Woodson Weekly - May 1st

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Woodson Weekly - 
May 1st


Woodson Weekly is published every Friday to provide the community with important information from Woodson High School.


Vision Statement
We are a school community where all students have purpose and value!


We Miss Our Students

In this Issue

1. Message from Dr. Floyd
2. Fourth Quarter & End of Year
3. Paperless Report Cards
4. SIS ParentVUE/StudentVUE Information
5. What are the impacts on the SAT and ACT?
6. AP Exam Updates
7. Apple Scholar
8. Senior Scholarship Info Sought
9. May is Mental Health Awareness Month
10. 30 Minute Consultation with a FCPS Clinician
11. Woodson Morning News Show
12. New NOVA Jump Start Opportunity
13. FAQs About Refunds and Fees
14. Lunch Money Refunds and Transfers
15. Yearbook Info - Yes, it will be published!


1. Message from Dr. Floyd

Good afternoon Woodson Community:

Today we celebrate our seniors with sharing their plans. It is Celebrate Your Plan day and anyone who posts their plans on social media are encouraged to use the hashtag, #celebrateyourplan.  The seniors can see their CYP Day slide show on the Class of 2020 Google Classroom.  Hold tight seniors, FCPS is working on the graduation plans. We are looking forward to safely recognizing our graduates this year. This is one Spring we will never forget.

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Since we aren’t in our brick and mortar building to thank our amazing teachers in person, I want to encourage students to take a minute to send a note through email thanking their teachers. As this isn’t easy on the kids, it is also tough on our staff. 

Please note below the updated information on 4th quarter and final grading. If you have specific questions about your son/daughter’s grade, please contact the teacher. Also, please take a moment and opt out of receiving paper report cards if you can access them online. We appreciate your help in lessening the number of report cards printed and mailed. 

Enjoy the sun today and through tomorrow, should be a lovely day for a socially distant walk, bike ride, run or window washing.

Take care Cavalier community,

Dr. Floyd


2. Fourth Quarter & End of Year

Fourth Quarter Timeline:  While third quarter work is being accepted until May 1st, fourth quarter work has been assigned to students.  Any new work will be entered into fourth quarter gradebooks beginning Monday, May 4th

Providing Feedback to Students/Parents and Monitoring Progress: Teachers should provide feedback such as comments on quality of work and guidance for improvement. 

  • Assignment “marks” will be entered into the gradebook and will be: Proficient, Attempted, Not Attempted
  • This data will be considered to positively influence the final course grade 
  • Students and families will be able to see “marks” in SIS, though weekly emails will not be sent since there will not be a Qtr 4 grade 

Calculating Final Grades

Final Exams: There will be no final exam and/or culminating activity included as part of the final course grade calculation this year.

Year-Long Courses - Calculating Final Grade 

  • Teachers have the discretion of raising a student's final grade by one grade distribution (B to B+), based on demonstrated proficiency of Qtr 4 learning. 
  • A student’s final grade will be the highest of the following:
    • Avg of Qtrs 1, 2, & 3
    • Avg of (Qtrs 1, 2, & 3) plus 1 grade distribution increase consideration
    • 1st Semester Grade
    • 1st Semester Grade plus 1 grade distribution increase consideration
    • Quality Points as per FCPS Grading and Reporting

Current Semester Courses - Calculating Final Grade

  • Schools/teachers have the discretion of raising a student's final grade by two grade distributions (B to A-), based on demonstrated proficiency of Qtr 4 learning.  
  • A student’s final grade will be the highest of the following:
    • Qtr 3 Average
    • Qtr 3 Average (w/up to a two grade distribution increase consideration). 

Last Day of School

The last day of school for all students (except seniors) is Friday, June 12.   Seniors’ last day of school is Wednesday, May 27.

Summer Courses

Additional summer offerings and support through FCPS summer learning programming are being discussed and will be shared as soon as available pending developments with the state-wide closure of schools.


3. Paperless Report Cards

Parents/Guardians can take advantage of the paperless option, by logging into ParentVUE, then going to “My Account” and selecting "Go Paperless!". This is the only way to keep a paper report card from being generated for students at the secondary level.

All parents who share the same address as the student must have a SIS ParentVUE account and must select the paperless option. This option must be selected prior to May 12th to prevent the 3rd quarter report card from being mailed. 


4. SIS ParentVUE/StudentVUE Information

Access to ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be turned off from Friday, May 1st - Friday, May 8th to allow teachers to export grades during that time. 


5. What are the impacts on the SAT and ACT?

What is the impact on SAT administration? The College Board is canceling the May 2 and June 6, 2020, SAT administrations. The College Board will provide weekend SAT administrations every month through the end of the calendar year, beginning in August. This includes a new administration in September and the previously scheduled tests on August 29October 3November 7, and December 5. Read more at CollegeBoard.org

What are the impacts on ACT administration? In addition to three previously planned fall/winter 2020 national test dates in September, October and December, ACT will also offer a remote proctoring option for the ACT test, allowing students to take the test at their home on a computer. ACT will launch the test-at-home option in late fall/early winter 2020 as part of its national testing program. The fee waivers ACT provides to students from low-income homes will apply to the at-home testing option, and ACT is considering other ways to address access and equity issues. Read more at ACT.org.


6. AP Exam Updates

Here are some updates from the College Board regarding Advanced Placement Exams. 

A great resource for learning about this year's AP Exams is Trevor Packer's presentation

Exam Window:  Exams will be given from May 11–22. 

Makeup test dates will be available for each subject from June 1–5.


7. Apple Scholar

The Apple Federal Credit Union Foundation has awarded senior Bridget Cassata, a scholarship to be used at a college of her choice.

Thirty Apple Scholars were selected from approximately 400 applicants based on their academic record, involvement in the school and community, responses to short essays, and letters of recommendation. The new Apple Scholars will be recognized at a virtual event scheduled for May 21, 2020.


8. Senior Scholarship Info Sought

COVID cannot stop us!! We will have a Senior Awards Ceremony this year.  Although we don’t know exactly what it will look like, we are collecting all of the information we would normally collect for a Senior Awards Ceremony. 

Please share ALL Scholarships you have received and will be using next year.  Email Mrs. Ishii at kaishii@fcps.edu with the subject line , Senior Awards.  Use the Scholarship-Info-Form found in the Naviance Student /Document Resources / Senior Documents (preferred) or simply send an email citing the name of the scholarship, the sponsor (if from a college the college’s name), the yearly value of the scholarship, and the number of years you will receive it.  (The value will not be shared. 

It will be used to calculate a grand total for all scholarships WTW students will be using.)  Please submit information by ASAP.  (If you get a scholarship after 1 May, still submit; we will try very hard but can’t guarantee final inclusion.)


9. May Is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Many students struggle with emotional and behavioral issues that can affect their learning and overall wellness. If you have any concerns about anxiety, peer relationship problems, depression, or other social and emotional issues your child may be experiencing, please contact your school psychologist, school social worker, or school counselor. They are available for consultation and support.

Visit the Mental Health and Resiliency and Student Wellness: Tips and Strategies web pages to learn about mental health resources and fostering resiliency in your child.

CrisisText Is Available for Students 24/7

Parents: Any student who is feeling extremely overwhelmed or is in crisis can connect with CrisisText. Students just need to text “NEEDHELP” to 85511 or call 1-800-273-TALK. Please feel free to share this information as appropriate.


10. 30 Minute Consultation with a FCPS Clinician

Any FCPS parent may schedule a 30-minute phone consultation with a school psychologist or school social worker, for either themselves or their middle or high school student. 

This consultation provides an opportunity for parents to receive guidance on how to support their child’s emotional well-being during their time away from school. Student consultations will provide support and strategies to students who may be experiencing difficulties with anxiety, mood, behavior, or peer or family interactions during this unprecedented and challenging time.  Information about community resources will also be made available. Parents can schedule a phone consultation online

This service is not intended for mental health emergencies.  If an emergency is suspected or indicated, please call 911.  Additionally, students and families can access mental health support online if there is a crisis of emergency during the time of the closure.


11. Woodson Morning News Show

The Woodson morning news show has continued during this break from in-school instruction.  To see the three episodes of the Distance Learning editions of the morning news, visit this YouTube link.


12. New NOVA JumpStart Opportunity

NOVA announced the launch of JumpStart, a new opportunity for current and rising seniors to take up to two, tuition-free online college courses this summer. NOVA has identified a specific set of courses available through this initiative, including courses for NOVA degree requirements that are also highly transferable credits to four-year institutions as well as coursework in cloud computing through a collaboration with Amazon Web Services.

FCPS is excited to partner with NOVA on this opportunity and will share more information for students and families as additional details about qualifications and registration emerge. 


13. FAQs About Refunds and Fees

Question:  What is the status of refunds for fees paid for various activities that are not going to happen due to the pandemic?

Answer:

  • Teachers, sponsors, and supervising administrators have been working with vendors and travel companies.
  • Refunds for field trips are issued only if the vendor/travel company is providing refunds. 
  • Travel companies and vendors may just issue a credit to the student’s name on the reservation for a postponed field trip. 
  • We will issue a refund for a field trip once the vendor or travel company returns the money to Woodson High School.
  • Class fees will be refunded at the end of the year as usual based on what is not used on consumables in the class. 
  • These will typically be issued through the credit card on file in MySchoolBucks.

Question:  Can students get a refund on his parking fee?

Answer:  Yes.  If you paid the full amount you will receive $50 (1/4 of the year).  A check will be sent to your house from FCPS.  They are currently working on this process, and it will take some time.  The school does not have any control over this process.


14. Lunch Money Refunds and Transfers

If you would like to request a refund of money on your student's MySchoolBucks lunch account or transfer the funds between students' accounts, please complete the following instructions.

Requesting a transfer of funds between my students' accounts

Meal account transfers can be requested by e-mailing the following information to mealaccountrefund@fcps.edu:

Transfer FROM:                                Transfer TO:

  1. Student Name                              1. Student Name
  2. FCPS Student ID #                       2. FCPS Student ID #
  3. School Name                                3. School Name

Requesting a refund for my student's meal account

Meal account refunds can be requested by e-mailing the following information to mealaccountrefund@fcps.edu

  1. Student Name
  2. Student ID # (listed on the student's schedule)
  3. School Name
  4. Parent Name
  5. Street Address
  6. City, State and Zip code
  7. Phone #

Allow 4-6 weeks for transfers and refunds to be completed due to required audit documentation processing.

For full information regarding student lunch accounts, visit https://www.fcps.edu/node/31166.


15. Yearbook Info - Yes, it will be Published!

The yearbook is on schedule for publication and distribution information will be shared once there is a plan. 

It's more important than ever to have a record of this historic 2019-2020 school year! 

It's not too late to reserve your student’s yearbook!!!

Last year’s book sold out!  Order now at https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/5278

The deadline to order online is Friday, April 24th!!


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)