With many students now on campus for school, spring sports, graduation planning and senior prom this Saturday, we’re at a level of activity that feels wonderful! Next week is also Teacher Appreciation Week. In celebration, the PTSA is hosting an outdoor luncheon next Friday for our teachers and staff. It’s also a perfect week to send Super Saxon Shoutouts to teachers! See below for details.

Don’t forget to join us for the last PTSA General Membership virtual meeting of the school year on Wed, May 5 at 9:30 am. Our order of business includes voting on the slate of LHS PTSA officer nominees for 2021-22 and providing updates from committees and on end-of-year items and senior events. Click here for the meeting link. The officer slate was announced at the March meeting and is posted, along with next week’s meeting link, on the PTSA homepage. I hope to see you there!

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week! If you had been meaning to send some Super Saxon Shoutouts, now is the perfect time to let our Langley teachers know how much they are appreciated. Fill out this form by Sun, May 2, and the PTSA will send your Shoutouts during next week. There’s no limit — send as many as you like. Thank you for showing our teachers some love!

Come enjoy a live show! Never Swim Alone, Saxon Stage’s one-act play, runs in-person this Fri, Apr 30 at 7 pm and Sat, May 1 at 2 pm in the LHS Theatre.

Tickets are $5 and sold in advance (no in-person sales). Admission is capped at 100 per show, so don’t wait to get your tickets! Click here to purchase for the Friday evening show and here for the Saturday matinee. Masks are required and seating is general admission with social distancing between seats and rows. View the playbill here.

prom: This Saturday evening is forecasted to be a beautiful, clear night and DJ Chris Styles will be spinning the tunes as the Class of 2021 celebrates with senior prom! Electric Events DC will transform the LHS bus loop into An Evening Under the Stars. There’s still space in the 11 pm time slot. Click here for more details and to sign up — it’s free and no ticket needed!

Seniors, join your class for this very special celebration! Remember: the event is for LHS seniors only and check-in, masks and social distancing required. Rain date is May 8. Questions? Email Assistant Principal James Sykes at jsykes@fcps.edu. Hope to see you there!

post-langley plans: Seniors, the Saxon Scope needs your help! The annual Senior Scope issue includes a list of graduating Saxons and your plans for next year. We want to include you! Please complete this form by midnight, Sun, May 2. Remind your friends, and thanks for filling out the form!

congratulations graduate signs: Don’t forget to order your "Congratulations Graduate!" yard sign! These signs are a great memento and look good both inside and out. Click here to order. Deadline is Mon, May 10. Pick-up will be in mid-May in McLean and Great Falls. Questions? Email saranapkoenig@gmail.com.

Congratulations to junior Pranav Choudhary, who was selected as next year’s student representative to the FCPS School Board.

Pranav has served LHS and high school students in many capacities already, including being on the Langley Student Advisory Council and as a student rep on the LHS/McLean HS Boundary Citizen Advisory Group. Congrats, Pranav!

Langley families, plan on picking up a delicious dinner from Lebanese Taverna and support GradFest at the same time! Dinners will be delivered for contactless pick-up in the LHS parking lot on Mon, May 10 at 5pm. Click here for menu options and to place your order. Questions? Email events@cateringbylt.com or call 703-841-1503.

Lebanese Taverna will donate 15 percent of every order to the Class of 2021 GradFest. Thank you for ordering!

lhs math camp: Langley's Math Department is holding two-week virtual math sessions during July 5-16 and July 19-30 from 9 am–1 pm. Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre-calc will be available in both sessions. 

The sessions introduce the upcoming curriculum and reinforce prerequisite knowledge, so sign up for the same session option as your 2021-22 math course. Interested? Students, please fill out this interest form by Fri, May 14. 

fcps epf course: Many Langley students take the FCPS Economics and Personal Finance course online and over the summer. The online course is self-paced and must be completed between June 28-July 30. Click here for more info and here to register.  

Don't miss the next Saxon Parents Walk & Talk on Mon, May 3! Stroll around the LHS campus and connect with others in the Langley parent community on May 3, May 10 and May 24 at 1:30 pm. Meet at Door 14. Masks required. Check @LangleyHS_PTSA for any weather-related cancellations.

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is mandated to periodically review and update the math curriculum and the Virginia Mathematics Pathway Initiative (VMPI) is proposed under the current review. VMPI would revamp K-12 math education to "modernize" it and to "align instruction with the essential knowledge and skills students need to succeed in the 21st century economy." The plan indicates that it would place all students in the same math class in each of grades K-10, rearrange the content of grades 8-10 math, and allow Honors and AP options only in grades 11-12. 

Many questions have been raised about the plan, including the difficulty of differentiating instruction to students in heterogeneous classes through grade 10, whether it would allow for acceleration or for additional assistance, and how the pathway would prepare students interested in AP and post-AP classes. In response to public feedback, the VDOE webpage was recently modified and its representatives state that advanced math options will be available. Click here for a recent TV news piece and here to read a Washington Post article and its reader comments. 

Last week, VMPI representatives held its grades 8-10 "Essential Concepts" info session. The grades 11-12 "Advanced Pathways" session is Tues, May 25 at 6:30 pm. The session livestreams and recordings are posted on the VDOE Youtube channel. Search “VMPI” to locate them. General information on the plan is posted on this VDOE webpage. 

To submit comments to VDOE, email vdoe.mathematics@doe.virginia.gov or use this form. To submit comments to your state representatives, click here for their contact info. 

Did you miss Kelly Rankin’s final segment on substance abuse prevention last week? You can still see it on Youtube. Her informative presentation included portions from the first two segments and the recording is a great overview of the three-part series. Questions? Contact Ms. Rankin at krankin@fcps.edu or 703-287-2744.

… Emory University sociologist Corey Keyes coined the mental health term “languishing” when he was struck that many people who are not depressed still aren’t thriving. Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness, and it might be a dominant emotion of 2021! Here is a commentary in the New York Times.

Read below for class news. Click the green class buttons to go to each class's webpage.

parent forum: Join us for College Crash Course 101, the final Class of 2021 parent forum on Fri, May 7 at 12 pm. During this virtual forum, parent panelists will discuss the next chapter! We’ll cover budgeting, meal plans, health care, orientation sessions, finding a roommate, dorm room setup, letting go and keeping in touch. Bring your questions and your advice to aid in the discussion. Click here to join the forum and see you there!

grad announcements: To order announcements, go to Balfour and enter Langley High School to access our “shop my school" page. Choose the standard announcement or the option with a photo. Other mementos are available, including diploma frames, souvenir tassels and class rings. Questions? Contact Balfour at balfournova@yahoo.com or 703-941-1436.

gradfest and car parade: Save the date! We’ll celebrate graduation with GradFest (in lieu of All-Night Grad Party or ANGP) and a Senior Car Parade on Thurs, June 3, the day after graduation. Stay tuned for more details.

class forum recording: Did you miss our parent forum this week with Assistant Principal Wayne Biernesser about senior year? The session recording is posted on the LHS Class of 2022 Parent Facebook page.

lhs junior service awards: The LHS PTSA Award for Outstanding Service honors juniors who have demonstrated excellent service achievement and an ongoing sense of commitment to a worthy cause at LHS or the community at large. Winners receive a certificate and monetary award. Anyone can nominate — teachers, peers, parents, coaches, guidance counselors, club/organization sponsors. Self-nominations are allowed, too! The deadline is May 7. Click here for the nomination form.

essay contest: Entries are due tomorrow, Apr 30, for the Multi-Culture, One Community: Life as an Asian American essay contest sponsored by the Chinese American Parents Association of NoVA (CAPA NoVA).

Essays will be judged in three age groups: grades 4-6, grades 7-9 and grades 10-12. Cash prizes go to all three age categories ($100 for 1st place, $50 for 2nd place and $25 for 3rd place). Click here for more info.

art contests: Entries are due tomorrow, Apr 30 for the  Congressional Institute art contest. Winning works are displayed for one year at the US Capitol. Click here for the rules and more info.

The 60th Anniversary National Student Art Competition, sponsored by the White House Historical Association, invites submissions on the theme The White House: An American Story. Entries are due May 21 and will be judged in three categories: grades K-3, 4-8 and 9-12. Click here for more info.

water mine lifeguards: The Water Mine is hiring over 150 lifeguards for the summer and is holding a series of drive-through open hires throughout May. Lifeguards must be 15 years of age or older. Certain swimming skills are needed, but prior life guard experience or certifications are not required. Click here for more info.

fcps camps: Registration is open for in-person, summer FCPS camps for middle school and high school students in fine arts, performing arts and several areas of career and technical education (CTE). Don’t wait to register! Camps are small due to social distancing guidelines and space is very limited. Click here to register for the one-week CTE camps. Click here for the two-week and four-week fine arts/performing arts camps. All are held at Robinson SS.

fbi camp: The Washington field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) invites high school students to apply to its Future Agents in Training program, held virtually Aug 3-5. Students will learn about terrorism, cyber crime, SWAT teams and other FBI operations. They'll hear from agents and analysts about gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses and solving cases. View or print this flyer and click here for more info and the application. Apps are due May 31.

upcoming events

Join the LHS PTSA! Click Here.