Annandale Community Insider - May 22

Annandale Students, Parents and Community:

The school year is beginning to wrap up at Annandale High School. On Friday, our senior class hosted Prom at the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria. It was great to see our students dressed up and enjoying themselves on the dance floor. This week is the final week for seniors, with exams finishing on Tuesday, May 24 at 9:35am. After their W2 exam, seniors will be dismissed to attend the Senior Picnic at Ossian Hall Park, where they will enjoy a light breakfast and have an opportunity to sign yearbooks. If you don’t have a yearbook yet, it’s not too late! They can be purchased at www.yearbookforever.com or with cash in room 262 during W4, PRIDE Time, and W6.

Friday was also the final day of IB Testing at Annandale. If your student tested in an IB course this year, information on how to access their scores will be coming in the mail within the next week. For more detailed information about IB Test scores, see below.

As I reflect on this past year and how we have supported our students through the transition back to full time school, I am so proud of the work we have done to collectively hold high standards for all students and help them reach their goals. These last several weeks running up to SOLs, IB exams, and graduation, have highlighted the ways we work together as a school to support our students’ needs. This support doesn’t just come from a student’s teacher, but all staff members at Annandale High School.

Once SOL test results started coming in, we were able to be incredibly responsive and target students who still needed support to pass the test. Teachers and teams began to pull small groups during the school day for intensive remediation. In addition, teachers and instructional coaches have been working closely with our assessment coach to ensure every student has the opportunities they need to be successful. Now that testing is almost over, teachers have shifted their focus to reviewing material to prepare underclassmen for their final exams, which will be held June 6-9.

Have a great week, Atom Nation. As always, reach out with any questions.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Important Dates

May 23 - Senior Exams: R1, R3

May 23 - SOL Testing: Science Retakes

May 23 - Senior Laptop Collection

May 24 - Senior Exams, W2

May 24 - Senior Picnic, 9:35am

May 24 - Spring Sports Banquet

May 25 - Last Day of Late Busses

May 25 - Senior Sunset

May 26 - Future College Athlete Ceremony, 8:30am

May 26 - Senior Awards Ceremony, 10am

May 27 - Cap and Gown Distribution

May 27-28 - Broadway Desserts

May 30 - Memorial Day (No School)

May 31 - Graduation Rehearsal

June 1 - Graduation, 9am (Asynchronous for Students) 

May 23-24 - Senior Laptop and Book Collection: Seniors who no longer need their FCPS issued laptop can return it at the Main Gym Lobby after each senior exam block. Seniors should turn in their laptop no later than after their W2 exam and prior to the Senior Picnic on May 24. 

May 24 - Senior Picnic, 9:35-11:00am: Immediately following the W2 exam, seniors will be released from their last day of school at 9:35am. Members of the class of 2022 will gather at Ossian Park to enjoy a light breakfast, and sign yearbooks. The event will end at 11:00am.

May 25 - Senior Sunset: Senior Sunset will take place on May 25 at 8:00pm. Students are encouraged to come watch the sunset on the football field with music, drinks, and food to celebrate the end of their senior year.

May 26 - Future College Athlete Ceremony: The Activities Office will be hosting a ceremony for our future college athletes on May 26 at 8:30am in Clausen Hall to honor our student athletes who will be continuing their athletic career in college. Parents, teachers, and coaches will also be invited to honor and recognize the hard work and dedication of our athletes. If you have any questions, please email John Ellenberger, Director of Student Activities at jellenberger@fcps.edu. 

May 26 - Senior Awards Ceremony: Our annual Senior Awards Ceremony will be held on May 26 from 10:00-11:00am at Annandale High School. This ceremony provides us an opportunity to recognize seniors who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in each content area, as well as celebrate those seniors who have been selected for community based awards and scholarships. We will be communicating directly with the students and families of our award recipients. If you have questions or concerns, please email Brian Yeagley, College and Career Specialist at byeagley@fcps.edu.  

May 27 - Cap & Gown Distribution: Seniors must pay all outstanding obligations, including Senior Dues, prior to receiving their cap and gown. Financial obligations can be paid online via myschoolbucks.com, by using the myschoolbucks mobile app, or in person on May 27. Here are instructions on how to access MySchoolBucks.com. All senior obligations must be paid before picking up their cap and gown. If you have any questions, please email Jeremy DeBoe, Finance Technician, at jddeboe@fcps.edu. 

Students can pick up their cap and gown and senior gift on May 27 during their assigned times listed below. Students should enter through Door 11, at the front of the building, to the upper gym where they will turn in all equipment and supplies and pay any obligations in order to become eligible to graduate. 

• 10:00-11:00am - Last names A-L
• 11:30-12:30pm - Last names M-Z

May 27-28, Broadway Desserts, 7pm: Our Annual Broadway Desserts concert features all five of the AHS Choirs performing songs from the stage as a Broadway Review of sorts. Both group and individual performances will be featured in two acts with desserts served in the lobby at intermission. Discount tickets on sale now through May 26 for just $10. Tickets can be purchased online. Bring a photo ID to claim your tickets. After May 26, tickets will only be available at the door for $15. All of the seating is General Admission. Doors open at 6:30pm.

Class of 2022 Information

We are less than two weeks away from celebrating the graduating Class of 2022! Check out the latest Class of 2022 Newsletter (May 19) for detailed information about the graduation ceremony, including a 'Graduation 2022 Tutorial' video. The newsletter also contains information about tickets, parking, expectations and dress code, photos, and how to watch the ceremony online. In addition, we have included tasks that need to be completed as soon as possible, important dates with descriptions of each event, additional opportunities related to the end of the year activities and a senior calendar. Additionally, this information is on the “Senior Page” on the AHS Student Portal and the school website for parents to access.

Important Information

IB Score Information: If your student tested in an IB course this year, information on how to access their scores will be coming in the mail within the next week. Please have your student take a picture of the pin and password and keep it in a secure place. Each year a new pin/password is issued. Scores will be posted after July 6. All seniors that fill out the senior survey by May 20 will have their IB transcript sent to the school they listed in the survey. Please contact Linda Bradshaw, IB Diploma coordinator, at Linda.Bradshaw@fcps.edu if you have any questions.

Yearbooks Available Now! Yearbooks can be picked up or purchased in room 262 during W4, Pride Time, and W6. If you pre-ordered your yearbook, make sure to bring an ID with you when picking up. If you need to pick up or purchase a book after that date, please contact Ms. Hanneman, the yearbook advisor. Yearbooks are $85 and can be purchased online at  www.yearbookforever.com  or in cash at distribution. 

No Morning Attendance Calls: In order to accommodate the expanded student testing windows for SOLs and IB exams, morning attendance calls, texts, and e-mails will be suspended for all middle and high schools from April 25 through the last day of school, June 10. Evening attendance notification will continue as normally scheduled. If you have any questions regarding your students' attendance, please contact the AHS Attendance Office at 703-642-4151 or via email at AnnandaleHigh.Attendance@fcps.edu. 

Awesome Atoms!

'Simply Inspiring': Annandale Teacher Returns from Trip to Help Ukrainian Refugees: Meredith Hedrick, ESOL Coach at Annandale High School was recently featured on WJLA for her work supporting Ukrainian refugees. Meredith worked for 12 hours a day at a refugee center. She used her Russian to welcome people as they got off the train and then she would serve them food. Check out the story here.

Celebrating our English Learner Student Volunteers: On Thursday, our ESOL Department celebrated with our 36 student leaders who supported our 8th grade transition program and our Peer Helper program. During this time we highlighted our seniors! All the students are poised to be future leaders in the school and broader community! The event was funded by a Community Foundation grant and refreshments were provided by our Culinary Arts program. Congratulations to this group of students who go beyond and help their fellow students.

Senior Decision Day Celebration: Annandale High School started a new tradition. On Friday, May 6, we held our first Senior Decision Day, where we celebrated our seniors and the different paths they will take after graduation, whether they have decided to attend a 4-year college, community college, join the military, workforce, or take a gap year. The celebration was held during all lunch periods in Clausen Hall, where students enjoyed ice cream, music, signed the Decision Day poster, and took pictures. Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

Senior Jasa Gellert a Finalistin the Tech Arts Competition at ArtSpace Herndon: Congratulations to senior Jasa Gellert for being named a finalist in the Tech Arts Competition at ArtSpace Herndon and receiving an Honorable Mention for her digital artwork Taking a Break this past Sunday at the show opening. The Tech Arts Competition was created by Senator Gerry Connolly in 2005 and selects 15 FCPS artists in the categories of digital photography, digital artwork, animation, and mixed media digital works for their annual show and scholarship opportunity. Jasa has been a Digital Art student at Annandale for her entire high school career taking digital art, animation, and IB Art, and is the former president of NAHS, and an accomplished young artist.

Middle Years Program (MYP) Personal Project Showcase of the Week: This week's personal project showcase of the week is Adel Awel, from Ms. Mathis’s English 10 class. Adel’s goal was to learn Arabic at an intermediate level. He shared that he is really passionate about learning languages. Before he began, he already knew really basic vocabulary and basic sentence structure from Arabic class. One of the challenges he faced when completing this project was learning various dialects and words used in Arabic. He overcame this challenge by sticking to the basic vocab of Arabic, then using that to feed off of other words and phrases. Adel wrote that this project gave him a deeper understanding of the world because Arabic is spoken by millions of people. As evidence of his project, Adel shared a recording of himself speaking Arabic. Great work, Adel!

Academic Support

Check out the AWC Blogs for End of the Year Writing Advice: Even though the school year is winding down, writing is not. Whether students are writing for IB exams, IAs, or preparing reflections for finals, AWC tutors have advice to help all students achieve success. Read this blog post to find out more! Don’t forget to check our other blogs on our website regularly for writing tips year-round. (Note that you must be logged in to a personal Gmail account to view this google site)

Tutor.com Now Available For All Students: We are pleased to announce that students now have unlimited access to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Tutor.com is available 24/7, through online voice or text chat, and in your student’s preferred language. Student participation is optional and parents/guardians can opt their students out of accessing the service. You can learn more about Tutor.com on the Tutor.com Online Tutoring Services website.

Students will be able to access Tutor.com via a link in Schoology and will help many FCPS students complete assignments, better understand classroom lessons, and be successful. Additional information about how to log in and access a tutor is provided to families via the following secondary instructional video. Questions not answered in the posted resources may be sent to onlinetutoring@fcps.edu. 

Summer Sports Camps

Annandale High School is offering various summer sports camps for rising 2nd graders through rising 9th graders led by Annandale coaches. Help spread the word to friends, family and neighbors!

Camps run each day from 8:30am to 3:00pm. The cost of the five-day camps is only $125 (Olympics Camp is 4 days for $100). Credit cards or checks are accepted. Checks should be made out to “Annandale Athletic Boosters”. Payment is due on the first day of camp. Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp, and they should bring a snack and a water bottle each day. 

Click HERE to register for any or all of these camps. More information can be found at AnnandaleAtoms.net. If you have any questions, please email John Ellenberger, Director of Student Activities, at jellenberger@fcps.edu. 

Opportunities

June 3 - AWC’s First Ever Game Night! RSVP TODAY! Students, the Atoms Writing Center is busy planning a fun game night for everyone on June 3 from 3:00-4:30pm in Clausen Hall. Since this is a new event for us, we are trying to make sure we are prepared. If you would like to attend the event, please fill out this form to give us a sense of how much food we should order for the event. Please complete this form by midnight, Sunday, May 22.

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! Tickets are on sale now through May 30. You can order tickets here, or pick up the ticket form in the main office. Questions? Contact Alyssa Getsey at 703.256.8069 or via email at getsey@verizon.net. 

Community/Parent Assistance Needed. Get Involved Today!

As we approach the end of the year, we need your continued support. Specifically, we need volunteers to assist with upcoming AHS events. See below for detailed information.  

All Night Grad Party - Volunteers Needed! The success of the All Night Grad Party on June 2 depends on parents of all grades helping out! It is truly a memorable night that you won’t want to miss. There are time slots available to accommodate any schedule, but the true magic does happen overnight. Don’t miss out on supporting our Grads! Sign-up to volunteer today. Don’t miss out on supporting our Grads! 

News from the Activities Office

Check out this week's Activities Office Newsletter and 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.

June 6 - Rising 9th Grade Athletics/Band Night: The Activities Office will be hosting an information night for rising 9th grade athletes and future band members on June 6 at 6:30pm. During this session, we will share information about the sports/seasons that we offer, how to sign up for a sport, and when try-outs for each sport begin. The focus will be on our Fall Sports (Cheerleading, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Volleyball and Band). A coach or director for each fall sport/band will be available to answer any questions. Email jellenberger@fcps.edu if you have any questions.

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 6:00pm, we will be hosting Sport and Activity Health Screenings. This physical will be good for all of next school year. Sign up for here. 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.

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.

This Week’s Events:

Monday, May 23

Girls' Tennis Doubles Regional Tourney vs. W Springfield at Fairfax - 4:00pm

Girls' Tennis Singles Regional Tourney vs. South County at Fairfax - 4:00pm

Color Guard Clinic - 3:10-4:15pm - Room 333

Track - Senior Night - 5:00pm - Cafeteria

Tuesday, May 24

AHS Film Festival - 3:00-6:00pm - Lecture Hall

Spring Sports Banquet - 6:30pm - Cafeteria/Auditorium (No B/G Tennis)

Wednesday, May 25

Girls' Soccer Regional Tournament at Alexandria City - 5:30pm

Baseball Regional Tournament vs. South County - 6:30pm

Boys' Soccer Regional Tournament at Robinson - 6:30pm

Softball Regional Tournament vs. West Potomac - 6:30pm

Senior Sunset Celebration - 7:45pm - Stadium

Thursday, May 26

Future College Athlete Ceremony - 8:30am - Lecture Hall

Senior Awards Ceremony - 10:00am - Auditorium

AVID - 3:00 - 4:00pm - Room 90

Outdoor Track and Field Region Finals at West Springfield - 5:30pm

Friday, May 27

Girls' Soccer Regional Tournament at TBD - 6:30pm

Baseball Regional Tournament vs. TBD - 6:30pm

Boys' Soccer Regional Tournament at TBD - 6:30pm

Softball Regional Tournament vs. TBD - 6:30pm

Broadway Desserts - 7:00pm - Auditorium

Saturday, May 28

Outdoor Track and Field Region Finals at West Springfield - 10:00am

Broadway Desserts - 7:00pm - Auditorium

News from the PTSA

PTSA Elects Officers for 2022-23: The PTSA is pleased to announce its officers for the 2022-2023 school year, elected at the May general membership meeting. President - Annamaria Nields, Vice President, Membership - Thurraya (Rai) Kent, Vice President, Programs - Angeleah Jamison, Treasurer - José Mercado, Secretary - André McGinity

Thank you Kimberely Bellem for your Leadership! We are grateful to Kimberly Bellem, the PTSA's outgoing Treasurer, for her extraordinary work and leadership over the past four terms that she has served as Treasurer. The Board will be meeting over the summer to begin planning for next year and looks forward to welcoming new and returning members in August. For additional information about the PTSA and ways you can get involved in our community, please visit: https://annandalehsptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/hom

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.