Woodson Weekly - October 2nd

Textbook Pickup

The last day for textbook pickup is on Monday, October 5th.


Important Upcoming Dates

Monday, October 5th - Textbook Distribution 8am-6pm (see story below)

Monday, October 5th - Library Curbside Pickup begins (see story below)

Monday, October 12th - Indigenous Peoples' Day - Student Holiday

Thursday, October 29th - PSAT/NMSQT for Juniors ONLY

Thursday, October 29th - Asynchronous Instruction for all students not taking the PSAT/NMSQT Test

Friday, October 30 - Last day of First Quarter, 2 hour early release

Monday-Tuesday, November 2-3 - Student Holidays


In this Issue

ACTION Items 
1. SR&R Parent Acknowledgement Form - Required for ALL Students
2. Digital Resources Consent Form - Required for ALL Students

NEW News
3. Message from Dr. Floyd
4. Textbook Distribution - Monday last day
5. PSAT/NMSQT Intent to Participate - Junior ONLY
6. Non-Enrolled Student AP Exams
7. Credit Exam for World Languages Postponed
8. College & Career Center News

PAST News but still important
9. Attendance for Virtual Learning
10. SIS Weekly Progress Reports
11. Go Paperless - Report Cards
12. Library Curbside Pickup Program - Starts Monday
13. FCPS Laptop Tech Support Hours at WTW
14. Parent Technology Help Desk
15. Senior Baby Yearbook Ads
16. Order the WTW 2021 Yearbook
17. Healthy Minds Podcast: Social Emotional Learning


ACTION Items


1. SR&R Parent Acknowledgement Form

The Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) document explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair equitable and supportive school environment.  We ask that you use this document as a framework for discussing these expectations with your child or teen so that he or she is well prepared for success when the school year begins. You will also find that this publication includes information that you may need throughout the school year, including contacts numbers and other resources.

Please complete the Parent Acknowledgement Form that records your acknowledgement of receiving the information as required by law, to complete after reviewing these documents online. The form must be filled out one time per student.

Please reach out to your class administrator if you have any questions about SR&R.


2. Digital Resources - Parent 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.


NEW News


3. Message from Dr. Floyd

Good Friday afternoon Woodson Families!

As we progress into October we are taking this time to check in with students and staff regarding work load.  Both groups seem to be overwhelmed with work. 

Teachers will be working on ways to help students adhere to the 60-75 minutes of asynchronous/homework each week.  But, we need your help to streamline the workload for teachers. 

Teachers receive dozens of emails each day after school hours and on weekends.  Many are from students asking questions about assignments/due dates and these could be answered by a peer or by looking on their teachers learning platform.  Although teachers are responding to these emails as quickly as they are able; students should be encouraged to reach out to peers in their classes.  Therefore, we are suggesting that teachers and parents encourage students to find a study buddy or two in their classes who they can contact with questions prior to going to the teacher.  There is a phrase commonly used, “ask three before me” where “me” is the teacher.  Please encourage your child to ask their peers prior to emailing the teacher. 

In addition, we have office hours on Monday mornings for students to ask teachers questions.  Please help your child use this time to log on and ask questions instead of sending an email.  Many students have shared that they wake up whenever on Monday and “just email the teacher the question.”   FCPS has designated Monday mornings, as intervention and office hours, and students are supposed to reach out to their teachers for support in their class.  Please help us to reminded your student that they need to get up and participate in the various teachers office hours for clarification or additional support.  We want to make the most efficient use of our time on Mondays, so please log on and ask questions of teachers. 

Monday, October 12th is a student holiday.  We will not have the attendance activity, office hours and no assignments will be due on Monday.

Please visit the Woodson PTSO site, our new board is looking forward to engaging parents this year.  We encourage all families to get involved either by becoming members, joining us at meetings or volunteering. 

Thank you for your continued support.  Please feel free to reach out if you need anything. 

Mrs. Martin kamartin@fcps.edu (Science, Computer Science, PE and 9th grade Class)

Mrs. Madan spmadan@fcps.edu  (Social Studies, ELL and 10th grade Class)

Dr. DiSalvo pdisalvo@fcps.edu   (English, CTE and 11th grade Class)

Dr. Hewan gkhewan@fcps.edu (Math, World Languages and 12th grade Class)

Mr. Brooks drbrooks@fcps.edu (Fine and Performing Arts, Attendance)

Mrs. Burke ajburke@fcps.edu (All Special Education Programs)

And as always, I can be reached at cefloyd@fcps.edu

Have a safe and healthy weekend,

Dr. Floyd
Principal


4. Textbook Distribution

Monday, October 5th is the last scheduled date for textbook distribution.  Please have your child check with their teacher before signing up to make sure they know what textbooks must be picked up for class. Teachers shared with their classes if their class has a hard copy textbook to pick up. 

Schedule for Pickup

Monday, October 5, 8am-6pm 

Sign Up

Only students who have been assigned textbooks from their teachers need to make an appointment to pick up books. Click HERE to sign up for an appointment.  

Parking & Building Entry 

All parents / guardians / students should arrive at Woodson HS and enter the parking lot via Whitacre Road and proceed to the front of the building by Door 18 (next to auditorium). There will be staff directing you accordingly.   

Students only (not parents) must enter the building via Door #18 (next to auditorium). Students will be required to answer a health questionnaire prior to entry, wear a mask and maintain social distance. Once inside the building, students will be directed to follow a specific route collecting their textbooks/materials.  

What to bring

  • Empty backpack  
  • Card with name and student ID # clearly printed (helps with checkout process)  
  • Mask (students will not be permitted into the building without a mask) 

Questions, please email assistant principal Paula DiSalvo at pdisalvo@fcps.edu.


Winner of Wacky Tacky Hat Day

Selected students that participated in Wacky Tacky Hat spirit day last week won prizes from the WTW prize station.  Winners received a postcard in the mail and email in their fcpsschools.net email box.


5. PSAT/NMSQT Intent to Participate - for Juniors Only

On Thursday, October 29th, WT Woodson High School eleventh graders will have the opportunity to take the PSAT/NMSQT. FCPS will cover the cost for any eleventh grade student to take this test.

To help the school prepare for testing, students are asked to complete the form below by Friday, October 9 using their fcpsschools.net account. This form asks about participation in the test, the need for bus transportation, and interest in free breakfast or lunch on the day of the test.

WT Woodson High School: PSAT/NMSQT Intent to Participate Form

https://forms.gle/pkcDzW5MaVEwm3g69 

A translated version of the form content may be found on the PSAT/NMSQT Intent webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/node/42099).

Due to health and safety protocols, FCPS sites cannot accept walk-ins on the day of the exam.

General information about the PSAT/NMSQT test format is available on the College Board webpage (https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10). Thursday, October 29th has been designated for asynchronous learning in FCPS high schools, so students who choose to take the PSAT/NMSQT will not miss synchronous learning time with their teachers.

We will share more details about test day schedules and bus transportation in the coming weeks. FCPS health and safety protocols for PSAT/NMSQT administration are available online (https://www.fcps.edu/node/41891).

If you have questions about the PSAT/NMSQT administration at WT Woodson High School, please contact Kathleen Guinee (kpguinee@fcps.edu).


6. Non-Enrolled Student AP Exams

Woodson HS offers AP tests for non-enrolled students based on seat availability/testing room capacity for AP courses currently offered at Woodson High School.

For exams with limited seats/capacity, non-enrolled students will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.

Any student may register for and take any AP examination. Those taking an examination on an independent study basis must pay for the examination. To register to take the AP examinations as a non-enrolled student, please complete this Exam Order Form. Submit the completed form along with $95 per exam to Mrs. Glover at Woodson HS.  The deadline to register for AP exams is Friday, October 30th.

For more information on AP courses and exams, please visit the AP FAQs web page.  Please contact Student Testing Coordinator Kathleen Guinee, kpguinee@fcps.edu with questions.


7. Credit Exam for World Languages Postponed

The 2020 Credit Exam for World Languages will be postponed until the spring of 2021.  It is anticipated that results from the spring exam will be available in time for graduation. 

As a reminder, thirty (30) languages are assessed via the FCPS Credit Exam, including:  American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese/Mandarin, Farsi/Persian, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit/Samskritam, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

Greek, Hebrew, Portuguese and Turkish languages are tested using the Writing Proficiency Test (WPT), which is a timed test and has a format distinct from the FCPS World Languages Credit Exam.  More information on the WPT is available at Writing Proficiency Test.

Additional information about the Credit Exam can be accessed at Credit Exam for WL.


8. College & Career Center News

The Woodson College and Career Center is now on Twitter. Please follow us @wtwcareercenter. 

Upcoming Events:

College Access Fairfax, in collaboration with School Counseling Services, is offering a Financial Aid presentation for each FCPS Region this fall. Seniors and their families can participate in any presentation at their convenience and do not need to attend the presentation for their region. Registration closes 24 hours before the event.

  • Saturday, October 3 College Success Program families/All Regions (English and Spanish presentation is available on this date) 9:00am-10:00am
  • Tuesday, October 6, Region 3 Schools, 7:00pm-8:00pm
  • Thursday, October 8, Region 5 Schools, 7:00pm-8:00pm
  • Thursday, October 15, Region 2 Schools,7:00pm-8:00pm

George Mason University hosts The ALCANZA College Fair each year to promote higher education opportunities to Latinx high school students in our community. ALCANZA is one of the largest college fairs in Northern Virginia. This year’s virtual ALCANZA will be on October 22, 2020. For more information and to register, please visit: https://events.admissions.gmu.edu/alcanza/


PAST News - Still Important


9. Attendance for Virtual Learning

Please call the Attendance Office (703-503-4800; option 1 for all day absences, option 2 for tardy, and option 3 for early release).

Email teachers only as a courtesy, not to have attendance updated for tardies, check outs and all day absences.

Please be sure to leave the following:

  • student’s name,
  • spelling the last name, given first name (no nicknames please);
  • student ID;
  • reason for any full or partial absence;
  • your name and relationship to the student; and
  • a phone number where you can be reached.

Please note, students, friends, siblings, other relatives or friends cannot call to excuse any absence, it must be a parent/guardian. If your student attends an academy class, please call that academy school if the attendance affects their academy class.


10. SIS Weekly Progress Reports

If you have registered for SIS ParentVUE and have a primary email address recorded in ParentVUE, you can receive your student’s Weekly Progress Report via email.  For the 2020-21 school year, Weekly Progress Reports are scheduled to begin on Monday, October 5th.  This report provides a summary of your student’s grades for the current quarter. 

To activate the Weekly Progress Reports via email, login to your SIS ParentVUE account and verify that you have a primary email address within the system.  It is listed under the “My Account” tab. 

If it is blank, enter the email address where you would like to receive the progress reports, and click on “Update account.”  Once your email is confirmed, return to the “My Account” tab to activate and select your preferences for receiving these reports.  Emails will be sent according to your selected preferences.  Weekly Progress Reports for all of your middle and high school students will be included in one email.  For additional help, refer to the quick reference guide for FCPS parents/guardians.

Parents can also access student grades through ParentVUE via the Grade Book tab.  


11. Go Paperless - Report Cards

Parents and/or guardians can now opt to “Go Paperless” in ParentVUE and receive only online report cards.

This will not impact any other mailings from FCPS other than the report cards for secondary students and progress reports for ES students.

To take advantage of the paperless options, parents and/or guardians will need to log into ParentVUE, then go to “My Account” and select "Go Paperless."  All parents who live with the student and share the same address must have a SIS ParentVUE account and must select the paperless option to prevent mailing of the printed report cards.

The “Go Paperless” option will apply to all their associated students, no matter what school level.


String Bag Winner

Another Wacky Tacky Hat winner!


12. Library Curbside Pickup Program 

Beginning Monday, October 5th, students will be able to pick up print books from the Woodson Library via our Library Curbside Pickup program. 

Students who place a hold on an available book by Friday at noon can pick up that book on the following Monday between 10 am and 2 pm from a cart outside of the main entrance or just inside of Door 1 if it is raining. Students may place up to five (5) holds.   

Books will be checked out to the student for three weeks and then students can return books on Mondays between 10 am and 2 pm on the return book cart outside the main entrance.

Students!  Use your FCPSSchools.net account to go to our Woodson Virtual Library site to learn how to place a hold.   

Questions?  Contact Mrs. Linski at mllinski@fcps.edu or Mrs. Anderson at msanderson@fcps.edu. 


13. Senior Baby Ads for Yearbook

Senior Baby Ads

Looking for a personalized, memorable way to recognize your graduating senior? Want to capture memories with the friends you’ve made for a lifetime? Looking for a fun way to recognize your teammates or club members?  

Parents, siblings, relatives, teachers, coaches, and friends of Woodson’s graduating Class of 2021 have an opportunity to purchase ad space in the 2021 edition of the yearbook! 

There are many ad sizes available at various price points. Orders are being accepted now, and all ad space is sold on a first-come, first-served basis. So place your order early to reserve ad space for your graduating senior!

Visit www.YearbookOrderCenter.com and enter job number 5278. Choose “Buy a Yearbook Ad” to begin the process.


14. Order the 2021 WTW Yearbook!

The WTW yearbook is ready for orders!

I can’t imagine a more significant time to purchase a relic of history and to celebrate our Woodson Cavaliers! 

To purchase a yearbook or to make an adorable ad for your graduating senior, go to https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/ and type in the code 5278. You can create an ad, buy a yearbook, or submit photos all in one place!

Please contact tmweghorst@fcps.edu if you have any questions!


15. Laptop Tech Support Hours

If parents or students need FCPS laptop technical support at Woodson HS, the following must be completed:

  1. Submit a ticket using the FCPS Parent/Student Tech Support Portal,
  2. Schedule an appointment to come on-site, and
  3. Complete a health screening questionnaire prior to arriving. 

Our onsite laptop tech support hours by appointment only are:
Monday - 1:30 - 3:00 pm and 5:00-7:30 pm
Tuesday - Thursday 9:00 am - 12 pm and 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Friday - 9:00 am - 12 pm

Thank you,
W.T Woodson HS Tech Support Team


16. 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


Healthy Minds Podcast

17. Healthy Minds Podcast: Social-Emotional Learning

Meet Olde Creek Elementary School psychologist Ellen Goldberger in this week's Healthy Minds podcast. Goldberger addresses the important issue of self-control; knowing how to recognize when children (and adults) are losing self-control and tips on how to regain it. These strategies can also help families during the ongoing virtual learning days and into the future. 


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)