newly minted …

langley eNews

June 2, 2022

from the president

As we find ourselves at the end of another school year, I think it is only natural to reflect on what we have accomplished. I hope it has been a year of learning and growth for all of our students, and the rest of us as well.

Here are some of the highlights of what the Langley PTSA board members and volunteers have accomplished this school year:

● Treated Langley teachers, staff and administrators to three fantastic luncheons, one fabulous “Welcome Back” breakfast and two casual coffee and doughnut mornings

● Welcomed the new hires with a sunny summer breakfast

● Shared information about Langley, the PTSA, clubs, sports and athletic boosters at the Freshman and Transfer Student Orientation

● Compiled essential back-to-school links for parents at the start of the year

● Edited and published Langley’s Student Directory

● Supported five well-attended Saxon Service in-school community service events

● Encouraged participation in the VAPTA’s Reflections contest

● Published 37 informative, interesting and colorful issues of eNews

● Fulfilled teacher requests for new technology, equipment and subscriptions

● Provided financial reimbursement for teachers engaging in professional development and self-directed continued learning opportunities

● Assisted the Langley administrators in organizing, promoting and hosting the 8th Grade Open House

● Recruited helpful volunteers for the Vision and Hearing Health Screenings

● Advanced DEI awareness by making speakers, podcasts and articles available to all who were interested

● Debuted a DEI art show and follow-up discussion with moderators

● Held five General Membership Meetings and invited a variety of relevant speakers

● Maintained and consistently updated our amazingly user-friendly PTSA website

● Showed appreciation for all staff with food and gift cards throughout the year

● Increased available funding by encouraging participation in affiliated fundraising programs and scheduling virtual mock SAT/ACT testing

● Facilitated Senior Ethics Day by securing the speakers, volunteers and venue

● Promoted early career exploration with our successful Career Connections event

● Made ANGP possible through fundraising, promoting and recruiting of volunteers

● Coordinated with the Safe Community Coalition to provide programs and resources that support mental wellness and stress reduction for families

● Raised funds to landscape and maintain the Langley courtyards

● Created the Legacy Tree with donations and dedications contributed by Langley families and staff

● Integrated new families into the Langley community with socials and information sessions provided especially for them

● Hosted, in conjunction with Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Kelly Rankin, the Dangers of Distracted Driving Program for the junior class and presented the alcohol abuse prevention film Haze to the senior class

● Brightened several teacher workrooms with new artwork and comfortable seating

● Funded and presented the Scott Stone Memorial Award and the Outstanding Service Award to two seniors and two juniors, respectively

● Communicated with other schools throughout the Langley pyramid, county and state, to increase understanding of issues that affect us all, while working together and sharing resources in seeking solutions

● Ensured the future success of the PTSA by recruiting enthusiastic new officers and committee chairs for next year

Thank you, PTSA members, for making these programs and initiatives possible!

~ Clare Bradshaw, PTSA President

new alums

Congratulations to all the new graduates in the Class of 2022!

saxon studio presents

This Fri, Jun 3 at 7 pm and Sat, Jun 4 at 3:30 pm, come see the Saxon Studio advanced theatre class perform The Lightning Thief, the Percy Jackson Musical! Tickets are $5 and sold through this link to the Saxon Stage website.

Synopsis: As the half-blood son of a Greek god, Percy Jackson has newly discovered powers he can't control, a destiny he doesn't want, and a mythology textbook's worth of monsters on his trail. When Zeus's master lightning bolt is stolen and Percy becomes the prime suspect, he has to find and return the bolt to prove his innocence and prevent a war between the gods. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the thief. He must travel to the Underworld and back; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and come to terms with the father who abandoned him. Adapted from the best-selling book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and featuring a thrilling original rock score, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed mythical adventure "worthy of the gods" (Time Out New York).

new families info

enews: We welcome rising 9th grade and transfer families, and invite parents and students to sign up now for eNews, so that they'll receive issues right from the start in August.

Please forward this issue of eNews to any incoming families new to Langley! The sign up link is also posted on the LHS PTSA newsletter page. Note: sign up using personal email accounts and not FCPS accounts!

save the date: Freshman and New Family Orientation will be held at Langley on Thurs, Aug 18, 2022. All rising freshmen, students new to FCPS and their parents are invited to attend.

house cleaning items

medication pick up: All medication stored in the health room must be picked up by dismissal on Jun 10. Medications left in the health room after that time will be discarded. All medications must be picked up by a parent or guardian. Questions? Contact Bronwen Fleming at bmfleming@fcps.edu.

refund for meal account: To request a refund for a student’s meal account, email the following info to mealaccountrefund@fcps.edu: Student name, student ID #, school name, parent name, street address, city, state and zip, phone number.

After Jun 30, balances will no longer appear in MySchoolBucks but parents can request a refund up to one year later. Parents must log into MySchoolBucks and click “Remove Student” to remove their graduating senior from the homepage dashboard. Click here for more info.

parking hang tags

Parking hang tag applications for the 2022-23 school year will be available in MySchoolBucks to seniors beginning in mid-July. Parking for rising juniors will be dependent on the number of senior applications received. Details will follow regarding a lottery for any available spaces for juniors.

opioid crisis

In partnership with the Fairfax County Government, FCPS offers another opportunity on Tues, Jun 7, 2-3:30 pm to attend an educational webinar on youth substance use trends and supports, including in depth info on opioid and fentanyl use. It is being offered virtually and in numerous languages. Langley's own Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist, Kelly Rankin, is one of the presenters. Click here for more info and to register.

mock sat/act

Attention rising Juniors and Seniors! Are you planning to take the SAT or ACT in August or September? Are you wondering which college entrance exam is best for you? Want to get a head-start on test prep…or take one last practice test? Langley PTSA is partnering with Princeton Review to host a virtual SAT or ACT practice test on Sat, Jun 25. The exam costs $25 and will benefit the Langley PTSA.

Click here to register by Mon, Jun 20, and you’ll be emailed a Zoom link and other info by the Friday before the exam. Afterwards, you'll receive a comprehensive score report detailing your strengths and weaknesses.

Conflict with the scheduled date? Your student’s test link will remain available for several weeks so your student can take the practice test at a time convenient for him or her.

langley legacy tree

Celebrate Your Senior! If you have a graduating senior, now's the time to order your leaf to ensure it will be up on the Legacy Tree before the end of the school year.

Thanks to the 550 generous Langley families who've donated a leaf to make the renovation of the first two of Langley's three courtyards possible.

One more courtyard to landscape! Consider helping to "grow" the Legacy Tree and complete the courtyard renovation project by donating a leaf (copper $50, silver $100, gold $200) or bird or acorn ($500). 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, coaches, and grads!

To order your leaf -- or leaves! -- visit the PTSA website and look for the article on the Legacy Tree. Questions? Email chrissielavin1@gmail.com.

sports notes

fall sports: Interested in Fall 2022 sports? Complete the following before team tryouts:

1. Register your athlete on the FCPS Athlete Registration website.

2. Physical completed after May 1, 2022 and completed VHSL form.

Check the Langley Sports website for tryout information and dates.

summer camps: Langley coaches and teams are hosting several summer camps to teach fundamentals and build skills for experienced and novice players. Click here for more information about each camp:

Co-Ed Football Youth Camp

Co-Ed Volleyball Camp

Girls’ Field Hockey Youth Camp

Girls’ Basketball Camp

Boys' Basketball Camp

Girls’ Softball Camp

Co-Ed Lacrosse Instructional Camp

saxons, did you know ...

… Steven C. Hayes Ph.D from Psychology Today writes, “Your thoughts, feelings, memories, and sensations are like clips of a show on screen. Some of them are joyful, and they make you happy and content. Others are horrifying, and they make you anxious and depressed. You become the story and the clips on the screen. Once there, life is on autopilot and the direction of life is based on mindless habits alone.” Here are ways to break out of autopilot and mindless habits.

class notes

you can’t take it with you: Seniors will lose access to their Google files on Aug 6. If you would like to download and save your Google drive documents, click here to follow the steps no later than Aug 5. Questions? Submit a student tech request before Aug 5.

rising senior portraits: Class of 2023, book your senior portrait sessions between Jun 6-9. Click this link for more information.

math standards

VDOE is hosting several sessions for parents to participate in the review and revision of the 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning. There is a Virtual Parent Session on Jun 13 from 7-8 pm. See all sessions and register for the virtual session here. More info on the 2016 Math SOL standards can be found here.

student opps

chinese culture writing competition: The Li Educational Foundation is sponsoring a Chinese Culture Writing Competition for 2022. Six winners will be awarded with cash prizes (one for each of two topics): $200 for 3rd place, $300 for 2nd place and $500 for 1st place. Share your thoughts on Chinese culture, have a chance to be published in a book, and possibly win cash prizes!

All students in grades 9-12 are eligible. Click this link to register and review the two writing topics and judging rubric. Registration is due Fri, Jun 10 and takes less than two minutes. Final submissions are due Fri, Jul 8. See this flyer for more info.

social media intern with share of mclean: Want to help McLean’s local food pantry spread the word through social media? SHARE of McLean is looking for a social media intern to manage their social media presence, take photos, record social media statistics and report back to the Executive Committee.

Ideal candidates will possess a high level of experience using Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, be knowledgeable about Google Analytics, Twitter Analytics, Facebook Insights, and Instagram Insights, and be able to use these to make more interactive/relevant posts for the target audience. Candidates must be proficient with Microsoft Office suite.

Questions? Ready to apply? Send your resume and a one-page statement of purpose to londonr@shareofmclean.org by Jun 10.

langley IT summer internships: Summer internships are available with the IT Team at Langley! Internships are 9am - 2pm during the weeks of Jul 18, Jul 25, Aug 1, and Aug 8.

The internships offer hands-on experience with IT maintenance and support. Interns will also gain a better understanding of Langley HS and FCPS IT support model. No IT experience is required, but students should have an interest in IT. Service hours are available (25 hours/week for full week). 2-3 students are needed per week. Priority will be given to those who get their applications in early and those who can commit for longer lengths of time. Complete this form using your FCPS Google Workspace login if you are interested.

Please email Mrs. Galietta at plgalietta@fcps.edu with any questions.

covid

Fairfax County and FCPS have seen an increase of cases in the community and in our schools. Please get a booster if you are eligible and stay home if you are sick. Click here to schedule a COVID vaccination or a booster.

Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 2 sets of 4 free at-home COVID-⁠19 tests. Orders usually ship in 7-12 days. Click here to order yours.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, click here for important steps to take to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in your family and in our community.

I-495 next project community meetings

VDOT will host two project update meetings for the I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension on June 6 and 7 to provide residents and travelers an overview of project construction and design updates.

The in-person meeting will be Jun 6, starting at 6:30 pm with the presentation at 7 pm in Langley's Auditorium. The meeting will be followed by Q&A.

There will be a virtual meeting on Jun 7 starting at 6:30 pm. Click here for details on how to join the meeting.

The project update meetings will focus on:

· Upcoming construction activities, including a preliminary timeline

· Expected construction impacts

· Project design changes and enhancements

· New interactive map showing latest construction, designs and plans

drug trafficking and addiction

The McLean District Station Community Advisory Committee, Student Advisory Sub-Committee, Youth & School Safety Program will hold a virtual community conversation on Drug Trafficking and Addiction: Law Enforcement and Public Health Perspectives on Thurs, Jun 9, 7-8:30 pm. A panel of experts, including Langley’s Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist, Kelly Rankin, will provide valuable info about the issue, current challenges for law enforcement, the mental health aspects of addiction, as well as school and community resources. Click here for more info and to register.