Woodson Weekly -
December 20th
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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!
Hip Hop club is always a hit! Winter Pep Rally 2019!
Important Upcoming Dates
Monday, December 23 through Friday, January 3 - Winter Break (office closed)
Monday, January 6th - School resumes, Even Day
In this Issue
1. Winter Break Message
2. Thank you, Woodson Parents!
3. Winter Break Office Hours
4. SIS Access Over Winter Break
5. POGPOL Tip of the Week
6. Kiss and Ride
7. FCPS Cares Recognizes Ms. Goto
8. To our Military Families
9. Thank you, Heroes for Holidays!
10. Volunteers Needed for Science Fair
11. College and Career Newsletter
12. Senior Class Information Page
13. 2020 FCPS Gap Year Fair
14. Woodson HS Academic Advising
15. FCPS Cares
1. Winter Break Message
Dear Woodson Families,
Winter break has arrived. Just as a reminder, students will be out of school from December 23, 2019 through January 3, 2020. Students return on Monday, January 6, 2020.
During the break, our main office will be closed while our staff enjoys time off with family.
Students are encouraged to relax and enjoy the winter break, perhaps even read a book, as they will not be assigned any major school work during this time. I hope this time away from school is an opportunity for your family to reconnect and spend quality time together. Faculty and staff will also be on winter break and have been encouraged to enjoy this time with their families.
As such, faculty are not expected/required to check email or respond to communication during this time. If there is an emergency, please email your student’s administrator as they will be checking email at times over break.
2019 has been a great year to be a Cavalier. Have a wonderful, joyful, and relaxing break. See you in 2020!
Warmly,
Dr. Floyd
Principal
2. Thank you, Woodson Parents!
A huge thank you goes out to all of the parents who supported our holiday celebration for staff by donating gift cards. Staff had a great time and will thoroughly enjoy the cards.
Performing Arts students love playing in the annual Winter Showcase Concert.
3. Winter Break Office Hours
The Woodson administrative offices will be closed from Monday, December 24th through Friday, January 3rd.
Offices will re-open on Monday, January 6th at 7:15 a.m.
4. SIS/G Suite/FCPS 24-7 Access over Winter Break
FCPS Weekly Progress Reports will not be sent to parents Sunday, December 22nd through Sunday, January 5th during the Winter break.
SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be unavailable to all users on Saturday, December 28, from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. during system maintenance.
In addition, Blackboard (FCPS 24-7) and the school G Suite will be unavailable December 20-22 and December 28-29.
Finally, students will want to start their computers early on Monday, January 6th to allow their laptops to complete all the updates that will be pushed out to FCPS computers.
WUSA-9 Morning News aired a story last week on the Woodson Young Republicans/Young Democrats' joint service project in support of the Katherine Hanley Family Shelter. Nicole DiAntonio (Woodson ‘09) produced the story and interviewed leaders of both groups.
5. Portrait of a Graduate Presentation of Learning (POGPOL) Tip of the Week
Over the next several Fridays we will share various pieces of the Portrait of a Graduate Presentations of Learning (POGPOL) pilot that we are engaged in at Woodson.
There are five attributes of the Portrait of a Graduate. They are: Communicator, Collaborator, Ethical and Global Citizen, Creative and Critical Thinker and Goal Directed and Resilient individual.
Each week we will share information and skills related to each attribute. This week we will focus on the Communicator.
Communicator
- Applies effective reading skills to acquire knowledge and broaden perspectives.
- Employs active listening strategies to advance understanding.
- Speaks in a purposeful manner to inform, influence, motivate, or entertain listeners.
- Incorporates effective writing skills for various purposes and audiences to convey understanding and concepts.
- Uses technological skills and contemporary digital tools to explore and exchange ideas.
6. Kiss and Ride
Parents! We need your help.
The Kiss and Ride line in the front of the school and at Door 9 are the ONLY safe places to drop off students in the morning and to pick them up in the afternoon.
Lately, students are reportedly being dropped off on Pickett Rd and at various places in the parking lots. This is not safe and we cannot allow this. Please pull up to the appropriate drop off locations prior to allowing your son/daughter out of the car. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
7. FCPS Cares Recognizes Ms. Goto
Congratulations to Woodson Special Education teacher, Aki Goto! Ms. Goto was recognized as an employee who shows that FCPS Cares.
"I want to commend Aki Goto for her commitment to inclusion. This year at Woodson, Aki and all the Learning Services teachers in the Cat B department, have worked hard to introduce their students to the Woodson community. Aki has helped her students create videos to air on the morning TV program. These videos introduce the special needs students by name and show their wonderful personalities. There are videos with ASL words and videos about special celebrations, all featuring happy, enthusiastic kids. She has hosted numerous events with the Buddies club after school and invited ALL students to come and enjoy the fun and friendship. The time and effort to bring together students and support a #onewoodson culture is applauded and appreciated."
Is there a staff member that goes above and beyond? Please see Newsletter Item #15 FCPS Cares to share your story with us.
Congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Curt Mitzel! He retires today after over 20 years of service at Woodson HS. We will all miss his warm welcoming smile, his ability to solve issues in a flash, his ability to communicate fluently in Chinese, and his incredible musical talent on the guitar. He is Mr. Woodson to us all and we will miss him terribly in the Main Office. "No One Comes Close!"
8. To our Military Families
Do you have a family member who is deploying?
Student Services wants to provide support to your student before, during, and after the deployment. If you feel comfortable, please let your student’s counselor know about any current or upcoming deployments. Thank you!
9. Thank you, Heroes for Holidays!
Thank you to the many generous WTW families who supported Holidays for Heroes! Our community donated two large boxes of winter coats to share with homeless veterans, many gift cards for families of patients at Walter Reed hospital, and lots of toiletries, socks, and other helpful items.
A special thank you to parent volunteer Lisa Griffin for organizing this amazing WTW Military Family Network event and to students John Schaefer, Mikaely Griffin, and Ethan Healy for sorting and boxing all of the donations.
10. Volunteers Needed for Science Fair
The Woodson Science Department is looking for volunteers to judge our school Science Fair. The fair will take place on Thursday, January 30th from approximately 9 a.m.- noon.
Anyone with expertise or background in Science and Engineering is welcome to come judge! Please email Allison Adams at agadams@fcps.edu if you are interested.
11. College and Career Newsletter
Are you reading the WTW College and Career Center Newsletter?
The December 20th College and Career Center newsletter has lots of good information - 5 new special (FREE/cheap) opportunities, 4 new internships. 1 new employment opportunity; 11-15 new scholarships/contests.
Students in Mr. Hedrick's AP Government class participated in a budget simulation where they were in House and Senate committees with the task of reducing the federal deficit. Students had to compromise and vote on every decision.
12. Senior Class Information Page
Want more information about upcoming dates and events for the Class of 2020? Visit the Senior Class Information page on the Woodson website.
13. 2020 FCPS Gap Year Fair
FCPS School Counseling Services and Go Overseas are hosting the 9th annual FCPS Gap Year Fair on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, at George C. Marshall High School from 6:00-8:30 p.m. This event is for high school students and parents who are interested in learning more about the variety of experiences available and growing array of gap year opportunities.
The evening will begin with an informational presentation in the auditorium from 6:00-6:45 p.m. Immediately following, the program fair, with representatives from over 40 programs offering gap year opportunities, will take place in the school cafeteria from 6:45-8:30 p.m. Students are encouraged to pre-register for this event. For more information, visit USA Gap Year Fairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the snow date and location will be Friday, February 7, 2020, at George C. Marshall High School from 6:00-8:30 p.m.
Woodson students Rohil, Ethan and Marcus competed on It's Academic last weekend. Tune in on
14. Woodson HS Academic Advising
Starting on Thursday, January 9th, Woodson HS staff will begin working with students on the course selection process for the 2020-2021 school year.
Each teacher will meet with students individually across January 9th (Odd Day) and January 10th (Even Day) during their normal scheduled class time to provide students with guidance on course options available next year and to provide students with their feedback of the course(s) that would be the best fit. Teacher feedback for students will be based on demonstrated work ethic in the class, assessment grades, and applicable testing. This is an important step as we strive to help students and parents navigate the course selection process.
After these advising sessions, students will meet individually with school counselors, according to the timeline below, to select their courses for the coming year. It is very important for students to choose courses carefully aschanges after the new school year begins may not be possible because of class size.
Following the individual counselor and student advising meetings, counselors will print a copy of the students’ selected courses for them to take home. Students’ course selections are also viewable in SIS. We strongly recommend students to consider the teachers’ recommendations when selecting courses for the upcoming school year. If your student selects a class that was not recommended by the teacher, you will be notified and are encouraged to discuss your student’s selection with him/her.
Academic Advising Schedule
Teacher Feedback Days: January 9th and January 10th. Teachers will provide students with their suggestions and feedback for courses.
Curriculum Night and Rising Freshman Parent Night: Wednesday, January 8th from 5:00-8:00pm (snow day January 15th)
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5:00-6:00pm: Breakout Session for Special Education parents in E146 (Chorus Room)
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5:00-6:00pm: Breakout Session for parents of students with 504 Plans in E156 (Orchestra Room)
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6:00-6:30pm: AP Class Information Session 1 for current ninth and tenth grade parents (Library). AP Info Sessions will include information on AP courses at Woodson and how you can help your student make the best decisions for their junior and senior years. Please choose and attend one AP Info Session.
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7:00-7:30pm: AP Class Information Session 2 for current ninth and tenth grade parents (Library). AP Info Sessions will include information on AP courses at Woodson and how you can help your student make the best decisions for their junior and senior years. Please choose and attend one AP Info Session.
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6:00-8:00pm: Electives and Curriculum Fair in BOTH Cafeterias. Stop by the department tables to talk with teachers and learn about the different classes students can take at Woodson High School and at the Academies (most academy class are for rising 10-12th graders).
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6:30-7:30pm: Teachers present on ninth grade classes; overview of graduation requirements in the Auditorium (for current 8th grade parents/guardians).
Academic Advising Schedule
Current 11th Graders (Rising 12th Graders) · Group Advising/Pre-Registration Meeting with School Counselors: January 15th during Returns
- Individual Advising with School Counselors: January 22nd – February 7th (through US VA History classes)
Current 10th Graders (Rising 11th Graders) · Group Advising/Pre-Registration Meeting with School Counselors: February 3rd during Returns
- Individual Advising with School Counselors: February 11th- February 27th (through Health and PE 10 classes)
Current 9th Graders (Rising 10th Graders) · Group Advising/Pre-Registration Meeting with School Counselors: February 20th during Returns
- Individual Advising with School Counselors: February 28th – March 10th (through Health and PE 9 class)
Questions? Please contact your child's school counselor.
15. 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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