Annandale Community Insider - March 6

Annandale Students, Parents and Community:

Atom Nation will be buzzing this week as we prepare for our first Inclusion Revolution week! Students and staff are encouraged to show their spirit, and W4 (advisory) classes will compete to see which classes demonstrate the most spirit throughout the week. See all of the creativity and community building on Twitter by searching the hashtag #AtomNation!

The week ends with a bang, starting with our FanQuest pep rally on Friday. FanQuest is an event that promotes inclusion and respect for students with disabilities. We will be following a Pep Rally bell schedule (W2, W8, W6, W4). At the end of the day, students will attend the Pep Rally where they will cheer on our Special Olympics Basketball team as they showcase their skills through an exhibition “Red & White Game.” This is a unique opportunity for our Special Olympics athletes to experience a real game day atmosphere in front of their peers.

After school on Friday, we will host our annual Just World Festival beginning at 4:00pm, followed by Heritage Night beginning at 7:00pm. This year's theme for the Just World festival is "Reconnecting." By coming together, the festival aims to inspire youth to view themselves as not only a part of their local community, but a global one as well. More information about the festival can be found on their website.

The evening will conclude with our annual Heritage Night performance. This Annandale tradition is an opportunity for our students to showcase their culture through music, dance, fashion, and more. Tickets are only available for pre-purchase and will not be sold at the door. The cost is $5. This event has been incredibly popular in the past so we highly recommend pre-purchasing a ticket to ensure a spot at this incredible performance!

Finally, in addition to the Inclusion Revolution week events, we will also begin two programs focused on supporting students in preparation for end of the year testing. PRIDE Time 4.0 will begin on Monday, March 7. Students can view their new PRIDE Time class in SIS StudentVue. They have also received an email in their FCPS Gmail account with their new PRIDE Time assignment. On Wednesday, March 9, our After School Academic Program (ASAP) will begin. On Monday or Tuesday, students will receive a letter from their teacher if they have been selected for ASAP. The letter will include their ASAP day, subject, and teacher assignment. Students must arrive at their teacher’s classroom at 3:10pm with necessary supplies and stay until 4:10pm. Buses are available to take students home at 4:45pm. Students also received this information in an email sent on Friday, March 4. In addition, Parents will receive an email and an automated phone call if their student has been selected for ASAP.

As always, please reach out with any other questions.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Important Dates

March 7-11 - Inclusion Revolution Week

March 7 - PRIDE Time 4.0 Begins

March 7 & 8 - IB Junior Extended Essay Library Days

March 8 - Chorus Concert

March 9 - After School Academic Program Begins

March 11 - Class Elections

March 11 - FanQuest Pep Rally

March 11 - Just World Festival

March 11 - Heritage Night

March 15 - IB Visual / Senior Exhibit

March 31 - 2 Hour Early Release; End of 3rd Quarter

April 1 - Teacher Workday (No School for Students)

April 4-8 - Spring Break 

March 7-11 - Inclusion Revolution Week: In celebration of the Just World Festival, Heritage Night, and FanQuest, will be hosting “Inclusion Revolution Week” at Annandale! Show your #AtomNation pride by wearing the following: 

• Monday – Blue Out – Dress in blue and support the anti-bullying campaign to kick off our Annandale Inclusion Revolution Week!
• Tuesday – Favorite Number Day – Wear your favorite number, because everyone counts!
• Wednesday – Rainbow Day – Show your support for the LGBTGQ+ Community by wearing a color of the rainbow with a group or wearing all the colors yourself!
• Thursday – Olympic/Heritage Day – Represent your country or heritage by wearing traditional garb or “Olympic” spirit with your country’s flag or colors!
• Friday – Atom Pride – Wear Red or White Atom gear to show your support for our Special Olympic Athletes! We are asking our 9th and 11th graders to wear red and our 10th and 12th graders to wear white!

March 7 - PRIDE Time 4.0 Begins: Tomorrow, March 7, marks the beginning of PRIDE Time 4.0. This latest iteration of PRIDE Time will focus on identifying students in need of preparation for the upcoming SOLs. Students who are not identified for intervention will be assigned a Study Hall PRIDE Time and will have the ability to complete assignments or request assistance from another Study Hall PRIDE Time teacher.

Students will receive an email later today, March 6, 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.

March 7 & 8 - IB Junior Extended Essay Library Days: On Monday and Tuesday, our 52 Junior IB Diploma Candidates will be participating in an in-school field trip to the AHS library to begin research for their Extended essays. The Extended essay is a 4,000 word academic research paper on a topic of the student’s choice, within an IB subject. It is completed outside of any class or classwork and is a requirement for the IB Diploma. 

March 8 - Chorus Concert: The AHS Choirs will perform their Pyramid Pre-Assessment concert on Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00pm pm. Choirs from Holmes and Poe Middle Schools will be performing as well. The event is free and open to the public.

March 9 - After School Academic Program Begins: Annandale's After School Academic Program, or ASAP for short will begin Wednesday, March 9. On Monday or Tuesday, students will receive a letter from their teacher if they are selected for ASAP. The letter will include their ASAP day, subject, and teacher assignment. Students must arrive at their teacher’s classroom at 3:10pm with necessary supplies and stay until 4:10pm. Students also received this information in an email sent on Friday, March 4.  

Students are expected to attend ASAP before any other extra curricular activity. If the student participates in other extracurricular activities, they will receive a pass from their ASAP teacher at 4:10pm. Late buses will be available for transportation home at 4:45pm. If you have questions about Annandale’s ASAP program, please do not hesitate to call Mike Ward, ASAP Coordinator, at smward@fcps.edu or 703-642-7408.

March 11 - Class Elections: On Friday, March 11, students will have the opportunity to hear from their classmates who are running for their class executive board through recorded speeches during W4. After viewing the class officer speeches, students will then vote on who they would like to represent their class! Please reach out to Annie Ray with any questions. 

March 11 - Just World Festival & Heritage Night: Annandale High School leadership students are excited to join the Just World Interact Club for the 16th annual Just World Festival and Heritage Night on March 11. The festival will take place from 4:00-6:30pm at Annandale. The Heritage Night performance will begin shortly after at 7:00pm in the auditorium. 

This year's theme for the Just World festival is "Reconnecting." By coming together, we hope to inspire others to take action and be active in their local and global communities. The festival aims to inspire youth that they are not only a part of their local community but a global one as well. We want to educate the community about global and environmental issues, fair trade, human rights, equality, and most importantly, social action. More information on our website. You can participate in one of the following ways:

• Just come to enjoy the festival which includes food, an interactive exhibition hall, workshops, and cultural events.
• Register to host a booth in our exhibition hall and/or sell items in our fair trade marketplace.
• Donate to our festival raffle or general fund to host the event.
• Volunteer to support the event (sign up coming out next week).

The Heritage Night performance will take place directly after at 7pm and is another opportunity for Annandale students to showcase their culture through music, dance, fashion, and more. Tickets are only available for pre-purchase here and are $5. This event has been incredibly popular in the past so we highly recommend pre-purchasing a ticket to ensure a spot at this incredible performance! No tickets will be available for purchase at the door! For any questions about the Just World Festival please contact Meredith Hedrick. For questions about Heritage Night please reach out to Jae Lee.

March 11 - FanQuest Pep Rally: On Friday, March 11, Annandale HS will be hosting a “FanQuest'' Pep Rally. FanQuest is an event that promotes inclusion and respect for students with disabilities and features the Annandale Special Olympics Basketball team. This event will give our Special Olympics athletes an opportunity to showcase their basketball skills through an exhibition “Red & White Game” and experience a real game day atmosphere in front of their peers. If you have any questions, please contact Jae Lee. 

March 15 - IB Visual / Senior Art Exhibit: This event is a practical culmination of the IB Visual and the general art courses. IB students and seniors of the art program will exhibit the best artworks of their high school art career. The audience will be able to see the journey of the artists through their artwork, the ability to communicate intent, their technical competence and the narrative behind the displayed pieces. They will read a statement by the artist in which an explanation of the selection and presentation of artwork is explained. We invite you to visit the exhibit and honor these students with your presence on March 15 from 6:00-8:00pm in Clausen Hall. Viewer discretion is advised.

Important Information

Late Buses Now Available on Thursdays! We have expanded the number of days late buses are available for Annandale students staying after school. Late bus days are now Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Buses will pick up students in the back of the building with a departure time of approximately 4:45 pm. Please check  StudentVue and ParentVue for your student's late bus number and stop.

Academic Support

Every Thursday - College Help Workshops: These workshops are open to Juniors and Seniors, who want information on applying to college. Students who need individual assistance with college applications can ask questions about the Common Application, Transcript Request Forms, Scholarships, SAT/ACT exam registration, or anything else related to college.

Every Monday and Wednesday - Math Honor Society Tutoring: Students who need support in their math class are encouraged to attend after school tutoring sessions hosted by the Math Honor Society. Students should fill out this form with their name, course, email, and date requested to meet. A MHS tutor will fill out the form and contact the tutee.

In addition, Math Honor Society is also running tutoring sessions for Standardized Testing (SAT and ACT) every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00-4:30pm in Room 231. Students should fill out this form to receive extra support. Students in need of transportation can take the late bus on these days at 4:45pm.

March 7 - PRIDE Time 4.0 Begins: Tomorrow, March 7, marks the beginning of PRIDE Time 4.0. This latest iteration of PRIDE Time will focus on identifying students in need of preparation for the upcoming SOLs. Students who are not identified for intervention will be assigned a Study Hall PRIDE Time and will have the ability to complete assignments or request assistance from another Study Hall PRIDE Time teacher.

Students will receive an email later today, March 6, 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.

March 9 - After School Academic Program Begins: Annandale's After School Academic Program, or ASAP for short, is another way we can meet the needs of students who need intervention in more than one subject area. On Monday, students will receive a letter from their teacher if they are selected for ASAP. The letter will include their ASAP day, subject, and teacher assignment. Students must arrive at their teacher’s classroom at 3:10pm with necessary supplies and stay until 4:10pm. Students also received this information in an email sent on Friday, March 4.  

Students are expected to attend ASAP before any other extra curricular activity. If your student participates in other extracurricular activities, they will receive a pass from their ASAP teacher at 4:10pm. Late buses will be available for transportation home at 4:45pm. If you have questions about Annandale’s ASAP program, please do not hesitate to call Mike Ward, ASAP Coordinator, at smward@fcps.edu or 703-642-7408.

Mid-April - Super Saturdays Begin: Annandale will continue the tradition of success that was established prior to, and even during COVID, by supporting students with Super Saturday SOL prep prior to testing. Invitations will be going out to students to attend these events beginning in late March/early April. Stay tuned for more information.

Awesome Atoms!

Jae Lee, Special Education Teacher, Featured Special Olympics Video: Jae Lee, Special Education teacher at Annandale High School was recently featured in the official special Olympics "champion of change" video. Check it out: https://youtu.be/IY5IN3mpqOM

Verified Credit Success Spotlight – WorkKeys Business Writing: In February, 389 juniors took the WorkKeys Business Writing test, an end-of-course assessment similar to the SOL to earn the Writing Verified Credit needed for graduation. 95% of these students passed this assessment, with 70 students earning the highest score possible! Congratulations to these students and the English 11 team, who put together a seamless test preparation plan.

Opportunities

Now Open - Summer Institute for the Arts Program Registration: Does your child have plans for this summer? If they love the arts, then the Institute for the Arts is for them! Check out this video for more information. More information can be found on their website. Registration begins March 1.

Now through March 23 - Become a Member of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SAC): 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 March 23, 2022. The application and related details can be found on the FCPS Website. 

March 12 - Back-to-School Pediatric Immunization Clinic: The State of Virginia requires immunizations for entry into kindergarten, 7th grade, 12th grade, and when transferring into FCPS. The Fairfax County Health Department will be offering a special immunization clinic for Fairfax County students to complete their school vaccine requirements (the COVID-19 vaccine is not a required vaccine). 

The clinic will be held on Saturday, March 12, 8:00am to 12:00pm at the Annandale District Office, 7611 Little River Turnpike, #400-E, Annandale, VA 22003. Appointments are required. To make an appointment, call 703-246-7100.

Save the Date! June 6 - Sports and Band Physicals for the 2022-23 School Year: Students who would like to participate in sports or band next year will need a valid VHSL physical dated after May 1 2022. On June 6 at 6pm we will be hosting Sport and Activity Health Screenings. This physical will be good for all of next school year. There will be a sign-up genius available soon. The cost is $30 pre-registration and $40 dollars walk-in. This is a donation to the Athletic Training Program so that we can continue to provide state of the art care for our athletes and band members. For information about financial assistance for this event, please contact Kathy Ayers.

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 Athletics and Activities Schedule

Monday, March 7

Spirit Week - Inclusion Revolution - Blue Out

Girls' Who Code - 3:00-4:00pm - Room 223

Girls' and Boys' Tennis Scrimmage at Gar-Field - 4:00pm

JV Girls' Lacrosse Scrimmage vs. Centreville - 5:30pm

Varsity Girls' Lacrosse Scrimmage vs. Rock Ridge - 7:00pm

Tuesday, March 8

Spirit Week - Inclusion Revolution - Favorite Number Day

JV Baseball Scrimmage at W-L - 5:00pm

Varsity Baseball Scrimmage vs. W-L - 5:00pm

JV Boys Soccer Scrimmage vs. Freedom (Woodbridge) - 5:45pm

Varsity Softball Scrimmage at Meridian - 6:00pm

Chorus Pyramid Pre Assessment Concert - Auditorium - 7:00pm

Varsity Boys Soccer Scrimmage vs. Freedom (Woodbridge) - 7:15pm

Wednesday, March 9

Spirit Week - Inclusion Revolution - Rainbow Day

AA LEAD - 3:00 - 4:00pm - Bistro

Atoms Scholar Program - 3:00-4:00pm - Library

Atoms Writing Center - 3:00-4:00pm - Room 274

National Art Honor Society - 3:00-4:30pm - Room 148

National Honor Society - 3:00-3:30pm - Room 249

Boys' Lacrosse Scrimmage at Meridian - 6:00/7:30pm

Thursday, March 10

Spirit Week - Inclusion Revolution - Olympic/Heritage Day

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

Girls' Tennis Scrimmage at Meridian - 4:00pm

Boys' Tennis Scrimmage vs. Meridian - 4:00pm

Girls' Soccer Scrimmage vs. Centreville - 5:45/7:15pm

Friday, March 11

Spirit Week - Inclusion Revolution - Atom Pride

Special Olympics Fan Quest Pep Rally - Gym - 1:45-2:45pm

Just World Festival - 4:00 - 6:30pm

JV Baseball Scrimmage vs. Alexandria City at Simpson Field - 5:30pm

Varsity Baseball Scrimmage vs. Alexandria City - 5:30pm

Heritage Night - Auditorium - 7:00pm - Pre-Sale Tickets Only

Saturday, March 12

PTSA - Mulch Madness Sale - Stadium - 8:00am-5:00pm

News from the PTSA

Next PTSA Meeting - March 15, 7pm: The Next Annandale PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, March 15 at 7:00 p.m. PTSA meetings are bilingual and Spanish translation is provided. Las reuniones de PTSA son bilingües y se proporciona traducción al español. Here is a link to the meeting. In addition, meeting notes from previous meetings are also on the PTSA website.  

PTSA Membership - Join Today! On behalf of the Annandale High School Parent, Teacher, Student Association (PTSA), we hope that the 2021–2022 school year is going well. The key ingredient to our success as a school is YOU. Please dare to make a difference, be better informed and join the PTSA today by filling out the online 2021–2022 Membership Form. For more information about membership, visit our Membership page.

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 3:00-4:00pm in Trailer 8 at the rear of the school. The pantry distribution schedule for the school year can be found here. 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 make a donation to the Pantry here. To ease the distribution process, we always need donations of both paper grocery bags (preferably with handles) and reusable grocery bags (for families and students who walk home).  Grocery 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 Is Always Restocking and Needs Your Help! The following items are always needed to restock. Items can be dropped off in the main office. All donations to the AHS PTSA Pantry are tax deductible.