Annandale Community Insider - March 29

Annandale Community:

On Monday, we got the sad, though not unexpected, news that schools will be closed through the end of the academic year. There were many emotions that I felt when I heard this news. The relationships we built or were still building with our students, the work we invested so deeply in that we can’t see through in the way we imagined, and the changes we all are learning to adjust to -- it feels unreal.

I met with the staff via Google Meet on Wednesday to outline our approach as we transition to distance learning. When we say distance learning at Annandale High School, we mean that it…

• Provides meaningful learning opportunities for our students.
• Ensures access to lessons that are clear, purposeful and aligned.
• Preserves a level of connection and continuity for students during a time of uncertainty.
• Fosters confidence in our ability to continue to meet students’ needs in unexpected circumstances.

Soon after that meeting, teachers met to reestablish how they will work together and collaboratively develop meaningful learning opportunities for our students, being especially mindful of the need to balance our school’s priorities while being flexible to each others’ needs.

After seeing the early drafts of the lesson plans, which will be shared with students and parents the week of April 13, I am impressed and excited to see our talented staff come together to meet the needs of our diverse student body. However, know that this transition, for both our students and staff, will require tremendous flexibility, creativity, and patience. 

In order to support all of our students with access to technology as we shift towards distance learning, this past week we provided MiFis to many of our students and their families without internet access. This was done with the help of many of our staff members behind the scenes, making phone calls for appointments, prepping the technology and distributing the MiFi devices. I am so proud to work with such a dedicated staff.

More information about Annandale’s Distance Learning Plan (DLP) will be shared in the near future. However, know that our distance learning experiences will not require students to be available for class at a specific time. Instead, they will be able to access learning activities when it is convenient for them and their family. In the meantime, take care of your families and loved ones and as always, please let me know if you have any questions.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Contact Information:
Twitter: @ShawnDeRose
Website: https://annandalehs.fcps.edu/

Awesome Atoms

Last week, the 65th annual Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair virtually showcased over 400 high school science projects. Via recorded videos, over 600 students presented their research projects in a wide variety of science and engineering fields. Projects were judged by over 150 professionals and 40 professional organizations and businesses. Congrats to the following Annandale students:

2nd Place - Audrey Barnes

3rd Place - Izzy Teinfalt; Lauryn Mills & Yasmin Suleiman; Anabelle Lee & Isabel Pho

Honorable Mention - Sofia Marigliano; Brent Sanchez & Evan Trachsel; Nathan Ong & Muhammad Vasal

Grading Update

3rd Quarter Grading Update - The School Board was briefed that no student work assigned after March 13 will be graded, at the recommendation of VDOE; however, work assigned prior to March 13 will still be accepted up until April 24 in order to be applied in the calculation of students’ third quarter grades. Additionally, it is the intention of FCPS and Annandale High School to use maximum flexibility in assessing and evaluating student learning for the remainder of the school year. 

4th Quarter Grading - Middle school and high school students will be assigned a “no mark” for the fourth quarter, with assignments submitted being allowed to positively influence the student’s overall grade for the year based on mastery of learning concepts, in accordance with FCPS grading policy. Only final grades will be shown on transcripts; a “no mark” will not show on a student’s final transcript.  

Graduation Standards Update - The Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction, James Lane announced this week that high school seniors who were on track to earn a diploma later this spring will be able to graduate. High school seniors in the following categories will be able to graduate on time:

• Seniors currently enrolled in a course for which they need a standard or verified credit in order to graduate (verified credits are earned by passing a required course and also passing the associated Standards of Learning test);
• Seniors who have successfully completed a course required for graduation, but have not earned the associated verified credit; 
• Seniors who have not passed a required student-selected SOL test;

Flexibility is also available for seniors who have not earned a required career and technical education credential, seniors who have not completed a fine or performing arts course or CTE course, seniors who were unable to complete sequential course requirements, and seniors who have not completed a course in economics and personal finance.

Get Involved!

Join the Annandale PTSA! - Please consider joining as it is a great way to become actively involved in your student's education and the AHS community. Moreover, the PTSA works very hard to stay on top of critical activity and decisions being made by the school board, school system and local government. Click here to join today!

Important Information

Yearbook Needs Your Help! Despite the closure, the Antenna Yearbook is still working to produce its 2020 book, Vibes, by our final deadline on April 4. In order to provide the best coverage possible, we need your help. If you have any pictures of spring sports, what your students are doing at home during the closing, or anything else you want to share, please email them to jehanneman@fcpsschools.net or direct message me @AtomicMsH on Twitter ASAP. We are in greatest need of spring sports photos. 

If you have a senior and would like to purchase a last minute senior ad, you can do so at www.yearbookforever.com. Yearbooks can also be purchased through the same website. Thank you for your support!

Annandale HS Yearbook on Sale - With a year filled with so many abnormalities and trials, give your student the one and only concrete feature of the year that can help them regain their sense of positive memories of 2020. The yearbook is on sale for $85 at www.yearbookforever.com. Parents can purchase the book until June 1.

Coronavirus Updates - FCPS is working with the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) and closely monitoring the health crisis as well as any impact it may have locally. The situation is ever changing, so a coronavirus webpage has been established to provide updates as needed. This page contains the messages sent by Superintendent Dr. Brabrand that describes FCPS’ response to the coronavirus to date. The page also contains fact sheets, videos, and other resources that you may find useful. Link: FCPS Coronavirus Webpage. 

Additional information is available from the Fairfax County Health Department and the CDC.

Free Internet Access - Comcast and Cox are providing free or low cost internet to families in need. Click the following links to learn more: Comcast Internet and Cox Internet.

Optional Learning Activities - In terms of teaching and learning, we are in a phase best defined as “Continuity of Learning.” Learning opportunities can be found on FCPS 24-7 (Blackboard). Stay tuned for more updates.

In addition, learning activities are also available on FCPS cable channels. New instructional videos are currently being developed and recorded and will be added to the programming shortly. Channel 21 includes elementary school programming, Channel 25 includes middle school programming, and Channel 99 includes high school programming. This content will also be available online at www.fcps.edu.

ParentVue Accounts - This weekend, IT will be pushing out emails to any parent who does not currently have a ParentVue account. Please sign up if you do not have an account. Click here for more information.

Food Distribution - Fairfax County Public Schools is providing "grab and go" breakfasts and lunches at no cost for students at multiple sites to students, with breakfast from 8:00-10:30am and lunch from 10:30am to 2:00pm. Below are the nearest locations: 

• Annandale Terrace, 7604 Herald St., Annandale
• Braddock Elementary,  7825 Heritage Dr., Annandale
• Bailey’s Elementary School, 6111 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church
• Crestwood ES, 6010 Hanover Ave., Springfield
• Graham Road Elementary School, 2831 Graham Rd., Falls Church
• Weyanoke Elementary School, 6520 Braddock Rd., Alexandria

All meals are available at no cost to children 18 years and under. Adult meals are available for purchase for $2. Check out the "Coronavirus Update - Food Resources for Families" for the latest information and other "pop-up" and grab and go locations.

Food Donation - Fortunately, this area has several pre-existing food truck delivery programs through Food For Others. If you are interested in donating food, we recommend that families donate using information from the website: https://www.foodforothers.org/

Article of the Week

In addition to keeping you updated on important information related to Annandale High School, the Insider will also provide information about what parents can do at home to help their student improve academically and help parents build the social and emotional skills that students need to be successful.

This week's article is from the FCPS website and is about “Distance Learning Plan: Complete Information and Guidelines for Adults.” Check it out.

Be Informed, Stay Involved!

• Sign up for News You Choose. 
• Visit the Annandale High School website.
• Follow Annandale on Twitter.
• Follow Annandale on Instagram.
• Monitor your students academics with a SIS Parent Account
• Join the Annandale High School PTSA and attend meetings.
• Keep your contact information up-to-date.