Annandale Community Insider - March 27

Annandale Students, Parents and Community:

I hope you enjoyed your weekend in spite of the strange weather on Saturday. I had never heard the word “graupel” before.

This past week, our Instructional Council, collaborative team leads, administrators and instructional coaches came together to process our Instructional Rounds outcomes, reflect on where we are now, and provide input on how we can continue to get better as a school. As leaders examined Rounds results, they discussed these questions: 

• How are our priorities reflected in our outcomes?
• What are our instructional beliefs about how students learn best?
• What is preventing us from giving students higher-level, collaborative tasks?
• Where do we need to focus our instructional improvement efforts next year? Why?

Evidenced throughout these discussions was how important relationships and support are to us and how aligned we are as a school around what students need. This opportunity for us to come together as leaders and determine our next steps reinforced for me that, despite the many challenges we have faced the past two and half years, we are doing the right work and together we will continue to get better.

As a reminder, Thursday marks the end of the third quarter and is a two-hour early release. Friday is a Teacher Work Day, with no school for students. Our faculty will come together as a staff for our General Session. Teachers will share their experiences with Shadow a Student and Instructional Rounds and we will share our instructional focus for next year. The following week is Spring Break.

To help prepare students for SOLs, Annandale has a long history of “Super Saturday.” This year, in addition to supporting students through PRIDE Time and After School Academic Support (ASAP), teachers, administrators and coaches from Math, English and Science will work with students the Saturday prior to each of these subject areas’ SOLs:

• April 23: Geometry, Algebra 2, and English (to support the Reading SOL)
• April 30: Algebra 1
• May 7: Biology & Geosystems 

Math, English and Science teachers will work with students from 8:00-11:00am. Students will receive breakfast and lunch, and transportation will be provided. Invitations will be sent to students and families to participate in Super Saturday beginning next week.

The next edition of the community Insider will be on April 10. As always, please reach out with any other questions.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Important Dates

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

March 31-April 16 - SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE Access Unavailable

April 1 - Teacher Workday (No School for Students)

April 2 - May 2 - Ramadan

April 4-8 - Spring Break 

April 25 - SOL Testing Begins

April 28 - IB Testing Begins

March 31 - Two Hour Early Dismissal: As a reminder, students will be dismissed two hours early on Thursday, March 31, the last day of the third quarter. Grab-n-Go Lunch will be available for pick up during dismissal. 

March 31 - April 16 - SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE Access Unavailable: Third quarter report cards will go home with students in Panther Time on Tuesday, April 26. Due to grade preparation for third quarter marks, SIS will be unavailable to all FCPS parents and students from Thursday, March 31 at 4pm until Saturday, April 16 at 6:00am.

April 1 - Teacher Workday: This Friday is a teacher workday and a holiday for students. 

April 2 - May 2 - Ramadan: This year Ramadan begins at sunset the evening of April 2 and ends at sunset the evening of May 1. During this time, many of our Muslim students may be fasting and it is important for those students 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. If you have questions, please contact Sarah Eqab at seqab@fcps.edu.

April 4-8 - Spring Break: Schools and school offices will be closed. See the complete 2021-22 school year calendar.

Important Information

Virtual Virginia Summer Courses Now Open: Registration for Virtual Virginia summer courses is now open, and registration for the 2022-23 school year opens on March 15. Participation in Virtual Virginia is governed by Regulation 2408. Full-time Virtual Virginia enrollment for K-12 FCPS students is not supported for the 2022-23 school year. For the 2022-23 school year, Annandale students may work through their counselor to enroll in one or two high school level courses if the student has a schedule conflict or a health-related conflict which is not resolvable through existing FCPS programs. For summer, students may earn standard high school credits through Virtual Virginia with prior written approval from the local school using Form IS-158, and costs are covered by the family.

Sign Up for Weekly Progress Reports: All parents/guardians of students who have registered for a SIS ParentVUE Account and have a primary email address recorded in SIS ParentVUE can receive Weekly Progress Reports via email. This report provides a summary of your student(s) grades for the current quarter. Follow the steps outlined here to activate the Weekly Progress Report. 

For questions about a specific progress report or grade you can login into your SIS ParentVUE Account to find detailed grade book information. Additionally, your student’s teacher is always the best resource to answer any grade book questions that you may have. Weekly Progress Report Parent Quick Reference Guide

Lightspeed Parent Report Request: FCPS has new tools to help parents and guardians know more about their student’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided by Lightspeed, our internet content filtering service, at no cost to families. You may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your student visited. If you want more detailed information, sign up for the Internet Use Parent portal and log-in anytime to see more detail about your student’s browsing and “pause” access to the internet during non-school hours. Find out more and sign up for these services on our website.

Academic Support

Tutor.com Access For All Students: Beginning in mid-April, all FCPS students will have unlimited access  to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost. Students can connect online any time, and in most subjects for as long as they need. This week, parents received an email with detailed information regarding the online tutoring services and opt-out information. Additionally, a hard copy form in English and Spanish was sent home with every student on Friday. For additional information, visit the online tutoring services website.

Bring 3 Quarter Writing Assignments to AWC: Do you have any end of the quarter writing assignments for your classes? Atoms Writing Center Tutors can help you with writing in any class! Complete this google form to sign up for a writing center conference.

Super Saturday SOL Preparation: 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. Math, English and Science teachers will work with students the Saturday prior to each of these SOLs - April 23, April 30, and May 7 from 8:00-11:00am. Students will receive breakfast and lunch, and transportation will be provided. Invitations will be sent to students to attend these events beginning in late March/early April.

Every Thursday - College Help Workshops: These workshops are open to Juniors and Seniors, who would like 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. 

Awesome Atoms!

Passing of Don Clausen, AHS Principal from 1994-2004: Former Annandale High School Principal, Don Clausen, a beloved figure and the namesake of Clausen Hall, passed away on March 21 from a Glioblastoma (brain tumor). He was the school’s fourth principal, and he served from 1994 to 2004. Clausen was 78. Check out the obituary in the A-Blast written by Adam Shawish and the Clausen family. 

Viewing and funeral Information: Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home (Valet Parking), 500 University West, Silver Spring, MD on Monday, March 28, from 2 to 4pm. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Camillus Church, 1600 St. Camillus Drive, Silver Spring, MD, on Tuesday, March 29, at 11am. Interment Private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (CIS) at www.cis-elsalvador.org/donate; under “Youth Scholarships”, commenting “Donald Clausen Scholarship Fund”. Or mail checks to: Los Olivos CIS, PO Box 76, Westmont, IL 60559.

Annandale Students Honored at FCPS Science Fair! Congratulations to our regional science fair award winners from Annandale High School! These students worked hard over the course of a few months to design, implement, and present their experiments at both the school and regional levels.

Sage Nagle – “Is Bamboo More Effective Than Plastic When Used in Oil Booms?” – 3rd place in the category of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Honorable Mention for Clean Fairfax Sustainable Swag, & 2nd place Stockholm Junior Water Prize & Certificate

Noor Ansari, Elyana Rodriguez, & Uswa Tariq – “The Effect of Different Concentrations of Hydrochloric Acid on the Photosynthesis of an Elodea Plant” – 3rd place in the category of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Safa Touri – “The Correlation Between the Number of Layers of an Oyster and its Rate of Disintegration in Hydrochloric Acid” – Honorable Mention in the category of Chemistry

Kent Lam – “Paper Airplanes and Aerodynamics” – 1st place Lakeshore Learning Materials 

English 10 Students Celebrate Nigerian Culture: English 10 Honors students had an opportunity to learn more about Nigerian culture after reading Purple Hibiscus by Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. They enjoyed fufu and egusi soup made by Culinary Arts students, courtesy of the Annandale PTSA at the 4th annual Taste of Nigeria. Students heard from Annandale alum, Dr. Ali Karim, who spoke about his global travels, including Nigeria, his philanthropy work, and his time at Annandale. He encouraged them to learn from each other as global citizens, and to celebrate Annandale’s diversity. The event concluded with a special performance by AHS’ West African dance group.

Welcome Craig Doebel - New Building Engineer: We are excited to welcome Craig Doebel to Annandale as our new Building Engineer. Craig’s first day will be this Monday. Craig has worked the last twelve years as the Maintenance Supervisor for Edgewood Management. Before his time as a supervisor, Craig was a construction worker for Kern Construction. He has extensive knowledge in HVAC, electrical, plumbing and general contracting. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Doebel to AHS! 

Welcome Kara Franklin-Taylor - New Dean of Students: Annandale is excited to welcome Kara Franklin-Taylor to Annandale High School as our new Dean of Students beginning on April 11. Ms. Franklin-Taylor, a native of Washington, D.C.  raised in the suburbs of Woodbridge, VA is a proud Hampton University alumna. She began her career at George Washington Middle School in Alexandria, VA as a Language Teacher. She then transitioned to Francis C. Hammond Middle School where she was able to begin to explore leadership opportunities both in the building and in her matriculation through the Educational Leadership Program at George Mason University. Outside of work, Kara loves spending time with family and friends. This time brings her indescribable joy. Kara is a proud “auntie” to one niece and three nephews. She also likes a little retail therapy, reading a good inspirational book, and relaxing.

Senior Nick Lemens Completes Eagle Scout Project at Annandale High School - Senior Nick Lemens completed his Eagle Scout Project at Annandale High School this past month. The first part of his project was completed on March 5 when Nick and a troupe of helpers rebuilt the track long/triple jump pit. The project took five hours to complete, and the work looks amazing. The Track and Field program will be able to use this new and improved pit for years to come. Part 2 of the project, completed on March 19, involved building wooden benches painted Annandale Red for use by spectators and team members at tennis matches and track meets. Annandale senior Jovanny Jaldin and sophomore Sebastian Jaldin were among the scouts helping build the benches.

Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras received Superior in District Assessment: On March 18-19, District X hosted High School Orchestra Assessment at Annandale High School. A huge thank you to everyone who supported the event, whether by sharing your spaces, volunteering, or coming out to watch our students perform. Both Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras received Superior ratings (I) from all judges in both their on stage performance and sight reading! Congratulations to these hard working students!

Annandale Students Place at TSA Regional Fair: Annandale High School's Technology Student Association chapter recently participated in the TSA Regional Fair hosted at TJHSST. The seven members that placed in the events were Espy Christian, Clark Allison, Alex Ing, Crystina Ing, Alison Coria Tarazona, Aisha Ismael, and Keira Dalrymple. In System Control Technology, Espy Christian, Clark Allison, and Alex Ing placed 4th. In Extemporaneous Presentation, Crystina Ing placed 5th, Alison Coria Tarazona placed 7th, and Aisha Ismael placed 10th. In Debating Technological Issues, Keira Dalrymple and Alison Coria Tarazona placed 9th. Lastly, Crystina Ing placed 10th in Essays on Technology and 10th in Prepared Presentation. The next competition for them is Technosphere in late April/early May!

Opportunities

Gardening Club at Annandale - Join Today! New this year, the AHS Green Atoms Gardening Club is ready for spring! We have started a new garden in the AHS courtyard near the library that will support the PTSA Food Pantry. Edibles such as tomatoes, basil, kale, potatoes, and peppers are already growing. Students are excited to be a part of this new project at Annandale and to be supporting the Food Pantry for our community. All students are welcome to join the club. Contact Liz Keyes at eakeyes@fcps.edu if you would like to get involved.

2022-2023 PTSA Board Nominations Now Being Accepted: If you are interested in joining the PTSA Board or know someone you think might be interested, please contact Tammy Murphy. Nominations are being accepted for all Board positions: President, Vice President - Membership Chair, Vice President - Programs Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary. Please respond before Tuesday, April 19. Plan to attend the April 19 (introductions) and May 17 (voting) meetings. For more information on the positions and responsibilities please see page nine (Duties of Officers) of our AHS PTSA Bylaws.

Due May 20 - Schoology Design Challenge: FCPS is looking for student artwork to fill the big blue field on the Schoology login page. All FCPS students in grades PreK-12 are eligible to submit. Students may submit more than one design. Artists may work collaboratively and submit their collective work as a group, or they may choose to work and submit individually. Any medium is acceptable for the original artwork. See contest information on the FCPS webpage. Submissions are due May 20, 2022.

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.

All Night Grad Celebration - Purchase Tickets Today!: Annandale High School’s All Night Grad Celebration is June 2 from 11:00pm-5:00am at Audrey Moore Rec Center! The hottest ticket in town is $10 OFF right now with the March Madness Sale. Order online, or pick up the ticket form in the office.  Order tickets here. Questions? Contact Alyssa Getsey at 703.256.8069 or via email at getsey@verizon.net.

News from the Activities Office

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.

Watch Annandale Sports Online! Annandale sports fans can watch FCPS high school sporting events online. This service is free for the rest of this school year. You do not need to purchase anything if you are watching FCPS hosted events. Here’s how:

1. Go to www.NFHSnetwork.com.
2. Search for (school name) and go to its page.
3. Subscribe and follow.

Fall 2022 Sports Tryout Dates: Mark your calendars for Fall 2022 sports tryout dates. Golf tryouts begin on Thursday, July 28 and all other fall sports (football, cheer, field hockey, cross-country, volleyball) will begin on Monday, August 1.

News from the PTSA

2022-2023 PTSA Board Nominations Now Being Accepted: If you are interested in joining the PTSA Board or know someone you think might be interested, please contact any member of the nomination committee Tammy Murphy. Nominations are being accepted for all Board positions: President, Vice President - Membership Chair, Vice President - Programs Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary. Please respond before Tuesday, April 19. Plan to attend the April 19 (introductions) and May 17 (voting) meetings. For more information on the positions and responsibilities please see page nine (Duties of Officers) of our AHS PTSA Bylaws.

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.