 Watch the latest episode of The Morning Show by Woodson's Broadcast Studio.
Important Upcoming Dates
Wednesday, January 13th - Virtual Curriculum Night, 6:30-7:30pm (see story below)
NEWLY UPDATED!!! The week of January 18th now has 2 synchronous learning days and they are both Odd days.
Monday, January 18th - Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, School Holiday
Tuesday, January 19th - Synchronous Learning Day - ODD DAY
Wednesday, January 20th - Inauguration Day, School Holiday
Thursday, January 21st - Synchronous Learning Day - ODD DAY
Friday, January 22nd - Last Day of 2nd Quarter; Synchronous Learning Day - 2 hour early release EVEN DAY
Monday, January 25th - Teacher Workday
In this Issue
ACTION Items
1. For IN-PERSON Learning Students ONLY
NEW News
2. Message from Dr. Floyd
3. Emotional Wellness Resource
4. Academic Advising for the 21-22 School Year
5. WTW Virtual Curriculum Night, Wednesday, January 13th
6. VMEA Senior Honors Choir
7. Congratulations, Ms. Forney and Ms. Kinne!
8. Has your contact information changed?
9. SIS ParentVUE
10. Lifetouch - Common questions and answers
11. College & Career Center News
PAST News but still important
12. FCPS Laptops and International Travel
13. FCPS Laptop Tech Support Hours at WTW
14. Parent Technology Help Desk
15. Order the WTW 2021 Yearbook
ACTION Items
1. For IN-PERSON Learning Students ONLY
As we prepare to bring our students back for in-person instruction here are some updates. Starting after winter break, we will be sending out information each week leading up to the start of in-person learning. These emails will contain important information and/or action items.
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Parent Health Commitment Form – Can be filled out in ParentVUE. This needs to be completed prior to your child starting in-person learning. Please see the translated versions
Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
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FCPS Health and Safety Document – FCPS guidance on health procedures
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Return to School – FCPS Website for information on returning to school
- Lunches – we are still working on the exact schedule. What we do know is that students will be eating in our cafeterias with all health and safety protocols in place such as 6ft distance, hand sanitizing/hand washing, cleaning of surfaces, and flow of traffic.
NEW News
2. Message from Dr. Floyd
Good afternoon Woodson Families,
How many times did we say we looked forward to 2021 to start a new, fresh year? For me, it was dozens of times and with great anticipation. Sadly, within the first week of this new year, we experienced acts of violence towards our democracy. Wednesday’s event was deeply upsetting and created many different feelings for most Americans: confusion, anger, fear and many more. This traumatic event was such that some staff had personally processed it and were comfortable discussing it with students, providing a safe space to talk while others continue to process the trauma personally and were not comfortable with the discussion among students. Should your child need / want to talk through these events, please reach out to the school counselor or if you would like them to speak with one of our psychologists or social workers, please let your administrator know and they will connect you accordingly. Parents are welcome to review this resource should you have questions on talking to your teen in traumatic times.
As you may know, the School Board and Division Leadership are moving the start of in person learning back to February. We will not begin in person learning on January 26. We do not have many details at this time, however you are encouraged to watch Dr. Brabrand’s Town Hall on Monday, January 11 at 6PM on FCPS Cable Channel 99 (Verizon Channel 11) or on FCPS' website. This will impact the currently scheduled asynchronous days for students on Tuesday and Thursday, January 19 and 21. These two days will now be synchronous odd days (periods 1, 3, 5, 7) at high schools county wide. Teachers will be in touch regarding what classes will be doing on those days. Friday, January 22 continues to be a two hour early release (even day) as it is the last day of the second quarter.
I appreciate your understanding with these changes. Once we know when we will be returning in person, teachers will have two days of professional development that were previously scheduled on January 19 and 21.
I remain hopeful that this year will bring successes of our students, a return to school, a vaccine and open and honest discussions of national and world events that will unite us rather than divide us. We are the #oneWoodson community; we are here to support one another as one united school. Should you need assistance (resources, excessive stress, organizational strategies, etc.), please feel free to reach out to me at cefloyd@fcps.edu or your child’s counselor or administrator at any time so that we can problem solve and help to provide you any help we can find.
Stay safe, stay healthy and stay connected,
Dr. Floyd
3. Emotional Wellness Resource
You or your staff may be hearing from parents who are concerned about their child’s emotional well-being. This one-pager (https://bit.ly/38k8Xyz) from Healthy Minds Fairfax provides easy-to-digest information and would be a valuable resource for your school community.
Please consider sharing it with them in your next newsletter and/or during a virtual parent meeting. If you have questions or need additional resources, please let us know.
 Watch all of Woodson's athletic events on the Woodson Broadcast Studio channel on YouTube.
4. Academic Advising for the 21-22 School Year
Happy new year from Student Services! As we transition our of winter break we are set to begin academic advising for next school year. Over the next several weeks, rising 10th-12th grade students will meet individually with the counselors to select classes for next year. Prior to the start of those meetings though we have information and resources to share to help students prepare to select classes.
New this year – our Woodson HS Curriculum Video Website! Due to current health conditions we are unable to host an in-person curriculum fair as we do most years. Instead, we are excited to share with you our curriculum video website, which you can access HERE. On this site you will find videos from teachers across all of our departments providing descriptions and overviews of the various classes offered at Woodson. This will provide students with valuable information they can use to make informed decisions regarding course selections for next year. This site will be available throughout the academic advising window. More information can be found on the website.
Additionally, as communicated previously, during 3rd period on Tuesday and Thursday next week (January 12th and 14th), students will begin meeting with teachers to get feedback from them on course selections for next year. Please see the email from Josh Peters sent to students and parents on January 6th for additional information. The schedule for the remaining teacher feedback meetings will be finalized and communicated out next week.
Lastly, please be on the lookout for an email from your student’s counselor on Monday with more specific information about the overall academic advising process, including grade level timelines, deadlines, and instructions for how students are to enter their draft course selections into StudentVUE prior to meeting with their counselor.
We are excited to reconnect with our students and begin academic advising! We hope you find the curriculum video website to be valuable, and look forward to speaking with attendees at Curriculum Night next Wednesday evening, January 13th from 6:30-7:30pm.
5. WTW Virtual Curriculum Night
Faculty and staff from Woodson HS will host our firs ever virtual Curriculum night event on Wednesday, January 13th from 6:30-7:30pm. This is for rising 10th - 12th grade students and their parents/guardians for an online session from 6:30-7:30pm (a link for the event will be sent out the morning of the Wednesday, January 13th).
During this time faculty and staff will be available to answer questions about course options for next school year. Because our time is limited, we also have a question submission form available on the curriculum video site where students and parents/guardians can submit questions in advance of Curriculum Night. This event will be less of a formal presentation and more of an open forum for attendees to ask questions and learn more about students’ course options for next year. The session will be recorded and posted to the curriculum video site by the end of next week.
6. VMEA Senior Honors Choir
Two Woodson students are among the twenty-four Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students from 14 high schools who have been named to the 2020 Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) Senior Honors Choir. This group will present a virtual concert in March at a time and date to be announced.
Students from throughout Virginia went through a rigorous audition process to compete for a spot in this chorus. Students will rehearse with expert conductors and musicians to prepare for the virtual concert.
Congratulations to the Woodson students selected for the 2020-21 Virginia Senior Honors Choir - Dylan Dipasupil and Luke Yoon.
 Ms. Jennifer Forney
7. Congratulations, Ms. Forney and Ms. Kinne!
Woodson Science teachers Ms. Jennifer Forney and Ms. Lauren Kinne achieved certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
Established in 1987, National Board Certification is recognized as the gold standard in teacher certification. Obtaining certification is a three-year process with four components. The first is a content-area test, with multiple choice and writing sections. The other three components require candidates to extensively reflect on their practices, especially in the areas of lesson-planning, differentiation, learning environment, assessment, and feedback. Candidates submit original instructional material, student work, videos of their classes, and in-depth reflections.
The certification process is ultimately an enriching program that helps teachers to self-assess and think deeply about their practices.
 Ms. Lauren Kinne
8. Has your contact information changed?
Has your contact information changed? Do you have a new cell number or contact email address?
If so, please update your student's Emergency Care Card in FCPS 24-7, Blackboard in the weCare@school section.
9. SIS ParentVUE
The Student Information System (SIS) Parent Account Access, also known as ParentVUE, allows parents access to teacher grade books, attendance information, course history and other useful information.
● New Users: Please use the parent account registration page to register your account. You will need an activation key to log in for the first time. Please email Jennifer Graybill at jagraybill@fcps.edu, if you need a new activation key or are having issues logging onto your ParentVUE Account. Please include your name, email address, student's name, students ID number and a short description of what the issue is.
● Returning Users: Please go to https://sisparent.fcps.edu to log in to your ParentVUE Account.
● Parent Blackboard Access: Parents must have a ParentVUE account in order to have parent access to Blackboard. If you lost your access to Blackboard, please create your ParentVUE account .
● ParentVUE App: Parents may enjoy mobile access to SIS by loading the ParentVUE App, available for both iOS and Android. When prompted for a school, please search for "Fairfax County Public Schools."
10. Lifetouch - Common Questions & Answers
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I still have not received the pictures I ordered, when will they come? Lifetouch said that it has been taking 4-6 weeks for orders to be processed and delivered.
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I lost my students picture ID code, how do I find it in order to view their proofs online? Lifetouch is not able to provide us with the picture id codes, so, you would need to call Lifetouch directly at the appropriate extension below.
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I haven’t received a notification saying my students picture proof has been uploaded to the website, like the previous Woodson Weekly email said – All photos should have been uploaded to the Prestige website by now, so even if you did not receive a notification from Lifetouch, please use your picture id code to view your students photo on prestigeportraits.com. If your students picture is not showing, but your student did indeed take a photo at Woodson, please call Lifetouch directly at the appropriate extension below.
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I took my student to a Lifetouch studio to take their photo instead of taking it at Woodson. Will their photo still be included in the Woodson yearbook? It will still be included in our yearbook, as long as it has not passed any page submission deadlines. Please email our Yearbook Advisor, Tessa Weghorst (tmweghorst@fcps.edu), to confirm the picture date does not miss deadlines for submissions.
Call Lifetouch between the hours of 8:30am and 5:00pm Monday – Friday
Underclass Lifetouch Customer Service 800-736-4753
Senior Lifetouch Customer Service 800-736-4775
11. College & Career Center News
Upcoming Events – all upcoming events with registration information are listed in the College & Career Center Calendar that students can access through their Google account.
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FCPS ACE Apprenticeship Info Session, Monday, January 11th, 1:00 – 2:00pm: The FCPS Adult and Community Education is hosting an information session on Apprenticeship Related Instruction classes that complement on-the-job training provided by employers participating in the Virginia State Apprenticeship Program. Classes are offered in Carpentry, Electricity, HVAC, Plumbing, Opticianry, and Surveying. Interested students should register here and will receive a link to participate in an email. https://forms.gle/rQfAogzMgG4gseoC9
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Exploring Post-Secondary Options through the College & Career Center: A Webinar for Students and Their Families: Preparing for life after high school requires research, exploration, and planning. Student success is individualized based on achieving goals and determining the best fit and match in postsecondary planning. Discover a student's potential by exploring options now! This webinar will focus on: Higher Education Options, Financing Your Plans, Apprenticeships, Military Opportunities (Enlistment vs. ROTC), Testing (SAT/ACT), Gap Year Experiences. Join Tisa Frederick and Carla Shaw, FCPS College and Career Specialists for this important webinar on Thursday January 14th at 6:30-8 p.m. Register for Exploring Post-Secondary Options through the College & Career Center: A Webinar for Students and Their Families.
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Transition IEP Workshop: A Webinar for Families - Join FCPS Career and Transition Services to learn the importance of the IEP Transition Plan for effective postsecondary planning in middle and high school. We answer questions such as these: What should parents be looking for? What questions should you ask the school team? What questions should you ask your student? What role does the IEP play in increasing self-advocacy? How do IEP goals support postsecondary planning? Thursday, January 14th at 10 a.m. – noon. Registration
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Marine Recruiter Visit during lunch on Thursday, January 14th. Students can register at cliebmosley@fcps.edu
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College 101 – Planning for College Presentation, Wednesday, February 3rd at 7 pm, by Erin Slater, Director of Admissions at Randolph Macon College: “College is a match to be made and not a prize to be won!” Please join us to learn how you can plan and prepare for college and the college application process. This Woodson event is for Sophomores and Juniors, and their parents/guardians.
To register, please go to: https://rmc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nsXsLKPaS4yYXmQbRHomig.
Please follow the Woodson College & Career Center on Twitter and Instagram @wtwcareercenter. The next weekly College & Career Center Newsletter will be sent out on Monday. Newsletters are also saved in Naviance under Document Resources – College & Career Center News for you to access at your convenience.
Free STEM Program for 9th Graders
Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology (BLAST) is a FREE educational program of the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, designed to ignite a passion in students who already show an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our hope is that the BLAST 3-day residential, on-campus experience, which is packed with demonstrations and collaborative activities led by college faculty, will inspire students to envision a career in a STEM field and motivate them to expand the number of STEM-related classes they take in higher grade levels.
Applications are being accepted online through Monday, February 8th.
PAST News - Still Important
12. FCPS Laptops and International Travel
Do not take FCPS student laptops outside the United States. If machines are taken outside the country, the cost of any damages/repairs/replacement will be the responsibility of the parent or guardian to cover.
13. Laptop Tech Support Hours
If parents or students need FCPS laptop technical support at Woodson HS, the following must be completed:
- Submit a ticket using the FCPS Parent/Student Tech Support Portal,
- Schedule an appointment to come on-site, and
- Complete a health screening questionnaire prior to arriving.
New 2021 Laptop Tech Support Hours
Our onsite laptop tech support hours by appointment only are:
Monday - 1:00 - 7:30 pm
Tuesday and Wednesday - 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Thursday and Friday - 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Thank you,
W.T Woodson HS Tech Support Team
14. 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.
15. 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!
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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