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Annandale Community:
I hope you had a restful, enjoyable spring break. This week marks the beginning of 4th quarter and as a reminder, tomorrow is a teacher work day with no asynchronous work for students. Our staff will come together in the morning to review important upcoming events and discuss our instructional focus for the upcoming school year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new guidance around social distancing in schools gives us the opportunity to consider expanding in-person instruction to include additional days. The return to in-person learning offers us an important opportunity to engage and support our most vulnerable students in new ways. Over the past several weeks, we have taken requests from families to change their students from virtual to in-person learning, and have approved many of these requests depending on space in classrooms. If a student indicates a desire to return to in-person learning, they can contact their counselor or complete this Request for In-Person Learning Form.
On Wednesday, April 7, Superintendent Brabrand will be hosting a virtual Town Hall Meeting from 7-8 p.m. He will be sharing the latest information on the Return to School and End of the Year Activities. Please watch on Channel 99 or view the livestream. Send your questions in advance to returntoschool@fcps.edu or call 1-800-231-6359 during the Town Hall.
Tomorrow marks the final opportunity for students to submit a photo for the yearbook. This is a great opportunity to show your personality and control what your picture looks like. You can choose whatever picture you like: a selfie, a professional photo, or anything in between. It just needs to follow these guidelines: 1) Your photo must be of you and only you (pets are welcome, though!) 2) Your face should be visible (filters are fine) 3) Please note that your photo will be cropped to fit a vertical picture space. Please email your photo to Julia Hanneman at jehanneman@fcpsschools.net by 4pm tomorrow.
Finally, in the upcoming weeks, many of our students will begin fasting in observance of the month of Ramadan. It is important for our students who are fasting to have a quiet, alternative location to go to during lunchtime. Therefore, the library will be open to students who would prefer to go there during lunch rather than the cafeteria. This will begin on April 13 through May 12. If you have questions, please contact Jack Jennison at jmjennison@fcps.edu.
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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New College and Career Center Specialist
Welcome Niko Centeno-Monroy - We are excited to welcome Bryant “Niko” Centeno-Monroy as our new College and Career Specialist. Mr. Centeno-Monroy comes to us from Northern Virginia Community College where he was a Career Coach. Previously, he served as a College Access Program Manager in Las Vegas, Nevada and has taught English Language Arts, Financial Literacy, Life Skills, and College Access support. While in Las Vegas, Mr. Centeno-Monroy earned his Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at The University of Las Vegas Nevada and prior to doing so earned his Bachelors in History and Social Justice at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Mr. Centeno-Monroy has been involved in advocacy in education and youth services in his native Northern Virginia as well as abroad in Ghana and Palestine for more than ten years. As a first-generation college graduate of immigrant parents, Mr. Centeno-Monroy brings unique perspective and experience to the position. In his spare time, Niko loves spending time with his family and his dog, Shadow, creating music on the side, and training for future marathons and races.
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Important Dates
April 5 - Staff Development Day (No School for Students)
April 5 - Class of 2022 Chipotle Fundraiser
April 12 - Spring Sports Begin
April 19 - PSAT 10
April 19 - Geometry and Algebra 2 Super Monday
April 20 - PTSA Meeting
April 20-23 - SOL Writing Retakes
April 26 - Geometry and Algebra 2 SOL
April 26 - Algebra 1 Super Monday
May 3 - Algebra 1 SOL
Class of 2022 Chipotle Fundraiser - April 5: Join us at the Chipotle on Little River on April 5 from 5:00-9:00pm to help the Class of 2022 fundraise for prom! Either show one of the flyers below or use the promo code WD2B4R2 when you order online through http://chipotle.com or the Chipotle app for pick up!
Spring Sports Begin - April 12: Spring sports include Boys and Girls Soccer, Boys and Girls Lacrosse, Baseball, Softball, Boys and Girls Tennis, and Outdoor Track. Check out the Annandale Activities Office website for the latest information.
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Return to School Information
In-Person Learning Requests: The return to in-person learning offers us an important opportunity to engage and support our most vulnerable students in new ways. We have taken requests from families to change their students from virtual to in-person learning, and we have approved many of these requests depending on space in classrooms. If students indicate a desire to return to in-person learning, they can contact their counselor or complete this Request for In-Person Learning Form.
2021 End-of-Year Ceremonies: FCPS and Annandale High School are committed to and planning to hold in-person graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2021. While traditional venues are not available in June, we are actively exploring other venue options, including hosting graduation at Annandale High School.
Governor Northam has updated guidance for in-person graduation ceremonies, indoor and outdoor social gatherings, and public health and space restrictions for certain outdoor sports and entertainment venues. We are currently working through these new guidelines to understand the health and safety requirements and laws for culminating events such as graduation, all night graduation parties, prom, and end- of-year celebrations. FCPS will promptly notify school staff, students, and parents as soon as they have the additional updates and plans.
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.
Student Bus Information: Student bus information is now available for viewing in StudentVue and ParentVue. Information includes the bus stop location and pick-up/drop off times. Students are reminded to wear a face covering when riding the school bus. In addition, students will be required to sit in seats as marked on the school bus. Check out this Riding the Bus video for more information.
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Important Information
Atoms Social Media Accounts - Want the latest news from around Atom Nation? Follow our Social Media Accounts!
Limited SIS Access: Friday, March 26 was the last day of the 3rd quarter. Grades in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE will not be available until Saturday, April 10 at 6am. If you have questions about your student’s grades, please reach out to their classroom teachers.
FCPS Updated Grading Policy: Recently Dr. Brabrand shared that FCPS will be updating their grading policy In response to family feedback and student check-in results. FCPS will be seeking to lessen the stress and anxiety posed for some students who have been challenged by the virtual learning environment during the past (and ongoing) pandemic year. FCPS will provide three additional grading changes to support middle and high school students. More information on the grading policy changes is available online.
Student Equity Team Launches College & Career Website: The College Assistance Committee of the Equity Team has created a College and Career Website to help students navigate the college application process, choose the right courses, learn about financial aid and scholarships, and more! Check out all of the resources on their website (must be logged into FCPS Google account to access).
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Awesome Atoms!
Congratulations to our Regional Science Fair Winners! Ferhan Jemal earned second place in Engineering Mechanics for “Weather Balloon Rocket.” Annandale students had 3 third place projects: Anna Peters, Francesca Gabriel, and Tejh Hardin’s “Fat Content in Potato Chips”; Saba Shaikh’s, “Do Hurricanes Cool the Ocean?”, and Armen Boghosian, Andrew Nields, and Chelsi Lilli’s “The Effect of the Ratio of Water and Resin on the Quality and Time of Which the Resin Cures.”
Annandale students also boast several honorable mentions: Abraham Valencia in Physics in Astronomy for “The Effect of Different Propeller Sizes to the Time a Paper Helicopter Takes to Hit the Ground,” Cyrus Assadzadeh, and Kevin Tran in Engineering Mechanics for “Effects of Different Generators on Electricity Production,” and Asia Pham, and Hoai-Nam Tong in Chemistry for “The Effect of pH Levels on Enzymes.”
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Opportunities
Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SAC) - Applications Due April 7: Each year, FCPS students have the opportunity to apply for the position of the student representative to the School Board. The student representative is not a member of the School Board but serves in a nonvoting, advisory capacity, representing the interests of the students of Fairfax County Public Schools. Students who are currently in grades 9, 10, and 11 are eligible to apply. Applications are due April 7, 2021. The application and related details can be found at https://www.fcps.edu/blog/application-2021-student-representative-school-board
Virginia Boys State - Applications Due April 5: Boys in grade 11 interested in government, leadership or public service are invited to participate in Virginia Boys State. This is a week-long summer leadership action program that exposes participants “to the rights and privileges, the duties and the responsibilities of a franchised citizen.” Participants will take part in debate, construct a mock government, hear from state leaders, as well as participate in social activities and performing arts. It is a great opportunity to meet other top students from across the state of Virginia and is a great addition to your resume for college.
It was recently announced Virginia Boys State will be held in person at Radford University from June 20-26. A limited number of candidates will be sponsored and have their fees paid for by the local American Legion. A full week commitment is required. If you are interested, please complete the application. The deadline for applications is April 5, at the end of spring break. If you have any questions about Boys State please email Ms. Marville or Mr. Vitelli.
IB Mid-Atlantic Student Excellence Award - Due April 15: The IB Mid-Atlantic Student Excellence Award application process is now open! We will once again be recognizing outstanding PYP, MYP, CP, and DP students from our member schools who represent the ideals of the IB Learner Profile and who have displayed a commitment to service. The award is $500 for at least one student in a PYP or MYP Programme, and $1,000 for at least one student in a DP or CP Programme. The application can be accessed using the following link. Award guidelines are here. Applications are due by April 15, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. No late applications will be considered.
Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council Seeks Student Representative - Applications Due May 15 - Calling all rising juniors and seniors interested in environmental science or environmental policy! Fairfax County's Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) is seeking a student representative for the 2021-22 school year! Any current sophomore or junior in good standing who is interested is encouraged to apply today.
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News from the PTSA
Check out the latest edition of the PTSA newsletter, ATOMail, which is sent the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. The newsletter highlights PTSA programs and opportunities to support our students, teachers, and staff.
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: April 20, May 18, June 8.
AHS PTSA Pantry - Volunteers Needed: The AHS PTSA Pantry is open for 2021 for bi-monthly distributions and our shelves need to be stocked. Please help us Stock Our Shelves (SOS)! The pantry is looking for a volunteer to do a weekly pick up at Food for Others on Tuesdays or Wednesdays between 11-1. If interested, please contact Norma Foti at president@annandalehsptsa.org.
We are currently in need of the following items: Boxed Cereal, Shampoo, Cereal, Bars of Soap, Shelf Stable Milk, Canned Vegetables, Dried Beans, Bags of White Rice, Dish Soap. Please visit the AHS Pantry Page to donate now! Thank you for your continued support of the AHS PTSA Pantry!
Senior Yard Signs - Want to help celebrate the AHS Class of 2021? Buy a yard sign here to congratulate a graduate! Signs are $15 for pickup or $20 delivered to your yard. Proceeds help to fund our four AHS PTSA Scholarships.
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
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4700 Medford Drive Annandale, VA 22003 | Main Office: 703.642.4100
Attendance: 703.642.4150 | Web | Twitter
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