The end of the first academic quarter is a fitting time to remind our students about all the learning opportunities offered at Langley. Students needing additional guidance should always reach out to their teachers for time outside the classroom. All teachers are available on Mondays and Wednesdays after school and during Langley Links. Late buses run on Wednesdays and depart at approximately 4:45 pm. Most teachers are available on other days and times, so encourage students to check with their teacher for the best time to meet.

In addition, Langley has a terrific team of talented students who volunteer their time. The Saxon Writing Center provides advice, instruction, and feedback on writing projects on Wednesdays from 3–4:30 pm and during Langley Links A/B days. Most academic departments offer peer tutoring through their Honor Societies. Encourage your student to either offer their time to assist others or seek the assistance of their peers through these offerings. Here is how to sign up:

Science: Submit your request along with your name, email, and specific science class to Ms. Beatty (room 2626).

English, Math, History, French, German, Spanish: Request a peer tutor from your teacher.

Japanese: Request a peer tutor from Sensei Scronce.

Russian: Request a tutor from Kapitan.

Latin: Request a peer tutor from Dr. Tannenbaum.

Another option is to encourage your student to connect with an online tutor through the free service, Tutor.com, provided by Fairfax County Public Schools. Student participation is on-demand through voice or text chat and is available 24 hours/7 days a week. Although not employees of FCPS, all tutors are subject matter experts. Click here to learn more.

When additional help is desired, encourage your student to take advantage of Langley's incredible – and free! – academic support options.

senior regional orchestra: A huge congratulations to the many Langley Band and Orchestra students who auditioned for Senior Regional Orchestra (SRO)!

Langley Bands had five students selected for this competitive event: Jacqui Go, flute; Ryan Healy, percussion; Zelmay Jan, tuba; Jayden Lee, flute; and Henry Lin, trumpet. The SRO event takes place at Wakefield HS on Nov 10-12, with the concert open to the public on Sat, Nov 12.

The Langley Orchestra also had five students selected for SRO: Audrey Goodner, violin and concertmaster; Jasmine Alcorn, violin; Connor Chun, violin; Finn Fitzpatrick, viola; and Edward Park, cello. The SRO Orchestra event will be this fall as well.

SRO auditions include the finest young musicians from Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria counties, and those selected are eligible to audition for the All-Virginia Band and Orchestra next year. Congrats!

marching saxons state assessment: For the fourth straight time, the Langley Marching Saxons earned a superior rating from all the judges (the highest rating available) at the VBODA Marching State Band Assessment last Saturday! The students worked hard, grew in quality and consistency as the season went on and the momentum kept building. Forty-five new marchers rose to the challenge. Congrats to all marchers!

Our amazing bands perform their Fall Concert tonight in the Langley Auditorium, 7 pm, the Marching Saxons play at the Great Falls Spooktacular on Mon, Oct 31 at 5 pm, and on Nov 4 the pep band plays at the Langley-McLean football game at McLean HS.

saxons for others: Saxon families, tomorrow, Oct 28, Saxons for Others is partnering with Chick-fil-A in Reston to raise funds for the Mriya School in Lviv, Ukraine, which is helping children displaced by the war. Order between 7 am and 9 pm and mention Saxon for Others or Spirit Event, and Saxons for Others receives 25%. Order for lunch or swing by for dinner on your way to the Langley vs. Herndon football game at Herndon HS!

Saxons for Others is a non-profit run by Langley students. See the event flyer here and read more about the Mriya School in this article from The New York Times.

candy donations: The Nice Cream Club is collecting unopened candy donations for the Ronald McDonald House through Nov 4, in room 1216 (Srta. Stocks' room). View the flyer here.

wreaths across america: Please join the Class of 2023 ANGP and Wreaths Across America to honor a veteran or first responder during the holidays. For $15, you can sponsor a wreath to be placed at Arlington National Cemetery or one of three other locations supported by Langley during National Wreaths Across America Day on Dec 17.

Every wreath purchased through the LHS ANGP sponsorship site raises money and honors veterans. Click here to order online by Nov 29. Wreaths are placed at Arlington National Cemetery or other cemetery of your choice on Dec 17, National Wreaths Across America Day!

Directory updates continue to come in! Thanks to the 350-plus families that have taken the time to verify their info. To create/update your family account, visit our PTSA LHS Directory page for instructions by scanning the QR code or visiting our website!

Note: Create your directory account with the same email address you used to register your student for LHS communications. If you are unsure which email you used, please reach out to LangleyDirectory@gmail.com with questions and for confirmation.

The Langley Directory is sponsored by local businesses. To help sponsor the directory and get your name out to almost 2,000 local families,* contact AtoZ Connect to reserve your spot by contacting Michele Delgadillo at 301-523-0574 or at michele@atozconnect.com.

Attention 10th and 11th graders, the Virginia Governor’s School is opening the application process for its four-week summer 2023 programs. These selective programs are aimed at those looking for a challenging and rewarding summer experience in visual/performing arts, humanities, agriculture, engineering, math/science/tech or health/medicine.

The selection process is competitive, as most attendees are above the 90th percentile in their class rank and their scores on standardized tests.

Interested in applying? You must complete a short interest form no later than Nov 11. Late interest forms are not accepted and applications cannot move forward without an interest form.

Click here for the interest form for academic programs. Click here for the interest form for visual and performing arts programs. Click here for more info about the Governor’s School programs and application timelines.

There is an interest meeting for students on Thurs, Nov 3 during Langley Links in the Lecture Hall. Attendance at the meeting is optional but strongly encouraged.

Eighth-grade students and their families are invited to attend Langley’s Open House on Sun, Nov 6 from 2-4 pm beginning in the Auditorium. Families will listen to a general info session, tour the building with student ambassadors and chat with experienced parents. Interested families should RSVP to Assistant Principal Jim Robertson using this link by Nov 1.

Attendees should park in the main lot and enter through door 14.

Did you know the PTSA supports a weekly staff raffle? The PTSA faculty representative, Tricia Poythress, coordinates raffle donations from Langley families of items such as Capitals tickets, concert tickets and gift cards. The excitement builds for our teachers and staff each time we hold a raffle and it is a fun way to let them know how much we appreciate their work on behalf of our students. Ms. Hamilton, Ms. Crocker, Ms. Millman and Mr. Cukierman have all been winners this year!

The PTSA is looking for raffle donations. This is the perfect opportunity to find a home for some wonderful items or tickets you can’t use, or perhaps you can pick up a gift card the next time you’re shopping. Contact Melissa Schwartz at ptsalangleymembership@gmail.com with any donations (receipt can be provided on request) or bring your gift cards to our November PTSA general membership meeting on Nov 16.

Langley HS is excited to begin using TalkingPoints! TalkingPoints is an easy and safe way for families to communicate in their home language with their child’s teachers for free. All FCPS schools will be using this platform to communicate with parents about your child’s education and progress. See here for more info about how parents can use TalkingPoints.

Last Thursday, over 300 Langley students participated in the second Saxon Service event of the year. Students spent their time in Langley Links working on a wide range of activities that contribute in a tangible and meaningful way to different causes in our community, such as, ironing pillowcases for Case for Smiles, folding origami cranes for patients with cancer, making blankets for area shelters, and making cards for hospitalized children and active military.

A special thank you to Sgt. Anderson, of the United States Marine Corp, who visited with our students and shared his experiences as a soldier serving in Honduras. He also thanked students for writing notes to active-duty military and shared how grateful he was to receive such notes and described what a morale lifter it is for troops on the field. A huge thank you to the parent volunteers who helped with Saxon Service as well!

Students, don't forget to log into x2vol to have your service hour verified for credit. Questions? See Julie Zimmerman Hohl in the College & Career Center or email her at jbzimmerman@fcps.edu.

Sgt. Anderson and students during Saxon Service.

If you missed the MCA-sponsored Q&A with FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid last week, the video is available here (select the link for Education & Youth Meeting Oct 19, 2022). Other guest speakers included Dr. Amielia Mitchell, Executive Principal, Region 2, Douglas Tyson, Assistant Superintendent, Region 1, and Elaine Tholen, FCPS Dranesville School Board Member.

The session was attended by elementary to high school students. The discussion was rich and delved into interesting topic areas including: Snow days (remote learning during snow days), recess duration discussion, grading policy, solar panels (move toward renewable power), waste management, electric buses, assigned vs open seating in class, trailers, vocational training and new teacher training. The MCA Education and Youth Committee intends to make this an ongoing annual event in the fall.

Geoff Noto has what must be the widest-ranging job at Langley. As Director of Student Activities, Mr. Noto oversees athletics, PE classes, clubs, custodians, the cafeteria, the health clinic and community use of Langley facilities.

Many students might know him best regarding athletics, as he loves watching Saxons compete, no matter what the sport. Langley is a beautiful building with awesome facilities, but he says what really makes it such a special place is the students, families and community members who support Langley programs 100%.

“We are so excited to be back and operating at full capacity with no Covid restrictions,” said Mr. Noto. “This is the first time since the fall of 2019 where we haven’t had some restrictions. Overall, our athletic and extracurricular programs are thriving. We have had more kids than ever come out for fall sports and we are expecting the same thing this winter and spring. Also, we now have almost 100 clubs for students to join.”

Mr. Noto grew up in this area attending FCPS schools, majored in political science and minored in secondary education at JMU and received his MA in educational leadership at GMU. He started in FCPS in 1999 and came to Langley in 2011 with plenty of experience in both student activities and teaching. At Lake Braddock SS, Robinson SS and Woodson HS, he was Assistant Director of Student Activities, taught World 1 Honors History, AP Government and Student Leadership, sponsored clubs and coached soccer.

Mr. Noto loves working at LHS and noted that the Langley community is very supportive. When asked about a favorite memory, one that jumps out was his first Langley HS versus McLean HS basketball game. “I had heard stories about how intense and energetic the gym could get, but WOW! What a great atmosphere for our students and community!” he recalled. “There have been so many amazing kids and events at Langley.”

Outside of Langley, Mr. Noto and his family (he and his wife have a daughter, Scarlett, who is 9 and a son, Jack, who is 7) especially enjoy going to the beach and traveling.

When asked what advice he has for Langley students, Mr. Noto said, “Get involved outside of your academic classes and try something new! We have so many amazing clubs and even the opportunity to workout with classmates and coaches … your four years will go by fast. Make the most of it!”

crew: Join the Langley Crew team on Tues, Nov 1 at 7 pm in the Langley Auditorium for a team interest meeting.

ice hockey: Varsity Ice Hockey season opener is this Fri, Oct 28 at 9:40 pm vs. Oakton at SkateQuest, our home rink. Come out to support the team as they defend their 2022 State Championship. Both the Varsity and JV season schedules can be found at www.langleyicehockey.com.

Winter 2022 sports tryouts begin on Nov 7. If your child is interested in participating in winter sports, the following must be completed prior to trying out for a team:

… What would you do if you found a pill in your home, car or child’s backpack? Did you know Drugs.com has a pill identifier. Identify the pill before the conversation.

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

parent volunteers: We still need help to hand out Class Spirit T-Shirts, Senior Swag and Halloween Treat Bags tomorrow, Oct 28 in the Cafeteria during lunch from 11 am-1:30 pm! Use this link to sign up.

class spirit t-shirts and senior swag: Tomorrow, Oct 28, is the last day for distribution of Class Spirit T-shirts and Senior Swag. Have your child look for their class table for pick up in the back of the LHS Cafeteria during school lunch.

last call for senior portraits: Legacy Studios will return to LHS one last time. Senior portraits will be taken from 3-8:30 pm on Thurs, Nov 10 and Fri, Nov 11 in the Lecture Hall. Note: Nov 11 is Veterans Day and a student holiday but Door 9 will be open.

Students can register for an appointment here. Seniors who miss this final opportunity will be listed as “not pictured” in the yearbook.

Join us for the Class of 2025 Parent Forum on Fri, Nov 4 from 9:30-10:30 am in the Lecture Hall to learn about the executive functioning and mental health resources available at Langley, presented by the Director of Student Services Dr. Braden Peterson. College and Career Specialist Karen Burke will also share how your student can use Naviance to explore interests and career paths. Light refreshments will be served.

Freshmen, don’t forget your Spirit T-Shirt this week! Class Spirit T-shirts were included with the payment of class fees and tomorrow, Oct 28, is the last day of distribution. Have your child look for the freshman class table in the Cafeteria to pick up during school lunch.

The Safe Community Coalition (SCC) is excited to kick off fall and the new school year with a free program for parents and caregivers of children of all ages. Washington Post parenting columnist, Meghan Leahy, will share her latest talk on Connections, Wed, Nov 9 at 7 pm at the McLean Community Center. Focusing on connections, Meghan addresses how children connect to their caregivers and ways caregivers can facilitate communication, cooperation and joy by understanding these connections. See the flyer for more info. This event is free, but registration is required.

Drug Take Back Day is Oct 29! Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. That's dangerous and often tragic. Drug Take Back Day is Oct 29 from 10 am-2 pm at the Mclean District Police Station.

The Rise Against Hunger McLean event is at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (1545 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean) on Sat, Nov 5. Registration is open for the next meal packaging event. The goal is 200,000 meals, which will bring us close to 3 ¼ million meals since 2010!

Come see how good it feels to help this cause! There will be three 2 ½ hour meal packaging shifts beginning at 8 am, 11 am and 2 pm. We’ll need many, many student and parent volunteers to reach our goal.

Learn more about this event here and here, and visit this webpage to register. View also our one-page impact flyer. Volunteer hours verification will be available by emailing riseagainsthungermclean@gmail.com.

upcoming events

Join the LHS PTSA! Click Here.