Annandale Community Insider - January 8

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Annandale Students, Families, and Community:

As an IB World School, Annandale High School teaches our students to think critically, be global-minded citizens, pursue learning beyond our classrooms, and serve our communities. In addition, our vision that Annandale is a community that finds strength in diversity, fosters belonging, and inspires lifelong learning guides all of our work. Recently, we held two events honoring our IB students that clearly represented our vision in action.

In December, we celebrated 80 of our juniors who earned the FCPS IB Middle Years Programme certificate. At this event, we heard from Galilea Sejas-Machado, a 2019 AHS IB Diploma graduate and class of 2023 GMU Honors College student. Galilea shared how her experiences in the diploma program set her up for success in college. As an active member of the George Mason community, she shared with students the importance of community involvement and encouraged them to continue service. She also reminded students to surround themselves with those who support their success. 

This past week, we held our IB Certificate Ceremony for our Class of 2022 graduates. Sophomores in Advanced Chemistry and junior IB Diploma candidates attended the event. It was inspiring to see nearly 40 of our graduates gather on our stage as they shared their IB experiences to an audience of students and families. The students then heard from McClain Herman, IB English teacher, and Class of 2022 IB Diploma student, Anna Delaney, who currently attends the University of Delaware. Anna shared how the IB Diploma and the staff at Annandale prepared her for success in college. 

Students at both of these events shared that the IB Diploma experience was challenging. Those who pursue the IB Diploma navigate a rigorous path, balancing intensive course work with community service and extracurricular experiences. But what was also clear from what students shared was that they had strong support from their teachers and they were grateful for the ways in which they were set up for success after high school.

We are so proud of our students and all they have accomplished. As always, reach out with any questions you may have. 

Shawn DeRose, Principal


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Important Dates

January 9 - W4 Activities Day

January 11 - Electives Fair

January 11 - Senior Study Hall

January 11 - Rising 9th Grade Open House, 6-8pm

January 12 - Heritage Night Interest Meeting, 3:10pm

January 13 - W4 Check-ins Begin

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

January 17 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm

January 20-21 - Winter Musical, Firebringer 

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

January 26-27 - Student Holiday

February 1 - FCPS Gap Year Fair

 

January 9 - W4 Activities Day, PRIDE Time: Tomorrow, January 9 is our next W4 Activities Day, a time set aside for students to explore clubs and activities and connect with classmates and staff over shared interests. The schedule for the period will remain unchanged. Students received email reminders this weekend with their assignments. Students should be in their W4 classroom by 9:50am and will be released to their activity session at 10:20am. Sessions will begin at 10:27am. If you have any questions, please contact Bryan Harris at bcharris@fcps.edu

 

January 11 - Electives Fair: This year we are bringing back an in-person Electives Fair during PRIDE Time on January 11. Last week during W4, students received information on the format of the Electives Fair and elective offerings. They also selected three electives of interest to visit on the day of the fair. We will have a slightly shortened W4 that day, then hold three sessions for students to attend.

  • W4 Lesson - 9:50-10:15
  • Session 1 - 10:20-10:35
  • Session 2 - 10:40-10:55
  • Session 3 - 11:00-11:15

 

January 11 - Senior Study Hall: While underclassmen are participating in the electives fair, seniors will be assigned to a study hall to complete assignments or make up an assessment. Last week, we asked teachers of seniors who have an F to conference individually with each of those students and let them know what they need to do to improve their grade. Teachers are collecting this information which the school will use to email the student and their family to ensure that everyone is clear on the actions the student needs to take to improve prior to the semester deadline. 

 

January 11 - Rising 9th Grade Open House, 6pm: On Wednesday, 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 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 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.

 

January 13 - Check-ins in W4 Begin: The social and emotional wellness of our students continue to be a priority at Annandale. Similar to last year, teachers will be conducting one-on-one check-ins with students in their advisory (W4) class beginning later this week. These conversations are another opportunity to build a caring and trusting environment for all students, cultivate positive relationships, and identify student needs. The W4 lesson on January 5 asked students to reflect in order to prepare them for their check-in.


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Awesome Atoms!

Orchestra Teacher Annie Ray is Guest Performer and Presenter at International Midwest Band and Orchestra Convention: Annie was both a guest performer with the Spring ISD Alumni Band and presented "The Sounds of Success" at the International Midwest Band and Orchestra Convention over the Winter Break. The presentation drew from her TEDx Talk which is based on the Crescendo (CAT B) Orchestra program. In her presentation she shared the lessons this program has to offer about meeting all students where they are.

 

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Annandale Student Filimon Meaza Celebrates nearly 2 Years of Podcasting: Filimon started his own podcast his Sophomore year of high school called The Brief Dive. Now in his Senior year, Filimon’s podcast has hosted guest speakers such as Professor at Louisiana Tech, Craig Van Slyke, and Custom Mobile CEO, John Lee. The Brief Dive offers teens and their parents short informative episodes that focus on topics revolving around teen mental health. The goal of this podcast is to provide a place where teens can learn more about the issues they may be dealing with and to know they’re not alone. Filimon draws upon his own experiences to engage listeners and provide them with suggestions on how to deal with the various issues they may be facing. In an issue of the A-Blast, Filimon shared his motivation, “Mental health is not an easy subject to shed light on. I would like to make it easier for teenagers to open up to others and seek help.”


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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

SEL Screener Reports Mailed Home in January: FCPS recently mailed the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener reports to families. As you receive these reports, consider using the Family Guide to talk with your student about their results. There will be another SEL Screener window in March, tentatively scheduled for March 9. 

 

High School Academy Open Houses: FCPS high school academies will hold open houses for interested students beginning in mid-January. A high school academy is a center within a high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses that can prepare students for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Students enrolling in Academy elective courses will be provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of career experiences including shadowing, mentoring, and/or internships with local businesses. Click here to learn more and find the calendar of Academy Open Houses.

 

Free Live Tutoring Service Available to all Annandale Students: 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.


Opportunities

January 12 - Annandale 2023 Heritage Night Interest Meeting: Annandale’s Leadership Class is excited to start planning our 2023 Heritage Night. Please see the following dates and information about Heritage Night below. 

January 12: Heritage Night Interest Meeting (Mandatory): 3:10-3:45pm in Cafeteria 

February 1: Heritage Night Practice: 3:15-4:45pm in Cafeteria 

February 7: Heritage Night Practice: 3:15-4:45pm in Cafeteria

February 21: Heritage Night Practice: 3:15-4:45pm in Cafeteria

March 2: Heritage Night Dress Rehearsal: 1:00-5:00pm in Auditorium

March 10: Heritage Night 7pm in Auditorium

 

Annandale Baseball Host Weekly Winter Clinics: The Annandale Baseball program will host their first of five (5) Sunday winter clinic sessions beginning January 15. Each week, the camp focuses on fundamentals and is instructed by the coaching staff and players. The first three camps focus on throwing/fielding. The next two will focus on hitting. The clinics cost $25 per session or all five for $120 and are open to K-8th grade students. For more information contact Coach Bagot at 703-901-4954 or cabagot@fcps.edu.  Register for Sunday Skills Camp here.

 

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, 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.

 

March 6 - Preparing for Difficult Conversations about Drugs Presentation, 6-8pm: FCPS is dedicated to providing parents and community members with the most accurate and up-to-date information on youth substance use, prevention, addiction, interventions and available supports. Please join us and our partners from the Fairfax County Police Department and Community Services Board on Monday, March 6 from 6-8pm in the Annandale High School Library as we share knowledge and information that will help parents and caregivers engage in meaningful conversations with their students about drugs.


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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.

 

Highlights from the Activities Office: Our first week back from winter break saw our basketball programs, as well as wrestling, get their regular season going again. Gymnastics, indoor track, and swim/dive see their first action start this upcoming week. 

Boys basketball had a successful week vs rivals Falls Church and Justice. Varsity boys held on to a nail biter vs Falls Church on Tuesday but came out on fire and win by a comfortable margin vs Justice on Thursday. Two more district games highlight the upcoming week. Girls Basketball continues to improve as they battled hard in their two games. The scores of each contest do not represent how close the games actually were. Girls follow the same schedule as the boys and have two district games this week but start the week at Meridian. Varsity Wrestling had a tri-match Wednesday evening at Edison. The Grappling Atoms fell to defending district champion Edison but came back strong in their second match, winning convincingly over Thomas Jefferson. They hit the mat again with JV and Varsity having two matches a piece this upcoming week.

 

January 20-21 - Winter Musical, Firebringer: Tickets are now on sale! Click here! Description of the musical: At the dawn of humanity, one tribe of cave-people survives the many trials of prehistoric life, but one member of the tribe doesn't seem to fit in. Join us on a comedic musical journey of love, discovery, acceptance, and some… out of this world surprises. Rated PG-13 for mature content. 

 

This Week:

Monday, January 9

JV Wrestling Jamboree (Upstairs Gym) - 6:00pm

Varsity Girls Basketball @ Meridian - 6:00pm

Gymnastics @ Falls Church - 6:00pm

Tuesday, January 10

F/JV/Varsity Boys vs Thomas Jefferson - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

F/JV/Varsity Girls @ Thomas Jefferson - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

Wednesday, January 11

Varsity Wrestling (Upstairs Gym) - 6:00pm

Rising 9th Grade Night - 6:00-8:00pm

Thursday, January 12

JV Wrestling @ Hayfield - 6:00pm

Friday, January 13

F/JV/Varsity Girls vs Mount Vernon - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

F/JV/Varsity Boys @ Mount Vernon - 4:30/5:45/7:30pm

Swim/Dive @ Audrey Moore - 8:30pm

Saturday, January 14

Swim/Dive @ Audrey Moore (SENIOR NIGHT) - 6:00pm

Indoor Track @ Thomas Jefferson Middle School

Varsity Wrestling @ Freedom South Riding - 9:00am


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.

 

January 9 - Academic Advising Begins: Our counselors will meet one-on-one with students through their English classes beginning on Monday, January 9th. We begin by meeting with our rising seniors and then will work through the other grade levels over the next several weeks. Students will be sent an email with their appointment time the weekend before they are scheduled to meet with their counselor. As always, students and families can get more information about course selection on our Academic Advising website. 

 

January 12 - Scholarship Help with College Access Fairfax: Are you interested in learning more about what scholarships are out there and how to apply? Please join us in room 90 (Ms. Wells' room) on Thursday, January 12 from 3:00-4:00pm to hear from our financial aid champions from College Access Fairfax! The financial aid champion will talk about finding scholarships, and how to apply for these scholarships! Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn about how to get FREE money to pay for college!

 

Course Selection Dates for 2023-2024 School Year: This week, we will begin the course selection process. Below is the timeline of course selection by grade level. This year we will be bringing back an in-person Electives Fair during PRIDE Time on January 11. In the meantime, students and parents can check out videos from last year to learn more about elective course offerings at Annandale High School.  

  • 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.


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News from the PTSA

January 17 - PTSA Meeting: Our next PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, January 17 at 7:00pm in the library. Spanish translation will be available. We encourage everyone to attend in person. The meeting will also be available virtually through WebEx. The link will be active 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. Also, if you have not done so already, please consider joining the PTSA by filling out the online Membership Form. For more information about membership visit the Annandale PTSA website.

 

Annandale PTSA Pantry Needs Help Restocking! We need help restocking regularly. Please consider donating, every donation helps. Visit the pantry website here to learn more and about ways to donate.