|
|
|
|
seniors
The $80 ANGP ticket price has been extended until Mar 18. Take advantage of this price by sending in your signed ticket order form and payment! Beginning Mar 19 the price will increase. Forms and additional ANGP information can be found on the Class of 2016
website
. Buy your student's ticket NOW to help us plan a fabulous graduation night event!
pyramid art show
McLean Project for the Arts will display student artwork from Langley, Cooper, GreatFalls, Forestville, Colvin Run and Churchill at the McLean Community Center, Mar 10-26. The opening reception is Thurs, Mar 10 from 5-7 pm.
|
|
quick links
|
|
Activities
703.287.2750
Attendance Line
703.287.2727
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Like most of you, I exercised my Constitutional responsibility by voting in the Virginia Primary last Tuesday. Since before my kids could walk, they have accompanied me to Langley for every election so they could "vote" and get an
"I VOTED" sticker. I was excited about this particular election because my son was able to cast his first ballot.
My excitement turned to disappointment when I found out
Virginia House Bill 516 passed the State Senate that day, and the House two days later. I'd heard about this bill from my sophomore, who was following it with her journalism class. I hadn't paid much attention, because I didn't believe it would ever pass. It seemed so 1960s . . . maybe '70s?
HB 516 makes Virginia the first state in the nation to require schools to notify parents of instructional material with "sexually explicit content" and provide an alternative book. About half of Virginia school districts already do this, including Fairfax. This legislation concerns me. It is about the
continued erosion of local control over education and establishing a treacherous precedent. What's next? Require opting out for books which have language that might offend?
Think this couldn't happen here in Northern Virginia? In 1982,
The Adventures of Huck Finn was banned in Fairfax County. Want to guess which school banned it?
Mark Twain Middle School. Fortunately, the Superintendent overturned the ban and said, ''In this case, as in all others, it is the responsibility of the teacher to assist students in understanding the historical setting of the novel, the characters being depicted, and the social context, including the prejudice which existed at the time depicted in the book.'' She said
''balanced judgment'' must be used by teachers who decide to include the book in a high school program. If a teacher assigns one book to some students, and another book to other students, how do they have an open, honest and frank discussion about the difficult topic at hand?
Last fall, I took my kids to see
Straight Outta Compton. We had amazing discussions as a result. It was a difficult movie at points, but how can we understand a culture, a time or a place without reading about it or seeing it? Do we want our children's opinions and beliefs based on sanitized versions of reality? It's a big world out there. As they move towards adulthood, our students need to
question ideas, debate tough issues and face realities different from their own
.
Our local elected officials did vote against SB 516. Gov McAuliffe has not announced his intentions, but, encouraged by our journalism students, many Langley kids have been
tweeting their opposition and beseeching the Governor to
veto. Democracy at work!
Below is a list of some of the books that have been
banned or challenged, drawn from the
Library of Congress exhibit
"Books that Shaped America." The exhibit was intended to spark a national conversation about books written by Americans who have influenced our lives. Click
here to see a list of all the books in the exhibit.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
Mark Twain, 1884
Beloved, Toni Morrison, 1987
The Call of the Wild, Jack London, 1903
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison, 1952
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair, 1906
Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman, 1855
Moby-Dick; or The Whale, Herman Melville, 1851
The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane, 1895
A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams, 1947
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, 1960
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak, 1963
~ Terri Markwart, PTSA President
|
|
|
April is Autism Awareness Month. The Langley community will be celebrating Autism Awareness in conjunction with Autism Speaks on Apr 8. We are selling shirts to the students, faculty and community to be worn to school that day. Shirts are adult unisex sizes small, medium and large. They are on sale for $12 during all lunches. For more info about shirts, contact Mary Landis
mflandis@fcps.edu
. For more info about Autism Speaks, click
here
.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Mar 6-12 is School Social Work Week. In FCPS, school social workers are assigned to every public school and special education center, alternative learning schools, the preschool program and Preschool Diagnostic Centers. The department helps staff the Homeless Liaison's Office which supports homeless families and unaccompanied youth.
Most social workers cover two or three schools.
More and more students face issues of poverty, physical and mental illness, family conflict, acculturation, social and life skills deficits and other stressors that impact their learning. School social workers are
trained mental health professionals who provide services to help counteract these stressors. They also provide
crisis intervention, link students and families with school and
community resources, and work with school personnel to
help students achieve their educational potential.
Langley's social worker at is
Donna Barnsley. She can be reached at
703-287-2874.
Happy School Social Work Week, Donna!
|
|
|
Like other children of servicemen, Valerie Karasek never remained in the same place for long. Although she changed hometowns frequently, her adoration of the performing arts remained constant. Ever since she was four years old, Ms. Karasek said,
"It was my passion, whether it was singing, plays. It was in my blood."
She became a
professional actor. To her, it was an incredible creative outlet. "It's an opportunity to do what I love, become other characters who each have their own different challenge." Through her acting career, a public and lively channel for personal and imaginative expression emerged.
The only thing she seems to enjoy more than acting is working with students. "I love sharing my passion with students and seeing them blossom and grow in their own right as actors and artists. It's fun to . . . see how they . . . learn to take risks, find confidence, and collaborate creatively." Ms. Karasek has come to expect much from her students, and they always deliver. "(They're t
he) most incredible kids to work with, just so passionate. I set a high bar for them, and they go way beyond it."
Always a cheerful optimist,
when
asked if she was concerned that theater had certain storytelling limitations because the art
form does not usually incorporate digital elements, Ms. Karasek said, "No. In fact, it challenges the creative spirit."
~ Tarik Abdallah, Saxon Scope reporter
|
|
|
basketball: The team
won their semifinal
in Richmond on Tuesday, beating Oakton 47-38.
Congratulations!
swim & dive:
The awards banquet and senior recognition night was Mar 8. Coach Ryan Jackson, who is retiring as coach of the swim and dive team, was also honored at the banquet.
Coach Jackson and team captains
Phoebe Steiner, Riley Pfadenhauer, Nick Omsberg,
Micaela Grassi
|
Coach Jackson and the team
|
|
donate laptops, help homeless youth
|
You can help homeless youth in Fairfax County by donating working laptops or tablets through
Mar 11. The Dranesville drop off location is 1437 Balls Hills Rd, McLean.
There is no disposal fee.
|
youth candidates for governing board
|
The
McLean Community Center (MCC) is seeking two youth candidates to run for the 2016-17 Governing Board. The board provides
oversight and guidance for MCC programs and facilities, which include the
Alden Theatre
and the
Old Firehouse Teen Center
.
Youth members will serve
one-year terms. Candidates must be
15-17 years of age as of McLean Day. One y
outh member will be elected from the McLean HS boundary area and one from the Langley HS boundary
area. Youth candidates are not required to attend either school, but they must reside in the boundary areas served by one of the schools as defined by FCPS. Petition packets are available now and are due
Mar 25.
Click
here
for more information.
|
|
|
Mar 10-26
|
Langley Pyramid Art Show, MCC
|
| Mar 21-25 |
Spring break!
|
| Mar 28 |
Student holiday, school planning day |
Apr 8
|
Senior class coffee
|
| Apr 13 |
Principal's coffee/PTSA mtg
|
| Apr 14-16, 22-23 |
Spring play - Chicago |
For additional details about these events, visit the Langley calendar.
|
|
|
