The Visual Arts Boosters (VAB)
will have their first meeting on September 19 from 5-6 p.m. in the Art room (131). This is a great way to see what the VAB can do to help enrich your student’s
art experience at MLWGS. All are welcome - seasoned and new parents! Please
join us! Visit the VAB website for
more information.
We have a lot of events planned
and we'd love to share them with you and ask for your participation! See Calendar of
Events.
It's not too early to plan for school pictures! All underclass portraits will be taken by Strawbridge on September 20-21. Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors will be escorted to the Black Box during their English classes. If they have English on an odd day, they will be photographed on Wednesday, September 20; if even, on Thursday, September 21. All orders must be prepaid and brought to the photographer on the appropriate picture day. Make ups will be on November 2. Please contact Michael White at mwhite@gsgis.k12.va.us if you have any questions.
PTSA Advocacy invites all interested parents to a meeting September 26 from 7-8:30 p.m. in room 153 to hear how Maggie Walker is funded by the state and the localities who send students to this school. Did you know MLWGS is classified as a “program” and not a high school? As a “stand-alone school district,” learn about the board that oversees Maggie Walker, and the complexities of maintaining an all-inclusive curriculum, building, and grounds for gifted high school students from 12 localities. Hear the differences between a comprehensive high school and a program, and how the three full day Governor’s Schools (MLWGS, Appomattox Regional, and Thomas Jefferson Science and Technology) are trying to provide the best possible well-rounded high school experience for your talented student. Understand how the school can lose or gain funding and how parents can speak up. Learn about our annual MLWGS Legislative Breakfast and Capitol Day- both activities provide an opportunity for our students to interact with senators and delegates at school and on Capitol Square.
ATTENTION STUDENTS!
The Yearbook staff would LOVE to see your pictures of summer fun, jobs, community service, hobbies, or any other activities.
Please go to http://www.hjeshare.com/
Questions? Email Mr. White at mwhite@gsgis.k12.va.us. We look forward to seeing how you spend your time!
Support Fall Festival - The Main Fundraiser for MLWGS
Clubs and Organizations!
Come one, come all to the 21st annual MLWGS Fall Festival
on Friday, October 6th, from 4-8:00 p.m.! It is an international
event sponsored by the PTSA to directly showcase and financially 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- crafts, games, entrees, desserts, drinks,
and more!
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/
Volunteers wanted
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 6 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.
Entertainers wanted
MLWGS-sponsored groups can reserve performance times on
the Fall Festival Stage. Additional performance times are available to
groups with at least one current MLWGS student. To be considered,
interested groups must sign up on google docs by Wednesday, September 20. (Entertainers form).
Clubs wanted
Student organizations may sponsor tables featuring fun
activities or delectable edibles. To reserve a table and activity (duplication is not allowed), faculty sponsors should complete and return the Fall Festival
Participation Form found on google docs by Wednesday, September 20. (Club Form -
Please note, no students are allowed to register!).
Sponsorship needed
To keep costs down – and keep more money in the coffers of
MLWGS student organizations- the MLWGS PTSA is looking for corporate and individual sponsors. The goal this year is $2000. Each year our Fall
Festival grows, and with that growth, new tables, tents, and other reusable
items are purchased. Funds from sponsors go towards purchasing these
items. Gold sponsorship is a donation of $500 and Silver sponsors
donate $250. All donations are tax-deductible as the PTSA is non-profit. All sponsors will receive the following:
- Inclusion as a sponsor in at least two online articles in Smoke and Scales. (One article will appear before the Festival and one after. Smoke and Scales is the weekly newsletter of the MLWGS PTSA and is distributed widely within the MLWGS community and to numerous external supporters.)
- Mention on the Fall Festival Facebook Page.
- Four announcements during the Festival. Approximately 1500-2000 people attend the festival each year!
- Placard at the Fall Festival Stage with logo. Gold sponsors will have larger logos towards the top of the placard.
SENIOR PORTRAITS
Due to overwhelming demand, in-school senior portraits have MOVED to Monday, October 9. New, additional time slots are now available. Seniors wishing to be photographed should sign up outside Room 330. Seniors' time slots from the old October 11 sheet have been preserved, EXCEPT for those who signed up between 12 and 12:30, or after 3:00 p.m. Those seniors have new time slots, so those students should find their names on the brand new list. Seniors who cannot make their assigned time slot may change it or swap with a classmate. See Mr. White mwhite@gsgis.k12.va.us if you have any questions. These free portraits are tux and drape only; additional poses, outfits and backgrounds involve fees.
If you’d rather be photographed for your formal Yearbook portrait at another studio, be sure that your portraits adhere to the following specifications:
a. formal dress (tux or drape)
b. "midnight blue" or other standard, dark blue or black background
c. photo should be head and shoulders, with the bottom of frame hitting mid-chest level. Any size from Strawbridge [2-15/16" x 2-3/16" OR 2-3/16" x 1-5/8" OR 1-15/16" x 1-7/16"] is fine.
a. formal dress (tux or drape)
b. "midnight blue" or other standard, dark blue or black background
c. photo should be head and shoulders, with the bottom of frame hitting mid-chest level. Any size from Strawbridge [2-15/16" x 2-3/16" OR 2-3/16" x 1-5/8" OR 1-15/16" x 1-7/16"] is fine.
Photos from other studios are due no later than Friday, November 17. If we do not have your picture by November 17, you risk exclusion from the senior section. Please give Mr. White a copy of the photo if it is NOT the contracted school photographer. Digital images must be at least 300 dpi and can be emailed tomwhite@gsgis.k12.va.us or delivered on a CD or flash drive to Mr. White. If you email an image, please send a separate email to follow up to make sure we received the email. (We may need to provide a different email address for larger images.)
ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS!
PLEASE look carefully and thoroughly at the following announcements regarding college visits.
College Visits at Maggie Walker:
Over 80 colleges and universities are scheduled to visit students at MLWGS over the course of the fall. Juniors and Seniors are encouraged to attend these visit sessions for colleges that interest them and learn more about other schools of which they are not familiar. During these visits, admissions representatives will review the programs offered at their school as well as answer questions about the admissions process and any other topics. Smaller colleges are often hoping to get to know some of their perspective students personally and may provide their contact information for follow up questions. We have tried to arrange college visits for 11:30 a.m. (lunch time) whenever possible and most of them will take place in the Counseling Office. For any college visit that is NOT offered during lunch time (most are), students MUST complete a green College Meeting Pass and have it signed by a teacher PRIOR to the class they would miss. The college meeting passes are located on Ms. Hicks' desk in the Counseling Office lobby.
Students can either view a complete list of the colleges that will be visiting in Naviance or check the hard copy lists that will be posted on the bulletin boards around school. You can view/sign up for a college visit in Naviance under the "colleges" tab and by clicking "view all upcoming visits" on the right hand side of the screen under "Upcoming college visits." Then click "sign up" next to any sessions you plan to attend. Signing up is not mandatory, but extremely helpful for finding the appropriately sized space.
The In-House Selective Scholarship Application is open in Naviance and is due by midnight on October 1. There are several scholarships on the application that require it to be completed by midnight on September 17 (the original deadline of September 15 has been extended). Completion of this in-house application will make seniors eligible to be nominated for these specific scholarships by our MLWGS Scholarship Committee. Detailed information about each scholarship can be found on Naviance. Students chosen to be nominated for a scholarship will need to complete all scholarship application requirements by the specific scholarship deadline. Completion of the In-House Selective Scholarship Application is required for the following scholarships:
The In-House Selective Scholarship Application is open in Naviance and is due by midnight on October 1. There are several scholarships on the application that require it to be completed by midnight on September 17 (the original deadline of September 15 has been extended). Completion of this in-house application will make seniors eligible to be nominated for these specific scholarships by our MLWGS Scholarship Committee. Detailed information about each scholarship can be found on Naviance. Students chosen to be nominated for a scholarship will need to complete all scholarship application requirements by the specific scholarship deadline. Completion of the In-House Selective Scholarship Application is required for the following scholarships:
- Davidson College: Bryan Scholars Program (September 17 deadline)
- UNC Chapel Hill: Morehead-Cain Scholarship (September 17 deadline)
- NC State: Park Scholarship (September 17 deadline)
- Indiana University Bloomington: Wells Scholars Program (September 17 deadline)
- Duke: Robertson Scholars Program (September 17 deadline)
- Washington University, St. Louis: Danforth Scholars Program
- VA DAR Good Citizen
- UVA: Jefferson Scholars
- Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
- Harry F. Byrd, Jr. Leadership Award
- Davidson College: Belk Scholars
- Interfaith Council Brother/Sisterhood Award
- Comcast Leaders & Achievers Scholarship Program
- VA Tech: Pamplin Leaders Award
- Virginia Interscholastic Athletic (VIAAA) Awards
- VHSL Scholarships
- Executive Women International Scholarship Program
- Pogue Scholarship (requires an additional application available in March)
- Civitan International Honor Key
A description of all scholarship opportunities sent to MLWGS can be found on Naviance. Please note that this list is not exhaustive- students are still encouraged to do their own scholarship research. See the “Scholarship and Financial Aid” page of the School Counseling website for tips. All deadlines listed in Naviance are subject to change as MLWGS is not always notified of annual date changes; therefore, it is important that students confirm all deadlines on the scholarship organization’s direct website. Please contact Kierstin Streitel in the School Counseling Office with any scholarship questions.
Dr. Loving and Ms. Streitel will be meeting with seniors in their English classes on September 13 and 14 to discuss specific college admission information and procedures. The first issue of the Senior Newsletter will be handed out on these days and will be posted on the School Counseling website shortly thereafter.
Teacher Recommendation Request forms are due by 3:30 pm on September 22 for any deadlines November 1 or earlier. All other Teacher Recommendation Request forms are due at least two “school” weeks prior to the college/program deadline (winter break not included).
A Transcript Request form is due to counselors by 3:30 pm on October 2 for any deadlines November 15 or earlier. A Transcript Request Form is due to counselors by 3:30 pm on November 15 for any deadlines November 16 or later.
KEEP UP WITH THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL FOUNDATION
You will see posts about our alumni, like Oxford University lecturer Kevin Fogg ('01) (http://www.mlwgsfoundation.
Read about the enhancement grants (http://www.mlwgsfoundation.
To see regular updates, you can check our website or like our Facebook
We are looking forward to a great year, so we hope you will stay tuned!
To see regular updates, you can check our website or like our Facebook
We are looking forward to a great year, so we hope you will stay tuned!
