Welcome WHS Alumni! Whether you graduated from Woodside High School recently or many years ago, you are always part of the Wildcat community! Visit our Alumni Community Website which helps alumni reconnect with old friends and stay informed with what's happening at Woodside.
A New Cat on the Block!
The new Wildcat statue is made out of bronze and sculpted by Woodside HS alum, Chris (Lennen) Pedrin, Class of 1977.

Chris wanted to design a fierce wildcat representing the pride, athleticism and confidence of the Woodside school community. The original proposal started with the Class of 2012, and subsequent classes of 2016, 2020 and this year's graduating class of 2022 have all contributed to the installation of our wildcat who greets students and visitors in the prominent circle location in front of the school.
WHS Spring Auction Online Auction - Now Open!
The "Wine Country" themed WHS Auction is an important fundraiser supporting all WHS students through class size reduction, enhanced electives, counseling, and more.

There are two ways you can participate: bid in the online auction or make a donation to this year's Fund-a-Need (details in the next article).

Please support WHS students today. The online auction is OPEN NOW and closes on May 17 at 9 pm.  (To register, go to the upper right corner, click 'sign in', and then 'request account.') All proceeds support Woodside High School students.

Some of the exciting items to bid on include: 

  • Club level San Jose Sharks tickets
  • Blue Angels viewing party in the Transamerica Building
  • 49'ers tickets
  • Gift cards and more!

The 2022 Fund-a-Need

This year's Fund-a-Need supports college and career readiness for all WHS students.
Excellence in college and career preparation is an investment that benefits students and families for generations and also lifts the entire community. Every single student at Woodside High School will benefit from this year’s Fund-a-Need, as this expansion in college and career counseling services will help launch every student on a path of post-secondary excellence. 

With almost half of our families near or below the federal poverty line, and 20% of our parents without a high school diploma, many of our students need extra support through the college process, but students from all backgrounds and all grades will gain an important advantage as we expand the resources available to ensure that all students and families can identify the best options for college and career, build an awesome application, and maximize financial aid. 

Your generosity will make it possible for students to get far more support, much earlier. Learn More!
"The Fund-a-Need provides more personalized college and career counseling sessions that help match students with their interests, goals and dreams for life after Woodside. It comes down to giving ALL students ACCESS to the best college and career counseling and preparation that ALL Woodside students deserve."
-Principal Karen Van Putten
Music Director Bill Tolles Retiring

A retirement celebration for Bill Tolles is being planned in honor of his 40 years of dedication to teaching music. It will be on Saturday, June 4th. If you would like to attend, please reach out to us at tracitolles@gmail.com so we can forward an invitation to you. The event is open to music students, present and past along with their families. We are also looking for volunteers for the day of the event. Please indicate your interest in your email. We hope to see you there!
WHS Winter and Spring Athletics Update - by Athletic Director, Tim Faulkner
New Tennis Courts!

WHS has new tennis courts that were generously donated last summer by our JV girls' tennis coach! The courts have been completely resurfaced and re-fenced. We are very lucky to have such a great, new facility. 

Winter Season Highlights:

Boys and Girls Soccer - Both boys and girls teams went to CCS. The boys competed in the CSS championship game, and the girls made it to the semifinal!

Wrestling - had multiple CCS participants and we had one female wrestler advance to the CIF State Meet in Bakersfield for the first time in recent memory.

Boys and Girls basketball missed out on CCS playoffs but were competitive all year long.

Spring Season Highlights:

Track - Woodside hosted the PAL Varsity Trials and Finals at the Bradley Field track. It was great to showcase our facility as we hosted the PAL championships. We are hoping to get multiple athletes into the State meet at the end of May.

Badminton - Woodside hosted the PAL Ocean Division Tournament showcasing both our gym facilities. 

Baseball and Softball - both programs had solid, positive years but will miss the CCS playoffs.

Boys Golf - 5 athletes qualified for the PAL tournament. One golfer has qualified for the CCS tournament.

Boys Tennis - Had multiple athletes qualify for the PAL team and individual tournaments

Lacrosse - The girls have won the WBAL Skyline Division and are moving into playoffs. The boys had a positive, building season with their new coach.

Boys and Girls Swimming - Finished up PAL's last week. WHS has qualified 15 total swimmers for the CCS Meet. Outstanding accomplishment for the program!
WHS Alumni Spotlight - Karen Seiko Peterson
Karen Seiko Peterson is a WHS alumnus and an incredibly dedicated WHS volunteer. We interviewed her for this newsletter.

How many WHS organizations have you have been part of and for how many years?

I was on the WHS Foundation for 20 years, and I've worked with the drama Boosters for 16 years. I've produced16 musicals and 15 talent shows. I was also on the PTSA for 20 plus years where I participated in Seasons of Sharing, the rummage sale, bingo and staff appreciation.

We know you organize the alumni basketball game. Are there any other events like this that you organize for alumni?

Yes, I've organized 20+ Alumni basketball games, and 10 ABO Crab Feeds. (The next Crab Feed is already scheduled for Feb 4th, 2023, after a couple years of cancellations due to covid, so mark your calendars!)

We see that you also run Alumni Tours. When you tour alumni, what are they most surprised to learn or see that’s changed about WHS?

Yes, I started the tours after the 50th anniversary of the school in 2008 and have a tour scheduled this Sept for Class of 1972. On the tours, alumni are surprised by the growth of the facilities on campus, impressed with the educational programs offered, enlightened by the need for parent groups for financial support and made aware of the campus diversity.

What do you love the most about the WHS community?

I love my ties with the Woodside Elementary School and WHS overlap so I can continue seeing my former students and now their children. I believe in giving back to the community, and I'm proud of WHS accomplishments and the education it provides. I love working with students seeing WHS traditions continued.

Thank you Karen for your extraordinary support for WHS and our school community!
College Acceptances
Woodside seniors are having a great year with college admissions and were admitted to over 150 colleges! The Class of 2022 emerged stronger than ever from the pandemic, overcoming challenges including distance learning junior year and pass/no pass grading sophomore spring semester.

Help Us Grow Our Alumni Organization
Please forward this email to other WHS alumni you know to let them know about this community newsletter and alumni 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.