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 28, 2021

Math Honor Society Guest Lecture

Mu Alpha Theta announces a special guest presentation to celebrate National Math and Stats Awareness Month. Alumna Finale Doshi-Velez will join us virtually from Harvard, where she is an associate professor of computer science at the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She completed her MSc from the University of Cambridge as a Marshall Scholar, her PhD from MIT, and her postdoc at Harvard Medical School. Her interests lie at the intersection of machine learning, healthcare, and interpretability. Her talk, “Artificial Intelligence: Beyond the Hype and Hysteria,” takes place on Thursday, April 29, from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

She writes, “The reaction to the term AI is rarely neutral. Excitement about AIs becoming world champions in Go or Starcraft is tempered by fears of superintelligences and Skynet; the same technologies that correct our grammar as we write or translate menus from photographs also exhibit the gender, racial, and other biases of our times. In this talk, I’ll start off by sharing a bit about how modern machine learning systems work under the hood. We’ll connect that to understanding how AIs can both succeed and fail spectacularly. This discussion will lead us to questions we should be asking in order to create any effective and accountable AI system.”

Any student or family member is welcome to attend the Zoom presentation.

Here is the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85827778926?pwd=VUlBMVBrdFkwVFZBK2RWc1BCeHl2dz09

Meeting ID: 858 2777 8926
Passcode: 967537

School Advisory Council Seeks Parent Reps

The MLWGS School Advisory Council (SAC) currently has parent openings for the 2021-22 school year. These three-year appointments are best suited to parents with rising sophomores or parents of incoming freshmen who have prior experience of older children having also attended Maggie Walker.

Learn more about the SAC here. If you are interested in becoming a parent member, would like to nominate someone, or would like to learn more, please contact Karen Townsend before Friday, April 30.

Thank Scripping Days Are Here

Thank Scripping Days begin this week! Go to www.shopwithscrip.com on Thursday, April 29,  and Friday, April 30, to see more than 100 retailers who will be giving back up to 20% to MLWGS on your scrip e-certificates and reloadable scrip gift cards. If you get the Raise Right app on your phone, you will be able to get a sneak peek on April 28 at which retailers are participating! For future planning, our May order date is Sunday, May 23.

Please contact Laura Dysart at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org with any questions, or if you are interested in volunteering, even as little as an hour the whole year, beginning next fall. The MLWGS PTSA is looking for a team to distribute cards to families/students in the 2021-22 school year.

Thanks from MLWGS Foundation

Thanks to everyone who made Saturday's Night of the Dragon Reimagined a HUGE success. If you were one of the lucky bidders, you can pick up your winnings in the Foundation Office at school this Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you need to arrange another time, email Ginger O'Neil. We will share totals once we’ve had time to tally!

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.

Week of April 14, 2021

Attention, Sophomores: Testing 

This Friday, April 16, the PSAT 10 will be given at school starting at 9 a.m. Please see the counseling PSAT 10 webpage for details. We still haven’t heard from about 10 sophomores as to whether they plan on testing or not. If you haven’t completed the Google form survey, please do so, as it will help us plan testing rooms. We will send out a list of assigned testing rooms in an email blast to sophomore families. Remember to bring graphing calculator and pencils.

The other big testing event is the SOL Writing Test, which takes place over the last two weeks of April. We need all sophomores to indicate whether they are coming in for testing. Please make sure to complete this Writing SOL Registry survey ASAP this week so that we can safely plan testing rooms. More details about this SOL test and other SOL tests can be found on the counseling SOL Testing Spring 2021 webpage.

Get Those Scrip Orders In!

The April Great Lake Scrip order is due Sunday, April 18. Mother's Day and graduations are coming up, so consider using scrip for special events or your everyday shopping. Mother's Day gift ideas include 1-800-FLOWERS, P.F. Chang's, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Nordstrom, Macy's, T.J. Maxx, Marshall's, Kohl's, Williams Sonoma, Starbucks, Barnes and Noble and more. For no extra cost, you can give back to MLWGS!

We are still seeking helpers for our Scrip Team to start in the fall. Any amount of time would help, and some roles can be done from home. Please contact Laura at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org to find out more.

10 Days until Night of the Dragon Reimagined

Deadline to Order Dinners to Go is Saturday, April 17

Silent Auction Goes Live Sunday, April 18

Go to nightofthedragon.org TODAY for item previews and links to order dinner-to-go from Perch and East Coast Provisions. And be sure to get registered (it's free) and make plans to watch the livestream program and Live Auction on Saturday, April 24, at 7 p.m.

We have a truly amazing array of Live and Silent Auction items, including:

• Vacation Stays
• Outdoor Adventures and Tours
• Themed Baskets of All Kinds
• Fine and Custom Jewelry and Art
• Fine Wines and Gourmet Foods
• College Swag
• Items Used on the Set of Famous TV Shows
• Amazing Alumni Contributions
• Yeti Coolers and a Kegerator
• And so much more!

East Coast Provisions Dinner to Go Orders

To order a ready to heat and eat meal from ECP’s special Night of the Dragon menu, click this link and choose "schedule for later." Using the dropdown options, select your preferred day and pick-up time (between 4 and 5:30 p.m. only). 

Next, scroll down to the "Instructions and Menu Additions" section of the menus page, located near the bottom of the page. Select Maggie Walker School button, make your choices, then complete your order.


Perch Dinner to Go Orders

To order a ready to heat and eat meal from Perch’s special Night of the Dragon menu, go to this link and click on the Menu for 2 or the Menu for 4, make your choices, choose your pick-up time, and complete your order.

Perch Package pickup will be at InstaBowl at 2601 W. Cary St. from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday or 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday.

Field Hockey Photos Available

Would you like to purchase pictures from field hockey's senior night festivities? Wendell Powell invites you to peruse the images they shot and purchase your favorites! Here's the link.

Congratulations

 

Congratulations to Joshua Yoo (Chesterfield, '22) for earning a seat in the first violin section of the All Virginia Orchestra last week. He will participate in a virtual ensemble at the end of April.

Week of March 31, 2021

Annual Fund Competition

The Class of 2022 continues to lead the Parent Annual Fund Competition. You can make an annual fund donation to support your student's class here. All donations of any amount count toward the class participation percentage, and the winning class gets a yummy prize. All contributions directly support our amazing Dragons and teachers.

Night of the Dragon Registration Is Live

Register today (why wait?) for our wonderful Night of the Dragon Reimagined.

This year’s auction items include: sailing on the Chesapeake; stays in Wintergreen, Snowshoe, and OBX; reserved graduation seating; a day on the James; one-of-a-kind art and jewelry; themed baskets of all kinds; gift cards to local venues, shops, wineries, and more; a kegerator; private tours of U. Va. and Hollywood Cemetery; wine and spirits; and much, much more.

Be sure to register today so you don’t miss out on updates as items become available to preview, and when the link goes live to order dinner-to-go from Perch or East Coast Provisions. Enjoy an easy evening of fun benefiting our wonderful Dragons by ordering in for Saturday, April 24! The first 75 orders include a free specialty cocktail, thanks to Belle Isle Moonshine.

Gift Card Bonanza

The Foundation is collecting gift cards for this year’s Night of the Dragon auction. Please consider supporting our scrip program or local businesses by purchasing a gift card(s) to donate, or donate cards you have but don’t see yourself using. Gift cards (and other donations) can be put into the box marked Auction in the main office off the Bluestone Lobby or delivered to the Foundation Office any time between now and April 15 (extended deadline). Go Dragons!

Contact Ginger O’Neil with questions or for more information about NOTD 2021.

Help Out with Scrip

It's not too late to purchase gift cards for your class baskets for our Night of the Dragon auction. Pick a card related to your class theme, and it will be delivered to your room parents prior to the auction. Let me know that is your intent, and I'll let your room parent know it's coming, and follow up with you.

Our next order date is Sunday, April 18, but you can shop for e-certificates and receive them immediately. Be thinking of Mother's Day and graduation gifts!

Interested in getting more involved with the PTSA Board and meeting more Dragon families? We are creating a Scrip Team for Fall 2021. Monthly tasks can be as simple as sorting gift cards into family orders, handing orders out to students at school, or promoting our program and orders! Contact Laura Dysart for more information. Thank you!

Counseling Class Newsletters Available

The MLWGS counseling department recently posted two new newsletters on Schoology and the school counseling website:

• Countdown to Spring Break edition of the Junior Newsletter
• March 2021 Junior Newsletter

Week of March 17, 2021

Chalk Up Some Words from Home

The long-awaited week is here. Dragons who chose to do so have returned to the MLWGS campus! Since these students have been in the familiar environment of home for the past year, the MW Library has created a space to connect them with encouraging words from home. Does your family have a phrase or brief quote/saying that you often share to lift each other’s spirits? If so, please submit it for inclusion on the library’s chalkboard wall using this form.  

Animando a los estudiantes desde casa

Ya que los estudiantes empiezan a regresar a MLWGS el lunes 15 de marzo, nos gustaría animarlos con palabras inspiradoras de sus familias. Si su familia quiere compartir una frase alentadora en la pizarra de la biblioteca, favor de escribirla en este documento digital. ¡Gracias!

AP Testing Information

Students registered to take one or more Advanced Placement exams this spring should carefully read the following documents to learn about the testing options for 2021:

• AP Exam Schedule 
• AP Testing Information for MLWGS

Students will have the opportunity to take all exams in a paper-and-pencil, in-person format. Students interested in requesting a digital, at-home exam for eligible subjects should do so by Monday, March 29, by using the Digital AP Exam Request Form linked within the AP Testing Information document above. Feel free to use your content teachers as a resource when making your decision about how and when to test. Families may also direct questions to Rachel Loving, AP Coordinator, at rloving@gsgis.k12.va.us or 804-354-6800 x3211.

Sports Photographs Available

Want to purchase action shots from this year's fall and winter sports teams? You're in luck! Wendell Powell Studios has shot several athletic events, and they've posted images for purchase. Here's the link. For more info, please contact Douglas at wps@wendellpowell.com.

Scrip News

The scrip team is looking for a volunteer or two who would be willing to sort cards and distribute them to families next fall on a monthly basis. If you are interested, this is a great way to become involved with the PTSA and meet other families! I'd love to hear from you this spring as my son is graduating and we would love to have volunteers lined up for next fall. The program makes a lot of money for the PTSA and costs families nothing extra. Please contact Laura Dysart if you're interested or want more information.


Our next scrip order is due this Sunday, March 21. For every $50 families spend by March 19, you earn a chance to win a $50 scrip card of your choice and a $25 Panera Card. Help the PTSA reach our goal of $1,500 this year – we are really close! Go to shopwithscrip.com to order, and contact scrip@mlwgsptsa.org with questions.

Night of the Dragon Website Goes Live March 18!

On Thursday, March 18, the Night of the Dragon website will go live, and you’ll be able to register (for free) for the April 24 virtual event, purchase 50/50 raffle tickets, order dinner from Perch or East Coast Provisions (the first 100 orders get a free signature cocktail), see sneak peeks of the April 24 show and auction items, and more.

This year’s NOTD items include long-time favorites and many exciting new items:

• Vacation Home Rentals (OBX, Wintergreen, Snowshoe, and more)
• MLWGS 2021 Graduation Seating
• Local Adventure Packages
• Private Wine Tastings and Wine Class for 20
• Original Art and One-of-a-Kind Jewelry
• College Gear and Class Baskets
• Event Tickets and Unique Outings

And so, so, so much more! We’re adding new items daily. Please contact Ginger O’Neil if you have a donation idea.

Week of March 10, 2021

Return to School: Social Distancing

For students returning on Monday, March 15, the attached map provides an overview of our new one-way traffic pattern. This system was created in consultation with the MLWGS engineering club to promote social distancing while transitioning between classes. Arrows are being placed on the floor, and signage will mark each stairwell. Please review before arriving on campus. This will take some getting used to, but if we work together, we can promote health and safety at the school.

Attention Parents of Returning 2021-22 Students

Students registered for next year’s classes on March 4-5. Parents have the opportunity to check student course requests through the “Class Registration” icon in Powerschool this week to make sure they approve student selections. If parents wish to make a change or override a grade prerequisite for a class, please email your student’s counselor by the end of this week.

• Freshmen – kzweerink@gsgis.k12.va.us
• Sophomores – jcobb@gsgis.k12.va.us
• Juniors with last names A - K - kforquer@gsgis.k12.va.us
• Juniors with last names L - Z rloving@gsgis.k12.va.us

Students will receive confirmation of classes successfully scheduled by June.

Prepare for AP Exams

Students who are planning to take AP exams in May should log into their College Board account (myap.collegeboard.org) and double-check they have “joined” all of their courses. The deadline for MLWGS to order an AP exam for you is Friday, March 12, and, even if you paid for an AP exam, if you have not joined the course, an exam cannot be ordered for you. We are doing all we can to make sure that all enrolled students are joined in the appropriate courses in the College Board system, but if your teacher does not regularly use this system for instruction, it is possible that this step could have been overlooked. If you have questions about how to join a course with the specific join code, contact your content teacher or Dr. Loving. School staff cannot complete this step for you. If there are any last-minute orders for AP exams (cost with late fee is $135), you must discuss this with Dr. Loving and join the course by noon on March 12.

Additionally, information will be available in the coming days and weeks about exact exam dates, times, and format. All students will have the option to test in-person at MLWGS, but digital at-home testing will also be available. The specs for digital exams are now available on the College Board website and Dr. Loving will post these and other important details on the “AP Testing” Schoology page. If you are not a member of this group and should be, notify Dr. Loving. Please look there over these next three months for important AP information.

Scrip: Chance to Win and Help Wanted

The next order due date is Sunday, March 21. Don't forget that for every $50 you spend by March 19, you will be placed in a drawing for $50 in scrip cards of your choice and a $25 Panera gift card.

We have a volunteer lined up to coordinate promotion, communication and place orders for next fall. We are looking for one or two volunteers who would be willing to deposit any money received at school for orders once a month (twice in December), and to sort card orders when they arrive as well as distribute orders to families at school. Serving as the Scrip Coordinator s a great way to get to know other MLWGS parents and become involved with the PTSA! Please contact Laura Dysart if you're willing to learn more about this opportunity.

MLWGS Drama Needs You

Calling all singers, dancers, and actors/actresses! MLWGS Drama will be accepting audition submissions for our virtual spring musical production, The Theory of Relativity, until Wednesday, March 17. Don’t want to be in front of the camera? There are many ways to get involved behind the scenes with costumes, props, lighting, sound mixing, editing, and even marketing! Please see the Drama Schoology page for details. Questions? Please do not hesitate to reach out to director Leigh Glatt.

Youth Art and Music Month Continues

The Fine Arts Department will be celebrating YAMM 21 with a series of virtual events this year including:

Lecture on Japanese Aesthetics by VMFA lecturer Amanda Adams on Thursday, March 11, at 3:30 p.m. This lecture is sponsored by the Fine Arts Department, the National Art Honors Society, and VMFA Statewide Programs. Join here.

Watch the Youth Art and Music Month performances online: If you missed last week’s online extravaganza of student art and music, you can still watch the event online. You’ll also find an online gallery of student artwork.

Next Walker Way Forum Is March 17

Our first Walker Way Forum, a speaker series for students designed around the pillars of the Walker Way, was held in February. Students who attended responded positively, and we are looking forward to hosting our second speaker, L. Robert Bolling, CEO of Child Savers, on Wednesday, March 17. Child Savers provides comprehensive support to children who have experienced trauma. Robert is a great person to speak to the Walker Way pillar of compassion. Students have received a “Save the Date” notice of the event through Schoology. Questions? Email Mrs. Ebeling, School Psychologist.

Virtual Night of the Dragon Set for April 24-- Registration Goes Live March 18!

On Thursday, March 18, the Night of the Dragon website will go live, and you’ll be able to register (for free) for the April 24 virtual event, purchase 50/50 raffle tickets, order dinner from Perch or East Coast Provisions (the first 100 orders get a free signature cocktail), see sneak peeks of the April 24 show and auction items, and more.

This year’s NOTD items include long-time favorites and many exciting new items:

• Vacation Home Rentals (OBX, Wintergreen, Snowshoe, and more)
• MLWGS 2021 Graduation Seating
• Local Adventure Packages
• Private Wine Tastings and Wine Class for 20
• Original Art and One-of-a-Kind Jewelry
• College Gear and Class Baskets
• Event Tickets and Unique Outings

And so, so, so much more! We’re adding new items daily. Please contact Ginger O’Neil if you have a donation idea.

Week of March 3, 2021

School Counseling

On Thursday, March 4, the Powerschool portal will open up for class registration. Returning students should have a completed Course Registration Worksheet (found in the school counseling webpage for Course Scheduling Information and Forms) and their Powerschool login info. Some second-period teachers may give students time to register at the end of class. Otherwise, the portal will stay open through Friday. More specific instructions will be sent out mid-week.

Youth Art & Music Month

Do you love art and music? Then March is the month for you! Youth Art and Music Month helps to raise awareness of the importance of the fine arts in education. This year, Maggie Walker will celebrate with an online student art and music extravaganza on Thursday, March 4, at 6:30 p.m. Student artwork will be on display through a website gallery and slideshow, while our talented musicians will perform throughout the evening. This event is open to everyone, so please spread the word and join us to help celebrate Youth Art and Music Month on Zoom through our event website.

MLWGS School Directory Update!

The recently updated MLWGS School Directory is posted on PowerSchool and PTBoard. This version includes any changes added in PowerSchool prior to the end of the fall semester. Note that ALL changes should always be entered FIRST through PowerSchool.

Special thanks to Lesley Paiva and Megan Perez for making this happen, and to Lexi Pasternak '22 for the great artwork!

Project Engage Receives Grant

Project EngageRVA, the nonprofit founded by seniors Ria Bakshi, Bella Grace Finck, Justin Goldman, and Shreya Malani in early 2020, has been awarded the Hershey Heartwarming Project Action Grant for its efforts to engage and enrich elementary-age children with online classes ranging from yoga to marine science to quick math to world cultures to fairytale writing to foreign language, including American Sign Language. The purpose of the grant is to help children build meaningful connections and create more inclusive, empathetic, and kind communities. Project EngageRVA has also raised nearly $10,000 to fight the impact of COVID-19, and inspired and assisted with the formation of Project Engage groups in three other states.

2-4-6-8 Night of the Dragon Countdown Begins!

The countdown is on: eight weeks until the 2021 Night of the Dragon on Saturday, April 24! Make your plans now to join us for this fun virtual event featuring a livestream program with beloved Governor’s School students, teachers, administrators, and friends past and present, along with amazing silent and live auction fun. Registration for the event is free and will begin March 18. Stay tuned for the registration link and upcoming previews of some of the auction items. You won’t want to miss this reimagined event!

Showcase your Business and Support MLWGS

We invite you to serve as a sponsor for Night of the Dragon. Not only will we recognize your support during the event livestream, but the name of your business will be listed in our online auction offerings, which will be distributed to the MLWGS community network of alumni families and partners (totaling more than 10,000).

Sponsorship levels are available from $500 – $10,000. To serve as a sponsor, please contact Ginger O’Neil, Executive Director of the MLWGS Foundation. All donations are made to the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School Foundation, which is a 501(c)3 (Tax ID 54-1608930).

Win Free Gift Cards in March!

Way to go, MLWGS families: we have reached $1,466.62 of our $1,500 goal! Our next order due date is Sunday, March 21. For every $50 you spend on scrip until March 19, you will be given one chance in a drawing for a $50 card of your choice and a $25 Panera gift card. We'd love to surpass our goal, as it was lowered from years past due to COVID.

It's time to start thinking about cards you could use over spring break, as well as possible contributions to class baskets for the Night of the Dragon auction. You can shop e-certificates anytime. Think of ways you might be able to do your everyday shopping/dining with Scrip to benefit MLWGS. Questions? Contact your coordinator and MLWGS senior parent at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org. Thanks for your support!

Annual Fund Parent Competition Update

Each year, the Foundation sponsors a friendly competition among the classes to encourage parent support of its annual fund. All donations, regardless of amount, count toward each class total, and the winning class gets an ice cream party in June. The Class of 2022 closed out first semester in the lead--but there's still time. So, parents, make your donations today. The Foundation and your kids thank you! Click here to donate.

Week of February 17, 2021

Join StoryCorps' "One Small Step"

Frustrated when liberals and conservatives call each other names, talk past each other, ignore each other, or worse? Have political tensions distanced you from people you care about? Would you like to foster unity in our Dragon community?

Participate in One Small Step! The MLWGS Library has partnered with the national One Small Step initiative from StoryCorps to organize conversations between Dragons with contrasting political perspectives.

This is NOT a forum for debate or persuasion. Instead, this is an opportunity to enhance your listening skills, deepen your connection with another Dragon, and earn community service hours.

The sign-up window is open through Wednesday, Feb. 24. Participants must attend a series of four related workshops (specific dates and times are on the sign-up form) before being matched with a conversation partner. Students earn community service hours for participating in the workshops as well as engaging in the One Small Step conversation itself.

The sign-up form takes about 15 minutes to complete and includes a place where you introduce yourself to your future conversation partner in your own words. Here's the link.

Operation Smile Club Toothbrush Drive

Our Operation Smile Club is hosting a toothbrush drive in collaboration with National Honor Society. All students and members of the Maggie Walker community are invited to participate! This collection will support Operation Smile’s Sending Hope campaign. This winter, Operation Smile clubs from high schools across Virginia are dedicated to collecting essential items to donate to young patients and their families in Guatemala. The a drop-off box is in the Bluestone Lobby until Friday. March 5. Toothbrushes must be sealed in their original packaging.

Unique Auction Items Wanted

Special items donated by MLWGS families and alums help set our Night of the Dragon auction apart. Do you own a vacation rental or second home, have a skill or hobby you can share, know a great local place you’d like to support that everyone should try? If so, please consider donating to this year’s NOTD auction. Getaways, services, and gift certificates make great donations. Interested in donating or not sure what you have will work? Reach out to Ginger O’Neil, 703-80-2506.

Re-Opening Update

At the Regional School Board meeting on Thursday, MLWGS administration will recommend that parents be given the opportunity to choose to send their students back to campus on a limited basis beginning Monday, March 15. To maintain CDC recommendations, we need to limit our daily campus load to about 50 percent. Students will have the opportunity to attend campus two days a week. More information, as well as a final transportation survey, will follow.

LLS Fundraising Opportunity

Bruce Yanovitch ('23) and Brenna Luczak ('23) are raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with a team of friends and family, including Bailey Luczak ('20). Support CURE BIG OR GO HOME by eating at the following dates and locations:

• Carytown Burgers & Fries, 5404 Lakeside Ave (Henrico), 3-9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18
• Chipotle, 810 W. Grace St., 4-8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 22
• Marco’s Pizza, every day through Saturday, Feb. 27, at Midlothian, Hull, Short Pump, Reynolds Crossing, and Westpark locations. Add FUNDRAISER from the menu.

Tell them you are there to support team CURE BIG! Follow Bruce, Brenna, & Bailey’s team on Facebook and Instagram, and please donate at their event page.  

Scrip Fundraising Continues

It's a big week for the MLWGS Scrip Program and we are only $231 away from our $1,500 goal for this year! Help us reach our goal to benefit the MLWGS PTSA by doing your everyday shopping and dining with scrip gift cards and e-cards. Go to shopwithscrip.com to order! Earn up to 19% with 60+ bonuses on eGift cards and reloaded cards this Thursday, Feb. 18, and Friday, Feb. 19.

Our February plastic card orders are due Sunday, Feb. 21, by midnight. You will receive cards by the end of the same week. Questions? Contact your scrip coordinator at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org.

2020-21 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards 

We are excited to announce that 15 students were recently honored with 20 2020-2021 Scholastic Writing Awards, including three Gold Keys, five Silver Keys, and 12 Honorable Mentions.

Congratulations to the following writing winners:

• Isabel Li—(12th, Ed Coleman), Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir: "The Dog Tied to the Shed"
• Paxton Calder—(11th, Lisa Williams), Gold Key, Flash Fiction: "The Figure" and Honorable Mention, Poetry: “Ladybugs”
• Aashika Shah—(9th, Michele Surat), Gold Key, Critical Essay: "Corruption in the American Health Care System"
• Natalie Koehn-Wu—(9th, Michele Surat),Silver Key, Short Story: "The Stranger’s Gift" and Honorable Mention, Short Story: "The Perfect Smile"
• Lexi Pasternak—(11th, Ed Coleman), Silver Key, Personal Essay and Memoir: “Reservations”
• Phu Vo—(9th, Michele Surat), Silver Key, Personal Essay: "Hearts That Don’ Beat"
• Savannah Vonesh—(11th, Devon Mattys), Silver Key, Poetry: “Moment of Peace” and (11th, Ed Coleman), Honorable Mention, Critical Essay: "The United States Is Not Religiously Tolerant Yet"
• Jedda Arnold, (11th, John Piersol), Honorable Mention, "An Unimportant Life"
• Ronit Jain—(11th, Lisa Williams), Honorable Mention, Flash Fiction: “Nameless”
• Ala Killen—(10th, Jeff Hall), Honorable Mention, Poetry: “Stardust and Things” and Honorable Mention, Poetry: “The Darkness Beneath the Dirt”
• Pooja Muthuraj—(10th, John Piersol), Honorable Mention, Poetry: “Nothing: A Violin and Cello Arrangement”
• Bridget Plank—(9th, Michele Surat), Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir: "Over the Edge"
• Paige Walworth—(11th, Michele Surat), Honorable Mention, Critical Essay: "The Representation of the Rwandan Genocide in Film and the Verisimilitude of 'Hotel Rwanda'"
• Gabriella Watson—(12th, Ed Coleman), Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir: "On Grief"
• Ada Woo—(10th, Cecilia Boswell), Honorable Mention, Critical Essay: "The Hypocrisies Within Zoos"

The highly competitive Scholastic Art Awards competition had more than 2,000 entries from the region. MLWGS students had another great year, with 50 total awards, recognizing Maggie Walker as one of the region’s top schools for the arts.

2020-21 Scholastic Art Awards Summary:

• 50 Total awards
• 7 Gold Key awards, including one American Visions Nominee
• 14 Silver Key awards, including one Silver Key Portfolio
• 25 Honorable Mentions, including three Honorable Mention Portfolios
• Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School students were additionally recognized for their work in this show. Junior Devyn Powers received an American Visions Award nomination for her mixed media piece, "Blue Face."  Additionally, senior  Isabel Li’s digital artwork was chosen for the exhibition catalogue cover.

Due to COVID, an exhibition of only the Gold Key works will be held at The Visual Arts Center of Richmond at 1812 West Main Street through Sunday, Feb. 21. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Social distancing protocols are in place in the gallery. The exhibition can also be seen online at this link.