Annandale Community Insider - February 15

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Annandale Community:

I hope you had a relaxing extended weekend. As we ramp up preparations for the return of staff and students, I know that you may have a number of unanswered questions. We will be offering a Town Hall event in both English and Spanish next Wednesday, February 24. We have created a Parent/Student Return to School Questionnaire for you to submit questions. We will use your questions as a guide when creating the presentation. In the meantime, check out the FCPS Family Guide for Return to School, which has a wealth of information on topics like concurrent instruction, lunch, the mandatory mask policy, laptops, health protocols, and more.

We will be offering a 9th and New to Annandale Student Orientation for those who will be returning to in-person learning next Monday, February 22. Parents or students can sign up for a tour of Annandale High School. This will be an opportunity for students to get the “lay of the land” before returning to the building. For additional information or any questions, please contact Megan Sherrill, Assistant Principal, at mpsherrill@fcps.edu.

This week all FCPS high schools will adopt a new bell schedule. School will now start at 8:20am and end at 2:50pm. This interim bell schedule includes 10 minutes in-between periods and a 50 minute lunch (see below). We will be releasing a new bell schedule when students return to the building beginning on March 2.

Tomorrow, we welcome our CAT B students back into the building. We will also be hosting our monthly PTSA Meeting at 7:00pm. Jimmy Le and Jewel Coulter, student co-founders of the AHS Equity Team will share their story about their leadership role, their goals, and how others can assist with their mission. The meeting link is on the PTSA website: http://Bit.ly/AHSPTSA

Thank you for your continued support.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

 

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


Important Dates

February 16 - New Bell Schedule Starts (w/ one lunch)

February 16 - CAT B Students Return 

February 16 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm

February 22-26 - Spirit Week

February 22 - Teacher Prep Day (No Office Hours)

February 22 - 9th Grade and New Student Orientation

February 23 - Teachers Return to Building

February 23 - Heritage Night Interest Meeting

February 24 - Return to School Town Hall (English and Spanish)

February 25-26 - Asynchronous Day for Students (Teacher Prep Day)

March 1 - Teacher Prep Day (No Office Hours)

March 2 - New Bell Schedule Begins (w/ multiple lunches)

March 2 - Grades 9 and 12 Return

March 5 - 2-Hour Early Release

March 9 - Grades 10 and 11 Return

 

PTSA Meeting - February 16: We will be hosting our monthly PTSA Meeting this Thursday, February 16 at 7:00pm. Jimmy Le and Jewel Coulter, student co-founders of the AHS Equity Team will share their story about their leadership role, their goals, and how others can assist with their mission. The meeting link is on the PTSA website: http://Bit.ly/AHSPTSA.

 

Senior Social for Class of 2021 – February 19: Annandale High School will be hosting a Senior Social in the back parking lot from 3:15-4:15pm on Friday, February 19. Seniors are invited to come to socialize and eat a dessert while practicing social distancing. Chairs will be placed 6 feet apart so Seniors can catch up with their friends in an outdoor socially distant space. We recommend that they dress warmly and bring a blanket. We would love for the Seniors to get some Valentine’s bags of treats to snack on while socializing with their friends. 

Please support our Seniors and drop off individually wrapped snacks/candy for this event to the main lobby to celebrate Seniors. Homemade treats will not be accepted due to COVID restrictions. The main lobby is open every day from 8:00am-3:00pm. 

 

Spirit Week - February 22-26: Our February spirit week is almost here! Gather all of your Atom Pride and your most creative outfits!

  • Monday, February 22: PJ (Wear your comfiest PJs!)
  • Tuesday, February 23: Twins (Match outfits with a friend or group!)
  • Wednesday, February 24: Black Out (Wear as much black as you can in honor of Black History Month!)
  • Thursday, February 25: Atoms Spirit Wear (Fit as much Atoms gear as you can into one outfit!)
  • Friday, February 26: Decades (Freshmen = 70s, Sophomores = 80s, Juniors = 90s, Seniors = 2000s)

Be sure to take & post photos and tag @atomsleadership on Instagram and Twitter. Don’t forget to use our virtual situation to your advantage…feel free to show your AHS spirit by using your best photoshopping skills to be anywhere and wear anything!

 

9th Grade Orientation Building Tours - February 22: Current 9th grade students who will be returning to in-person learning are invited to sign up for a tour of Annandale High School. This will be an opportunity for students to get the “lay of the land” before returning to the building. For additional information or any questions, please contact Megan Sherrill at mpsherrill@fcps.edu.  Here are the details:

Who: Current 9th grade or new students (optional: 1 parent may accompany each student)

What: Tour Annandale High School in small socially distanced groups

When: Monday, February 22 9:00AM–2:00PM

Where: Annandale High School (tours start in the Main Lobby)

Why: Learn about important places in the school building to prepare for returning to in-person classes

 

Heritage Night Interest Meeting - February 23: The biggest event of the year is almost here! If you would like to participate in the fashion show and/or perform in our virtual Heritage Night, please attend the interest meeting on Tuesday, February 23 at 3:05pm! To attend the meeting, join the Heritage Night Google Classroom with the code 2a3cxxo. If you are unable to attend and would like to participate, please still join the Heritage Night Google Classroom so you can access all the necessary information.

 

Teacher Prep Days - February 25-26: FCPS has designated February 25 and 26 as asynchronous days for students to ensure that teachers have ample time to prepare for the upcoming transition back to the school building. 


New Bell Schedule Begins February 16

We will implement the below-revised bell schedule beginning on February 16 through February 26. The schedule maximizes instructional time while providing one lunch period. 

Once students return on March 2, we will implement a new bell schedule with multiple lunch periods to accommodate social distancing and mitigation strategies in our cafeteria. That bell schedule will be shared with the community later this month.

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Course Registration Updates

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.


Awesome Atoms

Congratulations to the following Annandale Varsity Boys Basketball Players: Leoule Yared: First Team All-District and First Team All-District Defense, John Awoke: First Team All-District and Mahmoud Bangura: First Team All-District  and Gunston District Defensive Player of the Year.

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Important Information

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

 

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)

 

Requests to Change to/from Virtual Learning to/from In-Person Learning - Parents recently received a confirmation email confirming their selection of returning to the building or remaining virtual. If a parent would like to change their request, we ask that they fill out one of the following request forms below. Note: Not all requests to change from virtual to in-person learning can be accommodated due to space constraints. Links: Virtual to In-Person Learning Request Form and In-Person to Virtual Learning Request Form

 

IB Information Night Presentation - Meagan Padgett, IB MYP Coordinator and Linda Bradshaw, IB DP Coordinator hosted an IB Info Night last Thursday for parents and students, grades 7 through 10 interested in the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programs at Annandale High School. Special thanks to senior Sophia Baraban, who served as a student speaker and Darcy Malone, MYP coordinator from Poe.  Here are the links from the event: IB Info Night Slides; IB Night Recording

 

IB Exam Update - On February 4, 2021 the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) announced changes to the May 2021 exams. This year's IB exams will have two options: 1) traditional examination route or; 2) non-examination route. Both routes allow students the opportunity to earn IB Certificates and Diploma, as well as potential college credit. School systems may offer only one option to all of their IB students.

Due to current local/national health and safety restrictions, FCPS will proceed with the second option, non-examination route. This means that students will submit Internal Assessments and IB coursework. This will allow for all students to earn their IB scores. There will be no indication on the certificates and transcripts of the awarding route which was used. Universities worldwide have honored the 2020 results and will honor the 2021 results as well. Thus, all IB students will be able to earn an IB score and receive college credit based upon their performance.

 

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.


News from the Activities Office

Check out important information from the Activities Office in this week's “Atoms Athletics and Activities” newsletter, including information about freshmen football, cheerleading, volleyball, golf and cross country. Please email John Ellenberger at jellenberger@fcps.edu if you have any questions.

 

Fall Sports Has Officially Begun! - With football, cheer, and dance all underway! This week marks the first day of practice for field hockey, golf and boys’ cross country. Below is the detailed schedule for the first day of practice for all remaining “Fall” sports.  

Volleyball - Feb. 15th - Freshmen - 4:00pm, JV & V 5:30pm

Field Hockey - Feb. 15th - 3:45-5:45pm - Track Field

Golf - Feb. 16th - 3:30pm - Pinecrest Golf Course

Boys' Cross Country - Feb. 16th - 4:00pm - Track Field

Girls' Cross Country - Feb. 22nd - 4:00pm - Track Field

 

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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News from the PTSA

PTSA Meeting This Tuesday! We will be hosting our monthly PTSA Meeting at 7:00pm. Jimmy Le and Jewel Coulter, student co-founders of the AHS Equity Team will share their story about their leadership role, their goals, and how others can assist with their mission. The meeting link is on the PTSA website: http://Bit.ly/AHSPTSA

Mark your calendar for future 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: 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.

 

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 

 

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.