Week of June 2, 2021

Senior Art Show Opens Friday

Please join us for the gala opening of the 2021 MLWGS Senior Art Exhibition: Enchanted at Artworks Gallery on Friday, June 4, at 6-9 p.m. The show, which is the capstone event of our visual arts program, highlights the collected works of 13 Maggie Walker seniors including Emma Lindley, Elizabeth Celentano, Azaria Mosby, Cooper Tsow, Ria Bakshi, Rylan Karjane, Shreya Malani, Ada Rigsby, Isabel Martin, Julianne Zielinski, Anika Kalluri, Grace Saunders, and Helen Hall. Come meet these amazing young artists and mingle with other Maggie Walker art lovers.

Due to COVID restrictions, there will be a staggered opening. Therefore, you must RSVP to attend the opening using this link: bit.ly/enchanted21. Artworks Gallery is located at 320 Hull Street (23224) in the Manchester area of downtown Richmond.
The show will continue through June 13.

Richmond Kickers Fundraiser for Class of 2024

This year’s freshman class reached out to the Richmond Kickers and arranged an awesome opportunity where the team will give the class 30% of each ticket sold through this website. Their class officers think that this is not only a great way to help the Class of ’24 generate funds, but also an excellent way for the MLWGS community to casually come together before the end of the school year. The tickets are for the match on Saturday, June 5.

Last Call for Baccalaureate Photos

The PTSA is honored to present the 2021 Senior Baccalaureate Service featuring remarks from Richmond leaders and musical selections performed by fellow graduates and peers in a Smoke and Scales "Special Edition" on Wednesday, June 16. To help us create our video, we would like to feature seniors in their caps and gowns. Seniors, please upload your cap and gown photo by Monday, June 7, to Baccalaureate Cap and Gown Photos. For additional information please contact Julie Hendricks (804-357-0935).

Calling All Volunteers!

The Maggie Walker PTSA is looking forward to the 2021-22 school year and has openings for a variety of board positions. This is a great way to connect with other parents, faculty and students in an important role while helping the MLWGS community.

Open positions include…

• Secretary
• SCRIP
• Middle School Outreach (2 positions, 1 shadow)
• G-Suite Administrator (Shadow)
• Fall Festival (2 positions)
• Homecoming Kick-off
• Staff Appreciation

Please reach out to Vicki Bray if you are interested in learning more about the open positions.

Scrip News

The MLWGS PTSA is excited to announce that the Great Lake Scrip program has raised $1,754 this school year (8/1/20-5/28/21), even with the challenges of Covid. Thank you to the families who have made a huge difference! The potential is huge and it's never too late to start doing some of your everyday shopping with Scrip and letting those retailers you already shop give money back to MLWGS at no extra cost to you. If you have had any trouble getting started, don't hesitate to contact your PTSA parent/scrip coordinator Laura Dysart. While we don't have any more plastic card due dates, you can shop e-certificates over the summer and receive them immediately!

Parent Annual Fund Competition Deadline Extended Until Friday! Support Your Class Now

Because May ended on a holiday, this year's competition to see which class has the highest participation rate in the MLWGS Foundation Annual Fund parent campaign has been extended through this Friday! As of last week, the juniors were leading the way in impressive fashion, so now's the time to get in on the action.

• Class of 2021: 23%
• Class of 2022: 33%
• Class of 2023: 27%
• Class of 2024: 22%

You can support your student(s)' class and our Dragons by making a donation today online.

The winning class gets bragging rights and a sweet treat from the Foundation! All donations support our wonderful Dragons, teachers, and alumni and are tax-deductible.

Counseling Announcements

Rising seniors:
Juniors and their parents/guardians were sent an e-mail on Friday, May 28, filled with announcements pertaining to the end of the school year. Here are a couple highlights:

-College Boot Camp will return to a fully in-person event in August. Interested students of the Class of 2022 may register here AND pay on the MLWGS website by the June 11 deadline. Information about fee waivers, if needed, is included within the Sign-Up Genius.

-Juniors are invited to begin working on their brag sheet in Naviance. An optional parent questionnaire has also been released (under Surveys). These are not due until early September. Questions about Naviance? E-mail Ms. Forquer or Dr. Loving.

Graduating seniors:
Students, please check your MLWGS e-mail accounts for any messages that might have been delivered to you on Friday, May 28, requesting clarification about your college lists or senior survey responses. (These were only sent to select seniors.) Also, if you are offered a spot off a college waitlist, change your intended college, or receive additional scholarships as we end the school year, please update your senior counselor by e-mail.

Celebrate Your Grad & Leave Your Mark!

The Governor’s School Foundation invites families of MLWGS seniors and graduates to purchase inscribed pavers to leave a lasting tribute at the school. Pavers are a great graduation gift from parents, grandparents, or anyone trying to find something special and lasting to give their favorite graduate(s). You can purchase either a bluestone paver inside the school lobby or a brick paver to be placed on the Lombardy Street walkway. All donated funds beyond the cost of the engraving are tax-deductible.

Orders must be received by July 1. The cost is:
* $500 for an exterior brick paver 

    (up to 3 lines of text with 13 characters/spaces per line)
*$1,000 for a bluestone lobby paver 

    (up to 3 lines of text with 13 characters/spaces per line)

Order online or contact Ginger O'Neil.

Week of May 26, 2021

Summer 2022 Travel

Have you ever wanted to visit the Parthenon in Athens or see Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling in Rome? The Fine Arts Department is organizing a trip to Greece and Italy for 2022.

Interested? We will hold a virtual informational meeting this Thursday, May 27, at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Please RSVP here for more information.

Senior Art Show June 4

Please join us for the gala opening of the 2021 MLWGS Senior Art Exhibition: Enchanted at Artworks Gallery on Friday, June 4, at 6-9 p.m. The show, which is the capstone event of our visual arts program, highlights the collected works of 13 Maggie Walker seniors including Emma Lindley, Elizabeth Celentano, Azaria Mosby, Cooper Tsow, Ria Bakshi, Rylan Karjane, Shreya Malani, Ada Rigsby, Isabel Martin, Julianne Zielinski, Anika Kalluri, Grace Saunders, and Helen Hall. Come meet these amazing young artists and mingle with other Maggie Walker art lovers.

Due to COVID restrictions, there will be a staggered opening. Therefore, you must RSVP to attend the opening using this link: bit.ly/enchanted21. Artworks Gallery is located at 320 Hull Street (23224) in the Manchester area of downtown Richmond.
The show will continue through June 13.

Another Call for Baccalaureate Photos

The PTSA is honored to present the 2021 Senior Baccalaureate Service featuring remarks from Richmond leaders and musical selections performed by fellow graduates and peers in a Smoke and Scales "Special Edition" on Wednesday, June 16. To help us create our video, we would like to feature seniors in their caps and gowns. Seniors, please upload your cap and gown photo by Monday, June 7, to Baccalaureate Cap and Gown Photos. For additional information please contact Julie Hendricks (804-357-0935).

Celebrate Your Grad & Leave Your Mark!

The Governor’s School Foundation invites families of MLWGS seniors and graduates to purchase inscribed pavers to leave a lasting tribute at the school. Pavers are a great graduation gift from parents, grandparents, or anyone trying to find something special and lasting to give their favorite graduate(s). You can purchase either a bluestone paver inside the school lobby or a brick paver to be placed on the Lombardy Street walkway. All donated funds beyond the cost of the engraving are tax-deductible.

Orders must be received by July 1. The cost is:
* $500 for an exterior brick paver 

    (up to 3 lines of text with 13 characters/spaces per line)
*$1,000 for a bluestone lobby paver 

    (up to 3 lines of text with 13 characters/spaces per line)

Order online or contact Ginger O'Neil.

Shop Scrip Through Summer

Although we won't have another monthly scrip order until the fall, please keep shopping scrip e-certificates for your summer dining, traveling, and everyday shopping. If you never got around to trying scrip this year, the PTSA hopes you will consider trying it out in the fall. It's a great fundraiser that costs you nothing extra. Total earnings for the year will be shared next week. Questions, or interested in volunteering for as little as an hour? Contact Laura Dysart.

Week of May 19, 2021

Baccalaureate Call for Photos

The PTSA is honored to present the 2021 Senior Baccalaureate Service featuring remarks from Richmond leaders and musical selections performed by fellow graduates and peers in a Smoke and Scales "Special Edition" on Wednesday, June 16. To help us create our video, we would like to feature seniors in their caps and gowns. Seniors, please upload your cap and gown photo by Monday, June 7, to Baccalaureate Cap and Gown Photos. For additional information, please contact Julie Hendricks (804.357.0935).

Scrip Orders Due Sunday

Don't forget to place your scrip gift card order by Sunday, May 23, for graduation gifts and your everyday shopping. Let those retailers give money back to MLWGS at no extra cost to you! Questions, or interested in volunteering next fall? Contact Laura Dysart at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org. Thanks to all of those who have supported the program this year – you helped raise $1,600 so far!

From the Counseling Department

 

On August 23-25, Dr. Loving and Ms. Forquer will host College Boot Camp for rising seniors. This optional, fee-based summer program is designed to provide students a space and time to complete their Common and/or Coalition Application (or other application of their choice) before the school year starts. Students should leave College Boot Camp with at least one essay in completed draft form.

The cost for this three-day program is $50. (Fee waivers are available.) To register, visit the same website where you pay your school fees/dues between May 7 and June 11. After submitting your payment, please commit to the morning session (9 a.m.-noon) or afternoon session (1-4 p.m.) here. The Counseling Department has received feedback that some students would like this event to be in-person; we will discuss this possibility in the week ahead and will provide an update.

If you haven't already checked out the latest Junior Newsletter, it can be found here. Juniors are also encouraged to keep reading posts on the "College Information for the Class of 2022" Schoology group.

News from the Library: One Small Step Conversations Are Complete

Congratulations to the 40 Dragons who were among the first high school students in the nation to participate in One Small Step, a StoryCorps project that invites people with contrasting political views to engage in respectful, candid conversations about who they are and the experiences that have shaped them. Students discussed a wide range of topics while treating each other with respect, empathy, and compassion. 

Audio recordings of these conversations, which range from a half-hour to two hours, will be archived at the Library of Congress. Some students chose to set their recordings to private, while others chose to share them more openly. Here’s a link to one of the conversations, between junior Pooja Muthuraj and senior Elizabeth Celentano.

Call for 2021-22 Athletics

Any student interested in athletics at Maggie Walker for 2021-22 must have a VHSL physical in PDF format emailed to the following emails: phawkins@gsgis.k12.va.us AND cturnbow@gsgis.k12.va.us. All try-out/start dates can be found here.  

Week of May 5, 2021

Teacher Appreciation Week

May 3-7 is nationally recognized as Teacher Appreciation Week. The PTSA and school administration have several events planned for our teachers, but the one thing that teachers really love is when a student or a parent sends a personal note or email sharing their appreciation for what a specific teacher has done for them. If you are so led, please take the time this week to send a quick note to a teacher who made a difference. It will make their day!

PTSA Program: College to Career

Parents: how do you ensure your students graduate from college with the skills and experience for a viable career?

Join the PTSA’s spring program on Thursday, May 6, at 7:00 p.m. and find out! Jennifer McCluskey will lead a discussion on how students can ensure college leads to a career. She will cover the challenges college students face in both deciding on and preparing for a career, and offer parents some ideas on how to support their students through this process. This program ties into the workshop Jennifer is leading for seniors later on Wednesday, May 12. While this program is especially relevant to parents of seniors, all parents are welcome.

In addition to being mom to current students Teagan '21 and Lauren '23, Jennifer is a career coach at Capital One and former MLWGS teacher. Join us for a lively and interesting discussion. 

Here’s the link for Thursday’s Zoom call: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88427092880?pwd=ekZQcGwzaXNIczIxNkgxSWp5RWE4UT09.

AP Testing

This past week a large volume of information was sent regarding the upcoming AP exams. If you missed it, this link will take you to what was sent out.

Baccalaureate Update

This year's Senior Baccalaureate Service will take on a new format. Due to the governor's executive order restricting social gatherings, the PTSA is no longer able to host this service as planned at Temple Beth El. However, we will honor the graduating class with a video baccalaureate service featuring remarks from Richmond area faith leaders and musical selections performed by fellow graduates. The PTSA will share this service through social media, offering seniors a keepsake video to help celebrate their hard work and achievements.

In addition, we would like to feature individual pictures of the seniors in their caps and gowns. To help us create our video, we need seniors to share individual pictures of themselves in their gap and gown by June 1. Please upload your photos here.  

Graduation Update

Due to Friday, June 18, being designated by the Commonwealth of Virginia as the observed date for the Juneteenth Holiday, as well as the VHSL State Outdoor Track Championships taking place on that date, we are moving graduation for the Class of 2021 to Thursday, June 17, at 5:00 p.m. at Hovey Field on the campus of Virginia Union University. The rain date will be Sunday, June 20, at 1:00 p.m. at the same location.

If you have not picked up your cap and gown, you may stop by and pick it up from Mrs. Williams in the Bluestone Lobby daily until 3:15 p.m. If you are coming on campus after school, reach out to Ms. Sheppard to make arrangements.

Night of the Dragon Tally

The tally is in and with more than 10,000 bids on more than 236 items plus many generous donations, the Night of the Dragon raised just over $70,300 this year! This is great news because all proceeds go directly to support our students and teachers through the Foundation, booster groups, and the PTSA.

In addition to the financial support from the auction, the evening also provided a chance for many of us to get together for the first time in much too long. Heartfelt thanks to all of you who donated and participated and to the amazing NOTD Planning team—Kristi Turner, Anne and Brad Ewald, Jennifer Rector, and Mist Morton Clark—for making this reimagined event possible during such an unusual year.

Week of April 21, 2021

Night of the Dragon Silent Auction is LIVE!

You can now bid here on a truly incredible array of silent auction items (more than 175 items in all) and preview the live auction items up for bid during the virtual event on Saturday, April 24. (If you still need to register, please do not use the Facebook or Google registration options when offered, because they are glitchy. Just fill in your info. It only takes a minute. Thanks!)

In addition to previewing and bidding on items, you can also buy 50/50 raffle tickets and get more info about what's to come during the virtual event this Saturday, April 24, at 7 p.m.!

Auction items include:

• Just added! Brambly Park with Dr. Bob!
• Getaways in OBX, Wintergreen, Snowshoe and on the Chesapeake
• Unique Outdoor Adventures and Tours
• Gift Packages of Every Theme Imaginable
• Custom Jewelry and Art
• Gift Cards
• Fine Wines and Gourmet Foods
• College Swag
• Amazing Alumni Contributions
• Yeti Coolers
• A Kegerator
• And so much more!

We look forward to you joining in the fun on April 24 as we support our wonderful school and students! Questions? Email Ginger O’Neil.

Online Poetry Month Showcase

The Maggie Walker Slam Poetry Club invites you to celebrate this National Poetry Month with their first-ever International Language Poetry Showcase! Experience poetry from around the world–in languages from around the world–shared by 19 MLWGS students and staff. Watch the showcase or learn more here.

Baccalaureate Plans

The PTSA is honored to present this year's Senior Baccalaureate Service. Due to the Governor's Executive Order limiting social gatherings, the PTSA will honor the graduating class with a virtual / recorded Baccalaureate Service featuring remarks from Richmond leaders and musical selections performed by fellow graduates and peers. The PTSA will share this service in a Smoke and Scales "Special Edition" offering seniors a keepsake to help celebrate their hard work and achievements.

To help us create our video, we would like to feature seniors in their caps and gowns. We ask for seniors to please upload their cap and gown pictures by June 7 to: Baccalaureate Cap and Gown Photos. For more information, contact Julie Hendricks, 804.357.0935.

Scrip News

New Scrip providers include Instacart and eBay. If you shop these, please consider shopping with scrip for an instant give-back to MLWGS at no extra cost to you.
"Thank Scripping Days" are coming up on April 29 and 30! Shop more than 100 retailers with bonuses up to 20% on these two days (e-gift cards and reloads only).

Please think about using Scrip for Mother's Day, graduation, and everyday shopping. You can give a gift card, or shop with one, and really help support the MLWGS PTSA! Go to shopwithscrip.com to place orders or learn more about Thank Scripping Day.
Questions or interested in volunteering next year (as little as one hour total)? contact Laura Dysart at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org.

Special End of the Year Version. Sunday, June 14, 2020

CLASS OF 2020 VIRTUAL BACCALAUREATE

The class of 2020 Baccalaureate is virtual this year due to the pandemic. The PTSA would like to extend a special thank you to our speakers Druthi Rathi, Rabbi Michael Knopf, and Reverend Doug Forrester for sharing their messages of hope, encouragement, and joy for our graduation seniors. There was also performances by Richard Zhai, Emma Chun, and Alyssa Wright. Thank you to our parent volunteers Julie Hendricks and Jennifer McCluskey for coordinating and putting together this amazing and memorable event. All are welcome to watch the event.

Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

Link to the Baccalaureate

NEXT STEPS FOR SENIORS – CONGRATULATIONS!

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE THEY ARE HEADED!

JUNIOR (CLASS OF 2021) BOOK AWARDS

Congratulations to this year’s recipients!

Richmond Alumnae Panhellenic Association Award	Savannah Vonesh
Smith College Award	Sonya Stacia
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Award	John Staley
Bausch and Lomb University of Rochester Honorary Science Award	Eric Hamilton
Xerox Award for Innovation and Technology Award	Dennis Plotnokov
Univ.of Rochester F. Douglass and SB Anthony Humanities Award	Ananya Shah
Dartmouth College Award	Gabriella Watson
Harvard University Award	Helen Hall
George Eastman Young Leaders Award	Minji Cho
West Point Leadership Award	Justin Goldman
William & Mary Leadership Award	Varun Mandgi
VCU Monroe Scholars Book Award	Daphne Pang
George Washington University Book Award	Kapil Iyer
Tulane Book Award	Anna Murray
Katie Anderson Courage Award	Pranaya Sripathi
VMFA Fine Art Award	Rylan Karjane
Yale Book Award	Tejas Muthusamy
Bear O’Bryan Book Award	Elizabeth Thorne

SMOKE AND SCALES WISHES YOU A SAFE AND HAPPY SUMMER!

Thank you to Christine Wampler (Richmond, Lucy Wampler '20), who has served as one of our Smoke and Scales editors for the last three years. We will miss her and wish her the best!

"See" you in the first 2020-2021 school year edition, scheduled for Wednesday, August 26; submission deadline is Sunday, August 23, 2020.

From your co-editors:

Kimberly Lee (Megan Lee '18, Jacob Lee '21, Chesterfield) and Maggi Tinsley (Betsy Tinsley, Richmond '22)

Week of June 10, 2020

LAST CALL: YEAR-END GRADING OPTIONS

For each Honors or Advanced Placement course, students may elect 1) the assigned grade according to our current grading scale (see quarter weighting below) and 2) a pass/fail grade (P = A-C; PS = D; F remains). All students keep their assigned grades (Option 1) unless they choose to “opt in” to pass/fail grades (Option 2) by completing the “Pass/Fail Opt-In Form” by Friday, June 12.

MAGGIE WALKER: Here is the link to the Pass/Fail Opt-in Form by June 12.

VCU: Students must complete this form. (Email the signed form to your school counselor by June 12.)

School counselor consultation is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED for the Honors/AP process and REQUIRED for the Dual Enrollment process. 

To reiterate, if you plan keep all assigned grades as currently listed in PowerSchool NO ACTION IS REQUIRED!

NEXT STEPS FOR SENIORS – CONGRATULATIONS!

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE THEY ARE HEADED!

VIRTUAL BACCALAUREATE COMING SUNDAY, JUNE 14

Seniors and their families and friends will still experience Baccalaureate this year. We will honor the graduating class with a video baccalaureate service featuring remarks from four Richmond area faith leaders and musical selections performed by fellow graduates. 

Please join us Sunday for the release of the MLWGS Senior Class Baccalaureate Video. The PTSA invites graduates, friends, and families to watch the ceremony online this Sunday, June 14. 

The link will be shared through a Smoke and Scales Special Edition Newsletter email that will be released Sunday. Please mark your calendars as we virtually gather as one MLWGS family celebrating the Class is 2020.






VIRTUAL SENIOR NIGHT

See Senior Night 2020 as captured on video by the skills of the senior class sponsor, Ms. Kerry Sheppard. Find the virtual senior night here.

CELESTIAL SENIOR ART SHOW A SUCCESS


Thank you for joining us for our annual Maggie L Walker Governor’s School senior art exhibit, titled Celestial. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we held our global virtual opening on June 1. That evening, these young artists gave short talks and took questions.

If you missed the opening, the video of the event can be viewed here.
The artists included in this year’s exhibition are:

Max Goldkuhle (Hanover)
Marina Kapitanov (Chesterfield)
Natalie Kim (Chesterfield)
Maya Koehn-Wu (Hanover)
Eileen Morley (Chesterfield)
Mia Rodriguez (Chesterfield)
Amelia Seabury (Richmond)
Raina Tian (Henrico)
Lucy Wampler (Richmond)
Jacqueline Yu (Henrico)

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us. The online exhibition will run through the summer. Please help support these incredible students by exploring their individual pages and leaving comments and/or questions in the forms at the bottom of each of their pages.

RT-D NAMES MLWGS STUDENT SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Congratulations to Mary Caroline Heinen (Richmond '20) for being designated this year’s Richmond Times-Dispatch Female Scholar Athlete of the Year! Sammy Finnegan (Hanover '20) was also a finalist. Way to go!





YEARBOOK RECEIVES EXCELLENT RATING


In a year of unexpected change, the yearbook staff rose to the challenge. The academic year 2018-19 MLWGS Yearbook just received a rating of “Excellent” by the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. Once again, students have demonstrated a commitment to journalistic accuracy and have showcased their creativity. Congrats to yearbook students and Mr. White, and a special shout-out and best wishes to the editor, Zelda Hinkle (Hanover '20)!

SMOKE AND SCALES WISHES YOU A SAFE AND HAPPY SUMMER!

Thank you to Christine Wampler (Richmond, Lucy Wampler '20), who has served as one of our Smoke and Scales editors for the last three years. We will miss her and wish her the best!

"See" you in the first 2020-2021 school year edition, scheduled for Wednesday, August 26; submission deadline is Sunday, August 23, 2020.

From your co-editors:

Kimberly Lee (Megan Lee '18, Jacob Lee '21, Chesterfield) and Maggi Tinsley (Betsy Tinsley, Richmond '22)