Annandale Students, Families, and Community:
SOL test results began coming in last week. We are excited to see that we have already exceeded last year’s scores in a number of subgroups before retakes, which begin this week. Our focus continues to be incredibly responsive, targeting the small number of students who still need support to pass the test. Teachers and teams have been pulling small groups during class and supporting students during PRIDE Time and after school through our After School Academic Program (ASAP).
In most of our classes, teachers have shifted their focus to reviewing material to prepare for final exams, which, for seniors, begin this week. End-of-year exams are worth 10% of a students’ grade and are a final opportunity for students to improve their grade in the course. This year, a student’s score on a final exam can only serve to improve the final grade. If the final exam grade does not improve the final grade in the course, it will be excluded in the gradebook.
Saturday kicked off our end-of-year celebrations for our seniors. The class of 2023 hosted Prom at the Fair Oaks Marriott. It was great to see our students dressed up and enjoying themselves on the dance floor. This week, seniors should report to school at 8:10am and attend all of their scheduled classes. On these days, seniors may leave after the last class for which they have an exam. After their R1 exam on Friday, seniors will be dismissed to attend the Senior Picnic at Ossian Hall Park, where they will enjoy a light breakfast and have an opportunity to sign yearbooks. If you don’t have a yearbook yet, it’s not too late! They can be purchased at www.yearbookforever.com or with cash in room 262.
Final exams for underclassmen will be held June 12-16.
Have a great week, Atom Nation. As always, reach out with questions.
Shawn DeRose, Principal
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Class of 2023 Information
We are two weeks away from celebrating the graduating Class of 2023 and we wanted to share important information and dates that will assist seniors, parents and community members in preparing and planning for the end of the school year.
Last week we sent out important information in our latest Class of 2023 Newsletter - May 18. In addition, information is also posted on the Senior Page of the Student Portal (must be logged in to your FCPS Google account).
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Important Dates
May 22 - Rising 9th Grade Activities/Athletics/Clubs Night
May 23 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm
May 24 - Intro to the College Essay Workshop
May 26-27 - Broadway Desserts
May 29 - School Holiday (Memorial Day)
May 30 - Annandale Athletics Next Level Ceremony
May 30 - Annandale Athletics End of the Year Celebration
May 31 - Sports and Band Physicals for the 2023-24 School Year
June 5 - Class of 2023 Graduation
June 16 - Last Day of School (Early Release)
May 22 - Rising 9th Grade Activities/Athletics/Clubs Night: The Activities Office will be hosting an information night for rising 9th grade Activities/Athletics/Clubs Night on May 22 at 6:30pm. During this session, we will share information about the sports/seasons that we offer, how to sign up for a sport, and when try-outs for each sport begin. A coach, director, or student representative for each program will be available to answer any questions.
May 23 - PTSA Meeting: Our final PTSA meeting of the year will be this Tuesday, May 23 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.
May 24 - Intro to the College Essay Workshop: Attention juniors: If you're ready to begin thinking about the college application process, come to the Atoms Writing Center's College Essay Workshop after school on May 24 in Room 274. Learn about the college essay including tips and tricks and begin brainstorming for your own college essay with support from AWC tutors. There’s no need to sign up in advance, just come on by. We hope to see you there!
May 26 and May 27 - Broadway Desserts, 7pm: Broadway Desserts will feature all five of the AHS Choirs performing songs from the stage and is a Broadway Review of sorts. Both group and individual acts will be featured from auditions held earlier in the semester. The students prepare the music, pick their costumes and coordinate their choreography for a fantastic evening of entertainment. Please join us on either Friday, May 26 or Saturday, May 27 at 7:00pm in Watson Auditorium! Purchase your tickets here!
May 31 - Sports and Band Physicals for the 2023-24 School Year: Save the Date! Students who would like to participate in sports or band next year will need a valid VHSL physical dated after May 1, 2023. On May 31 at 6pm we will be hosting Sport and Activity Health Screenings. This physical will be good for all of next school year. There will be a sign-up genius available soon. The cost is $40 pre-registration and $50 dollars walk-in. This is a donation to the Athletic Training Program so that we can continue to provide state of the art care for our athletes and band members. For information about financial assistance for this event, please contact Kathy Ayers.
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End of the Year Calendar 2023
Finish Strong!
End of Year Attendance Requirements: The last day of school for underclass students is Friday, June 16. While SOL testing is coming to an end, there is still much going on in our classrooms. Teachers and teams are continuing to plan high quality instruction that will prepare students to be successful not only on final exams, but in the coming years. In some cases, students are working on certifications or other requirements for graduation. All students are expected to attend school each day to complete these activities and finish the year strong.
The week of June 12-16, school is held from 8:10am-11:25pm. During this time, students will complete their end of course exams. These culminating activities assess students’ mastery of the standards and skills they have been learning throughout the year.
End of Year Attendance Requirements for Seniors: Senior final exams will be held this week, May 22-26. Seniors should report to school at 8:10am and attend all of their scheduled classes. On these days, seniors may leave after the last class for which they have an exam. See below for the complete schedule.
The last day of school for seniors is Friday, May 26. On this day, they will take their R1 final exam. Immediately following the R1 exam, seniors will be released from their last day of school at 9:35am. At that time, members of the Class of 2023 will gather in the Senior parking lot or Ossian Park to enjoy a light breakfast and sign yearbooks. The event will end at 11:30am.
Purpose of Final Exams: According to FCPS policy, “a final examination or appropriate culminating activity, such as a presentation of learning (POL) will be given in all high school courses and must be based on the standards listed in the Program of Studies or other designated curriculum.” At Annandale, the purpose of final exams is to assess students’ mastery of the standards and skills they have been learning throughout the year. Some examples of final exams could be SOL-like progress monitoring assessments, culminating projects, reflective writing, or other demonstrations of learning. Our teachers work together in teams to develop a common final exam that students across the team will take.
Participation Expectations: According to FCPS policy, all students are expected to participate in a final exam for every course, regardless of SOL results. A student who is absent from the final examination or activity will receive a score of "missing" which is equivalent to a 50%.
Approach to Grading Final Exams: At Annandale, final exams are worth 10% of a students’ final grade. According to FCPS policy. Unlike other assessments, students will not have an opportunity to retake a final exam. This year, a student’s score on a final exam can only serve to improve the final grade. If the final exam grade does not improve the final grade in the course, it will be excluded in the gradebook.
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Awesome Atoms!
Thien Phan and Uswa Tariq accepted to Virginia Summer Residential Governor’s Schools! Congratulations to Thien Phan and Uswa Tariq, who participated in a rigorous selection process among high achieving and talented students in the Commonwealth. Thien will be attending Governor’s School for Visual and Performing Art (Instrumental Music) at Radford University. Uswa will be attending Governor’s School for Humanities, also at Radford University. We are proud that Thien and Uswa will be representing Atom Nation.
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Celebrating our English Learner Seniors and Peer Helper: Last week, our ESOL Department celebrated 18 seniors who were nominated by their teachers for the ESOL senior award and our 60 student leaders who supported our Peer Helper program. All the students are poised to be future leaders in the school and broader community! The event was funded by a Community Foundation grant and refreshments were provided by our Culinary Arts program. Congratulations to this group of students who go beyond and help their fellow students.
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Students and their Mentors Celebrate End of Year: Our mentors and mentees got together to celebrate the end of a successful school year. The mentoring program focused on pairing Annandale staff with students to cultivate relationships and support growth.
IB Middle Years Programme Personal Project Spotlight: As part of our work as an IB school, each year our 10th graders complete a personal project through their English classes. For their Personal Project, students select a topic they are interested in learning how to do, make, create, develop, or otherwise pursue, journal about this experience, and write a report. Our current 10th graders have completed their projects and presented them to their classes, and over 40 students were selected by their classmates and teachers to showcase their projects to our 9th graders. This is an opportunity for our 10th grade students to celebrate and showcase their success. Additionally, this opportunity will give 9th graders a preview of the personal project and get more information about MYP at Annandale.
Each week we will feature some of our students’ projects through the Insider. Today’s personal project feature is a student from Ms. Mathis’s English 10 class, Rehana. In her project, Rehana shares: “When I think of Injera, I think of my family in Ethiopia. I remember being a kid. It was my first time in Ethiopia. I woke up to my aunts and cousins gathered eating fir fir with Injera on a communal plate. I wondered why they were all eating from this big plate with the same Injera. I later grew up to learn that it is a tradition that shows their relation, closeness, and love. So I chose to make my MYP project about Injera to show a symbol of pride for my ethnicity. My learning goal for my project was to find out how to make Injera.”
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Annandale CAT B Program Hosts Field Day: The Annandale CAT B program hosted their annual end of the year Field day on Friday. Students had fun outside playing field games including tug of war, kickball, and a water balloon surprise with principal DeRose.
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FCPS Features Annandale Students’ Study Abroad Scholarships: From Paris for $50 to K-Pop Immersion in Seoul, 19 Annandale High School Students Go Abroad on Summer Scholarships! Barcelona. Berlin. Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Ghana. Rome. These are some of the places where nineteen Annandale High School students will be spending their summer, aided by a collective $75,085 in scholarship funding they won after being encouraged to apply for the grants by their teachers. Check out the feature story here.
Annandale Theater Company Nominated for Four Cappies Awards: The Cappies (Critics and Awards Program) is an international program which was launched in FCPS. It recognizes, celebrates, and provides learning experiences for high school theater and journalism students, and teenage playwrights. In the National Capital Area, a Gala awards ceremony is held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. every June. This year, the Annandale Theatre Company received 4 Cappies Nominations for our Fall Play, Argonautika. These nominations are a testament to and a reflection of what the ATC prides itself on - excellence in acting and quality technical theatre on a budget. Nominations were made for the following categories: Props: Zach Dilworth, Atlas Martindale, Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Play: Amina Ahmed, Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Play: Macy Best, Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Play: Kaya Thomas. Congratulations to the all of the nominees!
Annandale Orchestras Perform to a Packed House: The AHS and FCPS Parent Orchestras had their end of the year performances this week! The Annandale Orchestras were joined by Grammy-nominated artist Christylez Bacon, featured a collaboration with Tech Theatre to make the instruments glow, and ended with a all the ensembles performing together to send the Seniors off. A huge thank you to Hanna Langstein, Jeniva Miller, and Erik Healy for performing alongside the ensembles! You can check out photos of the event by Joyce Boghosian here.
Opportunities
Yearbooks Are Here! Yearbooks can be purchased at www.yearbookforever.com or in cash for $85. See Ms. Hanneman in room 272 or 262 to pick up your copy!
June 6 - Poe Middle School Mural Reveal: Poe Middle School Artists have been working hard to complete our annual mural project. Please join us for the Opening Ceremony where the mural will be "unveiled" and "revealed" for the Poe Community. Refreshments will be served and ALL are welcome. Please come alone or with family and friends. The event starts at 6pm on Tuesday, June 6th. Formal remarks will be shared at 6:30pm where you will hear directly from artists. Hope to see you there!
June 8 and 9 - Class of 2024, Senior Portraits! Want to get a head start on senior year by taking your senior portraits? Rising seniors can sign-up for a time after school on June 8 or 9 to take their senior portraits in the Bistro using this link: https://seniors.legacystudios.com/annandale-hs-va/.
June 11 - Observance Design Challenge Deadline: FCPS is looking for middle and high school students to submit artwork to represent the observances on the FCPS school year calendar for 2023-24. The goal of the Observance Design Challenge is to encourage students to tap into their creativity to create visuals that accurately and positively represent the many religious observances celebrated in the FCPS community. Selected entries will be featured on FCPS social media and in newsletters in the next school year! See all the submission guidelines and instructions on the FCPS website. Entries will be accepted through June 11.
Institute for the Arts - Enrollment Now Open: Students in all FCPS secondary schools can enroll in the Institute for the Arts (IFTA). IFTA is a two- or four-week summer arts enrichment program for students in rising 7th through 12th grades. Students create their own schedules in art, music, theatre, and dance from nearly 80 courses offered. Transportation is provided from around the county. Tuition is free for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Check out the website and register online here. For more information email ifta@fcps.edu.
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Important Information
Now through June 2 - Suspension of Attendance Notifications: Morning attendance calls, texts, and e-mails will be suspended during the AP and SOL testing windows. Evening attendance notification will continue as normally scheduled. Additionally, all attendance notifications will be suspended for elementary, middle, and high schools on the last day of school. If you have any questions regarding your students' attendance, please contact the AHS Attendance Office at 703-642-4151 or via email at AnnandaleHigh.Attendance@fcps.edu.
Medication Pickup: The school health room is reminding parents and guardians that all medication stored in the health room must be picked up no later than 12:00pm on Friday, June 16. Medication left in the health room after that time will be discarded. It is school policy that medications must be picked up by the parent or guardian, however, with parent or guardian written permission, a high school student may transport over-the-counter medications to and from the health room. If you have any questions, please contact the School Health Aide Larry Cooper at 703-642-4110 or the Public Health Nurse Katherine Estrada.
SOL Retake Support: At Annandale, we are proud that we have many systems in place to support our students. To that end, when students do not pass their first-attempt SOLs, we double down on our academic support during class time and through PRIDE Time and ASAP to ensure students are successful with additional testing opportunities. Students who qualify for a retake (and their families) will receive an email with information about the retake date as well as the additional support we will provide. Please reach out to your student’s teachers with any questions you may have.
Free Student Bus Pass Program: Did you know that middle school students and high school students attending FCPS are eligible to participate in our Free Student Bus Pass Program. This allows students to ride the Connector, Metro (Falls Church HS, Justice HS, Annandale HS, Davis Ctr and Marshall HS), and Cue buses for free, seven days a week between the hours of 7:00am and 10:00pm. Click here for more information on the program.
Free Live Tutoring Service Available to 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.
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Senior Decision Spotlight
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News from the Student Activities Office
At Annandale, we foster belonging both inside and outside the classroom. Sports and activities are another way for students to deepen a sense of belonging at school. To learn more about Annandale's Spring sports programs, check out this week’s “Atoms Athletics and Activities 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.
Activities Office Update: Baseball traveled to Edison for the National District Semifinals and fell short in a comeback attempt. They hit the field again on Tuesday for their region matchup vs Alexandria City. Softball hit the road as well and played tough against number 1 seed Hayfield, trailing 1-0 through three innings before falling 10-0. Softball will return to action Tuesday vs West Potomac.
Boys Soccer lost to Falls Church in the National District first round but bounced back to beat Fairfax in the region play-in game on Wednesday 1-0. They look to continue their run as they travel back to Falls Church on Tuesday for the region second round matchup. Girls Soccer won their first round matchup vs Mt. Vernon but lost a heartbreaker to TJ in the semis on Wednesday. They will be back in action as they host West Potomac Tuesday evening.
Outdoor Track & Field gets back to action Tuesday and Thursday for the region track meet. Exciting things happening around Atoms Athletics so don't miss out on the action!
May 30 - Annandale Athletics End of the Celebration: We are cordially inviting all of our student-athletes and families to the first annual Annandale All Athletes End of Year Celebration on May 30 at 6:30pm. The event is set up to reflect, recognize, and celebrate all programs and student-athletes accomplishments from this year. If you played on an athletic team this year, you are invited to this event and we are encouraging business casual attire for this evening. At the conclusion of the event, we will serve cake and drinks in the auditorium lobby for some socializing and mingling, so mark your calendar
Prior to the celebration at 6:00pm, we are inviting all student-athletes who have committed to play athletics in college for a special Next Level Ceremony. We will recognize each student-athlete before having a final picture with everyone.
This Week:
Tuesday, May 23
Occoquan Region Baseball vs Alexandria City
Occoquan Region Softball vs West Potomac
Occoquan Region Girls Soccer vs West Potomac
Occoquan Region Boys Soccer @ Falls Church
Occoquan Region Outdoor Track @ Robinson
Tuesday, May 25
Occoquan Region Girls Quarterfinals Soccer @ TBD
Occoquan Region Boys Quarterfinals Soccer @ TBD
Occoquan Region Outdoor Track @ Robinson
Friday, May 26
Occoquan Region Quarterfinals Baseball @ TBD
Occoquan Region Quarterfinals Softball @ TBD
Fall 2023 Sports Tryout Dates: Mark your calendars for Fall 2023 sports tryout dates. Golf tryouts begin on Thursday, July 27 and all other fall sports (football, cheer, field hockey, cross-country, volleyball) will begin on Monday, July 31.
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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.
NOVA Workshops on May 24: This Wednesday during all four lunches, Mr. Yeagley will be holding workshops in the Family Resource Center to help students with the following:
- Applying to NOVA
- Registering for NOVA courses
Students should contact their counselor or Mr. Yeagley to sign up for a workshop.
No-Cost Mental Health Teletherapy for Students: FCPS has partnered with Hazel Health to offer virtual mental health services to high school students via live video sessions. Parents/caregivers can connect students virtually with a licensed therapist. Teletherapy services for students are short-term, evidence-based, and culturally-responsive. Teletherapy is available Monday through Friday from 7am-7pm. Hazel Health’s licensed therapists can help students who are experiencing: Mood/behavior changes, lack of motivation, academic stress, grief/loss, anxiety, worry, fears, bullying, sexual identity challenges, challenging peer and family relationships. Visit FCPS’ Teletherapy webpage for details.
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News from the PTSA
2023-2024 PTSA Officers: Membership vote will occur at the May meeting (Tuesday, May 23, 7:00 pm, AHS Library or virtual) and floor nominations for any position will be accepted at the meeting prior to the vote. Any questions, please contact Annamaria Nields at amnields@yahoo.com.
President - Angela Torres
Vice President Programs - Thurraya Kent
Vice President Membership - Tammy Murphy
Treasurer - Jose Mercado
Secretary - Andre McGinity
All Night Grad Celebration - Tickets Now on Sale: The All Night Graduation Celebration (ANGC) provides a safe, chaperoned, alcohol-free and drug-free event for the Class of 2023 to celebrate together one last time. Buy your tickets now for this fun and memorable event. Please contact the ANGC Chair Rheanna Bernard if you have questions or concerns about the All Night Graduation Celebration.
In addition, we want all graduating seniors to have the opportunity to attend the ANGC. Click here to sponsor a senior. All students attending ANGC in the Class of 2023 MUST submit a parental consent form that can be found here. If you purchase your ticket online you do not need to submit a paper copy of the consent form - it is part of the online checkout process.
All Night Grad Party - Volunteers Needed! The success of the All Night Grad Party on June 2 depends on parents of all grades helping out! It is truly a memorable night that you won’t want to miss. There are time slots available to accommodate any schedule, but the true magic does happen overnight. Don’t miss out on supporting our Grads! Sign-up to volunteer today. If you have questions please contact our ANGC Chair, Rheanna Bernard - annandale.angc@gmail.com. Don’t miss out on supporting our Grads!
Volunteers Wanted - AHS Pantry: The AHS Pantry needs your help! Each month, the Annandale Pantry distributes bags of food to Annandale families in need. Distribution dates are primarily on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 3:30-5:00pm. Please consider volunteering to assist in a distribution. Volunteers can sign up here.
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Camp Information
Looking for fun activities for your child this summer? Annandale High School is offering a variety of summer camps this year for current elementary and middle school students led by our own Annandale coaches. Help spread the word to friends, family and neighbors!
Registration for all camps can be found HERE. See descriptions of the various camps below. More information can be found at AnnandaleAtoms.net.
Multi-Sport Camp - Rising 2nd-9th Graders - June 20-23 8:30am-3pm ($120): Campers will have fun playing a variety of sports including basketball, kickball, volleyball, soccer, and touch football. They will participate in fun contests and win prizes! Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp. Hours are 8:30am-3:00pm. For questions about Multi-Sport or Olympics Camps, please reach out to Christopher Bagot.
Olympics Camp - Rising 2nd-9th Graders - June 26-29 8:30am-3pm ($120): This exciting camp features team activities including soccer, volleyball, basketball, touch football, and relay races. Campers will also get a chance to compete and earn medals! Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp. Hours are 8:30am-3:00pm. For questions about Multi-Sport or Olympics Camps, please reach out to Christopher Bagot.
Basketball - Rising 4th-9th Graders - July 10-14 9am-3pm ($250): Campers will spend each day focused on developing their basketball skills. They will also receive a report card on their basketball abilities, a t-shirt, and a chance to win trophies. Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp. Hours are 9:00am to 3:00pm. For questions about Basketball Camp please reach out to Jerome McAvoy.
Girls Field Hockey/Lacrosse - Rising K-9th Grade - July 10-14, July 17-21, & July 24-28 8am-3pm ($120): For new athletes and those who have been playing for years, camp will be a fun-filled day of training, group competition, and surprise activities. Campers should bring their lunch each day except Friday when lunch will be provided. Hours are 8:00am-3:00pm. For questions about Girls Field Hockey/Lacrosse Camp please reach out to Janan Gokturk.
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