The long weekend is over, a new semester has started, and our students are in the midst of selecting courses for next year. Over the next month, each student will have a one-on-one meeting with their LHS counselor to register for classes.
The PTSA was fortunate to host School Counselors Alex Mantel and Natalie Malone, at the Jan 11 General Membership Meeting. A recording of the meeting is posted on the PTSA website. In addition, be sure to visit the recently redesigned Academic Advising page on the Langley website.
I would like to highlight specific resources within the new webpage that may be helpful as your student prepares for the counselor meeting. First, the 2023-2024 Course Selection sheet includes a Traditional Course Sequencing/Planning Grid and QR codes linking to helpful sources such as the LHS Course Catalog.
More details on course selection can be found here and on course sequencing here. Each subject area lists requirements for standard and advanced diplomas and shows potential class sequencing in all required subject areas: Math, Science, English and Social Studies.
In addition, if you weren’t able to attend Curriculum Night, click here to view the teachers’ Curriculum Night presentations. Take a moment to peruse the link. You’ll find descriptions of class expectations, homework load and project requirements for general, honors, dual enrollment and AP courses in all the major subject areas.
I hope you find these resources helpful, and note that you may always contact your student’s counselor if you have additional questions.
~ Jamie H. Loving, PTSA President
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science olympiad: Congrats to our Science Olympiad team, which placed 3rd at the 2023 Carnegie Mellon University Science Olympiad Invitational!
The top 5 in each event were recognized with awards. The following students placed in their events:
2nd place awards
Zahra Izzi and Zelmay Jan in Cell Biology
Mansi Bhardwaj and Arnav Ketineni in Forensics
Claire Kim and Mia Tripathi in Write It Do It
Claire Kim and Nik Polyakov in Flight
Lilly Wu and Jason Zhang in It's About Time
3rd place awards
Scarlett Adams and Anderson Hoang in Forestry
Scarlett Adams, Pranav Gupta and Lilly Wu in Codebusters
Evan Ru and Lindsey Sherry in Dynamic Planet
4th place awards
Scarlett Adams, Anderson Hoang and Mia Tripathi in Experimental Design
Nik Polyakov and Jason Zhang in Detector
5th place awards
Claire Kim and Pranav Gupta in Trajectory
Raahil Potluri and Shae Tu in Scrambler
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dc scholastic writing awards: The following Langley students were recognized by a panel of professional novelists, editors, teachers, poets, librarians, journalists, and other literary professionals from 1,932 works submitted!
This year's Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention recipients are invited, along with their guests, teachers, and the esteemed jurors, to the 2023 Awards Ceremony for the DC Metro Writing Region of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards! The ceremony will be held Sun, Mar 5 from 2-4 pm at UDC Theater of the Arts, 4200 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008. RSVP here. Congrats to all!
Gold Key
Bryce Myers, Novel Writing: Altera Vita
Silver Key
Jenna Cai, Poetry: To Catch What I Missed
Sebastian Ghersi, Personal Essay & Memoir: Veronica
Tracy Gong, Poetry: An Ode to the Forgotten
Samantha Grayer, Critical Essay: Greenwashing: An Environmentally Unfriendly Solution
Jayden Lee, Personal Essay & Memoir: Looks Like Love
Honorable Mention
Scarlett Adams, Personal Essay & Memoir: No Longer Afraid
Connor Chun, Journalism: War of the Lost Generation Novel of All Generation
Michaela Frey, Poetry: An Analysis of my Human Sentiments
Sebastian Ghersi, Critical Essay: Ditch the Tools, Burn the House Down
Sebastian Ghersi, Poetry: It Hides In My Throat
Sebastian Ghersi, Poetry: The Poems I Never Showed You
Tracy Gong, Poetry: Forest God
Tracy Gong, Science Fiction & Fantasy: The only one left
Tracy Gong, Flash Fiction: The Sweatshirt
Danna Jia, Critical Essay: The Harms of Social Media
Jayden Lee, Flash Fiction: A Time for Departure
Jayden Lee, Poetry: Commencement
Milan Nguyen , Short Story: Her Sister
Anniyah Rizvi, Poetry: Dear Santa Claus
Anniyah Rizvi, Personal Essay & Memoir: For Amma
Jiayi Wang, Poetry: The Cultural Revolution
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Students, experience the judicial process first hand as a student juror! The Langley Model Judiciary Club has an opp for students to participate in the 2023 Model Judiciary Program as a student juror. The Model Judiciary Program is this Sat, Feb 4 at the Fairfax General District Courthouse.
Langley teams still need 20 students to volunteer to be student jurors for their cases. No preparation is needed to be a juror. The event starts at 8 am and all trials conclude by noon. Parents may attend. Group photos are permitted for this special occasion in the Fairfax County Courthouse.
Langley has four prosecution and four defense teams (over 40 students) registered to present mock trial cases against teams from other local high schools before practicing Virginia attorneys and student juries. The program is jointly sponsored by the YMCA and the Virginia Bar Association. All students participating will receive four hours of Community Service Credit.
See Club Officers Lianna Hong or Jayden Lee, or club faculty sponsor Mrs. McCommas in the school library no later than Thurs, Feb 2 after school if interested in participating as a juror to support a Langley trial team. Questions? Email Mrs. McCommas at csmccommas@fcps.edu.
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The LHS PTSA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee is excited to announce the second annual DIVERSEartLANGLEY art exhibition! The exhibition is Mon, Feb 27 from 6-7 pm in Langley Hall followed by a discussion in the Auditorium from 7-8 pm. Prizes will be awarded to the top three submissions.
Langley students are welcome to submit any original work of art in these formats: photography, painting/drawing, sculpture, literature (short stories/poetry) music, dance, theater/cinema or architecture.
Submissions should answer the following driving question: American Voices Telling American Stories: What is Your American story?
Submission hours are Mon, Feb 20 and Tues, Feb 21 between 7:45–8:10 am in Langley Hall. Be sure to record any audio or visual submissions (music, dance, theatre, film) on a flash drive. Duplicate submissions to Scholastic or Langley Pyramid Art shows are welcome. View the flyer here for more info.
Students, you can receive one hour community service if you attend the exhibition and present your art to attendees.
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Saxon Stage recently performed their One-Act, Fortress by Michael Scanlan, in the District Competition Liberty Division. Here are the results!
Langley HS - 2nd place out of 7 schools
Judges’ Rating: Superior
Langley HS also had the top two performers in the competition!
Scarlett Spano - 1
Frankie Diorio - 2
Langley HS and Saxon Stage now moves on to the Regional round this coming Wed, Feb 8 at 5:20 pm at Marshall HS, 7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043. Admission is free! Everyone is invited to come support Saxon Stage and these amazing students!
Competition One-Act All-Star Cast
Kim - Scarlett Spano
Billy - Frankie Diorio
Gladys - Victoria Ransom
Herb - Brady Kastner
Aunt Margaret/Mrs. Tommelio/Sue - Katie Murchison
Mr. Lawless/Mrs. Leonard - Annabelle Bozarth
George/Marty - Ion Cadenazzi
Mr. Cullen/Dave - Conner Tone
Tech Crew: Andrew Powell, Izzy Steenburgh, Lillian Weimer, Daniel Qiu, Cassie Keating, Atlas Zecca, Declan O’Rourke, Jenny Mears, Killian Korchnak, Clemence Zou
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Langley’s Girl Up Club supports Girl Up, a global organization that advocates and supports girls in need, domestically and internationally. This year’s Girl Up International Day is Sat, Feb 4, 3-5:30 pm in the Cafeteria. Bring a cultural food dish to share and enjoy a fun cultural talent show featuring Langley students. We would love all families in the Langley community to attend and donate what they can.
We are also looking for volunteers, and any help from other PTSAs and/or parents in the community who would love to assist us, by donating funds and/or supplies that are vital for International Day's success. The easiest way to donate funds to our club is through MySchoolBucks - simply search 'Girl Up' in the search bar and our icon will pop up.
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New families, join us on Feb 22 at 9:30 am in the LHS Career Center to learn about the College and Career Center from Karen Burke, Langley’s College and Career Specialist. Ms. Burke will talk about post-secondary school options for students, review Naviance – a countywide resource for students to make career and college decisions – and discuss Service Learning/Community Service. RSVP to Langley’s Family Liaison Julie Zimmerman Hohl at jbzimmerman@fcps.edu.
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The PTSA Hospitality Committee is looking for bakers to provide small desserts at our Winter Luncheon for Langley teachers, staff and administrators to be held on Feb 10. The PTSA hosts 3 luncheons a year as a small token of our appreciation for all that the teachers, staff and administrators do for our kids. The cookies, brownies and other goodies provided by the bakers in our parent community have always been a hit! Click here for more information and to sign up.
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Langley Ethics Day Committee is excited to open adult volunteer registration for the annual Senior Ethics Day on Tue, Mar 14! 500 seniors will spend a day learning and practicing ethical decision-making for life after high school. Register here to volunteer for an opportunity to impact high school seniors as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.
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PTSA members, do you still need to pick up your student directory? The next scheduled directory distribution date is Thurs, Feb 9 in the Cafeteria from 11:20-1:30 pm during lunch. Please have students stop by to pick up your copy. Can't make it? Email ptsalangley@gmail.com for pick-up options.
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FCPS is developing a new Strategic Plan and seeks input from families, students, teachers, staff, and community partners and organizations. Our students are preparing for careers that don’t exist today. In order to keep pace with these needs, we must rethink our plans for the future and how we will best serve our students for this new era.
To this end, FCPS invites everyone to participate in a Strategic Planning Community Forum. Community Forums will provide every resident an opportunity to participate in and influence the direction of FCPS’ Strategic Plan, prior to its completion and formal adoption by the School Board, expected by June.
The Langley Pyramid Community Forum is Sat, Feb 4, 9-10:30 am at Spring Hill ES. Register here. Can’t make it Saturday? There are numerous opps throughout February.
Learn more about the strategic planning process here and register for a Community Forum here.
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mock sat/act: Attention Langley students! Would you like to practice for upcoming standardized tests? Princeton Review is hosting a virtual SAT or ACT mock test this Sat, Feb 4. The mock test is $25 and will serve as a fundraiser for Langley HS PTSA. Click here to register by Fri, Feb 3 at noon.
You’ll be emailed a link to the online classroom and other information prior to the exam. Afterwards, you'll receive a comprehensive score report detailing your strengths and weaknesses.
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chick-fil-a fundraiser: Support Langley baseball and get ready for Super Bowl Sunday on Feb 12 with Chick-Fil-A nuggets! One medium tray holds 120 nuggets and feeds about 15 people for $62.50. Pick up your order at Chick-Fil-A Tysons (8461 Leesburg Pike Ste B, Vienna, VA 22182) between 8 am and 6 pm on Feb 11. All these nuggets need is an oven on Game Day and 10-15 minutes.
View the flyer here for ordering details and use this form to order. Questions? Email Coach Sronce at jwsronce@fcps.edu. Thank you for supporting the Langley Baseball program!
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be my valentine: All Night Grad Party (ANGP) is selling Valentine’s Day Candy bags for $5. Click here to buy yours now! Treat bags will be distributed on Mon, Feb 13 and Tues, Feb 14 in the Cafeteria during lunch.
Thank you for supporting ANGP. This sale is for all classes!
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On Sat, Feb 4, in partnership with Rise Against Hunger, the Langley pyramid elementary schools are joining Cooper MS and LHS with a goal to prepare 83,000 meal packages for schools and orphanages around the world.
Volunteer: Register to volunteer at this event here. Enter your last name and enter the "quantity" as the number of volunteers attending. If for any reason you need to cancel, please cancel through the Sign-up Genius to make those slots available to other Langley pyramid families.
Donate: Each meal costs only 42 cents to make. For just $15, you can donate over 35 meals; $30 will make over 70 meals and $100 will make nearly 280 meals. You may make your tax-deductible donation today by clicking here.
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link your grocery card/amazon smile update |
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It's not too late to link your Harris Teeter VIC card to LHS for the 2022-23 school year! Click here and let us handle registering your card or simply send an email to susanGconnery@gmail.com with your VIC card-linked phone number. You can also ask extended family members and neighbors for their VIC card-linked phone numbers, and we can link them on their behalf!
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The AmazonSmile program will be ending on Feb 20. If you have any upcoming Amazon purchases, please take advantage of these last few weeks of the program by clicking here and choosing to support “Langley High PTSA”. You can also get the app to shop AmazonSmile from your phone or tablet.
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It’s never too early to start planning for next year! The Langley PTSA Nominating Committee is already hard at work finding wonderful volunteers to fill openings on the PTSA executive board and various committee chair positions for the 2023-2024 school year. Whether you can share several hours of your time each week or only an hour each month, there is a role that is just right for you. There are even totally virtual opportunities that can be done from the comfort of your home or office. The Nominating Committee would be happy to assist you in finding the spot that best fits your interests and availability. Please contact Membership Chair Melissa Schwartz at mcschwartz@hotmail.com for more info.
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test workshop: Student Services is hosting a test anxiety workshop on Wed, Feb 8 during Langley Links in the Auditorium. The session is open to all students by requesting Anna Brown in Student Services during the Langley Links block on this day. More info is in this flyer.
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study skills: Could you use some help with study and organization skills? LHS counselors are hosting drop-ins during Langley Links “A” session. Topics of the Post-Its for your Mind series include test-taking and anxiety management, note-taking and mindfulness.
View the flyer with topics and dates here and use the QR code to register for sessions.
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The Career Connections Committee is gearing up for an awesome Career Fair on Tues, Feb 21, 9:30-11:15 am.
Parent volunteers needed! This is an in-person event held at LHS aimed to help expose students to different careers. Parents are invited to speak about their careers and inspire our future workforce with their expertise and advice! We still seek speakers in the fields of IT, Engineering, Communications (journalism, marketing, advertising, etc.), Arts and the Medical field (e.g. a nurse, family physician, medical researcher).
Each presenter provides a 15-minute presentation about his/her career, followed by a 10-minute Q & A session.
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The Langley Ice Hockey Team has a double header this Friday night at Reston SkateQuest. The undefeated Varsity team lines up against the Riverside Rams at 6:10 pm and the JV team is facing the Yorktown Patriots in their penultimate game at 9:30 pm. Before the varsity game we'll also feature another infamous t-shirt giveaway and a Dal Grano free dessert coupon (cannolis, tiramisu, and cake - oh my!). Game theme is Neon Out! Be one of the first in attendance and get a Saxon Ice Hockey t-shirt and a bunch of goodies. Be sure to arrive decked out in Neon flair!
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The DEA Laboratory has found that, of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now have a lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from the 2021 where four out of ten were laced. Can you tell the difference between a real or counterfeit pill? Visit the DEA website to learn more.
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Read below for class news. Click the green class buttons to go to each class's webpage.
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Mark your calendars! Our last Senior Parent Forum is Mar 28 from 9:30-11 am in the LHS Lecture Hall. We will cover Senior Class end of year activities, Langley Leap, Graduation, and All Night Grad Party. Our guest speaker Jennifer Weaver, Psychotherapist, LCSW, RPT-S, will present tips for parents on how to prepare for their senior’s transitional summer, leaving for college and attending their freshmen year.
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Save the date! Class of 2024 parents, join Langley’s College and Career Counselor Karen Burke for a guided tour of the Naviance system on Feb 24 at 9:30 am. Naviance is the tool that is used by our students throughout their HS career and is especially useful as our students and their parents navigate the college application process. Ms. Burke will explain the system and provide hints and tips for its use. See you there!
Additionally, mark your calendars for the Class of 2024 College Panel on Tues, Mar 14, 7 pm (not Mar 7 as previously announced). The forum will be held in the LHS Auditorium and will be led by visiting college admission professionals and is for both students and parents.
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It may seem like a long way off, but our students’ graduation will come sooner than you can imagine. One of the most memorable moments of Senior Week (the week leading up to graduation) is the class video that is viewed at the Senior Breakfast attended by seniors and their families. Do you have photos of this year's events to share? Include only pictures of the Class of 2026 and only Langley High School events, i.e. sports, concerts, dances, clubs, theater, treat days, Saxon Time, field trips, etc.
We need your help! Share photos of your child's happy LHS memories as they happen - upload them here right from your phone or computer.
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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 Langley HS and McLean HS, and youth members serve a one-year term. Completed petition packets are due to MCC by Fri, Mar 3 at 5 pm. Requirements and info are on the MCC website.
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optimist club contest: The Great Falls Optimist Club encourages area high school students to enter its Essay and Oratorical Contests.
This year’s topic for the Essay Contest is Who is an Everyday Hero that Brings Out the Optimist in You? The local club level Essay Contest is Feb 9. The topic for the Oratorical Contest is Discovering the Optimism Within Me, and the club level Oratorical Contest is on May 11.
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branchout! If your student is interested in volunteering in areas they are passionate about, BranchOut! offers a variety of opps to get involved in service. Student mentors can volunteer at credit recovery programs across FCPS and Howard County, MD, teach at STEAM outreach programs to a K-8 audience, host college and career-oriented interviews and panel discussions, create apps that have won the Congressional App Challenge, and write creative pieces and edit works for our international magazine The Explorer.
Every summer, about 150 high school mentors, many from Fairfax County and Langley HS, volunteer in all of these events. BranchOut! offers year-round opps with rolling applications, as well as summer enrichment opps for mentors flexible to your schedules.
Interested students should apply here. Deadlines: Early Bird: Mar 1; Regular: May 1; Rolling Late until Jun 1.
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Safer Internet Day on Feb 7 is an international education and awareness-raising effort to bring communities together to discuss challenges families face navigating the digital world, and teaches them how to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively.
The National PTA and ConnectSafely are offering a virtual learning session for parents and caregivers on Feb 7 at 7:30 pm, titled No Room for Doom: Helping Your Family Thrive in Our Digital Age. This session will explore how to help children and teens navigate common online scenarios such as screentime, pressure to be perfect, and the impact of influencers. Click here to learn more and register.
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Feb 4: Langley Pyramid Strategic Planning Community Forum, 9-10:30 am, Spring Hill ES.
Feb 4: Rise Against Hunger, Langley Pyramid
Feb 4: Girl Up International Day, 3-5:30 pm, Cafeteria
Feb 6: Partners for Safe Teen Driving, 6:30 pm, Auditorium. Doors close promptly!
Feb 7: Rising 9th Grade Curriculum Night, 7 pm, Auditorium
Feb 10: Winter Luncheon for Teachers and Staff
Feb 11: Winter Dance, 7:30 pm
Feb 20: Student Holiday - President’s Day
Feb 21: Career Connections, 9:30-11:15 am
Feb 21: Orchestra Pyramid Concert, 7 pm, Auditorium
Feb 22: New Families Career Center Event, 9:30 am, Career Center
Feb 23: Saxon Service
Feb 23: One Acts, 7 pm, Auditorium
Feb 24: One Acts, 7 pm, Auditorium
Feb 25: It's Academic on WETA, 10 am and 7 pm
Feb 25: One Acts, 5 pm, Auditorium
Feb 27: DiverseArtLangley Art Exhibition, 6 pm, Langley Hall
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Join the LHS PTSA! Click Here.
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LHS PTSA eNews Editors
Gary Coetzee, Julianne Kass, Niki Mallick, Helen Miller and
Stephanie Maxwell (Technical Advisor)
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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