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Woodson Weekly -  November 22

Woodson Weekly is usually 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. 

Weekly Wrap-up Check out our Weekly Wrap-up on Spotify or Apple! Spotify  Apple

Important Dates

Wednesday, November 27th - Friday, November 29th - Thanksgiving Break; All schools and Offices Closed

Monday, December 2nd - FCPS Boundary Review Meeting for Region 5

Wednesday, December 4th, 10:00AM - Holiday Tunes for Tots; Main Gym

Wednesday, December 4th, 6:30-8:00PM - Class of 2026 Junior Info Night; Auditorium

Thursday, December 5th - PTSO Sponsored Staff Holiday Luncheon

Thursday, December 5th, 10:00AM - Holiday Tunes for Tots; Main Gym

Tuesday, December 10th, 7:00PM - Winter Chorus Concert

Wednesday, December 11th - Drive the Change Commit to the Conversation Community Meeting

Tuesday, December 17th, 7:00PM - Performing Arts Showcase Concert

December 23rd - January 3rd - Winter Break; School Closed

January 15th, 6-8:00PM - Curriculum Night

January 21st - Curriculum Night Snow Date

Woodson CalendarWiz

See the complete FCPS school year calendar

Message from Mr. Greata

As we transition from fall into winter, with winter sports underway, the conclusion of our fall play, and the start of the second quarter, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the remarkable achievements of our students. Recently, I spoke with a graduate who shared how, in some ways, high school felt even more challenging than college. Reflecting on the rigorous schedules our students manage—especially those actively involved in extracurriculars—I'm continually amazed by their dedication to excelling academically and pursuing their passions. I am equally grateful for the unwavering support they receive from both their families and our incredible staff.

Before we fully wrap up the fall season, we have one final highlight to celebrate. Today, our band will travel to Norfolk to perform at the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) conference. This is a tremendous honor for our school and community. Under the guidance of our talented directors, Aaron Morgan and Helen Landers, our musicians have worked tirelessly to prepare for this prestigious event. Their performance will feature 7 pieces, showcasing the breadth of their talent. To our band students: break a leg, and thank you for making us proud!

As we approach Thanksgiving break, I want to remind everyone of our expectations around assignments and assessments. While students may need to work on long-term projects or catch up on assignments, no short-term assignments should be due on the first two days back after break (December 2 and 3). Additionally, teachers will not assign work on November 25 or 26 that would be due immediately after the break, and teachers will not schedule major assessments during those first days back.

Thanksgiving break begins next Wednesday, November 27, and runs through Friday, November 29. The school and offices will be closed during this time. Please note that we will not send out a Woodson Weekly next week; it will resume on Friday, December 6.

Looking ahead to December, I encourage you to mark your calendars for an important event: on Wednesday, December 11, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, we will hold a community conversation about our equity efforts and our school-wide goal of fostering a stronger sense of belonging among our students. Please mark your calendars!

On behalf of the faculty and staff at Woodson High School, I wish you and your family a wonderful weekend and a joyful Thanksgiving holiday.

Kevin Greata
Principal

View our Student and Group Recognition webpage!

Administration and other staff members stepped in to help our cafeteria staff serve Thanksgiving lunch this week.
A core memory for all of us from our school days!

Thanksgiving Break

Schools and offices will be closed Wednesday, November 27, through Friday, November 29.

Students and staff return on Monday, December 2 (Even Day Schedule).

The Woodson Weekly will also be taking a break. The next issue will be sent on Friday, December 6th. 

Help Us Thank Woodson Teachers and Staff

The PTSO invites all Woodson families to celebrate and recognize our wonderful teachers and staff this holiday season.

High School isn’t the same as elementary school where we had organized gift-giving and room parents. Please take time throughout the school year, and especially now in the holiday season, to recognize and thank the educators and support professionals that work with our children. Simple notes of appreciation, emails of gratitude and letters in support of teachers, counselors, principal, and/or support staff have enormous, meaningful impact.

Additionally, Woodson PTSO is collecting gift cards to raffle at the Annual Holiday Party for the Teachers and Staff on Monday, December 9th.  Parents, families, and students are invited to send in donated gift cards to the main office addressed to Alexa Pugnetti. 

We kindly ask that we receive all donations by Friday, December 6th.

For more information please contact the main office at 703-503-4600.

Happy National Substitute Educators Day to all of the wonderful subs within FCPS! Our students would not be able to continue their learning without the help from you. 

On Monday, we kicked off the week with lunch for our Woodson substitutes. We are so appreciative of their help and support each and every day. 

Attendance For Thanksgiving Week

It is imperative that you let our Attendance Office know as soon as possible for any early dismissals that will occur next week. Remember, early dismissals cannot be submitted through ParentVUE, only Full Day Absences can be submitted there.

If your student will need an early dismissal, you must either leave a voicemail on our attendance line (please provide us with more than a 30 minute heads up!), or have the student bring in a note directly to the attendance office. 

703-503-4800

Director of Student Services, Mr. Peters, takes a turn at serving Thanksgiving lunch to our students. 

Kiss and Ride Reminder

With the second quarter starting, we wanted to remind students and parents about our parking and Kiss and Ride procedures. Please read the following procedures indicated by the map below:

1 - Bus and staff entrance: This is the first entrance off Whitacre Road into the Woodson property.

2 - Senior parking lot: The second entrance off Whitacre Road into the Senior lot is for Senior student parking only. 

3 - Whitacre Road Kiss and Ride: The third entrance off Whitacre Road is the entrance to the Kiss and Ride loop by the tennis courts. Drop off students BEFORE 8AM at Door 9, not before (only in front of) Door 9 for safety reasons. 

4 - Junior parking lot: The last entrance off Whitacre Road, which is also the stadium entrance. When looking at the stadium, the Junior lot is on the left. 

5 - Pickett Road Kiss and Ride: If you are coming to Woodson from 236, use the Pickett Road entrance, NOT Whitacre Rd. This will allow you to drop your child(ren) off at Door 2. Only staff can access the front lot where Kiss and Ride forms from Whitacre Road.

DO NOT park at the shopping center across the street; they will tow your car

Impact Aid Forms

Last call for Impact Aid Forms!

All families should complete a Federal Impact Aid Survey as soon as possible. The form is available in ParentVUE under Online Packets (in the upper right corner after logging in). Students that had not yet completed the online submission as of last week were given paper copies in their 4th period Return. Each student needs to submit only one version of the form (electronic or paper printed copy).

Why submit this form? Information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. The funds support all Fairfax County public schools and centers. Visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page to learn more.

Woodson Band will be putting on their annual Holiday Tunes for Tots on December 4th and December 5th, both at 10am in the Main Gym. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the door. 

Boundary Review Community Meetings

Community meetings regarding FCPS' division wide boundary review will take place in each of the division's six regions. The Region 5 meeting will take place on Monday, December 2, 6:30-8 p.m., at Westfield High School Cafeteria. Please use the link above to register.

If you are unable to attend our Region 5 meeting, you may attend another. All meetings will be in person and will follow the same format. Language interpretation will be available. Visit the Comprehensive School Boundary Review webpage for more information.

Oceanography students film a class project using the green screens in our TV studio.

Senior Portraits - Last Chance

Woodson will hold one last senior portrait session at the school on Monday, December 16th.

Please use this link to signup. 

After this session, if your senior still has not taken a portrait but would like to you will need to schedule an appointment at Ironlight Studios. Email them at ironlight@vosphoto.com

The deadline to get a senior portrait in the yearbook is December 23rd. 

Yearbook Senior Ads - Last Chance

The Deadline to create and pay for an ad is December 6th. Visit here and use order number 5278 to create the ad.

Need help with your online order? Toll Free: 866-287-3096

Visit our Class of 2025 webpage above to review other important senior year information.

College & Career Center