Annandale Community Insider - September 27

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 09/27/2020 10:26 AM EDT
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Annandale Community:

It was great to see so many of you at our Back to School Night (BTSN) town hall on Wednesday evening. If you were unable to attend, here is a recording of the event. You can still “meet” your student’s teachers in the form of Flipgrid videos by visiting BTSN site on the school’s website.  

As I stated in my opening presentation, Annandale is truly a remarkable school. Our 2200 students and their families come from 66 different countries and speak 59 different languages.  We have an incredible staff that is tirelessly dedicated to the learning of each and every student. As an IB World School, we:

  • Develop active learners and internationally minded young people who can empathize with others and pursue lives of purpose and meaning.
  • Empower students to inquire into a wide range of issues and ideas of significance locally, nationally and globally.

I hope you left the event with a better sense of what your student needs to be successful in their classes and the important role you can play in supporting their learning. I strongly encourage you to continue to communicate with your student’s teachers throughout the year. The parent-school partnership is vital to the success of our students. Working together, families and teachers can be a powerful team in supporting students’ learning.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

 

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

September 28 - W4 Care and Connect (9:10-9:40am)

October 1 - Senior College Parent Night

October 6 - College Boot Camp, 

October 7 - Partners for Safe Teen Driving Presentation

 

Senior/Parent College Night: October 1 - Please join us on Thursday, October 1 from 6:00-8:00 pm for Senior/Parent Night.  This event will provide students and parents the opportunity to hear and ask questions about college. We will have an Admissions Rep to discuss the application process, FAFSA (Financial Aid) information sessions, Northern Virginia Community College, and the Year-Up program.

 

College Boot Camp: October 6 - The PTSA is sponsoring “College Boot Camp” for seniors and their families on October 6 from 6:00-8:00.  Please virtually join Princess Brown, the AHS College & Career Specialist, as she talks about the nitty-gritty of applying to college. She will cover issues that are unique to this unprecedented year and there will be time for questions and answers. Great for seniors and any interested family members. The PTSA will send out information on how to access this webinar, so stay tuned!  

 

Partners for Safe Teen Driving Presentation (PSTD): October 7 - The PSTD presentation is a required component of the Drivers Education classroom curriculum. Any student enrolled in Drivers Education this year OR any student who has completed Drivers Education but was unable to attend the 90-minute PSTD presentation last year due to the school shut down can sign up here to attend the presentation. Parents/guardians must attend the virtual presentation with their student. Presentations will start promptly at 6:30pm and are available for AHS students only. The meeting link will be emailed on the day of the presentation to students who sign up. Reach out to Lindsey Ottavio at leottavio@fcps.edu with any questions.
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Important Information

Beginning of Year Forms: We understand how the beginning of the year can be overwhelming with forms. Here are some you can access now.

  • Emergency Care Form: Required for all returning FCPS students to review and update if needed.
  • Emergency Care Card: Required for students NEW to FCPS.
  • Parental consent for digital resources: These are the apps and programs that our teachers will use to engage our students in the virtual world. Please go here for more information and follow the link to give your consent.
  • FCPSOn Computer Opt Out Form: Only for students who are not planning to use a school laptop. We highly recommend you use the FCPS laptop because all software and other applications will be loaded and accessible. Software used by FCPS and Justice HS cannot be loaded on personal devices.

 

Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) - Parents and guardians, please review the Students Rights and Responsibilities and related resources at www.fcps.edu/srr. After reviewing the information, fill out the SR&R Parent Acknowledgement Form using this link https://forms.gle/Pbz5C42jJPADQLyu5. The form must be filled out one time per student. 

 

Rolling Gradebook: Given the uncertainty of schedules and virtual learning for all students during the 2020-21 school year, Annandale High School has decided that all teachers will use a rolling (cumulative) gradebook. A rolling gradebook allows for progress towards a final mark that captures the total picture of student grades, regardless of length of quarter or number of assignments in each quarter. 

In a rolling gradebook, the final grade is determined by a combination of all assignments and assessments given throughout the year (not an average of quarter marks). The grade posted at the end of each quarter will be a “snapshot” of students’ current progress in the course

To learn more details about a rolling gradebook to include how it will look in SIS Student/ParentVUE, please take time to review this following video. Teachers will communicate grading design and policies via the course syllabus. Students or parents are encouraged to reach out directly to the teacher with additional questions.

 

Grades in SIS StudentVUE - Students and families are now able to view student grades in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE. Please click on this link for more information about gaining a SIS ParentVUE account. 

 

Teacher Absences - Per FCPS, subs will not be provided for 3 days or fewer of a teacher’s absence. If your child’s teacher will be out for 3 days or fewer, you can expect the teacher to post a message in Google Classroom and provide asynchronous work. If a teacher will be out for 4 or more days, FCPS will then provide a sub and synchronous classes resume on the 4th day. Thank you for your patience as we improve our systems in this new learning environment. 
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Join Us for Off Season Practices

It is really important to be mindful of the fact that our students are sitting and staring at a computer for the majority of the day. At Annandale, we want to strongly encourage you and your students to take advantage of the activities that are going on in the afternoons and evenings throughout the week. You don’t have to have a background in the sport to participate. Social distancing and CDC guidelines are enforced. 

The practice times fluctuate every week, so just check the athletic website for times.

All you need is a completed Physical Exam and a Emergency Care Form. If you have any questions, please contact John Ellenberger at jellenberger@fcps.edu.
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News from the PTSA

Food Pantry Distribution: October 7 from 3:30-4:30pm -The PTSA sponsored AHS Pantry is restocking the shelves and preparing to distribute food to students and families in need. Distribution will take place on the second and fourth Fridays of each month starting Friday, October 7 from 3:30-4:30pm behind the modular buildings at the rear of the school.

Bags will contain several meals and will be distributed first come, first served. There will also be a limited supply of household products (cleaning supplies, hygiene items, paper towels and toilet paper) available. Click here for additional food and community services. Contact Alissa Green, School Social Worker at adgreen@fcps.edu with questions related to resources. 

You can donate to the Pantry to help Atom families in need here. Also, please consider donating paper grocery bags (preferably with handles) to ease the distribution process. Paper bags for the Pantry can be dropped off in the main office. Contact Norma Foti, PTSA President at pantry@annandalehsptsa.org with questions related to donations.

 

Top Reasons to Join the PTSA - Please consider joining the PTSA as it is a great way to become actively involved in your student's education and the AHS community.

In addition, the PTSA 1) provides resources and support to help ALL Annandale HS students, teachers and staff succeed. 2) PTSA educates members on issues and decisions impacting Annandale HS and FCPS. 3) Studies show active PTSAs improve overall student. Click here to join today!

 

PTSA Meeting - Dates and Times: Mark your calendar for monthly PTSA meetings which are held the 3rd Tuesday at 7:00pm. We will start the school year with virtual meetings and details will follow on how to join us. These dates include: October 20, November 17, December 15, January 19, February 16, March 16,  April 20, May 18, June 8.

 

Stay Connected - “Visit”, “Like” and “Follow” - Our e-newsletter, ATOMail, is sent the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month and highlights PTSA programs and opportunities to support our students, teachers, and staff. To receive ATOMail, please sign up and set your preferences on the FCPS "News You Choose" webpage. Select “Annandale High School” and check the box for “Annandale HS PTSA”. You can also stay up-to-date on our website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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