ALUMNI SHOWCASE 2016
The
Governor's School Foundation is happy to report that Alumni Showcase 2016 was a
great success! More than 50 alumni volunteered to speak to current
students about life after high school on Friday, March 25.
Software
engineer Mica Swyers ('04) talked about her decision to leave liberal arts
academia for a STEM job. Austin Higgs ('09) discussed switching colleges
and finding his way into a meaningful career supporting diversity and equal
access at VCU. Kyle Healy ('03), a producer for The Late Show,
brought down the house in the auditorium talking comedy and Colbert. Kia
Jordan ('13), our youngest speaker, was an amazing representative for our
recent graduates, poised and already dispensing valuable advice. We hope
that hearing the perspectives of all sorts of different alumni added to current
students' sense that life is full of possibility no matter where the road
leads! Thanks to our incredible alumni for giving so much back with such
enthusiasm!
This year's speakers also included Chris Fields-Johnson '99, Sarah Jennings '99,
Angela Pirko '06, Loren Bushkar '00, Austin Higgs '09, Jennifer (Frankovich)
Lovett '99, Sarah Stoneham '02, Henry Scott '07, Rebecca Wright '97, Karen
Principe Setzer '99, Emily Muth '00, Mica Swyers '04, Tommy Nicholas '07,
Michael Wysong '03, Nakeia Monte '02, Ayanna Jones '01, David Wein '00, Steven
Lewis '02, Matt Newman '03, Jamey Stegmaier '99, Kristina Page '96, Kathleen
Kostandin '07, Michael Reed '03, Sarah Eckman '03, Lanae Jones Holmes '96,
Katie Houston '04, Devon Gray '06, Chris Somerville '99, Victoria Chiou '02,
Nathan Conway '06, Sarah Workman, '96, Shelly Thiss '03, Amy Weiss '03, Kristen
Lewis '03, Danny Yates '09, Allison Muth '02, Lauren Palmer Scott '05, Maryann
James-Daley '00, Kia Jordan '13, Kyle Healy '03, Steve Bryant '95, Charles
Martin '99, Alexander Muth '07, Catherine Nicholas '04, Alex Guzmán '07, Tim
Wright '96, Giles Harnsberger '01, Alex Wiles '12, Liz White '00, Sarah
Beck-Berman '05, Erin Ortiz '06, Jessica Escobedo '96, Mike & Sarah Moore
'03, Ellen Nicholas '09, and Emily Thomason '07.
The Foundation sponsored the event. The 2016 Alumni Showcase Committee
organized the event in conjunction with the Foundation and included Erin Ortiz
'06 (chair), Khiem Tran '06, Amy Weiss '03, Bryce Lyle '99, and Catherine
Nicholas '04.
So far this year, the Annual Fund Campaign has raised $205,960 for the school,
which is 69% of the goal. Overall current parent participation is 28%, and here
is the parent participation by class:
• Seniors: 28%
• Juniors: 35%
• Sophomores: 28%
• Freshmen: 33%
The Governor’s School Foundation’s Annual Fund Campaign supports programs for
students, grants for teacher continuing education, special projects for
facilities and equipment, and serves as the alumni office.
MAY 4 GENERAL PTSA MEETING PRESENTATION
ON STRESS AND ANXIETY MANAGEMENT IN YOUTH
Parents,
please join us for the final General PTSA meeting for the 2015-2016 school
year. The meeting will be hosted by Dr. Michael Southam-Gerow, a MLWGS parent,
as he educates us on the important topic of “Stress and Anxiety Management in
Youth.” The meeting will be held on May 4 from 5:30-7:30 in the
Auditorium at Maggie Walker. There will be prepared remarks and time for
Q&A. This was a very insightful program last year and we specifically
scheduled it for the evening time slot to allow for strong parent
participation.
Dr.
Michael Southam-Gerow is Associate Chair and Director of Graduate Studies in
the Department of Psychology at VCU and the Co-Director of the Anxiety Clinic
at VCU. He received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan and his
PhD at Temple University in Philadelphia.
PTSA
ADVOCACY GOAL:
INCREASE STATE FUNDING OF MLWGS
MLWGS PTSA is dedicated to solving the chronic underfunding of MLWGS by
lobbying the Governor and General Assembly to increase funding and correct
inequities in the current state funding formula.
MLWGS
PTSA needs new volunteers to join us!
PTSA Advocacy also monitors the Regional School Board which governs MLWGS. This
board includes a school board member from each participating school district
and is advised by the district superintendents. We need parents to regularly
attend MLWGS Regional School Board meetings (3rd Thursday of the month
at 9 am). Information including minutes and budgets is on the school
website www.mlwgs.com under the tabs “About” and “Regional
School Board.”
The
state lobbying effort is critical for 2016. The General Assembly has ordered
the Virginia Department of Education to review Governor’s School funding by
November 2016. MLWGS PTSA will continue to be active with this issue. The MLWGS
PTSA will communicate its position to state budget decision makers; inform and
rally support from the MLWGS community; and work with the EduPAC Club to
coordinate the Legislative Coffee held annually in December and Capitol Day in
February where students meet with state legislators.
The current PTSA Advocacy leaders have graduating or alumni children. Advocacy
efforts need involvement from current MLWGS parents. Want to learn more?
Contact Anne Hayes, annehayes@verizon.net or Laura
O'Brien, prable@comcast.net.
A
CLOSER LOOK: STATE FUNDING BACKGROUND
Maggie Walker PTSA volunteers have invested several years advocating for more
equitable state funding for Governor’s Schools. Those efforts have paid off and
are ongoing. After being excluded for years, Governor’s School teachers and
staff are now explicitly included when the state provides matching dollars for
salary increases.
Thanks to the Governor and General Assembly, in FY17 and FY18, MLWGS will see a
temporary increase in state funding of more than $300,000 a year. However, this
is far short of the amount necessary to appropriately fund the school and
address its many operational needs.
In December 2015, Governor McAuliffe’s proposed budget generously provided $3.9
million in additional funding for Governor’s Schools. Unfortunately, a closer
examination of the Governor’s proposal revealed the funding distributions were
not equitable for all 19 part-day and full-day Governor’s Schools on a per
student, per course basis. The proposed funding formula did not account for the
greater needs and costs of full-day Governor’s Schools. Given the longstanding
underfunding of MLWGS and other full-day Governor’s Schools resulting in
serious budget shortfalls, we raised concerns with the General Assembly about
the proposed funding formula.
General Assembly members agreed with us regarding equity. Instead of supporting
the Governor’s formula, they put forward a temporary formula that provides a
2.5% increase and extra $50 per course/per student for all Governor’s Schools
and ordered a review of the state funding formula based on length of program
day. There is hope the upcoming formula review due November 2016 will recognize
actual costs of operating these programs and provide an appropriate increase in
state funding for all Governor’s Schools. To ensure that happens, we need your
help. Please consider volunteering with PTSA Advocacy.
MLWGS
TEXTBOOK REVIEW PROCESS
MLWGS
is currently undergoing the textbook adoption process for implementation in
2016-2017 for the following courses: Advanced Placement United States
Government and Politics, Advanced Placement Human Geography, Advanced Placement
Psychology, and Advanced Placement Biology.
MLWGS
invites you to provide input on the potential textbooks for one or more of
these courses. The public comment period for the textbooks under consideration
is open through Thursday, May 19. The textbooks and evaluation forms will
be displayed in the MLWGS library during this public comment period.
Please
direct any questions that you may have regarding this process to Dr. Wendy
Taylor Ellis at wellis@gsgis.k12.va.us.
DO YOU HAVE PHYSICS EXPERTISE?
Mr.
Houghton, who teaches Physics, would like help from someone who understands
electronics and would be willing to look over his lessons on voltage regulating
op amps and the use of capacitors to filter noise. hhoughton@gsgis.k12.va.us.
MLWGS
JUNIOR WINS DEAN'S LIST AWARD AT
CENTRAL VIRGINIA ROBOTICS COMPETITION
Congratulations
to Panth Doshi (’17, Henrico) for winning the Dean's List Award at the Central
Virginia robotics competition before Spring Break! This award celebrates
outstanding student leaders whose passion for and effectiveness at
attaining FIRST ideals is exemplary. Wish him luck as he
advances to the Chesapeake District Championship on April 8-9, 2016.
CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY SYMPOSIUM
TERRORISM AND RADICALIZATION IN OPEN SOCIETY
Thursday,
April 14, 3-5 p.m.
VCU
Student Commons Theater, 907 Floyd Ave, First Floor
In
the modern world open societies are being confronted by a rising number of
incidents of violent terrorism and the spreading radicalization of
disenfranchised and disillusioned young people. The challenge is to address
these problems in a society founded on principles of democracy and freedom.
This symposium is intended to be an open, informative and constructive
conversation to push the boundaries of how we think about and respond to
terrorism and radicalization in open society. A panel of internationally
renowned speakers and guests will present their experiences including:
Pete
Simi – embedded fieldworker and author of the book American Swastika: Inside
the White Power Movement's Hidden Spaces of Hate.
Frank
Smyth – award-winning investigative reporter and executive director of Global
Journalist Security
Scott
Sayare – Parisian based American reporter and author of “The Charlie Hebdo I
Know”(The Atlantic, January 11, 2015)
John
Wyman – Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI and Terrorism Coordinator for
the Richmond Joint Terrorism Task Force
Omar
Abdullah – Iraqi Immigrant, translator, news analyst and VCU student
GRASP,
A VIRGINIA COLLEGE ACCESS ORGANIZATION,
RECEIVES $30K GRANT FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
SERVING RICHMOND AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA
Thanks
to a $30,000 grant from The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and
Central Virginia, GReat Aspirations Scholarship Program, Inc. (GRASP), a
college access organization, can continue its financial aid services to
students in central Virginia high schools during the 2016-2017 school year.
“GRASP
is most appreciative of this generous support from The Community
Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia,” said Bettsy Heggie,
GRASP CEO. “It will allow us to continue helping central Virginia
students take their next steps toward education after high school and the
opportunity for a better future as a result of that education.”
GRASP,
a Virginia non-profit, implements its services via advisors who provide free,
confidential, one-on-one counseling to students seeking financial aid and
scholarships for continuing education after high school – whether that is
technical school, community college or a four-year university.
GRASP
advisors now serve students and families in 76 Virginia schools, from the
greater Richmond area, to Highland County in the west, to Lancaster County in
the east, and to Sussex County in the south. The highly trained, GRASP
advisors are adept at navigating the maze of the college and post-secondary
education financial aid process. They also have a passion for helping
today’s youth grasp infinite opportunities.
During
the 2014-2015 academic year, GRASP advisors overall met with more than 6,800
students individually, helping them with a game plan for education after high
school. Additionally, GRASP awarded 124 Last Dollar scholarships totaling
$125,000 to students, providing additional financial assistance toward their
educational goals.
GRASP
was co-founded in 1983 by Senator Walter Stosch and Dr. Ray Gargiulo.
GRASP advisors work one day per week at each school. Appointments, which
are free of charge, can be made through the schools’ counseling offices.
More information about GRASP is available at the website, www.grasp4va.org.
