Week of October 31, 2018

FALL ART WALK 

On Friday, November 2, the Fine Arts Department and Visual Arts Boosters is hosting our annual Fall Art Walk, in conjunction with Richmond’s First Fridays (when the art galleries on Broad and Main are all open). One objective of the art curriculum is to have the students “be aware of and participate in the local arts community."  To help avoid parking around the galleries, we will have a bus which will run a circuit from the Main St. galleries to Broad St. and back to school. The bus will continue this circuit throughout the evening until the last pickup at 9:30 p.m.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to participate in a First Fridays Art Walk- or even if you have- we’d love to see you at our event! It’s always a very fun evening. All are welcome (students, parents, family members, and faculty).

When: November 2, 2018 6:00-9:30 p.m.

Where: Meet in the adjunct classroom (room 153, outside the Bluestone Lobby) to enjoy snacks and refreshments prior to heading to the galleries. Link to the SignUp for the reception.

Additional details can be found here: http://www.maggiewalkervab.org

MAGGIE WALKER PRESENTS HAMLET

Poster Credit: Malina Gavris, Chesterfield '20

Maggie Walker Drama presents William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Directed by Foster Solomon

November 8, 9, and 10 at 7:00 pm

Interested in a royal world of spying, madness, and murder? Fascinated with soap opera family tensions? Curious about a depressed and love-struck moody teenager properly known as the Prince of Denmark? If so, please join us along with the supernatural to experience Maggie Walker Drama’s Production of Hamlet! The show runs Thursday, November 8 through Saturday, November 10 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and may be purchased at the door.

We hope to see you at the show! Questions? Please contact maggiewalkerdrama@gmail.com.





GET READY FOR GRADUATION 2019!

Herff Jones stopped by on Tuesday, October 30 (during lunch in the auditorium) to collect measurements for graduation caps and gowns. They also provided ordering information for announcements and other graduation paraphernalia. It can be tough to anticipate how many announcements to order with graduation still eight months away, but order now to ensure you will have enough! 

 Herff Jones will return November 7 and 8 (during lunch in the downstairs commons area) to accept orders and payments (you may also choose to order online: www.herffjones.com). Don’t forget…seniors have already paid for their caps and gowns. This was included in their student fees, so no need to worry! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Sheppard (ksheppard@gsgis.k12.va.us or 804-354-6800 ext. 3304).

ICELAND TRIP

For those unable to attend the MLWGS Iceland 2019 parent/student information session on Tuesday, October 30, information packets are available, upon request, from MLWGS Science faculty Tom Boyle and Mr. Barnes.

Settled by Vikings in the late 9th century, the land of “fire and ice” provides a unique opportunity for students to learn about and personally experience Icelandic history, culture, customs, geography, geology, geothermal power production, and flora and fauna. Trip sponsors from the Maggie Walker faculty and a representative from the educational tour company Worldstrides will be present to provide information about the tour and answer questions.

The trip is scheduled for June 22-26, 2019.

For questions about the meeting, email Mr. Tom Boyle at tboyle@gsgis.k12.va.us, or David Barnes dbarnes@gsgis.k12.va.us.

FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION

Free FAFSA assistance available through GRASP

GRASP (GReat Aspirations Scholarship Program, Inc.) will hold its Saturdays at the Library FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) events on November 17, 2018 and January 19, 2019 from 10 am to 4 pm 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.

SCRIP FUNDRAISER

Scrip Gift Card Fundraiser orders are due on November 9 by 3:00 p.m. to Room 100.

Do you ever shop or give gift cards from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chipotle, CVS, Panera Bread, Lands End, Lowe’s, Shutterfly, Starbucks, Petco, Subway, Target, or Walmart? These are just a very small number of retailers willing to give Maggie Walker money if you purchase their gift card for your own use or as a gift. 

The full list of retailers can be found at SCRIP Retailers. Order forms can be obtained two ways: downloaded below or picked up in Office 100. Orders need to be delivered to the PTSA Scrip Box in Room 100 by November 9, or mailed to Laura Dysart, 5021 Sylvan Road, Richmond, VA 23225. Consider your upcoming holiday gift needs. It’s a great way to support your school at no extra cost to you. Let those retailer support your children’s school! Confused? Want to know more? Contact Laura Dysart at lauradysart@verizon.net.

SCRIP order form

FALL FESTIVAL WAS A SUCCESS! 

A big THANK YOU to all our volunteers who helped make this year's Fall Festival another great success! We had over 100 parents volunteer their time, labor and supplies and couldn't have done it without your help. Thank you for making Maggie Walker a wonderful community!

Over $17,000 was raised with booth sales generating $15,145 for 49 clubs involved in the festival.

Thanks also to the Richmond City Police, MLWGS administration, MLWGS security and facilities personnel.

Thank you from the Fall Festival committee and PTSA:

Gopal Bhagavatula, Kathleen Staley, Dena Neuwirth, Dia Flora, Jennifer DiMattio, Gloria Amoako, David Hanzlik, Mike Winters, Michelle Hobbs, Deepthi Kalluri, Raquel Watson, Elizabeth Brady, Ingrid Hale, Susan Warner, Jessica Lai Perez, Nathan Beck, Harsh Purohit, Kristi Turner, Amy Franco, Julie Abse, Martha Kapitanov, Izola Coleman, Paige Hawkins, Suzannah Stora, Knaide Green, Spencer Smith, Christine Pimblett, and Sarah Van Dam

As of October 25, 2018, the MLWGS Foundation has raised $73,114 toward our 2018-19 goal of $350,000. Thanks so much to everyone who has given so far this year! You're making everything we do for MLWGS students and faculty possible. So far in 2018-19, we've spent $61,000 to provide 70 enhancement grants, on top of contributing $80,000 toward the track renovation. And there's so much more to come! You can see more about what we do on our Facebook page or on our website. Make your gift to the 2018-19 Annual Fund to support all our enhancement grant programming.

Week of May 30, 2018

ICELAND TRIP 2019

Parents and students interested in the June 2019 MLWGS trip to Iceland are invited to an informational meeting Thursday evening, May 31.  The meeting will be held at Maggie Walker in room 153 and begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.  Faculty representatives for the trip, David Barnes and Tom Boyle, will be present to provide details about trip and answer questions.

SENIOR SHARING

Attention Underclassmen! Please join us in the Forum during lunch on Tuesday, June 5 for Senior Sharing. The presentation will begin at 11:40 a.m. A panel of current MLWGS seniors will be sharing their college admission experiences. They will be sharing their thoughts on the college search, the application process, and decision-making. Hear firsthand what they thought was helpful, what they would have done differently, and what they will be up to next year! Students on the panel will be headed to a variety of different colleges next year, including in-state, out-of-state, public, private, and even gap year programs! Although this event is especially helpful for juniors, both freshman and sophomores are welcome to attend as well. Please see Ms. Streitel or Dr. Loving in Counseling with any questions.

MAGGIE L. WALKER SENIOR ART EXHIBITION: CHROMA

You are invited to the opening of the show Friday, June 8 at Art Works Gallery in Richmond.  Senior (Class of 2018) artists will be available from 6-9 p.m. to talk about their art and show the culmination of their work throughout their final year of high school. We hope to see you there!

The show’s title, Chroma, reflects the very basic and fundamental individuality of each artist’s personality and body of work as it has developed over the past several years. Each and every one of them brings something different to the table.

Art 4

Sarah Carr (Richmond) uses portraits to express the female identity. 

Rhiannon Doane (Chesterfield) challenges invincibility in her striking charcoal pieces. 

Sophia Johnston (Chesterfield) represents complex human relationships through abstract sculpture. 

Rosario Martinez recreates personal experiences through geometric sculpture and watercolor paintings.

Maggie MacCabe (Chesterfield) creates collages referencing personal development and identity. 

Rachel Myrick (Goochland) gives commentary on “urban sprawl” and environmental changes through sculptures made of newspaper. 

Ashley Nelson (Hanover) explores the relationships between colors in her intricate poured-paint pieces. 

Lilian Price (Richmond) depicts the many facets of humanity through a stylized photography series.

Art 5 

Grace Barron (Richmond) works in layers of watercolor and in the art of simplifying the complex. 

Kristin Hines' (Henrico) introspective illustrations show her own personal twist on the surreal and interpretive. 

Megan Lee (Chesterfield) explores colors and the human form through large-scale realistic portraits. 

Abbey Millar (Richmond) portrays quiet strength with her realistic graphite drawings. 

Kenan Potter (Richmond) takes pieces of people’s old stories and creates her own through found-objects. 

Eli Scaparo (Powhatan) documents the liminal spaces in his life through pen and ink drawings. 

ESSAY CONTEST SEMIFINALIST- GRACE MAY

Congratulations to Grace May (Hanover '20) for being named a semifinalist in the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest. Grace's essay for the contest, sponsored by the JFK Presidential Library, was recognized as one of the top 25 essays out of a total of 2,000 that were submitted for the competition.

Week of May 23, 2018

COLLEGE JUMP-START FOR SOPHOMORES

Sophomores! Please join the Senior Counselors, Dr. Loving and Ms. Streitel, in the Forum during lunch on Wednesday, May 30 for College Jump-Start! The presentation will begin at 11:40 a.m. Dr. Loving and Ms. Streitel will be presenting on topics related to college. They will discuss how to begin the college search, what you can be doing now, what colleges consider important, and what you should be thinking about down the road (ACT/SAT, recommendation letters, essays). Although this event is not mandatory, it is highly recommended that you attend.

Parents- due to space issues this is for students only but please encourage your sophomore to attend!

ICELAND TRIP 2019

Parents and students interested in the June 2019 MLWGS trip to Iceland are invited to an informational meeting Thursday, May 31. The meeting will be held at Maggie Walker in room 153 and begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. Faculty representatives for the trip, David Barnes and Tom Boyle, will be present to provide details about trip and answer questions.

BACCALAUREATE SERVICE

The Baccalaureate Service will be held on June 14 at Reveille United Methodist Church, 4200 Cary Street Road. Sponsored by the MLWGS PTSA, the interfaith service begins at 6:30 p.m. and will last approximately one hour. Students are not required to attend, but this traditional and memorable event celebrates finishing one chapter in their lives and beginning the next. Families and friends of graduates are most welcome to attend. The official invitation from the PTSA will arrive by mail in a couple of weeks. Seniors are reminded to bring both cap and gown for the ceremony. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Hendricks juliebhendricks@hotmail.com.

Thanks to all who have participated so far in the Foundation 2018 Parent Class Annual Fund Challenge! There is still plenty of time to support the Governor's School Foundation Annual Fund. 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.

Every year during the Annual Fund Parent Class Challenge, parents from each class compete for the greatest percentage of participation. Help your child's class land on top! Current parent participation is as follows:

Senior parents (2018): 35%
Junior Parents (2019): 59%
Sophomore parents (2020): 44%
Freshman Parents (2121): 53%


We still need to raise more than $60,000 in order to provide the same level of enhancements next year. Make a contribution now. Thank you for supporting this work!

Week of January 17, 2018

EXAM WEEK GOODY BAGS 

Even though we don't have mid-term exams, the end of the semester can still be a stressful time full of tests and projects. Ease some of that stress by buying an end of semester goody bag for your student. Bags will include snacks (no nuts of any kind) and #2 pencils and erasers. 

Bags will be only $4 and all profits will go towards hosting pop-up clinics where villagers in Kenya can clean their feet and be given basic first aid, new shoes, etc. through the organization NOW (Neighbors Outreach Worldwide). This event is sponsored by the SCA. 

To pre-order, please fill out this Goody bag order form and drop off the money in the Bluestone Lobby. All orders forms must be submitted by January 19 and all money must be received by January 23. Goody bags will also be sold next week in the Commons and delivered on January 23.

Please email Thomas Green with any questions.

CONGRATULATIONS ANDREW SHIN!

In qualifying for the All National Honor Ensemble Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Shin ('18, Henrico) became the first student from Maggie Walker and the first violist from the state of Virginia to ever participate. The event took place on November 29, 2017 at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL. 

Read about Andrew's All National journey here.

UNIQUE ICELAND STUDENT TRIP APPROVED

A June 22-27, 2019 student tour of Iceland has been approved by the MLWGS School Board.

An informational meeting for the parents of interested students will be held at Maggie Walker on Thursday, January 18.  The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in room 153.

Settled by Vikings in the late 9^th century, the land of “fire and ice” provides a unique opportunity for students to learn about and personally experience Icelandic history, culture, customs, geography, geology, geothermal power production, flora and fauna. 

Trip sponsors from the Maggie Walker faculty and a representative from the educational tour company Worldstrides will be present to provide information about the tour and answer questions. 

You can also learn more about the trip here – Iceland

For questions about the meeting, email Mr. Tom Boyle at tboyle@gsgis.k12.va.us or David Barnes dbarnes@gsgis.k12.va.us  

ATTENTION JUNIOR PARENTS 

On Tuesday, February 6, from 12:45- 2:45 p.m. all juniors and their parents are invited to attend “College Kick-Off 2018” in the auditorium at Maggie Walker.  We will hear presentations from college admissions officers representing University of Mary Washington, Davidson College, University of Richmond, Radford University, and the University of South Carolina followed by a time for general questions and answers about college admissions.  After the program, parents are invited to continue the conversations with the college representatives and Maggie Walker staff members in room 153.

ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS

The January issue of the Senior Newsletter (Senior Newsletter Directory) is now available! Please read for important upcoming deadlines for colleges and scholarships.

Students who need to request transcripts or other supporting documents for scholarships must submit the Non-College Transcript/Credential Request form which can be found in the Counseling Office. We attached the hard copy to the students’ version of the Newsletter which was distributed to them in the English classrooms on Friday.

A description of all scholarship opportunities sent to MLWGS can be found on Naviance. Please note that this list is not exhaustive- students are still encouraged to do their own scholarship research. See the “Scholarship and Financial Aid” page of the School Counseling website for tips. All deadlines listed in Naviance are subject to change- MLWGS is not always notified of annual date changes; therefore, it is important that students confirm all deadlines on the scholarship organization’s direct website. Please contact Kierstin Streitel in the School Counseling Office with any scholarship questions.

Our GRASP advisor, Susan Teerlink, is available to assist with financial aid information. Students and/or parents can sign up for an appointment in the School Counseling Office. Ms. Teerlink is at MLWGS on Mondays. You may also email Ms. Teerlink questions at mlwgs@grasp4virginia.com. Please be sure to check each college’s priority filing dates for the FAFSA and CSS Profile (if required).