Our Langley HS sophomores were recently treated to Career Connections, a career exploration event, which tied in with their recent Langley Links lessons. Career Connections featured presentations by almost 30 professionals in careers ranging from surgeon to librarian. With course selection in process, these presentations were particularly timely in case they sparked a new curiosity in some of our students.
In addition, our Career Connections Student Committee Members Sanjana Balamurugan, Rishi Choubey, Cathy Huang, Shreejay Kannon, Amy Key, Maria Lopez, Alisha Luthra, Isabel Maday, Aamnah Malik, Hope Myung, Sharini Rahman, Cat Tran, Isabela Torkambor, Michael Zhang, and Sara Zhong prepared for several months to acquire the skills needed to lead the program. These extremely bright, dedicated, and enthusiastic students served in roles such as professional liaisons, volunteer coordinators, communication chairs, meeting officers and student moderators.
Assisting these student leaders were the Student Moderators, Sarah Azad, Nava Berwick, Clarissa Caslli, Gabriel Che, Anna Chen, Taylor Frankel, Jacqueline Gauthier, Alexia Ghersi, Adelina Grgeta, Daniel Louie, Charlotte Loving, Faris Madani, Aine Noonan, Nikki Noshad, Katherine Prewett, Victoria Ransom, Olivia Shapiro, Anna Speidel, Anna Talbot, and Erin Young.The student moderators served as hosts to the presenters, read the presenters’ bios, introduced them to the attendees and managed student questions.
Prior to event on Feb 21, all students were guided through training by PTSA Career Connection chairs Sonaal Luthra and Leslie Speidel. They created the foundation for this program and mentored the students throughout the process, enabling them to develop their skills and increase their responsibilities.
Thank you to Ms. Luthra, Ms. Speidel, the additional PTSA parent volunteers, and especially the Career Connections Student Committee Members and Moderators, for making the 2023 Career Connection program a success!
~ Jamie H. Loving, PTSA President
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Mark your calendars! The next PTSA General Membership Meeting is this coming Wed, Mar 8 at 9 am in the Lecture Hall. We’ll be joined by Principal Greer and guest speaker, Dranesville School Board Representative Elaine Tholen. Click here to submit questions for Ms. Tholen by Sun, Mar 5. See you there!
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Stay after the PTSA General Membership Meeting and join LHS School Psychologist Anna Brown as she leads a Book Talk on Lynn Lyons’ book, Anxiety Audit and discusses ways to identify anxious thoughts and combat them. The Book Talk will be held on Mar 8 at 11 am in the Lecture Hall immediately following the PTSA meeting. This book talk is a prelude to author Lynn Lyons’ presentation at the McLean Community Center on Mar 15. See the feature below class notes for further info on that event.
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reflections winners: On Fri, Feb 24, the Fairfax County Council PTA Reflections Awards ceremony was held at Lake Braddock SS.
Congrats to sophomore Aryana Molaiy for receiving the first-place Outstanding Interpretation Award in photography and to junior Peter Thoreson for receiving the second-place Award of Excellence in visual arts.
Aryana’s first-place finish qualifies her work to advance to the Virginia PTA.
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science olympiad regional tournament: Congratulations to our Science Olympiad Team for winning the championship at the Regional Tournament in February!
Our A-team finished in first place and our B team finished in sixth place. The top 6 teams in an event were recognized with awards. The following students placed in their events:
1st place
Rachel Ku and Jason Zhang in It's About Time
Claire Kim and Mia Tripathi in Write It Do It
Zelmay Jan and Sankrith Ramani in Anatomy and Physiology
Nik Polyakov and Jason Zhang in Detector Building
Mansi Bhardwaj and Zelmay Jan in Dynamic Planet
Matthew Kim and Lilly Wu in Trajectory
2nd place
Arnav Ketineni and Sankrith Ramani in Environmental Chemistry
Scarlett Adams, Eugene Byun and Mia Tripathi in Experimental Design
Noah McFadden and Madeleine Meng in Forensics
Justin Ma, Akaash Sachdeva and Lilly Wu in Codebusters
3rd place
Mansi Bhardwaj and Arnav Ketineni in Forensics
Pranav Sankrith Ramani and Ray Zhang in Code
Sankrith Eugene in Chem Lab
Pranav Gupta and Claire Kim in Trajectory
Sohil Kadam and Sarah Azad in Write It Do It
Omar Khatri and Isabella Zhang in Bridge
Lily Choi and Risha Potluri in Forestry
Shriya Jaddu and Daniella Wu in Disease Detectives
Ruthie Chian and Leon Huang in WiFi Lab
4th place
Mia Tripathi and Jolie Wu in Rocks and Minerals
Scarlett Adams and Rachel Ku in Forestry
Arnav Ketineni and Nik Polyakov in Scrambler
Shae Tu and Lilly Wu in It's About Time
Avi Grang and Risha Potluri in Environmental Chemistry
5th place
Claire Kim and Jolie Wu in Astronomy
Harry Han and Anderson Hoang in Forestry
Sarah Azad and Katherine Ku in Trajectory
Lily Choi and Shae Tu in Forensics
Ruthie Chian and Shriya Jaddu in Rocks and Minerals
Raahil Mallick and Shae Tu in Scrambler
6th place
Zahra Izzi and Jolie Wu in Disease Detectives
Isabella Zhang and Harry Han in It's About Time
The Science Olympiad team thanks coaches Leah Puhlick and Kenny Torres for their unwavering dedication and support that played a crucial role in the team’s success.
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Save the date! All Night Grad Party (ANGP) is having a dining out fundraiser on Wed, Mar 15 from 4 pm-8 pm at the Chipotle located at 8461 Leesburg Pike next to Best Buy. Order ahead in the app or online here. Take a break from cooking and support our seniors!
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angp tickets: The All Night Graduate 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 7 from 10:30 pm-4:00 am at Oak Marr Rec Center. Activities include mini golf, game, casino, swimming pools, spray tattoos, dancing, karaoke, food and more. Click here to purchase tickets! Ticket price is $75. Hurry, the price goes up Mar 31!
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yard signs: Show your Saxon student pride with a personalized Congrats Class of 2023 yard sign! Signs are $45. Click here to purchase.
limo raffle: 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: 1 ticket for $10 or 3 tickets for $25. Chauffeured ride provided by Burki Limo Service.
family portrait: Kate Allen Photography is offering a Family Portrait Sitting. The Kate Allen Photography Basic Package is great for family photos with your graduate. Visit the Kate Allen website for more info. Purchase raffle tickets here: 1 ticket for $10 or 3 tickets for $25.
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The 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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Saxon Broadcast airs every third period via YouTube for students and staff and can be accessed here. If you have announcements you would like to air on Saxon Broadcast, fill out our Announcement Request Form. You can follow us on Instagram @saxonbroadcast where we post segment clips for each show and TikTok @saxon_broadcast. Tune in!
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Last week our Saxon community supported families impacted by the recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. During Saxon Service, the blanket making station expanded to cover almost half the Cafeteria and Langley HS students worked together to make over 30 blankets to deliver to the Turkish Embassy for earthquake relief efforts. Thank you to Nadia Nachawati for sharing information about the situation in Syria and delivering the blankets to the Turkish embassy.
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Calling all runners and walkers! Our 4th Annual Bands on the Run 5K is on Sun, April 23 at 8 am!
This event is open to the entire community and benefits the Langley HS and Cooper MS bands. Friends and family of Langley, Cooper and the elementary schools of the Langley pyramid are especially invited. All ages are welcome. Run the course like a pro or walk the course with a friend! Stay afterwards and enjoy live DJ music, refreshments and sponsors’ tables.
Race registration is open and is $30 for students 6-18 years old and $35 for adults through Mar 17. After Mar 18 prices go up to $35 and $40 respectively, so sign up here now! All participants will receive an official race t-shirt and children 5 and under are free!
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Become a sponsor of the Bands on the Run 5K and promote your business!
Thank you to our initial sponsors!
MAESTRO
McLean Artisans
FIRST CHAIR
Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center
Debbie &Scott Felder
The Miller Family
Rossen Landscape
All Donations are tax-deductible.
Sponsor information is available here.
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Each year, FCPS students can apply for the position of the student representative to the School Board. The student rep is not a member of the School Board but serves in a nonvoting, advisory capacity, representing the interests of FCPS students.
Students currently in grades 9-11 are eligible to apply. Applicants do not need to be current members of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council. Applications are due by Wed, Mar 23. Click here for more info.
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Are you starting to wish it was summer? Be sure to click here to see the new Summer Opportunities Spreadsheet. Additional summer jobs, volunteer opps and scholarships are added continually. Take a look!
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Could you use some help with study and organization skills? LHS counselors are hosting drop-ins during Langley Links “A” session, entitled Post-Its for your Mind. The series ends Mar 16 with a session on mindfulness. View the flyer here and use the QR code to register for this session.
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The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) will hold public hearings on the Proposed Revised 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning. The Standards of Learning identify the essential content, processes, and skills for grade levels and subject courses.
A public hearing for our area will be held Tues, Mar 14, at 7 pm at George Washington’s Mount Vernon (3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy, Mt Vernon, VA 22121). VDOE is also taking public comments on the VDOE website now through Tues, Mar 21. Visit this VDOE webpage for more info.
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As seniors begin to prepare for their futures outside of Langley, many have to confront the daunting college admissions process. Knowing where to turn or what resources to utilize can be a challenge. This is where college career counselors can play a fundamental role in paving the way toward a smooth college application process.
Meet Karen Burke, Langley's new College and Career Specialist! Ms. Burke has previous experience in the role of career counselor, and she brings that wealth of experience to her new job at Langley HS.
Ms. Burke is a double Hokey, having earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees at Virginia Tech. She explained that her major was in consumer studies, but then her career shifted towards education, which she has found very rewarding. Ms. Burke has enjoyed the time spent this year meeting Saxon students and addressing their concerns regarding college.“Working with students, [has been] my favorite part of being in education overall. I’ve already met so many great families and so many great students and just helped everyone through the process of what's next, so that's what the great thing about this role is, just being able to meet so many different kinds of students,” Burke said.
Ms. Burke discussed how important it is to find the right work environment, and that is part of what led her to Langley HS. She started out doing graduate school admissions, but it was more of an administrative job that didn’t allow her to work closely with students. She explains, “I really just enjoy talking to people and helping people find their fits.” After discovering her interests via work and school experiences, Ms. Burke has committed her time to advancing the careers and passions of others. Ms. Burke believes that her career path demonstrates her belief that “everything does happen for a reason, everything that you encounter really is a new opportunity.”
Because preparing for college is a time-consuming task, Ms. Burke’s primary tip is being organized in the college application process. “Being organized I think will help with what is next because there are so many different parts and pieces to the next step; so [have] that all in one place whatever that looks like for you, be it a spreadsheet or whatever else,” Burke recommends.
Ms. Burke radiates enthusiasm, stating that she is “[motivated by] seeing others succeed and... helping others, whether it is in school or volunteering in the community, I think it's nice to just do something for others, and this job ... allows me to have that and support others on their journey." Langley students are fortunate to have such a committed college and career counselor. Welcome to Saxon Country Ms. Burke!
~ Mariam Niazi & Laura Barker, Saxon Scope Reporters
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meet the coach: LHS is hosting a Meet the Coach Night on Mon, Mar 6 at 7 pm in the Cafeteria. There will be a presentation from the Activities Office followed by breakout sessions with each individual spring sport. This is for parents of spring sports only. Athletes are not required to come.
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yard signs: Spring sports yard signs are available now through Mon, Mar 13. These durable signs look great and can be used both indoors and outside. Yard signs are a great way to show school spirit and support your athlete and the Langley Athletic Boosters! Orders can be made here.
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saxons, did you know . . . |
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Monica Vermani, psychologist from Psychology Today writes, “Self-care is linked to improved mental health, self-esteem, self-worth and optimism.” Here is an article to better understand the connection between self-care and mental health.
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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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ethics day volunteers: The Ethics Day Committee needs parent volunteers on Mar 14 for the Senior Ethics Day event. Parents are needed for set-up, tear down, handing out lunches and directing traffic. Senior parents cannot be table leaders, but if you have a relative, friend or neighbor who would be interested they are welcome to sign up. Click here to volunteer.
senior class dues: Seniors, dues are mandatory! They cover the cost of cap and gown, Senior Breakfast, bus transportation to DAR and all other graduation expenses. Dues are $100 and can be paid online at MySchoolBucks.
senior parent forum: 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.
pta scholarships: Seniors, the VA PTA Scholarship Program has multiple awards of $500 available for students enrolled in a 4-year academic degree program, students enrolled in a 2 or 3 year tech, vocational or associate degree program, students enrolled in a school of design or fine arts, and special education students.
More info can be found here. Applications are due Thurs, Mar 30. A student must be a member of the PTSA to apply for scholarships. Join the PTSA by clicking here.
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Mark your calendars for the Class of 2024 College Panel on Tues, Mar 14, 7 pm. The forum will be held in the LHS Auditorium and will be led by visiting college admission professionals. The College Panel is for both students and parents.
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Space is Limited! Join us Wed, Mar 15 for a Safe Community Coalition Speaker Event. Lynn Lyons is author of Anxiety Audit: Seven Sneaky Ways Anxiety Takes Hold, and How to Avoid Them (2022); Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children (2013) and additional books, videos and webinars on managing anxiety.
Based on current research and over 30 years of clinical experience, Ms. Lyons presents a strategic approach based on skill-building with prevention. Using creativity, connection and awareness of their own patterns, parents will learn how to increase their child’s flexibility, support the tolerance of uncertainty, and emotionally and preventatively equip themselves and those they love.
The event is at the McLean Community Center on Wed, Mar 15 at 7 pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
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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 tomorrow at 5 pm. Requirements and info are on the MCC website.
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hslp: The Sorensen Institute High School Leadership Program (HSLP) is holding a two-week summer program Jul 15-29 at the University of Virginia. The HSLP provides a wonderful opportunity for high school students to experience a university environment, develop leadership skills, and engage with peers of different backgrounds and regions who have an interest in public service and public policy. The program is open to current sophomores, juniors, and seniors who live in or attend high school in Virginia. Upon completion of the program, students will earn 3 graded college credits from UVA. Applications are due Mon, Mar 10. Find more info here.
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fun fair: Students, do you need volunteer hours? Do you remember all of the fun of going to Fun Fair in elementary school? We’d love for you to volunteer your time to support Fun Fair at Spring Hill ES and will provide all verification you need to earn your service hours. We can’t make Fun Fair a success without your help!
To volunteer at Fun Fair on Sat, Mar 18, please click the Student Volunteer Sign-up button on our website and fill out the I Want to be a Student Volunteer at Fun Fair Form. You must answer all the questions to submit your registration. A Fun Fair Committee member will contact you about volunteer opps.
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teen job fair: Fairfax County is hosting Teen Job Fairs and Career-Building Workshops on the following Saturdays at various high schools in the county: Mar 11, Mar 18 and Mar 25. The registration link and more info can be found here.
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summer job fair: The McLean Citizens Association (MCA), with support from McLean, Langley and Marshall High Schools, is hosting a summer job fair on Mar 18 from 10 am-1 pm at the McLean Community Center. Students, no signup is required and you may just walk in. It is recommended that you bring copies of your resume to leave with potential employers. You can also fill out applications on the spot. Questions? Email the MCA Education & Youth committee at e-y_committee@mcleancitizens.org.
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oratorical contest: The Optimist Club of Great Falls is hosting an Oratorical Contest on Thurs, Apr 6 at 6:30 pm. The topic for this year is “Discovering the Optimism within Me.” Scholarships will be awarded to the first, second and third-place winners. For more information about the contest, click here. Questions? Email Sheela Rao at greatfallsoptimistclub@gmail.com.
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Mar 2: Band Concert, 7 pm, Auditorium
Mar 3: Student Holiday
Mar 6: Spring Sports Meet the Coach Night, 7 pm, Cafeteria
Mar 7: Choir Concert, 7 pm, Auditorium
Mar 8: PTSA General Membership Meeting, Ms. Tholen and Principal Q & A, 9 am, Lecture Hall
Mar 8: Anxiety Book Talk with Anna Brown, 11 am, Lecture Hall
Mar 9: Band Concert, 7 pm, Auditorium
Mar 14: Senior Ethics Day
Mar 14: Junior College Panel, 7 pm, Auditorium
Mar 17: Class of 2025 Parent Coffee, 9 am, Lecture Hall
Mar 24: Saxon Service
Mar 28: Senior Parent Forum, 9:30-11 am, Lecture Hall
Apr 3-Apr 7: Spring Break
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Join the LHS PTSA! Click Here.
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LHS PTSA eNews Editors
Gary Coetzee, Pamela Fox, Julianne Kass, 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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