Greetings, Dragon Nation! This the first message of the 22-23 school year from The Director’s Desk. Like last year, I have been graciously given the opportunity to use this space to communicate directly to all of you on a regular basis about the goings on at Maggie Walker. I will try to discuss topics and events in more detail that I would usually do in the Sunday Night Updates or the occasional posts on Twitter or Schoology. So let’s get started!

While I certainly know that COVID is still with us—as I managed to get it on the second day of school—it is not the center of our attention. We are able to return to full participation in all of our activities, including pep rallies, concerts, theater productions, dances, and travel. It is nice to see so many faces, masked or unmasked, in the hallways and classrooms. Hopefully, we will continue to make progress at tamping down this virus. It feels good to be back!

I would like to share a few things that we have in the works this year to make our community the best that it can be. The faculty is continuing our professional development in the area of cultural competency. Last year, we focused on activities and experiences that gave us better insight into the African American, Asian American, and Latinx cultures and experiences. We toured local cultural sites, met with leaders in the communities, and read books, poems, and articles. This year we are continuing with a focus on the Desi American, Native American, and Arab American cultures. We see this is as a tremendously good use of resources and it proved to be an excellent experience last year.

A couple of other areas where we are having discussions are related to equitable grading practices, course weighting, and an evaluation of our FIRC curriculum and structure. There will be opportunities for student input in both of these areas and I will keep you informed as to our progress. Additionally, the PTSA is sponsoring a refresh of the freshman and senior commons.

Finally, I would like to address concerns about the recent changes in the protections of transgender students that have been issued by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). At MLWGS, we have always had a very strong anti-discrimination policy that is supported by federal law. At this point, we do not plan to take any action regarding the creation of a new policy. There is a 30-day period of public comment on the proposed changes and that would be followed by the Virginia School Board Association making a policy recommendation that would be communicated to the districts and schools. Additionally, there are likely to be multiple legal challenges to the guidelines issued by the VDOE. At that point, we would evaluate the guidelines and recommendations.

Having said all of this, we are committed to making MLWGS a safe and welcoming place for all of our students. Thanks again to The Jabberwock for giving me another forum to stay connected with you. Until next time, stay safe, stay strong, and go Dragons!