Langley is truly fortunate to have dedicated, caring and enthusiastic teachers, administrators and staff, all of whom are working diligently to give LHS students the best possible experience, whether learning is virtual or in person.

This year the PTSA has been exploring new ways to appreciate all of the Langley staff in this virtual environment. One of the things we always can do is say thank you! To that end, this week we're initiating Super Saxon Shoutouts. See below for the form, and please take this opportunity to say thank you to members of our Langley staff for their wonderful work.

In addition, thanks to those who've submitted ideas on how we can connect. Great ideas are rolling in from many places! Share your ideas with us! Let us know, using this form.

Last but not least, I’d like to send a shoutout to all of you who're engaged in keeping our Langley community going strong. Thank you!

~ Kitty Gonzalez, PTSA President

Students and parents, do you know a Langley teacher or staff member who is going above and beyond in our virtual learning environment?

Use this form to write a note saying thank you! Then, 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 to 10 days after your submission. There's no deadline, and send as many as you like!

Langley's PTSA Family Network Committee invites parents to stroll around the LHS track and connect with others in the Langley parent community. Masks are required! The first Saxon Parents Walk & Talk is next Tues, Oct 20, 1:30-2:30 pm. Park in the rear of the Langley parking lot and we'll meet up on the track.

Some walks are loosely designated for freshman/sophomore parents and others for junior/senior parents, but feel free to attend any and all walks regardless of the grade of your student.

Be sure to check the PTSA Twitter feed for any weather-related cancellations @LangleyHS_PTSA

Students, mark your calendars! Langley is holding Virtual Club Day on Tues, Oct 27. Click here for a list of clubs. To join a club, students need to go to the club list in the Student Activities folder on Schoology, where club sponsors and access codes are listed.

Clubs will meet during the Langley Links period (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:25-11:05 am.) Want to start your own club? Click here for info.

Attention 10th and 11th graders, the Virginia Governor’s School is opening the application process for its four-week summer 2021 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 this short interest form no later than Nov 9. 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.

Over 70 percent of kids nationwide have reported struggling with mental health during the pandemic. The Langley PTSA is hosting a virtual presentation to help parents help their kids on Thurs, Nov 12 at 12-1 pm.

Featured will be McLean-based psychotherapist Jennifer Weaver, who will provide insight into the range of heightened challenges, including depression, loneliness, lack of motivation, anxiety or lack of impulse control that teens are facing during this pandemic. She'll explain why teens are mostly keeping these feelings to themselves, and how parents can best support them during this difficult time.

Mark your calendars and click here to join the presentation on Nov 12!

kudos: Congratulations to Langley orchestra members Alyssa Kim, Katie Dzwonczyk, Otto Janke and Fay Shuai who were selected for the Senior Regional Orchestra! SRO auditions include the finest young musicians from Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria counties, and those selected are eligible to audition for the All-Virginia Orchestra next year.

coffee fundraiser: The Langley orchestra partnered with Beanetics Coffee Roasters (Annandale, VA) to provide four unique flavors of freshly roasted coffee available in 1 pound bags. The coffee is $14/bag and can be purchased as whole beans or ground to your preference. Click here for a flyer with details about the flavors.

Click here to order! The deadline is Fri, Oct 30 and pickup/delivery is slated for socially-distanced time-slots on Mon, Nov 16 during 12-6 pm. Order now for the holidays, and stay tuned for more order opportunities during the year. Questions? Contact Linda Somogyi at linda.somogyi2@verizon.net.

Langley’s National English Honor Society (NEHS) invites all students to join the fun it it’s Pen Pals Around the World program. The program connects Langley with students from all over the world and fosters friendships through an age-old way of communicating – handwritten letters.

Through these letters, an engaging, personal exchange of ideas and cultures between students is sure to follow. Langley’s NEHS built an online forum where students can upload photos of their handwritten letters.

More than 200 students participated last year, including those in Langley and from Congo, France, Germany, Japan, Morocco, Turkey, Ukraine and more. Ready to write a letter? Fill out this form! Questions? Contact Mrs. Chern at rdchern@fcps.edu or email langleypenpals@gmail.com.

Parents, please consider donating gift cards to support the Langley teacher/staff raffle! The PTSA holds raffles throughout the year for teachers and staff who are PTSA members, and donations from Langley families are key to the raffles’ success. 

In the past, teachers/staff have greatly appreciated gift cards to stores such as Amazon, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts as well as local businesses. All gift cards are greatly appreciated, but a larger number of gift cards in small dollar amounts helps us hold more raffles. To donate gift cards, contact Kristen Simko at kristen.simko@gmail.com.

The LHS Student Directory helps families connect, whether virtually or in person. Please take a moment to verify your family info. Returning families can verify by logging in to their AtoZ Connect account and following the directions. (On the Households page, click the Please Verify button for each parent, student and home address.) New families will receive an email invitation soon to verify their info.

The directory will be online only this year, so make sure to download the AtoZ Connect app on your phone. It makes verification, and connecting with friends, even easier.

… FCPS hosts a weekly Healthy Minds podcast and recently Langley’s Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Kelly Rankin was invited to talk about early signs of substance use disorder and how to have a conversation with your student about addiction.

Click here to listen to Mrs. Rankin's 30-minute podcast. Want to talk with Mrs. Rankin? Feel free to email her at krankin@fcps.edu.

Read this section for class news and click the green class buttons to go to each class page for more details.

Congratulate your graduating student by creating a senior ad for the yearbook! Designing an ad has never been easier – see this flyer for tips. Click here to create an ad and pay online, as well as to order a yearbook. The deadline for ads is Sat, Oct 24. Use school code 4159.

Save the date for the next Sophomore Class Parent Forum on Tues, Nov 10 at 9:30 am. Can't attend? The recording will be posted on our Class of 2023 webpage.

return to school report: At tonight’s virtual School Board work session at 6 pm, Superintendent Brabrand will present his plan for bringing a small percentage of students back in November, and for transitioning students for in-person instruction. Click here to watch the meeting live or here to watch a recording at a later time. Check the FCPS Return to School webpage for the latest info.

college week: FCPS is hosting a live Virtual College Week during Oct 19-23. Students and their parents may participate in any or all of the sessions. Tune into learn more about paying for college, Naviance, the Common App, standardized tests, colleges in Europe and more. Click here for the schedule.

Advance registration is required - click here to register. You’ll receive a unique access link 24 hours before the events you register to attend.

public library checkouts: Through the Library Equity Access Pass (LEAP) program, students may check out Fairfax County Public Library books even if they don’t have a standard library card or their card is blocked due to fines. Through LEAP, students just need their name to check out three items at a time for six weeks each (no renewals) and students won’t be charged fees or fines.

Standard library cards are still needed to holds on materials and to access digital resources, such as eBooks and databases. Apply for a standard library card here.

rise against hunger 5k: In countries served by Rise Against Hunger, children often walk three miles to get to school, where they also receive nutritious meals. Join the McLean area Rise Against Hunger Race to School Challenge. Register here and complete your own 5k or 10k between Nov 5-10. Students can earn community service credit — send your bib number and a screen shot of your race times to riseagainstagainhungermclean@gmail.com.

donations needed: Looking for a way to help those in need? Local nonprofits helping families experiencing homelessness are requesting donations for clothing, food, hygiene products and cleaning products, and Volunteer Fairfax is coordinating a collection of items to be distributed to the area groups. Click here for a list of requested items. Drop donations off at the Burkholder Building (10700 Page Avenue, Suite 101, Fairfax, VA) on Mon-Thurs at 12-4 pm. Questions? Contact Tejas Patel at tpatel@volunteerfairfax.org or 703-246-3553.

service learning: Langley students can engage in service learning even during virtual learning. It can be as simple as shopping for food and delivering it to a food pantry or helping neighbors by walking the dog, raking leaves or mowing the lawn (activities have to be completed by students without payment). Did you help an organization? It can verify the hours. Did you help a neighbor? Your parent or neighbor can verify the hours. Students, log in to your x2Vol account to verify hours and visit Langley’s service learning webpage for ideas. Questions? Email Betsy Shomaker at enshomaker@fcps.edu.

upcoming events