Annandale Community Insider - September 26

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Annandale Students, Families, and Community:

I hope you were able to get outside and enjoy the first weekend of Fall. I was able to take advantage of Educator Weekend and visited Cox Farms with my family. The weather was perfect! 

Last week, principals from across the Annandale Pyramid gathered at Annandale High School for our Pyramid Principals meeting. This monthly meeting provides me the opportunity to better understand great work happening at our feeder schools and to learn alongside my pyramid colleagues. This month, pyramid principals visited math classrooms with a focus of identifying the levels of thinking (academic task) and the learning objective of the lesson (learning target) in each classroom. It was so fun to showcase our priority of high quality instruction. Highlights of the classroom visits included student centered instruction, opportunities for student collaboration, and frequent checks for understanding by the teachers. Students were also surprised to see some of their former principals and welcomed them warmly.

We are excited to provide you all a better understanding of the work happening in your students’ classrooms as well. Back to School Night will be held this Thursday, September 29, from 6:00-8:00pm on our football field. This event is an opportunity for families to learn more about what your student is learning in school and how to better support them. Similar to last year, we would like to provide an opportunity for families to interact with their student’s teachers in a meaningful way and briefly discuss the student’s progress. Families will have brief conversations with their student’s teachers to gain a snapshot of how the student is performing so far this school year. Here are some reminders for this event:

  • Bring a copy of your student’s schedule with you so that you can identify your student’s teachers.
  • Remember that these are very brief conversations that should last no more than five minutes each. You may always arrange for a longer parent-teacher conference at a different time to discuss your student in more detail.
  • Translation services will be limited and you are welcome to bring your student with you to attend, as needed. 
  • Be mindful of time and prioritize which teachers you would like to conference with since you may not be able to connect with every teacher.

Please be mindful that parking is limited and we recommend parking in the back of the school. For questions about this event, please contact Sarah Eqab at seqab@fcps.edu.  

As always, please let me know if you have any questions and Go Atoms!

Sincerely,

Shawn DeRose, Principal


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Important Dates

September 26 - Teacher Workday (No school for students)

September 29 - Back to School Night, 6-8pm

October 3 - W4 Activities Day

October 3 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting, 6pm

October 5 - No School (Yom Kippur)

October 10 - Staff Development Day (Indigenous Peoples' Day)

October 11-14 - Homecoming Week

October 12 - PSAT/SAT Day

October 15 - Homecoming Dance

October 24 - No School (Diwali)

 

September 26 - Rosh Hashanah (No School for Students): Today, September 26, is a student holiday/professional work day for teachers. Teachers at Annandale are meeting in their teams, preparing for next week’s W4 Activities Day and completing required trainings in MyPDE. It is also Rosh Hashanah, the second day of the two-day celebration of the Jewish New Year. See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.

 

September 29 - Save The Date! Back to School Night: Join us for Back to School Night on Thursday, September 29, from 6:00-8:00pm! Similar to last year, this event will be held outdoors on our stadium field. This is an opportunity for families to interact with their student’s teachers in a meaningful way, and briefly discuss their student’s progress. Students are encouraged to attend with their families, and some translation services will be available. 

 

October 3 - W4 Activities Day: On Monday, October 3, Annandale will host our first W4 Activities Day of the year. Students have an opportunity to attend club meetings or join in on a variety of other activities. Student must register by Tuesday, September 27 for the activity they prefer to attend. Link: bit.ly/AHSactivitiesday

 

October 12 - PSAT/SAT Day: Wednesday, October 12 is PSAT/SAT Day and a 2-hour early release day. All students in Grades 10 and 11 will participate in the PSAT. No registration is required. Seniors who pre-registered will take the SAT. Students in Grade 9 and those seniors not testing will not be in school on October 12. There is no need to contact attendance for these students. Special education students receiving Cat B services will be in school on October 12.


Important Information

FCPS Parent Orchestra: The FCPS Parent Orchestra is beginning its fifth year and is open to all FCPS staff and parents who have a child enrolled in Orchestra or Strings! Classes meet twice a month on Thursdays at Annandale High School from 7:00-8:00pm. We have four levels of Orchestras for all ability levels - from those with no musical experience to those who played through high school! Simply show up with either your personal or your child’s instrument and be ready to learn and play! If you are an FCPS employee, we can provide you with an instrument to use. You can see our tentative class schedule and register here, and learn more about our program here.

 

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.


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Awesome Atoms!

WorkKeys Assessment Success! Last week a group of 65 seniors still in need of Reading and/or Writing verified credit participated in WorkKeys assessments. Approximately 85% of the students testing for writing were able to earn verified credit and approximately 40% earned verified credit for Reading. This means that 39 of our seniors have successfully cleared a hurdle toward their goal of graduation. We are extremely proud of their accomplishment. The English 12 team, as well as Jeff Smith and Chris Bagot, deserve a special thank you for their work preparing these students for the assessments.

 

Chalk4Peace

AHS Celebrates International Day: On September 21, the Just World Club at AHS celebrated the International Day of Peace with our annual Chalk4Peace event, in which students use chalk to write messages advocating for peace.

 

Organic Butcher of McClean Visits Culinary Students: Nick Grossi, from The Organic Butcher of McClean visited our culinary classes to provide a demonstration for students. He demonstrated three different ways of breaking down a whole chicken into 10 different pieces. He also demonstrated different cuts of beef and explained where each cut is located on the animal, as well as appropriate uses of each cut. Mr. Grossi has several years experience as a butcher and is now the head butcher at The Organic Butcher of McClean.

 

Student-Created Lesson Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month: From September 15 to October 15, FCPS recognizes and celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of the members of our community whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Here at Annandale, our Leadership class created a W4 Advisory lesson educating our students on the history and importance of this month-long celebration. They also shared interviews of staff members and students of Hispanic heritage in which they shared their favorite traditions, music, and foods.


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Annandale Students Ride Metrobus Free!

Annandale High School students have the opportunity to ride Metrobus for free in Northern Virginia, along with Fairfax Connector and City of Fairfax CUE. When students sign up for the pass, they will receive a specially designed and programmed SmarTrip card. Get started by completing this application with permission from a parent/guardian. Then, turn the form in to Jewad Abdulhadi in Student Services and you're good to go! Here is the link for more information: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/student-pass/pilot

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Support Annandale Booster Organizations!

Gear up with Official Atoms Spiritwear: Gear up for another action-packed season with official Atoms gear. You can dress in team-spirited garb on game day and every day with the largest selection of Annandale Atoms apparel at the official Atoms Store. Cheer on your Atoms with t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and more. Our online Shop has items for any occasion. Visit spiritwear.atomsboosters.org to see the latest Atoms gear.

 

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 Student Services

Check out the latest information from the Student Services Department in their weekly newsletter. The newsletter provides important information, important dates, news from the college & career center and class news.

 

Thursday College Application Workshops: Every Thursday from 3:00-4:00pm in Room 90 (near the Cafeteria), Counselors and AVID students will be assisting students with various topics: Making a College List; Transcript Request Form; Common App; Recommendation Requests. Students are welcome to drop in with questions about any aspect of the process. 

 

Transcript Requests for College Applications & Scholarships: Seniors need to request official high school transcripts one month prior to application deadlines. For example, if a college application is due on November 1, the Transcript Request Form is due on October 1. We will be receiving a very high volume of requests in the coming months, and our Student Services staff needs adequate time to process them. Early Action and Early Decision application deadlines are quickly approaching. For step-by-step instructions and forms for submitting Transcript Requests, go to the AHS College & Career Google site.

 

College Rep Visits: Admission representatives will be visiting AHS from September to November. To view the full list of scheduled visits and to reserve your spot (required), go to https://tinyurl.com/AHS-CollegeVisits. This list will be updated periodically, so be sure to check back for added visits. Prior to a visit, please ask your teacher for permission to leave class. Upcoming College Rep Visits for the first two weeks in September are listed below. Space is limited so register for a visit at least 24 hours in advance.

Vanderbilt University

Tues, 9/27

10:30 AM

Clausen Hall

Washington & Jefferson 

Tues, 9/27

11:30 AM

College & Career Center

Seton Hall University

Tues, 9/27

12:00 PM

College & Career Center

University of Minnesota

Tues, 9/27

12:30 PM

College & Career Center

George Washington Univ

Wed, 9/28

9:30 AM

Clausen Hall

St. Mary’s College of MD

Fri, 9/30

9:00 AM

College & Career Center

Bowie State University

Fri, 9/30

10:00 AM

Clausen Hall

Georgetown University

Fri, 9/30

12:00 PM

Clausen Hall


News from the Activities Office

Check out the latest information from the Activities Office in their weekly newsletter. In addition, learn more about Annandale High School Athletics and Activities by visiting their website or the AHS Athletics Twitter page. Please email Brandon Sutphin if you have any questions.

 

October 3 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting: The October Atoms Booster Club general membership meeting will be held on Monday, October 3 at 6:00pm at Annandale High School. Please join us as continue working to support the student-athletes of Annandale High School. #GoAtoms

 

This Week’s Schedule: 

Monday, September 26

9:00am - National District Golf Tournament at Greendale Golf Course

Tuesday, September 27

5/6/7:30pm - Fr/JV/V Volleyball at John R. Lewis HS

6:00pm - JV Football at John R. Lewis HS

6:15/7:30pm - JV/V Field Hockey vs Falls Church

Wednesday, September 28

5/6/7:15pm - Fr/JV/V Volleyball at Edison

Thursday, September 29

5:00 pm - Cross Country vs Hayfield at Mason District Park

Friday, September 30

7:00pm - V Football vs Cardoza

Saturday, October 1

8:00am - Band at Annapolis Invitational, Naval Academy


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News from the PTSA

Join the 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 positive difference, be better informed and join your PTSA today by filling out the online Membership Form. For more information about membership visit the Annandale PTSA website.

 

Annandale PTSA Pantry Distribution - Volunteers Needed! The PTSA sponsored AHS Pantry distributes food to AHS students and families in need. This year, we will be distributing on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. See the schedule below. But, we need your help! Please consider volunteering to help on the distribution dates. Sign up here

Pantry Distributions are in Trailer 8 behind school – schedule changes are in bold. Email Norma Foti, AHS PTSA Pantry Coordinator, at pantry@annandalehsptsa.org with questions.

Pantry Distribution Schedule

 

Donate to the Annandale PTSA Pantry: Donations are always welcome and tax deductible. To make a monetary donation, please click 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. See below for our wishlist. Contact Norma Foti, Pantry Coordinator at pantry@annandalehsptsa.org with questions.

Pantry Wish List