Woodson Weekly -
May 8th
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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!
 Order your 2020 Woodson High School Yearbook!!!
In this Issue
1. Now more than ever... yearbook!
2. Message from Dr. Floyd
3. Fourth Quarter & End of Year
4. Paperless Report Cards
5. Woodson Student Wins Virginia History Award
6. What are the impacts on the SAT and ACT?
7. AP Exam Updates
8. May is Mental Health Awareness Month
9. 30 Minute Consultation with a FCPS Clinician
10. New NOVA Jump Start Opportunity
11. FAQs About Refunds and Fees
12. Lunch Money Refunds and Transfers
1. Now more than ever…yearbook!
The kids lost a lot when schools closed in March. They don’t need to lose their yearbook.
Here are some frequently asked questions about yearbook.
Is the yearbook still being published?
Yes! The staff worked hard after the school closing to finish the book on time! We have sold lots of baby ads and plenty of books. It’s happening.
When is distribution?
We don’t know yet. Right around the time we finished the main book, the Kansas City plant was being shut down due to COVID 19. But it reopened May 4! We’ll keep the community posted as we get new information.
What will distribution look like?
Not sure yet, but the plucky yearbook staff can make it work! It will be done with safety and social distancing. When we have a distribution plan, we will get the word out!
Are there photos of spring sports?
Sadly, the spring sports seasons ended abruptly. So there is not the usual spring supplement with photos of spring happenings. But thankfully the teams posed for team portraits, and those WILL be included in the main book.
Is there coverage of COVID 19 and the school closure?
Yes! The yearbook staff pulled some coverage together of this bizarre time in Woodson’s life. Plus of course there is coverage of that wonderful time when we were together in school.
Can students still order the book?
Yes! The online order center has extended their dates. Families can order the book online through June 1. Act now; supplies are limited. Here is the link: https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/5278
What if I’m not sure if I already ordered one?
There is a document on the library’s Blackboard page with a listing of who has already ordered. You can also email the yearbook adviser, Beth Koby, and I’ll be happy to look you up. ewkoby@fcps.edu
Is picture heading this newsletter the yearbook cover?
Yes!
2. Message from Dr. Floyd
Hello Woodson Families!
While we await word on graduation plans from FCPS, I can let you know that during the week of May 26th, seniors will be able to drive through and do curbside pick-up of their cap/gown/tassel, the contents of their lockers, pay any remaining dues, pick up medications and drop off laptops and books. For underclassmen this will happen starting June 1.
Over the next couple weeks school staff will be emptying all contents of lockers into paper bags with student names. During the pick-up and drop-off, we will distribute the bags with locker contents. Unfortunately, per the health department, we cannot allow students into the school to retrieve their own belongings.
In the next two weeks, we will have more information to include the status of senior dues. Thank you again for your patience as we work through this process. This weekend, I would like to wish all of our Cavalier Moms a very happy and healthy Mother’s Day!
Dr. Floyd
3. Fourth Quarter & End of Year
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.
4. 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.
5. Woodson Student Wins Virginia History Day Award
Students from Fairfax County Public Schools won 16 category awards in the 2020 Virginia History Day competition, held virtually, and based on the theme, “Breaking Barriers in History.” Five students won first place awards.
Submissions are featured online at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, sponsor of the state competition. The top two entries in each category and age division at the state level will compete at the National History Day finals.
Individual Performance: Junior, second place: “The Independence of Israel” by Ela Patel Euler, Haycock Elementary; Senior, third place: “What Can I Achieve?: Crossing Centuries of Constraints and Exploring Chinese Immigration Through the Lens of 3 Women” by Cindy Li, Woodson High.
6. 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 29, October 3, November 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.
7. 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
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Exam Window: Exams will be given from May 11–22.
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Makeup test dates will be available for each subject from June 1–5.
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8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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. Refunds are prorated based on the amount given by the vendor/travel company.
- 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. This is based on the amount / percentage refunded.
- 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.
12. 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:
- Student Name 1. Student Name
- FCPS Student ID # 2. FCPS Student ID #
- 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
- Student Name
- Student ID # (listed on the student's schedule)
- School Name
- Parent Name
- Street Address
- City, State and Zip code
- 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.
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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