We want to thank everyone of a wonderful first week of school! It has been great having all of our students back in the building. This week the teachers and students have been establishing class communities, building relationships and beginning some assessments. It has been a joy observing the students so engaged in the instruction. This has been an amazing start and we look forward to the rest of the school year!
Prior to school starting, you will receive a letter with your child’s bus number, stop location and pick up time. During the first week of school, children should arrive at their assigned bus stop a few minutes early until the bus driver establishes a regular routine. It is very important that each student rides his or her ASSIGNED bus. If you feel you have a valid reason for your child to ride a different bus you must submit an exception to ride form. Children are not allowed to ride a different bus until permission has been received by the Transportation Office. Please be aware that we will be sending children home on the bus listed on the Post Card. If you do have concerns you can feel free to contact 703-446-2150. We also need to remind you that FECEP and Kindergarten students are not allowed to walk home by themselves or with a sibling attending Woodley Hills. It is FCPS policy for our youngest students must be met by an adult or a responsible teenager in at least 7th
If you will be dropping your child off or picking them up every day, we ask and need you to use Kiss & Ride
- Enter the driveway near the gym (not by the main entrance).
- Staff members will greet students at the “Kiss and Ride” door starting at 8:30 a.m., the doors will close at 8:50 a.m.
- Students can pick up their free breakfast from the Kiss & Ride area.
- The students should be seated in the passenger side of the car so that children are exiting the car onto the sidewalk.
- Please DO NOT attempt to park your car and walk up to the “Kiss and Ride” door because staff members will not release your child.
If your child is assigned to a bus, please do not allow him or her to walk before checking with the office. Please contact the office at 703-799-200 if your child has been assigned a bus and you would like him or her to walk.
- Walkers should enter and exit only from the front of the building.
- Parents are asked to stand by the benches and not in front of the doors when waiting for your children.
- Walkers are expected to walk to and from school in pairs or groups whenever possible.
- Please make sure you have established and practiced a safe walking route with your child in our community before allowing your child to walk to and from school.
- We encourage parents to have children check-in when they arrive home.
- Please have a plan just in case the child is unable to get in the house so that he or she is not waiting outside alone
- Students who live within the designated walking area are allowed to ride their bikes to and from school.
- If you decide to allow your child to ride a bike, please review a safe bike route, ensure they wear a helmet, and know how to lock their bike on a bike rack.
- Our bike rack is located at the side of school near the tennis courts.
- Please know that the school is not responsible for bikes and any other equipment. Check out this resource for more information on bike safety: https://www.shapeamerica.org//publications/resources/teachingtools/qualitype/upload/bikeology-parent-guide.pdf
We are excited to welcome everyone back and to have our students in the building this year and we are making a great effort to keep everyone healthy. In order to do so, we will have limited visitors in the building and within classrooms. Please understand that we are doing this out of an abundance of caution. Our goal is always the safety of our students and this year, we also would like to have as limited If a parent or caregiver were to have COVID and spent a length of time in the class, we may have to have students quarantine or pause instruction. Our goal is to keep our students in school, healthy and ready for learning.
We are making an effort to minimize our children’s exposure when eating lunch.
- Students wash hands before leaving the classroom.
- Students are asked to use hand sanitizer when entering the cafeteria.
- When students are eating in the cafeteria, they are all facing the same direction.
- We are rotating classes that are eating in their classrooms.
- When the weather permits, classes will be able to eat outside in the courtyard.
We could definitely use some help supporting our students during lunch. For those who are fully vaccinated and interested in supporting our students anytime from 11:00am – 2:00pm, please email Brandon Davis at bdavis1@fcps.edu or Sharon D. Aldredge at sdaldredge@fcps.edu. You may also call the office at 703-799-2000.
Breakfast and lunch menus are available online and can be reached at http://www.fcps.edu/fs/food/food_at_school/.
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Back to School Night is Coming!
September 21st
More information will follow.
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Attendance matters from the first day of school until the last day. Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life. Students averaging 2 absences per month or at least 10% of the school year are considered chronically absent.
Any student absence or tardiness must be supported by a valid excuse, or it will be considered an UNEXCUSED absence. The Commonwealth of Virginia has established clear guidelines requiring schools to intervene and establish an intervention plan with families before students are absent 10% of the school year. Students with five (5) or more absences during the school year will be referred to an Attendance Officer.
When your child will be absent from school, please call the office by 9:15 a.m., or the call system will call you. Please do not be offended if the school calls to verify an absence. The action is intended to safeguard your children. Children are considered tardy if they are not in the classroom by 8:45 a.m. Latecomers should report directly to the office before going to the classroom. The Woodley Hills attendance line is 703-799-2020, and is available 24 hours a day. Parents may call the school any time during the day or night to report an absence. We encourage parents to use this convenient method to notify the school about student absences.
Let’s start the year off right!
Tips for great attendance:
- Set a regular bedtime each night
- Set a regular wake-up time each morning
- Lay out clothes and pack backpack the night before
- Ride the bus? Know your pick up time and be at the bus stop early
- Identify helpers who you can call on if you can’t take your child to school or if he/she misses the bus
- Ensure your child goes to school every day unless they are truly sick
- Talk to teachers or counselors for advice if your child feels anxious about coming to school
More information can be found at: https://www.fcps.edu/attendance
Atiende hoy, y lograras un mejor mañana!
La asistencia es bien importante desde el primer día de clases hasta el último día. Asistiendo a la escuela todos los días tiene un gran impacto en el éxito académico de un estudiante a partir de kínder y continuando hasta la secundaria. Incluso cuando los niños crecen más independientes, las familias juegan un papel clave en asegurar que los estudiantes lleguen a la escuela con seguridad todos los días y la asistencia a entender por qué es tan importante para el éxito en la escuela y en la vida. Los estudiantes que promedian 2 ausencias por mes o por lo menos 10% del año escolar son considerados crónicamente ausentes
Cualquier ausencia o tardanza del estudiante deben ser apoyadas por una excusa válida, o serán consideradas una ausencia INJUSTIFICADA. El Estado Libre Asociado de Virginia ha establecido las regulaciones claras que requieren que las escuelas intervengan y establezcan un plan de intervención con las familias antes de que los estudiantes falten el 10% del año escolar. Estudiantes con Cinco (5) o más ausencias injustificadas durante el año escolar será referido a un Oficial de Asistencia. Cuando su hijo va a estar ausente de la escuela, por favor llame a la oficina a las 9:15 a.m., o el sistema de llamada le llamará. Por favor, no se ofenda si la escuela llama para verificar la ausencia. La acción tiene por objeto proteger a sus hijos. Los niños son considerados tarde si no están en el salón de clases a las 8:45 a.m. Los recién llegados deben presentarse directamente a la oficina antes de ir al salón de clases. La línea de asistencia Woodley Hills es 703-799-2020, y está disponible las 24 horas del día. Los padres pueden llamar a la escuela en cualquier momento durante el día o la noche para reportar una ausencia. Le aconsejamos a los padres a utilizar este método conveniente para notificar a la escuela sobre las ausencias del estudiante.
Vamos a empezar el año bien!
Consejos para una gran asistencia:
- Establecer un horario regular para dormir cada noche
- Establecer una hora regular para despertar cada mañana
- Coloque la ropa y empacar la mochila la noche anterior
- Si el estudiante va a viajar en el autobús? Tiene que saber la hora que el autobús lo va a recoger y estar en la parada del autobús temprano
- Identificar ayudantes que se pueden llamar en caso de que no se
puede llevar a su hijo a la escuela o si él / ella pierde el autobús
- Asegúrese de que su hijo va a la escuela todos los días a menos que estén realmente enfermos
- Hable con los maestros o consejeros para el consejo si su niño se siente ansioso por venir a la escuela
Puede encontrar más información en: https://www.fcps.edu/attendance
At Woodley Hills, 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: woodleyhills.fcps.edu/adopteddigitalresources. 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. Additionally, you can find more information about approved digital resources in FCPS here: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/digital-resources.
Included on this page is 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. 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 your child’s teacher if you have questions or concerns about the digital resources we’ve chosen to use this year.
The FCPS Office of Transportation Services began sending out student bus route assignments on Friday, August 13. Please make sure your child is at their bus stop at least five minutes before their scheduled pickup time. As a reminder, all staff and students are required to wear a mask on the bus. Bus delays may occur due to weather, traffic, and the need for bus drivers to complete two runs. Please check the Here Comes the Bus app or FCPS School Bus Delays website for potential delays. Kindergarten students must be met by an adult (or responsible teenager) at the bus stop!
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Help wanted! The Woodley Hills library has immediate openings for parent VOLUNTEERS. Please come help the library stay organized and accessible by shelving and circulating books. No experience necessary! Mrs. Connors will show you everything you need to know. If you would like to volunteer then please email jvconnors@fcps.edu. Thank you for considering!
Parents can update their student’s emergency care information online using weCare@school (weCare) which is now linked within SIS ParentVUE. Learn more about weCare and ParentVUE here.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K2ZFuzz8xk52z2s7bIbccTLs2FaxMKPQ4SG3QU2mYD0/edit
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Current guidance from FCPS states that everyone must wear a mask in the building when students are present in the building, regardless of vaccination status. This includes children, staff, parents, caregivers, and visitors. Students will not be required to wear masks during recess, PE, and while eating during lunch time.
Masks are required on all FCPS buses.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this specific mask guidance.
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Do you have any homework?” “I’m not sure…” “What do you mean you’re not sure? Where’s your agenda?” “I think it’s in my room...somewhere.”
Sound familiar? If you’re having this conversation multiple times each week, you’re not alone. Whether your child is in elementary school or preparing to graduate from high school, you want them to be ready and on top of their priorities.
So why do they keep missing deadlines, losing assignments, and starting things the night before they’re due? It’s because executive functioning skills, like time management or prioritization, take time to learn.
Webinar Highlights:
- Ensuring kids stay on top of their schoolwork without feeling like a nag
- Using Site maps, Google calendars, and other tools for staying organized
- Identifying smart strategies for tracking assignments
- When to leave things up to your child, step in to support, or recruit outside help
- Keeping kids engaged
- Opening the lines of communication
Join Ann Dolin, M.Ed. educational consultant and award-winning author to learn how you can help your child develop critical executive functioning skills this school year. Ann is the President and Director of Educational Connections, Inc.
September 9, 2021 6:30-8 p.m. September 10, 2021 10-11:30 a.m.
Register for How to Improve Your Child’s Executive Functioning Skills Without All the Arguments This School Year
Did you know military-connected students experience different “seasons” as they navigate their school years?
Using tools from her book, “Seasons of My Military Student,” Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman will offer relevant support for the start of the school year.
Highlights include:
- Season of Arriving and Season Growing - What parents need to know.
- Shared experiences of moving through a pandemic and housing shortage
- Education Binder and how to build one
- Parent-Teacher Conferences - what to ask
- New to Fairfax County? Connecting with your school community, other families and finding student peer support?
Join Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman for our first of a 4-part series supporting military-connected families.
September 17, 2021 10-11:30 a.m.
Register for Military-Connected Students and School Transition: A Family Webinar
How can you help your kids transition back to school?
Learn how to:
- Stop battles over homework and screens.
- Overcome anxiety over school, tests, and social skills
- Stop meltdowns and power struggles.
- Improve focus, impulse control, and executive function.
Celebrate Calm Founder, Kirk Martin will show you how to create stress-free mornings, school, dinner, and bedtime. We promise you will laugh and leave with a dozen practical strategies that really work.
September 23, 2021 6:30-8 p.m. September 24, 2021 10-11:30 a.m.
Register for 5 Ways to Stop Anxiety, Power Struggles, & Behavior Issues: A Webinar for Families
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September 3-6: Student Holiday
October 11: Indigenous Peoples' Day/Teacher Workday - No School
October 29: Two Hour Early Release - Dismissal at 1:30 pm
November 1: Teacher Workday - No School
November 2: Teacher Workday - No School
November 24-26: Thanksgiving Break - No School
Plan Ahead: 2021-22 Standard School Year Calendar
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