Thank you to ALL families who have made donations to the LHS PTSA! Each and every dollar is so appreciated. As a result of your generosity, the PTSA Appropriations Committee, which includes Principal Ragone, reviewed requests from the faculty for classroom equipment and technology in the amount of $41,932. Included in the funded requests were laptop computers, SMART Boards, and extensive software support for the curriculum. Since that meeting, additional requests have been submitted. Your donations are still critical for us to meet the needs of our faculty and students. Please continue to make donations to the LHS PTSA. We will be presenting a full list of all funded requests along with demonstrations of the equipment at the next Principal/PTSA Coffee on Oct 31 at 9:15 am in the Auditorium.

  ~Betsy Shomaker, PTSA President & Lea Ann Edwards, PTSA President-Elect 

The Student Services Office has seen an increase in students asking to see their letters of recommendation before they are sent to colleges. On Secondary School Report Forms, students have the option to waive their right to access to see their letters of recommendation before the letters are sent, and we strongly encourage this. Admission offices weigh more seriously what writers say about the student if the student has waived his or her rights. The Buckley Amendment gives the student the right to examine his or her records and letters of recommendation after matriculation. 

Oct 5: Deadline for students to submit materials to the counselor for Early Decision/Early Action college deadlines

Oct 8: School Holiday  allowing  students  time  to  visit  colleges or work on college applications  

Reminder . . . counselors are extremely busy helping students navigate through the opening of a new school year, college applications, letters of recommendations, 504 meetings, attending county trainings, etc. Please have patience with the counselors this first couple of months of school. It might take 48 hours to return voicemail and emails during this time.

Have you assigned your grocery cards to Langley HS yet this year? Did you know that if you link your grocery cards at your favorite  store with Langley, every purchase you make will earn a small per- centage for the school? So far, we don't have nearly the number of families participating in these programs as in previous years. Registration must be renewed every year, so if you haven't done it yet this school year, now is the time.    

Participating stores: Safeway, Giant, Harris Teeter.  

For complete information on how to sign up for each one, go to langleyptsa.org.

Too busy? Little time? Send your name, address, telephone number (the info that is linked to the cards), plus the grocery card numbers to <elizabeth.trumbull@gmail.com>, and we will take care of it for you.

band: Donations continue to roll in from the Langley community, with $17,348 in donations to the band program. Help us close the gap to our goal of $20k for full budget funding. Individual donations of $50 or more will be recognized in all concert programs. For more info, go to www.langleybands.org. ◆ Eighth Grade Night was a huge success. Over 40 students from Cooper and Kilmer middle schools attended an al fresco pre-game pizza party and played with the band in the stands. Thank you to Jennifer York, Kathy Swenson, and Barbara Young for organizing this fun event. ◆"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" because the Marching Band just keeps on getting better all the time. Congratulations to the band on a great show last Friday night!

winter sports: Team Interest Meetings will be in Room 225 after school (unless otherwise noted). Meetings will cover the schedule and format for tryouts as well as other important information related to the upcoming season. Any players interested in trying out MUST attend.

Oct 10: Boys Lacrosse

Oct 15: Gymnastics

Oct 18: Girls Tennis

Oct 24: Girls Soccer

Oct 30: Girls Lacrosse

Oct 30: Girls Basketball

drinking and driving: More than 1,900 motor vehicle crashes in Fairfax County from 2006 to 2011 involved an alcohol-impaired driver aged 15-24. Learn more about this problem and join the conversation at a Community Forum on Drinking and Driving by Youth and Young Adults on Tue, Oct 9 at 7 pm at McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave. McLean. Hosted by the Safe Community Coalition (SCC) and Unified Prevention Coalition.

substance abuse awareness: The SCC will also host a program in recognition of National Medicine and Substance Abuse Awareness Month on Prescription Medicine Awareness.  The program will be held on Wed, Oct 17 at the McLean Community Center at 7 pm. The McLean Police Department, local pharmacists, and others in the health community will share information about this issue. A Prescription Medicine Drop Off will be available from 5-7 pm that same evening. Community members are encouraged to drop off their unused or expired prescription medications.

fashion show: The Fashion Show at Langley HS on Sept 29 raised a total of over $1,700 for breast cancer with over 100 people in attendance. Thirty models from Langley walked the runway for this worthy cause. Ester Howard of Paul Mitchell School said, "We would like to thank Langley High for allowing us to host the event at their school and their models for doing an outstanding job. It was a pleasure working with them." Great job to all!

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