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Woodson Weekly -
April 15th |
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 in Dr. Morgan's Genetics and Biotech class working on a Drosophila (fruit fly) lab.
Important Upcoming Dates
Tuesday, April 19th 6-8pm - Woodson Pyramid Art Show, Aux Gym
Wednesday, April 20th - Purple Up! Day supporting military families
Thursday-Friday, April 21st-22nd - Senior Art Show, Aux Gym
Thursday, April 21st 6pm - Senior Art Show Reception, Aux Gym
Friday, April 22nd - Religious and Cultural Observance Orthodox Good Friday
Saturday, April 30th - Woodson 5K
Saturday, April 30th - FanQuest rescheduled
Monday, May 2nd - Religious and Cultural Observation - Eid al Fitr
Tuesday, May 3rd - Celebrate Your Plan Day (see College & Career Center story below)
Tuesday, May 24th - Last Day for Seniors
Monday, May 30th - Memorial Day Holiday
Tuesday, May 31st at 2pm - Class of 2022 Graduation, EagleBank Arena
NEW News
In this Issue
NEW News
1. Message from Dr. Floyd
2. April is the Month of the Military Child
3. Welcome to our new Director of Student Activities
4. Guest Speaker on Tuesday, April 19th
5. Woodson's Pyramid & Senior Art Shows
6. Course Requests for 2022-2023
7. AP Exam Attendance Procedures
8. Do You Have a Tandem Bike We Can Borrow?
9. Woodson 5K on April 30th
10. Move4Mental Health
11. Spring SOL Testing
12. Woodson Sports Physical Night
13. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
14. 2022 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards
15. Woodson Drama Presents: The SpongeBob Musical
16. College & Career Center News
PAST News, but still important
17. Northern Virginia Community College Offering Free Classes for Graduating Seniors
18. FanQuest Rescheduled
19. Free Prom Dresses and Suits
20. SENIOR CLASS NEWS!
21. Order the 2022 Yearbook!
22. How do I check my student out from school?
23. Laptop Tech Support Hours
24. Woodson's PTSO
1. Message from Dr. Floyd
Good Friday afternoon, Woodson Families!
The fourth quarter has started off at a very fast pace. So much so, I’m glad we have a guest speaker with a wellness focus next week. Mr. Sam Anthony Lucania will be here to speak to students and staff on Tuesday. As reported by other schools he has spoken at, Mr. Lucania’s message is multifaceted and I believe everyone will be able to glean something from it whether about handling stress, or persevering or resilience through life.
As we roll into testing season, we have a procedure for the AP test days. The time period of the exam is automatically excused. Often parents choose to excuse their child either the morning before an afternoon test or the afternoon after a morning test as these tests are rigorous. To do so, AP teachers have copies of the form for families to complete. This form can also be found here. It is imperative we receive these back by the due date of Monday, April 25th. In order to ensure accurate attendance on these days, we need to enter the absences in advance. The volume will exceed our abilities on those exam days if everyone waits until the day of the exam. I appreciate families working with us to ensure accurate attendance for AP exam days.
As many of you saw yesterday, we are excited to welcome Mr. Blair Smith as our new Director of Student Activities. He will begin July 1, 2022. Please see the story below for more information.
I'm looking forward to celebrating our military students with a spirit week, April 18th through 22nd.
Dr. Floyd
 Abby is a junior at Woodson High School and a proud member of their crew team. Her father serves in the United States Air Force, and she has moved with her family numerous times, attending many different schools. Abby shares stories and her perspectives around being a military-connected student in Fairfax County Public Schools. Watch the video.
2. April is the Month of the Military Child
April is the Month of the Military Child! Every year we take the opportunity to recognize military-connected youth for their service and contribution to our community. Fairfax County Public Schools is proud to have over 14,000 military-connected youth as a part of our student body. We appreciate the varied life experiences they bring to our school community, and recognize their strength and resilience.
To show our support, we are inviting all Fairfax County students, families, school employees, and community members to “Purple Up!” on April 20 for military children.
Why purple? Purple symbolizes all branches of the military as a combination of Army green, Marine Corps red, and Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force blue.
Learn more about Month of the Military Child and FCPS’ resources for military families.
Military Spirit Week April 18th-22nd
Monday - PJ Day
Tuesday- Camo print Day
Wednesday- Purple Up! Day
Thursday- Career Day
Friday- wear RED to remember everyone deployed
3. Welcome to our new Director of Student Activities
As you are aware, Mr. Checkosky is leaving his DSA role this summer. In his 17 years at Woodson HS, he has seen a number of incredible moments that he will not soon forget! We thank him for his numerous hours and endless energy, late nights and full weekends away from his own family, all for the students and programs here at Woodson High School.
In searching for a new DSA, we gathered input from our key stakeholders – students, parents, coaches and staff. Through that feedback, and a series of interviews, I’m excited to announce our new Director of Student Activities, Mr. Blair Smith.
Mr. Smith comes to us with a vast background in athletics, activities and student leadership. He began his career as a special education teacher and coached a variety of sports including volleyball, golf and basketball. Before joining the DSA team, he was the Varsity Girls Basketball Coach and Head Tennis Coach at Freedom High School. Since 2013, Mr. Smith has served as the Assistant Director of Student Activities at South County and Centreville High Schools where he has developed the student leadership programs, led district tournaments, hired and supported coaches and developed important relationships with students, staff and parents to further the schools’ vision and mission. Most recently, Mr. Smith was recognized as the FCPS Region 4 Outstanding Professional Employee of the Year and is one of five finalists for the FCPS Outstanding Professional Employee of the Year.
Mr. Smith is excited to come to Woodson HS and brings a lens of inclusivity and opportunity for all our students in all of our programs. He is looking forward to maintaining our traditions and creating new ones with the upcoming classes. His excitement and energy will help us grow and build on the foundation that we are so grateful to Mr. Checkosky for laying.
Mr. Smith is already planning ways to partner with all of you to hear about your experiences, as well as to listen to input about the future. Stay tuned for meet and greet opportunities with our Boosters and other parent groups. Mr. Smith will be around as we transition later this spring and will be reaching out to student groups as well as our coaches and teachers in the next few months.
Thank you to so many of you who provided input and feedback throughout this rigorous process. I am confident Mr. Smith will contribute to the tradition of excellence at Woodson. Please join me in welcoming him, his official first day is July 1, 2022.
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4. Guest Speaker on Tuesday, April 19th
This Tuesday, April 19th, during 3rd period Learning Seminar we are excited to host Sam Anthony Lucania to speak to our students regarding mental health and wellness.
Sam Anthony is a professional speaker, personal trainer, and lifestyle coach who uses his personal experiences to educate and motivate others. He has spoken to students at numerous area high schools, including several in Fairfax and Loudoun counties, and comes to us highly recommended and reviewed. You can learn more about Sam Anthony at his website, www.samanthonyspeaks.com.
5. Woodson's Pyramid & Senior Art Shows
The WT Woodson High School Fine Arts Department is excited to invite the Woodson community to our annual art shows! Yes! You read that correctly; this year Woodson is hosting two shows:
The Annual Pyramid Art Show, which includes work from our elementary and middle schools as well as students grade 9-11 on Tuesday, April 19 from 6-8pm in our Auxiliary Gym. Come on by to see what our freshmen, sophomore, and junior artists have been making this year and say hello to your elementary and middle school art teachers and see what all the future Woodson artists are creating!
New this year, we are holding a Senior Art Show! Please come join us in the Auxiliary Gym on Thursday, April 21 from 6-8pm to see our seniors’ culminating shows. Our senior artists have curated collections of their finest works and are looking forward to sharing this work with their families and community. We are so proud of our students and excited for them to have this special opportunity to share their work.
In between enjoying the artwork at both shows, visitors can grab a bite to eat from food trucks on-site and peruse small student-made artworks for sale. This year we will be holding a silent auction for our famous painted furniture during the Senior Art Show reception, so stop by and place your bid!
Our students have worked so hard this school year to hone their art-making skills and create these works. They (and we!) would be so honored to welcome you to these events.
6. Course Requests for 2022-2023
All students have had an opportunity to complete academic advising for the 2022-2023 school year. Staffing for next year’s courses is dependent on student course selections.
To ensure that we have accurate course enrollment numbers, we have mailed home a copy of your child’s course requests for next year. Courses listed are as of April 1st, as March 31st was the deadline to request any changes for next year. Please review the course requests selected carefully, and contact your child’s counselor ASAP if there are any errors. Course requests can always be viewed online in SIS ParentVUE or StudentVUE (click “Course Request” on the menu on the left hand side).
If there are no errors on your child’s course request list then you do not need to contact the counselor. If your child applied for an Academy class, he/she should have received an email from the Academy to their FCPSschools account notifying them of whether they were accepted or not. If accepted, the academy class will be added to your child’s course request list in the coming days (but may not be reflected on the list that was mailed home). If you have any questions, please contact your child’s counselor.
7. AP Exam Attendance Procedures
Students taking an AP Exam will be marked TST during the exam time.
If a student wishes to be excused from their other classes the day of an AP Exam, an AP Testing – Excused Absence form must be completed and submitted to the Attendance Office or Student Services by 3:00PM Monday, April 25th. These green forms can be picked up in Student Services or the Attendance Office.
Due to the volume of work the attendance office has on a daily basis, this form is the only way to request late arrivals and early releases for AP testing: emails and phone calls can NOT be accepted. Also, because of the time required to input this data for hundreds of requests, it is important the form is turned in by Monday, April 25th. Any form received after the deadline will be processed when time allows which may be after a student’s exam which would impact the daily callout messages.
8. Do You Have a Tandem Bike We Can Borrow?
Do you have a tandem bike we can borrow??? Woodson Leadership is hosting a Spring Pep Rally this week and they would love to borrow 4 tandem bikes for the event.
Please contact Lynn Schmauder plschmauder@fcps.edu or Dan Schaefer djschaefer@fcps.edu you have a bike we can borrow.
Thank you!
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9. Woodson 5K on April 30th
It’s time to register for the 12th Annual Woodson 5k Community Walk/Run on Saturday, April 30th at 8:30am at Woodson HS. All proceeds benefit The Trevor Project, which is the leading advocate for LGBTQ youth mental health in the United States.
Members of the Woodson Community can register for $25 through on-line or mail-in registration forms before April 15th. The price increases to $35 after April 15.
Woodson students and staff can register for just $20 – only through MySchoolBucks.
Registration will take place up until race time. The event begins and ends outside of entrance #1. Every participant receives a Woodson 5K shirt.
If you want to mail the registration form directly to Woodson, use the form located on Schoology.
Register on-line – https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Fairfax/WTWoodson5k
Register on MySchoolbucks – Woodson Student Registration
Questions? djschaefer@fcps.edu
 10. Move4Mental Health
Our Minds Matter, in collaboration with Fairfax County Public Schools, will be hosting an upcoming Move for Mental Health event on Sunday, May 1st. From 10:30am-1:00pm, the event will feature a dedicated route to walk, run, bike, or wheel, live performances, and self-care stations. FCPS students receive community service hours for participating.
The event will take place at Mason District Park: 6621 Columbia Pike Annandale, VA 22003
Visit bit.ly/move4mentalhealth to register for FREE.
11. Spring SOL Testing
Students will be taking Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) End-of-Course (EOC) assessments between May 13 and May 20, 2022. All SOL assessments are taken in-person at school.
Friday, May 13 – Chemistry, Geosystems, World History 2, USVA History
Monday, May 16 – English Reading
Wednesday, May 18 – Geometry
Thursday, May 19 – Algebra 1, Algebra 2
Friday, May 20 – Biology
Teachers will communicate specific testing details to students based on their individual assessment needs. If you become aware of an unavoidable conflict that could result in your student missing a testing day, please notify Woodson’s Assessment Coach, Kathleen Guinee (kpguinee@fcps.edu).
If you have questions about SOL testing, please contact your student’s school counselor or Woodson's Assessment Coach, Kathleen Guinee at kpguinee@fcps.edu.
12. Woodson Sports Physical Night
It is that time of the year again! The W.T. Woodson Athletic Training Program’s Sports Physical Night event will be held this year on June 8 @ W.T. Woodson High School. As always, the goal of Sports Physical Night is to provide a complete pre-participation examination screening that will leave student athletes with a valid VHSL physical for the entirety of the 2022-23 School Year. Each year, it is required that all student athletes have a completed VHSL physical on file before participating in sports. The price will be $50 as it has been in previous years. Hosting this event is our Athletic Training Program’s ONLY fundraiser for the year as we DO NOT receive any funding from the county. ALL proceeds go towards helping the program purchase supplies. Without your support we would not be able to provide the services we do for our student-athletes. Appointment times will be available at 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, and 7:30pm.
Register for an appointment here!
If you cannot make it to our night on the 8th, but still want to support FCPS, feel free to sign up for another school's event! (Promise we won't be mad).
Want to Volunteer??
If you would like to volunteer please feel free to complete the volunteer registration here. As of now, we are still looking for a few more physicians and HCP's to complete the actual physical exams (MD, DO, NP, PA) as well other HCP’s comfortable with taking vital signs. If you are willing and able to donate your time, it is greatly appreciated. If not, and you know of some others that would be able to assist us, please feel free to spread the word!
If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to reach out to Chris Hogge, ATC at chogge@fcps.edu .
 Check out this amazing video of Woodson senior, Sofia as she shares her story about what she wants most in the world.
13. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Team Cavs for Cures led by Ava Marshall with support of dedicated team members including Amelia Manos, Elle Marshall, Samantha Meyers, Kendall Schottler, and Mia Zganjar dedicated countless hours in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Students of the Year campaign, a seven-week fundraising challenge benefitting LLS’s mission of curing blood cancers.
This incredible team, representing Woodson, raised over $79,000 for their mission! In addition, this team, along with 40 other teams across the National Capital Area, collectively raised over $3.6 Million, breaking records for the local campaign and on a national level.
The society can't thank the Woodson community enough for their support of Team Cavs for Cures throughout this campaign. Congratulations!
14. 2022 Regional Scholastic Writing Awards
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, is the largest, longest-running recognition program of its kind in the United States. Writing categories include critical essay, dramatic script, flash fiction, humor, journalism, novel writing, personal essay and memoir, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, short story, and writing portfolio. More information about the Scholastic Writing Awards is available online
Congratulations to these Woodson students who placed in the Regional Scholastic Writing Awards for 2022:
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Miriam Fabrycky, Honorable Mention for "Pain d'Épice" (Short Story)
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Srivaishnavi Kommireddy, Honorable Mention for "Perfectly Imperfect World" (Short Story)
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Zainab Rentia, Honorable Mention for "Changing Relationships" (Personal Essay & Memoir)
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Zainab Rentia, Honorable Mention for "Stuck in the Past" (Personal Essay & Memoir)
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Yilin Tan, Gold Key for "Chairman Mao at My Dinner Table" (Personal Essay & Memoir)
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Yilin Tan, Honorable Mention for "In Regards to Music" (Poetry).
 15. Woodson Drama Presents: The SpongeBob Musical
Tickets are now on sale for The SpongeBob Musical, a fun, fast paced musical. The stakes are higher than ever in this dynamic stage musical, as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total destruction of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage. The power of optimism really can save the world!
The SpongeBob Musical is based on the beloved animated series created and features original songs by members of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, T.I., and many others! Tickets can be purchased here
 Congratulations to Mr. Kuykendall, English teacher, who was named the Region 5 Outstanding New Teacher Award. Becky Baenig, Region 5 Assistant Superintendent presented the award during class on Tuesday.
16. College & Career Center News
The Woodson College & Career Center Resources can be found in the Woodson Student Services Course/College & Career Center Folder (padlets are also linked there). Parents can access the Student Services Course through their student’s Schoology account. Please email me at cliebmosley@fcps.edu if you need help with Schoology.
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Junior Focus Events for the Class of 2023 (unless otherwise noted, please sign up in Naviance):
Junior Action Talk with the ECMC/The College Place in Café B, April 21, 9:45 am – 11:15 am
Apprenticeships by the Dept of Labor & Industry in the Career Center, April 25, 10:15 am – 11:15 am
Virtual College Panel for Students & Families, Apr 26 at 7 pm (Link will be sent out closer to the date)
Senior College Panel in CAV Hall, April 27, 10:15 am – 11:15 am
Questions? Please email cliebmosley@fcps.edu or come by the Career Center.
- Are you interested in attending one of the U.S. Service Academies? Virtual Academy Day 2022 with Senator Warner is on April 23, 10 am – 12:30 pm. This event will give a comprehensive overview of the U.S. Services Academies and their admission processes. For more information, please visit here.
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Attention Class of 2022! Please mark your calendar for our Celebrate Your Plan Day on Tuesday, May 3rd during All Lunches in the Auditorium Lobby. We want to celebrate you and all of the different post-secondary plans.
Questions? Please email at cliebmosley@fcps.edu.
PAST News - but still important
17. Northern Virginia Community College Offering Free Classes for Graduating Seniors
Qualified seniors graduating this spring who are considering coming to Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) after high school may take one 3-credit course and NOVA’s 1-credit College Success Skills course, SDV 100, at no tuition, as part of the JumpStart2NOVA program. Since these classes are all online, students will need access to a computer and the Internet.
The application is now open and will close at 5 p.m. on April 29. All students will be required to upload a high school transcript and any qualifying test scores if they do not have a 3.0 grade point average. Courses begin May 31 and end August 8.
More information about JumpStart2NOVA, including course offerings, materials, and details on how to apply, is available online.
18. FanQuest Rescheduled!
FanQuest has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 30th at Woodson HS. Come out and watch Woodson’s Special Olympics Unified Basketball team play Robinson Secondary School!
Unified is a model of Special Olympics where student athletes with disabilities and their same-aged peers play alongside one another on one unified team. This differs from Special Olympics because that model only has athletes with disabilities. With the support from our Woodson Buddies and Partnership class, Woodson HS has a strong Unified team and we participate in Soccer, Basketball and Track and Field. FanQuest is the culminating event for both Special Olympics and Unified Basketball.
 19. Free Prom Dresses and Suits
Does your teen need a dress or suit for Prom? Do you know someone that might need one? Prom is coming up on Saturday, May 7th at Westwood Country Club in Vienna.
There are dresses, suits, shoes, clutches and accessories available.
Please send your teen to Ms. Treague in Room T104. She can also be reached at krtreague@fcps.edu.
20. SENIOR CLASS NEWS!
Want to know all the important news and upcoming events for the Class of 2022? Visit the Senior Class News website for everything you need to know from Senior Dues, to Prom and Graduation.
Cav Cruise
Have you heard about Woodson's Cav Cruise All Night Graduation Party, but don't understand what the buzz is all about? Click Here to See For Yourself! Cav Cruise is a drug-free, alcohol-free all night graduation party to celebrate our Seniors!
Your ticket includes an all night grad party with casino games, hypnotist, swimming pool, music, food, and lots of prizes! Your senior won't want to miss the party of the year! Early registration is very helpful to the Cav Cruise Planning Committee! Tickets are $80 each before March 31st and $100 after. Cav Cruise: May 31 - June 1: 11:00pm - 5:00am. Click Here to Buy Cav Cruise Tickets
21. Order the 2022 Yearbook!
Let’s celebrate our Woodson Cavaliers in 2021-2022! To purchase a yearbook, 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 Katherine Benzinger or Drew Marvin if you have any questions!
22. 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. This form must be submitted at least 30 minutes before check-out time.
- 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.
If one of the options above is not followed, we cannot guarantee a speedy checkout, so please make sure you notify the attendance office prior to picking up your son/daughter to ensure you make your appointment or commitment on time.
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.
23. Laptop Tech Support Hours
If students need FCPS laptop technical support at Woodson HS, please submit a ticket using the FCPS Parent/Student Tech Support Portal.
Our walk-in hours in Room A114 are:
- Odd Days during Learning Seminar
- Monday - 7:45am - 8:10am
- Tuesday and Wednesday - 11:25am - 1:20pm (lunches)
- Wednesday - 2:55pm - 4:00pm (when late buses start)
Any other time you should try to make an appointment.
Thank you, W.T Woodson HS Tech Support Team
24. Woodson's PTSO
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.
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!
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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