JUNIORS!


The Coolidge Scholarship is a full-ride scholarship that covers a student's tuition, room, board, and expenses for four years of undergraduate study along with leadership training. This opportunity is for all high school juniors. All applications must be completed online and are due by February 22, 2017. For applications and additional information, please visit Coolidgescholars.org




DIRECTOR'S SEARCH UPDATE


The chair of the search committee, Michael Gill, Superintendent of Schools for Hanover County, reports that the committee has received significant interest in the position of Director of the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School since the position was first advertised in December 2016.  In an effort to recruit the best qualified applicants, the advertisement for the position will continue to appear this month in various publications, such as the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Education Week, AASPA, and SchoolSpring; it is also advertised with the Virginia Department of Education.  Applications will continue to be accepted into February.  Subsequently, interviews will be scheduled with the best-qualified applicants.





DRAGONS MAKE CENTRAL REGIONAL ORCHESTRA AND DISTRICT BAND


Congratulations to the following students for auditioning and earning seats in the Central Regional Orchestra:

Madi Leonard (‘20, Chesterfield), B Orchestra, Cello, seat 1
Christopher Walker (‘20, Richmond) A Orchestra, Cello, seat 7
Kylie Williams (’20, Chesterfield), A Orchestra, Cello, seat 2

Congratulations to the following students for auditioning and earning seats in District Band:

Jack Hendricks (’19 Hanover), Symphonic Band, Trombone, seat 1 
Aidan Kessinger (’20, Chesterfield), Symphonic Band, Bassoon, seat 3
Grace May (‘20, Hanover) Concert Band, Clarinet, seat 10
Mo Nkosi (’20 Chesterfield), Concert Band, Oboe, seat 4
Kevin Ren (’20 Chesterfield), Symphonic Band, Flute, seat 4
Taha Shaikh (’19, Henrico), Concert Band, Bass Clarinet, seat 2

Daniel Xue (’20, Chesterfield), Concert Band, Tuba, seat 5