ALHGS Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Yes, we know it's still summer with school restart weeks away....but it is time to schedule fall classes.

How do you do it with it now being summer after an early closure?

There are two ways to do:

Complete an application (available here), without signing, then email the completed PDF form to your high school's guidance counselor or email to Ms. Sylvia White, ALHGS Office. (swhite at hgs dot k12 dot va dot us)
Email your high school's guidance counselor expressing interest in specific HGS class(es). The application, signatures, etc. will be completed later.

Going through your guidance counselor via one of the two options above is the best way to register.

How do you complete an application?

First, download the PDF form here. Next, complete the form on your computer. Finally, save your completed PDF. You are then ready to email your application to your guidance counselor or the HGS Abingdon Office. (Signatures will be obtained later in the year.)

What is the schedule of HGS classes?

You can download/view the schedule for all 2020-2021 school year ALHGS classes here.

What else do I need to do?

That's all for now. It's that simple.

We look forward to seeing you in the fall. Now, back to spring.

Welcome!

Welcome to Linwood Holton Governor's School and the start of a year of exciting learning experiences, preparing you for traditional college and beyond. With the pending start of a new academic year comes Fall Orientation 2020. Traditionally orientation has provided new and returning students the opportunity to set-up required HGS accounts, obtain materials, learn about school policies and procedures, meet their instructor(s), and meet fellow students, all done during orientation sessions held at the Higher Education Center (HEC) in Abingdon. However, this year, due to Covid-19, all orientation activities will be online only.

How online orientation will be conducted is best covered via a few questions and answers.

Who is required to complete Fall Orientation online?

If you will take a 2020-2021 academic year (i.e., "year-long") and/or a fall 2020 semester block schedule Governor's School class you must complete Fall Orientation 2020 online. (If you will take a spring 2021 semester Governor's School class you must attend Spring Orientation 2021 in January 2021.) The requirement to complete online orientation applies to first time as well as returning students. There will be no in-person orientation sessions for HGS classes that start in the fall 2020 semester.

How do students "complete" online orientation?

The ALHGS Fall Orientation 2020 web site is now open. The site may then be reached here or by typing the URL http://www.hgs.k12.va.us/Orientation2020 in a modern browser address bar. (Please use the latest versions of either Firefox or Chrome.)

On the Fall Orientation 2020 site students will complete an account request form (form completion annually is required to attend HGS), learn about the HGS Virtual School, how to attend live (synchronous) classes, how to access HGS email, and how to use the HGS Virtual Classroom software.

Fall Semester and Academic Year Students who did not attend LIVE! Sessions on August 4^th and 5^th must attend a Make-Up LIVE! Session to meet with their instructor(s) Live! online on August 7^th or August 11^th or August 13^th. The "make-up" meeting schedule is available here [PDF].

Students must attend a Live! session for the class(es) in which they are enrolled.

Links to each Make-Up Live! class meeting will be posted on the Fall Orientation 2020 HGS LIVE! web page on the morning of the meeting date.

If everything is online, how do I get my books?

Materials for each student will be available at their local high school by the start of the HGS fall semester, which is currently scheduled to start Monday, August 17, 2020. Please see your high school guidance counselor to obtain materials sent for you to your school.

I need to change something. What do I do?

Please speak with your high school guidance counselor.

Can I still register for a class beginning in the fall semester?

Yes! Please see the announcement above this one (i.e., scroll up) for the registration procedure.

When do classes begin in the fall semester?

The first day of classes for ALHGS is currently Thursday, August 13, 2020; however, regional school start dates are under frequent review. As schools within the ALHGS service region advance start dates well into August, the start date for ALHGS may advance into the later half of August. Watch for start date announcements on the ALHGS web site.

We look forward to meeting you online during Fall Orientation 2020.

The Governor's School is pleased to announce a NEW HGS COURSE FOR 2020-2021: Survey of American Literature (ENG 241/ENG 242). This one semester asynchronous class will be offered for the first time by HGS in the spring 2021 semester. The six hour college credit course will emphasize individual writers and their works, beginning with works in the colonial period, continuing up to approximately the Civil War.

Discover the connections between ideas and patterns of development of American society and culture. Enroll in Survey of American Literature Today! (See the announcement above this one for enrollment instructions.)

Learn the language of heath care beginning this fall at the Governor's School. This asynchronous class, which will provide three hours of college credit to students, will be offered in both the fall and spring semesters of the 2020-2021 academic year. How to you enroll in the course? See the announcement at the top of this web page!

Beginning with the fall semester of the 2020-2021 academic year, the Governor’s School will offer Latin I and Latin II. Why Latin? Latin is the basis for many scientific names, terms, and phrases as well as legal phrases. (You, as a US citizen, may one day be paying an ad valorem tax or if in the legal profession, filing an amicus curiae brief.) Thinking of entering the field of biology, medicine, or other healthcare related professions? If so, knowing basic Latin may be of significant benefit to you in your college and subsequent professional career.

Latin I will be offered in the fall 2020 semester followed by both Latin II and Latin I in the spring 2021 semester. All Latin classes will be asynchronous (“on-demand” classes) high school credit classes. (HGS Latin classes are the only classes offered by the Governor's School for which college credit is not available.)

Interested? Register Today! Talk to your guidance counselor about enrollment and HGS admission requirements. (Please see registration information above.)

Carpe Diem.

WELCOME to the [temporary] home of the HGS Bulletin Board. The HGS Bulletin Board is the place where you can find student scholarship opportunities, unique educational opportunities, student competition announcements, and much more.

VDOE Covid-19 Resources

The Virginia Department of Education has issued a bulletin with links to resources for parents. Students may want to forward the link to family members. Details here.
Posted 03-25-20 End 05-15-20

VA Writers Club College Scholarship

Tell about how you hope to inspire others with your writing. The Virginia Writers Club is offering at least one $2000 Scholarship to either a high school student or college freshman. Details here.
Posted 03-13-20 End 06-30-20

Free Spectrum Internet

During the coronavirus pandemic, Spectrum is offering two free months of internet and WiFi services to new customers in households with Pre-K to 12 or college students who need remote education. Details here.
Posted 03-18-20 End 05-20-20

Free Comcast Internet

During the coronavirus pandemic, Comcast is offering free internet to low-income families for two months. Details here.
Posted 03-16-20 End 05-16-20

Summer Enrichment Experience STEM Camp at VCOM

The Summer Enrichment Experience (SEE) program is designed to promote science and medicine to area high school students. The Blacksburg, Virginia program will be held in July, with an April 12^th application deadline. Details here.
Posted 03-10-20 End 04-12-20

Mount Rogers Naturalists Rally

The Blue Ridge Discovery Center is hosting thel Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally Summer Edition August 14-16, 2020. The event offers a wide variety of field trips with leaders who are experts in their field and who are able to make natural history understandable and interesting for everyone from inquisitive amateurs to accomplished naturalists. Details here.
Posted 05-26-20 End 08-14-20

Prepare for College In Virginia

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia provides resources for parents and students to help them with preparing for higher education: Student Resources. One of these resources is the 1-2-3 GO! Program, Virginia's Three Steps to College, which helps with preparation, the application process, and paying for higher education in Virginia: Three Steps to College Events.
Posted 02-21-20 End 05-31-20

MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute

MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute is a four-week program at MIT that challenges high school students to tackle high-tech projects. Download the announcement PDF here.
Posted 02-12-20

Emory & Henry College STEM Cohort Scholarship Program

Emory & Henry College introduces their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Cohort Scholarship Program. Download the announcement PDF here.
Posted 01-30-20

HGS Virtual School Browser Requirements

The software used by the Governor's School makes use of the latest web standards supported by the major browsers: Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Thus, the HGS Virtual School (Canvas) and the HGS Virtual Classroom (Jigsaw) no longer support the Internet Explorer web browser. Students should not use the Internet Explorer browser to access the HSG web site, HGS Virtual School, and/or HGS Virtual Classroom.

Soon students may not be able to access the HGS Virtual School/Classroom unless they are using the latest version of Chrome and/or Firefox. Currently, one must use Google Chrome browser versions 75, 76, or 77, with browser version 77 being preferred. If one is using Mozilla Firefox, one must use version 67, 68, or 69, with browser version 69 preferred. As new versions of Firefox and Chrome are released, students are obligated to keep their browsers up-to-date to have access to the school's sites.

You do not know what browser version you are using? Instructions on how to check and update Firefox are available here. Instructions on how to check and update Chrome are available here.

Enforcement of the above noted browser requirements will begin no later than October 15, 2019.

Smart Phone E-mail Access is available

To use this feature:

Connect using your e-mail address and password
Once connected, the setup and access should be automatic by using the auto discover feature of the phone (auto discover is active on the mail server)
If connecting manually, use holtonmail.hgs.k12.va.us as the server name

You can reach the non-flash mail access web page here: http://www.hgs.k12.va.us/mobile

Unfortunately, due to variation in phones, OS of phone systems, etc., we cannot offer any advice and/or support beyond the above for phone e-mail access.

Please note that depending upon your connection, when connecting for the first time using your phone, you may have to log into your e-mail entering hgs\<user_name> rather than using just <user_name>. Password entry remains unchanged.

The Governor's School uses Twitter to "broadcast" inclement weather closures, schedule changes (e.g., instructor class cancellation), system outages, holiday reminders, and other information about HGS events and activities. Stay Connected. Follow @ALHGSSupport

Governor's School Introduces A New Video Series

Considering a Governor's School class but would like to know more before you take the leap? To provide more information about classes for prospective Governor's School students, the first series of information videos are now available. The videos are interviews with class instructors as well as current and former students. By viewing the videos, prospective students will learn about the class format, course content, and students' experiences. Series videos will continue to be posted throughout the year. Follow the links below to the web pages on which the currently available videos are posted.

Advanced Multimedia Applications
Human Anatomy & Physiology
All History Department Courses:
Appalachian History, Western Civilization, and World Civilization

Please Note: The videos are "Under Construction."
Please check back...they should be available soon

So grab a Governor's School admission application, a box of popcorn, and prepare to learn about a great opportunity.

Tour Your [Future] College Campus

Ready to begin your college planning? If so, check out eCampusTours for a virtual tour of hundreds of different colleges. This web site offers virtual tours of buildings and grounds for over a thousand different college campuses.