Week of November 11, 2020

College Financial Aid: Learn More

Interested in learning more about securing financial aid to help cover college costs? Of course you are! The 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has just opened, and we know that you have questions. This week's PTSA meeting on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 6:30 p.m. will focus on the topic of college financial aid. MLWGS senior counselors and GRASP financial aid advisor Susan Teerlink will host and Ms. Teerlink will provide important information regarding the financial aid application process, followed by Q & A. This meeting is open to all MLWGS parents, with a particular focus on parents of juniors and seniors. We hope to see you there!

Join the Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87964314397?pwd=WlAva21laEdVNmRIdDQ0bGNXYnMxUT09.

Chalk Day and Yoga on the Field This Friday 

Signups for our rescheduled Chalk Day and Yoga on the Field are open! On Friday, Nov. 13, Chalk Day will run 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Yoga will be 10-11 a.m. If you signed up previously for Chalk Day, you are still in the Signup Genius – no need to do anything unless adjusting or deleting your spot. A new signup for Yoga Day has been created. More details and signup at the links below. If it rains again, we’ll try one more time on Friday, Nov. 20. Contact Mr. Smith with any questions.

Chalk Day info and signup here.
Yoga on the Field info and signup here. 

Preparations for Athletics

We are currently evaluating the Virginia High School League guidelines for returning sports to the campus. As we do this, it is extremely important that, if you are planning on participating in athletics this year, you have completed the VHSL physical form prior to the beginning of MLWGS organized practices. Please visit to this link for forms and information.

Senior News

The November 2020 edition of the Senior Newsletter (Issue #3) has been posted to the MLWGS counseling website. It contains announcements from colleges, a list of virtual open houses and tours, and opportunities that are all-new; none of the scholarships listed from Issues #1 or #2 have been repeated. In addition, seniors are encouraged to consider two on-site admissions opportunities offered this month. One will be facilitated via Zoom by University of Mary Washington, and another will be sponsored locally (in two locations: Short Pump and North Chesterfield) by Longwood University. What a great opportunity for seniors to introduce themselves directly to a college representative and to get an admissions decision on-the-spot! For help with college applications or other concerns, Dr. Loving and Ms. Forquer are available via e-mail or in their walk-in office hours 3-3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday on Zoom.

Freshman Friendship Hike

Freshmen will have an in-person social opportunity during the Outdoors Club Freshman Friendship hike on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Details and permission slips are posted in the Schoology freshman class group. We have slots for up to 44 students. If demand exceeds capacity we may try to organize a second day the following weekend. Contact Mr. Zweerink in the counseling office if you have more questions.

Virtual Open Mics? Virtual Dance Parties? Both?

Vote on the Library’s Friday Fun Options

Starting Friday, Nov. 20, Ms. DeGroat will host a fun Friday lunchtime activity  open to students in any grade level. Would you attend or participate in an open-mic for poets, singers, and musicians? Would you attend a dance party with a student DJ and/or student dance teacher? Would you like to be a student DJ or dance teacher? Sign in to your GSGIS Google account and submit your vote by Thursday, Nov. 12, here.

Mindfulness Series for Students and Families

Are you looking for ways to improve your focus/concentration and/or bring a sense of calm to your day? Are you interested in learning more about mindfulness practices? Ms. DeGroat is certified in Koru Mindfulness, a program that was developed to serve students at Duke University and has since expanded. If you're interested in participating in a Koru-inspired four-session mindfulness series at 1 p.m. each Friday from Nov. 20 through Dec. 18 (skipping the week of Thanksgiving), please sign up here. The series involves one 1-hour session followed by three sessions lasting 45 minutes, with an optional 15-minute reflection time about mindfulness before each of those sessions. Students and family members attending with a student are welcome to participate. Email Ms. DeGroat if you have any questions. Deadline for sign-up is midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Scrip Holiday Incentive

For every $50 you spend on scrip between now and winter break, you will receive an entry for $50 worth of scrip cards of your choice! Plastic card orders are due this Monday, Nov. 16, and then Dec. 7 and 14 before break. Please take advantage of this opportunity to benefit the MLWGS PTSA with your everyday shopping, dining, and gift giving! You can also shop for e-certificates at any time instantly. While Laura Dysart and her crew of volunteers are truly happy to deliver cards to your doorstep during COVID times, scrip is offering delivery to your home for certain products for a small fee, the list of products is here, but you must order through the Raise Right app for this home delivery feature.

Questions? Contact Laura Dysart.

Night of the Dragon Volunteer Opportunities

Planning for our annual Night of the Dragon auction is underway. Things will look a little different this year but the goal will remain the same: to create a fun evening that benefits our students by supporting the MLWGS Foundation and Booster groups. Mark your calendar now for Saturday, April 24.

Details are still in the works and we are looking for folks interested in joining the planning team. We need volunteers with all sorts of skills; techies, creatives, askers, photographers, writers, designers, drivers, task doers, you name it. If you think you might like to join the fun, contact Foundation Executive Director Ginger O'Neil for more details about how you might get plugged in.

New parents, be on the lookout for info about this event. We encourage you to take part in this incredible Governor's School tradition!

Week of September 23, 2020

Back-to-School Night

Virtual Back-to-School Night Is Thursday, Sept. 24, at 6:30 p.m.

The MLWGS PTSA Back-to-School (BTS) meeting this year is going to look a little bit different. In lieu of an in-person BTS meeting, we have created a COVID-friendly narrated PowerPoint presentation that will be uploaded to the MLWGS homepage on Thursday, September 24, at 6:30 p.m. Google polls will also be uploaded to the homepage for the PTSA general membership to cast their votes for this year’s slate of officers, the budget, our annual audit, and updated bylaws. 

 

Feel free to view a non-narrated version of the MLWGS Back-to-School PowerPoint prior to Thursday night's narrated version: BTS PTSA PowerPoint.

BTS will begin on Zoom with an opening session with Dr. Lowerre. You can then view the narrated PTSA presentation. After these sessions, parents can explore five- to seven-minute pre-recorded faculty sessions for each of your student's classes. The link to access the opening session and the faculty recordings will be sent no later than Wednesday, Sept. 23, through a Powerschool email blast. Please ask your student for a copy of their schedule or go to Powerschool prior to the event.

School Directory Deadline Sept. 25

Every year, the Maggie Walker PTSA produces a directory with contact information for student families. The School Directory Committee wants to make sure we include the contact information you wish to share.

Due to new FERPA guidelines (VA HB1: legislation that restricts disclosure of certain student contact information without the written consent of the students/parents), MLWGS has an OPT-IN policy instead of an OPT-OUT policy. Unless you complete the Directory Information Permission Form by going to Ecollect Forms in PowerSchool, MLWGS will not share your data with the PTSA.
The PTSA has recently emailed School Directory Contact Information Questionnaires to allow you to see and/or change your directory information. If you have not heard from us, we likely do not have your correct email address, so please contact us at mlwgsptsadirectory@gmail.com to review or include your information.

Please email us no later than Friday, Sept. 25. We hope to have the School Directory posted to PowerSchool by Monday, Sept. 28.

Congratulations to Lexi Pasternak (Henrico '22) for her winning design submission for the 2020-21 School Directory cover (above). Her work was selected out of 13 student submissions and she will receive a $50 gift card for her winning design. 

First Great Lake Scrip Orders Due Monday

This year's first Great Lake Scrip orders must be placed by Monday, Sept. 28.
Please watch our new video that includes a step-by-step, hands-on overview of enrolling, shopping and payment options: SCRIP Video.

Due to COVID-19, the PTSA budget will be affected by a lack of income from in-person fundraising events. Now, more than ever, the PTSA wants you to join us in using the Great Lake Scrip Program by purchasing gift cards or e-cards for some of your everyday shopping. The PTSA receives a percentage back at no extra cost to you! Go to shopwithscrip.com to enroll and order (enrollment code is in your back-to-school packet). If paying by check, the check must be received by the order due date. Please either arrange a pick up with your coordinator or mail the check (made out to MLWGS PTSA) to:
Laura Dysart, 5021 Sylvan Rd., Richmond, VA 23225.
Questions? Contact Laura at scrip@mlwgsptsa.org. Thanks for your support!

Attention: Seniors

To learn from the senior counselors about college, scholarship, career, military, enrichment, and multicultural opportunities, please view the Senior Newsletter (Sept 2020 edition) on the School Counseling website ->College Admissions Information -> Senior Newsletters: Link here.

Students are encouraged to cross-reference this publication with their Naviance accounts and the individual programs’ websites for more details.

Attention: Sophomores and Juniors

PSAT 2020-2021 Covid-19 Schedule

The PSAT is a great practice opportunity for the SAT. In a typical year, we would proctor the PSAT to all sophomores and juniors in mid-October. But this isn’t a typical year! With school closed due to Covid-19, we have developed a testing plan that takes student safety into account while prioritizing testing access for our juniors. PSAT results for juniors are used for qualification purposes for National Merit Scholarship Programs.

Testing Schedule and Participation
The College Board is allowing schools extra flexibility this year, and has added two additional test sessions. We will test half of the juniors on Wednesday, Oct. 14 (juniors with last names A – Maz), and the other half on Thursday, Oct. 29 (juniors with last names Mc – Z). We have been assured that both groups will receive score reports at the same time in early December. Sophomores will take the test on Tuesday, Jan. 26, provided there are no changes in Virginia Covid-19 guidelines. Students in all sessions will sit at least six feet apart, wear masks, and be subject to temperature and Covid-19 screening upon entering the building.

We understand that some families may not feel comfortable with their students coming on campus. Students are not required to take the test. This is an optional activity based on family comfort levels with students entering the school building. It will help us with our planning if families could register for testing on this Google form. Any student taking the PSAT will be coded in attendance as "school excused" for the entire day and will be permitted to make up work without penalty.

Before the Test
PSAT Student Guides are available for pick-up in the Bluestone Lobby. The guides contain information about the tests as well as a full-length practice test. Students are encouraged to take the practice test before testing day. The guide information and practice tests are also available at www.collegeboard.org/psat, so there is no need to pick up a hard copy if that is not possible or convenient for families.

Test Day
The PSAT is a long test. Students should expect to be in school from 8:40 a.m. until about 12:45 p.m. Eat a big breakfast! Students may bring nut-free snacks, but due to the short breaks as per testing guidelines and Covid-19 concerns, there won’t be many opportunities to eat. Don’t forget #2 pencils, calculators, a mask and clothing layers for temperature variation.

After the Test
Score reports for the October test dates will be available online in mid-December. Typically, the counseling department recommends that juniors register for a spring SAT or ACT date by visiting the testing agency websites. Sophomores and juniors in AP classes may wish to consider registering for SAT Subject Tests at the end of the year as appropriate (most colleges do not require SAT Subject Tests, so check the websites of colleges you're considering).

NOTE: Because all sophomores and juniors were charged a fee for PSATs, we will provide a refund to any junior or sophomore who is unable to test this year. If we are unable to test all sophomores due to a worsening of the public health situation, we will retain sophomore test fees and apply them to next year’s fees.

Review the Student Handbook

This is a reminder that all students must review and complete a quiz on the 2020-21 Student Handbook. The deadline has been extended to Wednesday, Sept. 30, and it is open everything with unlimited attempts. The quiz is located at

http://www.quia.com/quiz/5928160.html  (Secret Word= Dragons).

Drama Club Plans Fall Play

The show must go on! MLWGS Drama will present a virtual production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Nov 19-21. Please join the Drama Club Schoology Group or email Mrs. Glatt (lglatt@gsgis.k12.va.us) for details on how to audition. The deadline to submit an audition video is Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Week of February 26, 2020

NEWS FROM THE ART ROOM

Today, February 26 at 11:45 a.m., the Fine Arts Department will be hosting its second “Lunchtime Lecture” of the year in the Black Box. Our speaker will be Twyla Kitts from the VMFA who will be giving a lecture title "The Fabergé Obsession: Romance, Revolution, and Russian Decorative Arts." Even though we have just finished the Global Cycle focus on Europe and Russia, please encourage students you feel might be interested to attend this event. These lectures are sponsored by the Visual Arts Boosters in cooperation with the VMFA Statewide Programs.

MLWGS DRAMA PRESENTS: THE ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL




Inspired by the Charles Addams cartoons, THE ADDAMS FAMILY musical explores the most unthinkable nightmare ever faced by this spooky, kooky, and ooky family: Wednesday Addams falls in love with the sweet, smart, “normal," Lucas Beineke. With secrets kept and potions concocted, both the Beineke and Addams family must attempt to accept their children’s love for one another even if it means breaking traditions. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

Drama Club Sponsor Leigh Glatt and the Maggie L. Walker Drama Department are thrilled to announce their production of the high school version of the Broadway musical THE ADDAMS FAMILY, directed by our very own English teacher Leigh Glatt, Producer Devon E. Mattys, Musical Director Shellie Johnson, Choreographer Daniel Hurt, Set Designer Mercedes Schaum, Technical Director Matt Osier, and Set Construction Lead Dan Giorgis. This show features a talented cast and phenomenal technical crew of Maggie Walker students.

TICKETS AND PERFORMANCES: February 27 and 28 at 7 p.m. and February 29 at 2 p.m. Maggie L. Walker High School auditorium, 1000 N. Lombardy Street, Richmond, VA 23220.

Tickets for The Addams Family can be purchased with cash at the door or in advance with a credit card at https://mlwgs-addams.brownpapertickets.com. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for adults, but there are a few exclusive online offers that can save you money.

TICKET DEALS for Thursday night— adults can take advantage of the Opening Night Special ticket, available online only, for $12 plus fees. Families of 4— 2 adults, 2 students— can enjoy the Family 4-pack online for just $10 per ticket (plus fees). Alumni can enjoy student pricing both at the door and online with the special code distributed by the Foundation.

RIGHTS and RECOGNITION: The Addams Family is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036.

Book by MARSHALL BRICKMAN and RICK ELICE, Music and Lyrics by ANDREW LIPPA, Based on Characters Created by CHARLES ADDAMS





ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS

The February edition of the Senior Newsletter is now available. Please read thoroughly for important deadlines and updates.

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.

YOUTH ART AND MUSIC MONTH DINNER AND PERFORMANCE

The Maggie Walker Fine Arts Department is highlighting Youth Art and Music Month (March) with a pasta dinner, concert, and art show on Wednesday, March 4. The Music Boosters are sponsoring a pasta dinner beginning at 5:15 p.m. followed by a concert and art show in the auditorium from 6:30-8:30 p.m.  We hope to see you at the dinner and concert!

Where: MLWGS Cafeteria

When: Wednesday, March 4, Dinner- 5:15-6:15 p.m. followed by Youth Art and Music performances from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

What: Joe’s Inn lasagna (vegetarian or meat), salad, and bread with student performances to accompany the meal

How much: $6.00 for students, $10.00 for adults

How: Using the signup link below, reserve a spot for your party. Payment options are available through Paypal, Venmo, and by check. You must have a reservation to be served. All reservations are due by Friday, February 28.

Please read payment details carefully when signing up on the Google Sheet!

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE SEATS FOR THE PASTA DINNER




SCRIP ORDERS DUE MARCH 6


Scrip orders are due Friday, March 6 on line, or paper orders and checks made payable to MLWGS PTSA in room 100 (Valenta William's office). Orders will arrive the following week. We hope you will consider doing some of your everyday shopping with Scrip to benefit our PTSA, but it's not too early to start thinking about Spring Break travel and dining, graduations, and Mother's and Father's Day. If you aren't in to giving gift cards, don't forget you can use Scrip to shop at stores for your gifts. Shop anytime with Scrip Now and receive available retailers digitally. Don't forget if you use Amazon Scrip Now certificates at check out, and shop through Amazon Smile, you benefit MLWGS PTSA twice! Thank you for your support. Questions? scrip@mlwgsptsa.org. On-line Scrip Shopping: www.shopwithscrip.com.

SCRIP Hard copy order form

Week of January 22, 2020

REMINDER: MONDAY, JANUARY 27 IS A TEACHER WORK DAY

COURSE REGISTRATION ASSEMBLIES JANUARY 29-31

Lunchtime assemblies will be held for the underclasses in the auditorium on the following dates: 

• Juniors- Wednesday, January 29
• Sophomores- Thursday, January 30
• Freshmen- Friday, January 31

Students will be provided with materials, information, and options about their upcoming course registration on March 5.

ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS!

The January edition of the Senior Newsletter is now available. Please read thoroughly for important deadlines and updates.

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.

DISTRICT BAND NEWS




Ryan Eklund (Richmond '22), Helen Hopkins (Chesterfield '22), Devon Jebo  (Henrico '22), Rahul Ramesh (Henrico '21), Amar Srinivasan (Chesterfield '22), and Carson Wang (Henrico '23) were awarded positions in the 2020 district band. District band is a competitive auditioned ensemble that comprises of the best high school band students from Henrico, Richmond City, and Hanover. They will perform on February 1 at Hanover High School.





ATHLETIC BOOSTER COLLEGE BASKETS FOR NOTD

Every year, Athletic Boosters provides college baskets to auction off at Night of the Dragon. The money raised from the auction items support both Maggie Walker and our student athletes. Please consider donating a few items to your favorite Virginia college basket. Items can include: sweatshirts, T-shirts, glassware, banners, pajamas, blankets, stickers, trinkets - anything that supports your team! Donations are due February 7, 2020. Drop off or ship to 317 Lexington Road, RVA 23226, leave at school in the Auction box (labeled for Athletic Booster College Baskets) in Valenta Williams' office room 100, or we will come to you! Please also consider coming out to support the Auction on February 29, 2020- it's a great night. Thanks for supporting Maggie Walker! 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a054fa9a62b0-college




2-4-6-8—NOTD TICKET UPDATE! 

Night of the Dragon tickets are now on sale! Purchase tickets online HERE. You can purchase tickets, sponsor a table, and put in any seating requests. Don’t know who you would like to sit with? No worries. We will assign you to a table with other great folks so you can make new friends in the Dragon Family. Either way, be sure to order your tickets soon so you can be part of the fun!

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

• Perennial favorite multi-course, in-home Italian Dinner for 10
• MLWGS 2020 graduation seating
• Vacation homes and adventure packages
• Rooftop wine tasting in the Fan
• Original art and one of a kind jewelry 
• VIP “Behind the Ropes” tickets at the Dominion Classic
• College gear and class baskets
• Event tickets and unique outings
• And so much more!

The Night of the Dragon Needs You!
The countdown is on until the February 29 (Leap Day!) Night of the Dragon Event—Quantum Leap! The NOTD committee is busy working on a myriad of details to make this year’s event a great success and YOU can help. We are looking for a handful of folks to join the Solicitations team. This is a short-term, low commitment task that simply involves reaching out to friends of Maggie Walker who have donated items in the past to and/or to new folks in your circles (friends, favorite businesses) who might be willing to donate items this year. For more info, contact Suzannah Stora or Ginger O’Neil.

Have an item, experience, vacation home, service, etc. that other Maggie Walker folks might be interested in? Contact Suzannah Stora about making your own auction donation to help support our wonderful school. Go Dragons!

NOTD FAQs
What happens during NOTD?
Everyone has loads of fun and we make lots of money to support our amazing school. The evening looks something like this:

6:30 p.m. Check-in begins
6:30-7:30 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, mingling
6:30-8:15 p.m. Auction items on display
7:30-8:15 p.m. Dinner buffet and carving stations open
8:15 p.m. Silent Auction ends
8:30 p.m. Welcome from Dr. Lowerre
8:45 p.m. Live Auction begins with Head and Tails
9 p.m.  Dessert and coffee served
9:45 p.m. Student Performance

Will I have fun even if I don’t know very many people at Maggie Walker yet?
ABSOLUTELY! There’s plenty of time to mingle and meet folks during the evening. And when dinner time comes, if you don’t request specific folks to sit with, we will do our best to assign you to a table with other parents from your students' class. It’s a great way to meet other Dragon parents.

What is the dress code?
The dress code is “festive.” Not a lot of help, right? The idea is for everyone to feel as special as the event is to our school--but no need to special order a designer dress or dust off the tux--unless you want to! Wear whatever makes you feel ready to have some fun for a great cause, whether that’s a cocktail dress or your fave pants or anything in between. On second thought, wear what
makes you most want to bid lots of money on lots of items.

What Does the Money from NOTD Support?
All proceeds for the Night of the Dragon support the students and faculty at MLWGS! Last year’s event yielded more than $70,000! Proceeds benefit the enhancement initiatives of the Governor’s School Foundation as well as the efforts of the Athletic, Music, Visual Arts, Drama Boosters, and the PTSA.

Is There Parking Available?
Yes, we have arranged for complimentary parking at 13 N. 5th Street, a lot adjacent to the John Marshall.

What is Heads and Tails?
It’s a fun, interactive game coin toss game. Each person who has paid to play ($10 in advance or at the event) receives a set of beads to wear. At the beginning of the Live Auction, everyone with beads stands and places their hands on their head or their tail. The auctioneer then flips a coin. Anyone who guessed the coin toss correctly, as evidenced by where their hands are placed,
remains standing. And this continues until only one person is standing and wins the prize.

Will NOTD use mobile bidding again this year?
Yes, and we are very excited! Mobile bidding was a huge success last year and will be used again this year and in subsequent years. Mobile bidding allows you to input your credit card into a secure system when you buy your tickets or at the event. No more check-out lines at the end of the evening. No more running from silent auction bid sheet to bid sheet. You can set your initial bid and a maximum bid on as many silent auction items as you like and the system will automatically adjust your bid in increments until your max is reached or you win; you can manually enter new bids each time you get a text that you’ve been outbid. You’ll be getting more easy-to-follow bidding info after ticket sales close.

Will drink tickets be pre-sold again this year?
No. Because guests can use cash and credit cards at the John Marshall to purchase drinks, we will not be pre-selling drink tickets this year.

What about the UVA vs. Duke basketball game that evening?
We know we’ve got lots of basketball fans among us, including us, so we’ve reserved the Club Room at the John Marshall for great viewing of the game that evening, currently scheduled for 8 p.m. Mobile bidding means you can keep an eye on the game and continue your silent bidding. Anyone left unattended in the Ballroom during the Live Auction, which begins around 9 p.m, is encouraged, and granted permission to bid away!

2nd ANNUAL RUBIK'S CUBE EVENT 

The MLWGS Rubik’s Cube Club hosted its second World Cube Association (WCA) competition on January 18, 2020, attracting over 80 speed-solvers from multiple states testing their skills. This event was led by John Staley, Jacob Lee, Ryland Wilson, Ross George, and Uzair Bhatti as part of their club, which is sponsored by Mr. John Wilkes. Corey Sakowksi and Keaton Ellis, WCA delegates from Maryland, assisted in official matters.

The competition was a resounding success, and the organizers plan to hold another next year. The Rubik’s Cube Club would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the security and custodial staff, the Governor’s School Foundation, Mr. Wilkes, and the student and parent volunteers for all their help and support. Additionally, a dedicated group of MLWGS volunteers took time out of their weekend to make sure that the event ran smoothly and had efficient set-up and take-down

A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research.

Officers who organized this event (from left to right)

Uzair Bhatti (Chesterfield '21), Ross George (Hanover '21), Ryland Wilson (Hanover '21), John Staley (Hanover '21), John Wilkes (Faculty Advisor), Jacob Lee (Chesterfield '21).

Dragon parents continue to battle it out to see which class has the highest parent percentage of Foundation Annual Fund supporters and the competition is fierce! Remember this year the class with the highest parent percentage will receive a student ice cream party at the end of the school year! Help the Foundation meet its goal of raising $330,000 before the end of the school year.

Totals to date are as follows:

Senior Parents (2020) 31%
Junior Parents (2021) 28%
Sophomore Parents (2022) 36%
Freshman Parents (2023) 36% 

The Governor's School Foundation Annual Fund makes a huge impact on all 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. Make your contribution now.

We look forward to all that we can accomplish together for MLWGS!

Week of December 18, 2019

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The next edition of Smoke and Scales will be published January 8, 2020.

The deadline for submissions will be Sunday, January 5 by 4 p.m.

Be safe and enjoy your winter break! "See" you in the New Year!





HOLIDAY SHOPPING AT THE DRAGON'S LAIR




It's that time of year- time to grab your Dragon gear! Apparel, key tags, thumb drives, winter hats, coffee mugs, insulated tumblers, ornaments, sling bags, totes, magnets, stickers, and so much more. We have the perfect holiday gift to please any MLWGS student, parent, faculty member, or alum. The Dragon's Lair is open every Tuesday and Friday during lunch or visit the online store: mlwgsdragons.ourspiritgear.com.

Special pre-break hours: December 16-20 (all week Monday through Friday this week) open during lunchtime hour (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.).

WINTER CONCERT THIS THURSDAY

The orchestras, bands, and chorus invite you to celebrate the holidays with our annual winter concert on Thursday, December 19, at 7:00 p.m. The spectacular musicians at Maggie Walker are putting on a show you will not want to miss! Selections include “A Mad Russian’s Christmas,” “Christmas at the Movies,” “A Holiday Sing-Along,” and more!





VOTE FOR SNOW QUEEN 2020 CANDIDATE 


Perisa Ashar (Henrico '21) is a finalist competing for the award of Snow Queen 2020, sponsored by the Children’s Museum of Virginia. Each year, the Snow Queen Award is open to qualified applicants from area schools based on academics, leadership, extra-curricular activities, service, and volunteer work within their community, and to those who have inspired children to learn.

Perisa is the only Dragon student competing in this contest at this stage. The final stage of selection for Snow Queen 2020 is based on public voting from November 29- December 24; you can vote daily until December 24. The MLWGS community can support Perisa Ashar by voting for her at the following link and sharing it with your friends and family. 


INFORMATION AND VOTING

CLASS OF 2020 NEWS


Don’t forget to go online and order your graduation announcements! If you place your order after December 31, there will be an increase in cost. To order your announcements, follow these steps:

www.vagrad.com
Type in “Maggie Walker” at the top
Choose “Shop Graduation Products”

You’ll immediately see all of the graduation package options, but you can scroll to the bottom and see “Shop individual products including cap and gown” – friendly reminder, you do NOT need to buy a cap and gown. That cost was included in the senior class dues. Select the item(s) you want.

If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to the MLWGS graduation coordinator, Kerry Sheppard.

***************************************************************
The December 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.






PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED JANUARY 8

Save the Date! The Governor's School Foundation is looking for volunteers to help mail out Night of the Dragon postcards, Wednesday, January 8. We will get started around 9:00 a.m. in room 228 across from the Foundation office; 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, Boosters groups, and PTSA!

Please EMAIL US to let us if you are able to participate.





LIBRARY NEWS: AUTHOR KAREN CHASE VISITING MLWGS 

Thanks to the support of Lisa Williams and our National English Honor Society members, the MW Library will be co-sponsoring an author visit and discussion in the winter/spring of 2020 along with a writing contest and other activities centered on Carrying Independence, a historical novel by local author Karen Chase.

Another local writer donated the funds necessary for our school to receive the gift of 25 copies of the novel (one copy for the library’s collection and a classroom set of 24 for current and later use). I am SO grateful for all this goodness and look forward to sharing this reading experience with students, teachers, and parents! I anticipate that you will enjoy the ways in which Ms. Chase’s well-researched and engaging novel brings the Revolutionary War to life.

How you can get a copy:

1. Drop by the library to check out a copy in person.
2. Prefer Kindle reading? From now through December 31, you can purchase the e-book edition for just 99 cents https://www.amazon.com/Carrying-Independence-Founding-Documents-Novel-Book-ebook/dp/B07QCHNFX9
3. Borrow a copy from Henrico or Richmond Public Libraries

For more information or if you have questions, please contact Ms. DeGroat in the library. 




MLWGS ART STUDENTS AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Over one hundred MLWGS Art and Photography students toured several of the art museums in Washington D.C. on December 6. Students visited the National Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum, the American Art Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery. Photography students also took this opportunity to photograph the unique environment and architecture of this historic city. By experiencing these works of art in person, art students were able to gain a much deeper appreciation of the technique, color, and scale of these masterpieces. Special thanks to the Governor’s School Foundation for their support which helped reduce the cost for all students. 

BOYS VOLLEYBALL NEWS

The Virginia High School League 2019 Class 4 all-state boys volleyball teams have been selected. Congratulations to Maggie Walker’s Grant Collier (Chesterfield '20) and Charlie Unice (Henrico '21) chosen for the 1st team, and Tyler Pimblett (Hanover '20) 2nd team. 

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.