spring break incoming ...

langley eNews

April 10, 2025

3 things to know

1. Shop and support the PTSA! The PTSA gives resources to our staff and teachers, providing our students with many educational opportunities above and beyond. We are launching a new shopping platform! Shop Amazon using our link, and a portion of the sale will flow back to help support Langley's students at no cost to you! On that page, you can shop and you can download the app to your phone to remind you to use that link as you shop. Use this link when you shop!

2. Save the date! May 14 is our final PTSA meeting. Come hear from Principal Stroud on his first six months at Langley and his plans for the future!

3. Volunteer opportunities galore! With the end of the school year on the horizon, don't miss your chance to support the school by volunteering at one of our upcoming events.

AP Exam Proctors

AP Research Projects

Langley 2025 Prom

class notes

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

saxon scope: Did you know the Saxon Scope has a special senior issue that highlights various memories from your child’s high school career and includes a list of student plans post-graduation? Make sure to subscribe to the Saxon Scope through MySchoolBucks to be sure you receive a copy of this special edition magazine.

service hour deadline: Class of 2025, all service hours must be entered and verified in X2Vol no later than Wed, Apr 25. Service hours are not required for graduation but are needed to apply for the Service Cord and specific seals. Hours that will be considered must have been entered between Jul 1, 2021 – Apr 25, 2025. Hours submitted prior to Jul 1, 2021 will not count towards the service cord or seals.

When entering hours into X2Vol, make sure to review the Service Learning Guidelines. If you need help entering hours into X2Vol, watch this video tutorial.

Hours that have been entered into X2Vol but are not verified will not be reviewed or considered.

seal and service cord apps: Seal and Service Cord Applications are due Fri, May 2.

Seal and Service Cord Applications are required if you would like to be considered for any of the following:

Service Cord Application: Click here for the application

Civics Seal Application: Click here for the application

Science and Environmental Seal Application: Click here for the application

Students must be logged into their fcpsschools.net account in order to access the apps.

angp tickets: The All Night Grad Party Committee is happy to announce Early Bird ANGP ticket sales are open! ANGP is a safe and drug-free party the night of graduation, Jun 5 from 11 pm - 3 am at Punch Bowl Social Arlington. Activities include bowling, casino, pool tables, dancing, karaoke, food, prizes and more. Click here to purchase tickets! Ticket price is $85 through Apr 30. You can follow us on Instragram @lhs2025_allnightgradparty.

limo raffle and VIP graduation seating: Want a chance to win a limo van and priority seating at graduation? Buy one or more tickets for the ANGP Graduation Raffle! Purchase raffle tickets here for a chance to win one of two (2) limo packages. One ticket for $20 or 3 tickets for $50. Chauffeured rides provided by Burki Limousine or Chariots for Hire.

class of 2025 senior graduation dues: The senior graduation dues are required of all seniors. The funds will be used to pay for your students cap and gown, and to offset the cost of graduation and related expenses. You can pay the $75 senior graduation dues on MySchoolBucks.

senior yard signs: Let your graduate know how proud you are of them and support the ANGP. Last chance to purchase a Congrats Class of 2025 sign with their name on it to display in your yard! Deadline is May 8! Click here to order.

class of 2026 parent forum: No parent is truly ready for Senior Year...even if it is your second or third time through. But we are going to do our best to get you all of the information you need to prepare yourself and your rising Senior for this adventure that will start before you even know it. AND YES—it does start before this school year even ends. Please join us for our final Junior Class Parent Forum of the year on Wed, Apr 30 at 9 am in the Langley Auditorium. Karen Burke, LHS College & Career Counselor, will be our guest speaker and she will give us a preview of the college application process. We will also have experienced parents on-hand to give some perspective on how they survived. If there are any particular you would questions you would like for us to make sure are covered, please email one of the Class of 2026 Co-Lead Parents, Melissa Schwartz (mcschwartz@hotmail.com) or Kristi Grgeta (kristi@grgeta.com).

prom volunteers needed: Langley HS 2025 prom will be held on Sat, May 17 at Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel. Junior parent volunteers are needed to assist with this event! If you are interested in volunteering, sign up here.

what's next? preparing for sophomore year: Our last Freshman Parent Forum of the year will be Apr 22 at 9:30 am in the LHS Lecture Hall. Join us for coffee and the chance to talk with other parents before the forum at 9 am. LHS College & Career Counselor Karen Burke will discuss developing a high school resume and helping your student prepare for their sophomore year while prioritizing their mental health. We hope to see you there!

kudos

2025 regional science and engineering fair: Among the nine FCPS projects which received Grand Prize awards were Langley High School’s own Bennett Huang and Jason Pan in Environmental Engineering: AI-Powered Optimization of Methyl Jasmonate-Induced Defense for Precise Pest Control. The Grand Prize winners are eligible to compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May.

national writing competition winners: Two Langley National English Honor Society members, Anniyah Rizvi and Leah Robinson, won scholarships in National Writing Competitions.

Not only do NEHS members do community service, visiting 4-6 times a year at local senior centers through our “Adopt a Grandparent Program” and communicate with pen pals in 5 countries through our “Pen Pal Program” and celebrate literature- through our “Poetry Slam”, “Shakespeare’s Birthday Bash”, “Dicken’s Winter Word” and “Poe’s Halloween Happenings”, our members also participate in writing competitions. We are proud of all of them as they share their gifts of language and literature.

Anniyah Rizvi

Leah Robinson

Langley teacher publishes novel

Langley’s very own Vivian Jewell has published her first novel. On Mar 30, Vivian’s novel, Dani Argyle Takes on the Universe, dropped and is now available on Amazon.

While this is an extraordinary accomplishment, it is not a surprise. Ms. Jewell has always brought the treasure of classic literature and its themes to her 9th grade students so that they too can read and understand the value of and relevance to their lives. On Apr 30, Ms. Jewell will be sharing excerpts of her book at a National English Honors Society event.

saxon stage

talent show results: Saxon Stage hosted a fantastic talent show on Thurs, Mar 20, with over 150 attendees! It's clear that this event is gaining momentum each year. This year’s winner of the third annual Saxon’s Got Talent was none other than two-time runner-up, Nadira Maples, who dazzled the crowd with her performance of Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing! Congratulations to Nadira on her well-deserved victory and her $50 prize!

spring play: Come watch The Mousetrap: The World’s Longest-Running Play between Apr 24- Apr 27! When a local woman is murdered, the guests and staff at Monkswell Manor are trapped by a snowstorm. It quickly becomes apparent that the killer is among them, and the group of seven strangers begins to turn on each other.

This record-breaking mystery, penned by the legendary Dame Agatha Christie, builds to a brilliant and unexpected conclusion. Saxon Stage brings this thrilling show to life! Purchase tickets here. Tickets

Performance dates:

Thurs, Apr 24, 7 pm

Fri, Apr 25, 7 pm

Sat, Apr 26, 7 pm

Sun, Apr 27, 2:30 pm

Tickets:

$15 for Adults

$10 for Students

$8 for Alumni

$5 for Senior Citizens

ap exam proctors needed!

Over 4,000 AP exams will be administered from May 5-16. In addition to the Student Services team and teachers, who will oversee the exams, parent volunteers are needed to assist in handing out and collecting materials and supervising the test. Test proctoring runs about 4 hours per test, and the exams generally begin at 8 am and 12 pm. For more information and a list of FAQs, click here.

Please consider volunteering for this important event and helping support our Student Services team! There are MANY slots to fill! Please note: you may not proctor a test your student is taking. See what’s available and sign up here.

ap research project volunteers needed

Support our AP Research Students! We have a unique volunteer opportunity to engage academically with our students!

As part of the AP Research course, students give a 15-20 minute presentation on the research they’ve been working on all year. The College Board requires that two other adults (in addition to the teacher) are present for the presentations. We are looking for a few volunteers to watch the presentations and engage with students in the oral defense of their research (you won't be grading). Volunteers don't need any special knowledge or expertise in the topic of the research; the questions are drawn from a list provided by the College Board. Contact Allison Cohen with questions at aecohen@fcps.edu.

staff spotlight

Geometry and Algebra II teacher Kathleen Lubin is a new addition to the staff as of the 2024-2025 school year. Lubin grew up in the McLean area and attended the Potomac School, a private K-12 school in the nearby area. Throughout her life, even as a kid, Lubin felt connected to Langley and wanted to be involved in the school by becoming a teacher and educating students.

“Langley has an amazing reputation and was always known as a great school and I’d always heard good things, that’s part of the reason I came to teach here, just growing up knowing it,” Lubin said.

Lubin has been working in private schools for about 20 years, teaching at Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland. She has noticed various differences and similarities when teaching at past private schools versus educating at Langley, a public school.

“The free-dress is different here, the boys there had to wear a jacket and tie, but I think the general belief in education and strong foundations for math at least seem similar, so that’s been really positive so far,” Lubin said.

Lubin went to Hamilton College, a small liberal arts school in New York where she fell more in love with mathematics. She has a passion for math and enjoys being a good influence on students while they are learning.

“I really love working with kids and seeing them kind of click,” Lubin said. “When they're like, ‘Oh my gosh I understand this now’ … they might walk into a classroom at the start of the year saying, ‘I don’t really love math’ or ‘A few years ago I had a really bad experience’ or ‘I dont have the confidence’ and so my goal is really to change that so they have a positive experience.”

Outside of the classroom environment, Lubin takes pleasure in the DC area where she takes advantage of both the city life and outdoorsy lifestyle. She enjoys playing golf and has always done it in the background during her years as a teacher.“Golf is something you can just play your whole life and be active. I have a whole group of friends and I play competitively over the summer,” Lubin said.

“I'm really looking forward to just getting to know my students better, building a good rapport with them, learning about the Langley culture, and just acclimating to [the school],” Lubin said.

~ Lauren Hund, Managing Editor of Copy, at-large

~ Photo by Lauren Hund

Langley High School is excited to welcome Mr. Aaron Green, a new Science teacher with 20 years of experience in the field. Having spent the last two years teaching in Fairfax County, Mr. Green is eager to bring his extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for biology to the students. He brings his passion for biology to the classroom best through labs. “If I could do a lab every day for each lesson I would,” Green said.

Green’s teaching philosophy revolves around hands-on learning, and he believes that labs are the best way for students to understand material. Mr. Green’s teaching journey has spanned various grades and locations, including Missouri, Chicago, and Thomas Jefferson High School here in Virginia.

“Working with different ages… there is a significant difference between teaching twelfth graders and ninth graders, or tenth graders and ninth graders,” Green said.

Green’s passion with biology ultimately led him to his decision of teaching 9th graders. In comparison to when he taught eighth graders, he finds that ninth grade is the perfect stage to build foundational knowledge. Additionally, he furthers that his decision to join Langley High School was also influenced by a personal connection.

“If it’s good enough for my wife and I to choose for our kids, then it should be good enough to teach at,” Green said.

~ Annabelle Zhao, Reporter

~ Photo by Annabelle Zhao

sports notes

spring sports are in full swing: Visit the Langley Athletics webpage to see upcoming events and support your fellow Saxons!

student opps

teen character awards: Do you know a teen with an ethical and compassionate character? The McLean Citizens Association (MCA) is again sponsoring the Outstanding Character Awards for Teenagers! These awards recognize teens who have, on their own and without compensation or formal recognition, cared for elderly relatives or younger siblings, or who have helped out in the neighborhood or community (defined as the Greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area), and deserve to be recognized not only for themselves but as examples to others.

Awards will be presented on McLean Day at 3 pm on Sat, May 17. Click here to view the nomination application and criteria. Apps are due no later than Fri, Apr 25 and must be submitted by email to e-y_committee@mcleancitizens.org.

Questions? Contact the MCA E&Y Committee Chair at

e-y_committee@mcleancitizens.org.

Looking for volunteer or other opportunities? PTSA volunteers maintain this running list of opportunities for our students. The Service and Jobs Opportunities Committee's goal is to help connect students to summer internships, jobs and volunteer opportunities to fulfill community service requirements, gain job experience and explore career paths.

mcc governing board

vote for MCC rep: Absentee voting is open for the McLean Community Center (MCC) Governing Board! Residents may vote at MCC or by mail. To request ballots for your household, you may fill out an online request form, phone 703-744-9348 or send an email to elections@mcleancenter.org. All absentee ballots must be received at MCC by 5 pm on Fri, May 9, to be counted.

In-person voting will be offered at McLean Day in Lewinsville Park from 4 – 8 pm at Friday Night Carnival Rides on Fri, May 16, and from 11 am – 5 pm on McLean Day, Sat, May 17 at Lewinsville Park (1659 Chain Bridge Road, McLean).

Click here to meet all the candidates and view more election info on the MCC website. Three Langley students are running for the LHS youth candidate position! Read their personal statements below:

My name is Anastasiia Dudnik-Dubiniak and I'm a sophomore at Langley High. My ambition of running for the MCC board is rooted in a genuine desire to enhance McLean's liveliness, vibrance and responsiveness to the diverse needs of its residents. I aim to create a lively and welcoming community, uniting us all by organizing inclusive and engaging events, such as movie nights, outdoor activities, fundraising events and promoting teen nonprofit startups. With my fresh perspective and dedication, I intend to amplify the voices of teens and enhance MCC's inclusivity statement by promoting a vibrant and welcoming community for all.

I'm Katie Myshrall, a junior at Langley High School. I've been involved with the McLean Community Center my whole life. I've taken and taught dance classes at MCC for 12 years, and I've been an MCC Youth Ambassador. As a board member of the MCC, I will advocate for resources for teen events and programming. At Langley, I play in the orchestra, I'm on the varsity cheer and gymnastics teams, I'm a junior class officer and I'm an editor of the yearbook. I'm also a Gold Award Girl Scout. Please vote for me as your representative on the MCC board.

I, Aakriti Rustagi, am running for the MCC Governing Board to ensure all youth in our community are represented equally and have a voice in decisions that affect them. As an MCC Youth Ambassador, I am well-equipped with knowledge of MCC programs and services and have worked closely with youth board members. This experience has given me insight into the role's responsibilities and the dedication it requires. I am passionate, hardworking and detail-oriented and want to use my leadership skills to make a meaningful difference. I am committed to ensuring the MCC continues to support all areas of the community.

scc events

scc parent discussion group: The Safe Community Coalition offers monthly parent discussion groups facilitated by licensed mental health professionals. This month’s topic, Depression and Self Harm, delves into the underlying psychological factors, early warning signs and effective intervention strategies

Melissa Sporn, Ph.D. and Sarah Tyler, LCSW will provide insight into how to offer compassionate support and will share the latest therapeutic approaches that can foster healing and resilience in those affected.

This session is designed to equip caregivers with practical tools to make a positive impact. This discussion will be hosted at the McLean Community Center on Apr 10 at 7 pm. Registration is FREE. Please reserve your spot here.

scc book discussion: Every kid makes mistakes. The trick is to turn these missteps into character-building moments for your child.

Join SCC on Apr 23 at 7pm at MCC’s Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean, VA) for Turning Setbacks into Success with author Michelle Icard. Based on Eight Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success, the talk helps parents know when to step in or step back as kids navigate challenges like friendship struggles, rule-breaking and self-doubt. Ideal for parents and caregivers of kids in grades 3–12. Book signing will follow the discussion.

Tickets: $15 pre-sale or $20 at the door. Click here to purchase tickets.