WOODGROVE HIGH SCHOOL
August 15, 2022
From the Principal's Desk...
Greetings, Wolverines.
Welcome to Woodgrove High School! What an exciting year we have ahead of us as we are celebrating our 13th year serving Western Loudoun! This year, we anticipate our enrollment for the first day will be just over 1,600 students. And by the end of this year when our 2023 graduates walk across the stage, we will have graduated over 4,000 young men and women from our remarkable school.
This year we will continue sending out an on-line monthly newsletter from the school, which will be accessible on our school website. The purpose of this newsletter is to share information about Woodgrove which will include the activities at the school, upcoming events, and important dates. We also will be highlighting our students’ successes as we move through the year. In addition, organizations supporting the school, such as the Parent, Teacher, Student Organization (PTSO), the Woodgrove Music and Arts Association (WMAA) and the Woodgrove Wolverine Athletic Booster Club (WWABC) may also have information included in this newsletter. If you would like a hard copy of the newsletter mailed to you, please contact Ms. Madison Fatz at 540.751.2600. Here is a direct link to our Parent organizations - the PTSO, WMAA, and WWABC.
Inside this month’s newsletter, you will find school information which will assist you and your son or daughter with preparing for the school year. The 2022-2023 LCPS School Calendar, LCPS First Day Information, LCPS Lunch and Nutrition information, including breakfast and lunch prices, Woodgrove’s bell schedule, the LCPS dress code, and other school information can be found within.
As school begins, you will notice that there has been a major structural change at Woodgrove. The Main Office and Counseling offices have switched with the Library. This change provides for a more secure school whereby visitors will check-in immediately in the main office upon entering the building. The Main Office and Counseling offices will be ready to go by the first day of school – the new Library should be ready to go in early September.
Regarding safety, as students prepare to return to school, please be sure to discuss with your son/daughter the safest route to the bus and proper behavior. For their own safety and for the safety of others, students must conduct themselves appropriately to and from school and at the bus stops. Likewise, for students who are driving to school, please discuss the safest route to school. Please note there are no parking fees for students this year, however students must register their vehicles with Woodgrove’s Safety and Security Office. Additional information is forthcoming; however, you may reach out to our Safety and Security Officers, Ms. Christine Funk or Mr. Ward Sigler, with any questions.
Please also mark your calendars as our Open House will be Tuesday, August 23. We are inviting all students and parents/guardians to Woodgrove for this event. Rising freshmen should plan on attending from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, and sophomores, juniors, and seniors should plan to attend from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM. Please note that student schedules will be available on StudentVUE beginning on Monday, August 15. Students will be able to follow their schedule and walk to their classrooms. Also, if your daughter or son would like a locker for this school year, please have them complete this Google Form or contact Mr. Tim Panagos, Assistant Principal, and he will assign them a locker.
The first day of school, Thursday, August 25, will be an “A” day, with blocks 1-4 meeting. All students must report to their assigned DenTime (homeroom) which is listed as Period 9 in the students’ schedules. The second day of school will be a “B” day, with blocks 5-8 meeting. We will continue to follow the alternating A/B schedule – this is a set schedule for the year and all days have already been designated on our school calendar.
Please also note our school times have changed for this year. School will begin at 9:30 AM and end at 4:18 PM. Our lunch shifts will be held during the 2nd and 6th blocks. As mentioned, our 2022-2023 bell schedule is included in this newsletter.
Regarding DenTime, this year, students will be assigned to a DenTime (Homeroom) that meets Monday through Friday. During the week, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we will use this time for our student-staff advisory to meet. Our student clubs will meet on Thursdays during this time as well. Also, during DenTime on Mondays and Fridays, students can meet with their teachers if needed. This year, students again will have a study hall block. During this study hall time, students will be able to work on assignments, receive help in a learning lab, or make up any missed quizzes or tests in our testing center. Since each block is approximately eighty minutes, attendance is critical. If your son or daughter must be absent, please notify the school.
Beginning at 8 AM on Monday, August 15, please sign into ParentVUE to complete the Online Verification process as part of Loudoun County Public Schools’ First Day of School Information initiative. This process is required for all families to review and update important information about their students as we begin the 2022-23 school year, and must be completed no later than Friday, September 23. Once completed, you will be able to view student schedules. If you do not have a ParentVUE account, please contact the main office to request an Activation Letter. For more information about this Online Verification process, along with FAQs about the First Day of School, please visit this link on the LCPS website.
We are very pleased to welcome some outstanding new staff members to our team. We have included a listing of all new staff and their positions in this newsletter.
We will host our annual Kickoff Celebration on the gravel parking lot beginning at 4:30 PM on Friday, September 9. This celebration will culminate with our award-winning Woodgrove Wolverine Band leading us to the stadium for our home football game against the Pride of Heritage High School at 7 PM.
LCPS has two new portals for the purchase of school materials (SchoolCash Online) and for adding money to student meal plans (Titan Family Portal). Investigate both of these new resources, create your family accounts and register your students before the school year begins. If you need assistance with either of these sites, please reach out to SchoolCash Online or Titan Family Support.
I certainly hope you find this information useful. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the school at 540.751.2600. You also may visit our website. Please continue to be involved with our school – our Back to School Night is on Thursday, September 8. We will host a meeting for parents/guardians of Seniors at 6 PM to review the college application process. Then, beginning at 7 PM, our Back to School Night will begin for all grade levels.
Once again, welcome to Woodgrove - we are looking forward to a stellar year! Work, Honor, and Strive.
William S. Shipp, Ed.D.
Principal, Woodgrove High School
Woodgrove High School
Email: Jeff.Schutte@LCPS.org
Website: https://www.lcps.org/Woodgrove
Location: 36811 Allder School Road, Purcellville, VA, USA
Phone: 540.751.2600
Twitter: @WoodgroveHS