langley eNews
January 27, 2022
from the president
Now that this year’s first semester is in the books, it's time to start planning for the next school year. 

All students and parents should have received the “Preparing for the 2022-23 School Year” email from Student Services on Jan 6, which contains the registration timeline and links to the Academic Advising and Curriculum Presentation videos. There is also a link to grade-specific course selection planning sheets and a video that explains, step by step, how to enter desired courses into StudentVUE.  

Please take the time to watch these videos to learn more about core courses, electives options and graduation requirements so you can discuss them with your child. Counselors will be meeting with students over the next several weeks. These meetings will be most productive if students have already reflected upon their academic goals and areas of interest.  

As always, when choosing their courses for next year, students should strive for a manageable schedule that balances academic rigor and extracurricular commitments with the need for rest, family time and socializing. These high school years pass quickly and students deserve to enjoy being Saxons while working toward their futures.

~ Clare Bradshaw, PTSA President
saxon stage auditions
Our spring musical is Freaky Friday! based on the famous 1972 novel and Disney movie. Synopsis: When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again. Freaky Friday, a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, is a heartfelt, comedic, and unexpectedly emotional update on an American classic. By spending a day in each other's shoes, Katherine and Ellie come to appreciate one another's struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter.

  • Open call auditions are today, Thurs, Jan 27Mon, Jan 31; and Tues, Feb 1.
  • Dance Call is for everyone auditioning. It's on Wed, Feb 2 from 3-6 pm.
  • Callbacks are Fri, Feb 4.

Interested in auditioning? See this flyer and follow the QR code to the sign-up forms. There are also numerous tech opps. See this flyer and QR code to sign up! Questions? Contact Mr. Kaufman at bkaufman@fcps.edu.
equity awareness
The Langley PTSA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee is launching a second year of the 28 Days of Equity Awareness project. Our goal is to begin a conversation based on our learning about perspectives from an intersection of marginalized voices. We invite participants to check out this themed list of short readings, videos, and podcasts, and complete as many as possible.

On Feb 4 and 11, we will hold lunch hour reflection sessions to provide a safe space for discussion and exploration of the material. To sign up for those sessions, fill out these forms: Feb 4 at 12 pm and/or Feb 11 at 12 pm.

On Tues, Feb 15 at 7 pm, we will hold a virtual pyramid-wide speaker presentation with Historic Jamestown Public Historian Mark Summers, on the topic of discovering and teaching a more complete history of America. Complete this form to RSVP for this presentation.

On Thurs, Feb 24 at 7 pm, we will hold a second pyramid-wide speaker presentation focusing on the LGBTQ+ community. More details on that event (also virtual) soon.

You can find all these forms and the 28 Days list on the PTSA website.
printed directories are here
The Langley High School printed directories have arrived! If you are a PTSA member, please remind your student to pick up your copy in the cafeteria during lunchtime this coming Mon, Jan 31 - Wed, Feb 2. Not a member yet? Click here to join now and receive a printed directory while supplies last.
kudos
all-district band: Congrats to all students who participated in All-District Band! As per last year, judging was done virtually and students submitted blind audition recordings for judging. Langley set a new school record with 35 students selected for the bands! An additional ten students were selected as alternates! Students will participate in-person at rehearsals and concert performances for the All-District Band event Feb 3-5.

Symphonic Band: Aya Albolote, Juj Chalk, Melanie Chuh, Catherine Dunn, Rhys Francis, Viraj Ganguli, Joe Gladyszewski,* Jacqui Go, Ryan Healy, Anderson Hoang, Parker Hoang, Cassie Keating, Amelia Lee, Henry Lin, Yuto Matsuki, Leah Miller, Lucas Porter, Ethan Pwu, John Rieling, Anniyah Rizvi, Nick Spoto, Myah Tokajer, Triston Yu, Jason Zhang, Elaine Zou.

Wind Ensemble: Anna Cox (first chair),* Jayden Lee,* Kevin Lee,* Ben Leone, Will Trosch,* Kaan Tunasar (first chair),* Muriel Wallach (first chair),* Tommy Worden,* Jimmy Yeum,* Austin Zhang.*

The ten students with the asterisks are eligible to audition for All-Virginia Band.
saxon stage: Saxon Stage students weathered the storm (both COVID & snow) and gave a great performance at the Virginia Thespian Festival at Shenandoah University Jan 14-16! 

First, students performed their production of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express for the conference as one of two schools selected from the state. They received a superior rating and standing ovation!  

Students also competed in the Thespys, which is in both performance and tech roles. Students that received an overall superior qualify to compete at the National Conference held in June at the University of Indiana! Below are the results.

SuperiorElizabeth Tippens - Tech Stage Manager; Ethan Bhatia and Conor Farah - Acting Duet Scenes (the top duet of the conference); Andy Powell - Tech Sound Design; Kate Moore - Musical Theatre Solo; Teddy Spaner - Tech Scenic Design; Talia-Rose Diorio - Acting Monologue; Tess Jannery-Barney - Musical Theatre Solo.

Excellent: Catherine Knecht and Brandon Edgerly - Musical Theatre Duet; Catherine Knecht - Musical Theatre Solo; Claire Stephenson - Musical Theatre Solo; Keya Umesh - Musical Theatre Solo; Claire Stephenson and Kate Moore - Musical Theatre Duet; Talia-Rose Diorio - Tech Scenic Design.
cooper ms receives sudler cup: Cooper Middle School Band has been selected to receive the 2021 Sudler Cup from the John Philip Sousa Foundation! The Sudler Cup is the most prestigious award that can be given to a middle school band program. Over the 36 years it has existed, only sixty middle school bands in all of North America have received it. It honors outstanding programs that have demonstrated particularly high standards of excellence over a period of seven years under the same director.

Everyone who has been a part of – or even just heard – the Cooper Bands knows how worthy they are of this distinction. Matt Baker, Director of Bands, Alex Singer, Assistant Director of Bands, and Percussion Instructor, Doug Wallace, deserve all of our congratulations and appreciation for this incredible achievement. Most Langley Band students were a part of Cooper Bands in middle school; what we do at Langley would clearly be impossible without the amazing Cooper Bands. 

If you’d like to send Mr. Baker a note of congratulations and thanks, you can reach him at mcbaker1@fcps.edu. Read more about this distinction here and about Cooper Bands here
langley pyramid outstanding employees
Congratulations to the following faculty and staff who are Langley pyramid outstanding employee winners!
 
* Outstanding Teacher – Jen Stocks
* Outstanding New Teacher – Yeon Je Cho
* Outstanding Operational Employee – Nancy Ayoub
* Outstanding Leader – Braden Peterson
 
All of our winners will now compete at the Regional level of the competition.
Nancy Ayoub
Braden Peterson
Jen Stocks
Yeon Je Cho
open house for 8th graders
Know any eighth graders trying to decide which high school to attend next year? Forward this issue of eNews to let them know about Langley's upcoming Open House on Sun, Feb 13, from 2-4 pm!

Eighth-grade students and their families are invited to attend an information session presented by administrators, tour the building with student ambassadors, and chat with experienced parents and faculty at a reception following the tours. 

Families should park in the main lot and enter through Door 14. The presentation will be in the Auditorium.

To RSVP for this event, please click here.
college admissions discussion postponed
Due to restrictions on in-person events at the present time, the college admissions discussion with Jeff Selingo, author of Who Gets In and Why, has been postponed. This much-anticipated discussion will be rescheduled as soon as conditions permit.
sports notes
spring sports tryouts: Spring tryouts begin Mon, Feb 21. If your student is planning on participating in a spring sport, complete these steps prior to trying out for a team:

  • Register at the new FCPS Athlete Registration Website. Registration must be done each year. Click here to register your child.
  • Complete a physical after May 1, 2021. The physical must be done on the official VHSL form found here. Send the completed VHSL form to langleyathletics@fcps.edu.
  • Check each respective team's site on the Langley Sports website for tryout information. 
hockey: Langley hockey’s aggressive offense scored an 11-1 victory over Madison HS on Jan 14. The Saxon scoring bench was wide, with seven players putting the puck in the net. Mike Kuligowski led the Langley scoring blitz with 4 goals, while fellow senior Zach Cash followed closely with 2 goals. Pete Kuligowski, Andrew Abousleiman, Ethan Zhao, Gino Colabatissto, and Jack Hutchinson filled out the goal count with one goal each. Come out to support Saxon hockey when it plays Flint Hill on Fri, Jan 28, 9:40 pm at Reston SkateQuest. Admission is free, so come show your Saxon spirit at the rink!
saxons, did you know ...
use for the Saxons did you know blurb. stays small on the mobile view.
Doreen Dodgen-Magee, Psy.D. from Psychology Today writes, “Omicron is hitting when our psychological reserves are low… We face this new chapter of the pandemic depleted and emotionally dysregulated.” Here is the article to help with Covid-related decision fatigue, hypervigilance, and burnout.
class notes
Read below for class news. Click the green class buttons to go to each class's webpage.
senior class forum: Our next Senior Class Forum will be Feb 8 at 9:30 am. College and career specialist, Hannah Wolff, will talk about what comes next once college applications are submitted. AP Wayne Biernesser will also update us on Class of 2022 happenings. FCPS regulations currently require that this program be virtual, and we will provide a link here in eNews and on our FaceBook page close to the event. If FCPS policy changes allowing us to meet in person, we will do so. Watch this space and our FB page for updates.

grad fee: The graduation fee of $50 has been set by the school. This is a mandatory fee for families. If this fee is not paid, it will be listed as an obligation towards the end of the year. Students will not receive their cap, gown, or graduation tickets until the fee has been paid off. To pay the fee, pleas log onto MySchoolBucks and filter by student fees.
The Junior Class Dinner fundraiser will take place Feb 10 at 6:30 pm. Hannah Wolff has invited several college representatives to talk about their entrance processes. Dinner info will be coming soon!
Our next Sophomore Class Forum will take place Mon, Feb 7 at 9:30 am. Join Director of Student Services, Braden Peterson, and College and Career Specialist, Hannah Wolff, for a conversation about class curriculum for junior year, AP classes and testing, and SATs vs. ACTs.  

As a reminder, counselors will discuss curriculum with our students in a group setting during Langley Links at the beginning of February, followed by 1:1 meetings between students and their counselors to make curriculum choices for next year beginning Feb 9.  

Academic advising and course information is available here, on the Student Services portion of the Langley website. Please consult this trove of information and then submit additional questions using this form.

This forum will be virtual, and we will provide a link here in eNews and on our FaceBook page closer to the date of the event.
Join our next Freshman Parents Forum, Fri, Feb 11, 9:30 – 11 am, to hear The Study Pro's Debbie Rosen and Lindsey Thoms speak about executive function skills and how you can be a supportive partner with your student. 

One of the great joys for a parent is to cheer our children on as they build new skills. When it comes to school, we praise the obvious skills such as doing well on a test or getting an A on a paper, but often miss the less obvious — but equally important — ones, such as overcoming challenges to get started on an assignment or adequately planning to finish a longer-term assignment on time. In this intriguing presentation by The StudyPro, they will share:

     What Executive Functions (EF) skills are and why they matter
     How to recognize and improve “missing skills” behind common school challenges
     How to partner with your student to help build their EF skills
     Improving Executive Function skills will help with focus, flexibility, and pushing through frustration. And that’s definitely something to cheer about.

Location TBD. We will meet virtually unless FCPS COVID mitigation policies permit meeting in person in Langley's Lecture Hall.
student opps
performing arts scholarship: High school students are invited to showcase their artistic achievements in the 2022 James C. Macdonald Performing Arts Scholarship Competition. The competition is open to 9th-12th-grade students who reside or attend school in Dranesville Small Tax District 1A. Act quickly! The deadline to apply is tomorrow, Jan 28.

A $1,200 scholarship prize will be given to first-place winners in each of the following categories: Dance, Theater, Vocal Music and Instrumental Music; second-place winners in all four categories will receive $800; third-place winners will each receive $400. There are no restrictions on the use of the award money. Finalists must be present and prepared to perform in the preliminary round of the competition the week of Feb 7, and at the final competition on Wed, Apr 20, to be eligible to receive an award.

Info and applications can be found online. A non-refundable, $20 fee is required for each application form submitted. Questions? Contact Alden Youth Theatre Programs Director Danielle Van Hook at Danielle.Vanhook@fairfaxcounty.gov.
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 LHS and McLean HS, and youth members serve a one-year term. Completed petition packets are due to MCC by Fri, Mar 11 at 5 pm. Requirements and info are on the MCC website.
covid-19 info
health and safety guidance: With so much new and updated information available for schools and families due to the current COVID-19 surge and recent CDC changes, the FCPS Health and Safety Guidance Document  is your source for the most up-to-date information. 
free home test kits: DYK every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests, completely free? Visit covidtests.gov to order your free at-home tests and find free testing locations in your area.
vaccines: Fairfax County teens ages 12-17 years old are eligible to get a Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot. Click here for updated vaccination options for teens.

To make an appointment, click here or call 877-VAX-IN-VA. Walk-ins may also be available depending on the site.
testing: Drive-through COVID-19 diagnostic testing is now available for all FCPS students and staff who are experiencing symptoms or have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Testing is also a step in the return to school process following illness or exposure. Click here for locations and schedules. Appointments are not required, but families must register here before testing. Click here for more info.
upcoming events
Jan 27, 31 and Feb 1: Saxon Stage Auditions
Feb 3: Virtual Driver's Ed Meeting, 6 pm
Feb 4: DEI Lunch Hour Reflection, 12 pm
Feb 8: Senior Class Forum, 9:30 am
Feb 10: Junior Class Dinner, 6:30 pm
Feb 11: Freshman Parent Coffee, 9:30 am
Feb 11: DEI Lunch Hour Reflection, 12 pm
Feb 13: 8th Grade Open House, 2 pm
Feb 15: Pre-Assessment Orchestra Concert w/Cooper MS, 7 pm
Feb 15: DEI Virtual Pyramid-wide Event, Public Historian Mark Summers, 7 pm
Feb 21: President’s Day Holiday – No School
Feb 21: Spring Sports Tryouts Begin
Feb 13: 8th Grade Open House, 2 pm
Feb 24: Saxon Studio, 7 pm
Feb 24: DEI Virtual Pyramid-wide Event, LGBTQ+ community speaker, 7 pm
Feb 24, 25: Saxon Studio, 7 pm
Join the LHS PTSA! Click Here.
LHS PTSA eNews Editors
Gary Coetzee, Ghida Damirji, Michelle Francis, Helen Miller and Amy Prewett
Stephanie Maxwell (Technical Advisor)
Amy P
Submit items by Tuesday noon for publication on Thursdays to enewslangley@gmail.com  
 
The Langley eNews is published by PTSA volunteers and includes news that pertains to LHS, PTSA and FCPS.
Any opinions expressed herein are those of the submitter and not necessarily those of LHS, PTSA or FCPS.