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Our rep from
Balfour will be at LHS taking
cap and gown orders for graduation on
Wed, Nov 18 during Saxon Time. Please let your seniors know and be sure they are in attendance on that day!
The sale of
Senior Yearbook Ads will continue, as long as space is available, or until
Nov 25, whichever comes first. An announcement will be posted on the Langley website if ad space sells out.
No ads will be accepted after Nov 25 . . . please, no exceptions.
To reserve your ad space, you must deliver a completed order form, images, text, and payment by the stated deadline. For more information, please see the order form on our class
website.
Contact the yearbook staff at LangleyYRBK@gmail.com if you need further assistance.
juniors
Our next
Junior Class Coffee will be held on
Dec 10 at Cooper MS (use back entrance, as meeting is Rm 130). The PTSA
Family Network has invited a
guest speaker to discuss substance abuse/teen drinking.
Jessica Statz, Class of 2017 Assistant Principal, will update us on Langley news and will present stats from the FCPS Youth Survey.
Sgt. Daniel Pang, an SRO Supervisor in the Fairfax County Police Dept with extensive experience with high school students, will share his knowledge and observations regarding underage drinking and drug use, and the consequences of abuse. He will also provide
advice for parents as we try to encourage our students to make good decisions. We hope you can join us!
sophomores
Don't forget next
Monday Nov 16 is the next
Driver's Ed program, starting at
7 pm in the LHS cafeteria. Every sophomore student must attend ONE of these programs, and a parent (with a valid driver's license) must attend with the student.
Doors will close promptly at 7 pm (they aren't kidding about this), and students/parents must stay for the entire 90-minute presentation.
Our
Class Coffee will be
Dec 9 at 9 am. Join fellow parents and administrators to discuss the latest news for our class. Coffee and breakfast items will be served. The venue will be the
Joostema home at 10509 Wynfield Woods Dr, Great Falls.
Please note: The
March 4 Class Coffee
will be a
LUNCH meeting at 12 noon (somewhere in McLean). And the new date for the
final coffee is May 12 at 9 am (not May 18, which is Ethics Day).
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quick links
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Activities
703.287.2750
Attendance Line
703.287.2727
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a message from the principal
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As we begin the holiday season, I feel we must address some sensitive issues. I recently received the
results of our Youth Survey, which was given to
last year's sophomores and seniors. There is a great deal of data to consider, but one part that concerns me is our students' reported alcohol and marijuana use. While the
usage is fairly steady
over the past few years,
we are far above the county average
.
I find this very troubling. I think we need to take a long dispassionate look at what is occurring in our school and community. I believe
we must be vigilant about what our students are doing for recreation. We need to examine if this usage is occurring in our homes while parents are gone or, more troubling, while the parents are home.
We need to know the warning signs of substance abuse. Furthermore, we must be aware of a disturbing increase in the use of prescription medications and painkillers.
We have numerous resources here at school and in the county. If you are concerned about your son or daughter,
we can help. As a school, we are interested in our students' health, both physical and mental. While there are some specific mandated consequences for substance use in the school, we are here to help.
Our primary concern is the wellness of our students.
It's important to keep in mind that this report indicates as well that
a large number of our students are choosing not to drink or use drugs. Many kids find groups who can enjoy themselves without getting drunk. Let's all try to emphasize these kinds of opportunities for them.
The stakes are high. You may have heard of the chilling incident that occurred in Montgomery County last spring, just after graduation, when two boys were killed driving home after a party. Included in the
Washington Post
article on the teen driver who was charged with vehicular homicide was this quote from an expert
:
Trina Leonard, a longtime advocate who worked to pass a state law that
made parents more accountable for underage drinking in their homes, said that the problem continues and that parents who host parties "do a great disservice" by conveying a message that teen drinking is acceptable.
"I think there are parents who very foolishly think it's much better if kids drink in their house because they can supervise them," she said. But Leonard said that there are many dangers that don't have to do with driving -- including alcohol poisoning and unintended sex -- and that many parents can't control the driving as much as they think.
"Often they believe that they can trust inebriated kids not to drive or to use a designated driver, but those things don't often turn out as intended," Leonard said.
"The only correct behavior is for teens to abstain from alcohol and for parents to help them with that," she said. "Facilitating their drinking can be the worst mistake a parent ever makes. It can cost a life."
How can we affect positive change in our families and communities?
Be inquisitive about what your children do on the weekend.
Know where they're going and who they'll be with. If they go to someone's house, are the parents home? Do the parents condone alcohol use in their home? Are there things happening at your house that shouldn't be? What are some alternate activities they might enjoy? You can let other parents know that
you won't permit underage drinking in your house -- everybody's parents
don't,
no matter what some kids may insist!
Let's not stick our heads in the sand, but rather approach this as a community issue that we all need to work to resolve.
~ Fred Amico, Principal
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FCPS Superintendent
Dr. Karen Garza
has presented the
Budget Task Force recommendations
to the School Board as part of the FY17 budget planning process. The Task Force met formally ten times over the past five months to create a set of recommendations for
additional cuts of either $50 million or $75 million,
in addition to the $500 million dollars
in cuts already implemented. Parents, students and community members are encouraged to read the recommendations in the report, available by clicking
here
. The budget size is determined by the Board of Supervisors, and any cuts in the school budget are due to county and state prioritization.
Make your opinions known.
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almost maine is almost here
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 Saxon Stage
proudly presents John Cariani's
Almost, Maine
on Nov 19-21 at The Langley School.
Almost Maine
is a delightfully
quirky romantic comedy
about a small town in Maine, where love is in the air. Of course, Cupid's arrows don't always fly straight, and sometimes they don't fly at all!
Join us at
7 pm on Thurs, Fri or Sat nights, or at
2:30 pm Sat, to be captivated by the joys and jeopardies of finding one's soulmate. Check out the totally charming
YouTube trailer by clicking
here.
Tickets are available online
here, and are also available at the door. The Langley School is located at 1411 Balls Hill Road, McLean.
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Q: My student received a Langley letter, which I understand can be earned different ways, from varsity sports, academics, etc. What should I do with this letter and the pin that was awarded with it?
A: Students may be earn a
varsity Letter during their time at Langley, and may be awarded
varsity Pins for a variety of activities and accomplishments. For example, a
brass bar for a 3.8-4.0 or a
brass star for above 4.0 for the entire school year, and a
brass lamp for being a National Merit Semi-Finalist are given to students at an
Academic Awards Ceremony. Varsity coaches hand out pins and letters at the end of a team's season. Many of us remember letterman jackets from our high school days, but today most students choose to display their letter and pins in their rooms or a shadow box. A
certificate of achievement is also presented to students at the same time they receive their letter/pin, which could be saved in an activities binder.
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hannah wolf at next ptsa meeting
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Hannah Wolff, Langley's career center director and college advisor, will be the featured speaker for the Dec 2, 9 am PTSA meeting at Cooper MS in room 130. Ms. Wolff will give a Naviance Family Connection tutorial on using this valuable tool available to all Langley students and parents. This year, the PTSA directed funds toward additional options via this program that may be useful as students plan their course selections in Jan and begin to think about college options.
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 LHS students were able to volunteer with Case for Smiles recently during Activity Period. T
his is Langley's second year supporting ConKerr, now called Case for Smiles (they've changed their name but not their mission) by making pillowcases for kids hospitalized with cancer. With every stitch, every yard of f
abric, and every pillowcase, they come one step closer to the goal of helping kids with life-threatening illnesses feel better and heal better. The next chance to participate with Case for Smiles is during the Nov 18 Activity Per
iod in room 131.
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Last reminder that
Future Quest 2015 will be held this
Sat, Nov 14, at GMU's Johnson Center, 8 am til 3 pm. Future Quest is a f
ree College and Career Forum for students with disabilities, parents, and professionals.
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orchestra: The Langley Orchestra will hold a
silent auction fundraiser starting
Nov 16 and ending at our concert at South Lakes HS on Dec 1. To
preview the items and bid online, visit this
webpage
. Bidding will open at noon on Nov 16 and close on-line at noon on Dec 1. Bidding will continue at the orchestra concert and conclude that evening.
marching band:
Langley Boosters prepared beautiful banners to honor the senior fall athletes and musicians who've finished their last seasons.
The banners will hang in the gym lobby for all to admire.
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The
National Honor Society recently inducted new members
Clare DaBaldo,
Menaal Saeed, and
Jonathan Canfield, pictured along with School Board member
Janie Strauss, Principal
Amico, and Sheriff
Stacey Kincaid.
Also pictured is current Langley parent and alum
Gabriele Piermarini Aulisi, who graduated from Langley with our newly re-elected Sheriff Kincaid. The two had not seen each other since graduation!
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a message for seniors from student services
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Here are a few things to keep in mind as you're working those applications:
Transcripts: Some are sent electonically (edocs), and others through the mail. The
next deadline for submitting transcript requests is FRI, DEC 4.
Please note that if your information is not submitted by then (transcript request form, senior information sheet, parent information sheet, activities resume, and $5 for each transcript after the first three), we won't be able to process your transcript or submit a letter of recommendation until after winter break.
If you have already submitted everything for an early deadline, please note that whether it was sent electronically or through the mail, it may not be instantaneously received by the college. If you
check your college portal and it says they haven't received it within the first week of submission,
please be patient. It can take up to four weeks for many schools to upload and process everything. This does not mean that it is late! They have thousands of applications, and it can take a little longer for them to update your portal.
Check your email regularly
:
If a college is indeed missing a part of your application (test scores, transcript, etc), they will contact you. The electronic portals are helpful, but email is also an important way for them to communicate with you. Again, give them a few weeks to process everything before you head to your counselor in a panic!
Mid-year grades:
We
automatically send
those to colleges in February. Rescinds are very real, so whether you applied early or not, you must continue to keep your grades up.
Do not let senioritis take over!
Test scores:
We do not submit them, you do!
Please make sure that you submit your ACT and/or SAT scores at least four weeks before the deadline for your colleges. These take time to process so you want to ensure that they get there in time. Again, we are not responsible for sending these!
Make sure that you meet deadlines.
Do not wait until the last minute to complete applications, essays, etc. If you have questions, contact your counselor or Mrs. Wolff in the Career Center.
Good luck!
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volleyball: Most fall sports have ended their seasons, but girls' volleyball is rolling on! They notched 3-0 victories in the first two rounds of the
6A Region Tournament, and will play Battlefield tonight in the Regionals semifinal.
varsity football:
The Saxons ended their season by bringing home the Rotary trophy with a decisive win over McLean. The LHS fans filled the visitor stands with a white-out!
Photos by Ms. Statz
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The
science fair each year needs adult volunteers to support the students' hard work. To make it easier for everyone, this year we're using a
Google form to organize all the volunteers (you can find the link
here with more info on our needs). We are
seeking food donations and hospitality helpers, along with judges. This year the fair will be held on
Wed, Jan 20, starting at 3:15 pm.
If you have any
questions about judging, feel free to contact
Sarah Ell
at
slell@fcps.edu
. No experience is needed; if you have any type of science background we would love to have you as a judge! If you have any questions about bringing treats for the judges' hospitality room, please contact Betsy Jones
at
sejones3@fcps.edu
.
We wouldn't be able to make the science fair work without all of the parent volunteers. If you know of anyone in the community who might be interested to judge or help with hospitality, please feel free to forward them the link, or have them email Ms. Ell directly.
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Please join the
Leadership Honor Society's
snack food drive for the
Walter Reed-USO Warrior
and
Family Center
in Bethesda. We are collecting the following specific items for donation:
Mini Rice Krispy Treats, individual bags of Lays chips, mini fruit cups, individual packs of crackers (cheese, peanut butter, etc.), individual Quaker Oatmeal packets/cups, individual packs of cookies (mini Nabisco packs, single packs of Oreos/Chips Ahoy etc.), Quaker Chewy Granola Bars or Nature Valley Granola Bars, fruit gummy snacks, Nutri-Grain Bars, ground coffee (decaf and regular), hot chocolate, bite-size candy bars, and individual cups of noodles.
Please bring your items to the box located in
Ms. Roche's room 290 until
Nov 19. Contact
Ms. Roche
JBRoche@fcps.edu with questions.
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 The
Family Network and Active Minds club
recently collaborated to give each Langley student free popcorn for lunch. Active Minds' mission is to promote positivity in our community
. The popcorn event's theme was
"stress less, smile more" and EAT POPCORN!
Student and parent volunteers helped make the event a success. The Active Minds LHS chapter is a year-long student organization run by students and the guidance department. This group, along with Family Network, provides students, parents and staff with events to help kids relax, laugh, de-stress, and enjoy the day! More activities coming . . . stay posted!
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Vickie Trunnell
, parent of a 2015 LHS grad, was awarded the
Fairfax County Athletic Council 2015 Champions of Character of Award for the Dranesville District
. Vickie started by coaching basketball for both boys and girls, and rose to be Development League Commissioner, a position she's held for seven years, managing a league of 800 kids and over 100 teams. She's also was also the Lead Team Parent Coordinator for McLean Mustangs, even when her son no longer played football; she volunteered with McLean Youth Track; served as an usher at the Alden Theater; was a Langley class parent & lacrosse team parent all four years . . . and she works full time. Langley HS and McLean/Great Falls youth sports would not be what they are without parent volunteers like Vickie, who make this community great!
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Some counselors and teachers got in the Halloween swing of things! Here are photos of a few. (Pregnant tummies seem to inspire good costumes!)
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watch for scouting for food bags!
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A Langley parent took this picture of a nearly emp
ty
storage
room at SHARE last Saturday, and posted that she
came home to see a grocery bag hanging on her front door.
"Hooray for Scouting for Food time,"
she wrote on her Facebook page. "The Scouts will be collecting food on Saturday and delivering it to SHARE.
Please be generous
. Some items I would suggest are flour, dried beans, canned fruit, pasta, diapers (sizes 4 and 5), cooking oil, paper towels, toilet paper, sugar, laundry detergent. If you go through your pantry, please be sure to check expiration dates."
If you didn't receive a Scouting for Food bag, but would like to donate to SHARE of McLean, you may drop off non-perishable food items this
Sat, Nov 14. SHARE is located in the basement of
McLean Baptist Church at 1367 Chain Bridge Road.
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Nov 12
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SAT/ACT accommodations info night, 7 pm
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| Nov 14 |
Future Quest |
| Nov 16 |
Driver's Ed Program, 7 pm
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Nov 18
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Activity Day, M & M Training and Meet the Coach Night for Winter Sports
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Nov 19-21
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Fall play Almost, Maine
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| Nov 25 |
Two-hour early dismissal
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| Nov 26-27 |
Thanksgiving holiday!
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