I hope your holiday season is in full swing! It’s hard to believe that there is just over one week of school left before the winter break. In order to make things easy for you we have created a Langley Year End checklist:

Read this edition of eNews to learn more about these events!

talent show: Saxon Stage is proud to present the inaugural year of Saxon’s Got Talent tomorrow, Dec 9 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium. Watch singers, musicians, comedians, magicians and more. The show is an hour and then the audience votes for their favorite act! View the flyer here. Purchase tickets here or scan the QR code and come support these amazing and talented students!

gravediggers: Saxon Stage’s After Hours is a group of students that write, produce, and direct their own plays. After Hours has two performances this Sat, Dec 10 in the Black Box at 3 pm and 6:30 pm. Tickets are only $5 and available for purchase at the door only (cash or card). Rush to get there as there is limited seating and everyone is going to want to see Tess Jannery-Barney's new play Gravediggers!

cappies reviews: Our Cappies Critic team was at it again this past weekend as they watched Westfield HS’s production of The Play That Goes Wrong by Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields, and Henry Lewis.

Senior Keya Umesh was published yet again! You can see her review coming soon in the Fairfax County Times or on The Cappies website. Once on the website, click Schools and Reviews, Westfield High School, then The Play That Goes Wrong and scroll down for the reviews.

LHS Psychologist Anna Davis Brown will lead a book discussion on That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life by Ana Homayoun. All parents are encouraged to join this book talk highlighting how to help our boys - and girls - get organized and study efficiently, so they can visualize, embrace and meet their own goals. Join us in the Lecture Hall at 12 pm on Fri, Dec 9.

Directory distribution to students has started and continues into next week during lunch periods. Directories can also be picked up in person tomorrow in the Lecture Hall at 12 pm before the Crumpled Paper book talk.

new families: New families, join Director of Student Services Dr. Braden Peterson and LHS counselors on Tues, Dec 13 at 10 am in the Career Center to learn more about course registration for next year. Discussion will include course registration forms, online course descriptions, academic advising resources, graduation requirements and registration timelines. RSVP to LHS Family Liaison Julie Hohl at jbzimmerman@fcps.edu.

curriculum night: Save the Date! Curriculum Night for all parents is Tues, Jan 10, 2023 at 6:30 pm beginning in the Auditorium. Plan on joining us as we return to an in-person Curriculum Night. All materials will be provided via video prior to the event and parents are encouraged to review materials prior to coming that evening. The event is an opportunity to ask our faculty questions about specific core curricular programs so that you and your child can make informed choices about course registration for the 2023-24 school year.

pta scholarships: The Fairfax County Council PTA and the Virginia PTA have several opportunities for student members to win scholarships and prize money this school year:

Student PTA membership is just $5. Click here to join the Langley PTSA today!

pave scholarship: Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE) has launched an essay contest and scholarship program which encourages high school juniors and seniors to contemplate a future with automated vehicles and write about what this could mean for their communities. View the flyer here and visit the PAVE Essay Contest website to learn more about the contest. Submissions are due Jan 31, 2023.

Questions? Email Adam Howell, PAVE's Director of External Affairs at adam.howell@pavecampaign.org.

Support LHS when you holiday shop through AmazonSmile. Simply visit smile.amazon.com, sign into your account, and choose Langley High PTSA as your charitable organization.

You can also still register your VIC card for Harris Teeter’s Together in Education program and earn free money for LHS as you shop during the holidays! We can link your card for you if you click here.

Looking to treat your favorite saxon this holiday season? The LHS Boosters have been busy restocking the spirit wear store with old favorites and fun, new merchandise that make perfect gifts! Visit the online spirit wear store here. Purchase the items featured in the pictures below by clicking “accessories” and “wearable accessories.”

To help landscape and maintain Langley's courtyards, please donate a leaf for Langley's Legacy Tree!

By donating a leaf (copper $50, silver $100, gold $200) or bird or acorn ($500), you're helping to complete the courtyard renovation and "grow" the Legacy Tree – a beautiful wall sculpture across from the Main Office in Langley's Lobby. You choose the engraved message! The Legacy Tree is a permanent, prominent record of courtyard contributors and a lasting legacy for Langley and your family. Leaves also make great tributes to teachers, friends, pets, coaches, and grads!

Thanks to the 600 generous Langley families and local organizations who've already donated a leaf, bird, or acorn.

To order your leaf – or leaves! – visit the PTSA website and look for the article on the Legacy Tree. Email any questions to chrissielavin1@gmail.com.

Langley HS welcomes new guidance counselor Hannah Martenson! Graduating from Northwestern with a degree in psychology and international studies with a focus on European history, Ms. Martenson has a passion for helping her students achieve their goals and turn their dreams into realities.

“I always knew [...] I wanted to help people and understand how people thought and operated. Psychology intrigued me because I knew I could use it to help people, but I also knew it could help me understand people as well,” Ms. Martenson said.

Ms. Martenson’s love for counseling originated from her time spent overseas in South Korea, where she taught English. This experience solidified her passion for working with teenagers and guiding them academically and personally.

“Ultimately South Korea showed me that I liked schools, but I didn’t like teaching,” she said.

Ms. Martenson worked for Bishop O'Connell's advancement office before joining the counseling staff at Langley. She was in charge of fundraising, events planning and the alumni office, alongside graphic design and social media. Outside of school, she ran a club and was a coach.

“I liked connecting with my students one-on-one, hearing about what they were looking into and helping them see ways that they could make paths to it,“ Ms. Martenson said.

Ms. Martenson’s responsibilities vary daily. Her schedule is constantly full, especially during the beginning of the school year with scheduling changes and college application deadlines.

“I support every student in my caseload academically, socially, emotionally and through college career preparedness and readiness,” Ms. Martenson said. “College application time is one of the busiest times. It is a very big undertaking, but we are happy to do it.”

She describes her experience as a learning process and hopes to familiarize herself more with the Langley community.

“Everyone at Langley has been super welcoming. I haven’t been able to meet many of the teachers yet, but I am looking forward to getting to know more teachers, departments and meeting more of my students,” Ms. Martenson said.

Ms. Martenson hopes to continue to positively impact Langley by examining students' goals and helping them create concrete plans for the future.

“I love seeing my students' dreams and then helping them move towards it. I think that is really special,” Ms. Martenson said. “Paths can be made or forged, but I need the dream first. And then I can help you get to that part.”

Mark your calendars! Langley Basketball Youth Nights are coming up in January! Free admission for all youth who wear their youth league basketball jersey. Door Prizes and Giveaways! Concessions! Half Time Fun!

Langley Girls Basketball Youth Night is Jan 3! The game starts at 7:30 pm vs Yorktown HS.

Langley Boys Basketball Youth Night is Jan 17! The game starts at 7:30 pm vs Marshall HS.

… the DEA just released Get Smart About Drugs, a resource for parents, educators and caregivers on drugs of abuse. Click here for the publication, which covers the Controlled Substances Act and introduces drug classes including narcotics, stimulants, marijuana/cannabis, inhalants, steroids, and more. Here is a flyer on what every parent and caregiver should know about fake pills and fentanyl.

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

senior swag: Attention parents! If your student has not picked up their Senior Swag purchase and/or their Senior Spirit T-shirt, have them pick up their item(s) ASAP from Mr. Ben Young in Room 1614. Items not picked up by Dec 16 will be donated!

grad announcements: Jostens has extended their deadline for ordering graduation announcements to Fri, Dec 16. View the flyer here and click here for the website.

Save the date! The Freshman Parent Coffee is on Fri, Jan 13 at 9:30 am in the Langley Lecture Hall. Dr. Braden Peterson will join us to discuss course selection considerations for sophomore year. Info will be sent out by Student Services regarding course selection in mid-December and Langley will host an optional Curriculum Night on Tues, Jan 10 at 6:30 pm for parents to learn about course offerings in tenth grade.

mcc youth ambassadors: The McLean Community Center (MCC) is looking for Dranesville District teens to serve as liaisons between their classmates and the MCC Governing Board. The MCC wants individuals who can make a serious commitment to serve in a special volunteer role as an MCC Ambassador. Ambassadors serve the community, promote MCC programs and coordinate special events. Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to apply by tomorrow, Fri, Dec 9. Read the press release here.

optimist club contests: The Great Falls Optimist Club is encouraging area high school students to enter its Essay and Oratorical Contests. This year’s topic for the Essay Contest is Who is an Everyday Hero that Brings Out the Optimist in You? The local club level Essay Contest will be held on Feb 9, 2023. The topic for the Oratorical Contest is Discovering the Optimism Within Me. The local club level Oratorical Contest will be held on May 11, 2023. Students can find more info on the website or email greatfallsoptimistclub@gmail.com.

girls state: Are you interested in learning firsthand how your state and local governments work? If so, the Girls State Program may be an amazing opportunity for you!

Girls State was founded by the American Legion Auxiliary in 1937 to teach young women responsible citizenship. Since its inception, nearly one million young women nationwide have had the opportunity to learn firsthand how their state and local governments work.

Virginia Girls State will be conducted at Longwood University Jun 18–24, 2023. The cost for registration is $500, although the sponsors will give each Delegate a $100 stipend toward the registration fee.

End of Jan: Completed Application Packets due.

Mid-Feb: In-Person/Zoom interviews to be conducted and Delegate selections made.

Mar 15: Names of selected Delegates submitted.

More details and info are on the Girls State website.

world languages resource review: FCPS will adopt new Secondary (Grades 6-12) World Languages Basal Resources for the 2023-24 school year. Basal resources are the primary instructional resources used to teach a given subject. The process for selecting new resources includes an opp for the public to review the instructional materials being considered. Public review runs through today, Thurs, Dec 8. Click here for more info and to submit comments.

snow days

Who doesn't look forward to a snow day? FCPS’ inclement weather procedures will remain the same as last year. The first five inclement weather days will be traditional “snow days” with no school activities. After those five days, FCPS will have unscheduled virtual learning days, whenever possible, to maintain the continuity of learning. Virtual learning on these days will be synchronous/live instruction, following the inclement weather virtual learning day schedule (includes a two-hour delay). Read more here.

upcoming events

Dec 9: Crumpled Paper Book Talk, 12 pm, Lecture Hall

Dec 10: Saxon Stage After Hours, 3 pm and 6:30 pm, Black Box

Join the LHS PTSA! Click Here.