Annandale Community:
We are excited to inform you that students and families are now able to access lessons in all content areas that our teachers have collaboratively created through Blackboard (FCPS 24/7).
In developing our distance learning approach, we focused on three key ideas:
- Equity -- ensuring our approach can meet as many of our families’ needs as possible.
- Best Practices -- building a structure that is modeled after what is working across the world in schools that have implemented distance learning due to school closure.
- Leveraging our strengths -- using our approach to instructional planning and collaboration to support students’ distance learning needs.
Thank you to those parents who were able to join me on Friday for an overview of our distance learning plan. If you were not able to attend, you can view the Parent Coffee presentation here (Use Chrome browser).
Annandale staff has worked hard to develop a system to support the diverse needs of over 2100 students’ students and we are excited that our students now have the opportunity to access our distance learning plan. However, we also know that schools that have implemented distance learning longer than we have in FCPS made many changes to their approach as they learned what worked and what did not, and so we anticipate learning and growing as well.
Finally, below you will find detailed information about our approach to distance learning, how students and families can access distance learning and other resources.
As always, please reach out if you have any questions.
Shawn DeRose, Principal
Contact Information:
Twitter: @ShawnDeRose
Website: https://annandalehs.fcps.edu/
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Distance Learning - Our Approach
We will make the shift to Distance Learning by 1) Providing scheduled synchronous chats using BB Collaborate. 2) Posting assignments via FCPS 24/7 Blackboard for students to complete asynchronously. 3) Advertising “office hours” for individualized instruction and support throughout the week. Students will also be able to participate in teacher-led synchronous chats twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and during a teacher's advertised office hours.
Distance Learning will officially begin throughout FCPS on April 14. However, our site is live now. Here is link to the FCPS Distance Learning website that will provide you detailed information. Below are definitions to common terms that we will often use as a move forward with distance learning.
Distance Learning - A learning experience where teachers and students are separated by place. They communicate asynchronously through printed or electronic media and/or through technology that allows them to communicate synchronously.
Asynchronous Learning - Asynchronous learning means that students can access lessons and do them any time during the day or evening based as they are able.
Synchronous Learning - Synchronous learning means that students must be logged on at a particular time to access the lesson or receive support. This provides students the ability to interact with their teacher, ask questions to clarify asynchronous lessons, get feedback, and further their understanding through discussions.
Distance Learning Lesson Grid - To communicate asynchronous learning opportunities to students and families, we will be using an aligned lesson grid as the foundation of our instructional approach. This simple and clear school-wide lesson grid will allow students and families to see and use a familiar interface as they move from course to course. Specifically, the lesson grid is important because it:
- Facilitates collaboration for our teachers, which helps them create meaningful learning experiences for our students.
- Supports alignment across teachers in each course, ensuring every student gets the same access to high quality tasks.
- Reminds teachers that considering the student and family perspective is critical when planning distance learning.
- Will be used school wide, across all content areas and classes, which simplifies the student and family experience.
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Learning Targets and Academic Tasks - The foundation of every meaningful learning opportunity is the quality of instruction, specifically focusing on learning targets and academic tasks. Here is what we mean by learning targets and academic tasks. Learning targets: 1) Guide teachers’ planning and students' learning 2) Use student-friendly language 3) Provide clear purpose of the lesson.
Academic tasks: 1) Level of thinking students are doing (i.e. summarizing, analyzing, justifying), combined with… 2) What students actually do, say, write, and/or make to learn and demonstrate understanding
Distance Learning - Access
Blackboard Distance Learning Hub - Blackboard will be the main entry point for Distance Learning throughout FCPS. Students will first login to Blackboard and look for the Annandale Distance Learning page. They will then be taken to the Annandale Distance Learning Hub. From this hub they will click on their courses to see their Course Homepages.
Course Homepage - Once students select their course, they will be taken to a homepage. On this home page will be the link for the weekly asynchronous learning grid. There will also be links for our synchronous chats as well as teacher contact information.
Student Schedules - On Friday, students were sent their schedule (the same as their 3rd quarter) to their fcpsschools.net email address, with the links to each of their courses homepages. This is another way that students can access their asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities directly.
Office Hours - All teachers will be available via email every day and will do their best to respond to families within a 24 hour time period to provide speedy support. We ask that families recognize and understand that our staff members are balancing home and family challenges along with supporting students’ instructional needs.
Senior Yard Signs
Do you have a senior? Know a senior? Or just want to celebrate the Class of 2020? Please consider purchasing a yard sign to congratulate a graduate. Our hope is that as life resumes to normal and we begin to move about Annandale again, seniors and their families will see the signs and know that they are not only celebrated, but supported by our community during a most unusual senior year.
Signs can be purchased for $15 here and will be delivered to your yard as soon as we are able to in a safe manner adhering to the social distancing requirements. All funds raised through the sign sales will help to fund the four AHS PTSA Scholarships.
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News from the PTSA
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!
FCCPTA to Award Five $1,000 Scholarships (Deadline April 15) - Graduating seniors! Can you use an extra $1,000 toward college tuition? Has your volunteer work helped shape who you are today? Share your experience with us for a chance for a $1,000 scholarship from FCCPTA! Submission deadline is April 15. Winners will be notified before, and awarded at, the May 6 FCCPTA meeting. For more information and to apply, visit the FCCPTA website.
PTSA Food Pantry on April 17 - The pantry will be opened Friday, April 17 from 11:00-12:30 for a drive up distribution in the rear parking lot behind the school near the Parent Resource Center. Any AHS family who is in need of food assistance can come and pick up one bag of non-perishable groceries. The bags will be distributed on a first come first serve basis. Diapers will also be available for distribution.
PTSA Meeting on April 21 - The next PTSA meeting will be held Tuesday, April 21 at 7:00 via GoTo Meeting. Meeting details will be circulated by email to the PTSA membership.
AHS PTSA Scholarship Information (Deadline May 1) - The AHS PTSA is committed to fulfilling the four scholarships we sponsor each year named for former AHS Principals. The submission deadline is May 1. More information and the criteria for each scholarship can found on the AHS PTSA website.
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Important Information
Student Services - Counselors Available - If you have concerns regarding your child’s socio-emotional health or mental well-being, please contact your child’s counselor for support. Counselors are available to check in with your student through email or the voice-dial feature on Google Meets. Unless your child has been opted out of counseling services, counselors may be reaching out to your child if they have requested an appointment or if staff members have noticed concerns that may prompt a check in. As always, counselors will stay in communication with parents whenever necessary.
Counselors are currently working on additional plans of support for students, parents, and staff during the COVID-19 closures. In the meantime, please reach out to your student's counselor if you need support or have any questions.
If you have any other questions please feel free to reach out to our Director of Student Services, Dr. Paula L. DiSalvo at pdisalvo@fcps.edu
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Food Distribution and Assistance
FCPS 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.
Annandale Community Based Services
Annandale Christian Community for Action (ACCA) - ACCA provides emergency food for individuals and families referred by social workers and ACCA member churches. Volunteer “food captains” receive these requests and arrange for volunteer drivers to pick up the food from the ACCA Food Pantry and deliver it to client’s home.
Britepaths - Food assistance is by referral only from a social worker or case worker from the Fairfax County Health and Human Services or a Fairfax County Community Based Organization (CBO) or Faith Based Organization (FBO). Please go to website link for more information.
Food for Others - If you are in need of food, you may come to one of the neighborhood site distributions. Click on website link for specific locations and times. The only question that is asked is, “How many people are in your household?” Please bring your own grocery bags!
Real Food for Kids - Chefs Feeding Families is collaborating with Pizzeria Paradiso to distribute whole grain, veggie pizzas on Saturdays and Sundays in the Annandale area through June. The effort will begin this weekend, April 12, at 2:30 pm each day, until supplies last at:
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Be Informed, Stay Involved!
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