Woodson Weekly - September 10th


Woodson Weekly

Woodson Weekly -
September 10th


Woodson Weekly is published every Friday to provide the community with important information about school life at Woodson High School.


Vision Statement

We are a school community where all students have purpose and value!


Students Sorting

Students creating visual representations of forms of governments.


Important Upcoming Dates

Monday, September 13th - Underclass Pictures (additional date). Parents can pre-order online at mylifetouch.com, picture day ID EVTF8KQF6

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. See story #3 (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. The meeting can be accessed at:https://meet.google.com/jan-dzyj-pkj or by joining us in-person in the library.

Thursday, September 16th - Yom Kippur Religious and Cultural Observance

Friday, September 17th; after 5:00 p.m. - Virtual Asynchronous Back to School Night, see story #3 below

 

Bell Schedule

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

FCPS Standard School Year Calendar


In this Issue

NEW News
1. Message from Dr. Floyd
2. Additional Underclass Picture Day - Monday, September 13th
3. Virtual Back to School Night - Friday, September 17th
4. Woodson After School Clubs
5. How do I checkout my student from school?
6. Social Emotional Learning Screener Opt-Out Information
7. Family Life Education - Info Night and Opt-Out Forms
8. To Our Military Families
9. College & Career Center News

SENIOR Class Information
10. Graduation Survey
11. Financial Aid Night
12. Senior Portraits - New Dates Added
13. Senior Immunization Requirement

PAST News, but still important
14. Student Monitors Needed
15. Forgotten Items & Lost and Found
16. PSAT/NMSQT for Grades 10 & 11
17. Woodson's PTSO


NEW News


1. Message from Dr. Floyd

Dear Woodson Families,

This time of year is exciting for so many reasons, yet we recognize it is critical to pause to reflect on the events of September 11, 2001. Sharing with our students (who were not even born yet!) the memories and impact this day had on all of us is one of the most poignant forms of teaching: learning from our stories. Whether you were like me, living in NOVA and working that morning, or were a student from Afghanistan whose friends questioned their allegiance, or are a family member of a loved one tragically lost – the day will not be forgotten.  While the history of 9/11 is taught through the curriculum, today, our student leaders from Operation Patriot opened this morning with announcements and our social studies classes have been discussing this day throughout the week. I wish our families peace through the memories of this weekend.

Regarding COVID - Each Friday, we will send a message to families through eNotify when we have had positive cases during the week. We have had several cases this week and to be transparent, many were tied to an extracurricular, outdoor, unmasked gathering.

Masks are recommended in groups outside, however they are not required. We want the kids to come to school events, cheer on our student athletes AND be SAFE doing so. Parents, please discuss this with your child as you help them make safe decisions. The good news is we are NOT seeing any spread/connections between cases from within classrooms or lunch time.

Last night at the School Board meeting, Dr. Brabrand, Superintendent, provided an update for students who are home and paused due to COVID and contact tracing. This plan to allows students to view the direct instruction in the classroom through a video feed. This will take us a few days to get up and running but it is in the future. Please know this streaming instruction provides a one-way view to instruction versus the concurrent method used last year.  This is a pathway to allow our students to be connected to class when they are home. 

Have a safe weekend, Cavs!

Dr. Floyd   


2. Underclass Picture Day

Lifetouch is returning to Woodson on Monday, September 13th in the Aux Gym to capture photos of any students that were unable to have their picture taken last week.

Parents can pre-order online at mylifetouch.com, picture day ID EVTF8KQF6.


3. Virtual Back to School Night

Woodson's virtual, asynchronous Back to School Night (BTSN) will begin after 5pm on Friday, September 17th.

On Friday after 5pm, parents will be able to view teacher videos and contact teachers with questions. The purpose of the videos is to share an overview of the curriculum as you would receive during a traditional BTSN.

As a reminder, if you need to schedule a teacher/parent conference please contact the school counselor.


Clubs and Activities

4. Woodson After School Clubs

Students interested in joining after school clubs and/or finding out meeting dates/locations can find information on the Clubs & Activities site on Cav Kiosk.

To find a full list of clubs and organizations at Woodson, visit the Student Life Activities site.


5. 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.

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


6. Social Emotional Learning Screener Opt-Out Information

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) commits to supporting all students’ mental wellness and social and emotional learning (SEL). The School Board has approved a screener to review students’ skills and experiences in these areas. FCPS staff will use the screener to identify strengths and needs for students in grades K-12. The screener provides information regarding students’ experiences and how staff can support their needs.

SEL skills include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The screener will review these skills, as well as students’ relationships, feelings of belonging, feelings about their school environment, and mood. These factors are critical to positive academic, social, and emotional success.

If you do not want your student to take part in the SEL screener, please return the opt-out form found on the FCPS site to the school no later than Friday, October 1st.


7. 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.


Senior Parking Lot Painting

Senior parking space painting.


8. To our Military Families

Do you have a family member who is deploying?

Student Services wants to provide support to your student before, during, and after the deployment.  If you feel comfortable, please let your student’s counselor know about any current or upcoming deployments. Thank you!


9. College & Career Center News

The Woodson College & Career Center is located in E 109. My 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😊 Please join my Course in Schoology. My Access Code is:  3M8B-S8X4-N2H55.  Thank you to our Senior Families who joined us for Senior Night yesterday. The recording of our presentation will be sent out later on today. 

Upcoming Events:

  • 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 on Wednesday, September 29th, at 6:30 pm for seniors and their parents presented by College Access Fairfax. No need to register, just click on this Zoom link. Additional Financial Aid Night can be accessed in Schoology here.
  • Region 5 Virtual Scholarship 101 on Wednesday, October 6th, at 6:30 pm for seniors and their parents presented by College Access Fairfax. Please stay tuned for the Zoom link.

College Rep Visits for Juniors and Seniors here at Woodson will begin on September 13, 2021. Please see instructions on how to view the schedule and how to register here. We are still adding new visits every day!

Questions? Please email me at cliebmosley@fcps.edu.

Christine Lieb-Mosley


SENIOR Class Information


Graduation

10. Graduation Survey

Senior Parents – graduation will be sometime between May 31 and June 8. We need your input on where to host graduation - at EagleBank Arena or the Woodson football field.  

IF we have graduation on the football field, we will need to have a rain date. If there is inclement weather on that rain date, we will HAVE TO MOVE INSIDE THAT DAY which will mean FEWER tickets and probably a split in the ceremony (A-L and a few hours later M-Z) and tickets will be limited to 2 per family. 

We are looking for your input through this Google Form

Please complete this form by Friday, September 17th so that final decisions can be made.


11. Financial Aid Night

Woodson is hosting a 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.


12. Senior Portraits - New Dates Added

Additional dates have been added for Senior Portraits -

Monday-Wednesday, November 10th-12th, and Wednesday-Friday, November 17th-19th from 3-9pm in Cafeteria A. 

To schedule your senior for a portrait session, please visit https://prestigeportraits.com. You can find Woodson's dates and appointment times by utilizing "Search by City & State" feature. 


13. Senior Immunization Requirement

The Code of Virginia requires all students to be immunized against certain communicable diseases prior to entrance into Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Effective July 1, 2021 all students entering twelfth grade are required to receive one dose of Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) administered at age 16 or older, and prior to the beginning of school.

Please provide one of the following documents to Woodson Registrar, Casey Delaney at cdelaney@fcps.edu­­ as soon as possible:

  1. An updated immunization record showing that the student has received the Meningococcal vaccine.
  2. A note on a healthcare provider’s letterhead stating the date the Meningococcal vaccine was given.
  1. A healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption.
  2. A notarized Religious Exemption Form which is available online

Seniors who do not provide vaccination documentation prior to the start of school will be conditionally enrolled for 90 days.

Immunizations are available from your student's healthcare provider or the Fairfax County Health Department. The Health Department clinic locations and hours are available online at: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/immunization/school or by calling 703-246-2411.

Please contact Woodson Registrar, Casey Delaney at cdelaney@fcps.edu if you have any questions.


PAST News - but still important


14. Student Monitors Needed

In an effort to increase the outdoor space during lunch time, we have ordered more picnic tables. But in order to use them, we need adults to help with student supervision. 

The responsibilities will be sitting and watching students at lunch time, outside and ensuring they are safe and not leaving campus. In the event of an emergency, we will provide you access to security / administrators. There will be minimal interaction with students but in order to provide additional outdoor space, we need help.

If you interested in this paid Student Monitor position ($15.73/hour) supervising OUTSIDE on school days from 11:15am – 1:20pm, please email Celeste Jones at cbjones@fcps.edu.


15. Forgotten Items & Lost and Found

Q - My son/daughter forgot their lunch/homework assignment/laptop.  Where can I drop off items?

A– Forgotten items may be dropped off at the main office on a designated bookshelf.  Please make sure your child's name is written on the item.

Q - My son/daughter lost their wallet (or any item).  Where should I go to see if it has been turned in?

A – You may come to the main office and a Safety and Security assistant will escort you to the Lost and Found room to search for your item.


16. 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 the PSAT/NMSQT, contact Woodson’s Student Test Coordinator at kpguinee@fcps.edu

We will share more specifics about the October 13 PSAT/NMSQT testing opportunity later.


17. Woodson's PTSO

Welcome to another school year at WT Woodson High School.

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 of the month at 6pm in the Library at Woodson HS. The first meeting will take place at 6pm on Tuesday, September 14th.

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


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)