Woodgrove High School
February 2021 - Newsletter
William S. Shipp
Assistant Principals:
Christina Thompson
Don Keener
Tim Panagos
Director of School Counseling:
Geri Fiore
Athletic Director
Rusty Lowery
540-751-2600
Guidance Office:
540-751-2607
Athletic Office:
540-751-2610
Clinic:
540-751-2602
Principal's Message
Greetings, Wolverines! We continue to move rapidly through this school year – seemingly long days, but short weeks and months! Our second semester is underway and February is upon us. We currently are in Distance Learning; however, upcoming School Board meetings will provide the district’s plans and guidance for initiating our hybrid/in-person instruction for those students choosing to return to the school. I anticipate decisions will be made in the upcoming weeks regarding this. I am grateful for your patience, flexibility, and understanding as together we move forward planning the appropriate and safe course of action for our students and staff.
With the first semester complete, this is an excellent time to review with your daughter or son the results of their first semester and their plans for achieving success in the second semester. Should your daughter or son need additional help and resources, please have them reach out to their teachers and counselor. Also, they, or you, may contact our Academic Coordinator, Dr. Cuozzo, at Christopher.Cuozzo@lcps.org, and he may assist you with connecting to resources and staff members who can provide help as well. Please keep in mind that teachers and counselors have office hours on Monday afternoons to meet with students, parents, and guardians. If that day or time does not work out, teachers and counselors will find another time that works for everyone. Support is available and we’ve talked often as a faculty and staff about the need to be flexible and understanding of our students’ varying needs. To that end, communication is vitally important between students, teachers, counselors, parents, and guardians.
And as we continue to navigate through the fluid circumstances of this year, we now must turn an eye towards next year as well. Our course selection night for the 2021-2022 school year is scheduled for Thursday, February 18, beginning at 6 PM. We’ll stream this presentation and provide a link for students, parents, and guardians to pose questions. Here is the link to our live streaming channel on which we’ll be presenting. WHS - Live Streaming Channel
Also, due to the forecast of snow and inclement weather for Monday, February 1, our Senior Class meetings scheduled for that day have been moved to Thursday, February 4. The Senior Class meeting will be from 4 PM to 5 PM. The Senior Class Parent and Guardian meeting will begin at 7 PM. Both meetings will be recorded and posted on our website so that any student, parent, or guardian unable to attend can view them when possible. These meetings also will be streamed and can be accessed using our streaming channel. WHS - Live Streaming Channel If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Allis, our Senior Class Sponsor, at Brianne.Allis@lcps.org.
Our deepest gratitude to all those involved in winter activities the past two months. It has not been without its challenges, however, overall, our endeavor to have our students participate and engage in activities has been successful. Thank you to our students, coaches, sponsors, parents, guardians, athletic trainers, and athletic directors for their diligent efforts and dedication to adhere to all safety practices and requirements. It has been a true team and community effort! Best wishes to these winter academic and athletic teams as they prepare to compete in Regional tournaments in the next couple of weeks as our winter season comes to a close. Dates and times of these competitions may be found on our website as well. Our fall sports and academic competition season will begin this month as well. Cheerleading and Football will begin on Thursday, February 4, and all other VHSL fall academic and athletic activities will begin on Monday, February 15. If you have any questions regarding this, please reach out to the coach, sponsor, or Mr. Lowery, our Athletic Director, at Theodore.Lowery@lcps.org.
We wish you and your families a safe, healthy, and happy February - best wishes to everyone and I thank you again for your support!
Wake Up Woodgrove
Order a Senior Celebration Ad using the link below
Create & order your baby ad here: https://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/students-and-parents/yearbook-ads
Wolverine Sports Medicine
Volume 11, Issue 7
February 2021
Sports Injuries
Back Spasms
Back spasms are a contraction of the back muscles in response to a stress on the spine. The nerves that pick up the sensation of pain are also connected to the nerves that control the muscles of the back. So the stimulus from a spine injury will cause the surrounding muscles of the back to contract. This contraction or spasm is the body’s way of protecting the injured area from further damage.
Back spasms can be the result of a sudden trauma, such as muscle strain or ligament sprain or due to cumulative stress, such as sitting for long periods of time. Back spasms are treated with rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medication and exercises designed to help strengthen the injured joint.
An exercise program specifically designed to restore normal health and motion of the joints of the spine can prevent back spasms. Many times, back spasms occur after an activity. This is why one of the most important post-exercise things you can do is to maintain proper posture. Stretching is not recommended in the early treatment program because too often it involves taking the joints of the spine through a range of motion that it’s not prepared to handle. Once you’ve established muscle control of the spine, you can stretch your back and its extremities including the hamstrings, hip flexors and abdominals.
So in short, in terms of treatment, stretching is not emphasized. In terms of prevention, when the condition is not present, stretching is of equal importance to strengthening.
Fitness
Bad Posture
Bad posture can be influenced by a lot of things, including genetics, hand dominance, past and current injuries, illness, emotional stress, sitting at a computer, texting, driving, wearing a backpack and even playing a sport. If you think of a high school student-athlete almost all of these influences are present, so it makes sense that we see a lot of student-athletes coming into the athletic training room with poor posture.
In general terms, bad posture equals bad body alignment. Poor alignment means that stabilizing muscles are stretched, which weakens them while putting other muscles under heavier stress. When muscles are under heavy stress for a length of time, misuse results and injury can occur.
The most common type of bad posture seen in student-athletes is kyphosis-lordosis (KL). KL posture is present when the head thrusts forward, upper back is rounded or slumped, shoulder blades press out from the ribcage as if they were wings, thumbs rotate toward the posterior, pelvis is anteriorly rotated. Student-athletes with KL usually have tight low backs and hip flexors and weak abdominals and gluteals. These unbalanced weak links translate to inefficiencies in movement and over time can create overuse injuries.
Good posture is defined as head in neutral position, shoulder blades back and down the thorax, spine with natural curvature, palms facing the body with thumbs anteriorly rotated, pelvis in neutral and knees straight ahead. Muscles are balanced and relaxed, movement patterns are normal and joints are open and loose with the core stable to allow energy to flow through the body unhindered.
Good posture can also be developed anywhere and anytime during the student-athlete’s day…during class, while driving, or while doing homework, for example. As the student-athletes grow more aware and conscious of their bodies, they will be able to practice great posture throughout the day.
Student Activities Information
Library News
Parent Liaison News
Meet Our Team!
The counseling department at Woodgrove looks forward to assisting you with your scheduling needs and post-secondary goals. Feel free to schedule a meeting with us so we can get to know you and serve you better.
2020 -2021 Counseling Team
- Mr. Patrick Weaver ------------ A-Cop
- Mr. Steven Cohen -------------- Cor-Gra
- Mrs. Amy Scott ----------------- Gre-K
- Mrs. Donna Kelly --------------- L-O
- Mrs. Barbara Bell --------------- P-Sm
- Mrs. Rachael Sutphin -------- Sn-Z
- Mrs. Geri Fiore ------------------- Director of School Counseling
- Mrs. Bernadette Ishmael ---- School Registrar
- Mrs. Stephanie Butler -------- Counseling Administrative Assistant
- Mrs. Annie Harding ------------ Career Center Specialist
- Mrs. Justin Jarvis -------------- Testing Coordinator/FACETime Coordinator
Mental Health Team
- Mrs. Kelley Trenary -------- School Social Worker
- Mrs. Heidi Buckner -------- School Psychologist
- Mrs Amy Iliffe ---------------- Student Assistance Services Specialist
Due to the forecast of snow and inclement weather on Monday, our Senior Class meetings scheduled for February 1st has been moved to Thursday, February 4. The Senior Class meeting will be from 4 PM to 5 PM. The Senior Class Parent and Guardian meeting will begin at 7 PM. Both of these meetings will be recorded and posted on our website so that any student, parent, or guardian unable to attend can view them when possible. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Allis, Senior Class Sponsor, at Brianne.Allis@lcps.org.
All Senior Parents are invited to join us to hear about all things pertaining to Scholarships and Graduation. Meeting will be livestreamed on the WakeUp Woodgrove channel:
https://live.myvrspot.com/player?udi=bG91ZG91bg%3D%3D&c=V0hT
Academies of Loudoun
The Academies of Loudoun Application Portal is now open for the 2021 Winter Admissions Cycle application window for Academies of Loudoun fall admissions, for Advanced AET (11th grade entry) and all MATA programs. Applications will be accepted until February 17th.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Academies of Loudoun! We encourage all families to view the self guided tour at their convenience which includes 360-degree pictures of the school, links to videos for each MATA and Advanced AET pathway, and information on the application process. You’ll see why this is such an amazing opportunity to learn and develop real world skills!
Students watched a video in Advisory to get an overview of the programs available at the Academies of Loudoun and were invited to attend a Q&A Session. Parent Information Sessions will be ending in February. The last session to be livestreamed will be held at the following time and can be accessed via the link below:
Parent Information Sessions
Monday, February 8 6:30 p.m. View the Session Live Stream
Application Timeline and Requirements for the Winter Admission Cycle can be found here.
Woodgrove Scholarships
The Woodgrove Scholarship Application season is now open! In an effort to streamline the application submission process and to enable students to submit applications electronically this year, students will be using Schoology to submit applications for our school and community scholarships listed on Naviance and Schoology. To help students with this transition, counselors presented the new application process to all seniors during Advisory. In addition, step-by-step instructions and videos can be found on the school website under Scholarships & Financial Aid.
We encourage ALL seniors to start reviewing the WHS Scholarship List either on Naviance or on the school website and to take advantage of the opportunities available only to Woodgrove Seniors!
Applying to our school and community scholarships is the first step when looking for funds for post-secondary education. Find other opportunities here.
In addition, Loudoun County is continually updating their website which lists the scholarships for 2020-2021 along with application links and submission requirements. Bookmark the LCPS Scholarship List page to stay informed throughout the school year. Updates are also added to the Career Center Weekly Newsletter emailed to parents and students every Friday.
Gap Year Fair
Looking for inspiration and reliable information about gap year programs or summer opportunities? Join in the national event on Jan. 23rd or the MD-VA event on February 9th at 6:00pm to meet experiential educators, gap year experts, and alumni so you can start planning your next adventure. To view all Gap Year events and to register visit USA Gap Year Fairs | Go Overseas
Transcript Requests
You must submit a completed and signed transcript release and transcript request form at least 3 weeks prior to the deadline. The deadlines are intended to help ensure you give us adequate time to process your request, but you are welcome to submit your request early. If you miss the 3 week transcript request deadline, please talk with your counselor so that we can personally assist you. Forms are listed below:
gives WHS permission to submit transcript; complete once
tells WHS where to send transcript; complete one for each college you are applying to
A mid-year transcript with 1st semester senior grades will automatically be sent to the colleges/universities you specified on your initial transcript request forms.
A final transcript will automatically be sent to the college indicated on the end-of-year senior survey.
Changes to the SATs
Changes are being made to CollegeBoard’s SAT testing methods including eliminating the
optional essay, the subject tests and plans for a digitally delivered test. Read more about it
here.
To register for an upcoming SAT test or to view the list of test centers near you, visit https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines
Keep in mind, most colleges are test optional for Fall 2021 admission and in most cases, opting out of the SAT will not negatively impact your application. While final decisions have not been made for 2022, many schools were already changing their policies to adopt a test optional approach prior to the pandemic.
Career Interest Tools
Naviance has comprehensive tools that help students decide which careers best suit them based on their interests and talents. Students were presented with lessons during Advisory on Career Clusters and were shown how to take the Career Interest Profiler – a tool that suggests careers based on an assessment of your strengths, passions and interests. Discover careers and learn about the skills needed, job outlook, salary, which schools offer a related major and more!
View the quick lesson here and help your student explore!
Take a quick tour of Naviance! and see for yourself all the tools available to you and your student.
Since NOVA is always one of our most popular post-secondary option among our students, their admissions team has created valuable resources to help students learn about the programs available, view videos on how to apply and explore links to online information sessions. In addition, a recording of Mr. Chalk’s NOVA overview can be found on the school website under NOVA.
NOVA is offering live zoom sessions on a variety of topics : exploring majors, support with application, information on applying to Health Sciences/Nursing program and student life. Register here to attend.
Reach out to Mrs. Harding at annie.harding@lcps.org to schedule an individual session with Mr. Chalk, our NOVA high school coordinator to discuss your education goals, or register on Naviance for his next virtual visit to be held on February 22nd at 1:30pm.
Big Future Day College Fairs
Sophomores and juniors should take advantage of this upcoming event! College Board is hosting four virtual college fairs that are designed for you to have real conversations with hundreds of colleges, admission reps, and current college students. You can sign up to attend any event and more than one to explore colleges in each region across the nation. Learn more at cb.org/bigfuturedays and sign up for the College Board BigFuture Days!
Events take place throughout February and March.
ASVAB Test
ASVAB Test Date
Woodgrove High School Library
March 1st 9:30 am
Visit the Counseling Website for registration form and updated test prep resources.
Don't Miss Out
Are you getting the Career Center Weekly Newsletter? Sent every Friday, this newsletter contains lots of details on upcoming events, important dates to remember, scholarship, college, career information and more!
Email Mrs Harding at annie.harding@lcps.org if you don’t see these in your inbox!
And…
Click here to follow the Counseling Department on Social Media
Job, Volunteer & Leadership Opportunities
Follow us here for the latest information on jobs, internships, leadership opportunities and more
#woodgroveworks #woodgroveserves #woodgroveleads
Recent Job Postings -High Sierra Pools, Leesburg Parks& Rec
WHS Information
High School Parking Lot WiFi Access
In our efforts to continually improve and meet the challenges of a large school district, we are deploying solar powered WiFi to high school parking lots.
Each of our high schools will be equipped with a solar powered, cellular wireless access point that will provide coverage to a portion of each schools parking lot. This will allow for social distancing and access to digital resources for those in need of internet access. Each area depicted is an estimation of coverage and capacity may be impacted by weather, number of connected users and other factors. Areas selected are also monitored by LCPS Safety and Security patrols, camera's and other techniques to provide a safe environment.
Parents: Are your students struggling with distance learning?
Just a reminder that we have a number of resources in place to support them, including the following:
- At the end of every class, there are 22 minutes of asynchronous time when students can “stick around” to ask their teachers questions or get help with assignments.
- During every study hall block, we have teachers assigned to Learning Labs who can answer questions, help you with assignments, or help you review for tests and quizzes. To access these, click here.
- Our Writing Center tutors are available to help students with any aspect of the writing process, on any writing assignment, for any class. For more information, click here.
- Our National Honor Society is coordinating with all of the subject-specific honor societies to offer online peer tutoring. We hope to launch this during the month of November. Check the WHS website for more information.