Week of May 20, 2020

CUBE TO CURE 2020

MLWGS juniors Jacob Lee (Chesterfield), John Staley (Hanover), and Ryland Wilson (Hanover) are hosting Cube To Cure 2020, an online Rubik’s Cube competition on Saturday, May 23, starting at 12:20 p.m. to raise money for COVID-19 relief. The competition will feature a livestream hosted by YouTube personalities Brody Lassner and Phillip Lewicki alongside CubingUSA 2019 National Champion Patrick Ponce. The Cube To Cure 2020 team is also selling cubing-themed face masks. For more information please visit the Cube To Cure 2020 website at www.cubetocure.org




BOOK AND SCHOOL PROPERTY RETURN

May 27: Freshmen morning/Sophomores afternoon

May 28: Juniors morning/Seniors afternoon

Book Return Days are coming on May 27-28. Students are scheduled for a 20 minute window to promote social distancing. All school property (books, technology, instruments, uniforms, parking permits, etc.) must be returned before the end of our academic year, otherwise, fines or fees may be assessed. They will also have a chance to clear out their lockers, drop off any uniforms, return any library materials, drop off any technology, return any musical instruments, or pick up any medications. Please print out the instruction sheet and bring it with for your scheduled time. Seniors must complete the supplement on the back of the sheet and drop it off upon departure from the school in order to graduate on June 3-4. Copies of the instructions and supplement will be available when entering through the Bluestone Lobby.

Mrs. Charity will be in the main office for any fees or fines. No more than 50 people will be in the building at a time.

Book Return Instructions
Book Return Schedule

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 four 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 INFORMATION

Graduation is scheduled at four minute intervals on June 3-4. No more than 10 people will be allowed in the auditorium at a time: the graduate, four guests, Mrs. Shore for reading names, Dr. Lowerre for giving diplomas, a counselor for helping with distribution of diplomas, Mr. Smith for transitioning groups in/out, and the photographer. The graduate and guests will:

1. Enter the building through the student parking lot entrance
2. Then proceed down the main hall to enter the auditorium by the audience right door
3. Walk around the audience right side of the auditorium
4. Cross the stage and receive a diploma
5. Exit through the audience left side of the auditorium
6. Then out the main doors and down the main steps

Students and their families waiting in the main hall will be spaced 15 feet apart at tape markers. Tables will be set up for honor cord self-service in the hall. Formal copies of the graduation program will also be available. Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled graduation for purposes of robing and picking up honor cords. No more than four groups will be in the main hall waiting. Any others will wait outside the building, spaced out appropriately. The individual graduations will be filmed and then edited to create one graduation ceremony to be shown on June 15. Details of the streaming of this package will be sent later this month.

Graduation Schedule

DRAMA BOOSTERS OPEN ROLES

In these COVID-19 times, "desperate" and "unrehearsed" pretty much nails it. We may not know when it will be safe to stage our next production or what it will look like, but the Drama Boosters is taking our cue from your incredible students who are in the throes of choosing next year's shows. One of the initiatives we undertook this school year was to break the Booster roles into several smaller ones. The prevailing motto was: We need you, but we don't want to need that much of you. 

Opportunities: 

• Treasurer 
• Set Build assistant(s) to supplement and support the co-directors
• Assistant Tech Coordinator- supervises the students working on tech for a few evenings or on weekends
• Music Booster-Drama Booster Liaison for Pit- can be Music or Drama Booster
• Contact List management- updating a list twice a year, less than two hours of work
• Freshman Parent Rep- attend monthly meetings, max 1 hour
• Sophomore Parent Rep- attend monthly meetings, max 1 hour
• Concessions Coordinator
• Fan-o-gram Coordinator
• Night of Dragon Auction Rep

Liaisons to support student directors

• Stage Management
• Props and Set Dressing
• Hair and Makeup
• Show Shirt
• Borrowed Items

If you are interested in learning more about any of these openings without commitment or simply would like to receive periodic MLWGS Drama-related news, please email us at mlwgs.drama.boosters@gmail.com or 804-551-2776.

FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVER'S TEAM WINS PRIZE



Maggie Walker's freshman Future Problem Solver's team finished third in the state for the middle division (7-9th grade). The competition took place virtually on Friday, May 7, and the awards were announced through a live virtual ceremony on Tuesday, May 12. Congratulations to Markella Straitiou (Goochland), Lauren McCluskey (Richmond), Charlotte Bray (Chesterfield), Susanna Kast (Chesterfield), and coach Ed Coleman!

Week of September 11, 2019

DRAMA BOOSTERS MEETING 



All parents are invited to the first Drama Boosters meeting of the new year to learn about MLWGS’s drama program, 2019-20 shows, equipment upgrades, audition and set build information, volunteer opportunities, other ways to support the program, and meet key players including the producer, director, and drama sponsor. The meeting will be held in the Black Box on September 16 at 6 p.m. The Boosters hope to see many of you. If you are unable to attend but would like to be included in the future or have questions, please drop a note to Peggy Finck

SCHOOL PHOTO TIME!

Underclass (grades 9-11) photographs will be taken by Wendell Powell Studios on September 23 and 24 in the Auditorium.  

Make-ups/re-takes: Monday, October 7: Black Box 

Scheduled students will be called through their English classes from 8:40 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. Seniors are not photographed at this time. 

Photographed students will receive a proof sheet of their photograph along with ordering information and pricing at a later date. 

Senior portraits will be shot on: 
Tuesday, September 17 and Monday, October 14- all day in the Black Box

Seniors can sign up for time slots with Wendell Powell at wps@wendellpowell.com 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FALL FESTIVAL 2019!

The 2019 MLWGS the Fall Festival is scheduled for Friday, October 4. The Fall Festival is a wonderful time for all students and their families to get together, enjoy food and activity booths, listen to live music, get to know each other better, and have fun! The booths are student run and a fundraiser for the clubs. The festival showcases and funds the clubs and activities that enrich the student experience at MLWGS.  Sign-ups for the booths are done by the clubs in conjunction with the club sponsor.

Parent volunteers enable the festival to operate. Sign-ups for parent volunteers for different roles at festival time will come out shortly. In the meantime, parent volunteers are needed for the organizing committee. Two types of committee volunteer positions are needed: organizing committee volunteer and day of full day volunteer. The full day volunteer is a new sub-group set up this year to enable parents who would like to participate on the committee but have limited time availability.

Parent who are interested in volunteering please reach out to Gopal Bhagavatula





FALL FESTIVAL ENTERTAINMENT REQUESTS

    

Interested in Performing at Fall Festival?

School Curricular Groups (Jazz Band, Orchestra, Chorus, etc.) will have designated slots.

Limited time is available for other groups. Submit ONE FORM per performer, or per group.

Online Link to sign up

DEADLINE for signing up is Wednesday, September 25.

Questions? Please contact: Jessica Lai Perez 804-295-2432 or Susan Warner  804-347-4624.

FALL FEST Entertainment Flyer







ENTER for a chance to win a $20 gift card!

Simply enroll in the brand new Great Lake Scrip Program by September 27 and you will be entered in a raffle to win one of three $20.00 gift cards to a participating retailer of your choice. This is the NO EXTRA COST TO YOU fundraiser from the MLWGS PTSA! Buy gift cards for stores you already shop, and a percentage will go directly to the MLWGS PTSA. Go to www.shopwithscrip.com to enroll, for more information, and for a full list of over 750 participating retailers. I promise you regularly shop many of them. The MLWGS enrollment code is C43669E564L28.

You can order on-line this year once you enroll!   You can even pay on-line if you enroll in Presto-Pay (think Pay Pal). Physical cards must be ordered by noon on the following dates: October 4, November 8, December 6, March 6, 2020, and May 8, 2020. If you are paying by check, checks should be delivered to the PTA box in room 100. Another advantage of enrolling in Presto-Pay is that many of the retailers participate in Scrip Now. You can order these cards and receive them immediately on your computer or phone, no waiting for deadlines! This is great for both on-line and in-store shopping. AmazonSmile is one of many Scrip Now providers. Double earn using both Scrip and Amazon Smile!

Questions? Contact your PTSA Scrip Coordinator at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org.

Link to useful videos:
What is Scrip and How Does it Work? https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/Support/videos/scrip-explained


Scrip Now and Enrolling in On-line Payment: https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/Support/videos/family-ordering

VA SCHOOLS RANK THIRD IN NATION FOR K-12 ACHIEVEMENT

RICHMOND, VA- The nation’s leading education journal today ranked Virginia’s public schools as third in the nation in student achievement based on the performance of students on national assessments in reading and mathematics, graduation rates, and achievement on Advanced Placement examinations.

Education Week’s Quality Counts 2019 report awarded the commonwealth a letter grade of B- for K-12 achievement. Only Massachusetts, with a B+, and New Jersey, with a B, earned higher grades.

“This is exciting news as our students begin a new school year,” Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane said. “I look forward to visiting as many schools as I can during the coming weeks and months and personally congratulating teachers, principals, administrators, and support professionals for all they do as we strive to make the commonwealth’s schools the best in the nation.”

K-12 achievement comprises one-third of Education Week’s three-part Quality Counts rating system. Earlier this year, the publication awarded Virginia a B on its “Chance for Success Index” and a C for school finance.

Today’s grade for K-12 achievement resulted in Virginia earning an overall grade of B- from Education Week for 2019.

The Quality Counts 2019 report is available online. Reports from previous years also are available.

Week of May 9, 2017

ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS!

The May Senior Newsletter is now available on the School Counseling Website (https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/2011-2012-newsletters). This newsletter contains college-related reminders and a listing of scholarships with approaching deadlines. The latest newsletter was distributed to students in their English classes last week. Scholarship information for seniors is also available on the School Counseling website (https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/college-admissions-information-1/scholarships-financial-aid) and in Naviance (https://connection.naviance.com/mlwgs). Contact your child’s counselor if you would like to view the Naviance scholarship database and need your registration code. Scholarships are still being added to this database on a monthly basis, most with direct links to the applications. Hard-copy applications are scanned and attached to the scholarship description as a PDF. Please note that all deadlines posted on Naviance or in the Newsletter are subject to change as organizations are still sending us updated information for this school year. Check the organization’s website for the most current information. Please contact Rachel Loving in the School Counseling Office with scholarship questions.

MUSIC PERFORMANCE AUDITIONS

May 24 & 25 3:20 – 4:30 p.m., Auditorium

Showcasing MLWGS Senior musical talent is an important tradition at Senior Recognition Night and graduation.  For example, vocalists are needed to sing The Star Spangled Banner.  Additional performers or performance groups (instrumental or vocal) are sought for both events.   Students should begin preparing if they would like to audition.   Any MLWGS senior or group of seniors interested in auditioning must sign up for a time slot by May 17 on the list outside the Forum.  Final decisions will be made by a committee of faculty members and the class officers.   Note: All students intending to perform must be present at auditions and are required to perform their intended piece for graduation or Senior Night.

JOIN US TONIGHT

DRAMA BOOSTERS SPRING MEETING

MAY 9, 6:00 p.m. in the BLACK BOX THEATER

Drama Boosters needs your help and participation.  We have Volunteer openings for next year as our senior parents are “graduating.” 

Please contact Ryan Giorgis at giorgisfamily4@gmail.com for more information.

ATHLETIC BOOSTERS ANNUAL MEETING

AND REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS

The Maggie L. Walker Athletic Boosters Club will hold its Annual Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 15, in room 105.  Athletic Boosters Board Officers and Directors for the 2017-2018 academic year will be elected at this meeting.  All Athletic Boosters members are invited to attend.  Anyone interested in serving on the Board or serving as a parent representative for one of the sports teams should contact Athletic Boosters President Rich Schweiker at dukeschweikers@aol.com.  The Board also is looking for a volunteer to conduct its annual audit.  Performing the audit is a great way to help support athletics at Maggie Walker with a limited time commitment.  Please also contact Athletic Boosters President Rich Schweiker if you are interested in helping with the audit or have any questions about this volunteer opportunity.

YEARBOOK NEWS

Friday, May 12, is the last day to pre-order a 2017 Yearbook. Order forms are available outside Room 121. (Online ordering is no longer available.) After May 12, students will have to wait until Yearbooks are distributed in school (likely the first week of June) to purchase theirs. The cost is $55.

Week of May 2, 2017

FINAL PTSA MEETING

Please join us for the last General PTSA meeting for the 2016-2017 school year.  The meeting will be held on May 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the MLWGS Auditorium. 

A full meeting is planned, starting with elections for the PTSA Board positions for the 2017-18 school year; a slate was announced a few weeks ago and can be found at the end of this message. 

Then Dr. Lee Ridens, the MLWGS school psychologist, will host an informational meeting on The Mental Health of Your Teen.  The program will include a discussion on information and risk factors related to anxiety, depression, and drug and alcohol use / abuse and steps to take if you have concerns about your student.  Dr. Ridens will focus on the impact of drugs on brain development as well as possible overlap of anxiety and depression as it relates to the gifted student.  The presentation will also include resources for families and students.

Lastly, Wendy De Groat and Karl Zweerink will finish up the meeting with a short presentation on mindfulness, and the various ways that MLWGS is providing support for students as they work to manage stress including information on the mindfulness and calm sessions offered by Wendy.

The current MLWGS PTSA Board is pleased to present the following candidates for the 2017-18 PTSA Executive Board

PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Calling all parents!  The Governor's School Foundation is looking for parent volunteers to help with a postcard mailing on Wednesday, May 10.  We will get started around 9:00 a.m. or so in RM 228 across from the boardroom and Foundation office.  Please contact Suzannah Stora at sstora@mlwgsfoundation.org if you are available to participate.  Thanks so much! 

CONGRATULATIONS 2017 ‘WE THE PEOPLE’

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School’s team placed first in the 2017 ‘We the People’ National Finals. The ‘We the People’ program focuses on the history and principles of U.S. constitutional democracy, culminating in simulated congressional hearings in which students “testify” before a panel of judges acting as members of Congress. Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have opportunities to evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues.

More than 1,300 students competed in the ‘We the People’ National Finals, held April 21-24, 2017 at the National Conference Center in the Washington D.C. area. The final ten qualifying team held their hearings in Congressional hearing rooms on Capitol Hill. The MLWGS ‘We the People’ team is led by Mr. Samuel Ulmschneider. The Awards Ceremony and additional photos are available on the Facebook page of the sponsoring organization, the Center for Civic Education.

2017 PARENT CLASS ANNUAL FUND CHALLENGE

This week, the Governor's School Foundation is excited to kick off the 2017 Parent Class Annual Fund Challenge! The Governor's School Foundation Annual Fund makes a huge impact on the students at MLWGS by directly supporting activities like academic competitions and student travel, as well as new technology, and student financial assistance. The support of our parents is critical in these efforts and we are most grateful for your continued commitment.  Be on the lookout for emails from parent representatives from your child's class.

At this time, we have raised $220,000 towards our goal of $300,000 so we still have some work ahead to meet our goal by the end of our fiscal year, June 30.  To make a contribution online visit http://www.governorsschoolfoundation.org/donate/.  We look forward to all that we can accomplish together during this exciting campaign!

COLLEGE BOOT CAMP IN AUGUST FOR RISING SENIORS

(more spots now available)

Dear Rising 12th-Grade Students and Parents,

Registration for College Boot Camp is now open! College Boot Camp is an optional, fee-based summer program which is designed to provide students a space and time to complete their Common Application (or other application of their choice) before the school year starts. The dates are August 15-17 and there is an option of a morning or afternoon session. Please click the link below to register on “Sign Up Genius” and receive payment instructions and additional logistical information. The fee is $55. Fee waiver information, if needed, is provided within the link below. Registration is open until May 31 and all payments must be received by that date in order for the slot to be secure. We have recently expanded capacity of the program to meet the needs of all interested students who register and pay or inquire about a fee waiver by May 31.

More information about College Boot Camp: The MLWGS Senior Counselors will provide a structured curriculum over three, three-hour sessions with specific tips and personal assistance at every step. College Boot Camp is designed to walk students through each section of the Common Application and provide them with the resources to complete each section during the program. A guest speaker will address the essay specifically, and the students should leave the Boot Camp with their Common App primary essay (or other essay of their choice) in a completed draft form. There will be some group discussion, peer editing, quiet individual work time, and one-on-one consultations. The Boot Camp will also touch on college-specific supplements and popular non-Common App applications. Topics can be adjusted based on the needs of the group.

Please contact Rachel Loving at rloving@gsgis.k12.va.us with questions. Registration is available at the link below.

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/70A0B48AFA62BA75-college4

SENIOR PICTURE

It’s still possible to order the Class of 2017 panoramic picture. Go to www.strawbridge.net.  Students can search by school OR use the code 111957 to find the photo.  The cost is $15.00.  Contact Ms. Sheppard (ksheppard@gsgis.k12.va.us or 804-354-6800 ext. 3304) with any questions.

SAVE THE DATE

DRAMA BOOSTERS SPRING MEETING

May 9 6:00 p.m. in the Black Box Theater

Drama Boosters needs your help and participation.  Drama Boosters has volunteer openings for next year as its senior parents are “graduating.” 

Please contact Ryan Giorgis at giorgisfamily4@gmail.com for more information.

A MESSAGE FROM THE COUNSELING OFFICE

If it has not already been brought to your attention through social media, emails from friends/family, and/or your student, then we feel it is our responsibility to alert you to a new Netflix Series “13 Reasons Why” that was released on March 31, 2017. We have had several parents call and write in with concerns about the content of this series, particularly as it would relate to students who may be more fragile than others. 

  

The timing of the release of this series coincides with our annual suicide prevention training that is provided to freshman. On Friday May 5 we will be visiting 9th-grade Health classes.  If you have concerns about your child receiving suicide prevention training, please notify Karl Zweerink in the Counseling office.  All 9th graders who are not enrolled in health at MLWGS will be reporting to the Forum during lunch on May 5 for the training.  We will be showing a “Signs of Suicide: Suicide Prevention” video, as well as discussing warning signs and steps to take when the student or a peer is showing signs of suicide.

In regards to the Netflix series, should you have concerns that your student is watching this show (or has already watched all of the episodes), the following guidance and resources are offered from the National Association of School Psychologists website (13 Reasons Why Netflix Series: Considerations for Educators). Please pay particular attention to the Guidance for Families and Safe Messaging portions of the article. The link to the article is below.

http://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis/preventing-youth-suicide/13-reasons-why-netflix-series-considerations-for-educators

As always, please feel free to contact the Counseling Department for additional information and/or to report any student concerns.

MLWGS MATH MODELING TEAM RECOGNIZED

Recently, a Maggie Walker math modeling team was honored as ‘Meritorious’ in the Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (ICM) which is a 96-hour college-level competition.  The team consisted of Henrico seniors Isha Gangal, Jeffery Song and Annie Zhang.  The team scored in the top 10% out of the 8,085 teams competing from 7 different countries.  This is quite an accomplishment for a high school team competing in an undergraduate competition.  This result is the highest ever achieved by a team from Maggie Walker in the ICM.

Here are some specifics about the competition from the team:

Everyone hates waiting to get through TSA at airports, so the problem concerned TSA airport security checkpoints and asked participants to come up with a way to reduce wait time at checkpoints. We had to A) model the flow of traffic through the checkpoint and B) model how proposed changes to the checkpoint’s procedures would affect the wait times. We used a Monte Carlo simulation to model the flow of traffic, which is a type of simulation that accounts for random variables (for example, the time in between arrival of new passengers and whether or not someone would be pulled aside for random screening).

OTHER MLWGS NEWS

• AP Exams Weeks of May 1 and May 8
• 2017 "Thank a Teacher" Campaign

YA AUTHOR JENNY HAN, FORMER DRAGON,

APPEARING TONIGHT!

Jenny Han (Class of 1998) will be in Richmond soon for a stop on the book tour for her Young Adult novel Always and Forever, Lara Jean (http://www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/alwaysandforever/), the final volume of the bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy. 

Jenny will be at the Chesterfield Towne Center Barnes & Noble on Tuesday, May 2 at 7 p.m.
(http://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780061850596-0).  She would be delighted to see any Governor's School students, parents, and alumni who can attend.

Week of October 21, 2014

Memorial

The memorial service for Bear O'Bryan is scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2014 at 6pm in the MLWGS auditorium.

Rain can’t spoil Fall Festival fun!

Despite less-than-stellar weather conditions, the eighteenth-annual Fall Festival was a tremendous success. Attendees enjoyed great food, entertainment, and diversions! Fall Festival is the one event during the school year when current students, alumni of all ages, teachers, parents and neighborhood friends can mix and mingle in a relaxed atmosphere.

This year’s Fall Festival by the numbers:

• Nearly $18,000 raised for MW student groups
• 51 school clubs, classes and organizations
• 100+  adult volunteers
• Dozens of donated tables, coolers and other tangibles

The Class of 2015 won the Best Decorated Booth award for their over-the-top carnival-themed display, and the Art Club won the Most Creative Booth award for a display resplendent with lights, lanterns, and art.

Thanks to Sponsors and Friends

Many thanks to the business sponsors of MLWGS Fall Festival, who provided cash donations to help cover the costs of the event. Sponsors included:

• $500:  PatientFirst;
• $250:  State Farm recruiter Jessie Bell, Finance for Churches, and Short Pump Dental.

Their generous support allows the clubs to realize even greater profits.

Thank you to the following individuals and businesses for donations of time, talent, and products:

• Charles Aldridge,
• Dave Dembicer,
• Kerry Mills,
• Jeff McGee,
• Karl Von Klein,
• Phil Tharp,
• Container First Services,
• Kroger (Broad and Lombardy),
• Richmond City Police,
• Richmond Flying Squirrels,
• Governor’s School Foundation,
• MLWGS Security and Maintenance,
• MLWGS Cafeteria staff, and
• all MLWGS parent and Kid Zone volunteers.

Thanks, too, to the MLWGS Fall Festival committee:

• Chair: Kristen Vithoulkas;
• Booths: Geneva Briggs, Maite Dizon;
• Clean-up:  Julie Fegler;
• Community Outreach: Trish Edinboro;
• Drinks: Mary Call, Becky Zimmerman;
• Entertainment: Cara Metz;
• Logistics: Mike Normansell, Dave Dembicer;
• Publicity/Communications: Paula Chambers, Debbie Taminger;
• Security: Michele Nelson;
• Set-up/Volunteers: Samantha Mier, Coco Provance, Leigh Anne Ratliff;
• Student Representative: Ellie Palazzolo;
• Support: Nancy Dembicer, Heidi Donnellan;
• Tickets: Jewel Caven, Jenny McGrath;
• T-shirts: Jennifer Haueis.
• PTSA President: Elizabeth Wong;
• PTSA Treasurer: Joe Wilck;
• PTSA VP of Events: Valerie Adams;
• MLWGS representative: Paige Hawkins.

The work of many parents, teachers, and staff make the Fall Festival a success. The committee will hold a planning meeting in April to lay the groundwork for Fall Festival 2015. Interested in joining in the fun? Please contact Kristen Vithoulkas (vithpk@gmail.com).

Reflections Contest Entries Due November 3

Please submit entries for the PTA 2014-15 Reflections Program. This year’s theme is "The world would be a better place if...”. Entries are accepted in the following categories -

• Visual Arts,
• Photography,
• Dance Choreography,
• Film Production,
• Musical Competition, and
• Literature.

Complete information is available at the Virginia PTA website (http://www.vapta.org/arts-in-education/reflections.html). Contact PTSA Reflections Chair, Uma Vissa (umavissa@gmail.com) with questions. This year's deadline for entry submission is Monday, November 3. Please give entry packets to Ms. Valenta Williams at the Front Office.

DRAMA BOOSTERS NEWS

Saturday Production Work

Drama Boosters meet every Saturday through November 15 to perform pre-production work for the MLWGS production of You Can’t Take It With You which opens November 20, 2014. Working along with the cast, the boosters prepare sets, props, costumes, make-up, sound, and lighting. The Drama Boosters need all kinds of help, and anyone who is interested is welcome to help to get the show on the stage.  Work begins at 9am and continues until 4pm, but volunteers can help for any amount of time they wish.  Contact Ryan Giorgis, Volunteer Coordinator (giorgisfamily4@gmail.com) or Nolan Heiter, Sets Chair (804-651-7525) for more information.

Drama Club Support

The Drama Boosters have announced 2014-15 efforts to support students involved in theater at MLWGS.  In addition to funding assistance for building the set for the Fall show, the Boosters have announced plans to purchase wireless microphones for use on stage and to provide start-up funds for the Drama Club to begin selling T-Shirts with a MLWGS Drama logo.  The Boosters will also continue to provide financial support for the Drama Club’s mission to help MLWGS students experience live theater in our community.

The MLWGS Drama Club, a student-led group for those interested in theater, offers its members an opportunity to experience theater in multiple ways.  In addition to supporting participation in theater productions at MLWGS, the club offers opportunities for students to attend professional theater productions in the Richmond area at deeply discounted rates by securing group rates, and using funds raised by the club and gifts from Drama Boosters to subsidize ticket costs.

Seeking Auction Items

The MLWGS Drama Boosters are seeking items for the Night of the Dragon auction. Theater-related items are particularly welcome, but the Drama Boosters will accept most anything.  All donations are greatly appreciated and will be used to help support the terrific shows on the MLWGS stage.  Those with items to donate can contact Megan Colson at mcolsonva@yahoo.com.

Make-up Photos Wednesday October 22

Lifetouch will take makeup photos for non-seniors at school on Wednesday, October 22. Students will be called down to the Black Box in alphabetical groups by grade. See Mr. White in Room 330 for an order form. October 22 will be students’ last chance to get in the Yearbook!

Academic Enrichment Program Opportunities Deadlines approaching

Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars (VASTS) is a NASA-based program for 11th-grade students interested in aerospace-related science, technology, engineering and/or math. The course focuses on space mission design and human space flight. This interactive online learning course can lead to a one-week residential Sumner Academy at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton for qualified students. Interested students can visit http://www.vasts.spacegrant.org for more information. Application deadline is November 2, 2014.

Virginia Space Coast Scholars is a NASA-based STEM program for 10^th-grade students interested in NASA's space and Earth and airborne science-related missions. This free program features two key elements: 1) and online science, technology, engineering and math learning experience; and 2) a seven-day residential Summer Academy at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. Interested students can visit http://vscs.spacegrant.org for more information. Application deadline is November 2, 2014.

The Children's Museum is offering the Snow Queen Scholarship opportunity for interested high-school junior young ladies. The purpose of the Snow Queen is to serve as a role model for young girls exemplifying internal beauty and character while reflecting and celebrating the museum’s commitment to inspiring creativity and individuality. The Snow Queen duties include a 25-hour community service obligation. Interested students can pick up an application packet from Ms. Davis in the Counseling Department or visit www.ChildrensMuseumofRichmond.org. Applications must be submitted to the Children's Museum on or before Friday, November 7th.

The High School Diplomats (HSD) program brings American high school students together at Princeton University for a ten-day cultural and educational exchange program with students from Japan. Current sophomores and juniors are encouraged to apply and Japanese language familiarity/experience is not a pre-requisite. For more information about HSD, please visit www.highschooldiplomats.com. Application deadline is January 7, 2015.

The Cochrane Summer Economics Institute is a five-week work/study program for rising high-school seniors. The program provides an introduction to economics, business, networking, and a variety of job/career choices through a combination of classroom work, community service, and internship experience. Starting on December 1, applications will be available at www.powellinfo.org. Application and essay must be submitted by January 16, 2015.

Attention Senior Parents

The Mid-October Senior Newsletter is now available on the School Counseling website (https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/2011-2012-newsletters). This newsletter contains college-related reminders and a listing of scholarships with approaching deadlines. The newsletter was distributed to students in their English classes last week. Scholarship information for seniors is also available:

• on the School Counseling website (https://sites.google.com/a/gsgis.k12.va.us/mlw-school-counseling/college-admissions-information-1/scholarships-financial-aid), and
• in Naviance (https://connection.naviance.com/mlwgs).

Contact the student’s counselor to receive the registration code to view the Naviance scholarship database. Scholarships are still being added to this database on a monthly basis, most with direct links to the applications. Hard-copy applications are scanned and attached to the scholarship description as a PDF. Please note that all deadlines posted on Naviance or in the Newsletter are subject to change as organizations are still sending updated information for this school year. Check the organization’s website for the most current information. Please contact Rachel Loving (rloving@gsgis.k12.va.us) in the School Counseling Office with scholarship questions.

US ARMY VISITS TO MLWGS FOR INTERESTED JUNIORS AND SENIORS

The US Army will visit MLWGS on Monday October 27 during lunch in the School Counseling office to meet with interested juniors and seniors.  They will be talking about several different programs that better the community and promote the uniform services to all.  These programs include but are not limited to:

• Concurrent Admissions Program, which allows individuals to enlist in the Army/Army Reserve and attend college simultaneously with financial support from the Tuition Assistance Program.
• Army Educational Outreach Program, a free program which covers 4th-12^th-grade students in development of skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics(STEM)
• Montgomery G.I. Bill, which is a post 9-11 benefit that allows service members to make a third-year commitment in the Army and receive more than $50,000 in college money for their service.

Now available at The Dragon's Lair: Bragging Rights

When MLWGS has a team record like this, it’s OK to brag a little.  And you can ‘harrumph’ away from any naysayers knowing that it’s 100% TRUE.  It’s also 100% cotton, available exclusively at The Dragon’s Lair, and back by popular demand!  Get one- and be a part of the inside joke - while they last.

Come get your irony on at the Dragon's Lair, open every Tuesday and Friday during lunch and during after-school special events. Cash and Checks only. Visit http://mlwgsdragons.weebly.com/index.html to see the complete line of Dragon merchandise.