Woodson Weekly -
February 7th
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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!
 P.S. I Love You Day is next Friday, February 14th!
Important Upcoming Dates
Monday, February 17th - President's Day Holiday
Tuesday, March 3rd - Student Holiday
In this Issue
1. Report Card Distribution
2. Winter Dance this Saturday
3. Leadership Class for 2020-2021
4. Parents as Partners - February Seminar on Equity
5. P.S. I Love You Day
6. Welcome, Mr. Peters!
7. Why Portrait of a Graduate?
8. U.S. Service Academy and ROTC Information Night
9. Teen Job Fair
10. 2020-20201 Course Registration
11. Yearbook needs family and pet pictures
12. To our Military Families
13. Volunteers Needed for AP Testing
14. Is your child interested in the arts?
15. Reserve Your Yearbook
16. Senior Class Information Page
17. Woodson HS Academic Advising
18. FCPS Cares
1. Report Card Distribution
Report cards for the 2nd Quarter were distributed through 8th period classes on Thursday, February 6th. Students who do not have an 8th period class may pick up their report cards in Student Services.
2. Winter Dance this Saturday
The Winter Dance is scheduled for Saturday, February 8th from 8-11 p.m. This year’s theme is Glow in the Dark. The dance is open to all Woodson students and their pre-approved guests.
Students who still need a ticket can purchase one on Saturday from 10:00am-Noon in the Aux gym. No tickets will be sold at the door.
If parents are interested in volunteering for coat check during the dance, please use this SignUpGenius.
3. Leadership Class for 2020-2021
Students interested in taking Leadership next school year must complete an application, get teacher recommendations, and sit for an interview.
Application forms are now available outside of the Leadership rooms (A133/A128) and in Student Services.
Completed applications must be turned in to Mr. Schaefer or Mrs. Schmauder no later than Monday, February 10th.
For more information, please contact Mrs. Schmauder at plschmauder@fcps.edu.
 Digital Art by Katya Kimura - a Scholastic Silver Key award winner.
4. Parents as Partners - February Seminar on Equity
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.
February Parents as Partners seminar will address Equity, Diversity, and Cultural Responsiveness and will take place on Tuesday, February 11th at 6 p.m. in Cafeteria A.
At WT Woodson, we believe in a caring culture where all students are valued, respected, and appreciated. Each student has their own identity, culture, and tradition. In line with the activities that our equity leads implement around identity, culture, and tradition, February’s Parents as Partners seminar will allow parents to have a deeper conversation with their students.
5. P.S. I Love You Day
The goal of P.S. I Love You Day is to promote mental health awareness through positivity. On Friday, February 14th, we encourage the Woodson community to wear purple to foster kindness and a welcoming environment.
Purple wristbands will be distributed during lunches, and long-sleeved P.S. I Love You shirts will be sold in between the cafeterias for $15 throughout the week.
Be sure to follow the P.S. I Love You Day twitter @PSILoveYouDay1, and don’t forget to wear purple on Friday, February 14th!
6. Welcome, Mr. Peters!
Congratulations and welcome to Mr. Josh Peters who joins Woodson's administrative team as our new Director of Student Services effective Monday, February 10th. He comes to us from George C. Marshall High School where he was a school counselor for over 8 years.
He is a graduate of UVA where he earned his B.A. in Psychology, so this continues his tradition as a Cavalier. More recently, he earned his M.Ed. in Counseling from George Mason University. Mr. Peters is married with two daughters. His favorite sports team is the Virginia Cavaliers and the San Francisco 49ers and in his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family, and playing/coaching basketball. He is excited to join the Woodson Student Services team!
7. Why Portrait of a Graduate?
Over the last 5 weeks we have shared the 5 attributes from the Portrait of a Graduate (POG). All Woodson students in 9-11th grade are engaged in the FCPS POG pilot and have been explicitly taught skills from different attributes in classes this year. Why?
As a stepping stone to post-secondary education or entering the workforce, high school is an essential time to develop and refine skills that will support student success in future endeavors. So, what qualities are business leaders seeking?
Tony Wagner, Expert in Residence at Harvard University’s Innovation Lab, has distilled feedback from business leaders to identify seven essential skills/dispositions that employers seek in potential applicants: “critical thinking and problem-solving, collaboration, agility and adaptability, initiative and entrepreneurialism, communication skills, the ability to analyze information, curiosity and imagination” (Wagner & Dintersmith, 2016).
This feedback is reinforced by the research of Harvard University’s Project Zero, discerning that these essential (or applied) skills are not only more important to prospective employers than academic skills, they are also perceived as more lacking in applicants (Ritchhart, 2015).
FCPS and Woodson have committed to equipping our students with these skills through our Portrait of a Graduate. Click on the link to learn more about POG skills and how you might support your students at home.
Next week we will begin our introduction to the Presentation of Learning (POL), part 2 of the pilot program.
References
Ritchhart, R. (2015). Creating cultures of thinking: the 8 forces we must master to truly transform our schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass & Pfeiffer Imprints, Wiley.
Wagner, T., & Dintersmith, T. (2016). Most likely to succeed: preparing our kids for the innovation era. New York, NY: Scribner.
 A portrait from Chau Le's art portfolio - a Scholastic Art Gold Key Award winner
8. U.S. Service Academy and ROTC Information Night
On Tuesday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. in the WTW Auditorium. Students interested in serving as officers in the U.S. Armed Forces will want to attend this information session.
WTW joins Fairfax, Oakton, and Madison High Schools to provide this informative evening. Representatives from each U.S. Service Academy, ROTC branch training programs, and a Congressional Office will present core information on their program. Representatives will be available after the presentation to provide individual information and materials.
Although valuable for all high school students and families, this program is especially important for Juniors because the application process begins the spring of the Junior year.
9. Teen Job Fair
There will be a Teen Job Fair at Woodson HS on Saturday, March 7th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. This fair is sponsored by Supervisors Pat Herrity, Dalia Palchik, James Walkinshaw, Woodson High School, Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and Connection Newspapers.
10. 2020-2021 Course Registration
We are currently meeting with students to schedule for the 2020-2021 school year. If you have questions or concerns about your student’s course selections, please contact your student’s counselor. Opportunities for course changes will be limited next year. Changes to the course selections will be no later than Friday, May 1st.
The third quarter of the academic year can be an exciting yet stressful time. Some students become fatigued with the routines of school, classwork, and homework. If your student struggled in the first semester and you are concerned about his / her academic progress, please communicate with your student’s teacher. If you would like to set up a parent teacher conference with the counselor, please reach out to them as well.
 11. Yearbook needs family and pet pictures
Do you have siblings at Woodson? Are you, perhaps, a twin? We’d love pictures and stories about your Woodson siblings!
Do you have a pet? We’d love pictures of our Woodson students with their pets. We like dogs and cats, of course, but we’d be excited to see some of your more unusual pets too. Pictured above is Woodson student Kai and pup dressed as Andy Warhol.
You can share your pictures with the yearbook staff via eShare. You can do this two easy ways.
- Go to www.HJeShare.com and enter the school code: wtwoodson
- Download the HJeShare app for iPhone or Android at the App Store or Google Play. Again, the school code: wtwoodson
Either place will give you instructions on uploading your images and letting the yearbook staff know who is in the pictures!
While we cannot guarantee that all shared photos will be published, if you don’t share, your great pictures can’t even be considered!
Contact Beth Koby, yearbook adviser, if you have problems. ewkoby@fcps.edu
12. 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!
13. Volunteers needed for AP Testing
Woodson’s Student Services Department is in search of parent volunteers for this year’s AP testing. This is another great opportunity to volunteer during the school day! Training will be provided.
AP exams will take place from May 4th – May 15th. There are two test sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Morning test sessions require proctors to be present from 7:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m. (approximately). Afternoon test sessions require proctors to be present from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (approximately).
Please contact Kathleen Guinee, Assessment Coach, at kpguinee@fcps.edu or 703-503-4805 if you are able to volunteer to proctor. As always, we greatly appreciate the support from our PTSO! Thank you!
 "Silenced by the Shadows" by HongJin Ahn - a Scholastic Silver Key Award winner.
14. Is your child interested in the Arts?
15. Reserve Your Yearbook Today!
It’s almost halfway through the year! Have you reserved your student’s yearbook yet?
Last year’s book sold out! Order now so they won’t be disappointed.
Go to https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/5278
Prices will go up soon!
16. 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.
17. Woodson HS Academic Advising
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.
18. 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)
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.
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