WHS Parents of Alumni News - Fall 2020 📥🧡

Welcome PALs! Whether your children attended Woodside High School recently or several years ago, you are always part of the Wildcat community! Our newly organized PAL program helps parents reconnect with old friends and stay informed with what's happening at Woodside.

What's a PAL? PAL is a fun acronym for Parent of ALumni!

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

Distance Learning at Woodside

(Due to COVID-19, Woodside High School students have been engaged in distance learning since March.)

Since returning to school, other students and I have embarked into completely unfamiliar territory. Beginning my junior year under these circumstances seemed like a daunting task, and I did not know what to expect. I worried about how I would be able to bond with my fellow classmates and teachers through a computer screen. I did not know if I would be able to learn all the required material with our shortened school hours. Online school, I have found, is not all bad.

I worried about how I would be able to bond with my fellow classmates and teachers through a computer screen.

One of the main perks is having only four synchronous days of school a week and having shorter class periods. Although this means I end up spending more time studying and doing homework, I definitely get more sleep than I did while in in-person school. There are also some unexpected challenges. Many upperclassmen are struggling to take standardized tests such as the SAT, as month after month tests get cancelled. Some of classmates and friends struggle under the isolation of online school, which has taken a toll on their academic performance and mental health.

Some of classmates and friends struggle under the isolation of online school, which has taken a toll on their academic performance and mental health.

Every week we spend in distance learning, we learn about the process. Teachers and students alike have to cooperate and be understanding through these difficult and sometimes trying times. Distance learning is not always easy, but at the end of the day it helps to remember that everybody is struggling through this time together.

-Amelie DeLeon, WHS Junior

FROM THE WHS KITCHEN

Holiday Pecan Cheesecake Pie

This recipe shared by Erin Kilty, Culinary Arts Lead Teacher, is a fan favorite with students and staff.

Cooking and Culinary Arts classes are happening virtually at Woodside! Students pick up ingredients from school, watch demonstrations from the teacher on zoom, and make the recipes at home.

LIMITED ON-CAMPUS ACTIVITIES

Yes, Some Students Are Back!

Stable Athletic Cohorts of are back on campus for conditioning. The cohorts include 16 individuals (students and coaches).

Also,15 student Connectivity Cohorts are on campus during the school day for support. These are students that would benefit from on campus support and have demonstrated lack of connectivity despite Chromebook and hotspot distribution. Transportation and multi-meal pickup is available.

All Wildcat students can access confidential counseling, now with no waiting lists, at the WHS counseling center. WHS has secured more counselors to meet the current need, made possible through support of Woodside High School Foundation donors.