Annandale Community Insider - October 2

Annandale Students, Families, and Community:

Once again, Back to School Night was a tremendous success! The event was held on our stadium field, with many of our families joining us for conversations with teachers and staff. Many parents shared with me how grateful they were for the opportunity to meet with teachers and learn about ways they can support their students moving forward. I often say that Back to School Night is the most important event of the year next to graduation. This night highlights the ways we work together to support all of our students. Thank you to all who were able to attend! If you were not able to attend, please feel free to reach out to any of your student’s teachers for information about how they are progressing.

On Monday, we will hold our first W4 activities Day. We are excited to offer this experience for our students and look forward to increasing the ways to help our students feel connected to school. Last week, students had an opportunity to select their preference for this day. Assignments were made based on space, interest, and priority was given to students who do not have any tardies. Students received an email on Friday with their assignment for tomorrow. 

Finally, this Thursday, October 6, we will begin PRIDE Time. To support our students’ diverse academic needs, students were assigned to either an Intervention PRIDE Time or a Study Hall PRIDE Time. Students will be able to view their PRIDE Time assignment in StudentVue as their period 11 class by Wednesday. Please ask your student about their PRIDE Time assignment and how they are using this time to their advantage.

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

Sincerely,

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Important Dates

October 3 - W4 Activities Day

October 3 - Atoms Booster Club Meeting, 6pm

October 5 - No School (Yom Kippur)

October 6 - PRIDE Time Begins

October 6 - Underclassmen Makeup Pictures

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

October 11-14 - Homecoming Week

October 12 - PSAT/SAT Day (2hr Early Release)

October 15 - Homecoming Dance

October 16 - FCPS College Fair

October 18 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm

October 19 - SEL Screener

October 24 - No School (Diwali)

October 28 - End of 1st Quarter

October 31 - Teacher Workday (Student Holiday)

October 3 - W4 Activities Day: On Monday, October 3, Annandale will host our first W4 Activities Day of the year. Students will have an opportunity to attend club meetings or join in on a variety of other activities. Prior to this day, students had an opportunity to select their preferences. On Friday, students received an email informing them of their assigned location based on those preferences. We are excited to offer this experience for our students and look forward to offering more ways to help our students feel connected to school.

October 5 - Yom Kippur: The holiest day in Judaism is Yom Kippur. To mark this day, which begins at sundown on Tuesday, October 4, Tuesday is noted as a half religious/cultural observance date on the FCPS calendar. Tzom kal to those who are observing.

October 6 - PRIDE Time Begins: On Thursday, October 6, PRIDE Time begins. To support our students’ diverse academic needs, students were assigned to either an Intervention PRIDE Time or a Study Hall PRIDE Time. Students will be able to view their PRIDE Time assignment 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.

October 6 - Underclassmen Make-Up Pictures: Underclassmen make-up pictures will be held in the dance room at the back of the upstairs gym on Thursday, October 6. Students should request a pass from a teacher that day to take their picture during the day. Students are encouraged to do so during W4 when possible.

October 12 - PSAT/SAT Day: Wednesday, October 12 is PSAT/SAT Day and a 2-hour early release. See below for important information about this day.

Adjusted Schedules for Wednesday, October 12

Annandale High School is hosting a PSAT and SAT School Day on Wednesday, October 12. Students in grades 10-12 will be participating in these exams, and all students will see a change to their schedules on October 12, as follows:

• Annandale High School will have a 2-hour early release.
• Academy classes and shuttles are canceled. 

Grade 9 - Catch Up Day: Students in Grade 9 and seniors who are not taking the SAT Test will not be in school on October 12. Instead, students should use this time to work on any outstanding assignments.

Grades 10 and 11 - PSAT School Day: All students in Grades 10 and 11 will participate in the PSAT. No registration is required. The test is offered at no cost to families. All FCPS students have access to Khan Academy’s free online test preparation, whether they are taking the PSAT for the first time or preparing for eleventh grade National Merit Scholarship Qualification. The Khan Academy online curriculum is customized for students based on any previous PSAT or SAT scores. In addition, the website offers general test preparation tips for students. 

Grade 12 - SAT School Day: Grade 12 students who registered will have the opportunity to take the SAT. FCPS will cover the cost for any twelfth grade student to take this test. General information about the SAT School Day test format is available on the College Board webpage. If you have questions about the SAT School Day administration at Annandale High School, please contact Brian Yeagley at byeagley@fcps.edu. 

CAT B Students - Two Hour Early Release: Students with disabilities taught on an adapted curriculum (Category B) who are not participating in PSAT or SAT exams receive normal in-person instruction for the shortened school day.

Opportunities

Common Sense Education Seeking Youth Advisory Council: Common Sense Education is in search of high schoolers to join their new Youth Advisory Council. This opportunity will serve not just as a resume booster, but also provide real-world experience working in the world of media & tech and offers some pretty cool perks! Apply using a personal email address by October 31.

Important Information

Free Metrobus Pass for Students: 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 you sign up for the pass, you will receive a specially designed and programmed SmarTrip card. Get started by completing the application with permission from a parent/guardian. Then turn the form in to Jewad Abdulhadi in Student Services. Visit the website for more information.

Free/Reduced Meal and Consent to Share Forms: Free and Reduced Meal and Consent to Share forms help us to support our students in a variety of ways at Annandale High School. 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.

On October 11, all students will engage in a W4 lesson that will explain both the Free and Reduced Lunch Meal and Consent to Share forms. Students will come home with both of these forms to be filled out and signed by a parent or guardian. 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.

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.

Awesome Atoms!

Annandale SEALs Attend FCPS Kickoff Celebration: Congratulations to Husna Basiri, Sosan Barakzai, and Jenna Saykhamphone, Annandale’s Student Equity Ambassador Leaders (SEALs). SEALs amplify student voices and provide an increased understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion through leadership development, projects, and relevant experiences of high school students.  This week our SEALs attended the FCPS Kickoff Celebration.

Celebrating Annandale Custodians: Custodian Appreciation Day is October 2. Over the past two years, we have made significant investments in our building. Thanks to our custodians, we all have a clean, safe place to learn, teach, and work. Across the division, Fairfax County Public Schools employs more than 1,300 custodians, field custodians, and building supervisors. Please join us in thanking our custodians for their hard work!

Annandale Students Join Statewide Walkout: This past Tuesday, September 27 roughly 50 students walked out of school to bring awareness to the Governor's Proposed Model Policy. You can check out the WAMU article, ‘Trans rights are human rights’: NoVa students join statewide walkout over Youngkin’s school policy, which features Annandale High School. Annandale Junior, Tanya Dubey, was one of the organizers of the walkout and featured in the article.

Note: FCPS respects the rights of our students to engage in peaceful protest and express their opinions through speech and other ways as long as it is done respectfully, does not interfere with the rights of others, and does not disrupt learning in the school. Annandale is committed to providing an environment where everyone is treated with respect and encouraged to help others. 

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.

October 16 - FCPS College Fair: FCPS along with the Office of Admissions at George Mason University presents the 47th Annual College Fair at Eagle Bank Arena. For more details and registration information, visit the “Look to the Future” website.

College & Career Planning Google Site: We are pleased to announce the new and improved AHS College & Career Planning Google site! The website provides up-to-date information on the college application process; college representative visits; financial aid and FAFSA/VASA workshops; military options; information on apprenticeships; as well as resources for finding a job. The website also provides contact information for our School Counselors, as well as our College and Career Specialist.

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 - New Sign Up Process: College Admission representatives will continue to visit AHS throughout October and November. Effective last week, students will now need to register for all college rep visits through Naviance. Here is the process: 1) Log into Naviance 2) Click on Colleges 3) Click on College Visits 4) Click on “Register Now” next to the visit(s) you would like to attend. 

Students are limited to attending a total of 5 visits, so please only register for the colleges you are highly interested in learning about. *Please note that space is limited for some of these visits and you must register at least 24 hours in advance.

Once registered, students must get a pass from Mr. Yeagley in the College & Career Center (Room 103) after school the day before the visit or before school the morning of the visit and show it to their teacher. Students who do not register through Naviance, get a pass, and/or get permission from their teacher will not be admitted to the college visit. If you have any questions about the process, please contact Brian Yeagley at byeagley@fcps.edu. 

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, October 3

5/6/7:30pm - Fr/JV/V Volleyball at Hayfield HS

Tuesday, October 4

No Events

Wednesday, October 5

No Events

Thursday, October 6

4:45pm - V Field Hockey at Trinity Christian

5/6/7:30pm - Fr/JV/V Volleyball at Falls Church HS

5:00pm - Cross Country vs Falls Church at Mason District Park (Senior Night)

5:30/7:15pm - Fr/JV Football vs Mt. Vernon

Friday, October 7

6/7:30pm - JV/V Field Hockey vs Thomas Jefferson (Senior Night)

7:00pm - V Football @ Mt. Vernon

Saturday, October 8

10:00am - Atomic Cheer Competition at Annandale

News from the PTSA

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.