Greetings, Saxons! In the final days of 2020, I think it is fitting for us to stop and reflect. As our community, country and world have been ravaged by COVID-19 and life as we have known it has been upended, we in Saxon Country have remained strong. Over the past months, we have united to hold graduation events for the Class of 2020, welcomed the Class of 2024 and have begun to celebrate our Class of 2021. In this season of giving, our community generously donated over 6,000 canned items to SHARE of McLean. These are just a few reasons that I count as it being a blessing to lead the Langley High School community.
As we approach Winter Break, I hope you'll have time to disconnect from the worries of the world. It is my sincere hope that during the break, our children will step away from school and have a chance to just breathe. The past months have reminded me to find joy in small things, such as time with family playing a game or taking a car ride. In my family, sometimes our greatest pleasure comes from just staring into the eyes of our dog, Harley. Rather than hurrying to the next thing, may we remember the greatest gifts we are ever given are time and love.
I wish you the happiest of holiday seasons and blessings in the coming year!
~ Kim Greer, Principal
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With the holidays approaching, it’s the perfect time to send a shoutout to our Langley teachers and staff! Use this form to write a note saying thank you. The PTSA will transfer your note onto a larger, eye-catching Super Saxon Shoutout template and will deliver it to the recipient within a week after your submission. There's no deadline. Send as many as you like!
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summer opportunities initiative |
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The Langley PTSA has recently initiated a Summer Opportunities Committee, with the aim of helping our students enhance their extracurricular portfolios. Currently in the planning phase, the committee seeks to provide resources to help students discover, apply for and obtain work, enrichment and internship experiences, especially during the summers following sophomore and junior years. The committee will assist LHS College and Career Services by contributing to a database of these opportunities and by launching skills-building sessions that students can access.
We need your help to make the PTSA Summer Opportunities Initiative a success! Please share your student's level of interest, as well as your ideas and any contacts or resources that you can contribute to this effort. Click here for the survey. Thank you for helping us help our students!
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calling all students: Does the law interest you? Are you looking for a club to join? Join the Model Judiciary Club as a witness! Being a witness in the club will enhance your public speaking, improvisation and memorization skills.
If you're interested, please join the club on Wednesdays at 3-4 pm in Schoology. The Mock Trial code is R26Q-J3R3-ZVPRC. The club's Mock Trial Conference will take place during late January or early February (exact date TBD). Please make sure you're available during that time period! Questions? Contact langleymocktrial@gmail.com.
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calling all attorneys: The Model Judiciary Club is seeking attorneys/judges to volunteer to help the team prepare for its Mock Trial Conference! The virtual competition will be held in late January or early February (date TBD). The mock court case is a criminal trial, so those licensed to practice in Virginia and experienced in criminal defense and/or prosecution are especially appreciated.
Volunteers meet virtually with the club on Wednesdays at 3-4 pm on Jan 6, 13, 20, 27 and Feb 3. If volunteers' time allows, they can meet more to provide feedback on cases as the competition date nears. Activities include judging practice mock trials during meetings and providing feedback, helping students construct trial cases (opening and closing statements, questions, theories) and, if interested, providing advice and help through the rest of the year through lessons and as a guest speaker.
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Attention sophomores and juniors! Are you wondering which college entrance exam is best for you to take? Princeton Review is holding a virtual SAT or ACT practice test on Sat, Jan 9. The exam costs $25 and will benefit the Langley PTSA. Register here by Thurs, Jan 7 and you'll be emailed a link to the online classroom and other info prior to the exam. Afterwards, you'll receive a comprehensive score report detailing your strengths and weaknesses.
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college admissions book discussion |
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All Langley parents, teachers and staff are invited to join a virtual book discussion about college admissions on Mon, Jan 11 at noon. The discussion, hosted by LHS College and Career Specialist Hannah Wolff, will be based on Who Gets in and Why, a New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2020 best seller that is filled with insights gleaned from a year in the trenches with college admissions directors. It was the source of an engaging recent PTSA-sponsored webinar with the author, Jeff Selingo.
Ms. Wolff will facilitate a discussion on topics such as the test-optional choice, applying early decision and how students can create a balanced list for college applications. Look for the link to BBCU in January. See you on Jan 11!
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underclass photos make-up |
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Did you miss underclass photo days? The make-up day is Mon, Jan 11, 8:30 am–4 pm. Click here to sign up for a time slot. On picture day, masks are required except when seated for pictures. Students will enter and exit Langley through separate doors.
Photo packages can be ordered online before and after picture day at mylifetouch. Use ID code EVT9F8SVT. (Camera cards or picture tickets aren’t required, and no orders will be taken on the picture day.)
Students will get a photo ID on site and the picture packages will be mailed to their homes. Questions? Contact Kelly Mulligan at kjmulligan@fcps.edu.
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buy a leaf for the legacy tree |
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A leaf for the Langley Legacy Tree makes a great holiday gift! The Legacy Tree, located in the LHS Lobby and across from the Main Office, is a permanent and prominent record of generous courtyard contributors. Choose your engraved message — leaves make wonderful tributes to students, teachers, family and friends.
Buy your leaves, acorns or birds now, and print this tribute note to present to the recipient honored on your leaf. Giving levels are copper leaf ($50), silver leaf ($100), gold leaf ($200) and acorn or bird ($500). Leaves will be placed on the tree as soon as covid-19 restrictions allow.
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Your leaf donation will help fund the beautification of the third and final LHS courtyard to be renovated. Many thanks to the hundreds of Langley families who already have donated leaves to the Langley Legacy Tree!
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This holiday season, please consider donating to the PTSA Langley Cares Fund. The fund helps Langley students and their families who have acute financial needs. Our LHS social worker will confidentially distribute gift cards for groceries and basic care items while keeping the names of all recipients anonymous to the PTSA.
To make a tax-deductible donation, click here. Through your generosity, we hope to aid everyone in our Langley community who needs assistance during this time of economic uncertainty due to the pandemic. Thank you for helping your fellow Langley students and families!
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Are you purchasing items on Amazon over the holidays? Langley can benefit while you shop! Just visit smile.amazon.com, then sign in to your account and enter Langley High PTSA as the organization. AmazonSmile offers the same prices, selection and service as Amazon. Don’t forget to update your Amazon phone app. Happy shopping, and thanks for supporting Langley!
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Congratulations to School-Based Technology Specialist Lindsey Fisher! She is the winner of a $25 Target gift card through the PTSA Staff Raffle.
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Did you know that donations to the Langley PTSA are tax deductible? If you are thinking about your year-end, tax-deductible donations, please consider making a gift to the Langley PTSA!
Join the PTSA and as an added perk, all Langley PTSA parent members will be entered into a raffle for two sets of prize combos -- a Tervis brand Saxon water bottle and a Langley car magnet. Join by Fri, Dec 18 to be entered in the raffle and you could win!
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Beth Longo, Administrative Assistant in Langley's Student Activities Office, starts working many weeks before the school year begins and illustrates that teachers and staff alike dedicate many hours each day to students, both before and during the school year. Last summer, for example, she helped coordinate the book drop-off days, distributed yearbooks and created shoutouts for senior athletes on Twitter and Instagram. During the school year, in addition to answering countless emails and phone calls, Mrs. Longo ensures that the sports season runs smoothly by handling VHSL and concussion training forms, sports schedules, the coaches’ education database and the langleysports.org website, among many other things.
Mrs. Longo hails from upstate New York and worked in management consulting after graduating college. In the corporate world. she worked as a business analyst, tech recruiter and HR manager. She moved around the country for her job, living in Northern Virginia, Richmond (VA), Sacramento and Walnut Creek (CA) and Topeka (KS).
She left Booz Allen Hamilton and the corporate world when her eldest child was born, deciding to stay home and raise her kids. Then, when her youngest son was in preschool, she started teaching preschool in Alexandria. “It was a perfect fit,” Mrs. Longo said. “It allowed me to work part-time and be home when my kids were home.”
When her children were in middle and high school, Mrs. Longo transitioned to the education world full time. After a year of working at Haycock ES, she joined Langley in November 2018. Working at LHS allows her to keep the same schedule as her kids while working in an environment that she loves. Two of her children are currently at McLean HS and the oldest is in college at the University of Pennsylvania.
As an administrative assistant, Mrs. Longo finds that being organized is a priority. “A lot of what I do is time-sensitive, so keeping things organized is key so that things do not fall through the cracks,” she said. She also believes it's important to be personable, since she works with so many different students, staff members and people from the community. “It is important to me to be approachable and [to] be a good representative of Langley,” she said. Mrs. Longo’s favorite thing about Langley is the people she works with each day, both staff and students.
~ Aisha Shakeel, Saxon Scope reporter
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… Donn Posner, PhD, a sleep researcher and adjunct clinical associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, has advice about sleep issues emerging during covid. To help fight insomnia, Posner recommends avoiding napping. “Do not try to compensate for a bad night’s sleep, it only further disrupts one’s regular rhythms.” Here is the article, published in The Harvard Gazette.
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Too much togetherness cramping your communication style? Too much teenage anxiety taking over the household? Frustrated with distance or hybrid learning? When it gets to be “too much,” take a few moments to check out the new video offerings from the Safe Community Coalition’s Managing the Moments series.
These short videos, produced by psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers of the SCC Mental Health Committee, address topics they're seeing in their practices and on the home front. The new videos include:
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Coping With the Holidays – how to make the most of it this holiday season
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Creating Coping Capacity – body awareness and mindfulness techniques
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Connecting Through Play – how to minimize frustration in younger kids
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Anxiety in School – a look at teenage anxiety, from a teen interviewed by his mom
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Your Daily Prescription to Cope with Covid – ways to nurture yourself
The videos and accompanying tip sheets are free and available on the SCC website here. Bookmark the page and watch the videos at your convenience!
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virtual service: Looking for fun ways to engage in service over the winter break? Check out Langley's Service Learning webpage for a list of virtual service learning opportunities, including many new activities. There are opportunities for all interests, including online, writing, creative and active projects. Questions? Email Mrs. Shomaker at enshomaker@fcps.edu.
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winter coat donations: SHARE of McLean is collecting through December new or gently used winter coats in all sizes. Bring donations to Share to the McLean Baptist Church (1367 Chain Bridge Road) on Wed and Sat, 8:30 am–12 pm, or place items in the outdoor donation sheds at the church anytime. (Please only leave coats and non-perishable food items in the sheds).
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Dec 21-Jan 1: Winter Break
Jan 4: Classes Resume
Jan 9: Mock ACT/SAT (Virtual)
Jan 11: College Admissions Book Discussion, 12 pm (Virtual)
Jan 11: Underclass Photo Make-Up Day, 8:30 am-4 pm (LHS)
Jan 13: PTSA General Membership Meeting, 9:30 am (Virtual)
Jan 18: Holiday (Martin Luther King Day)
Jan 20: Holiday (Inauguration Day)
Jan 22: 2-Hour Early Release (End of 2nd Quarter)
Jan 25: Holiday (Teacher Workday)
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Join the LHS PTSA! Click Here.
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LHS PTSA eNews Editors
Michelle Francis, Stephanie Maxwell, Helen Miller and Amy Prewett
Amy P
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.
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