Annandale Students, Parents and Community:
Happy Halloween! What a fun day at AHS on Friday! We saw so many smiles on students’ faces as they admired each others’ and staff costumes, which just goes to show that we are never too old to be silly and have fun together. Check out some of the Halloween fun on our Twitter page.
It’s hard to believe, but Wednesday marks the start of Quarter 2. Our staff has had the opportunity to build relationships and begin to learn the strengths and areas of growth for our students through assessments and daily interactions. We have enjoyed watching our staff and students build relationships in classrooms, hallways, at lunch, and during after-school activities. These relationships were especially evident in the festive atmosphere at school on Friday.
As a reminder, Monday and Tuesday are student holidays while teachers prepare grades. Quarter 1 grades will be available in SIS on Sunday, November 13. Remember, all courses at Annandale use a rolling gradebook. Unlike in the past, when each quarter grade was final, a rolling gradebook means that quarter grades are more like progress reports. Students can continue to improve their final grade throughout the school year. We encourage students to use Monday and Tuesday as an opportunity to catch up on any missing assignments or to consider what assessments they might retake. This is also a great time to reach out to teachers with questions and concerns.
Finally, now that students are familiar with transitioning to and from classes, we will be putting greater emphasis on students arriving to classes on time. Moving forward, administrators and MTSS coordinators will be speaking with students who are frequently late to class and will be assigning them an after school detention. Parents, we need your help! According to our data, students are most frequently tardy to periods 1 & 2. Parents are strongly encouraged to drop their students off beginning at 7:45am, and no later than 8:00am. School starts at 8:10am.
As always, reach out with questions or concerns. Go Atoms!
Shawn DeRose, Principal
Important Dates
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
Teacher Workdays - November 1-2: No school for students. We encourage students to use Monday and Tuesday as an opportunity to catch up on any missing assignments or to consider what assessments they might request to retake. This is also a great time to reach out to teachers with questions and concerns.
Winter Sports Begin - November 8: Winter sports tryouts begin the week of November 8. All students must register, turn in a physical, and submit a copy of their vaccination card to the Activities Office before being allowed to participate in tryouts. Students can email a picture of your vaccination card to Mr. Pacak at pmpacak@fcps.edu. Please email John Ellenberger at jellenberger@fcps.edu if you have any questions.
PTSA Sponsored Monopoly Tournament - November 13: The Annandale High School PTSA is sponsoring the 3rd Annual Monopoly Tournament on Saturday, November 13 beginning at 9:30am. The event will be fun for the whole family! Food! Prizes! Play for fun! Play to win! Both ways support the Annandale community. Cost is Adults: $15, Students: $10, which includes lunch of two slices of pizza and one soda or water. The Grand Prize is $200 and a MONOPOLY® Game! Register online today!
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Awesome Atoms!
AHS Orchestra Hosts First Concert of the Year: The Annandale High School Orchestra hosted their first concert of the 2021-22 season this past Tuesday night. The concert included a bake sale right after school and before the concert, a costume contest (congratulations Philharmonic Violins!). Annandale hosted Poe Middle School students. Everyone is invited to attend the next concert on Tuesday, December 7 at 7:00pm!
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Unified Atoms Special Olympics Compete at Marshall HS: On Saturday, October 23, our Unified Atoms Special Olympics team played two hard fought games against Marshall High School. It was the first Special Olympics event in over a year. All of our amazing athletes were able to participate and had a great time. Shout out to our leadership students and peer buddies that came out to support the games. We look forward to our Unified Basketball season!
Marching Atoms Earn Superior Rating! Congratulations to the Annandale Marching Atoms for earning a Superior rating at their VBODA State Marching Band assessment this weekend at Rock Ridge High School! In addition, they brought the energy and noise at our home football games this season.
 
Shawn DeRose Serves as Panelist at GMU's Education Launch Fall Conference: On Saturday, October 23, Principal Shawn DeRose was invited to serve on a panel at GMU's 19th annual Education Launch Fall Conference. The panel entitled Leadership Toolkit: What First-Year Administrators Need to Know, also featured Amelia Mitchell (FCPS R2 Executive Principal), Michelle Webb (Supervisor of Leadership Development - PWPS) and Stephanie Almquist (Clearview ES Principal).
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Opportunities
FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards - Now Accepting Nominations! We believe that our staff is truly unparalleled, and that the work we do for our students deserves celebration and recognition beyond our building. Each year, FCPS looks to honor several staff members for outstanding excellence in their roles, including Outstanding Teacher, New Teacher, Leader, Professional Employee, Operational Employee and Principal. We hope you will help us to celebrate the amazing work done every day at Annandale High School by highlighting some of our amazing staff members!
To nominate an Annandale HS staff member, please complete the AHS Outstanding Employee Nomination Form. If you are interested in learning more about the overall FCPS awards process, you may visit the FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards Website. Nominations are due by Friday, November 19. Contact Bryan Molle at BCMolle@fcps.edu with any questions.
2022 Virginia Summer Residential Governor's School: Each summer, Virginia Governor’s School programs provide four-week residential opportunities on college campuses. Current sophomores and juniors can apply to one of the Governor’s Schools for Academics & Mentorship or Visual & Performing Arts. There will be in interest meeting on Wednesday, November 3 in the cafeteria at 3:00pm. Attendance at the meeting is not required, but strongly encouraged. To learn more about these opportunities, you can also visit the Virginia Department of Education website and view the promotional video. Contacts: Cheryl Kim or Lisa Foliaco.
College Admission Representative Visits: The Annandale High School College and Career Center hosts College and University Admission Representatives throughout the school year. Students have the opportunity to listen to Admissions Representatives talk about their schools, including admissions requirements, tuition costs, clubs and organizations, and campus life. Students also have the opportunity to ask questions they may have about admission to the college or university. All Information Sessions are held in the College and Career Center (Room 103) unless otherwise specified. To check upcoming visits and to register for these sessions, students should log into their Naviance account, click on “colleges”, then “college visits”, and then “register now” on the session(s) they would like to attend. Students must get permission from their teacher if the session is during class time. Here are some upcoming college visits:
- Saint Elizabeth University - November 2 at 3:15pm
- George Washington University – November 3 at 10am
The League of Women Voters is looking for High School Interns & Ambassadors: Students will focus on educating everyone about voting issues, learn new technology tools and skills, and gain service hours. Duties include: social media posts, website updates, high school voter registration drives, blog posts, YouTube videos, and podcasts. Students will also be able to observe and participate in the lobbying process.
Interns
1-2 per school max (10-15 total)
1-3 hours per week from September through May
Students can be from any grade, though Sophomore-Senior preferred
Ambassadors
1 per school (20 total)
1-3 hours per month interfacing with LWV intern and school-based adult liaison
Students can be from any grade, though Sophomore-Senior preferred. For more information contact: Anne Moriarity at interns@lwv-fairfax.org or visit https://www.lwv-fairfax.org/fcps-interns-and-ambassadors.
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.
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Important Information
SIS Weekly Progress Reports & 1st Quarter Report Cards - Please note that FCPS Weekly Progress Reports generated through SIS will not be sent to parents between now and Friday, November 12 while first quarter grading is completed and report cards are generated. Additionally, the Grade Book and Report Card modules in ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be closed now through Saturday, November 13.
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.
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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.
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Personal Hygiene
Items
Shampoo
Conditioner
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Razors
Deodorant
Body Wash
Hand Soap
Dental Floss
Chapstick
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Food
White rice
Breakfast cereal
Tomato sauce
Cooking oil
Corn Flour
Sugar
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Crackers
Boxes of Granola Bars
Diced Tomatoes
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Household Items
Tissues
Toilet Paper
Paper Towels
Dish Detergent
Dishwasher Detergent
Laundry Detergent
Cleaning Supplies
Sponges
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