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langley eNews

February 8, 2024

from the ptsa president

Happy Thursday! Back by popular demand, the Service and Jobs Opportunities Committee is keeping a listing of service and job opportunities on a “one-stop” web page that both parents and students can access. Visit the PTSA website and press the Service and Jobs Opportunities button on our home page or click here to go there directly. Discover a list of events and other info that will help your teen find a job, internship or service opportunity during the summer. Forward any employment, internship or volunteer positions to Committee Chairs Van Nguyen at [email protected] or Jenny Alcorn at [email protected].

This week our Appreciation Committee Chair Sloan Dosser surprised the counselors and other members of the Student Services Team with a wonderful lunch in celebration of National School Counseling Week. We are so grateful for the academic and mental wellness support they provide our students.

A reminder that our next General Membership Meeting and Principal Q&A with Ms. Greer will be held on Wed, Feb 14 at 9 am in the Auditorium. In addition, Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Kelly Rankin will hold a discussion and answer questions on how to discuss and deal with alcohol and substance abuse issues with your child.

Congratulations to the boy's varsity basketball team! The varsity team won 59-42 on Monday and swept McLean High this season, winning the Rotary Cup!

I hope to see you at DIVERSEartLANGLEY and Langley Trivia next week!

~ Joy Hohenthaner, PTSA President

diverseARTlangley

The third annual DIVERSEartLANGLEY art exhibition is this coming Mon, Feb 12 in the Main Hall:

Exhibition Viewing - 6-7:30 pm

Moderated Discussion - 7:30-8:30 pm

This year's driving question: What does freedom mean to you?

Last day to turn in submissions! All students submitting to DIVERSEartLANGLEY need to drop off their work by tomorrow, Fri, Feb 9 from 7:45 am-8:15 am in Langley Hall. All art forms encouraged: photography, painting/drawing, sculpture, written word, music, and dance. Students note: You are welcome to submit your original art also shown in the Langley Pyramid Art Show.

Students who attend the exhibition and are available to discuss their submission with attendees will receive one hour of community service.

Questions? Contact Heather Murphy Capps at [email protected] or Stefanie Stayin at [email protected].

trivia contest

Do you have what it takes to be the ultimate Saxon trivia champion or do you simply want to have fun? Then come out to Langley Trivia – a free, fun competition after school on Wed, Feb 14 from 3-4:30 pm in the Cafeteria. There will be food, music and prizes, including AirPods, Wireless Speakers and gift cards. See the flyer here. Students must register to participate using this link.

Parents, we still need volunteers to set up, check-in and distribute food to students during the event. This is an easy lift! Sign up using this link.

science olympiad kudos

Congratulations to our Science Olympiad team which placed first at the Fairfax Science Olympiad Invitational! Huge thanks to our dedicated coaches Leah Puhlick and Kenny Torres.

The top six in an event were recognized with awards. The following students placed in their events:

1st place awards

Claire Kim and Mansi Bhardwaj in Astronomy

Ray Zhang, Akaash Sachdeva and Rachel Ku in Codebusters

Scarlett Adams, Akaash Sachdeva and Mia Tripathi in Experimental Design

Mansi Bhardwaj and Arnav Ketineni in Forensics

Jolie Wu and Ray Zhang in Fossils

Nik Polyakov and Arnav Ketineni in Scrambler

Lilly Wu and Claire Kim in Tower

Eric Zeng and Jason Wu in Disease Detectives

Shveta Sunkar and Joowon Song in Optics

2nd place awards

Eugene Byun and Arnav Ketineni in Chemistry Lab

Mia Tripathi and Evan Run in Dynamic Planet

Eric Zeng and Leah Wu in Anatomy and Physiology

Eric Zeng and Jason Wu in Disease Detectives

Shveta Sunkar and Katherine Ku in Fermi Questions

Jason Pan and Benjamin Pham in Tower

3nd place awards

Joowon Song and Katherine Ku in Chemistry Lab

4th place awards

Nik Polyakov and Eugene Byun in Detector Building

Akaash Sachdeva and Rachel Ku in Disease Detectives

Ruthie Chian and Rachel Ku in Geologic Mapping

5th place awards

Scarlett Adams and Lilly Wu in Forestry

Chinmayee Lanka and Evan Ru in Microbe Mission

Matthew Kim and Joowon Song in Detector Building

Isha Joshi and Joowon Song in Wind Power

6th place awards

Ruthie Chian, Jolie Wu and Shea Tu in Wind Power

Claire Kim and Mia Tripathi in Write It Do It

Benjamin Pham, Shreejay Kanna and Shae Tu in Experimental Design

Sarah Azad and Leah Wu in Forensics

Click here to see the full results.

saxon stage

saxon's got talent results: The show was a huge success! With almost 200 in attendance, the 2nd annual talent show has nearly doubled! We had many wonderful acts, such as heavy metal, beautifully sung ballads and amazing cultural experiences, and the audience was mesmerized the whole time. Everyone did a wonderful job. In third place was the opening group The Heavy Metal Band! Second place for the second year in a row was the amazing sophomore belter Nadira Maples. And rounding off the top three and winner of the second annual talent show was Reva Dogra with her Bollywood dance! We hope to see you all again next year!

guys & dolls: Saxon Stage has just cast their spring musical Guys & Dolls! Click here to see the full cast list.

The show is performed Apr 12-15. Be on the lookout for the show poster and ticket link coming soon!

winter luncheon

The PTSA Hospitality Committee will host our annual Winter Luncheon for teachers and staff on Fri, Feb 16. We still need a few more volunteers to help next week! First, we are looking for volunteers to help set up tables and decorations on Thurs, Feb 15 and for volunteers to help serve and clean up on the day of the event. Sign up here if you are able to help.

We are also asking for volunteers to bring desserts for the luncheon. Over 200 teachers and staff will attend! If you are able to bring cookies, pastries, brownies, or any other sweet treat on Fri, Feb 16 between 8 am and 10 am, use this link to sign up.

Thank you for your help!

crew tag day

Langley Crew is going door-to-door Feb 10! We will be fundraising in McLean and Great Falls this Sat, Feb 10. Crew is 100% funded by dues and donations, receiving no funds from FCPS. Our athletes embody athletic and scholastic success — at least one Langley boat has been State Champs every year since 2012, and over 70% of the team maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA while practicing 6 days/week for 6 months!

The Crew team will be going door to door, asking you to help keep our winning streak alive! You can also donate through our website. Your donation will go directly to supporting our athletes and keeping our championship team on the water. Even if you aren't interested in donating - wish our athletes good luck this season!

be my valentine!

All Night Grad Party (ANGP) is selling Valentine’s Day Candy bags for $5. Click here to buy yours now! Treat bags will be distributed on Tues, Feb 13 and Wed, Feb 14 in the Cafeteria during lunch.

Thank you for supporting ANGP. This sale is for all classes!

new spirit wear

Keep yourself toasty warm with the new ladies anti-pill fleece vest with zippered pockets in black. Available online at Langley Boosters.

And go to Shop / Spirit Wearable Accessories to check out the new hand warmers and neck gaiters as well as other cold weather gear!

parent conversation

Join LHS Psychologist Anna Brown and Social Worker Jordan Payne for an engaging parent conversation on executive functioning and anxiety. Conversation will focus on strategies to help your students manage their anxiety, emotions, time, study habits and more.

We will be referring to That Crumpled Paper was Due Last Week by Ana Homayoun and The Anxiety Audit by Lynn Lyons. Mark your calendar for Mon, Mar 4 at 11:30 am in the Lecture Hall.

RSVP to LHS Family Liaison Julie Zimmerman Hohl at [email protected] if you are able to attend.

ethics day

The Langley Ethics Day Committee sponsors an all-day PTSA program in which seniors spend the day learning and practicing ethical decision-making. This year’s Ethics Day is Wed, Mar 20. We need adult volunteers to act as table leaders who will guide small group discussions. No experience is needed! If you are a parent of a freshman, sophomore or junior, please consider volunteering. Senior parents, there are other ways for you to help, just not as a table leader. Register here to volunteer.

english sol review

The Virginia Board of Education (VDOE) will hold a series of public hearings on the proposed 2024 English Standards of Learning during the month of February. The 2024 English Standards of Learning identify the essential content, processes, and skills for each grade level and subject courses, and include the foundational skills in grades K-8 to align with the Virginia Literacy Act and ensure evidence-based literacy instruction for Virginia’s youngest learners.

Click here for the list of public meetings - which include both in-person and virtual options - and to register. You may leave comments on the VDOE website until Mar 1.

join the enews team

Want to be (nearly) the first to know what's going on at Langley High School? Looking for a way to contribute that's flexible, fun and (not usually) fast-paced?

Consider joining the eNews team! We are four happy editors who enjoy putting together this e-newsletter each week, and we’re looking to welcome two more helpers for next year when our senior parents graduate in June. To learn more, contact Helen Miller at [email protected].

sports notes

Athlete Registration begins soon! First day of tryouts is Mon, Feb 19. See This Week in Athletics or visit the Langley Athletics website for more information about registration and tryout dates for each sport.

Reminders:

Registration must be done each year. If you registered for the 2022-2023 school year, you need to re-register for the 2023-2024 school year. Register your child here.
To participate in Langley sports, students must complete a physical after May 1, 2023. The physical must be done on the official VHSL form that can be found here. Send completed VHSL forms to [email protected].

saxons, did you know...

… the use of oral nicotine pouches are on the rise. Products like Zyn, Velo and On! contain nicotine powder instead of tobacco leaf. Nicotine powder differs from tobacco leaf in that the user does not need to spit. Some of these products come in youth-friendly flavors. Oral nicotine pouches are not approved by the FDA for any use, including as a tool for quitting nicotine. Nicotine pouches can contain high concentrations of nicotine, which can put the user at risk of nicotine addiction. In addition, nicotine use during adolescence can disrupt the formation of brain circuits that control attention, learning, and susceptibility to addiction. Here is more information from truth initiative.

class notes

Read below for class news. Click the green class buttons to go to each class's webpage.

The Class of 2024 All Night Grad Party (ANGP) chair is in search of team members! Volunteer for a committee position now, to help ensure a safe, fun event for our graduates to enjoy after commencement on Jun 3. Click here to volunteer for a committee position and keep an eye out for an email from ANGP chair Kristi Grgeta regarding next steps. Have questions? Email Kristi at [email protected].

Be a part of the Class of 2024's 'farewell tribute' to LHS!

Deadline for submission of photos for the Class of 2024 Slideshow is May 1! Submit your photos to [email protected] or [email protected] as soon as possible!

Some tips and guidelines:

● submit in JPG/JPEG format

● no large groups please! small groups are best (2-4 people)

● lhs seniors only - no outside friends/siblings/family members

● casual photos are best - portraits are great but we are looking for fun!

● recent pictures please - no baby pics

The slide show will be aired during senior week activities.

Sophomore parents and students, join us for the Sophomore College Case Studies Night and Sophomore Class Dinner on Wed, Feb 28. Dinner will be in the Cafeteria starting at 5:30 pm, catered by Cafe Rio. Tickets are $25 per person. The class dinner will raise funds to support Class of 2026 activities, but is optional and not required for attendance at the LHS Student Services presentation. Click here to purchase tickets on MySchoolBucks.com.

Following dinner, Case Studies Night will begin at 7 pm. Sophomores and their parents/guardians are invited to work in small groups alongside college admissions representatives as part of a mock admissions team. Groups will review and analyze college applications. College admissions reps will lead discussion groups to help participants better understand the myths and realities of college admissions. You will gain a better understanding of the college admission process to plan for the rest of your high school experience.

Parents/guardians and students are all invited to attend. Only one registration per family is necessary. Click here to register. Registration will close on Mon, Feb 26.

Save the date! Our final Sophomore Class Parent Coffee will be on Mon, Apr 22, 9 am in the LHS Lecture Hall. Topics to be covered include SAT/ACT testing info and getting ready for junior year.

student opps

pave scholarship: Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE) co-sponsors a STEM scholarship opportunity available only to students in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.

The 2nd Annual PAVE Essay Contest and Scholarship Program encourages high school students to imagine the future with automated vehicles and write a well-crafted essay about what that could mean for their communities. Submissions are due Mar 15 and winners will be notified in late spring 2024. The top three awardees will win $2500, $1500, and $1000, respectively. Click here for the flier and more info.

Contest sponsors are PAVE, which is a 501c3 education nonprofit, as well as STEER Tech, an autonomous vehicle technology company, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the District Department of Transportation.

Questions? Reach out to PAVE Membership Manager Marsha Camp at [email protected].

mcc call for youth candidates: Want to be a leader? Want to earn valuable community service and outreach experience? Run for a seat on the McLean Community Center governing board! MCC is looking for high school students who wish to serve the community by playing a leading role in helping to carry out MCC's goals.

The board includes two youth seats, one each from Langley HS and McLean HS, and youth members serve a one-year term. Candidate Petition Packets are now available for pickup at MCC. Completed petition packets are due to MCC by Mon, Mar 11 at 5 pm. Requirements and info are on the MCC website.