Annandale Community Insider - December 18

Holiday Card 2022

 

Annandale Students, Parents and Community:

We have much to be thankful for here at Annandale. I want to take the opportunity as I reflect on the first half of this school year to thank you for all of your support and help throughout. I particularly want to mention the wonderful support from our Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) whose mission enhances all areas of the school. The PTSA does an amazing job of not only supporting Annandale High School, but the entire Annandale community. If you have not done so already, please consider joining the Annandale PTSA.

There are some amazing things happening here at Annandale. Be sure to check out the "Awesome Atoms" section of this week's newsletter for this week's highlights. 

Finally, winter break is an important time for all of us to rest, rejuvenate and reflect - students and staff alike. I hope you enjoy and cherish time with friends and family over the next two weeks. On behalf of the entire Annandale staff, I wish you a safe and relaxing winter break. We look forward to welcoming back our students on January 3, 2022.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Shawn DeRose, Principal


c

Important Dates

December 19-30 - Winter Break

January 2 - New Year’s Day Observed (No School)

January 11 - Rising 9th Grade Open House, 6pm

January 16 - Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday (No School)

January 20-21 - Winter Musical, Firebringer 

January 25 - 2 Hour Early Release (End of the 2nd Quarter)

January 26-27 - Student Holiday

 

January 11 - Rising 9th Grade Open House, 6pm: On January 11 from 6-8pm Annandale High School will host an Open House for our rising 9th grade students and families to learn more about what high school at Annandale is all about! We will offer short optional sessions on our various Annandale programs, and teachers will be in their classrooms throughout the evening to share all about our core and elective courses for 9th graders.

The goal is for students and parents to leave this event excited about all the opportunities our students will have as an Annandale Atom! Breakout Sessions on the following topics will be offered throughout the evening: Welcome to Annandale, Course Request 101; IB/MYP Program; Activities and Athletics; English for Speakers of Other Languages Program; Special Education Office and Math Course Placement. If you have any questions, please contact Erik Healey.


c

a

Awesome Atoms!

Over 80 Students Earn IB Middle Years Programme Certificate: Congratulations to the more than 80 students who have earned the FCPS International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Certificate. Their commitment to the IB tenets of global-mindedness, critical thinking, service, and reflection represents the very best of who we send out into the world beyond Annandale High School. 

 

Building Improvements Underway: Annandale continues to invest in upgrading the facility and campus. This past week, we began painting the performing arts and front hallways. The project should be completed over winter break. Shoutout to the FCPS painting crew and the Annandale custodians for ensuring our building is clean and beautiful. In addition, 13 additional security cameras were also installed throughout the building. Special thanks to the FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Dr. Ricardy Anderson, School Board Member, for supporting this initiative.

 

Annual Holiday Toy Giveaway - Annandale Parent Liaisons, Gisela Sanchez and Rosario Carrasco, led our yearly tradition of providing toys, gifts, food, and coats to over 100 Annandale students and families. Special thanks to the PTSA and Annandale staff for donating items for this event.

 

#Winning4giving Competition Winners: A huge thank you to Mr. Henceroth’s marketing students for leading a school-wide food drive to benefit the AHS PTSA Pantry. Shoutout to all students who brought items into their W4 class and thank you to W4 teachers who entered the donations into the form. Congratulations to the winning W4 classes who collected the most items. They will be recognized with a donut breakfast when we return from break. The winners are Ms. Lockwood’s class who collected 27 items, Ms. Nguyen’s class who collected 31, Mr. Henceroth’s class with 42 items, Ms. Kline’s class with 65 items,  and Ms. Boothe’s class with 158 items!

 

Annandale Choirs Winter Concert “Gaudete” was a Huge Success! On Tuesday, December 13, the choirs at Annandale HS presented an eclectic mix of holiday favorites to a crowd of over 500 in Watson Auditorium. Atom Chorale, Men’s Chorale, Chamber and Annandale Singers performed with excellence and great poise. The choirs were accompanied by Mrs. Workman on the piano, Mrs. Ray on the harp, Ms. Crowley on flute and the AHS Percussion Ensemble. And the highlight of the night was our special guest who dressed up like the Grinch – our own Mr. DeRose!

 

Deck the Doors Competition Winners: Congratulations to the winners of our annual Deck the Doors Competition sponsored by our Student Leadership Class. Ms. Pappas’ class won Best Overall for their door featuring a three-dimensional santa climbing house, Runners up were Ms. Hogan and Ms. Sharp’s class for their winter character mash-up scene. Our Attendance Support Team earned Most Creative with their interactive Santa’s List. All participants brought spirit and creativity to the hallways of the school. Thank you to all the W4 classes who participated. We have loved seeing the students work together in this creative pursuit to get us in the holiday spirit. There were some amazing entries.

 

Culinary Program Holds First Annual Gingerbread House Competition: Students in the Annandale Culinary program competed against other classes to design, bake, and decorate gingerbread houses. First Place for Most Creative and Best Overall went to “Nintendo” from Period 1. Special thanks to staff who enjoyed judging the delicious competition.


b

gc

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.


Important Information

Assignments Over Winter Break: We hope you are able to spend the holiday resting and rejuvenating in your favorite ways. In support of this, teachers will not assign homework, projects, or papers over breaks, and refrain will 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 clarification and information.

 

Winter Break Office Hours: The Annandale administrative offices will be closed from Monday, December 19 through Monday, January 2. Offices will re-open on Monday, January 3 at 7:00am.

 

SIS Access Limited Over Winter Break: SIS, ParentVUE, and StudentVUE will be unavailable for all users from Friday, December 16 at 5:00pm until Wednesday, December 21 at 6:00am for system updates. Weekly progress reports will not be emailed to parents/guardians during winter break; they will resume Tuesday, January 3.


Opportunities

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 $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.


a

News from the Student 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.

 

Atoms Athletics Highlights: Boys basketball saw freshman and JV comes away with victories at John Lewis on Tuesday, while varsity lost an exciting back and forth game with a buzzer beating shot by Andrew Nields to send the game into overtime. The Atoms battled but fell short in overtime. They return home to play defending state champion Hayfield Friday evening (results posted online). Girls basketball made a clean sweep of Lewis on Tuesday evening. Teamwork was the name of the game for all three levels! This program has a bright future so make sure to get out and watch them! 

Indoor Track heads into the holiday break in the right direction with many individuals and relay teams showing strong performances to start the season! They hit the track again in 2023 looking to build on performances that qualified some for the regional meet. Swim/Dive had two strong showings last weekend sweeping both Hayfield and Justice on back to back evenings! They have one final meet Friday evening vs Lewis (results posted online). Gymnastics continues to improve on the mat. Their meet this week held the highest team total in sometime on floor routines! They have some time off before getting back on the mat in 2023.

 

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, December 20

F/JV/Varsity Boys Basketball vs Yorktown - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

Tuesday, December 27

Varsity Boys Basketball vs Green Run at George Long Holiday Tournament @ Wakefield - 4:30pm

Wednesday, December 28

Varsity Boys Basketball vs TBD at George Long Holiday Tournament @ Wakefield - TBD

Varsity Girls Basketball vs TBD @ 695 Hoops Tournament

Thursday, December 29

Varsity Boys Basketball vs TBD at George Long Holiday Tournament @ Wakefield - TBD

Varsity Girls Basketball vs TBD @ 695 Hoops Tournament

Wrestling @ Woodbridge 10:00am

Friday, December 30

Wrestling @ Woodbridge 10:00am


v

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.

 

Course Selection Dates for 2023-2024 School Year: When we return from Winter Break, we will begin the course selection process. Below is the timeline of course selection by grade level.

  • January 9-19: Juniors meet with Counselors
  • January 10 - February 3: Sophomores meet with Counselors
  • February 3-17: Freshmen meet with Counselors
  • February 24: Final deadline to change course requests

 

Transcript Requests for College Applications & Scholarships: Seniors need to request official high school transcripts one month prior to application deadlines. 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.

 

February 1 - 2023 Gap Year Fair for Students and Families: FCPS School Counseling Services and Go Overseas are co-hosting the annual FCPS Gap Year Fair on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at West Springfield High School from 6:30 to 9:00pm. This event is for high school students and parents who are interested in learning more about the growing array of gap year opportunities. Students are encouraged to pre-register for this event. For more information, visit USA Gap Year Fairs or FCPS Gap Year Fair, or contact Pamela White, Special Projects Liaison, at pcwhite@fcps.edu or 571-423-4431.


m