Join StoryCorps' "One Small Step"
Frustrated when liberals and conservatives call each other names, talk past each other, ignore each other, or worse? Have political tensions distanced you from people you care about? Would you like to foster unity in our Dragon community?
Participate in One Small Step! The MLWGS Library has partnered with the national One Small Step initiative from StoryCorps to organize conversations between Dragons with contrasting political perspectives.
This is NOT a forum for debate or persuasion. Instead, this is an opportunity to enhance your listening skills, deepen your connection with another Dragon, and earn community service hours.
The sign-up window is open through Wednesday, Feb. 24. Participants must attend a series of four related workshops (specific dates and times are on the sign-up form) before being matched with a conversation partner. Students earn community service hours for participating in the workshops as well as engaging in the One Small Step conversation itself.
The sign-up form takes about 15 minutes to complete and includes a place where you introduce yourself to your future conversation partner in your own words. Here's the link.
Our February plastic card orders are due Sunday, Feb. 21, by midnight. You will receive cards by the end of the same week. Questions? Contact your scrip coordinator at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org.
2020-21 Scholastic Art Awards Summary:
Participate in One Small Step! The MLWGS Library has partnered with the national One Small Step initiative from StoryCorps to organize conversations between Dragons with contrasting political perspectives.
This is NOT a forum for debate or persuasion. Instead, this is an opportunity to enhance your listening skills, deepen your connection with another Dragon, and earn community service hours.
The sign-up window is open through Wednesday, Feb. 24. Participants must attend a series of four related workshops (specific dates and times are on the sign-up form) before being matched with a conversation partner. Students earn community service hours for participating in the workshops as well as engaging in the One Small Step conversation itself.
The sign-up form takes about 15 minutes to complete and includes a place where you introduce yourself to your future conversation partner in your own words. Here's the link.
Operation Smile Club Toothbrush Drive
Our Operation Smile Club is hosting a toothbrush drive in collaboration with National Honor Society. All students and members of the Maggie Walker community are invited to participate! This collection will support Operation Smile’s Sending Hope campaign. This winter, Operation Smile clubs from high schools across Virginia are dedicated to collecting essential items to donate to young patients and their families in Guatemala. The a drop-off box is in the Bluestone Lobby until Friday. March 5. Toothbrushes must be sealed in their original packaging.
Special items donated by MLWGS families and alums help set our Night of the Dragon auction apart. Do you own a vacation rental or second home, have a skill or hobby you can share, know a great local place you’d like to support that everyone should try? If so, please consider donating to this year’s NOTD auction. Getaways, services, and gift certificates make great donations. Interested in donating or not sure what you have will work? Reach out to Ginger O’Neil, 703-80-2506.
Unique Auction Items Wanted
Special items donated by MLWGS families and alums help set our Night of the Dragon auction apart. Do you own a vacation rental or second home, have a skill or hobby you can share, know a great local place you’d like to support that everyone should try? If so, please consider donating to this year’s NOTD auction. Getaways, services, and gift certificates make great donations. Interested in donating or not sure what you have will work? Reach out to Ginger O’Neil, 703-80-2506.
Re-Opening Update
At the Regional School Board meeting on Thursday, MLWGS administration will recommend that parents be given the opportunity to choose to send their students back to campus on a limited basis beginning Monday, March 15. To maintain CDC recommendations, we need to limit our daily campus load to about 50 percent. Students will have the opportunity to attend campus two days a week. More information, as well as a final transportation survey, will follow.
LLS Fundraising Opportunity
Bruce Yanovitch ('23) and Brenna Luczak ('23) are raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with a team of friends and family, including Bailey Luczak ('20). Support CURE BIG OR GO HOME by eating at the following dates and locations:
Tell them you are there to support team CURE BIG! Follow Bruce, Brenna, & Bailey’s team on Facebook and Instagram, and please donate at their event page.
- Carytown Burgers & Fries, 5404 Lakeside Ave (Henrico), 3-9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18
- Chipotle, 810 W. Grace St., 4-8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 22
- Marco’s Pizza, every day through Saturday, Feb. 27, at Midlothian, Hull, Short Pump, Reynolds Crossing, and Westpark locations. Add FUNDRAISER from the menu.
Tell them you are there to support team CURE BIG! Follow Bruce, Brenna, & Bailey’s team on Facebook and Instagram, and please donate at their event page.
Scrip Fundraising Continues
It's a big week for the MLWGS Scrip Program and we are only $231 away from our $1,500 goal for this year! Help us reach our goal to benefit the MLWGS PTSA by doing your everyday shopping and dining with scrip gift cards and e-cards. Go to shopwithscrip.com to order! Earn up to 19% with 60+ bonuses on eGift cards and reloaded cards this Thursday, Feb. 18, and Friday, Feb. 19.
Our February plastic card orders are due Sunday, Feb. 21, by midnight. You will receive cards by the end of the same week. Questions? Contact your scrip coordinator at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org.
2020-21 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
We are excited to announce that 15 students were recently honored with 20 2020-2021 Scholastic Writing Awards, including three Gold Keys, five Silver Keys, and 12 Honorable Mentions.
Congratulations to the following writing winners:
Congratulations to the following writing winners:
- Isabel Li—(12th, Ed Coleman), Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir: "The Dog Tied to the Shed"
- Paxton Calder—(11th, Lisa Williams), Gold Key, Flash Fiction: "The Figure" and Honorable Mention, Poetry: “Ladybugs”
- Aashika Shah—(9th, Michele Surat), Gold Key, Critical Essay: "Corruption in the American Health Care System"
- Natalie Koehn-Wu—(9th, Michele Surat),Silver Key, Short Story: "The Stranger’s Gift" and Honorable Mention, Short Story: "The Perfect Smile"
- Lexi Pasternak—(11th, Ed Coleman), Silver Key, Personal Essay and Memoir: “Reservations”
- Phu Vo—(9th, Michele Surat), Silver Key, Personal Essay: "Hearts That Don’ Beat"
- Savannah Vonesh—(11th, Devon Mattys), Silver Key, Poetry: “Moment of Peace” and (11th, Ed Coleman), Honorable Mention, Critical Essay: "The United States Is Not Religiously Tolerant Yet"
- Jedda Arnold, (11th, John Piersol), Honorable Mention, "An Unimportant Life"
- Ronit Jain—(11th, Lisa Williams), Honorable Mention, Flash Fiction: “Nameless”
- Ala Killen—(10th, Jeff Hall), Honorable Mention, Poetry: “Stardust and Things” and Honorable Mention, Poetry: “The Darkness Beneath the Dirt”
- Pooja Muthuraj—(10th, John Piersol), Honorable Mention, Poetry: “Nothing: A Violin and Cello Arrangement”
- Bridget Plank—(9th, Michele Surat), Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir: "Over the Edge"
- Paige Walworth—(11th, Michele Surat), Honorable Mention, Critical Essay: "The Representation of the Rwandan Genocide in Film and the Verisimilitude of 'Hotel Rwanda'"
- Gabriella Watson—(12th, Ed Coleman), Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir: "On Grief"
- Ada Woo—(10th, Cecilia Boswell), Honorable Mention, Critical Essay: "The Hypocrisies Within Zoos"
The highly competitive Scholastic Art Awards competition had more than 2,000 entries from the region. MLWGS students had another great year, with 50 total awards, recognizing Maggie Walker as one of the region’s top schools for the arts.
2020-21 Scholastic Art Awards Summary:
- 50 Total awards
- 7 Gold Key awards, including one American Visions Nominee
- 14 Silver Key awards, including one Silver Key Portfolio
- 25 Honorable Mentions, including three Honorable Mention Portfolios
- Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School students were additionally recognized for their work in this show. Junior Devyn Powers received an American Visions Award nomination for her mixed media piece, "Blue Face." Additionally, senior Isabel Li’s digital artwork was chosen for the exhibition catalogue cover.
Due to COVID, an exhibition of only the Gold Key works will be held at The Visual Arts Center of Richmond at 1812 West Main Street through Sunday, Feb. 21. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Social distancing protocols are in place in the gallery. The exhibition can also be seen online at this link.
