Woodson Weekly -
September 6th
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Woodson Weekly is published every Friday to provide the community with important information about school life at Woodson High School.
Vision Statement
We are a school community where all students have purpose and value!
 The Cavalier joins administrators Ms. Martin (12th grade), Dr. Floyd (principal), Dr. Disalvo (10th grade), and Ms. Lash (Director of Student Services) spreading school spirit.
Important Upcoming Dates
Wednesday, September 11th - Senior Parent Night, 7pm, Auditorium
Thursday, September 19th - Back to School Night, see info below
Wednesday, September 25th - Parent Seminar on Study Skills, see info below
Monday, October 14th - Columbus Day, student holiday
Wednesday, October 16th - PSAT Day
Student Laptop Reminders
Students are required to bring their laptops to school every day.
Laptops need to be fully charged each night at home. Please make sure laptop charging cords are plugged into outlets that do not also control the light switch. Some students are reporting that their laptops are not charging only to discover when they turn off their room light, the outlet also turns off.
Laptops and backpacks will NOT be permitted in the PE locker rooms during class time. Students must lock backpacks and laptops in their hall lockers.
SIS Gradebook
The gradebook module in SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE will open on Monday, September 9th at 6:00 a.m. On Monday, you will be able to view grades for assignments for each class on your student's schedule.
Senior Parent Night
Senior Parents - Come to the Auditorium on Wednesday, September 11th at 7:00 p.m. to learn important information about the college application process and scholarship opportunities.
Even if you have had other children go to college, you’ll want to attend to learn about important changes both at Woodson and beyond.
For more information on this Senior Parent Night, please contact Kathleen Ishii at kaishii@fcps.edu.
Back to School Night
Woodson's Back to School Night is on Thursday, September 19th from 5:30p.m.-8:40 p.m.
From 5:30-6:30 p.m., there will be information tables in the Cafeterias and Family Life Education (FLE) information available in the Library. At 6:10 p.m., School Board welcome back messages will begin in the Auditorium.
Class rotations will begin at 6:30 p.m. beginning with Period 1.
For the full schedule of the evening including the class rotation bell schedule, visit https://woodsonhs.fcps.edu/event/back-school-night-1.
 Students in Mr. Hedrick's AP Government class using gummy bears and post-it notes to demonstrate their knowledge of how a direct democracy works in their study of different forms of governments.
Partners for Safe Teen Driving Seminars
Attention all 10th grade students and their parents. All new drivers and parents must attend a state mandated traffic safety seminar, Partners for Safe Teen Driving. Please mark your calendar for the Woodson seminars for 2019-2020. Seminars will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will take place in the Woodson Auditorium.
Monday, September 23rd
Monday, December 9th
Monday, February 3rd
Monday, April 27th
Questions? Please contact David O'Hara at DGOHara@fcps.edu.
Monthly Parent Seminar - Study Skills
In response to the Family Engagement Survey administered during the 2018-19 School Year, Woodson is focusing on sharing information with parents to help parents improve their child’s learning and to identify and develop social and emotional skills for students to be successful. In addition, we are looking for ways to maintain two way communication between families and the school.
One way we are engaging families is through monthly Parent Seminars. In addition to the PTSO meetings (held on the second Tuesday of each month), administrators and counselors will plan and deliver a monthly seminar based on various topics.
September’s Parent Seminar will address Study Skills and will take place on Wednesday, September 25th at 5:30 p.m. in Cafeteria A.
One task that is essential for all students and their success in high school is developing a way to study. Each student has to find their own routine. The parent seminar will feature a few of our wonderful veteran teachers and information about how to help your child find success while studying. More information will be posted on our website with materials posted after the session for those that are not able to attend.
PSAT Test Day, October 16th
In Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and across the United States, students in grades 10 and 11 will take a Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) on Wednesday, October 16th. FCPS will provide the PSAT/NMSQT to tenth and eleventh graders without cost. Only students in grade 11 are eligible to compete for the National Merit Scholarship; however, taking the PSAT/NMSQT in grade 10 provides students practice.
Additional information about PSAT/NMSQT test content can be found at the following webpage: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/inside-the-test/compare-specifications.
The total time for the PSAT/NMSQT is 2 hours and 45 minutes, and students with disabilities with testing accommodations may require additional time. More information about the schedule for PSAT Day will be forthcoming.
 Woodson Student Helps in School Board Policy Decision
Congratulations to Woodson junior Camille Gledhill (second from left). She is part of the Sipsy Straw team that won first at Junior Achievement Shark Tank’s Districts competition, along with the title “Company of the Year” and became one of 15 teams chosen from around the US to compete at Nationals in DC.
The Sipsy Straw team spoke to the FCPS school board last year which resulted in a procedural change on the availability of plastic straws in Fairfax County public schools’ cafeterias. For the 2019-20 school year, plastic straws have been removed from the serving lines at middle and high schools.
For more information, visit the FCPS press release.
College & Career Center Newsletter
Every Friday we have school, Ms. Kathleen Ishii, Woodson's college and career center specialist, publishes the College and Career Center Newsletter online. The newsletter can be found on the College and Career Center Newsletter page on the Woodson website. The first newsletter of the school year will be published today, Friday, September 6th.
Every week, the newsletter will announce new information. The newsletter will announce any new special programs (free / very affordable), local information sessions, local employment opportunities, volunteer opportunities, scholarships, a link to the Career Center’s Google College Visit Calendar, and lots of other interesting information.
The newsletter also includes links to several compilations at the end so you can find information from previous publications. Later in the school year, the newsletter will announce internship opportunities. This information source is only published online. It is not emailed.
Make sure to bookmark the newsletter webpage for quick access.
For more information on the College and Career Center, please contact Kathleen Ishii at kaishii@fcps.edu.
Safety and Security Drills
Every school facility in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has in place crisis management and emergency preparedness plans, designed with the help of the school system’s security planning staff, local law enforcement, and emergency management officials. Plans are regularly reviewed and updated. The plans include procedures to respond to critical incidents, like fire and tornadoes, and we practice these drills regularly. Now, we, along with other Fairfax County schools, have formally added an additional drill, called a lockdown drill.
A lockdown is a well-established procedure designed to protect students and staff members in a case in which there might be threats of violence within a school. During a lockdown, students remain in their classrooms or are escorted to classrooms if they are in the halls, and all interior and exterior doors are closed and locked. Once the facility is rendered safe and students are accounted for, the school is returned to normal operation.
While we have no reason to believe that any threat of violence will arise, it is always best to be prepared. It is important to train students and staff members so that we can effectively implement a lockdown in the event one becomes necessary. Training helps ensure a calmer, more effective lockdown.
The state has mandated that a school conduct monthly fire drills and four lockdown drills every year. Our first lockdown drill will take place next Friday, September 13th.
We will continue to keep you informed of safety and security measures in place at Woodson. We appreciate your continued support in these matters.
 Students engaged in classroom activities using their new FCPSOn laptops.
World Languages Credit Exam
The 2019 Credit Exam for World Languages will be administered November 6 – 8, 2019. Students who take the credit exam will now have the opportunity to earn up to three credits, based on demonstrated proficiency.
Thirty (30) languages will be assessed via the FCPS Credit Exam, including: American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese/Mandarin, Farsi/Persian, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit/Samskritam, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Greek, Hebrew, Portuguese and Turkish languages will be tested using the Writing Proficiency Test (WPT), which is a timed test and has a format distinct from the FCPS World Languages Credit Exam. More information on the WPT is available here: Writing Proficiency Test.
Registration opens Monday, September 9, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. and closes on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. Late registrations will not be accepted.
Students interested in registering for the exam must see their school counselor.
Credit exam information can be accessed at: Credit Exam for WL.
Graduation Date and Time Set
Mark your calendars! The Woodson HS Class of 2020 will graduate on Tuesday, June 2nd at 2:00 p.m. at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University.
Senior Baby Ads in the Yearbook
Looking for a personalized, memorable way to recognize your graduating senior? Want to capture memories with the friends you’ve made for a lifetime? Looking for a fun way to recognize your teammates or club members?
Parents, siblings, relatives, teachers, coaches, and friends of Woodson’s graduating Class of 2020 have an opportunity to purchase ad space in the 2020 edition of the yearbook!
There are many ad sizes available at various price points. Orders are being accepted now, and all ad space is sold on a first-come, first-served basis. So place your order early to reserve ad space for your graduating senior!
Visit www.YearbookOrderCenter.com and enter job number 5278. Choose “Buy a Yearbook Ad” to begin the process.
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING BABY ADS is Sunday, October 13th!
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Reserve Your Yearbook
Did you know what last year’s yearbook sold out? Did you know that the 2020 yearbook will never be cheaper than it is today?
Order your yearbook now, before the crush of the school year!
Place a senior baby ad
Where did the time go? Place your special pictures and messages in the 2020 yearbook to treasure the memories forever.
Go to https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/5278 for sizes, prices and how-tos.
The sixth annual FCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference will be held on Saturday, October 5th, at Fairfax High School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, sponsored by Inova. The morning session will focus on social and emotional learning, with a keynote address given by Dr. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.
A special session for high school students, the Our Minds Matter Teen Summit, will take place in the morning as well. Attendees are encouraged to stay for Inova’s Act on Addiction Summit, which will be held from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
More information is available at the Mental Health and Wellness Conference website.
FCPS Cares Program
Recognizing Woodson staff who go above and beyond!
FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the good work of our Woodson staff. https://www.fcps.edu/careers/employee-recognition-programs/fcps-cares-program
Mental Health Resources | 24/7 Emergency Numbers
If you are in crisis, text NEEDHELP to 85511, call 1-800-273-TALK, or dial 911; TTY dial 711
CrisisLink Regional Hotline: 703-527-4077 (CrisisLink is a hotline for individuals in crisis or family/friends seeking guidance for how to help a loved one)
Dominion Hospital Assessment and Referral Line: 703-536-2000
Inova Emergency Services: 703-289-7560
Mobile Crisis Unit: 1-844-627-4747
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-SUICIDE
Merrifield Center Emergency Services: 703-573-5679; TTY dial 711 (The Merrifield Center of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, offers a range of clinical programming. Emergency Services, staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week, works with people in psychiatric crisis who need immediate attention.)
Plan D Nova https://www.plandnova.org/ (a website for Northern Virginia teens who suffer from depression: #breakthestigma)
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