Annandale Community Insider - October 10

Important Dates

October 11 - School Planning Day (No School for Students)

October 12 - PRIDE Time Begins

October 13 - PSAT/SAT Day (2Hr Early Release)

October 19 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm

October 19, 20, 26, 27 - Vision and Hearing Screening

October 20 - SEL Screener

October 29 - End of 1st Quarter

November 1 & 2 - Teacher Workday 

November 11 - 2Hr Early Release

School Planning Day - October 11: There is no school for students on Monday, October 11 as it is a School Planning Day for teachers and staff. Students are encouraged to use this day to catch up on missing work and dedicate time to relax and unwind. 

Pride Time Begins - October 12: On Tuesday, PRIDE Time begins. To support our students’ diverse academic needs, students were assigned to either an Intervention PRIDE Time or a Study Hall PRIDE Time. Students will received an email on Monday from our Director of Student Services, Erik Healy, with their PRIDE Time assignment. They will also be able to view it in StudentVue as their period 11 class. Please ask your student about their PRIDE Time assignment and how they are using this time to their advantage.

Vision and Hearing Screening - October 19, 20, 26, 27: Vision and hearing screening will be held on October 19, 20, 26, 27. Additional dates may be added to accommodate students who were virtual and could not be screened during the previous school year. If your child wears glasses, please be sure they have them at school on screening days. The purpose of screening is to identify students who need further evaluation because they have difficulty seeing the screening chart or hearing the screening tones.

Parents will be notified by letter if screening results indicate that further testing is needed. Vision and hearing difficulties can interfere with learning. Prompt follow-up is recommended if you receive a referral letter suggesting further testing. If you have any questions regarding hearing and vision screening, please contact the school health room at 703-642-4110.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener - October 20: On October 20, Annandale will administer our first Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener during our W4 lesson. Annandale’s Student Support Team will use the screener to identify strengths and needs for our students related to SEL skills. SEL skills include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The screener will review these skills, as well as students’ relationships, feelings of belonging, feelings about their school environment, and mood. Learn more about the screener and review the questions here.

Adjusted Schedules for Wednesday, October 13

Annandale High School is hosting a PSAT and SAT School Day on Wednesday, October 13. Students in grades 10-12 will be participating in these exams, and all students will see a change to their schedules on October 13, as follows:

• Annandale High School will have a 2-hour early release.
• Academy classes and shuttles are cancelled. 

Two Hour Early Release - CAT B Students: Students with disabilities taught on an adapted curriculum (Category B) who are not participating in PSAT or SAT exams receive normal in-person instruction for the shortened school day.

Asynchronous Day for 9th Grade Students: During the first several weeks of school, we have been working to provide information and instruction to our freshmen students around the skills they will need to be successful in their transition to high school, as well as the supports that are available to assist them in their transition. One of these supports is a “catch-up” day on October 13. Students in Grade 9 should use this time to work on any outstanding assignments.

PSAT School Day (Grade 10 and 11): Annandale High School will host both the PSAT/NMSQT for all students in grades 10 and 11. Students are automatically registered and no further action by families is needed. The test is offered at no cost to families. All FCPS students have access to Khan Academy’s free online test preparation, whether they are taking the PSAT for the first time or preparing for eleventh grade National Merit Scholarship Qualification. The Khan Academy online curriculum is customized for students based on any previous PSAT or SAT scores. In addition, the website offers general test preparation tips for students. Students will receive their testing locations in early October.

SAT School Day (Grade 12):  Annandale High School 12th graders will have the opportunity to take the SAT School Day. FCPS will cover the cost for any twelfth grade student to take this test. General information about the SAT School Day test format is available on the College Board webpage. We will share exam day schedules and additional details in the coming weeks. If you have questions about the SAT School Day administration at Annandale High School, please contact Mike Ward smward@fcps.edu. 

Any Grade 12 students who have chosen not to take the SAT exam have options for prearranged college visits or civic engagement, independent college and career preparation, or other activities, as directed by school staff. 

Awesome Atoms!

Marching Atoms Medal in Recent Competitions: The Marching Atoms participated in the Herndon High School VMBC Nova Regional Competition on September 25 and received an overall rating of Second Place. The Marching Atoms also participated in the Spotsylvania Knights Under the Lights Invitational on October 3 and received First Place in the categories of percussion, visuals, general effect, music, and band overall. The Marching Atoms will be competing at the USBands Annapolis Invitational at the Naval Academy's Memorial Stadium on October 23.

Annandale Staff Promotions: Annandale continues to be a place where not only our students learn and grow, but our staff as well. We would like to congratulate two staff members who have recently accepted promotions. Jack Jennison is now an Assistant Administrator at the Fairfax County Adult High School where he has been serving as the evening administrator for the last two years. Prior to his promotion, Jack served as the Dean of Students here at Annandale. Sofia Mora, our Office Assistant and Sub Coordinator, has accepted a promotion to Staff Assistant in the Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement. Sofia has been a valuable member of the front office team over the last year and a half where she has supported families, students, and staff, always with a smile. We wish Jack and Sofia much success in their new roles!

Boys Varsity Soccer team featured in Annandale Chamber of Commerce Newsletter: The Annandale Boys Varsity Soccer team was featured by the Annandale Chamber of Commerce in their newsletter, Endeavour this week for their work coaching a soccer camp for adults and their children. The event was hosted in collaboration with FACETS, a nonprofit that serves those affected by poverty, hunger and homelessness in Fairfax County. The four sessions concluded with shaved ice treats from Anita’s Frozen Cotton Candy.

Annandale Singers Perform at FCPS School Board Meeting: Last Thursday evening, the Annandale Singers were honored to be invited by the FCPS School Board to begin their meeting by singing the Star Spangled Banner. Our students represented Annandale with pride and dignity. If you happen to see any of our choir students in class or in the hallways, please congratulate them on a job well done!

Opportunities

The A-Blast Subscriptions Available: The A-Blast published its first edition on September 29, and you can pick up a copy in the newsstand in the main lobby or subscribe for home delivery. It’s a great way to keep up with the news of AHS through the perspective of student journalists. The newspaper is published monthly and it is consistently ranked in the Top 10 of all high school newspapers nationwide. AHS is the only school to have a printing partnership with The Washington Post, which prints the newspaper for free. Donate at least $10 and email your home mailing address to ajweintraut@fcps.edu. 

Important Information

Senior Pictures: Seniors who have not taken their senior pictures yet can sign up to do so on October 11-12 and December 7-10. Pictures will be taken in the dance room (back of upstairs gym) and are after school (3:00-9:00pm). Seniors can begin book appointments NOW on https://prestigeportraits.com. They can find their name by utilizing the “Search by City & State” feature or using the appointment code they were sent in the mail. If they have any questions, they should contact Lifetouch Prestige at 855-918-2930.

Underclassmen Pictures: Make-up pictures for underclassmen who have not taken their picture yet will be held on Monday, October 18 in the library. This is a white day. Students are encouraged to let their W4 teacher know they need to take their picture and go down then.

Yearbook and Senior Tribute Ads: The 2022 Antenna Yearbook and Senior Tribute Ads can be purchased now www.yearbookforever.com. Buy your yearbook now! Prices are currently $75 and will rise to $85 on November 1.

Scheduled Student Check-out: When checking your student out, the fastest and easiest way to ensure your student is released in a timely manner is to send a note to the Attendance Office with your student. Your student will be issued a check-out pass for the scheduled time. For your convenience, you may also call and leave a message with the Attendance Office at 703-642-4151. Please provide your student's name and the time you want your student dismissed. It is preferable for this to be completed in the morning in order to create the checkout information and pass for the student.

Unscheduled Student Check-out: The deadline for picking up a student for unscheduled checkout is 2:30pm. Parents and/or emergency contact(s) should report to the Attendance Office. Please allow at least 15 minutes and bring a photo ID to complete the checkout process.

News from the Activities Office

Check out this week's Atoms Athletics and Activities newsletter. You can also check out important information from the Activities Office on the Annandale High School Athletics and Activities website or AHS Athletics Twitter page. Please email John Ellenberger at jellenberger@fcps.edu if you have any questions.

This week's events:

Monday, October 11

Freshmen Football vs. Yorktown - 6:30pm

Tuesday, October 12

District Cheer at Hayfield - 6:30pm

Volleyball at Justice - 5:00/6:00/7:15pm

Field Hockey vs. Mt. Vernon - 6:15/7:30pm

Wednesday, October 13

Golf Zone Qualifier at Twin Lakes Golf Course - 2:45pm

Annandale Writing Center - College Applications - 3:00 - 4:00pm - Room 274

Boys' Basketball - Meet Coach Hypnar - 3:15pm - Heath Room

EEA (Ethiopian/Eritrean) Club - 3:15pm - Room 266

Cross Country at Franconia Park - Boys - 5:00pm, Girls - 5:30pm

Varsity Field Hockey at Park View - 5:30pm

Thursday, October 14

AVID Club - College Application Workshop - 3:00 - 4:00pm - Room 90

Volleyball vs. Jefferson - 5:00/6:00/7:15pm - Senior Night

Freshmen/JV Football vs. Hayfield - 5:30/7:15pm

Friday, October 15

Field Hockey vs. Wakefield and Edison - 6:15/7:30pm - Senior Night

Varsity Football at Hayfield - 7:00pm - It's a Tie Dye Out!

Saturday, October 16

XC MileStat Invitational at Pole Green Park - Girls' - 8:30am, Boys' - 9:00am

District Cheer Finals at Hayfield - Noon

Marching Band US Bands Competition at US Naval Academy

News from the PTSA

PTSA Membership: On behalf of the Annandale High School Parent, Teacher, Student Association (PTSA), we would like to welcome you to the 2021–2022 school year. The key ingredient to our success is YOU. Please dare to make a difference, be better informed and join the PTSA today by filling out the online 2021–22 Membership Form. For more information about membership, visit our Membership page.

Next PTSA Meeting - October 19: Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, October 19 at 7:00pm. PTSA meetings are bilingual and Spanish translation is provided. Las reuniones de PTSA son bilingües y se proporciona traducción al español.

PTSA Food Pantry Distribution: The PTSA sponsored AHS Pantry distributes food to AHS students and families in need. Distribution will take place on the second and fourth Fridays of each month from 3:15-4:15pm in Trailer 8 at the rear of the school. The pantry distribution schedule for the school year can be found here. Bags will contain several meals and fresh produce is also available 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. A back to school wish list of needed items can be found here. Also, please consider donating paper grocery bags (preferably with handles) to ease the distribution process. Paper bags and food donations for the Pantry can be dropped off in the main office. Contact Norma Foti, Pantry Coordinator at pantry@annandalehsptsa.org with questions . 

PTSA Pantry Needs Your Help! The AHS PTSA pantry is seeking the following items below to restock their shelves. Items can be dropped off in the main office. All donations to the AHS PTSA Pantry are tax deductible.