WTW PTSO WeMail, September 31st


The WTW WeMail is distributed every Tuesday to update the Woodson community on PTSO news, school news, and upcoming events. 

  • SCHEDULE REMINDERS
  • PTSO NEWS
  • WTW NEWS & EVENTS
  • WTW RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS & FAMILIES
  • WTW CAV SPORTS RECAP

SCHEDULE REMINDERS

THIS WEEK

Wednesday-Thursday, September 1st-2nd - Underclass Picture Days, Aux Gym - Details under WTW News & Events 

If you are not in HPE grade 9, 10 or English 11 or 12 please tell your 3rd period teacher and you will be able to take your picture on Thursday during 3rd period. 

Friday, September 3rd - NO SCHOOL - School Holiday

 

NEXT WEEK

Monday, September 6th - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day School Holiday

Wednesday, September 8th - Required forms due - Links under WTW News & Events

 

LOOKING AHEAD

Monday, September 13th - Enforcement of student parking begins - Student Parking Pass Information 

Tuesday, September 14th, 5:00 p.m. - Woodson FLE Parent Information Night - an hour before the PTSO meeting in the Library - Details under WTW News & Events (This is a opportunity for parents to view FLE materials; no formal presentation will be given.)

Tuesday, September 14th; 6:00 p.m. - First PTSO meeting of the school year - Virtual link will be available

Monday, October 11th - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day - Indigenous Peoples’ Day 

Wednesday, October 13th - 9th grade students participate in asynchronous learning at home.

Wednesday, October 13th - PSAT/NMSQT to all students in grades 10 and 11 (no cost) - Details under WTW News & Events

Wednesday, October 13th - SAT Day for grade 12 students who signed up; Seniors not signed up for SAT Day will be excused for the day.


PTSO NEWS


Welcome to the 2021-22 school year at WT Woodson HS

Our mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

PTSO meetings take place the 2nd Tuesday each month at 6pm. The first meeting will take place at 6pm on Tuesday, September 14th. A link to attend virtually will be available.


Ways to Make a Difference

Whether you are a new or returning WTW parent, please get involved in any way that works for you. 

Here are some quick links to get you started:

Join our PTSO

Make a Donation 

Sign up for one of our Volunteer Opportunities

Ask a local business to become a Business or Community Sponsor

Find WT Woodson on Facebook, Instagram  and Twitter

Go shopping! Amazon, Office Depot, groceries, etc. Link your accounts and a portion of your sales will go to our school!


PTSO Officer Position Open - Fundraising Chair

The PTSO’s primary source of funding is memberships.  Fundraising efforts supplement the PTSO budget.  There are two main roles for the Fundraising Chair.  The first is organizing “Dinner Nights” at places like Chipotle and Potbelly.  The second is letter writing to medium and large-sized  companies like Booz Allen Hamilton, SAIC, MAG Aero, Interstate Movers, and Cox.   The latter is an effective donation generator.   

All PTSO funding flows back into Woodson High School in the form of Teacher Grants, Staff Appreciation, Community Outreach, Field Trip Subsidization, and School Supplements.

The Fundraising Chair serves as the primary focal point for all fundraising activities. The time commitment is about 1 hour per week, averaged over the school year. If you are interested in volunteering, please get in touch with Miklos Kiss at wptsopres@gmail.com


Outreach Coordinator/s Needed

The PTSO Board is searching for an Outreach Coordinator volunteer. 

The Outreach Coordinator serves two essential functions for the Woodson community. First and foremost, the position gathers donations from the community and businesses to help families in need during the holidays and times of strife. These donations are usually in the form of grocery store gift cards. The coordinator works directly with the Woodson staff for donation distribution to the target population.

The Outreach Coordinator's second mission is to bring engaging, relevant, and high-quality enrichment programs for the Woodson students and families. Examples of past programs include public speaking coaching and personal finance. The programs can be either live or virtual. Future ideas for enrichment can include healthy cooking, SAT prep, mental well-being.

This position could be co-chaired.

If you are interested in filling this critical role, please contact PTSO President Miklos Kiss wptsopres@gmail.com


One Woodson Mural

WTW News & Events


Three Required Forms - Due September 8th

1. Emergency Care and Health Information Form - All students must have accurate emergency care information each school year. Parent/Legal Guardians are required to update this information through weCare@school via their SIS ParentVue account.

To access weCare@school - Log into ParentVUE, select FCPS Links from the left menu, click on weCare@school - Update Emergency Care Info. After reviewing each section of the form, please click the Submit the Form button to send the updated information to the school's system. Click here for more details.

2. Digital Resources - Parental Consent Form

Woodson HS uses a variety of digital tools for learning. Please look through the list and digitally log in to sign the form. You will need your students' ID number to access this form. For more details, please see story #2.

3. Student Rights and Responsibilities

Parents are able to digitally sign off on the Student Rights and Responsibilities document through their ParentVUE account. 

There are other optional forms to complete if applicable - FCPS Privacy and Opt-Out Forms, FLE Opt-Out Forms, Military-Connected Student Form, Free and Reduced Lunch Application, Homeless Student Referral Form, and medical authorization forms. Visit the site for Required and Optional Return to School Forms page to view all the forms.


Underclass Picture Days

All Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors will have their school picture taken on Wednesday, September 1st or Thursday, September 2nd. 

Freshman and Sophomores are scheduled to have their pictures taken during their PE Class period. (Sophomores who do not have PE will need to ask their 3rd period teacher to go have their picture taken.) Juniors will have their picture taken during their English class period. 

You can order your pictures at mylifetouch.com and use the Woodson School Code EVTF8KQF6.


Family Life Education - Info Night and Opt Out Forms

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve.  Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.

The Woodson FLE Parent Information Night will take place on Tuesday, September 14th at 5:00pm (an hour before the PTSO meeting) in the Library. This is an opportunity for parents to view FLE materials; no formal presentation will be given.

Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program.  Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices.  If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt out forms will be included in your child’s back-to-school/orientation packets and are available online for Elementary (K-6) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/elementary-family-life-education , Middle School (7-8) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle-school-academics-7-8/family-life-education-fle, and High School (9-12) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/family-life-education-fle.  Please fill in the opt-out form and return it to your child’s school prior to Family Life Education instruction.

Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online at Elementary (K-6) , Middle School (7-8) , and High School (9-12). FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in Schoology.  Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account.  Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (this location does not have media).  Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review at your child’s school library.  Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online.

Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or by contacting Carrie Reynolds, Health and Physical Education Coordinator at cfreynolds@fcps.edu.


Student Laptops & Digital Resources Consent Form

All students should have received their FCPS laptop during the first week of school. Please remind your child to treat it as a “work computer” and refrain from putting stickers on it. For technology support, please visit the Technology Support for Families website. If something is wrong with the computer, a student or parent can submit a ticket from that link. You can also learn more about Schoology, Zoom, Google Workspace, and other online tools we will be using this year.

It is important that all families submit the Digital Resources Consent Form prior to September 1 so that students will be able to access resources and activities needed for their classes with the least disruption possible. Review the tools used at Woodson HS and reach out to Ryan Richardson with any questions.


Student Parking Pass Information

Student parking pass applications are available on Woodson's Student Parking site. Enforcement of student parking will begin on Monday, September 13th.

Parking fees go toward improving the school infrastructure.


Lunchtime Volunteers Needed

In an effort to increase the outdoor space during lunchtime, more picnic tables have been ordered. In order to use them, adult volunteers are needed to help with student supervision. 

The responsibilities include sitting outside at lunchtime, watching students and ensuring they are safe and not leaving campus. In the event of an emergency, volunteers will be provided with access to security / administrators. There will be minimal interaction with students but in order to provide additional outdoor space, help is needed.

If you are interested in volunteering OUTSIDE on school days from 11:15am – 1:20pm, please email Celeste Jones at cbjones@fcps.edu. 

All volunteers are asked to complete the COVID health screening questionnaire before volunteering each day.


PSAT/NMSQT for Grades 10 & 11

FCPS will continue the practice of offering the PSAT/NMSQT to all students in grades 10 and 11 at no cost.

This year, the test will be administered on Wednesday, October 13th.

All enrolled students in grades 10 and 11 will take the PSAT/NMSQT unless a student’s family specifically communicates a desire to opt-out of this opportunity. Students are not required to submit an intent form to register for the PSAT/NMSQT exam. 

If you have questions about College Board testing accommodations for the PSAT/NMSQT, contact Woodson’s Student Test Coordinator at kpguinee@fcps.edu

More specifics about the October 13 PSAT/NMSQT testing opportunity will be shared later.

On this day, 9th graders will complete asynchronous learning at home and 12th graders not testing will be excused from school.


WTW RESOURCES


Woodson Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most commonly asked questions by clicking here.


Odd/Even Calendar

Printable  2021-2022 Odd/Even (A/B) Calendar .


College & Career Center News

The Woodson College & Career Center is located in E 109. Office hours are 7:30 am until 3:30 pm. Students can stop by before or after school, or during LS and lunch if they have any questions, or just to say hello! Contact information and resources for College & Career Planning can be found on the Woodson College & Career Center Padlets.  Follow on Instagram/Twitter @wtwcareercenter.

Upcoming Events:

  • Senior Postsecondary Planning Night for seniors and parents on Thursday, September 9th, at 6:30 pm in the Woodson Auditorium. We will cover Next Steps for all of our Seniors – College, Apprenticeships, Trade School, Military, Gap Year and Employment.
  • Financial Aid Night on Wednesday, September 22nd, at 7 pm in the Woodson Auditorium for seniors and their parents - presented by Chad Spencer, Director of Financial Aid at Davidson College.
  • Region 5 Virtual  Financial Aid Night with Spanish Interpretation on Wednesday, September 29th, at 6:30 pm for seniors and their parents presented by College Access Fairfax. Registration Information will be shared out closer to the date.
  • Region 5 Virtual Scholarship 101 on Wednesday, October 6th, at 6:30 pm for seniors and their parents presented by College Access Fairfax. Registration Information will be shared out closer to the date.

College Rep Visits for Juniors and Seniors here at Woodson will begin on September 13, 2021. Parents can view the schedule on Naviance – Colleges – Research Colleges - College Visits (only students are able to sign up). We are still adding new visits every day. The majority of our visits are in-person. A few are virtual but students will still come to the Career Center to watch the presentation.

Questions? Email cliebmosley@fcps.edu.


Answers to Attendance Questions

How do I check out my student from school?

Please let the Attendance Office know if you need your student to leave school early.  You can notify Attendance 3 different ways:

  • Submit the online attendance form and have your student pick up their pink checkout pass from the Attendance Office (E107) between classes or during lunch.
  • Student brings a note to the Attendance Office before 9:45am. The student will be issued a pink pass to leave class at the appointed time. The note must include the following - student name, date and time of when student is leaving, and reason for early check-out, student ID, parent signature and contact number. 
  • Call the attendance line, 703-503-4800 and select Option 3. After leaving a message, please have your student pick up their pink checkout pass from the Attendance Office (E107) between classes or during lunch.

At the time of dismissal, your son/daughter will bring the pink check-out pass back to the Attendance Office for verification before meeting you outside. 

If returning to school that same day, students must check in at the Attendance office before going back to class, even if it is between classes.

Due to staff responsibilities at the end of the day, we are not able to honor unannounced early dismissals within 15 minutes of school dismissal.

My student will be arriving late to school. How do I let Attendance know?

Please let the Attendance Office know if your student will arrive late to school.  You can notify Attendance 3 different ways:

  • Submit the online attendance form to report a late arrival or partial day absence.
  • Student brings a handwritten note from a parent or doctor with the reason for the late arrival. Please include the student’s name, time the student is coming to school, the reason for the tardy, a parent/guardian signature, the student ID, and contact phone number for follow-up.
  • Call the attendance line, 703-503-4800 and select Option 2. Please include the student’s name, time the student is coming to school and the reason for the tardy.
  • If a student does not have a note, he/she will be marked "unexcused tardy" and must present a note to the Attendance Office within 48 hours for the tardy to be changed to excused.

Valid tardiness reasons include illness, medical appointments or family emergency. The following will not be excused: oversleeping, power outages, car trouble, traffic, and missing the bus. Students will be given a pass to enter their assigned class after checking in at the Attendance office.

My student will be out for a college visit.  How do I let Attendance know?

For prearranged Absences (family, college trips, medical reasons), please notify the Attendance Office with the following:

  • Student must bring a written notice to the attendance office at least 5 days prior to the intended absence. Please include the student's name, dates of absences, and reason for the absence.
  • Student will receive a prearranged absence form for teachers to sign, list the assignments, and due dates.
  • Extended Absences: If a student requires long-term medical care, parents should contact their child's school counselor. To find out who your child's counselor is, check the Student Services staff list

For full details on Attendance Procedures, please visit the Attendance page on the Woodson website.


What Is Schoology?

We are excited to share that students, families, and teachers throughout FCPS and in our school community will use Schoology (pronounced /SKOO-luh-jee/) as our learning management system beginning /Fall 2021.

A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to:

  • Your child’s classes.
  • Your child’s upcoming assignments.
  • School, class, and group announcements.

Parent accounts are available now. To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account. To login to Schoology, use your same username and password credentials as for SIS ParentVUE.

  • Schoology has a connected web conferencing tool, Zoom
  • Schoology works with Google Drive
  • Students have a Schoology accounts and access with their FCPS student ID and password. 
    • Students will not see any classes until the grading period starts

Login to Schoology. Look for the FCPS logo to make sure you are on the correct login page.

If you are not seeing all of your children in Schoology, please be patient as FCPS IT is working on a solution and should have a resolution as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.


ParentVUE/StudentVUE Information

The Student Information System (SIS) Parent Account Access allows parents and students access to teacher grade books, attendance information, course history and other useful information.

ParentVUE:

StudentVUE:

StudentVUE Accounts: All high school students have access to their StudentVUE account by using their network id and password to log in.


Free Breakfast and Lunch for Students

Every student is eligible for one no-cost breakfast and one no-cost lunch each school day. However, if your student would like to purchase additional meals or a la carte items, they will need to pay. The best way to purchase items this year is to use MySchoolBucks. Set up your student’s MySchoolBucks account and help them memorize their pin.

Setting up a MySchoolBucks account for your student is especially helpful during the current nationwide coin shortage. FCPS cash registers will have limited coins available at the start of the school year to provide change for cash purchases. Purchases made with MySchoolBucks also keeps lines moving quickly.

Please take a moment to look over the menus.


FUNDRAISERS


Senior Class Signs

Class of 2022 Yard Sign

 

Woodson Class of 2022 graduate lawn signs will be here this week. Limited quantity available.

Reach out to merifarling@hotmail.com to reserve yours now!


Woodson Choral Boosters

Please join us in the Chorus Room on Wednesday, September 1st from 7:30 pm-8:30pm for our first Woodson Choral Booster Meeting of the school year!  All parents of chorus students are automatically members of the Chorus Boosters. There are no fees to join!

You can purchase SpiritWear Chorus magnets and masks at the Booster meeting. (Cash only, please!) Oval Chorus Magnets-$3.00, Round Chorus Magnets-$7.00, and Chorus Masks-$6.00.


Band and Color Guard Tag Day Fundraiser

Marching Band Tag Day

Help keep the Woodson Band in tip top shape for this 21-22 marching band season!

Members of the W.T. Woodson Band and Color Guard will be going door-to-door throughout all Woodson neighborhoods on Saturday, September 18th for their annual Tag Day fundraiser.  This event provides almost half of the funds needed to keep the band performing at the highest levels.  The W.T. Woodson Band has a decades long history as a Virginia Honor Band, earning top marks for both its concert and marching band programs. 

 If you aren't home when the kids stop by, you can mail in a tax-deductible donation payable to Woodson Band Patrons by using the "tag" flyer on your door. There is also a DONATE button on the upper left hand corner of the band website.


Precisionettes

Thank you to the many friends and neighbors who came out to the Precisionettes’ car wash last Saturday! We really appreciate your support!


Show your Cavalier Pride with a Woodson Garden Flag!

WTW Garden Flag

Order yours today at https://wtwoodsonptso.ptboard.com/formvw/store?store=1894

 

Garden Flag (dimensions - 12"x17") - $15

Want to personalize it? For $5 more, add your family name or get creative and celebrate your student with their name and graduation year!

(Some examples: The Smith Family; Congrats Emily Class of 2021; Woodson Class of 2022)

For more information, contact Liz Brocato at Brocatofam@gmail.com


Student Driver Magnets Available With Convenient Home Delivery!

Student Driver Magnet

Student Driver Car Magnets are available through PTSO! Magnets are $8.00 each or buy a batch of 3 for multiple cars for $20.00. You can order online from the PTBoard website HERE.  Once orders are received, magnets will be delivered to your door contact free! If you have any questions contact Shane or Katherine Gilbert at wptsomagnets@gmail.com


WTW CAVS SPORTS RECAP


Cavs Varsity Fall Sports

Field Hockey

Football

Golf - Co-Ed Golf

This past week the Cavs played Robinson at Twin Lakes.  Robinson won the match 135-188.  Robinson shot 5 under par as a team, with 3 of their players breaking par.  We had 4 people that got their first Varsity match experience.  Scores were Thomas Stribling -40, Thomas Houttekier -46, Winter Lee -50, Sam Park -52, Jacob White -53 and Josh Park -58.  We will look to rebound this week at Fairfax!

Precisionettes Dance Team

Congratulations to both the Varsity and JV Precisionettes!  Both teams participated in their first National Dance Alliance (NDA) Camp August 20-22, 2021. Our dancers worked so hard and both teams received a Superior ribbon and bids to participate in Nationals!  On top of these honors, the Precisionettes ended  camp with a number of other awards including …..

Heart of Gold Award for JV 💛 

Teamwork Award for Varsity 💝 

6 All American Team Members - Bridget McGuire, Darcy Harris, Addison Prichard, Abbey Parker, Beth Johnson, and Ellie French.

Way to go!  Come out and see the team’s halftime performance during Thursday’s football game.

Cross Country

 

Volleyball


NEW VHSL Physical Form for 2021-22

This is the NEW VHSL approved Physical Form. This is the only version that can be accepted for the 2021-2022 school year. If you have a doctor fill out the old version with "revised February 2017 in top right corner, your doctor will need to complete the new one, which may require another appointment. So please make sure the form you fill out has "revised January 2021" on the top right.

The VHSL Physical Form must be completed by a parent/guardian and doctor. In order for the physical to be accepted for the 2021-2022 school year, it cannot be filled out and dated by a doctor until May 1, 2021 or after. Once completed, please drop it off to Woodson's Activities Office, Woodson's Main Office or scan it to the Athletic Trainer Chris Hogge at chogge@fcps.edu. This must be turned in prior to participating in athletics. 

The form is also available at https://www.vhsl.org/sports-medicine/physical-examination/, under Resources.



2021-22 PTSO OFFICERS 

Miklos Kiss / President / wptsopres@gmail.com, miklos.c.kiss@outlook.com

Sara Mastro / Vice President - Membership / wptsovp1@gmail.com

Vacant / Fundraising

Amy DeCarlo / Recording Secretary / wptsosecretary@gmail.com

Kyle Durbin / Treasurer / wptsotreasurer@gmail.com

Jill Battaglia / Communications Director /battagliawtw@gmail.com

Michelle Lucas / WTW PTSO Grant Program / WTWoodsonGrants@gmail.com

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