Week of December 4, 2019

SCRIP ORDER FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The last Great Lake Scrip Gift Card order for plastic cards before winter break is due Friday, December 6 by 3:00 p.m. Please consider your holiday shopping and dining at this time! You can order on-line at www.shopwithscrip.com if you have an account, pay by check (must be delivered to the Scrip box in room 100, Valenta William's office by 3:00 p.m. on Friday), by credit card (there are no Scrip fees for using your credit card if you place your order on December 5 or 6!), or by Presto Pay. If you don't have an account, you can use a paper order form and pay by check or contact Laura Dysart at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org for our enrollment code or any questions. This is a perfect way to give back to Maggie Walker in the giving season. There are also $5 and $10 gift cards available now. Families have raised $643.93 since the beginning of the school year- let's keep up that momentum as it costs you nothing extra. Let those retailers give to our school! Cards will arrive the following week and arrangements can be made for pick up at school. You can order Scrip Now with participating retailers anytime. The certificate will arrive to you digitally.  Look for either the (S) on the retailer product list or the ! icon when you click to order Scrip Now items.




ATTENTION JUNIORS AND SENIORS


National English Honor Society applications are available in a red folder outside of Ms. Cobb’s office in counseling. The application deadline is this Friday, December 6.

ATHLETIC BOOSTERS MONTHLY MEETING

The Maggie L. Walker Athletic Boosters Club will hold its monthly Board Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 9 in room 105. All members of Athletic Boosters and anyone interested in becoming involved with Athletic Boosters are welcome to attend. 

ORDER YOUR STUDENT'S SCHOOL PICTURES

Instructions:

1. Wendell Powell Home Gallery LINK password: mwdragons1920
2. Click onto your child's English teacher page. You will be asked for a password. This password with instructions was given to your child during English class when they got their School ID. If you cannot locate it, you can either ask your student's English Teacher, email Mr. White or Wendell Powell directly with your students's English teacher's name and period.

3. Order and pay online.  You can have them delivered to the school for free.  

Make up session dates have passed, but if want a re-take, you can go to the studio.  There is no deadline to order pictures at this time.

ATTENTION SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS!

Summer Residential Governor's School Programs

Visual and Performing Arts Programs- areas of study include Dance, Theater, Visual Art, Instrumental Music, and Vocal Music. We can send a nominee for each area of study. Interested students must speak with their fine arts teacher.

Foreign Language Academies- full-immersion Academies in French, Spanish, and German; partial-immersion in Japanese and Latin. We are able to have one nominee from our school. If interested, please contact your language teacher.

Academic Programs- areas of study include Humanities, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Agriculture, Life Sciences and Medicine, Engineering (NASA- must be 16 years old by June 24, 2019), and Marine Science. Interested students should contact Ms. Davis in the counseling office.

Please see Ms. Davis or visit the website for more information.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

High School Diplomats

The High School Diplomats Program is now accepting applications for the 2020 High School Diplomats (HSD) program (July 22-August 2) at Princeton University. We are a true scholarship opportunity (no costs or add-on fees) and our best students learn about HSD from their teachers and counselors. The online application is available on our website: www.highschooldiplomats.com until January 8, 2020 and all current sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply.

SMOKE AND SCALES EDITOR POSITION AVAILABLE

Would you like to put your communications skills to work as an editor for Smoke and Scales starting in the 2020-2021 school year?  Strong writing and editing skills required.  Must be available for about one hour every Monday during the school year.  Experience with Google Blogger is a plus.  Please email smokeandscales@gmail.com. 

Week of November 20, 2019

CONGRATULATIONS TO GIRLS AND BOYS CROSS COUNTRY! 

In their debut in VHSL Class 3, the Girls came in First and the Boys came in Third!  Mary Caroline Heinen (Richmond '20) raced to win her third First place finish in a row.

SCRIP

As you begin to think about your holiday shopping, we hope you will consider giving Scrip gift cards or shopping for gifts with them. The next and last order before winter break is due Friday, December 6 by noon. Cards will be delivered the following week before break. If using a check instead of credit card or Presto Pay, please make check out to MLWGS PTSA and deliver to the Scrip Box in room 100 (Valenta William's office) by the due date. Of course you can order Scrip Now anytime without waiting and receive them on your computer. Scrip Now products have an exclamation point icon when you click on the brand or an "S" on the retailer list. Go to shopwithscrip.com for a full list of retailers or to place an order. You can also still use paper order forms (attached).

This Thursday, November 21 is ThankScriping Day. If you have an account, you can earn up to 21% of your purchase for Maggie Walker with over 100 retailers on Scrip Now e-cards and reloads. This is a great time to give back A LOT to Maggie Walker at no extra cost to you on retailers you would already shop! Please look at what is offered on Thursday at www.shopwithscrip.com. It only happens three times a year and this is the biggest give back! 

If you haven't enrolled yet, please contact your coordinator, Laura Dysart at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org, for the enrollment code as this cannot be advertised on-line, or if you have any questions, Laura is happy to help. 

FREE FAFSA ASSISTANCE WITH GRASP

GRASP (GReat Aspirations Scholarship Program, Inc.) will hold its "Saturdays at the Library" FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) events this November 23, 2019 and January 18, 2020 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. at the Richmond Public Main Library, 101 East Franklin Street. GRASP advisors will provide FREE college financial aid counseling and assistance with completing the FAFSA, by appointment. Call (804) 527-7772 to schedule your hour-long appointment. More information is available at the GRASP website www.grasp4va.org. See flyer here.

ATTENTION JUNIORS AND SENIORS!

National English Honor Society applications are available in a red folder outside of Ms. Cobb’s office in counseling. The application deadline to is Friday, December 6.

SUMMER PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMATS

The High School Diplomats Program is now accepting applications for the 2020 High School Diplomats (HSD) program (July 22-August 2) at Princeton University. We are a true scholarship opportunity (no costs or add-on fees) and our best students learn about HSD from their teachers and counselors. 

The online application is available until January 8, 2020 and all current sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply.

High School Diplomats

SUMMER RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS

Visual and Performing Arts Programs: areas of study include Dance, Theater, Visual Art, Instrumental Music, and Vocal Music. We can send a nominee for each area of study. Interested students must speak with their fine arts teacher.

Foreign Language Academies: full-immersion Academies in French, Spanish, and German; partial-immersion in Japanese and Latin. We are able to have one nominee from our school. If interested, please contact your language teacher.

Academic Programs: areas of study include Humanities, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Agriculture, Life Sciences and Medicine, Engineering (NASA- must be 16 by June 24, 2019), and Marine Science. Interested students should contact Ms. Davis in the counseling office.

VA Dept of Education Summer Programs

Week of December 13, 2017

HOLIDAY SHOPPING AT THE DRAGON'S LAIR

Still looking for that perfect holiday gift? Make sure you stop by the Dragon's Lair this week. We have special store hours all week long. 

The school store will be open daily- December 11-14, during lunch 11:20 a.m.- 12:20 p.m. with extended hours 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Friday, December 15. 

Make sure to order the new MLWGS ornament!

Online orders only at  http://mlwgsdragons.ourspiritgear.com/

Ornaments will be delivered to the school store on Friday. 

Please arrange pick up on Friday before the end of school.

LEARN TO KNIT! GET COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS!

Do you want to learn how to make red knitted caps for babies in the NICU while earning community service hours?  Grab your size 8 or 9 knitting needles and join the Knitting Club on Thursday, December 14 in room 120 at 11:30 a.m. when Maggie Walker parent Winnie Brown will be on hand to teach anyone interested. Yarn will be provided for Knitting Club members; all others need to bring $3.  See Ms. Sheppard with any questions.

RETURN BOOKS AND CHECK OUT MORE!

Did you borrow library books for a project, paper, or anthology during the first nine weeks?  If you still have them, they are overdue. This week is a GREAT time to return them and check out MORE books for winter break!

Even if you do not have books to return, drop by the library and check out the “MAKE something, COOK something, DO something” display and borrow a book to read over break for either fun or inspiration.  

You will find books about tinkering, game design, Chinese Revolutionary Cooking, drawing dragons and manga, painting and collaging, lettering and stamping, book-making, steampunk clay projects, Arduino wearables, Star Wars Origami, crafts from recycled and up-cycled materials, The $100 Startup, and more! 

While you are here, browse the book display about Russia and the one featuring books recently added to the library’s collection.

Hope to see you soon!

Wendy DeGroat, Librarian

Attention Sophomores and Juniors!

Each summer for over 30 years, the High School Diplomat Program has offered 40 American students a full scholarship to attend a 10-day cultural exchange program on the campus of Princeton University. All students that complete the program are then eligible to apply the following year for a 3-week program in Japan. For additional information and to apply, please visit http://www.highschooldiplomats.com/.

Attention Juniors!

The Cochrane Summer Economic Institute (CSEI) is an intensive four-week program open to all rising high school seniors from the greater Richmond area partners learning about the economy and entrepreneurship through a series of workshops by local business leaders and Collegiate faculty with an immersive group internship. Students commit to participating the last week of June and first three weeks of July and receive a $500 stipend. Please visit https://powelledfoundation.org/cochrane-summer-economic-institute/ for more information and to apply. The application deadline is February 8, 2018.

The Joint Science Education Project (JSEP) is a collaborative program implemented by the United States, Greenland, and Denmark that provides students a three week Arctic science field experience in Greenland. All student expenses for both programs are covered by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Interested students can find more information and the application at https://dickey.dartmouth.edu/environment/programs.

The editors would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!  See you in 2018.

Our next edition will be January 3, 2018.  Please submit by Sunday, December 31, 2017.

Week of November 10, 2015

THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL RICHMOND ALUMNI PRESENT THE SECOND ANNUAL PAT TAYLOR TEACHING AWARD LECTURE

Celie Boswell:  Rainbows have no Fences

Thursday, November 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the Forum

Please join us on Thursday, November 19, when English teacher Celie Boswell presents Rainbows have no Fences, chronicling her travels this past summer to South Africa and Swaziland.  Along with stunning photos, Celie will share tales of South Africa’s unsurpassed beauty amidst the remnants of Apartheid, her safari in Kruger National Park, and her visit to the Fontein Social Care Center, an AIDS orphanage in Mbabane, Swaziland.  The lecture will be preceded by a reception with traditional South African food beginning at 5:30. 

The Governor’s School Foundation sponsors the Patricia E. Taylor Teaching Award for International Experiences, which provides a cash grant of up to $7,500 to a MLWGS teacher for a summer international travel experience that will have a direct impact upon his or her classroom instruction. For more information on the Taylor Teaching Award, please contact Laura Lewis in the Foundation office at (804) 354-1566 or Laura.Lewis@GovernorsSchoolFoundation.org.  To donate to the Governor’s School Foundation, click here.

PETITION DELIVERED:  THANK YOU!

NEXT STEP: JOIN US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

Thanks to all who signed the petition asking Governor McAuliffe to Fix Funding for Governor's Schools. Our efforts continue to ensure the VA Dept. of Education's $3.6 million budget request makes it into the Governor's budget in December and stays there when the General Assembly reconvenes in January. To receive further advocacy updates and show your support, follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.

The photo above represents the delivery of the petition with 4,156 signatures to Jennie O'Holleran, Senior Policy Advisor to the Governor (left). Laura O'Brien, MLWGS PTSA representative is in the middle. Rebecca Phillips, Director of Southwest Virginia Governor's School and Chair of the 19 Academic-Year Governor's School Directors is on the right.

SHOP, SCAN, and EARN MONEY FOR MLWGS

KROGER AND MARTINS  

MALALA WRITING CONTEST

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMATS PROGRAM

AIU's High School Diplomats is a 12-day international exchange program in which American students get the opportunity to live with a Japanese roommate and 39 other American-Japanese roommate pairs at Princeton University. The intent of the program is in order to exchange culture and promote diplomacy, and is fun, prestigious, and entirely free. Those interested in international affairs, global awareness, or experiencing new and foreign cultures ought to apply now at highschooldiplomats.com. Those seeking more information should contact Oliver Shen at oliver.shen0@gmail.com in regards to any questions or concerns.

THERE IS A CHAIR WAITING FOR YOU AT REGIONAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

Even though important decisions about MLWGS, including budget and policies, are made at these meetings each month, few parents come. That needs to change. MLWGS is managed by a Regional School Board consisting of one local School Board member from each of the 12 participating school divisions. The Steering Committing, comprised of the Superintendents from the 12 participating school districts, also attends. For the past several years, a few MLWGS PTSA parents have been coming to these meetings and participating in the public comment period as needed, but more parents, particularly those of underclassmen, need to get involved. Come learn what's happening at MLWGS and voice your concerns. Just be sure to sign up in advance to speak. Mark your calendar with the following upcoming meeting dates:

Thursday, November 12, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Thursday, January 21, 2016 (followed by Budget Work Session)

Meetings take place at 9:00 am in Room 153 near the Bluestone entrance. Additional information including public comment protocol, agendas and minutes can be found at http://mlwgs.com/welcome-to-mlwgs/regional-school-board/meetings-agendas-and-minutes/ If you want to learn more about MLWGS funding and governance, please contact PTSA Advocacy Chair Anne Hayes at annehayes@verizon.net.