Annandale Community Insider - November 20

Annandale Students, Families, and Community:

This week, I had many opportunities to celebrate and learn from our students. On Tuesday, we hosted the Principal’s Focus Group. As part of FCPS’s Strategic Plan development, principals have been meeting with small groups of students to learn about their school experience and how we can get better. I enjoyed spending lunch with several of our students from across the school, and hearing their ideas. Over and over again, students expressed that strong relationships with their teachers and other staff members help them feel connected to school. They also shared that their teachers go above and beyond, working outside of class time to ensure the success of all students. As usual, the top of the list for things to improve: lunch!

On Friday, we celebrated our students of the month with a Chick-fil-A breakfast. Each month, Annandale teachers nominate one student who exemplifies one of our Atoms Agreements of Empathy, Determination, and Safety. Once we have our teacher nominations, we remove the names of the nominees, and ask our Leadership students to select winners based on how much the nominations demonstrate our Atoms Agreement. This month our focus was Determination. Through this process, nine (9) students were selected as our Students of the Month. I am so proud of these students and congratulate them for being selected as exemplary citizens of Atom Nation.

This weekend, the Annandale Theater Company put on a spectacular performance of Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts. Over 50 students worked hard over the past several months to prepare for the show, and their efforts and determination were evident in this weekend’s performance. There were even some guest appearances from Annandale staff members!

I am so proud of the amazing work out students and staff have been doing. As we approach Thanksgiving break, we will continue our tradition of allowing everyone to relax and refresh over holiday breaks. Teachers will not assign homework, projects, or papers over breaks, and refrain from assigning any major assessments or project due dates on the first two days back. We want our staff and students to enjoy a mental wellness break and have time to safely connect with family and friends this Thanksgiving holiday. To that end, you may find this Playtime, Downtime, and Family Time for teenagers a valuable resource.

Everything we do at Annandale is because you give us the tremendous privilege of educating your students. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of their growth and learning.

Have a great week, Atom Nation.

Sincerely,

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Important Dates

November 23-25 - Thanksgiving Holiday

November 29 - Superintendent Community Conversations

November 29 - PISA Testing

December 8 - Bodhi Day

December 19-30 - Winter Break

January 1 - New Year’s Day

November 23-25 - Thanksgiving Break: At Annandale, we hope you are able to spend the holiday break resting and rejuvenating in your favorite ways. In support of this, teachers will not assign homework, projects, or papers over breaks, and refrain from assigning any major assessments or project due dates on the first two days back. If you have questions regarding specific assignments in a particular class, we always encourage students and families to reach out directly to their teachers for information and clarification.

November 29 - PISA Testing: We will be administering the PISA-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Test for Schools after the Thanksgiving holiday. The OECD Test for Schools measures 15-year-olds’ skills and creative application of knowledge in reading, mathematics, and science using real world problems to generate data for the School Board and to help drive continuous improvement within the school. A group of 85 students have been selected to participate in this assessment with an additional 20 students who will serve as alternates. 

November 29 - Superintendent Community Conversations: Annandale Pyramid, 6:30-7:30pm:  Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid is hosting Superintendent Community Conversations across the division this fall to get to know our communities. On Tuesday, November 29, Dr. Reid will be at Annandale from 6:30-7:30pm. Interpretation services, child care, and light refreshments will be provided. Register here.

Donate Gift Cards for AHS Staff

At events throughout the year, we recognize staff who go above and beyond with gift cards donated by community members at the beginning of the year. It has been a huge hit and I am requesting your help again since we are not permitted to use any kind of FCPS funds, local or otherwise, for this purpose. It is amazing how much a $5 or $10 gift card is appreciated. If you are so inclined, please feel free to drop them off at the main office or place them in the mail. Attention: Jen Buchanan. It can be for any business you want to support, in any amount. Nothing is too small.

FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards - Nomination Deadline Extended!

We believe that our staff is truly unparalleled, and that the work we do for our students deserves celebration and recognition beyond our building. Each year, FCPS looks to honor several staff members for outstanding excellence in their roles, including Outstanding Teacher, New Teacher, Leader, Professional Employee, Operational Employee and Principal. We both appreciate and welcome nominations from families and other members of our community. 

To nominate an Annandale staff member, please complete the AHS Outstanding Employee Nomination Form. Nominations have been extended to Sunday, November 27. Contact Melissa Smith, Dean of Students, with any questions.

Important Information

Class of 2023 Graduation Ceremony Update: The Class of 2023 Graduation Ceremony will be held on Monday, June 5. The rain date will be Tuesday, June 6. Detailed information coming soon!

December 19-21 - Winter Olympics Camp: Annandale High School will be leading a 3-day Winter Olympics Camp at Poe Middle School during Winter Break. Camp will be held Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 8:30am-3:00pm. Cost is $75 if you sign up by December 1. After December 1, the cost will go up to $100.  Payment will be accepted during drop off on the first day. Sign up for Winter Olympics Camp here.

Sundays in January & February - Baseball Skills Camp: Annandale Baseball is once again hosting their Sunday Skills camps starting in January. Sign up for Sunday Skills Camp here. Cost is $120 for all camps or $25 each.

Free Live Tutoring Service Available to all Annandale Students: To support our students with a strong start to the second quarter, we are using W4 to equip them with strategies they can use for their continued learning. Our Atoms Agreement of Determination means that we try, even when it is difficult; do our best; are present and engaged; show up on time; and create goals and strive to achieve them. 

To support students in demonstrating Determination, a recent W4 lesson shared detailed information about ways students can take control of their own learning, including preparing for retakes and accessing supports such as Tutor.com. We will continue to use W4 lessons to build students skills around self-advocacy and determination. Click here to learn more.

FCPS Adopts Two-Way Messaging App TalkingPoints: FCPS has recently adopted TalkingPoints, a two-way messaging app that allows parents and caregivers to communicate with teachers and schools. Look for messages from your child’s school on how they are implementing the app. For more information, visit the FCPS TalkingPoints webpage. The app translates messages, so teachers can input messages in English and parents can respond in their preferred language. TalkingPoints supports 125 languages, making it easier and faster for our FCPS families to connect with their schools. If you need to update your preferred correspondence language, contact the main office.

Opportunities

November 30 - Last chance for Senior Pictures: There is one last chance to take senior pictures on November 30 after school in the library! Follow these steps to register: Go to the scheduling website, scroll down to “View” and select your sitting level - details of each sitting level are there for you to review. Then, select the date and time you prefer. Click “Continue” and enter your information. If applicable, select the “Pay Now” or “Pay with PayPal” (please note that there is a free option that allows you to just take your yearbook picture). You will receive a confirmation at the email provided.

December 3 - Annandale Hosts IEP Palooza: Fairfax County SEPTA and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are excited to invite parents, older students, FCPS staff, and others to two free special events at Annandale High School on Saturday, December 3. IEP Palooza will educate attendees about special education by presenting a simulated Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting. Guests can also attend breakout sessions about different components of an IEP. A Community Resource Fair will happen at the same time, giving attendees the opportunity to learn about valuable community programs and resources related to Medicaid Waivers, disability services, respite care, health care, case management, and adjustment for newcomers.  CE credits are available for FCPS Staff. Click here to register.

Awesome Atoms!

W4 Activities Day Creates Connection to AHS! We held our second W4 Activities Day last Monday. It was so fun to see students connect with each other and staff through activities such as making slime, playing games and sports, learning Japanese, creating watercolor paintings, or just relaxing. Very few other schools the size of Annandale manage to organize an event like this, which we will offer once a month. A huge thank you to our Activities Department for taking on this complex planning! Our next W4 Activities Day will be on Monday, December 5. We look forward to continuing to embed opportunities for our students to deepen their sense of connection and belonging at school.

AVID Students Tour Two Virginia Colleges: Annandale AVID students in Grades 10-12 took a field trip to Old Dominion University and the College of William and Mary last week. There, the students had an opportunity to explore the campuses with tour guides, learn about opportunities available at each campus, and get a taste of the college experience.

Annandale High School Awarded Two Educate Fairfax Teacher Grants! Educate Fairfax and FCPS have awarded 52 grants totaling more than $82,000 in grades K-12 across the county! These grants fund innovative classroom initiatives that focus on developing career-connected experiences for students. These projects enable students to reinforce and deepen their classroom learning, explore future career fields, and demonstrate their acquired Portrait of a Graduate (POG) skills. Annandale Teachers were awarded two grants. The first will support the PACE Independent Living Skills Lab, which provides daily access for intellectually disabled students ages 18 to 22 at Annandale to become more independent citizens and learn basic job functions. The other will provide students the opportunity to visit the Nova Medical Education campus, where students will gain hands-on experience and learn how to launch their future Medical Careers.

Annandale Students Featured in FCPS Digital Citizenship Week Video: Annandale students shared their ideas about Digital Citizenship in a video created by FCPS in celebration of Digital Citizenship Week. Check out the video on Instagram! 

Annandale Campus Upgrades

Annandale to Receive Stadium Restroom Facility: The FCPS School Board voted to approve funding for the installation of permanent restrooms at 15 FCPS high school stadiums, including Annandale High School, that currently rely on port-a-potties for student, athlete, and community use. As part of the FY22 Year End Budget, permanent restrooms will be installed at Annandale High School’s stadium. Thanks to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and our FCPS Athletic Booster Presidents for their efforts to provide all of our high schools with plumbed restrooms at our athletic stadiums. The phased installation of the bathroom facilities is slated to start by early 2024 and finish in summer 2025.

Annandale Selected for Solar Rooftop Pilot Project: Annandale High School has been selected as FCPS’s first rooftop solar power installation. Since June, FCPS has worked with IpSun Solar to develop a proposal as part of a Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between Fairfax County, FCPS, Housing & Community Development, and the Park Authority. The School Board approved the implementation of the solar power purchase program. Installation will begin in late 2023 or early 2024.

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.

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 25, the Transcript Request Form is due on October 25. 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.

Fridays During Lunch - FAFSA/VASA Help! Need help filling out the FAFSA or VASA? Every Friday our Financial Aid Champion, Ms. Mahieu will be offering FAFSA and VASA help to students during their lunch period. If you are interested in registering for an appointment during your lunch period please email Ms. Wells at lcwells@fcps.edu or Mr. Yeagley at Byeagley@fcps.edu so they can schedule the appointment for you. Please be sure you include the Friday you would like to come in, as well as what lunch you have that day. You can also email Ms. Mahieu directly with questions about the FAFSA/VASA or to schedule a virtual or in person meeting with Ms. Mahieu. She can be reached at kmahieu@fcps.edu. 

Early Online College-Spring Session: Early Online College (EOC) allows current high school juniors or seniors the opportunity to take up to two tuition free college courses. EOC courses for the spring semester begin on January 31, 2023, and end on April 24, 2023. Courses are for college credit only and designed to jumpstart students' college experience. These courses were selected because they meet the requirements for most of NOVA’s associate degrees as well as being highly transferable as general education requirements for most colleges and universities. For more information, contact NOVA’s Office of Dual Enrollment at dualenrollment@nvcc.edu. Applications are due by December 31.

News from the Activities Office

It was an exciting first week of winter sports at Annandale. We had over 250 student-athletes tryout for multiple teams and we expect close to 100 more tomorrow when Indoor Track begins. We are looking forward to a competitive winter season and encourage the Annandale community to come out and support our hard working teams and coaches!

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.

This Week:

Monday, November 21

No Events

Tuesday, November 22

Wrestling Scrimmage - Upstairs Gym - 6:00pm 

F/JV/V Boys Basketball scrimmage vs McLean - 4:30/5:45/7:15pm

JV/V Girls Basketball @ Gar-Field - 5:30/7:00pm

Wednesday, November 23

No Events

Thursday, November 24

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Friday, November 25

No Events

Saturday, November 26

F/JV/V Boys Basketball scrimmage vs Langley - 9:00/10:15/11:30am

News from the PTSA

Annandale PTSA Pantry Needs Help Restocking! Below is a photo of our shelves before and after each distribution. We need help restocking regularly. Please consider donating, every donation helps. Visit the pantry website here to learn more and about ways to donate.

Support Annandale Booster Organizations!

Gear up with Official Atoms Spirit Wear: 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 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.