 Joan Brown, Woodson's School-Based Technology Specialist trains teachers on new platforms to deliver virtual instruction.
In this Issue
1. Message from Dr. Floyd
2. Three Must Do Forms to Start the Year
3. Opening of School Information
4. Student Schedules - Released on September 2nd
5. Digital Resources Consent Form - Required for ALL Students
6. Seniors Only - SAT School Day Intent Deadline Monday, August 31st
7. Mental Wellness Town Hall - Tuesday, September 1st
8. Woodson Communication Day - Wednesday, September 2nd
9. New Parent Technology Help Desk
10. New Student Laptop Distribution - Part 2
11. Students with FCPSOn Laptops
12. Student Attendance for the 2020-21 School Year
13. 2020-21 Class Council and SAC Elections
14. Welcome New Staff
15. Woodson Virtual Runathon
16. Social Justice Club Meeting - Thursday, September 17th
17. Scoliosis Fact Sheet
18. Textbook Drop Off
19. Instrument & Uniform Drop Off
20. Student Services Information
21. WTW Military Family Network
22. Yearbook Info for 2020-2021
23. New Healthy Minds Podcast: Finding Someone to Listen
1. Message from Dr. Floyd
Hello Woodson Families!
In just 11 days we open for the 2020-2021 School Year! Teachers are working on a variety of trainings to engage students in the virtual classroom.
Many parents have asked, “how can I help?” There are a variety of ways to help, one huge help is to go online and complete these 3 forms – pay specific attention to the Digital Resources – Parent Consent Form. There are some applications teachers want to use that require parent permission due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This form will provide you with information about the measures FCPS takes to keep student data secure when using digital tools. By completing this form you will indicate your consent or refusal regarding the FCPS-approved online tools listed on the school website as part of the instructional program. We need this completed by Tuesday, September 8th and it requires your child’s student ID number. Thank you for your assistance with this important matter.
If you are new to Woodson, have you checked out the online orientation? In this Virtual Orientation you can see who we all are and what our school is like. We will continue to post videos as they come available. We hope to have one on clubs and activities in the next couple weeks.
Enjoy the weekend,
Dr. Floyd
2. Three Must Do Forms to Start the Year
Emergency Care Form
Health Information Form
Digital Resources - Parent Consent Form
- Woodson uses a variety of digital tools for learning. You may look through the list before signing the form.
3. Opening of School Information
Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year where we are "Virtually Unstoppable!" Here are links to important information for Woodson's Return to School.
4. Student Schedules
Student schedules will be available in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE on Wednesday, September 2nd.
5. Digital Resources Consent Form
At Woodson, our teachers will use a variety of digital resources to support student learning and promote communication and collaboration with students and families. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year will require your consent before they can be used. You can find our school’s list of the resources that require parental consent here: https://woodsonhs.fcps.edu/adopteddigitalresources.
Included on this page is also a link to a form where the enrolling parent or guardian will need to indicate whether or not their student is allowed to use the list of digital resources this year. This page also provides more information about how FCPS carefully reviews digital resources for approval and why we must request your consent before using certain tools. We encourage you to complete the parental consent for digital resources form as soon as possible, as your child will not be able to use the digital resources until we have received your permission. Please reach out to Kathy Martin, assistant principal overseeing technology at kamartin@fcps.edu if you have questions or concerns about the digital resources we’ve chosen to use this year.
6. Seniors Only - SAT School Day Intent Deadline Monday, August 31st
As a reminder, WT Woodson High School will offer the SAT School Day exam to all twelfth graders on Wednesday, September 23. FCPS will cover the cost for any twelfth grade student to take the SAT; however, the optional essay component and subject tests will not be offered on this date.
To assist in planning for this test administration and FCPS bus transportation needs, students are asked to complete this SAT School Day Intent to Participate form. (The form must be completed by the student using his/her @fcpsschools.net account.) Only those students wishing to test should complete the form if they have not already done so. The deadline to submit the intent form has been extended to Monday, August 31. Students who do not submit the form by August 31 may not be able to test. A translated version of the form content may be found on the SAT School Day Intent webpage.
General information about the SAT School Day format is available on the College Board webpage. September 23 has been designated for asynchronous learning, so students who choose to take the SAT will not miss synchronous learning time with their teachers.
FCPS health and safety protocols for test day are available online, and we will share more details about test day schedules, bus transportation, and school-specific logistics in the coming weeks. Final confirmation of SAT School Day testing will be based on health department guidance in September.
If you have questions about SAT School Day administration at WT Woodson High School, please contact Woodson’s Assessment Coach, Kathleen Guinee at kpguinee@fcps.edu.
7. Mental Wellness Town Hall - Tuesday, September 1st
The Woodson High School Clinical Support Team and Student Services Department would like to welcome members of our community to join us at a Mental Wellness Town Hall to be held on Tuesday, September 1st from 6-7:00 p.m.
Our Clinical Support Team, which is comprised of our School Social Workers and School Psychologists, as well as School Counselors from Student Services, will be offering strategies to support student social emotional well-being during this time of virtual learning, as well as sharing resources from both within Woodson and the greater FCPS community. A Q&A session will be conducted after the presentation.
For students who need hearing impairment interpretative services, they can contact Suhad Keblawi (SDKeblawi@fcps.edu) for Cued Speech transliteration or Laura Kempter (lekempter@fcps.edu) for Sign Language interpretation. For parents who need hearing impairment interpretative services, please contact Marla Pollack (MSPollack@fcps.edu) for deaf and hard of hearing interpretation.
We will send the link to parents via eNotify on Tuesday morning.
8. Woodson Communication Day - Wednesday, September 2nd at 11:00-11:30am
ALL STUDENTS - Watch for an invitation to join a Google Classroom. This will be an email in your fcpsschools.net account from your new 3rd Period Learning Seminar teacher.
At 11:00am you will access the class and click the Google Meet link at the top of your Learning Seminar Google Classroom course. You will be introduced to classmates and engage in a 30 min activity to check that your microphone and camera are working.
9. New Parent Technology Help Desk
To support families who are working with their children during distance learning, FCPS launched a new Parent Technology Help Desk. The number is 1-833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS). It will be answered by staff 7 a.m.to 11 p.m., seven days a week. If the help desk is unable to solve the issue on the phone with the parent or guardian, they will enter a ticket on the parent’s behalf and the request for help will be transferred to the appropriate FCPS team.
Parents or guardians who need help in a language other than English should let help desk staff know, and a interpreter will join them on the line. (FCPS also has existing parent information phone lines, available in eight different languages, that can assist with general questions about FCPS.)
FCPS has also set up an online portal to allow older students and parents and guardians to request technology help directly.
Get more information about the new Parent Technology Help Desk.
10. New Student Laptop Distribution Part 2
Woodson will continue to distribute laptops to new students on Tuesday, September 1st from 5-8pm. Please sign up for a time slot using this SignUpGenius link. Each student must be present for pickup in order to set up the laptop properly.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Kathy Martin at kamartin@fcps.edu.
11. Students with FCPSOn Laptops
Pease help us continue to prepare student FCPSOn laptops for the new school year by following these steps:
- Plug the device into an outlet.
- Turn the device on and let it boot up.
- Ensure it is connected to the internet at that location.
- Let the device sit for 30 minutes. No additional log-ins or activities are required.
- Do this once per week this month to ensure the laptop has the latest updates to start the new school year.
This weekend/next week, please take time to turn on student laptops, charge them if needed and test the microphone and video. To do so, please type the word "Camera" in the search bar on the lower left side of the desktop screen. Open the camera app. Switch from still camera to video mode on the right. Press the red button to record with some audio. Now view and listen to your video. Can you hear your voice? Can you see yourself? Hurray! Your webcam and microphone are working. If your camera or mic doesn’t work, have the student log on to this site to look for troubleshooting tips: https://sites.google.com/fcpsschools.net/cav-kiosk/tech-help/bbcu-audiovideo-troubleshooting?authuser=1.
We need to run a report at the school to see if our devices are online or if we have an issue at the school.
12. Student Attendance for the 2020-21 School Year
FCPS welcomes new and returning families for the 2020-21 school year. Our September 8 virtual opening poses some interesting challenges, so we hope this will help families understand the new attendance routines.
In Virginia, public school students aged 5-18 are required to attend school regularly. That is true whether FCPS is offering distance learning or in-person instruction. Teachers will take attendance during learning sessions and ensure that all students are counted. Parents can assist with this process by doing the following:
- Ensuring that their student(s) logs in to classes on time, and throughout the day.
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Calling the school attendance line at 703-503-4800 if their student(s) are unable to participate.
- Communicating any concerns to the school, such as difficulty logging in or having access to FCPS classes.
- Reporting any hardship, such as student illness or any issue that might prevent the student from participating regularly.
- Returning phone calls or emails when notified that their student(s) did not participate that day.
- Ensuring that your student(s) submit activity logs as directed.
If your child is unable to login to live, face-to-face online instruction with their teacher, the teacher will be recording the class and posting the video within Blackboard/Google Classroom so it can be viewed at a different time. The video can also be used to provide review for all students.
If a parent calls and indicates their student will not be there for a certain class period, they are excused for the class period. Accessing the material later will not change the status of the absence.
If there is no parent contact, and the student failed to log in, the student is unverified (UNV) for that class period. FCPS bases attendance for secondary students on “present” one or more periods of the day, and reports which periods a student did not appear in class.
FCPS staff members will work with parents to ensure that the transition to virtual learning is as smooth as possible. Help us to help you set your students up for success.
More information about attendance is available online.
13. 2020-21 Class Council and SAC Elections
Anyone interested in running for Class Council or Student Advisory Council (SAC) must submit the required information no later than Tuesday, September 8th at 11:59 pm.
All necessary information is posted in each classes’ Google Classroom. Please contact Mr. Schaefer djschaefer@fcps.edu or Mrs. Schmauder plschmauder@fcps.edu for more information.
14. Welcome New Staff
Help us welcome more new faces to Woodson this year!
My name is Shameka Brantley and I will be teaching Biology and Personal Development with the CSS team this upcoming year at Woodson HS. I am originally from Ohio where I attended The Ohio State University, before I ventured off to the DMV area to attend graduate school at Towson University and most recently, George Mason University for Special Education.
I just completed my fifth year with FCPS and this upcoming year will be my first year working at the high school level. I am really excited about this new journey at Woodson HS and I look forward to meeting and working with everyone
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My name is Lonnie Bickel and I am one of the new music teachers at Woodson. I am originally from Pennsylvania, where I received my undergraduate degree in Music Education from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. I have been in FCPS for 20+ years. During that time I received a graduate degree in Special Education specializing in adolescents with emotional disabilities and a post graduate degree in administration, both from the George Washington University.
I am so excited to return to my first love, teaching music, and that I am going to do that at Woodson! I look forward to meeting and working with you all
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My name is Johnny Shu and I am one of the new biology teachers at Woodson. This will be my 9th year teaching. I spent 6 years at Edison high school and 2 years in Seattle. It was nice seeing my first set of students graduate college this year. I am looking forward to working with my new cohort and hope the new born at home will let me get some sleep.
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My name is Marie Phu and I am one of the new History & Social Studies teachers at Woodson working with 9th and 10th graders. I am from Fairfax, Virginia and have been living here in Fairfax County my whole life. I graduated from George Mason University with my B.A in History and M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction.
I began working for FCPS as a substitute teacher and eventually started my teaching career as a teacher with FCPS two years ago. I really look forward to continue my teaching career at Woodson and to work with the community of families, students, and staff at Woodson. I anticipate opportunities to get to know and work with everyone this year!
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15. Woodson Virtual Runathon
Woodson Leadership officers in cooperation with students from Woodson’s BSU and For the Culture are hosting a virtual Woodson Runathon (walking is encouraged as well) from August 23-29. There is no cost to participate.
For every mile you run/walk Woodson student leaders pledge one hour towards promoting and furthering the fight for racial justice and equality.
The first 150 Woodson students and faculty to register will receive a free event t-shirt.
For more information and to register, visit https://sites.google.com/view/woodsonrunathon
For more information about the runathon contact djschaefer@fcps.edu
16. Social Justice Club Meeting
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The Social Justice Club will meet on September 17th from 7 to 8 PM.
Participants will discuss Chapters 1, 2, and 3. A link will be provided in the coming days.
If you are interested in participating the Social Justice Club, please email Dr. George Hewan at gkhewan@fcps.edu.
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17. Scoliosis Fact Sheet
Fairfax County requires that each school notifies parents and guardians with educational information on scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. It occurs in otherwise healthy children and can be a serious health problem if it becomes severe. For more information on scoliosis, please refer to the Scoliosis Fact Sheet. https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/ScoliosisFactSheet.pdf
For more resources regarding Student Safety and Wellness, please visit the School Health Services website.
https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/school-health-services
 18. Textbook Drop Off
Students if you have textbooks at home, please bring them back to Woodson so we can prepare for the new school year.
Please drop your textbooks off at Door 1 between the hours of 8am-3pm, Monday through Friday prior to Thursday, September 3rd. There will be a cart/table outside Door 1 to place your books on if the weather is nice. If it is raining, the drop off cart/table will be just inside Door 1.
If you have any questions please contact Dr. Paula L. DiSalvo at pdisalvo@fcps.edu.
19. Instrument & Uniform Drop Off
Students if you have instruments & uniforms at home, please bring them back to Woodson so we can prepare for the new school year.
You can drop off your instrument and/or uniform just inside Door 1 between the hours of 8am-3pm, Monday through Friday prior to Thursday, September 3rd.
If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Marc Brooks at drbrooks@fcps.edu.
20. Student Services 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.
21. WTW Military Family Network
Calling all current and new military families! We are restarting our military network effort for the upcoming school year. Our mission is to foster a community of military members at WT Woodson High School. This year will be particularly difficult for new students and families to make connections due to the continued pandemic crisis we face.
Current military families, that would like to be part of our “Connections” effort by being a buddy to a new military family or by sharing neighborhood information --or --new families that would like to join our network, please send and an email to: wtwmilitarynetwork@gmail.com
We will be in touch soon!
22. Yearbook Info for 2020-2021!
Yearbook for 20-21 is rolling! What a year to own a relic of these unprecedented times and showcase Woodson students for “making it the most of it.”
We love our candid shots and want summer photos!
You can share your pictures with the yearbook staff via eShare. You can do this two easy ways.
- Go to 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
We want anything from vacations to staycations! We want to show off those new hobbies, virtual celebrations, and mask fashion!
You can follow us on Twitter @WoodsonYearbook. If you have any questions, please contact Woodson yearbook advisor Ms. Weghorst at tmweghorst@fcps.edu.
23. New Healthy Minds Podcast: Finding Someone to Listen
Being apart from each other hasn’t been easy for anyone. Listen to Fairfax County Public Schools’ Healthy Minds podcast this week to hear a conversation with Laura Mayer, director of PRS CrisisLink, an important FCPS community partner.
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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