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Woodson Weekly -
December 8th |
Woodson Weekly is published every Friday to provide the community with important information about school life at Woodson High School.
Mission Statement
Woodson High School’s mission is to empower our community to reach their individual potential by creating a healthy environment of mutual respect, responsibility, equity, and inclusion.
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To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.
Para leer este mensaje en otros idiomas, podrán ver las traducciones automáticas en nuestro sitio web.
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 Woodson Orchestra performing at their winter concert.
Important Upcoming Dates
Monday-Friday, December 11th-15th - Spirit Week (#3)
Thursday, December 14th 7:15am-8am - Community Coffee with Mr. Greata
Thursday, December 14th, 7pm - Music Showcase
Friday, December 15th - Wednesday, December 20th - ParentVUE & StudentVUE unavailable
Monday, December 18th - Monday, January 1st - Winter Break, Offices Open by Appointment Only
Tuesday, January 2nd - School Resumes; Odd Day
Woodson's Events & Activities Calendar
The complete FCPS 2023-2024 School Year Calendar
In this Issue
NEW News
1. Message from Mr. Greata
2. Thank You, Parents!
3. Winter Spirit Week
4. Outstanding Woodson Employee Nominees
5. Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions
6. Community Coffee
7. ParentVUE & StudentVUE Updates
8. College and Career Center
9. No Virtual Learning on Snow Days
10. Administrative Offices Over Winter Break
Previous News but Still Important
11. Senior Portraits - Last Chance
12. Laptop Tech Support Hours
13. Attendance
14. Class of 2024
15. Order Your Woodson Yearbook
16. Woodson's PTSO
17. Resources For Mental Wellness
NEW News
1. Message from Mr. Greata
The Arts were showcased this week and student talent was on full display! From the moving production of the Elephant Man to the festive sounds of the orchestra and band concerts, Woodson High School was the place to enjoy the season. The performances will continue next week with our chorus concert on Tuesday, and our Performing Arts Winter Showcase on Thursday, both at 7 pm.
Our staff was treated to a delightful lunch on Tuesday with a huge dessert spread, including many delicious homemade items. On behalf of the entire Woodson staff, I want to thank our amazing PTSO for providing this holiday lunch and for their unwavering support. After lunch, our staff shopped for Woodson spirit wear, in preparation for the winter seasons. If you too would like to purchase Woodson spiritwear, check out the Athletic Booster webpage.
We are so lucky to have a computer science department that has been a model department for our county. It is the mission of the Woodson Computer Science department to offer every student the opportunity to learn the most important 21st century skill in a relaxed, supportive, and creative space. In the words of our CS chair, “Woodson students that take Computer Science learn how to solve problems in a creative space and become creators of technology, not just users.” In recognition of Computer Science Education Week, we want to thank Stephannie Mostajo Ledesma, Travis Pugh, and department chair Doug Oberle for their dedication to excellent computer science education!
This week, we visited the classrooms and offices of our Outstanding Woodson Employee nominees to celebrate their outstanding work (Please see the list of names below). I want to thank all of the families, students, and colleagues that took time to nominate these superb educators! Don’t forget, one of the best ways to celebrate a staff member any time of the year is to submit an FCPS Cares.
We will keep our spirits high next week during our winter spirit week and pep rally. The full spirit wear schedule is below and head’s up - Monday is pajama day!
We hope you will join us Thursday morning for our Community Coffee, 7:15 am in the library. We will continue our conversation about communication!
Have a great weekend and Happy Chanukah!
Mr. Greata
Acting Principal
WoodsonConnect@fcps.edu
2. Thank You, Parents!
On behalf of the entire Woodson faculty and staff, we want to sincerely thank our parents for their generous donations of gift cards for our holiday party, and to our PTSO who put on an amazing winter luncheon for our entire staff of 300!
High School isn’t the same as elementary school where we had organized gift-giving and room parents. Thank you for recognizing and thanking the educators and support professionals that work with your children. This luncheon, the gift cards, simple notes of appreciation, emails of gratitude and letters in support of teachers, counselors, principal, and/or support staff have made an enormous, meaningful impact.
Many thanks,
Woodson Administration
3. Winter Spirit Week
Next week, Woodson invites all students and staff to participate in the winter break spirit week!
- Monday - Sleepy Snow Day (PJ Day)
- Tuesday - Squad Goals (Twin Day)
- Wednesday - Ugly Sweater Day
- Thursday - Winter Olympics (Class Colors - Freshmen Yellow | Sophomores Green | Juniors Blue | Seniors Black | Staff Red)
- Friday - Swinter (Combine Summer and Winter Attire)
4. Outstanding Woodson Employee Nominees
Congratulations to all the Woodson employees who were nominated for Outstanding Employee awards this 2023-2024 school year. Winners will be announced next week.
Outstanding New Secondary Teacher Nominees (in their first 3 years teaching): Alex Clark, Jayme Cole
Outstanding Operational Employee Nominee: Mike Ferraris
Outstanding Professional Employee Nominees: Ashley Demaree, Rachel Silien, Risha Lamba
Outstanding Leader Employee Nominee: Kathy Martin
Outstanding Secondary Teacher Nominees: Amy Moir, Andrea Austin, Ashley Neal, Ashley Kipperman, Brian Annear, Drew Marvin, Garrett Kroner, Jennifer Aitchison, Johnny Shu, John Nah, Julia Varona, Kate Wright, Kathleen Binczewski, Kevin Wright, Lisa Goodwin, Mike Kuykendall, Pamela Nowicki, Ryan Brown, Sam Anderson, Travis Pugh, Katrina Cohen
Mr. Greata and Administration presenting staff their Outstanding Woodson Employee nominations!
5. Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions
Our school, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Department of Education, is conducting the Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions. We will survey students in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12, as well as classroom instructors and staff, on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
For more information about this survey, please either visit our Woodson website, or wait to review the E-Notify message that will be sent out on Tuesday evening.
6. Community Coffee
At our Community Coffee event this past Tuesday, we were able to discuss school communication and we had a wonderful brainstorming session. Please look for some changes in the near future as we work to make our information more accessible to our community.
Our next Community Coffee is December 14th at 7:15 am in our library. Come join Mr. Greata and administration to discuss different topics and to provide us with feedback. Hope to see you there! Coffee will be provided.
7. ParentVUE & StudentVUE
SIS, ParentVUE, and StudentVUE will be unavailable for all users beginning Friday, December 15, at 5:00 p.m. until Wednesday, December 20, at 6:00 a.m., for system upgrades during the Holiday Break.
8. College & Career Center
Resources for College & Career planning and Newsletters can be found on the Woodson College & Career Padlets. All upcoming events with registration links are listed in the Woodson Wide School Calendar. Please see highlights below.
- December 12 | Virtual Financial Aid Night for Juniors & Seniors
- December 14 | VT Corps of Cadets Lunch Info Table
- January 22 | Aviation Institute of Maintenance Lunch Info Table
- January 23 | NOVA Application Session for Seniors
- January 30 | FCPS Gap Year Fair @ Marshall HS
2024 Gap Year Fair
FCPS School Counseling Services and Go Overseas are co-hosting the annual FCPS Gap Year Fair on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at George C. Marshall High School from 6 to 8:30 p.m. This event is for high school students and their families who are interested in learning more about the growing array of gap year opportunities. Student registration is now open on USA Gap Year Fairs.
Students in Mr. Schaefer's math class graphing a polynomial from its factors.
9. No Virtual Learning on Snow Days
FCPS will be returning to its previous procedure for snow days for the 2023-24 school year. There will be no virtual learning when school is closed due to bad weather.
During snow days, students may still access Tutor.com, complete any supplemental learning opportunities recommended by their teachers, and view educational programming (available online and on public access television channels):
Eleven snow days are built into FCPS’ existing calendar. Eliminating virtual learning days will enable us to maximize students’ in-person learning and provide equitable access to instruction and student services.
 FCPS School Based and Regional Science Fairs are looking for judges! For more information visit this link.
Woodson's Science Fair will take place on Tuesday, January 30th (Periods 1, 3 and 5). Snow Date is Thursday, February 1st.
10. Administrative Offices Over Winter Break
The Woodson Administrative Offices will be available by appointment only from Monday, December 18th through Monday, January 1st. Please contact your students administrator should something arise for which you need school staff over the Winter Break.
All FCPS Administrative Offices and School Buildings will be completely closed on December 25th, December 26th, and January 1st.
Woodson Students and Staff will resume normal school hours on Tuesday, January 2nd, which will be an Odd Day.
If there is an emergency or security concern over the winter break, please contact FCPS School Security at 571-423-2000.
Previous News but Still Important
11. Senior Portraits - Last Chance
This is the last chance for your senior to take their senior portraits and make it in the yearbook! The last open and available portrait session is Friday, December 15th. You must register for a time. Walk-ins are not allowed. To sign up visit: https://pickatime.com/vosphoto/Woodson2024
If you have any questions, please email seniors@vosphoto.com.
Mr. Wright's AP World History students performing an "autopsy" of several empires to find out how they collapsed.
12. 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 A112/A114 are:
- Odd Days during Learning Seminar
- Monday - 7:45am - 8:10am
Any other time you should try to make an appointment using a ticket from the Support Portal.
Thank you,
Woodson HS Tech Support Team
WoodsonTechTeam@fcps.edu
13. Attendance
Attendance is critical to student success in the classroom.
Parents/guardians must contact the Woodson attendance office (703-503-4800) to report all attendance matters.
Emails and online forms will no longer be accepted to notify our school of your student’s absence, late arrivals or early dismissals. Woodson is not monitoring or accepting any absences submitted via email, due to an excessive number of forgeries.
For more information on attendance procedures, please visit the Woodson Attendance wepage.
703-503-4800 Attendance Office Message Line
E107 Attendance Office location
14. Class of 2024
The Senior Class has a ton of information to share with parents and families! Baby Ads for the yearbook, Senior Portraits, Cap and Gown Sizing and so much more. Visit the Class of 2024 webpage.
15. Order Your Woodson Yearbook
Reserve your copy now at the early-bird price of $70. Go to www.yearbookordercenter.com and enter Woodson’s code, 5278.
16. 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 7pm online. The link to join will be sent out in the PTSO WeMail on Tuesday afternoons.
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!
17. Resources For Mental Wellness
All FCPS high school students can access virtual therapy sessions with licensed counselors from Hazel Health at no cost.
Hazel’s therapists — who specialize in working with teens — can help students address mood/behavior changes, motivation, grief/loss, anxiety, peer and family relationships, and academic stress.
For high schoolers to participate in teletherapy services, caregivers must:
Students must be referred to therapy by a caregiver or designated school staff member.
Visit the FCPS Teletherapy webpage for more information.
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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