Annandale Community Insider - January 24

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 01/24/2021 12:19 PM EST
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Annandale Community:

We have reached the end of the second quarter and are halfway through the school year. I continue to be amazed and inspired by the work of our staff, students and families to make the best of a very challenging learning environment on a daily basis. As a reminder, students do not have school on Monday, January 25 due to a teacher workday.  

At Thursday’s School Board meeting, Dr. Brarband provided an interim update on plans to return to in-person learning. This plan will be discussed in detail during the School Board Work Session on February 2, but I wanted to make you aware of the proposed timeline with our students in grades 9 and 12 returning to school beginning March 2 and our students in grades 10 and 11 returning the following week on March 9. 

Mitigation strategies will remain key to preventing in-school transmission In the weeks ahead, we will provide training to both staff and students that explains the importance of these strategies, and everyone’s role in stopping the spread as we prepare to return groups to school.

Finally, Fall Sports which were postponed earlier this year, are scheduled to begin practice in early/mid February. The Activities Office is hosting a virtual “Meet the Coaches” Night on Wednesday, January 27 at 7pm for students interested in football and cheerleading. Check out the latest “Atoms Athletics and Activities” newsletter for detailed information.  

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

Shawn DeRose, Principal

 

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

Important Dates

January 25 - Teacher Workday: No School For Students

January 27 - Meet the Coaches Night, 7pm (Football & Cheer)

January 29 - Atoms Writing Center Research Workshop

February 9 - CAT B Teachers Returns (Tentative)

February 11 - IB Information Night

February 15 - President’s Day Holiday

February 16 - New Bell Schedule Starts (Tentative)

February 16 - CAT B Students Return (Tentative)

February 23 - Teachers Return to Building (Tentative)

March 2 - Grades  9 and 12 Return (Tentative)

March 9 - Grades 10 and 11 Return (Tentative)

 

Teacher Workday - January 25 - As a reminder, students do not have school on Monday. The day is dedicated to teachers completing and submitting 2nd quarter grades and CT/Department meetings.

 

Meet the Coaches Night, 7pm (Football & Cheer) - Fall Sports which were postponed earlier this year, are scheduled to begin practice in early/mid February. The Activities Office is hosting a virtual “Meet the Coaches” Night on Wednesday, January 27 at 7pm for students interested in football and cheerleading. Check out the latest “Atoms Athletics and Activities” newsletter for detailed information. 

 

Atoms Writing Center Research Workshop, January 29 - Students, are you having a hard time with a research project for any of your classes? Are you feeling overwhelmed by the MYP Personal Project? Are you struggling with any step of the research process for IB Science? Well, the Atoms Writing Center is here to help! The AWC will be holding a Research Workshop during PRIDE Time on January 29. AWC tutors will present tips for research skills in general, then students will move into breakout rooms based on subjects to work in small groups and get feedback from AWC tutors on their current research projects. Check out the calendar on the AWC’s website (it is a personal google site, so students need to be logged into a personal gmail account to access the website) for the meet link to attend the workshop on January 29 at 10:20am.
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Important Information

Atoms Social Media Accounts - Want the latest news from around Atom Nation? Follow our Social Media Accounts!

 

International Baccalaureate Program Information - Do you have questions or concerns about the IB Middle Years or Diploma Program at Annandale that didn’t get answered at the Rising 9th Grade Info Night this week? Please fill out this form, and either Mrs. Padgett or Mrs. Bradshaw will get back to you! We are happy to answer any questions that you still have about the International Baccalaureate programs at AHS. In addition, we have tentatively scheduled a IB Information Night for February 11 at 7pm. Stay tuned for more information in next week’s Insider.

 

Academic Advising for 2021-22 School Year is Underway! - Counselors have been meeting virtually with individual students through their English classes to answer questions and support students through the course selection process. Students can access information about course selection on our Academic Advising page, which includes the online course catalog and videos about electives being offered.

 

Health Screening Commitment Form - As we prepare for students to return to school, parents/caregivers will be asked to acknowledge a Health Screening Commitment form before their student(s) return to school buildings. This document confirms that a parent/caregiver/guardian will complete a daily health screening and will keep their children home when they are ill. The Health Commitment form can be submitted electronically through ParentVUE (PVUE). 

 

FCPS Meal Distribution Plan - Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to providing all students access to meals January 18-26 where there are two school holidays and one student holiday/teacher workday. Here is a link to the FCPS Meal Distribution Plan for January 14-26. Meals will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. It is important to follow safety guidelines when picking up meals. Please wear a mask, stand a minimum of six feet apart from others, and wash your hands before you arrive and when you return home. Go to the Return to School/Food page for more information or call the Office of Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800. 

 

Family Guide for Return to School - Fairfax County Public Schools is partnering with families to ensure we keep students and staff safe and healthy as we return to school buildings for learning. Working together, we will follow recommended health guidance that focuses on student and staff health, safety, and emotional well-being. The FCPS Family Guide for Return to School has a wealth of information on topics like concurrent instruction, lunch, the mandatory mask policy, recess, laptops, health protocols, and more.
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Awesome Atoms!

Annandale Students Win Scholastic Art Competition -Congratulations to the winners for the Scholastic Art Competition. The level of the awards include: Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention. 

Honorable Mention Winners:

  • Noah Hush for his digital artwork “Gorgon”
  • Richard Zheng for his digital artwork “No Exit”

Silver Key Winners:

  • Anthony Bui for his digital artwork “001 – Guard”
  • Noah Hush for his digital artwork “Heartbreak”
  • Ryan Lam for his digital artwork “Eyeing the Hate”

Gold Key Winners:

  • Jasa Gellert for his digital artwork “Meditative Fresh Breeze”
  • Noah Hush for his digital artwork “Pride”
  • Ryan Lam for his digital artwork “Doomsday”
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News from the Activities Office

Check out the Annandale Activities Office Weekly Newsletter - "Atoms Athletics and Activities." 

 

Winter Sports Update - Fans will be allowed for Varsity games only until further notice. FCPS decided, since the COVID-19 numbers are still high, it will be safer for our athletes to keep spectators at a minimum. Freshman and JV fans can still watch the games online. Each varsity game will have a maximum of 25 fans in attendance. Each athlete will receive 1-2 tickets for their family or friends to attend. You must have a ticket to attend. There is no entrance fee for these events. If you do not have a ticket to the event, you can watch the contest Live Stream on our YouTube channel. For our away games, you can watch the other schools Live Stream. 

Check the Athletics and Activities email every Saturday for those links or visit https://annandaleatoms.net/. Please email John Ellenberger at jellenberger@fcps.edu if you have any questions.

 

Live Stream Annandale HS Sports! - If you do not have a ticket to an upcoming athletic event, you can watch home games Live Stream on our YouTube channel.  See below for more information.

Monday, January 25:

Boys Freshmen Basketball vs. West Potomac - 4:30pm Live Stream

Tuesday, January 26: 

Gymnastics @ Mt. Vernon - 6:00pm Live Stream

Girls Basketball @ West Potomac - 6:00pm Live Stream

Cheer and Football - Meet the Coach Night - 6:30pm Live Stream

Wednesday, January 27: 

JV/Varsity Wrestling @ West Springfield - 6:00pm Live Stream

Boys Basketball @ Mt. Vernon - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm Live Stream

Girls Basketball vs. Mt. Vernon - 5:30/7:00pm - Senior Night Live Stream

Friday, January 29:

District Dive Championship @ Lee District Rec - 10:30am Live Stream

Men's District Swim Championship @ Lee District Rec - 5:30pm Live Stream

Saturday, January 30:

Indoor Track @ Hayfield - 9:00am Live Stream

Girls Varsity Basketball vs. West Potomac - Noon Live Stream

Girls District Swim Champ @ Lee District Rec - 5:30pm Live Stream

 

NEW! FCPS Athletics Online Registration - FCPS activities and athletic programs has transitioned to a new online student registration system. To participate, you MUST register. You will need your student’s school ID number, emergency contact info, health insurance card and emergency contact info. This new system offers a host of benefits for schools and community members including:

  • One stop shop for registering your student for athletic programs and many common activities occurring throughout the school year.
  • Electronic submission of the emergency care card and weight room waiver- only have to fill these out once!
  • A new home for the state-mandated concussion education program.  If you already submitted the form to the office, you still need to complete the concussion education portion online.  Sorry for the inconvenience.
  • VHSL Physical form will need to be turned into the Activities Office before participating.

If you have any questions, please contact Ryan Hughes, Athletic Trainer Certified at rhughes@fcps.edu or Patrick Pacak, Administrative Assistant at pmpacak@fcps.edu.
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ptsa

News from the PTSA

PTSA Spirit Wear Masks - Breathable Atoms Face Mask! The @AtomsPTSA and AHS Athletic Boosters have joined together to bring you this limited edition mask featuring the Atoms logo! Pay $12 online and pick up at AHS. Details here: bit.ly/AtomsMask 

 

Upcoming PTSA Meetings - Dates and Times: Mark your calendar for monthly PTSA meetings which are held the 3rd Tuesday at 7:00pm. All meetings are currently virtual. Meeting link can be found on the AHS PTSA Homepage or join our meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone here. These dates include: February 16, March 16, April 20, May 18, June 8.

 

Mental Health Resources: Mental health is always important and especially now.  If you or anyone you know is in need of help. Please seek it out. Refer to the PTSA Mental Health and Wellness page on our website for resources in our area.  

 

Yearbook Senior Ads: Now through March 1, Senior Ads for the Yearbook can be purchased here. It is a great way for parents to showcase their seniors, especially in light of this unique year! Yearbooks for the 2020/21 school year can be purchased online through the end of the year.

 

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.