Class of 2020 Virtual Graduation will air on Tuesday, June 30th at 11 am

In this Issue

1. Message from Dr. Floyd
2. Report Cards
3. Summer Learning Opportunities
4. HBCU Undergraduate Panel Opportunity
5. Yearbook Distribution - July 23rd
6. Summer Contact Information

1. Message from Dr. Floyd

Dear Woodson Families:

This week the Fairfax County Public School’s School Board approved the options for the 2020-2021 School Year. Please visit https://www.fcps.edu/returntoschool to review this information. A survey will come out soon and it is paramount that you respond by the July 10 deadline in order for us to adequately and accurately plan for all students. This is a family decision, one that I encourage you to discuss together as it is a commitment for the full school year. We will continue to update our website with the answers to frequently asked questions https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/return-school-questions-and-answers as they become available. 

On another note, I am concerned about the ongoing vandalism around our campus.  We have had graffiti spray painted in various locations, the “W. T. Woodson Home of the Cavaliers” pieces (cups) have been stolen from the Main Street fence and various signs have been destroyed.  The impact of this on our community includes a poor view of our school by the community as well as much time, energy and funds spent to beautify our campus are now ruined.  The resources that must be utilized to clean up or replace items is quite costly in materials and manpower. This vandalism is not acceptable and while our video surveillance often indicates who the perpetrator is, the time and energy to rectify the incidents is costly. Please know that when we do identify the vandal, we make police reports and hold Restorative Justice sessions with the vandals, often to include restitution. We must come together as a community to stop this; when you see something, please say something. In addition, if you have some of the pieces (cups) from the fence at home, please let me know as we would like to replace the Cavaliers but will need to purchase more pieces to do so. We appreciate your assistance and please have conversations with your sons/daughters about the impact of vandalism around any public place. 

On behalf of the Equity Committee, I want to thank you for joining us in our Town Hall Meeting on June 17. Thank you for honest and rich conversations around the recent events that have impacted our communities across the nation. The Equity Committee will like to invite you to join our Social Justice Book Club along with our faculty. At your earliest convenience, please complete the Social Justice survey to help up with planning purposes. Please let Dr. Hewan know if you have any questions at gkhewan@fcps.edu.

We complete our celebration of the Class of 2020 with the airing of the Virtual Graduation ceremony on Tuesday, June 30th at 11am on FCPS Channel 99 or at woodson-hs.stageclip.com. Thank you to those seniors who chose to participate. 

We will continue to provide updates to the ever evolving opening of school information as we know it. Thank you for your patience during this time of uncertainty and I hope all of our families enjoy some rest and relaxation this summer. Please don’t hesitate to email any of the 12 month staff available throughout the summer, their contact information is below. 

Sincerely,
Dr. Floyd

2. Report Cards

Final secondary report cards, in PDF format, were available in ParentVUE and StudentVUE on Tuesday, June 23 at 6:00 a.m.  

For the first time, the Documents module will be available to students and parents.  The report cards can be found under the Documents module of ParentVUE and StudentVUE, instead of linked within the Report Card module.

This change was made to allow parents, especially those who opted to “Go Paperless”, to continue to see the PDF report card after SY 20/21 is closed out. A message will be posted in ParentVUE and StudentVUE letting users know where to find the report cards.

3. Summer Learning Opportunities

From Monday, June 29th – Friday, July 31, Woodson students will have the opportunity to take advantage of the Continuity of Learning program which is a free summer program that offers Woodson High School students an opportunity to review concepts and skills using recommended self-directed digital materials.  Materials will not be collected or graded. 

The digital materials will be housed on the FCPS 24-7 learning Mathematics and English sites  (Summer Learning Materials). Woodson teachers will be available each week through office hours offered at various times throughout the week from June 29 – July 31 to assist your students with the digital materials or other learning goals that they may be working on throughout the summer. 

If you have any questions regarding these summer learning opportunities, please contact Mr. Brooks, assistant principal at drbrooks@fcps.edu.

4. HBCU Undergraduate Panel Opportunity

The Justice High School Equity Team and FCPS Student Equity Coalition are hosting an HBCU (Historically Black College and University) Undergraduate Panel on Thursday, July 16 at 7 pm-8:30 pm on Google Meets. All FCPS students are invited to attend.

We see a strong need for conversations about HBCUs in FCPS. Most of our experience reflects teachers and schools pushing students toward PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions) or pushing students of color toward community colleges. Most field trips are to PWIs, most college research assignments are about PWIs, and most of the college literature that is available is about PWIs. We see a need for change and hope this panel is a part of that step in the right direction.

We plan to use half of the panel time for pre-written questions. We will then open the discussion up for questions from the audience.

5. Yearbook Distribution

When and where is Distribution?

Thursday, July 23 10 AM to 4 PM at Woodson High School. We will be deciding closer to the day whether it will be a car pick up or a walk-up-to-a-table-wearing-masks event. We will make it as simple and easy as we can, following all health guidelines.

What do I need to bring with me?

Bring some form of photo ID.

What if I will be out of town on the 23rd? Or what if I want my neighbor to pick up my book for me?

You may designate a friend or neighbor to pick up your book for you. You should fill out this form 

https://forms.gle/xueDfU1PBJeXHF1d9

by Monday, July 20 at midnight! We cannot allow other parties to pick up your book if you don’t fill out the form. Everyone picking up a yearbook will have to show an ID.

What if I’m moving from the area before the 23rd?

If you are moving, please contact Beth Koby, yearbook adviser, at ewkoby@fcps.edu to make arrangements.

Will books be for sale on Distribution day?

If we are not sold out prior to Distribution day, there WILL be some books for sale, first-come, first-served. Books will be $90, cash or a check made out to W. T. Woodson High School.

Can I still reserve a book now?

Yes! A limited number of copies are still available.  Go to https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/5278

What if I’m not sure if I ordered a book already?

Contact Beth Koby, yearbook adviser, at ewkoby@fcps.edu. I’ll be happy to look it up for you.

What happens if I miss Distribution entirely?

You’ll have to wait for school to open to pick up your book.

What If I’m feeling sick on Distribution day?

If you are not feeling well or if anyone in your household has COVID 19 or has been recently exposed, DON’T COME to the distribution. Email Beth Koby, yearbook adviser, at ewkoby@fcps.edu to make arrangements.

6. Summer Contact Information

Due to the continued closure of FCPS buildings due to COVID-19, listed below is contact information for the remainder of June, July and August:

Please note that administration and support staff not listed above, will return on Wednesday, July 15th. Instructional staff returns on Friday, August 14th. Please refer to our website for a complete staff directory.

We encourage you to email any questions or concerns to staff listed above, while our building remains closed and we are operating with limited summer staff.

Additional Information

Registration: Until our offices reopen, parents will need to complete the registration paperwork that is available online and reach out to the registrar, Christine Lieb-Mosley via email until offices reopen.   Families will be contacted via email or phone for the next steps in the registration process.

Withdrawal: If you need to withdraw your student from Woodson for the 2020-21 school year, please contact Woodson Registrar, Christine Lieb-Mosley, who will schedule a time/date to return the school issued laptop, complete a withdrawal form and other learning materials.

Records Request: Until our offices reopen to the public, there are no office hours. However, if a family has a transcript or records requests, they should email the registrar throughout the summer.

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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