Welcome WHS Alumni! Whether you graduated from Woodside High School recently or many years ago, you are always part of the Wildcat community! Our newly organized Alumni Community Website also helps alumni reconnect with old friends and stay informed with what's happening at Woodside.
WHS is Buzzing with Students Again!
About 30% of WHS students opted-in to return to campus part-time, and they've been safely learning on campus since April.

Our hard-working teachers are teaching from the classroom to both the students in the room and at home through zoom. Some classrooms have swivel cameras that follow the teachers as they teach. At Woodside, the kids in the classroom are called "Roomers" and the kids at home learning on zoom are called "Zoomers".

Wildcat sports are also back! Several hundred students are on campus each afternoon for games and practices - with enhanced safety measures.
VIRTUAL AUCTION TONIGHT - MAY 4TH
Virtual Live Auction begins tonight!
7-8 PM
Silent Auction, Buy-In Parties, Fund-a-Need Open Now
Starting tonight at 7pm PST, the "doors" will open to the WHS Spring Virtual Live Auction.

There are several ways to participate; the Virtual Live Auction, the Silent Auction, Buy-In Parties, or by making a donation to this year's Fund-a-Need. You can bid on the Silent Auction items, Buy-In Parties, or Fund-a-Need anytime, but the Live program will begin at 7pm.

Be on time to hear from special guest WHS alum Renel Brooks-Moon, the voice of the SF Giants!

This is an important fundraiser supporting all WHS students through class size reduction, enhanced electives, college and career services, counseling, and more.


Fun items you can win this year includes: Donner Lake vacation home, Bottle Rock Tickets 1000 Daffodils planted, WHS Marquee, Rare Ridge Wine, Cooking Classes, and much more!

There is something for everyone.
HOW TO: LIVE AUCTION
New this year is a "Virtual" Live Auction. As this is new to all of us, here are some things to know about the Live Auction:

Login using the join link from your registration confirmation email.
  • The event will run from 7-8 p.m.
  • Hear from Renel Brooks-Moon - the voice of the SF Giants!
  • Principal Burbank and teachers will share how your financial support directly impacts WHS students.
  • Come as you are! Guest screens won't be shared, but please participate in the chat.
  • We are using a virtual auction online platform - you will only need one device to watch, chat, bid, and checkout.
  • As you see and hear our auctioneer, you will be able to see all the bidding in real-time on your screen.
  • All the items that are typically in the silent auction are now part of our online auction and buy-in parties. Bidding is open now to everyone and closes at 9 p.m. on May 4.
  • There will be several chances to donate in any amount, large or small, during the event: Fund-A-Need, Live Auction, and the Last Roar game.
  • All of your winnings will be included in your cart, including any winnings from the separate silent auction and/or buy-in parties. You can view your total anytime throughout the event.
  • Door Prizes! We will be spinning the wheel all night and everyone present has a chance to win fun prizes.
Virtual Auction's Fund-A-Need.....Classroom Technology to "Power What's Next"
WHS is committed to ensuring a level playing field for our students. When the pandemic hit, and we moved to distance learning, we distributed Chromebooks to students who lacked access to technology. To help bridge the equity gap, these students will keep their assigned Chromebooks to continue to have computer and internet access for homework. As students return to campus, we’ll need to refill the Chromebook carts to ensure that there are available classroom devices.
This year’s Fund-A-Need will also facilitate the upgrading of two computer labs where aging desktops can no longer run the latest software and add microphones and speakers to classrooms where white noise from the air filtration equipment can make the teachers hard to hear.
Our chromebook carts are depleted
"Make your parting gift to me a gift to this fund-a-need because I'm going to spend every cent of it before I leave to make sure that your generosity is true to my ask!" -Principal Burbank
Principal Burbank is Retiring
I'm retiring at the end of this school year!  I've been WHS's principal for nine years (Wildcats have just nine lives!), and I've loved it. I've enjoyed, and tried to make the most of, the privilege of leading our Woodside staff, community, and students.

As an educator for 38 years, what I've embraced is the pace and the rock-n-roll of student life on a large public high school campus. Helping teens navigate their learning, their changing lives, and the changing world has been my career's work as a teacher of English, activity director, coach, and administrator. 
Prior to WHS, I was a four-year principal at Prospect High School in Saratoga. Before that, I was a five-year principal at Aptos High in Santa Cruz County. I've loved being a principal, particularly at Woodside where the tradition of stakeholder input and the appreciation of student voice has supported a campus culture that tries to get things right not just to be right. I have confidence in the current and incoming district leadership to select your next principal.  
 
Let me ROAR to all of you one last time.... "Go WILDCATS!"
Diane Burbank
dburbank@seq.org
College Acceptances

WHS Class of 2021 students were accepted to over 185 colleges.
"Despite the pandemic's challenges, Woodside seniors are having a great year with college admissions. Many were anxious about how a binary grade of "pass" might affect their applications, however we have not seen a significant negative impact on acceptances. Additionally, test-optional or test-blind admissions practices have enabled more access, especially for our first-generation students."

-Zorina Matavulj, WHS College Advisor
Campus Improvements
Wilbur in our updated quad.

This fall, with students not on campus, the WHS quad was updated with decking for more seating area and less mud, lush landscaping protected with railing to direct walking flow and provide leaning spots, new canopy trees for added shade, and additional outlets for the sound system and charging.

Also, thanks to the Athletic Boosters, the baseball field was remodeled; the entire infield and pitching mound were replaced, new backdrop netting was added, and the backstop and shed were improved.
Help Us Grow Our Alumni Organization
Please spread the news to your fellow alumni about our newly-organized alumni community website. Benefits of joining include networking with WHS alumni, notifications of class reunions, and the WHS Alumni newsletter twice a year.
About this Newsletter
This twice-yearly newsletter is coordinated by volunteers with the Woodside High School Foundation.

The Woodside High School Foundation is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to raise funds to close the gap between public funding and the cost of a high-quality education.