Week of October 23, 2019

AP EXAM ORDER FORMS DUE BY FRIDAY

The AP Exam Order Form is due by Friday, October 25. It allows students to officially indicate their testing plans and calculate a total amount of AP exam fees ($94 per exam). Students must turn in their MLWGS AP Exam Order Form to the Counseling Office between 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., October 21-25 with cash/check payment or online payment receipt.

Students may also take an AP exam for a course they are not enrolled in or is not taught at MLWGS, by indicating their preference on the form. If the course is not currently being taught, there must be at least three requests for the exam to be administered and additional proctor fees (not to exceed $20) may apply. AP Statistics is pre-approved and students may see their teacher to obtain the join code for their “exam only” section.

IMPORTANT: All students enrolled in AP courses should have already “joined” the correct section(s) on the CollegeBoard website with a unique access code for each course. See Dr. Loving in the counseling office immediately if you have not completed this step.

The timeline for the next few weeks is as follows:

• October 7-8: AP Exam Order Forms distributed to AP testers through AP classes
• October 15: Online payment system opens
• October 21: If you would like to inquire about a fee waiver/reduction, please do so by this date (see your counselor for a confidential form)
• October 21-25: Form collection/payment window (October 25 will be the on-time registration deadline)
• October 26-November 14: A late fee of $10 per exam will apply
• November 15 and beyond: The College Board add/drop fee of $40 will be instituted (NEW COLLEGE BOARD POLICY)
• January 17: Deadline to apply for College Board accommodations for a documented disability (see Ms. Cobb)
• March 13: Deadline to add an exam (even with the late fee)
• November 15-April 13: Students who choose not to test can get a refund of $54
• April 13: Last day for students to get a refund of any kind

Contact Rachel Loving, AP Coordinator, with questions.





ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS

The October edition of the Senior Newsletter is now available! This newsletter contains important college and scholarship-related reminders and deadlines.

Susan Teerlink, our GRASP Representative, is available to assist with financial aid information. Ms. Teerlink is here on Mondays and students and/or parents can sign up for an appointment in the School Counseling Office. The FAFSA is now open for seniors to complete. Visit https://fafsa.ed.gov/ for details.

SCRIP

The last two SCRIP orders before the holidays are November 8 and December 6 by noon.  You can purchase digital gift cards anytime with Scrip Now!
Do you use Shutterfly for your holiday photo cards? Shutterfly will give 9% of your purchase back to Maggie Walker with plastic or digital cards. If ordering online, you can copy and paste your gift card number into the Shutterfly payment screen. Look in future Smoke and Scales for great holiday gift card ideas! There are lots of $5.00 and $10.00 gift cards available. To enroll or shop: shopwithscrip.com. Enrollment Code: C43669E564L28. 

Questions? Contact your Scrip Coordinator at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org. Let those retailers you already shop give back to Maggie Walker at no extra cost to you!

CONGRATULATIONS NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP SEMIFINALISTS!

 

Of the 1.6 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores (calculated by doubling the sum of the Reading, Writing, and Language and Math Test scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit®Scholarship Program. In early September, about 16,000 students, or approximately one-third of the 50,000 high scorers, were notified that they have qualified as Semifinalists.

Finalists
In February, some 15,000 Semifinalists will be notified by mail that they have advanced to Finalist standing.

Winner Selection
All winners of Merit Scholarship® awards (Merit Scholar® designees) are chosen from the Finalist group based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. A variety of information is available for NMSC selectors to evaluate: the Finalist’s academic record, information about the school’s curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, the high school official’s written recommendation, information about the student’s activities and leadership, and the Finalist’s own essay.

This year, MLWGS has 12 National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists from the Class of 2020.

• Alexander Broening (Richmond)
• Maximilian Broening (Richmond)
• Connor Goodwin (Chesterfield)
• Mary Caroline Heinen (Richmond)
• Marina Kapitanov (Chesterfield)
• Jackson Lamb (Chesterfield)
• Kevin Ren (Chesterfield)
• Gracie Schutrumpf (Goochland)
• Siddharth Venigalla (Chesterfield)
• Lida Wolman (Henrico)
• Nicholas Xie (Henrico)
• Jacqueline Yu (Henrico)

Congratulations to all of the MLWGS semi-finalists! Good luck in the finalist round.






Fun Foundation opportunities to connect with MLWGS Parents!

Looking to connect with fellow MLWGS parents? The Governor's School Foundation is offering two opportunities:

Parent Welcome Coffee
The Foundation will be hosting a parent welcome coffee, Thursday, October 24 from 8-9:00 a.m. in room 153 (the classroom directly outside of the Bluestone lobby). Stop by when you come for drop off and enjoy a quick cup of coffee and a nibble with fellow MLWGS parents. Feel free to contact Suzannah Stora, Executive Director of the Governor's School Foundation should you have any questions. We hope to see you there!


Parent Volunteers Needed
The Governor's School Foundation is looking for volunteers to help with a mailing on Tuesday, October 29. We will get started around 9:00 a.m. in room 228 across from the Foundation office. If you are unable to come right at 9:00 a.m., please feel free to stop by anytime throughout the morning as your schedule permits. This is a fun opportunity to meet some other parents and to help support the work of the Governor's School Foundation!

Please email us to let us know if you will be able to participate.

Week of September 18, 2019

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT IS TOMORROW

September 19 6:30-9 p.m.

Important Notes: 

-Back to School Night is for parents and guardians. 

-Plan to arrive by 6:15 p.m. because school parking lots fill up quickly.
-Overflow parking is available at the James River Bus Company lot on Allen St. between Broad and Leigh and the Virginia Union C.K. lot on Leigh St. and Mozelle (directly across Leigh St. from MLWGS).
-Parents should report to the school auditorium no later than 6:30 p.m. for welcome and directions for the evening before reporting to 1st period.
-Students should fill in their schedule for parents to follow.
-Each class session will last for ten minutes and a bell will signal the transition to the next class. Parents will have five minutes between classes.
-Teachers will be providing specific information about their classes- not about individual students. 

-Parent-teacher conferences will take place on November 5 and 7 during which time parents may discuss their child’s individual progress.
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The Governor's School Foundation office (room 225 across from the auditorium) will be open tomorrow night during Back to School Night, and we invite you to stop by for a quick visit between classes. Grab a snack, meet Foundation staff, and learn a little bit more about how the Foundation is enhancing the educational experience for students at Maggie Walker!




ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS

 

The September Senior Newsletter is now available on the school counseling website. This newsletter contains important college and scholarship-related reminders and deadlines. Dr. Loving and Ms. Streitel met with all of the senior English classes last week to discuss important college information including how to request transcripts and recommendation letters, upcoming deadlines, etc., and distributed the first issue of the Senior Newsletter to students.

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. 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.

Students interested in being nominated for the UVA Jefferson Scholars program, must sign-up in the Counseling Office (bulletin board outside of Ms. Streitel’s office) to indicate their interest by September 23. In order to be considered, their Brag Sheet must be completed in Naviance by this date as well. Students chosen as semifinalists will be asked to submit an essay, as well as interview before the MLWGS scholarship committee.

Teacher Recommendation Request forms are due by 3:30 p.m. on September 23 for any deadlines November 15 or earlier. All other Teacher Recommendation Request forms are due at least two “school” weeks prior to the college/program deadline (breaks not included). Extra forms are in the School Counseling Office.

A Transcript Request form is due to counselors by 3:30 p.m. on September 23 for any deadlines November 15 or earlier. A Transcript Request Form is due to counselors by 3:30 p.m. on November 15 for any deadlines November 16 or later. Extra forms are in the School Counseling Office.

Susan Teerlink, our GRASP Representative, is available to assist with financial aid information. Students and/or your parents can sign up for an appointment in the School Counseling Office. Ms. Teerlink will be at MLWGS on Mondays starting September 16. Seniors can begin filling out the FAFSA form on October 1! Visit https://fafsa.ed.gov/ for details.

Students are allowed four excused absences for college visits per year. Students must get and turn back in a pre-approval form to Ms. Bowman in advance. Students should let their teachers know ahead of time that they will be missing class and it is up to them to inquire about and complete any missed work.

FROM THE GUIDANCE COUNSELORS

1) AP Exam Registration (New Deadline and Process for 2019-2020)

Over the past week, students who are enrolled in an Advanced Placement course were given a handout outlining the registration process for AP Exams, which will be administered May 4-15, 2020. College Board has instituted new practices this year which include student access to online resources and a fall registration deadline, which will move our exam payment deadline up to October 25, 2019. The cost per AP exam is unchanged at $94 per exam.

The registration process for Advanced Placement exams has been simplified this year. We have eliminated the need for a third-party registration system, and students have already begun the registration process by “joining” the correct course section at the beginning of the school year through myap.collegeboard.org and entering a unique join code for each class section.

Students will receive an AP Exam Order Form in early October, which will allow them to confirm which exams they plan to take or not take. Beginning November 15, changing the testing decision will come with a $40 add/drop fee.

AP exam fees must be paid for before we order exams. A fee waiver or reduction is available for families that meet certain guidelines but must be approved in advance. Please see your counselor by Monday, October 21 to inquire about a fee waiver or fee reduction.

In October, students/parents will follow these steps to complete the registration, payment, and confirmation process:

1) Complete the AP Exam Order Form (distributed via AP classrooms in early October).

2) Select your payment method: Check (made out to “MLWGS”), cash, or online payment at https://osp.osmsinc.com/MLWGS (convenience fee applies).

3) Turn in your AP Exam Order form the Counseling Office between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., October 21-25. Students should attach their payment or online payment receipt to their AP Exam Order form. A member of the counseling team will review the order form and payment with each student.

Anyone who has not completed these steps by November 14 will have their exam preference changed from “yes” to “no” in the College Board system. This can be fixed within a certain time frame, but College Board will charge an additional fee of $40.

Here are the important dates:
-September 13: All students enrolled in AP courses should have “joined” the correct course section on the College Board system at myap.collegeboard.org.
-October 15: The online payment system through the MLWGS website opens.
-October 21-25: AP Fee and Receipt Collection (11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.): All students must turn in a copy of their AP Exam Order Form with their payment (cash/check) or online payment receipt.
-Beginning October 28- November 14: A late fee of $10 per exam will be charged.
-Beginning November 15: Students who have not returned their AP Exam

-Order Form and paid will be marked as “not testing” and exams will not be ordered. At that time, the College Board will institute a $40 add/drop fee for any changes for our exam order.
-March 13: The last day College Board will allow an exam to be added, even with the extra fee.
-April 13: Last day to cancel an exam and receive a $54 refund (less the College Board $40 cancellation fee). Requests for refunds after this date will not be honored.

You should plan to take and pay for all of your AP exams unless you know that all of the colleges on your list will not take the AP credit for a particular course. You have until April 13 to make a final determination on cancelling an exam for a particular course.

If you receive accommodations for a documented disability and have not yet had them approved by College Board, the deadline to submit this paperwork for 2020 AP Exams is January 17. Contact Ms. Cobb at jcobb@gsgis.k12.va.us.

Questions? Please see Dr. Loving, AP Coordinator, in the Counseling Office or email her at rloving@gsgis.k12.va.us.

2) The College Visit Season Has Begun!

Over 100 colleges and universities are scheduled to visit students at MLWGS over the course of the fall. Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors are encouraged to attend these visit sessions for colleges that interest them and learn more about other schools of which they are not familiar. During these visits, admissions representatives will review the programs offered at their school as well as answer questions about the admissions process and any other topics. Smaller colleges are often hoping to get to know some of their prospective students personally and may provide their contact information for follow up questions. We have tried to arrange college visits for 11:30 a.m. (lunchtime) whenever possible and most of them will take place in the Counseling Office. For any college visit that is NOT offered during lunch time (most are), students MUST complete a Green College Meeting Pass and have it signed by a teacher PRIOR to the class they would miss. The college meeting passes are located on Ms. Hicks’ desk in the Counseling Office lobby.

Students can view a complete list of the colleges that will be visiting in Naviance, on the class pages in Schoology or on the hard-copy spreadsheet outside the College Office. Students can view/sign up for a college visit in Naviance under the “colleges” tab and under “college visits” at the bottom of the screen. Click “show more” to see the complete list of visits and click “register” next to any sessions you plan to attend. The student (not parent) must be logged in to register. Registering is not mandatory, but extremely helpful for finding the appropriately sized space. Students can also sign up to be a “College Ambassador” and usher a college representative up to the Counseling Office. Students can visit the class pages in Schoology to sign up and prevent a college representative from getting lost in the building and make a great college connection too!

3) The National Honor Society application is now open for Juniors and Seniors!

The application for National Honor Society is now available online at National Honor Society 2019 Application. Applications must be submitted online by Monday, September 23 at 5:00 p.m. Applicants must be juniors or seniors with a 3.5 cumulative, weighted, unrounded GPA and must be on track in earning community service hours (70 for juniors and 105 for seniors). Community service hours must be entered into x2vol AND "verified" by the application deadline, so please follow up with your supervisors if need be. Members of NHS must commit to earning five additional NHS-related service hours per year of membership above and beyond graduation requirements. Please see the application for additional application instructions/requirements and membership obligations.

Please contact the NHS Sponsors, Dr. Loving and Ms. Streitel with questions.





SCRIP- ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A $20 GIFT CARD!

Enroll in the brand new Great Lake Scrip Program by September 27 and 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. The MLWGS enrollment code is C43669E564L28. Our first order due date is Friday, October 4. You can order Scrip Now cards anytime with a credit card or if you are enrolled in Presto Pay.

Link to useful short 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

Questions? Contact your PTSA SCRIP Coordinator.

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
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The PTSA is seeking Dragon community families and businesses interested in sponsorship opportunities for this wonderful event that showcases MLWGS many student organizations.  The PTSA has two ways you can provide support:

Dragon Community Sponsorship- $50 recommended sponsorship
Current MLWGS families, alumni, grandparents, and friends 

Corporate Sponsorship- $250 recommended sponsorship
Sponsorships are tax-deductible and often eligible for matching fund
donations from employers. Sponsorships can conveniently be made
online at http://www.mlwgsfoundation.org/donate/ or you may
forward a check to Suzannah Stora, made payable to the Governor’s
School Foundation (please note Fall Festival Sponsor in memo section of
your check).

All Sponsors will be recognized in the Fall Festival Times distributed at the event.  Thank you for your support.  We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the Fall Festival on October 4!





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




PARENT WELCOME COFFEES

Looking to connect with fellow MLWGS parents? The Governor's School Foundation will be hosting two parent welcome coffees, Tuesday, September 24 and Thursday, October 24 from 8- 9:00 a.m. in room 153 (the classroom directly outside of the Bluestone lobby). Stop by when you come for drop off and enjoy a quick cup of coffee and a nibble with fellow MLWGS parents. Feel free to contact Suzannah Stora, Executive Director of the Governor's School Foundation should you have any questions. We hope to see you there!