Smoke and Scales: Suicide Prevention Program

Showing posts with label Suicide Prevention Program. Show all posts

Week of November 13, 2019

BOYS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TONIGHT!

Come cheer for our Boys Varsity Volleyball team as they play Patrick Henry in the MLWGS gym tonight at 6 p.m. GO DRAGONS!

GET READY FOR WINTER SPORTS

Tryouts started this week for Basketball, Indoor Track, Swimming, and Wrestling. Check the Athletics calendar for upcoming game schedules.

TODAY: BINFORD MS COME AND PLAY WITH THE MLWGS ORCHESTRA

Ms. Christina Sienkiewicz, MLWGS Orchestra Instructor, is excited to launch “Come and Play” with Dragons featuring orchestra students of RPS’s Binford Middle School today, November 13.

Binford students will be placed into small groups with the Advanced Orchestra Students to prepare them for their Central Regional Orchestra Auditions this Saturday. There will be a mini-concert at the beginning of lunch for all who would like to come.

ATHLETIC BOOSTERS MONTHLY MEETING

The Maggie L. Walker Athletic Boosters Club will hold its monthly Board Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 14 in room 105. All members of Athletic Boosters and anyone interested in becoming involved with Athletic Boosters are welcome to attend.

ATTENTION FRESHMEN PARENTS

Reminder for freshman parents- depression awareness and suicide prevention training

MLWGS is offering depression awareness and suicide prevention training as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program. SOS lessons will be implemented in the 9th grade Health and PE classes during the week of November 18. Students not enrolled in PE will attend the lesson on November 21 and 22 from 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

The SOS program encourages students to seek help if they are concerned about the emotional well-being of either themselves or a friend. A letter was mailed to all freshman parents with more details about the program. An electronic copy is also attached here. It is our hope that all of the 9th graders will participate in the lesson; however, parents do have the option of opting their children out of the lesson. The letter will provide information about doing that. Please feel free to direct any questions to Lisa Ebeling, School Psychologist, at lebeling@gsgis.k12.va.us or call 354-6800 x 3260.

Parent Letter with Opt-Out Option

2020 NIGHT OF THE DRAGON AUCTION EVENT

The Night of the Dragon Auction is one of the highlights each year for Dragon parents (past and present), staff, and alumni. The evening includes live and silent auctions, dinner, drinks, student entertainment, Heads and Tails, and more. This fun-filled event is also MLWGS’ single largest annual fundraising event.

Here’s how you can help make the upcoming 18th Annual Night of the Dragon the best ever:

Save the date- Saturday, February 29
Get your tickets when they become available on January 1, 2020
Donate an item(s) for the Live or Silent Auctions. Popular items include: unique experiences hosted by MLWGS families and friends, event tickets, vacation home rentals, artwork, local adventures—GET CREATIVE!
Become a sponsor! Individual and corporate sponsorships are available at many levels.
Lend a hand! Join the Night of the Dragon Planning Committee.

Please contact the Foundation office if you want to be involved in any way!

Week of November 7, 2018

HERFF JONES

Herff Jones will be collecting orders for graduation announcements on Wednesday, November 7 and Thursday, November 8 in the first floor commons during lunch. This will be the only time Herff Jones collects these orders in the building. You may contact the vendor directly, but all orders need to be placed before January 1 in order to ensure delivery in April. There is no guarantee that there will be extra announcements available to order/purchase second semester. Please contact Ms. Sheppard if you have questions - ksheppard@gsgis.k12.va.us or 804-354-6800 ext. 3304.

MAGGIE WALKER PRESENTS HAMLET

Poster Credit: Malina Gavris, Chesterfield '20

Maggie Walker Drama presents William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Directed by Foster Solomon

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

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

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

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

SCRIP FUNDRAISER

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

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

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

SCRIP order form

ATHLETICS BOOSTER EVENTS

Athletic Boosters Monthly Meeting
The Maggie L. Walker Athletic Boosters Club will hold a monthly Board Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 7, in room 105. Board Officers and Directors are expected to attend. All Athletic Boosters members and anyone interested in becoming involved with Athletic Boosters are welcome to attend. Anyone with questions may contact Athletic Boosters President Rich Schweiker at dukeschweikers@aol.com.

Athletic Boosters Parents Social
Ardent Craft Ales, Tuesday, November 13, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Please join the Maggie Walker Athletic Boosters for a social event at Ardent Craft Ales. All parents of current and prospective student athletes are invited to meet and socialize with other parents and learn more about the Athletic Boosters. Coaches and parents of alumni athletes are invited too! This is not an event for students. There will be a cash bar. Nonalcoholic beverages and snacks will be provided without charge by the Athletic Boosters. There also will be a membership table for anyone who wants information and to join for the current year. Go Dragons!

When: Tuesday, November 13, 6-7:30 pm
Where: Ardent Craft Ales
Scott’s Addition
3200 W. Leigh Street
Richmond, VA 23220

FRESHMAN PARENTS

Our school is offering depression awareness and suicide prevention training as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program. SOS lessons will be implemented in the 9^th grade Health and PE classes during the week of November 12. Students not enrolled in PE will attend the lesson on November 15 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

The SOS program encourages students to seek help if they are concerned about the emotional well-being of themselves or a friend. A letter is being mailed to all freshman parents with more details about the program. An electronic copy is also attached here. It is our hope that all of 9^thgraders will participate in the lesson; however, parents do have the option of opting their children out of the lesson. The letter will provide the information about doing that. Please feel free to direct any questions to Lisa Ebeling, School Psychologist, at lebeling@gsgis.k12.va.us or call at 354-6800 x 3260.

Opt Out Permission form

2019 NIGHT OF THE DRAGON

Roll Out the Red Carpet for the 2019 Night of the Dragon-
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23,2019!

Here’s how you can help make the upcoming 17^thAnnual Night of the Dragon the best ever!

·Save the Date and get your tickets when they become available.

·Donate an item(s) for the Live or Silent Auctions. Popular items include unique experiences hosted by MLWGS families and friends, event tickets, vacation home rentals, artwork, local adventures—GET CREATIVE! To donate or help solicit, contact Liz Blue eeablue@gmail.com

·Become a Sponsor. Individual and corporate sponsorships are available at many levels. For sponsorships, contact Suzannah Stora. sstora@mlwgsfoundation.org

·Lend a Hand. If you want to help with putting on this amazing event, contact Ginger O’Neil gingeroneil@gmail.com about committee options.

Stay tuned for more information about this wonderful event in the coming weeks!

Week of February 21, 2018

AP EXAM REGISTRATION FOR 2018

Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School students will be registering for AP exams online using Total Registration. Registration will take only a few minutes and can be completed from any computer with internet access. You will be asked to create a login account so that you will have the ability to reprint your confirmation ticket and add or delete exams, if necessary.

To register for AP Exams, please visit www.TotalRegistration.net/AP/471851

When filling out the online form please be sure to select all of your exams and the appropriate teachers. If everything is correct, click "Confirm your Registration". This will record your registration and display the confirmation page. When you reach the confirmation page, print two copies- one for your records and the other to return to school with your payment. Each AP exam costs $94.00 and must be paid before we order exams. A fee reduction is available for families that meet federal guidelines but must be approved in advance. A letter from a parent documenting financial need is required. Please see Dr. Loving in the School Counseling office by Friday, February 16 to inquire about a fee waiver.

Here are the important dates:

February 1 -Online registration begins
February 23 -Online registration ends
February 20-23 – AP Fees (cash or check) will be collected in the School Counseling Office (see payment schedule below) during lunch and afternoon blocks. Students should use lunch or their study hall to come to pay their fees.
Note: After 3:30 p.m. on February 23, a late fee of $10 will be charged.
March 9 – Last day to cancel an exam and receive a refund of $84 ($10 administrative fee)
April 24 – Last day to cancel an exam and receive a $69 refund ($25 administrative fee as exams will have been ordered). Requests for refunds after this date will not be honored.

Remember, you must present both your registration form and complete payment. Checks should be made out to “MLW Governor’s School”.

February 20 - Seniors - lunch, 6^th and 8^th block
February 21 - Juniors - lunch, 5^th and 7^th block
February 22 - Freshmen and Sophomores - lunch, 6^th and 8^th block
February 23 - Any remaining students - lunch and all afternoon blocks

Attention Seniors! If you know which college you will be attending in the fall, please carefully review the college's AP credit policy to determine if the college will accept AP credit for the program in which you are enrolling.

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

REMINDERS:

You may need to arrange transportation for afternoon AP exams. Exams in the afternoon will not begin prior to 12:00 p.m. and may not be over before 3:30 p.m. Plan accordingly.

Exam pre-administration sessions (Bubblefest) will be held April 24 for seniors and April 25 for juniors, sophomores, and freshmen in the auditorium during lunch. You must attend a pre-administration session in order to take AP exams.

Monty Python's SPAMALOT

presented by Maggie Walker Drama Club
Directed by Foster Solomon

Poster Credit: Nicoleta Gavris, Chesterfield '18

March 1,2, and 3 at 7:00 p.m.

**Half-price student night on Thursday, March 1**

Running for four sensational years on Broadway and the winner of three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this legendary musical is lovingly ripped off from the film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Follow everyone’s favorite comic crusaders as they sing and dance their way to the biggest prize of all.

So many students have worked hard to bring this production to the Maggie Walker stage. We hope to see you at the show!

Tickets are $10 for students and $12 for adults.

Half-price student tickets on Thursday, March 1 only ($5 per student ticket)

Purchase tickets at the door or online here (https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3334668).

Questions? Please contact maggiewalkerdrama@gmail.com.

2-4-6-8—DRAGON MADNESS TICKET UPDATE!

By popular demand, we are now accepting RESERVED SEATING REQUESTS FOR GROUPS OF ALL SIZES for the Night of the Dragon auction. If you have folks you want to sit with during this fun-filled evening, buy your tickets before February 24 at www.nightofthedragon.com and list the names of everyone in your party on the order form. Don’t have a group? No worries. We will assign you to a table with other great people 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:

-2 tickets to see Justin Timberlake in Washington, DC in January 2019
-Tickets to Broadway in Richmond’s Dirty Dancing
-Vacation stays in Snowshoe and on the Shenandoah River
-Rooftop Wine Tasting in the Fan
-Dinner by Dr. Lowerre and much, much more!

FROM THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT

Suicide Prevention Program

Our school is committed to supporting the social/emotional well-being of our students. That is done in a variety of ways and has included the Signs of Suicide Prevention Program (SOS Program) through the Health/PE classes. This program, which has been in place since 2002, is designed to teach students that suicide can be prevented through treating mental health disorders such as depression. It encourages students to support one another but to also reach out to trusted adults if they have concerns that friends may be at risk to self-harm.

Maggie Walker was able to add a new component this year with the addition of a part-time school psychologist in the counseling department. Each 9^th grade student that participated in the SOS Program completed an individual depression screening. This allowed our counseling staff to connect with students who showed signs of depression and to help parents as needed to link up with outside resources.

Another new component that we are adding to our SOS Program is the parent portal. This site has information on the SOS Program and mental health topics that are of use to all parents. It provides information about national resources that are available. Parents can complete an anonymous depression screening on their child to help determine if there is a need to connect with a mental health professional. We are choosing to make this available to all MLWGS parents- not just our 9^th grade parents.

Questions? Call Lisa Ebeling, School Psychologist at 354-6800, ext. 3260 or your child’s school counselor.

User Name: mlwgs-par

Password: EbelingDragon2017

BUDGET REVIEW

The Regional School Board is accepting input via online comments on the FY19 MLWGS Proposed Operating Budget here through April 12. Approval for this budget will be requested April 19.

http://mlwgs.com/the-fy19-operating-budget-proposal-is-open-for-public-review-and-comment/

MUSIC NEWS

Maggie Walker music students earned seats through auditions and participated in Central Regional Orchestra February 2-3, 2018 at Manchester High School.

From left to right:

Mira Eisenhauer (Henrico, 2021), A Orchestra, Cello, seat 7

Amanda Perez (Henrico, 2021), A Orchestra, Violin 2, seat 14

Ananya Shah (Henrico, 2021), A Orchestra, Violin 1, seat 12

Viggy Bankuru (Chesterfield, 2021), A Orchestra, Violin 1, seat 11

Adhvikaa Ambikapathi-Revathi (Henrico, 2021), B Orchestra, Viola, seat 4

Shannen Amoako (Chesterfield, 2021), B Orchestra, Violin 2, seat 9

Maggie Walker music students earned seats through auditions and participated in District Band February 1-3, 2018 at Deep Run High School.

From left to right:

Kevin Ren (Chesterfield, 2020), Symphonic Band, 8th Flute

Daphne Pang (Henrico, 2021), Symphonic Band, 10th Flute

Emmy Li (Chesterfield, 2021), Concert Band, 19th Clarinet

Grace May (Hanover, 2020), Symphonic Band, 14th Clarinet

Rahul Ramesh (Henrico, 2021), Concert Band, 1st Bassoon

There’s nothing like spreading joy through the community with music, and no better way than with jazz on Mardi Gras. The Maggie Walker Jazz Band classes celebrated the holiday with the residents of The Towers Retirement and Assisted Living Community by performing a set of New Orleans style jazz February 13, 2018.

ITALIAN III CLASS SERVICE PROJECT

The Italian III class had quite a service project accomplishment. The students baked cookies and put them together with 'goodies' for a 'cookie-gram' on Valentine's day and the profits from the sale of the cookie-gram endeavor were used to purchase stuffed animals and other toys for 70 of the children at the Children's Hospital at VCU medical facilities. One of our students took the Valentine's Day surprises to the children.

It was a lot of work but all heartfelt and I am so very proud of them.
- Susan Hefty