Annandale Community Insider - First Day of School

Annandale Students, Families, and Community:

The 2022-23 school year is off to a great start! The joy of having all of our students back in the building was evident on the faces of our staff and students! Annandale staff members, along with our cheerleaders, enthusiastically welcomed our students into the building. Seeing teachers lead activities throughout the day to help students start to build relationships and feel connected as well as get them excited about course content was energizing.

You can check out the amazing things happening throughout the campus via Twitter by searching the hashtag #AtomNation.

Building relationships is one of our priorities. One of the ways we do this is through our W4 advisory period. The purpose of W4 is to build relationships, create community, clarify expectations, and support students’ social and emotional needs. Through W4 this morning, we distributed laptops and ensured students were able to log in. Throughout the week, we will be taking time to help students learn new technology and troubleshoot issues. We will also share our expectations and our schoolwide Atoms Agreements of Empathy, Determination, and Safety. Students and teachers will discuss how these ideas help us create a community we all want to work and learn together in. 

Transportation went smoothly this morning and we only had a few buses running late this afternoon. For parents who drop their student off in the morning (aka Kiss and Ride), we ask that you do so no later than 8:00am. This will alleviate congestion and ensure your student is able to get to their first block class on time. 

If you have any questions, concerns, compliments, or observations, please let me know. You can also contact your student’s teacher, counselor, or administrator. Our contact information is on the school website.

We hope all of our students have a great school year!

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Important Information

Schedule Change Requests: Our Student Services team is working hard to make sure our students have accurate schedules. We recognize that some students will want to request changes to their schedule. At this time, we are only making schedule changes for the following reasons:

• A student does not have a complete schedule or is missing a core class required for graduation.
• A student was registered for a course that they have already successfully passed. The schedule does not reflect a grade change or summer school course that was successfully passed.

If your student has one of the reasons listed above, they should go to Student Services during the class period in which the error occurs.

Requests to change schedules based on preference will be considered at a later date. Details on this process will be provided in the coming weeks. Please reach out to Erik Healey, or your student’s counselor, if you have any questions.

Beginning of Year Forms: Please help us go paperless by updating your student's forms via WeCare. Return to school forms include:

• Emergency Care Form
• Health Information Form 
• Digital Resources Consent Form

Return to school forms can also be emailed to Stephany Fuentes, Administrative Assistant or dropped off in the Student Services Office.

Student Lockers: Students locker will be available by request only beginning on Tuesday, September 6. Stay tuned for more information.

Student Attendance: In order for our students to get the most out of their education, they must be in school and on time to class every day. Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half of the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school. If your student must be absent from school, please inform the school. The attendance phone number is 703-642-4151.

Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications Now Available: Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications are now available. Students approved for Free and Reduced-Price Meals may qualify for additional benefits such as waived or reduced fees for instruments, uniforms, field trips, FCPS class fees, and Parktakes classes. To take advantage of those benefits, complete this form. Schools also benefit from funding opportunities based on Free and Reduced Price Meal application numbers. Visit the FCPS Free and Reduced-Price Meals website for more information.

Support Annandale Booster Organizations!

Purchase a Red Card! Each fall, our sports programs sell a discount “Red Card” to raise money for their teams. The red cards include various discounts at local businesses including: Community Car Care, Firehouse Subs, Jersey Mike’s, Jukebox Diner, Kilroy’s, Papa Johns, Popeye’s, Supreme BBQ and Valentino’s. Red Cards are only $20 and can be used at any of the businesses through August 2023. If you would like to purchase a Red Card, please reach out to a fall athlete or email Brandon Sutphin, Director of Student Activities.

Join the Annandale PTSA! On behalf of the Annandale High School Parent, Teacher, Student Association (PTSA), we would like to welcome you to the 2022–2023 school year. The key ingredient to our success is YOU. Please dare to make a difference, be better informed and join the PTSA today by filling out the online 2022–2023 Membership Form. For more information about membership, visit our Membership page.

Join the Atoms Athletic Boosters! Purchase an Athletic Pass! We need you as an Atoms fan in the stands cheering on our athletes, as well as behind the scenes as an athletics supporter. 100% of your Booster contributions support the many athletic programs, facilities, and athletes at AHS. 

Cost: Student Pass - $30; Adult Pass - $60; Parking Pass - $30; Fan Pass - $25. For more information, visit the Boosters sight at www.atomsboosters.org.

The BENEFITS of purchasing an AHS Athletic Booster Membership/athletic passes include:

• SAVE MONEY! — Admission for free admission for Freshmen, Junior Varsity, and Varsity regular-season home athletic events (not valid for away games or postseason play).
• Ease and Convenience — Avoid the ticket line, just show your pass at the admissions gate; no need to carry cash.
• Support the Atoms — 100% of the money goes to AHS athletics. Normal gate fees are split between AHS and the opponent.

News from the PTSA

PTSA Meeting - September 20, 7:00pm: The first PTSA of the 2021-22 school year will be on Tuesday, September 21 at 7:00pm. PTSA meetings are bilingual and Spanish translation is provided. Las reuniones de PTSA son bilingües y se proporciona traducción al español. Join us in Clausen Hall or virtually! Visit the Annandale PTSA website for more information.