langley eNews 
11/19 /2015 

sophomores
Join fellow parents and administrators to discuss the latest sophomore class news at our next Class Coffee on Dec 9 at 9 am. The coffee will be at the Joostema home at 10509 Wynfield Woods Dr in Great Falls. Coffee and breakfast items will be served. If you can bring something, please sign up here.

we goofed 
Last week, we incorrectly identified Clare DaBaldo, Menaal Saeed, and Jonathan Canfield as new National Honor Society inductees. In fact, the students are the newly elected NHS officers. We regret the error.
holiday!
eNews will take a holiday next week, but look for a new edition on Thurs, Dec 3. Happy Thanksgiving!
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quick links
  Langley PTSA
Communications Committee
 
Lezlie McBride 
Jane Riddle
  Anne Whipple
 
enewslangley@gmail.com
editor's note: Send submissions and photos by deadline. To keep  eNews concise, submissions will be edited for style and length, and links added to the appropriate webpage.
 
Submit items by Tuesdays noon for publication on Thursdays to
<enewslangley@gmail.com> 
 
The PTSA eNews is published by volunteers who try to present only news that pertains to FCPS, LHS & PTSA. Any opinions expressed therein are those of the submitter & not necessarily those of FCPS, LHS or PTSA.
letter from the ptsa president 
The more I understand about the serious funding predicament FCPS is in, the more unfair it seems. Did you know that FCPS receives 23% of its funding from the state of Virginia? That doesn't sound too bad -- until you discover that most other Virginia school districts receive 45% of their funding from the state. Hmmm.
 
The state of Virginia, Fairfax County and FCPS are at a crossroads. Are we going to commit to supporting our schools, or are we going to pay lip service to the cause of education, but do nothing about it? The Commonwealth Institute (an independent group focused on economic issues facing lower-income residents) released a report criticizing Virginia, specifically because the state cut funding to all school districts six years ago by adjusting the formula it uses to calculate how much each district should receive. This has not gone unnoticed by Langley parents who attend meetings at the McLean and Great Falls Citizens Associations, Fairfax County Council of PTAs, and candidate debates in order to convey support for our teachers and our schools.  
 
Home values in many areas of Fairfax County are tied directly to the reputation of local schools, so even individuals without children in the system should support the schools. But state-level candidates and politicians report that they hear more about about other issues than about schools -- at many meetings, proponents for libraries and parks outnumber school supporters. Maybe that's because people with kids are busy: we drive them to and from school, to the doctor, to sports practice; we're making dinner, doing laundry, reading to our children; we work.
 
I think it's a safe assumption that we all want to pay our teachers enough to stay in Fairfax County, and not have to move to Loudoun, Arlington or Montgomery County. This is not just anecdotal; we've lost good teachers from our own school. So if we support adequate funding, how do we make our voices heard? We are all busy, but if we could take just a few minutes to let the folks at the top hear that it's unacceptable for Fairfax County to receive only 23% of its school funding from the state of Virginia, while the rest of the state receives 45%, then just maybe these numbers won't be so lopsided in the future.
 
You can contact your elected representatives and other administrators with these web links:

Dr. Steven R. Staples, VA Supt of Public Instruction 

VA Secretary of Education Anne Holton

Click here to see Budget Task Force recommendations for 2016-17. 
 
Of course, for more information, you can always contact our principal Fred Amico, budget task force chair Matt Haley, or me. If we don't have the answers, we'll help you find them. 

~ Terri Markwart, PTSA President 
drumroll, please . . .  
Judy Ventimiglia is the 2016 Langley Teacher of the Year! The Langley PTSA is proud to announce that Ms. Ventimiglia received over 220 nominations by students and teachers, and was distinguished not only as an outstanding teacher, but as a mentor to other teachers as well. Even with 30 years experience, Ms. Ventimiglia still looks for new ways to develop her craft and collaborate with other teachers. Because of the expectations she has for her students, and the trust that she builds with them, she's the kind of teacher that makes students want to be better and do better.
 
As Langley Teacher of the Year, Ms. Ventimiglia will be our nominee for the FCPS Outstanding Teacher award and will be recognized at the FCPS Awards gala in the spring. Congratulations to Judy Ventimiglia!
journalists on the road 
Langley journalism students traveled to Orlando for the Journalism Education Association and National Scholastic Press Association Conference last weekend. Students heard from keynote speakers Andy Staples with Sports Illustrated and Eric Deggans of NPR. They learned about new desktop publishing techniques, and they participated in writing contests and journalistic ethics discussions.
staff spotlight 
Starting a new job at a new place is never easy, but Alex Mantel is approaching his position as a guidance counselor at Langley with a high level of excitement and enthusiasm. Mr. Mantel grew up in Manhattan, but attended college at UVA. After he got an English degree, he moved to the DC area with some college friends.

Initially, he was a commercial real estate analyst, but he felt like something was missing. "My work lacked a human connection as well as the fulfillment. I was going home at the end of the day and didn't feel like I helped anybody or was a part of a greater community." He looked into becoming a counselor.

He got his first job at Churchill Road ES, which feeds into Langley HS. "That was a great experience for me. I made a lot of great friends and met a lot of great students." Mr. Mantel loved Churchill, but after five years there, he achieved his original goal of becoming a high school counselor. 
 
Now that he's here, Mr. Mantel feels at home. "All the other staff have been really supportive and seeing old students has been great. It has been a very welcoming community so far, and you can't ask for more (than that)." Mr. Mantel still has a lot of students he wants to meet, and he invites all of his students to stop by and say "hello" when they have a chance.   ~ Matthew Feinstein, Saxon Scope reporter    
opening night for saxon stage 
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 tonight for opening night! The play will also run Fri-Sat at 7 pm, and Sat at 2:30 pm. You'll 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.
musical time travel 
The Langley Choral Department presents  the annual Renaissance Feaste Dec 4-5 at 7 pm at the Capital Church in Vienna. Journey back to Merrie Olde England for a festive evening of Renaissance-style dining and holiday musical entertainment, featuring jesters, minstrels, musicians, and the Langley Madrigals. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for students and must be reserved and paid for before the event. Seating is limited (especially Dec 4), so reserve now! Click here for the invitation and order form.
fine arts fundraisers
someone else cooks . . . you relax: Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Save time and order a HoneyBaked ham, turkey, sides or desserts and 15% of the proceeds will be donated to Langley Orchestra! To order, click HoneyBaked Ham and use Employer Code J46UPB. All orders must be received by Sun, Nov 22. Orders will be individually packaged and delivered to Langley. They can be picked up at the orchestra room (by Hertzler Hall) on Tues, Nov 24 from 2:30-5:30 pm.
 
theater fundraising party: Come support a great cause as you put a dent in holiday shopping and stock up on unique hostess gifts before party season. Eat, hang out, and shop Wed, Dec 2 from 3-7 pm at 6611 Jill Court in Langley Oaks. Great raffle prizes and incredible vendors like Stella & Dot and Jamberry will be available. All vendors are contributing 20% of sales to Langley Theater and Saxon Stage. Contact Jenny Anthony at jennifer.anthony12345@gmail.com with questions.
senior ad and yearbook deadlines 
The senior ad deadline is fast approaching! To include a senior ad in the 2016 yearbook, you must submit all required material to the main office by Wed, Nov 25. Parents wishing to purchase an ad should click here for information. For required ad order form, click here.

Yearbooks are currently on SALE for the special discount price of $75.75. After Dec 2, the price will increase to $85.85. Click here to visit the Yearbook Order Center and enter Langley's order code 4159 to buy a yearbook today.
giving back with service  
The upcoming holidays are a perfect time to give back to the community. Here are a few opportunities to enhance the holiday spirit: 
  • Red Kettle Bell Ringer, various locations. Contact Major Kim Feinauer.
  • Thanksgiving Dinner, Lewinsville Presbyterian Church, Nov 26, 12-2 pm. To volunteer, click here.
  • Angel Tree volunteers needed at the Angel Tree Warehouse. Contact Mavelyn Alonzo.
  • 25th annual tree lighting, Sat, Dec 6. For more information, visit Celebrate Great Falls.
  • Wreaths Across America, Arlington Cemetery, Sat, Dec 12. Click here for more information.
For more details about the above events, and additional opportunities, please visit the LHS Service Learning webpage here.
sports
volleyball: The Saxon volleyball team is going to the State Finals! At the Regional Tournament, they secured a spot in States with big wins over South County and two number-one conference seeds, Oakton and Battlefield. The team's efforts reached its pinnacle with a big win over Madison in the Regional Championship Saturday to become the North 6A Regional Champions. And Tues, Nov 17 they triumphed in the State Tournament semifinals over First Colonial from Virginia Beach (last year's champions)! The State Final Championship will be played at the Siegel Center in Richmond at 7 pm on Fri, Nov 20, where the Saxons will face Madison again. Go Saxons!

Special recognition to these players: 
 
All 6A North Region players: 1st Team: Jessica Donaldson, Elena Shkylar. Hon Mention: Sarah Maebius. All-Tournament Team: Katie Sissler, Allison Franke. MVP Tournament Team: Jessica Donaldson
 
All Liberty Conference players: 1st Team: Jessica Donaldson, Elena Shkylar, Sarah Maebius (Libero of the year). 2nd Team: Kristin Sanford. Hon Mention: Allison Franke, Raya Mufti. All-Tournament Team: Katie Sissler, Jackson Friedman  
 
girls' golf: Seven members of the girls' golf team qualified for the regional qualifier: Mallory Langpaul, Kaitlin Bonacci, Kendall Deese, Meso Kim, Cathy Park, Maria McQuade, and Anna Sampson. And Anna Sampson and Cathy Park qualified for States.  Congratulations!

booster volunteer extraordinaire: Many thanks to Gabriele Aulisi for the countless hours she spends running all the concession stands! She fires up the grill, coordinates many food deliveries and pickups, trains volunteers, and adjusts to renovation inconveniences, always smiling and never complaining. Every season has its challenges, but in the spring, she has three concession areas to orchestrate with her binder full of spreadsheets. Please stop by concessions and thank Gabriele in person for her amazing dedication to Langley.
learn more in less time 
Langley Crew is sponsoring a study skills workshop Sat, Dec 5 designed to help students augment their study skills and strategies, and maximize their study time. The seminar is open to all Langley students and parents. There is no cost to participants, but you will need to register in advance to reserve your space. View the full brochure and register today!
ยก vamonos!
FCPS high schoolers can go to Peru! FCPS is working with EF tours to lead a Global Volunteers trip to Peru this summer from July 2-11. Students will tour Cuzco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, visit Machu Picchu, and spend several days engaged in a service project in a local village. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity promises to be both educational and lots of fun. Additionally, participating students will earn up to 30 FCPS-approved community service hours. These hours count towards graduation honors such as the Service Learning Cord and Civics Diploma Seal. If you are interested in the trip or have any questions, please contact Allison Gaynor, Woodson biology teacher, at agaynor@fcps.edu.
parent education and support
Dec 2: What can parents do -- both for themselves and to support their children -- when their children face mental health challenges? Come to this discussion with Dr. Heather Tedesco, an applied psychologist who focuses on supporting parents of children with anxiety, depression, and other challenges. McLean HS, room 196, 7:45 pm. For more information on Dr. Tedesco, click here.  
 
Jan 13: Jennifer Weaver will present an overview of mindfulness techniques. Jennifer is listed as one of Washingtonian magazine's top therapists for children and is a contributor to the NPR radio program Invisibilia. McLean HS, room 196, 7:45 pm. For more information, click here  
fcps parent resource center 
Mark your calendar for upcoming workshops and events. Click each link for details, to download flyers, and to register. A complete list of upcoming events, workshops, and activities is available here.

Nov 18      Alternate and Alternative Assessments
Dec 12      All About IEPs -- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
 
hope
Langley-McLean Relay for Life hosted a Lighting Ceremony last Saturday at Glen Echo Park. Raising money to assist current cancer patients, participants had previously purchased light bulbs representing someone in their life touched by cancer. As each person's name was read, a light bulb was screwed in, ultimately revealing the message "HOPE."  Music was provided by the bands Out of Line and Code Fracture, and by the McLean High School Jazz Combo. Relay for Life Langley-McLean would like to thank the following local businesses who provided food, drinks, and support for the event:  Ichiban Sushi, Enrico's Cleaners & Tailors, Shishkabob Grille, Jimmy Johns, Subway, Clare and Dons Beach Shack, and Chick-Fil-A. Relay for Life is May 18; you can sign up now.
calendar
Dec 1
Orchestra concert
Dec 2
Principal's coffee/PTSA meeting
Dec 4-5
Renaissance Feaste
Dec 8
Freshman parent coffee
Dec 9
Sophomore class coffee
Dec 10
Junior class coffee
Dec 16
Band concert
Dec 17
Choral concert
Dec 18
Two-hour early dismissal
Dec 21-Jan 1
Winter break