|
Annandale Students, Parents and Community:
It is hard to believe that this Friday marks the end of the first quarter. There will be a two hour early release for students. Additionally, we invite students to dress up for Halloween with their best pun, pop culture reference or ghoulish garb for a fun, festive send-off of the first quarter! Please ensure costumes follow our dress code and do not impact safety and learning.
Students and families are encouraged to check SIS and Schoology to ensure all assignments have been turned in and any assessment retakes have been completed. Once again this year, we are using a rolling gradebook. This means that a student’s final grade is not an average of the grades from each quarter, but an average of all assignments completed throughout the year. Quarter grades provide a snapshot of the student’s progress and are not used to determine final grades. We encourage you to reach out to your student’s teachers if you have questions. Finally, November 1 and 2 are teacher work days, which means there will be no school for students.
After 20 months, we hosted our first Performing Arts concert of the school year this past week, the Annandale Choirs. This Tuesday, we are excited to host the Orchestra Fall Concert. The free concert begins at 7:00pm and will also feature students from Poe Middle School. There will be a pre-concert bake sale and guests are encouraged to dress in costumes.
Finally, as many of you know, we paused our Varsity Football game on Friday night when we were notified of a shooting near the Annandale campus. The safety of students, players and fans is our top priority. Special thanks to both the Annandale and Falls Church communities for their understanding, feedback, and support. When play resumed on Saturday afternoon, Falls Church rallied to take the lead late in the 4th quarter. However, Zach Hurd ran 75 yards for the go-ahead score with under two minutes left and the Atoms won 21-18.
Have a great week, Atom Nation. As always, reach out with questions or concerns.
Shawn
Important Dates
October 25 - College Essay Workshop
October 26 - Fall Orchestra Concert, 7pm
October 28 - Class of 2024 Fundraiser
October 29 - SR&R Due
October 29 - End of 1st Quarter
October 29 - 2 Hour Early Release
November 1 & 2 - Teacher Workday - No School for Students
November 8 - Winter Sports Begin
November 11 - 2 Hour Early Release
November 13 - PTSA Sponsored Monopoly Tournament
November 16 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm
November 18-21 - AHS Theatre Company Performance
November 24-26 - Thanksgiving Holiday
|
Fall Orchestra Concert - October 26: Come enjoy AHS Orchestra’s Fall Concert on Tuesday, October 26 at 7:00pm. There will be a bake sale before the concert benefiting the AHS Orchestra Boosters and costumes are highly encouraged!
College Essay Workshop - October 25: The Atoms Writing Center will be offering the College Essay Workshop before the November 1 early decision deadlines on Monday, October 25. Students can come to Room 274 after school for tips on the college essay and to get feedback on your college essay draft from Atoms Writing Center Tutors.
Vision and Hearing Screening - October 26, 27: Vision and hearing screening will be held on October 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.
SR&R Parent/Guardian Acknowledgment due October 29: Please review the FCPS SR&R information and sign the Parent/Guardian Signature sheet. Signature sheets can be turned in to the Attendance Office and can also be e-signed through ParentVue.
End of the 1st Quarter - October 29: Friday marks the end of the first quarter and is a two hour early release for students. Students and families are encouraged to check StudentVue and Schoology for the latest grading information and are encouraged to contact teachers directly if they have any questions.
Teacher Workdays - November 1-2: No school for students.
Awesome Atoms!
AVID College Visit - George Mason: On Tuesday, 47 AVID students took their first field trip in almost two years to visit the campus of George Mason University. They had the opportunity to talk with AHS AVID alumni at Mason about their experiences, participate in an information session from the Office of Admissions, and take a guided tour from two enthusiastic Mason Ambassadors. AVID is running another field trip to Mason on November 23 and is offering this trip to non-AVID students as well. Students who are interested in participating should see their counselor or Ms. Wells in Room 90 for a form.
|
Freshman Class Officer Elections: Freshman Class Elections were held earlier this week on October 18th. Congratulations to our Class of 2025 Board Leadership: John Nguyen, President; Jermey Alvarado, Vice-President; and Mohammed Ali, Joelle Brew Riverson, and Jacob Barahona Alvaradom, Executive Board. We look forward to seeing these students influence the school in a positive way!
Laura McLean Promoted to Procurement Office: Congratulations to Laura McLean who has been promoted to the Procurement Office as a Buyer I/II. Laura is a 1982 Grad of AHS, a parent of two AHS graduates, Lucas (2009) and Michael (2016). She served in a variety of volunteer positions at AHS before becoming the Finance Technician in June 2016. Special thanks to Marianna Conroy who will be supporting AHS during this transition.
Congrats Bryan Molle! New Health/Physical Education Department Chair: Congratulations to Bryan Molle who has been selected as our next health/physical education department chair. This is Bryan’s fifth year of teaching at AHS. He began his teaching career at Robinson Secondary and spent time at Lake Braddock and Franklin Middle School. Bryan currently teaches Health/PE 10 and is one of our Assistant Directors of Student Activities.
FBLA off to a Strong Start: Over sixty students attended the recent FBLA information session. Business Teacher Gina Consumano created an outstanding presentation and shined while facilitating the meeting. Student interest and excitement were high. We look forward to working with students this year and the theme is Ethics in Action at AHS. Students can pay the $32 fee to join through MySchoolBucks. The FBLA virtual conference, Learn to Lead, will be held on Saturday, November 13 and students can pay the $20 to attend.
ALCANZA College Fair: Annandale students attended the Annual ALCANZA College Fair hosted by George Mason. Students heard an inspirational message from Keynote Speaker, Dr. Mirta Martin, who was the first female Hispanic Dean in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is currently Fairmont State University’s President. Students met with many college representatives and learned about different programs and opportunities they can pursue in higher education. Students shared that they enjoyed the fair and were excited to pursue some of the opportunities presented.
AHS Students Advocate for World Peace: The Just World Club recently partnered with the Art Club to hold the annual Chalk4Peace event. The purpose of this event is to give students a voice to advocate for peace around the world. This year’s event was our largest ever! Check out the photos below.
|
Opportunities
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.
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
Impact Aid Forms Due October 28 - Impact Aid forms were distributed last week to all students in W4 (Advisory class). FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid. Returning this form is important because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For each student in your household, please complete, sign, date, and return the survey to your student's W4 (Advisory) teacher. If sections 1 and 2 of the survey do not apply to you, just check the boxes in Section 3. All forms must be signed, dated, and returned by November 5. All results are confidential. More information is available online.
Aaron Schneider (AP) Out Until Mid-November: Aaron Schneider, Assistant Principal, recently had lower back surgery and will be out through mid-November. If you have any questions during his absence, please contact Principal Shawn DeRose at spderose@fcps.edu.
Student Food Delivery: Students are not permitted to order food deliveries during the school day. Breakfast, Second Chance Breakfast, and Lunch are all available free of charge for all students. Food orders delivered to the mail office will be held until the end of the day. If you have questions, please reach out to your student’s administrator.
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 25
Art Club - 3:00pm - Room 334
AWC - College Essay Workshop - 3:00pm - Room 274
Boys' Indoor Track - Interest Meeting - 3:15pm - Room 346
District Volleyball Tournament @ Hayfield - 5:30pm
Tuesday, October 26
Region Field Hockey Playoffs at Alexandria City - 7:00pm - Purchase Tickets Here
District Volleyball Tournament @ TBD - 7:00pm
Fall Orchestra Concert - 7:00pm - Auditorium
Wednesday, October 27
Atoms Writing Center - 3:00pm - Room 274
EEA Club - 3:15pm - Room 266
AA LEAD - 3:15-4:30pm - Room 234
Gymnastics - Interest Meeting - 3:15pm - Driver's Ed Room
Girls' Indoor Track - Interest Meeting - 3:15pm - Room 346
Thursday, October 28
AVID Club - College App Workshop - 3:00pm - Room 90
XC District Championship at Burke Lake - Boys - Noon, Girls - 1:00pm
F/JV Football vs. Justice - 5:30/7:15pm
Region Field Hockey Tournament at TBD - 7:00pm
District Volleyball Finals @ TBD - 7:00pm
Friday, October 29
Football at Justice - 7:00pm - It's a Neon Out
|
News from the PTSA
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.
|
Personal Hygiene
Items
Shampoo
Conditioner
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Razors
Deodorant
Body Wash
Hand Soap
Dental Floss
Chapstick
|
Food
White rice
Breakfast cereal
Tomato sauce
Cooking oil
Corn Flour
Sugar
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Crackers
Boxes of Granola Bars
Diced Tomatoes
|
Household Items
Tissues
Toilet Paper
Paper Towels
Dish Detergent
Dishwasher Detergent
Laundry Detergent
Cleaning Supplies
Sponges
|
|
|
